February 13- 17

Many children are working on making topographic maps of the continents.  Once a child has memorized the political map learning the names and locations of all the countries on a continent, they are able to create a topographic map.  The children are having fun using paper mache and painting beautiful maps!

Elise brought in some giant pieces of moss after our lessons on parts of the moss plant last week.  We had the chance to examine and review parts and stages of growth in a moss plant!

On Valentine's Day we learned the history of St. Valentine and its relevance to the traditional customs of Valentine's Day today.  We made chocolate filled roses and pop-up cards to celebrate.

We had a group lesson discussing the food web of the wetlands.  Each child was either a plant, plant eater, or animal eater.  We then used yarn to connect the plant eaters to the plants they eat then the animal eaters to the animals they would eat.  We noticed the intricate web that was created.  We then saw what happened when there is a disturbance anywhere in the web.  The children learned how nothing living exists in isolation and that nature works to maintain balance.

We learned about layers of a bog.  A bog is covered with spongy mosses that hold water.  They are found in colder climates in stagnant water that does not move.  When plants die, they do not decompose because of the lack of oxygen, the cold temperature, and the poor, acidic soil.  Instead of decomposing, the dead plant material builds up and forms peat.

We got a chance to see and touch peat moss.  We did an experiment to show how peat moss holds more water than soil.  In the wetlands, the soggy peat moss is so thick that you can walk on it without sinking into the water!

In art we are continuing to make our model fish!

We had a lesson on how aquatic animals benefit from webbed feet.  We discussed what animals have webbed feet and how it helps them move in the water.  The children then got to simulate the webbed feet feeling by putting a plastic baggie over their hand and moving it through water.

We ended our week with a trip to the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.  It was an amazing trip to culminate our wetlands/temperate forest studies!  Here is a brief list of conversation starters to have with your child about the trip!  This was an amazing experience for everyone.
• deciduous forest
• the underground railroad
• how the refuge used to be a refuge for humans
• white-tail deer
• turkey buzzards
• beaver lodges and dams
• algae and signs of spring in the swamp
• the fires that swept the swamp last summer
• lake Drummond
• bald eagles and bald eagle nests
• how to tell the difference between bald eagles and turkey buzzards in flight
• Washington ditch
• evidence of bears

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters

Lake Drummond observation pier

beaver lodge

Washington Ditch trail

swamp fire damage