Home School Botany Prep for Ages 5-12 Class Next Week

Botany Prep Materials for Ages 5-12 yrs.

Vocabulary:

• Botany
• Dichotomous key
• Root
• Rhizome
• Stem
• Petiole
• Apical bud
• Rachis
• Stipules
• Alternate leaves
• Opposite Leaves
• Palmate leaves
• Pinnate Leaves
• Compound Leaves
• Simple leaves
• Linnaean system of Classification: Learn all the steps (Kings Play Chess On Fat Green Stools)
  • Kingdom (K)
  • Phylum (p)
  • Class (c)
  • Order (o)
  • Family (f)
  • Genus (g)
  • Species (s)

 

All Ages:

http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/main.html this is a good general website to start with. Click through all the links on the left hand green bar.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/gpe/index.cfm work through the pages on this site, great for all ages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQT6piZOX7c a catchy song about what plants need to live.

http://forestry.about.com/od/treephysiology/tp/leaf_structure_shape.htm study and peruse all three of the PDF’s on this page, they’re a great start into the plant identification world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d26AhcKeEbE time lapse of radish seeds growing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJQyL-7KRmw&feature=related green been germinating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZrImFWqJjM how plants grow in space, a short video.

Younger Students (5-7 yrs):

http://worksheetplace.com/index.php?function=DisplayCategory&showCategory=Y&links=2&id=242&link1=241&link2=242 some great worksheets for younger students.

Older Students (8-12 yrs):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KKw3UavsPA   a catchy tune for kid’s the learn the basics of plants.

 

HOMEWORK

Homework is optional.  I won’t collect the homework but if you want feedback you’re welcome to show me before or after class.

Optional Homework for older kids: Research the naming system that Linnaeus developed for plants and animals and then create a catchy way to remember the Linnaean system of classification: Learn all the steps (My example is Kings Play Chess On Fat Green Stools or Kings Play Chess On Fine Gold Surface.)

• Kingdom (K)
• Phylum (p)
• Class (c)
• Order (o)
• Family (f)
• Genus (g)
• Species (s)

Optional Homework for younger kids: Draw a plant and label the following parts—leaf, stem, petiole, root, stipule, leaf veins, root hairs, soil, water/clouds, sun.

Biology Lab Course

Home School Parents,

I am considering offering a Biology Lab Course for students ages 13-16. This may be an AP biology course, focusing on preparing students for the AP test, or it might be an Honors Biology course. I’m still trying to assess need and interest. If you are interested please e-mail me,McDonaldK@si.edu, and answer the following questions:

1. What is your main focus for the course? AP Biology to take the AP test, a strong biology lab course, preparation to take another AP class, etc….
2. What is the age(s) of your student?
3. Do you have a preferred textbook, website, or workbook?
4. Do you have a preference for having just a lab or a lab and lecture?
5. Has your student(s) ever take any other AP course previously?
6. Because this is not a graded course, I’m concerned with student accountability on assignments and projects of this advanced nature. If I’m going to do the work teaching a class I need the reciprocation of participation to ensure students are engaged. In some courses I’ve had students never complete a single reading or homework assignment. How can I ensure accountability and support from parents and students?
7. Other ideas or comments.

 

Any help or feedback is appreciated.

Sounds in Nature Pre-Class Materials

Sounds in Nature Class Prep Materials

Vocabulary

• Vocalization
• Vocal cord
• Larynx
• Sound Frequency
• Pitch
• Vibration
• Tympanum (Ear Drum)
• Eardrum
• Incus
• Stapes
• Cochlea
• Eustachian tube
• Malleous
• Melon (as in on the head of dolphins)
• Echolocation
• Sound spectrogram

 

All Ages

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyAtWFAaM14 how the ear works

http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/ears.html an introduction to the human ear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4xYDs5rLNI sound is a vibe song, Billy Nye

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/the-science-of-sound-1 the science of sound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3YTvT3gqFI animal sound vocalizations to listen to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42I3n3brI78 sounds of the arctic ocean.

http://www.batcon.org/movies/echolocation.wmv a hip video about bat echolocation by Batney Ears (Brittney Spears).

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/brp/elephant/index.html Elephant listening project

 

8-12 yrs.

http://www.biologycorner.com/anatomy/chap10.html anatomy of the ear introduction, quiz, and labeling worksheet.

http://www.fathom.com/course/10701056/index.html an introduction to bioacoustics. Please click and read through links.

http://www.dosits.org/animals/soundproduction/mammalsproduce/ a neat page on how marine mammals make sounds.

5-7 yrs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animal_sounds sounds animals make.

http://www.batcon.org/pdfs/education/ColoringPagerla.pdf big eared bat coloring page.

Clothing Donation

I was asked by our School Coordinator to post a request for gently used children’s clothing. We often have children that need additional clothing, whether they are arriving inappropriately dressed for field trips (often they come from urban areas and don’t have the proper clothes) and sometimes kids even fall into the water. We need a wide variety of sizes, from 1st-12th grade. Items such as pants (sweatpants work well), shirts (sweat shirts, t-shirts, etc.), jackets, socks, etc. We do not need hats or shoes.

If you need more information let me know. Thanks much!

Bird Flight Class Prep Materials

Bird Flight Class Prep Materials

Vocabulary:

• Bird
• Air foil
• Primary Feathers
• Secondary Feathers
• Flight feather
• Contour feather
• Down feather
• Archaeopteryx
• Aerodynamic
• Lift
• Gliding
• Soaring
• Thermal
• Frictional Drag

All Ages:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5kzxOtvCjc&feature=related the evolution of birds and flight, a short video (3 min).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37MNE8tOBG4 and owl flying in slow motion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4l0xavWi7kU&feature=related a  newly designed robotic bird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TeiSsJ3G_0 a funny off beat Monty Python skit about flying sheep.

http://www.edupics.com/coloring-page-bird-in-flight-i19181.html bird in flight coloring page.

Older Students 8-12 yrs.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F41qG_lfDwU a good short video about wing types.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/FlightLesson.html a great website all about flight, with a fun activity at the end that kid’s can try to make a “crane” model fly.

http://www.ornithopter.org/birdflight/glide.shtml a great introduction to how birds fly website. Be sure to click on the links to the side that say, “Gliding, Soaring, Flapping, and Migration.”

http://howthingsfly.si.edu/activities/how-wings-work a great resource about how wings on planes work from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

http://www.ueet.nasa.gov/StudentSite/historyofflight.html a history of flight.

Younger Students 5-7 yrs (see “All Ages”:

 Home Work:

http://nsgd.gso.uri.edu/aku/akue88001/akue88001_x-sheets1.pdf  If you would like a homework assignment please have Older students (age 8-12) do pages 7-15 but skipping page 11. For younger students just page 15.

Class Atttendance Reminder

Home School Parents,

Please remember to call me or e-mail if you can not attend a class. We have a waiting list for all sessions. In our second class today only 6 of 18 students showed up! I appreciate that things come up and completely understand. Please have courtesy for fellow students and parents and let us know if you can’t attend a session.

I will be posting the new summer schedule shortly. As you know normally we take a break for the 5-12 year olds, but this summer I am offering a Botany Field Course for 13-16 yr. olds. Currently I do not have enough students to make the Botany course, so if you know of anyone interested please pass along the information here on the blog or have them e-mail me at McDonaldK@si.edu. Thanks!

 

 

 

 

Home School Student Biomimicry Project Featured on SERC Blog

Just wanted to say thanks again to everyone that participated in the SERC Biomimicry Science Fair. Our media writer was so impressed she did a feature story on Samantha Reed. Be sure to check out the article all about how she developed her idea for cat whisker aided walking sticks at: http://sercblog.si.edu/?p=1972.

Ms. Karen’s cat Luna…and her amazing white whiskers.