Entomologist Visit!

Dear families,                                           10-29-14

       We have a very special event planned in STEAM this Monday, November 3rd. An entomologist (insect scientist) who works on the base will be coming in to review our “Invasive Species Design Challenge” products and discuss her career.

The children have worked extremely hard as engineers. As a class, we have decided to dress formally for our presentations/visit with the entomologist. We will try our best to leave sneakers, jeans, and sweats home on this professional day.

Thank you for your support!

~Katie Martin

kmartin@mashpee.k12.ma.us

Materials Needed

Dear families,                                                       

We are looking for the following donations to complete a special STEAM project:

·      pine cones ( any shape or species, but the bigger, the better)

·      acorn caps ( it’s OK if the acorn is still inside!)

·      brown or black twine/yarn

If you are able to send in any or all of the materials to be shared with the class, that would be wonderful!

Sincerely,

Ms. Katie Martin

Animal Unit

We activated our prior knowledge today by starting a "K, W, L" chart for the topic of "animals". We had time to write down everything we already know about animals, and also ask questions about what we would like to learn more about. Here are some examples of questions from both homerooms:

1. How do animals get sorted by their body parts?- Gabby
2. What is adaptation? - Mark
3. What is metamorphosis? - Brady
4. Which plants are invasive to Cape Cod? - Kim
5. Is there an animal that eats bats? - Ariana
6. What kinds of birds migrate?- Kasey
7. What effects do humans have on the environment? - Nick
8. Why do elephants have such a long trunk?- Matt
9. Why are reptiles cold-blooded?- David
10. How does an animal learn a behavior? - Amiyah



Here are the topics we will be studying throughout this unit:

·    *Classify animals according to the physical characteristics they share.

·    *Animal life cycles

·        *Metamorphosis

·    *Inherited characteristics

·    *Characteristics effected by environment or climate

·   *Adaptation

·   *Migration

·   *Instinctive behaviors

·   *Learned behaviors

·    *Seasonal behaviors

·    *Invasive species

·    *Human effects on animals/environment

·    *Food chains and webs

Tree Identification Lab!!!

Mark, Gabby, Brady and Annika working with a Black Oak sample.

 This week in STEAM we had a lab to learn how to identify common tree species that are native to Cape Cod. The species we have learned about are: White Oak, Black Oak, American Holly, Pitch Pine, and White Pine. Paying close attention to the leaves/acorns and needles/cones helped us with our identification.

Gigi, Rhiannon, Jenna, and Bridgette inspect acorn specimens.

Kim, Stella, Neil, Harry, Kailyn, and Melanie count the needle bundles...do we see three or five???

Erin and Avani studying the details of a cone from a Pitch Pine.

Thank you to Thorton Burgess for supplying us with our lab kits!!!

National Estuaries Day Event!

National Estuaries Day 2014 Sunday, September 21 2:00PM - 4:00PM Celebrate! Waquoit Bay Reserve invites the community to celebrate National Estuaries Day with Wampanoag Coastal Traditions at Reserve Headquarters    This event is part of the festivities for National Estuaries Day.    For information about other National Estuaries Week activities check http://www.estuaries.org/national-estuaries-day.html.      Reserve Visitor Center 131 Waquoit Highway, Waquoit, MA 02536  For more information about Waquoit Bay Reserve or this event call 508-457-0495 or check www.waquoitbayreserve.org . Celebrating Estuaries and Wampanoag Coastal Traditions    Come sample complimentary clam chowder and cranberry corn bread and listen to the Lady Hawk Singers.  Wander into the Visitor Center for an art show by Emma Jo Mills Brennan and Ramona Peters.  Join Kitty Hendricks in the wetu (traditional Wampanoag dwelling) for a traditional cooking demonstration or learn about how oysters can purify water through a demonstration by the Native Youth in Science students. Falmouth Water Stewards will also be on hand with an activity illustrating what everyone can do to protect the bay. The art show which includes paintings and clay objects will be on display through October. Families can also explore the outdoor exhibits and bring a picnic to eat on the bluff if they'd like. This event is free and open to all.

Welcome to our Class Blog!!!

Thank you so much for stopping by...here you will find the latest updates of what we are working on in ELA (English Language Arts) as well as STEAM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math)

Please consider signing up to "follow" out blog which will allow you to sign in and make comments/ask questions. The children and I will take turns posting, and love sharing our learning with you!!!

Sincerely, Katie Martin