After rocks and minerals, the class digs into soil. The Soils 4 Kids website offers information, resources, and interactive games for kids to explore everything they ever wanted to know about soil. Click here to visit the site, or click the images below to learn about soil through game play.
An amazing variety of plants and animals inhabit the state of Georgia, so every year the unit on habitats becomes an instant favorite. We're exploring Georgia's mountains, Piedmont, marsh and swamp, coast and Atlantic Ocean.
The Encyclopedia of Life is a comprehensive resource for exploring life. Watch the short video above, then click here to learn more.
Explore Georgia's flora and fauna with slideshows from five regions of the state. Click the image above, or right here to get started.
Click the links below to explore regions of Georgia via photographs. The one above was taken at Crooked River State Park, down on the coast.
During the last science unit of the year, we investigate pollution and conservation. Director Annie Leonard's website, The Story of Stuff, features animated films related to the science standard. Click here to watch.
The next science unit is all about flora (plants) and fauna (animals) native to Georgia. Let's celebrate scientific facts by singing along to a song by They Might Be Giants...
"Science Is Real"
Science is real From the Big Bang to DNA Science is real From evolution to the Milky Way I like the stories About angels, unicorns and elves Now I like those stories As much as anybody else But when I'm seeking knowledge Either simple or abstract The facts are with science The facts are with science
Science is real Science is real Science is real
Science is real From anatomy to geology Science is real From astrophysics to biology A scientific theory Isn't just a hunch or guess It's more like a question That's been put through a lot of tests And when a theory emerges Consistent with the facts The proof is with science The truth is with science
How do we determine a mineral's hardness? Scratch it!
Can Louisa scratch talc with a steel nail?
Is Layla scratching apatite with a copper penny?
Does Claren's fingernail leave a mark on feldspar?
Inquiry drives Ailynn and friends...
A song about the Mohs hardness scale drops an earworm during our exploration...
Mohs Hardness Scale
I see a rock sittin' there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) Talc, and gypsum can be scratched by a finger nail. But calcite can be scratched by a copper penny. Fluorite and apatite can both be scratched with a steel knife. Hmmm but orthoclase is with window glass. Go run tell your science teacher! I see a rock sittin there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) Now I know that quartz can scratch a window glass and topaz can scratch quartz and corundum to topaz oh yeaaa and diamond can scratch all the other ones. Ooo it's a 10 yea...just that you should know! Oooh I got some news for you, you better use it right now. I see a rock sittin there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) Now rocks, rocks, rocks why'd you wanna wanna scratch so hard (so hard, so hard, so hard) I tried to tell my teacher but she told me this is one for the scale (the scale, the scale, the scale) yes she did, yes she did. Ooh WHY? Ooh WHY? Ooh WHY? ROCKS? Ooh You're hard oh yes you are...OOOOOH!!! I see a rock sittin there, how hard is it? I use the Mohs Hardness Scale (ooh, ooh, ooh) There is talc, gypsum, calcite, and fluorite too. So I'm like, Mohs Hardness Scale Apatite, orthoclase, quartz, topaz, ooh, corundum (And diamond) And now there's one through ten of the Mohs Hardness Scale, let's use it, Mohs Hardness Scale
The first science unit of the year is hands-on and super fun. The rocks, minerals, soils and fossils unit begins with a read aloud of Byrd Baylor's beautifully illustrated book, Everybody Needs a Rock. Naturally, the next step is to head outside and search for the perfect rock!
After
millions of years (or about a week for our models), fossils form in
sedimentary rock under intense pressure. The class creates cast and mold
models with clay and glue, then the skilled paleontologists
carefully remove shell-shaped casts from molds, while singing along with
They Might Be Giants. Scroll down to listen.
"I Am A Paleontologist"
I love diggin' in the dirt With just a pick and brush Finding fossils is my aim So I'm never in a rush 'Cause the treasures that I seek Are rare and ancient things Like Velociraptor's jaw Or Archaeopteryx's wings
Now all the kids Who wanna see 'em Are lining up At our museum
I am a paleontologist That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am I am a paleontologist That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am
Could it be an herbivore Crushing plants with rounded teeth Or ferocious carnivore Who moves so quickly on its feet It's like pieces of a puzzle That I love to try and solve It's so fun to think about How a species has evolved
And all the kids Who wanna see 'em Can check 'em out At our museum
I am a paleontologist That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am I am a paleontologist That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am
Is it a T-rex? (I keep digging, digging, digging, digging) (Digging, digging, digging, digging) Maybe a Triceratops? (Digging, digging, digging, digging) (Digging, digging, digging, digging) Or a Carnotaur? (Digging, digging, digging, digging) (Digging, digging, digging, digging) (Digging, digging, digging, digging, diggin') Pachycephalosaurus?
I am a paleontologist That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am I am a paleontologist That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am That's who I am, that's who I am, that's who I am
A year ago this month, a robot named Philae landed on a comet millions of miles away. The European Space Agency's animated short tells the tale of Rosetta and Philae...
Click here for an interactive website (accompanied by a wonderfully eerie sci-fi soundtrack) where users explore Rosetta's route over the course of ten long years, or right here to watch what happens when astronomers play with LEGOs.
The field trip to Sandy Creek Nature Center begins with a hike around Clay Pit Pond. Our group poses for a photo beside a giant wall of tangled roots and red clay. Heavy rains soften the topsoil as the wetland creeps further and further into the forest. Even the biggest trees are no match for loosened, saturated soil and strong winds.
Donnell glimpses a great blue heron taking flight, a terrapin balancing on a log and all sorts of insects.
Lorenzo and Abram go on and on about a moose (which is nowhere to be found).
Wyatt saves a spot as the class settles down (or not) for an exploration of microhabitats.
Teamwork! Anyiah and Bella stretch a tape measure to determine perimeter and area.
After an informative lesson on ecosystems and habitats throughout Georgia, the class lines up for a short bus ride to Sandy Creek Park.
Genesis points out a lizard darting along a wooden fence.
Part two of the day's adventure begins with lunch in the sun.
The most popular spot is on a stone wall overlooking the beach and Lake Chapman's glassy surface.
Between bites, Vivi shares a place-based connection, when she and her little brother paddled across Lake Chapman imagining they were pirates on the high seas.
Shamir doesn't look too thrilled with his sandcastle.
Lawton looks forward to post-lunch soccer on the sand.
Levyn the Bedouin returns from a long journey.
Z'yon, Vivi and a handful of others collectively terraform the sandy landscape.
Ella begins to explore while Akasha strikes a pose (again).
Genesis cleans away Cheeto remnants before digging in.
Dylan make a splash.
Anyiah scoops. Water pools.
Drip castles rise above canals.
Cleo smiles as Danielle walks backward into the lake. Maybe she should open her eyes.
Maya digs deeper and discovers a layer of buried silt.
Avery and Riley document afternoon adventures with a series of interviews.
Game on!
Egan's method for exploring the texture of sand particles is a lot more fun than any science experiment back in the classroom. His smile says it all...
“Kids need time and room to become themselves, and that is never a simple or straightforward process. Kids, like all of us, need time away from school, away from TV, away from supervision, away from monitoring, testing, and surveillance.”
