We learned about mosses and the parts of a moss plant. The children went on a moss hunt to find specimens so we could better understand the function of their parts in terms of a moss’s adaptations to the wetland environment. We explored the life cycle of a moss plant. Mosses were some of the first plants to develop on land. They still depend on water in order to reproduce. Their reproductive cycle has two phases that correspond to two different parts of the plant. We had a chance to see different examples of mosses in different phases of its life!
The class had lots of fun setting up our own balanced aquarium. We talked about all the elements necessary in a balanced ecosystem as we put together our aquarium. First we added land (gravel) and water. We then introduced elodea, an aquatic plant. The purpose of the plant is to put oxygen in the water. The animals in the aquarium will need the oxygen. We then introduced a goldfish to our environment. The fish can eat the plants for food. When the fish eat, they will produce waste that will provide nutrients for the plant. If they produce more waste than the plants can use, a new, microscopic plant called algae will begin to grow. To take care of any algae growth, we added some snails to the aquarium. We will be watching our aquarium over the next few weeks to see if it needs adjustments to maintain its balance. Once it is balanced, it will not require cleaning or feeding of any kind! The children promptly named our goldfish Lola and the snails Sticky and Stucky. We have all enjoyed this recent addition to our classroom!
To observe how underwater plants breathe we set up an experiment to see how plants produce oxygen. Our experiment demonstrated how the elodea plant in our aquarium, like other plants, produces oxygen. With aquatic plants, this oxygen is released into the water, where it becomes available to animals that need it. These plants that are especially adapted to rowing underwater help create an environment that supports an abundance of life in the wetlands.
We learned about the different parts of a tadpole madtom (catfish). In art, the children are working on constructing 3D models of fish that reinforce learning all the names and locations of the different fins and body parts.
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Norfolk to hear the Virginia Symphony. Here is a list of the music we heard:
The Love for Three Oranges Suite, III March by Sergey Prokofiev
The Marriage of Figaro, Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 5, Mvt.I By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing by Duke Ellington
Harmony by local student composer Arr. B. Kuebler
Overture From West Side Story- featuring Mambo by Leonard Bernstein
Harry Potter Suite: Harry’s Wondrous World by John Williams
We learned about the cajun people who inhabit the North American wetlands. We learned how the cajuns meet their need for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and cultural celebrations. The class had lots of fun dancing to cajun music, hearing samples of cajun language, and learning about crawfish boils. On Friday, we prepared a traditional cajun meal of Jambalaya that everyone had a chance to taste!
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Norfolk to hear the Virginia Symphony at Chrysler Hall. Here is a list of the music we heard:
The Love for Three Oranges Suite, III March by Sergey Prokofiev
The Marriage of Figaro, Overture by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 5, Mvt.I By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing by Duke Ellington
Harmony by local student composer Arr. B. Kuebler
Overture From West Side Story- featuring Mambo by Leonard Bernstein
Harry Potter Suite: Harry’s Wondrous World by John Williams
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