Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Filed under: 6th Grade

Bald Eagles in Real Time

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Take a look at the Bald Eagles in their nest... http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/07/135148362/eagle-cam-soars-with...

After viewing the live stream of a Bald Eagle family in Decorah, Iowa, 5th grade students were inspired to find out more about our nation's symbol.  Here are some samplings of what they uncovered:

* Bald eagles can be found in Canada and the United States usually near sea coasts, rivers, or large lakes.

* The breading season is November through April.

* The nest, usually made of sticks can weigh up to 4,000 pounds and be 8 feet in diameter. 

* Some nests last as long as 30 years, with the Eagles returning from year to year.  The nests can be found 10-150 feet above ground in a tree.

* The females are larger than the males.  They can weigh from 4.5 to 13.5 pounds with a wingspan of nearly 8 feet.

* Both the male and female take care of the eggs and then the eaglets.  

* The preferred foods are fish, duck, geese, rabbit, muskrat, carrion, and other small mammals and water birds.

* The female usually lays 1 to 3 bluish-white eggs that incubate for 35 days.  The eaglets will leave the nest after 10 weeks.  

* The voice of bald eagle is characterized as a harsh cackle.

* Bald Eagles migrate alone or in pairs and are known to mate for life.

 

 

 

Exemplary Field of View Sketches

Take a look at these great field of view sketches.  

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Can you match them to the photographs of the same specimen?

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FOV Sketch Credits: Charlotte S., Matthew Zu., Matthew Za., Dana, Kirsten, Yvonne, and Emmet

More Fabulous Extra Credit

The 6th Grade students continue to research and present interesting extra credit projects.  This week we learned about the dominant and recessive genes associated with variation in eye color, the two types of melanin: euomelanin and pheomelanin that determine hair color, and The Copernican Revolution.  

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Harry Potter and More...

Today 6D shared a few more classification games.  Laurence and Cameron developed a fun board game in which teams of students answered science questions to earn the classification of the sunflower and the channel catfish.  Caroline, Charlotte and Lauryn developed an interactive game about branching diagrams, in which teams of students had to search for similar characteristics among animals.  Finally, Kirsten, David and Maria created a game in which students had to classify Harry Potter creatures using a dichotomous key.

Try your hand at Harry Potter classification.  Look at the image of the creature.  Read the information about the creature.  Then use the dichotomous key, to find the Kingdom and Phylum of the Harry Potter creature.  

Creature #1...  

Common Name: Mandrake Scientific Name: Babius yelli

Plant

Information: The Mandrake appears as a small, ugly baby with a plant on its head.  Its scream is lethal and a potion can be made out of Mandrakes to revive the petrified.

What kingdom and phylum does the Mandrake belong to???

 

Creature #2...

Common Name: Niffler Scientific Name: Shinies nifflgigus

Animal
Information:  The Niffler is fluffy, black and likes anything shiny.  The Niffler is gentle and affectionate, but can be very destructive to belongings.  It should never be kept in a house.  Nifflers are harmless.

What kingdom and phylum does the Niffler belong to?

Click here to download:
Harry_Potter_Key.doc (40 KB)
(download)

 

 

 

The Classification of 6D

Several students in 6D created classification games for extra credit.  Through Matthew's trivia game, we classified the Sulpher-Crested Cockatoo.  There will be more games to come on Wednesday.  I will try to post samples of the games, if possible...stay tuned!