#5 Blue Whale

Blue Whale

Blue Whale fun Facts:

• A blue whale can weigh up to 200 tons

• The length of a Blue Whale is 30 meters long, which is longer then 3 school busses put together

• It takes 19 female college students to make a Blue Whale

This can also be used as a class activity

• The Blue Whale eats 4 tons of krill a day. That is the same weight as four small cars combined

• For a size comparison this is how small krill are

• Blue Whales are found in all oceans of the world except the Arctic Ocean
• They are the largest animal known to have and exist
• Blue Whales are graceful swimmers they have a cruising speed of 5 MPH, and they can accelerate up to 20 MPH when needed 
• They can live up to 110 years
• Blue Whales are classified as an endangered species

• Their calls are the loudest of any creature on the planet

Books on Blue Whales:

Blue Whale Activities:

Learn about whale blubber and how to draw a life-sized whale

Two ways to create a paper whale craft

For older grades the students can create their own whale fact booklets

#4 Phobias

Phobias

My science phobia would have to be on Life Science. This phobia came from a long history of science teachers in high school droning on about DNA, genes, and the structures of blood cells and had us memorize each part of the stupid cells. I remember failing every single one of those tests. Constant lectures and slides on parts of the body and cells that we had to memorize were agonizing for me.

This diagram was my phobia throughout high school science

 This would be me as a child in science class...

Get ready for my REAL phobia....

Thalassophobia

The compulsive fear of the sea (or really any deep, dark body of water)

My friends think that its crazy that I have this fear. I live in a coastal town and live right on the water. I can go to the beach and put my feet in the ocean and go up to my knees but that is as far as I will go. I don't like how you can't see in the water and that there could be a number of plants/ animals lurking ready to strike and take you down.

This is why I am forever grateful that my dad grew up camping and going to lakes in the summer. So when it came to the summer my family would go to our seasonal campsite and I can swim, tube and paddle to my hearts content in clear, warm water. Where I can see what is below me and it is always just tiny fish and some lake grass.

So I'll stick to my lake clear lake swimming and let everyone else enjoy the creepy, cold, dark ocean water...

#3 The Nature Connection Activities

Nature Poem

Snow is falling gently down
Swirling down across the trail
Trees swaying in the wind creaking as they go
Snow crunching underfoot as I walk down the path
My breath coming out in puffs like a great mighty snow dragon
Bunny and deer tracks cross out in front of me creating patterns in the snow
It's peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. In my own little world

A story about nature and how it shaped a girl

When I was a young girl, around the age of 6 my parents a bought me a book on fairies and another on fairy houses. I set to work writing letters to fairies on the little pink pieces of paper that came with the book. Soon I found out that I had two fairies to write to. Pansy and her friend Sunflower. I soon learned that they were both outgrowing their family houses. So I instantly set to work finding the perfect place to build my houses. That summer I spent almost all of my time outside building and working on the fairy houses and coming up with neat ways to make them interactive. My father helped me build a little natural swing for the fairies. And we had found a plastic plumbing cap that I put into the ground and covered the edges with moss and turned it into a swimming pool. Which my cat thought was now her own personal outdoor water bowl. I created relationships with my fairies writing to them everyday and finding their letters the next day around the house or if the weather was nice, in their houses. This was one of the most fondest memories of my childhood and it really shaped me into who I am as a person today.

The two books I received from my parents.

My fairy Pansy

(Sunflower said she was too shy and that's why Cicely never painted or drew her)

My complete fairy guide that I took everywhere with me

Going on a field trip

I took a trip to my hometown down to the beach on a quiet sunny day.


Colors I saw:

• Blues of all shades from the ocean 
• White for the snow covering the rocks and for the frothy sea foam
• Gray for the sand and the beach rocks scattered about from the past storm
• Brown for the periwinkle shells and seaweed on the rocks at low tide
• Green for the kelp and seaweed that was floating in the shallow tide pools

Sounds I hear:

• The call of the seagulls flying above my head
• A dog barking as he runs up the beach
• The sound of a lobster boat motor humming out to sea
• The crashing of the waves hitting the rocks
• The swishing sound as the water laps at my feet
• The sound of trees creaking as the wind blows through them
• The shriek coming from me as I slip on an icy rock

Some clues of the season

• Dead grass
• Snow on the ground
• Ice covered rocks
• The chilly cold wind blowing
• An empty beach

Finding my favorite spots in nature..

This is a metal swing at one of my fathers clients summer homes. It's right next to the water and is a great place to swing and think deep thoughts or to curl up with a pillow and blanket and read a book.

Some of the beautiful views from the swing during the summer

Another one of my favorite places in nature is on my paddle board at Brandy Pond. I love finding a shallow quiet spot on the lake to anchor down and to either lay down or to just sit and relax. I love taking in the views and on some days I can have the lake all to myself.

A beautiful view from a evening paddle

#2 Snakeskins ect.

Class Activity #1 January 25, 2019

Snake Skin 

 


Data:

• From computer research my group determined that the snake skin was from a Boa Constrictor

Texture: Feels like bubble wrap, the stomach has bigger scales then the top of the skin

Colors: Light brown, dark brown, tan and white

Length: 100 Centimeters long or 39.3 inches long

 Only watch this video to 1:17

Books:

 

Activities:

 





Birds Nest:

 

Data:

The nest is made out of:

• Straw
• Dried grass
• Moss
• Dirt (mud)
• Birch bark
• Leafs
• Pine Needles
• Feathers

Texture:

 Rough, wispy and hard packed

Colors:

Browns, greens, tan and white

Size:

Width was 4 inches across one way and 4 1/2 inches the other way.

Height: 2 1/2 inches tall

Books:

 

 

Activities:

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Butterfly:

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Swallowtail- Papilio Xuthus

Colors:

• Yellow
• Black
• Brown
• Orange

Size:

• 3 1/2 Inches (Wing Span)
• 2 3/8 Inches (Wing Height)
• 1cm (Anteni)    
• 1 1/2 Inches (Body) 

Books:

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Activities: