Spread Some Kindness !

Hi Scientists!
 This week in our house we used our Nature Walk to find some beautiful wildflowers. The kids decided we would like to make some cards with our flowers to send to others that may need a little cheering up! We all know getting cards and notes can make others smile!

The problem was living flowers do not live very long out of water or soil. You do not want to send a bunch of dead flowers! I know Science that can solve the problem!
To preserve flowers and not let them decompose, you have to not give them exposure to air! So we sealed our flowers between wax paper and now they will last forever!
Below you will see how we did this. The kids were so excited to mail the cards to friends and family! We also made a bookmark for all that reading we have been doing!
This activity does require an adult to help you use the iron!

Materials: waxpaper, flowers, or petals, leaves, an electric iron, scissors 

Procedure: 
1. Pick some wildflowers and pull the stems off.
2. Lay the flowers and leaves on a piece of wax paper. ( leave spaces in between and press as flat as possible  )
3. Lay another piece of wax paper on top.
4. Use a hot or very warm iron to press the 2 pieces of wax paper together with the flowers

in between.
5. The heat should melt the wax on the paper and seal the flowers safe inside . 
6. Now you can cut the sealed paper into any shape you want . Add a pretty yarn or ribbon if you want.  Let me know how it worked in the comment section below !
Spread the kindness ! 
Ms. Lucadou 

Let's Take a Look at Lizards !

Welcome back !

Today we are going to take a look at our lizards ! Since you can not come in the lab I am bringing the lizard to you ! Watch the video below and see if you can answer these questions afterward! 

1. Lizards and turtles are both reptiles . What body covering do both of these reptiles have ?
2. What do lizards do that help them escape from predators ?
3. What do you call it when lizards change colors to match their environment? 
4. What do lizards eat ? 
4. What kind of habit does a lizard live in? 


Click here to see the video on Lizards   


Now go out and see if you can find some lizards in your back yard? Remember to ask an adult before you touch any animal and always wash your hand after handling any animal .

Be sure and write in your journal what you learned and share the information with someone else!

Miss you all , Leave me a comment below with your gmail account !
Ms. Lucadou

Let's Talk Turtles !
Hi all,
In the last post you saw how a box turtle wandered into our back yard. So in this post I would like for us to take a close look at all my turtles. I have four now ! I hope you remember, all turtles are reptiles but can be different. In the video below, I will give you a close look at the turtles and share some ways they are different and why . So get that journal ready,You might want to draw each turtle and tell what it has that helps the turtle survive in its habitat!

Now go out and share what you learned today or leave me a comment below !
Keep Exploring !
Ms. Lucadou

Something New Observed !

                                             Hi all , 

You know, I have always told you to be observant when outdoors. If you are observant (looking and thinking ) you will experience all the beautiful wonders Nature has for you ! This morning we found this in our yard(picture). Do you see how well it is camouflaged ? We really had to be observant to find it! Do you see it ? Its a turtle !  Did I reach down and pick it up ? NO ! If you remember the rules of an outdoor investigation , you never touch anything without an adult's permission . So if you find something like this - First go get an adult . You have seen me hold my turtles at school but that does not mean you should pick up a turtle you find. Some turtles can be VERY Dangerous ! As an adult the first thing we need to do is figure out if this is a snapping turtle. I of course do not want to hurt him in any way either.  The way I test is to hold a LONG stick in front of his head. If he snaps it or grabs it I know he is a snapping turtle and I need to leave him alone. If he pulls his head in for protection he is not a snapping turtle. Snapping turtles bite because they have no other protection like many turtles do. A snapping turtle is very dangerous so never ever get close to it! This turtle pulled his head in and so I knew it was not dangerous. I wanted to study him and share what I learn with you so the next step is to make him a home very much like his natural habitat and give him all his basic needs. Aren't you glad you are learning all this in your Science classes so you could do this as well at your house perhaps?  Down below you will see I moved him out of his camouflage surrounding so you can see him better. Now I have a job to do - I have to build him a habitat. I will not keep him long because he is more comfortable in the wild and perhaps he will find my backyard is a pretty good place to live . 

Now take your journal and draw a picture of the turtle. How is he different from  the turtles I showed you in past posts (our lab turtles ) ? Will his habitat look like that habitat? Can he live in an aquarium or would a large terrarium be a better habitat ?  Why  ? 

Check for the next post and I will show you the home I have made for him .

Just in case you want to research this turtle . He is an eastern box turtle . My other turtles are red- eared sliders . 

I will show you more of the differences in turtles in other posts. 

Keep checking with me and let me know if you find anything in your yard or on your walks.  Just remember the safety rules ! 

Now go out and explore  your world ! 

Comment below with your gmail !

Ms. Lucadou

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