Science with Ms. Seitz

WHAT ARE THOSE CREEPY THINGS IN MS. SEITZ'S ROOM?

2012-02-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

They are the life cycle of the darkling beetle. The yellow worm-like creature isn't a worm at all. It's a meal worm, the larvae or young of the beetle. If you look closely, you will see six insect legs. And that whitish, sleepy-looking thing is a grub or the pupa of the beetle. It will stay this way for about three weeks, before COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS occurs, changing it into an adult beetle. (The next stage in the life cycle would then be the egg.)

WHAT OTHER CREATURES DO YOU KNOW THAT GO THROUGH COMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS? SHARE!

The meal worms and beetles are handy food for the classroom anoles.

The students like them too! (Not to eat, of course, to OBSERVE!)

2012-01-24T14:28:00.000-08:00

It's not every day that you see a Great Horned Owl in a tree in Prospect Park. But that's what happened to me today and it was so exciting! I saw the female, a huge lady! and even had her look right at me with her piercing yellow eyes. She even spoke in her traditional owl way: hoo hoohoo hoo hoo hoooo hoooo. The experience was incredibly awesome!

Now, it's not easy finding an owl in the woods. All I knew was that it was in a certain location in a Norway Spruce. I felt a bit like a detective with my map of Prospect Park and binoculars. I ended up looking up the wrong tree for a while and had to google "Norway Spruce" to remind myself of what it looked like. I think I was looking at a white oak by mistake. So, I circled around a bit, staying in the general area and looking for an evergreen tree. Owls perch in these because they provide needed camouflage and privacy (apparently crows like to hassle them). Deciduous trees--which make up the bulk of wooded area--don't have leaves this time of year.

I was thrilled and a little proud of myself when I found the right tree species, but then a little bummed that I couldn't find the owl. So just picture Ms. Seitz, binoculars around her neck, reading glasses perched just above her lip, camera wrapped around her wrist, and toting a big bag of other stuff, tripping over saplings and running into bushes just trying to get the best vantage point to see the owl. This took some time and some doing. A couple of people passed by and didn't pay any great attention to me, but for the most part I was alone in my determination to see the owl. And then, it happened. I saw what looked like brown feathers. I focused my binoculars and stared. Yes, feathers! Yes, a huge owl! I must have stared at the owl for close to an hour. Occasionally the owl moved her head and even looked at me for a while with those golden eyes. I even saw her scratch an itch she had. I snapped some photos, which admittedly are pretty awful, but they are here in all their blurry glory to prove that an amazing Great Horned Owl (and her mate...who I didn't see) lives in Brooklyn!

So why is this so cool and unusual? Well from what I hear from birders, Great Horned Owls have not nested successfully in Brooklyn in 100 years! So let's hope this pair likes it here and sets up a nest in the tree, and lay eggs, and raises young. Just how exciting would that be? Also, we don't see lots of owls in Brooklyn compared to say, pigeons, starlings and house sparrows, so just seeing an owl in this urban environment is downright wonderful! I feel so lucky!

Now, if you want to hear the Great Horned Owl, check out this link:
http://www.birdjam.com/#

Lego Master Builders

2012-01-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

I know that many of you love building with Legos, did you know that you can become a Master Builder when you grow up? But it's not that easy.....read on and learn what it takes to become one! (By the way, the story was written by sixth-grader Lucas Miller, who also happens to be my son!

For Christmas, my brother and I got4,287 pieces of colored plastic. We were extremely excited. These weren’trandom bits of plastic, they were part of a Lego set of London’s Tower Bridge.But that’s nothing compared to the 20,000 bricks in the giant Whale’s Tail orthe 304,500 bricks used to create Neptune in an exhibit at the Sydney Aquarium.

Millionsof people around the globe play with Lego but not many can name the peoplebehind the gigantic and beautiful plastic brick creations seen in storefronts,theme parks and museums and places. These are the works of the Lego MasterBuilders. Ialready knew a lot about Lego in general but since I didn’t know much aboutLego Master Builders I chose to make them the focus of my I-Search paper.

Iwanted to learn what Master Builders do and who they are. I really wanted to uncover the historyof the Lego Master Builder. I wanted to know who had created the position, andhow the job has changed over the years. I also wanted to discover how someonecould become a Master Builder and the different duties they would have beforebecoming a full-fledged master. Another thing I wanted to know was how manyMasters there are, and who they are. But most of all I wanted to find about thecreations they make, and how they are designed.

SinceLego is extremely popular, I thought there would be loads of information on theMaster Builders. But... there wasn’t. The Lego Book, by Daniel Lipkowitz, whichI own, had a two-page spread but it is mostly pictures and has very little information.My dad helped me check the New York Times’ entire archives since 1851 and therewas nothing on Master Builders. When I first Googled the topic, I found a June2010 story by a WBEZ radio producer in Chicago at

www.marketplace.orgabout a Master Builder named Daniel Morey but it didn’t have much information.Very few Google results containedany useful facts. Many were promoting Lego, especially the company’s “MasterBuilder Academy,” in which kids learn how to build with Legos.

I felt very frustrated. I almostgave up and wanted to change my topic. I asked my dad for help and he showed mehow to put words in quotes in Google and how to refine my search.

Finally,I found three good websites with stuff about my topic: zakkalife.blogspot.com(October 2011), geekmom.com (June 2011), which I only found through somethingon wired.com, and geekadelphia.com (March 2010). But then one site that justhad Lego images, www.antalik.com, led meto another good site, www. Fbtb.net, (August 2005), after I clicked on theNeptune picture just because I wanted to see it up close.

Zakkalifehad an interview with Lego Master Builder Steve Gerling, Geekmom had an articleabout Gerling that also had some Master Builder history, Geekadelphia had aninterview with a different Master Builder, named Pete Donner, and fbtb had aninterview with Master Builder Erik Varszegi. Most of the people who published these articles/interviewsdo not have any real journalistic credentials, they are mostly just Lego geekswith blogs about Lego, but considering that most of the stuff I found were justQ&As, I don’t really think credentials are necessary. They were veryinformative and answered most of my questions.

Ilearned from the geekmom site that the job of Master Builder was created in1961 by Dagny Holm, who was the niece of one of Lego’s founders. Today, thereare Master Builders at the U.S.headquarters in Enfield, Connecticut, the world headquarters in Denmark, intheCzech Republic, and in all of the Legoland theme parks (here in America, inDenmark, Germany, and the United Kingdom). Some of these people started out asartists, either painters or sculptors or woodworkers but some came from otherbackgrounds, as scientists or even clowns.

Inthe Pete Donner interview, I learned that Master Builders have to start just asmodel gluers doing basic work and then move up to being a model builder beforeeventually getting promoted to Master Builder.

Inthe Steve Gerling interview, which is the most up-to-date information I found,I learned that there are seven Master Builders at Lego in America but that theyalso use six or eight freelancers. One thing I learned in the Gerling interviewand in the Varszegi interview that really surprised me is how much of theirwork today is done using computers.

“Wedo a lot of our prototyping for our big models on software that the Legocompany developed that allows us to take a virtually designed generic model andturn it into a virtual Lego model that can be used for a prototype,” Gerlingsays. “We can copy that layer by layer.”

AndVarszegi comments, “If we were to grow thedepartment it would be helpful to have an art or architecture background likesome of us here. Also these days, like most jobs, we are relying more and moreon computer skills. We make use of 3D software like 3DStudiosMax, Maya andPoser. AutoCAD, we use that a lot and graphics programs like Photoshop. “

Onequote I really liked from Gerling showed that they don’t build the commercialsets that my brother and I might build and also about creativity. “We'renot the ones who design the set that you buy in stores,” he says. “Our job isto promote the imagination.”

Ireally learned a lot about Lego Master Builders and I was glad that I learnedfrom the actual Master Builders themselves.. Even though the research part wasfrustrating, I think it taught me more about how to do research on a specifictopic. I don’t think there is any more I need to learn about this topic but Ithink that whatever the next topic I need to do research on may be I will bemore prepared to do the job.

Ms. Levy's Class - Research Museum

2012-01-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

On Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, from 11:15 to 11:50 a.m., Ms. Levy's class will be showcasing their Native American and Ecosystem Projects. So ask your teacher to bring your class to Room 202 and see the great work that's going on!

Newsflash - Fifth Grade Family Science - January 21, 2012

2012-01-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Our first Family Science will be held on Sat., Jan. 21 beginning at 10:30 am. Please take note of the later start time. It will end at 12:30 pm. Please get your slips into Ms. Seitz so we know how many students to expect. We have some great science activities in store for you. Hope to see you there!

Anyone Want a Walking Stick?

2012-01-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, my pet walking stick's eggs just keep on hatching and right now I probably have at least 50 baby walking sticks in a variety of sizes. Several of my students have already taken an interest in this very cool insect and have adopted a few as their own pets. But I have plenty more if anyone else is interested.

They are easy to care for. All you need is a small tank or container with a lid that has holes. Then you spray some water in the enclosure every day and feed them romaine lettuce leaves. That's it. During summer, I also feed them raspberry leaves, which can be picked from the school garden. Interested walking stick owners only need to provide Ms. Seitz with a letter from home saying it's okay for you to take a few of these curiosities home.

Stepping Out of the City

2011-12-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

It was a chilly day, but the sun was out in full glow. So I headed out of Brooklyn for the afternoon, and visited Bear Mountain--about an hour and a half north of the city. In the summer, Bear Mountain is teeming with visitors, but the frigid temperatures only bring out the real nature lovers....like me! Visited the Trailside Museum and Zoo (suggested donation only $1!) and saw some fantastic owls, a tremendous eagle, a prickly porcupine, a curious possum, some gorgeous snakes and frogs, and even some Eastern coyote. Most of the animals here are either injured or orphaned. All the animals are stationed along a trail that has some very informative nature signs. Even Ms. Seitz learned a thing or two, like maple syrup can be made from Red Maples (but it doesn't taste as good as syrup made from Sugar Maples.)

Remember, it might be cold, but step out into nature anyway....either by exploring the woods in Prospect Park or another city park, or by venturing a bit out of the city for a new lens on the great out of doors! Happy trails!

What are Variables?

2011-11-22T19:34:00.000-08:00

The fifth grade has just started a unit on variables, which is important to understand when undertaking any scientific experiment. A variable is any "thing" that might change or be changed in any experiment. Three are three types of variables:

Independent Variable: The variable you intentionally change or test. It's what you're curious about.
Dependent Variable: The variable that you observe and/or measure. It's the variable affected by the independent variable.
Controlled or Constant Variables: All the other variables. These are the variables that remain the same throughout the investigation. You do not change them.

What is a Bulb?

2011-11-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Bulb planting time! While some flowers are grown from seeds in the spring and summer, other plants start out as a bulb. A bulb is an underground storehouse and flower factory. Within the bulb is just about everything the plant will need to sprout and flower at the appropriate time. Bulbs planted in autumn must go through a significant cold period (winter) before they will flower in the spring. Cut open a bulb and this is what you'd find:

Some bulbs are edible, like garlic, which we recently planted in the school garden. You break apart the bulb and plant each separate clove.

Other bulbs are not edible like daffodils and crocuses.

And while we may not eat tulip bulbs, squirrels love them, so when planting tulip bulbs, always cover the soil surface with chicken wire or screen to prevent squirrels from digging them up.

Exciting Day in the School Garden

2011-11-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Urban Nature Club had oodles of fun today when it "discovered" an enormous grasshopper in the garden. (Actually, Ms. Seitz has seen the grasshopper three times before in the last two weeks.) Apparently, this gorgeous grasshopper has taken up residence in the garden, preferring the third raised bed, which is filled with herbs. Some of the club was eager to hold the grasshopper, which often jumped ever so far, sometimes leaping from student to student. Others were a little cautious when it came to insect intimacy, but they promise that next time, they'll try to get a little more comfortable with this herbivorous creature.

Eagle Street Rooftop Garden

2011-10-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

I went on an amazing tour today of a farm, yes a farm! on the rooftop of a Brooklyn warehouse. It is amazing. They grow all sorts of things here, like peppers, herbs, flowers, eggplant. You name it! And it's a viable business. They sell their produce! Not only is the farm organic and wonderful, but it has a beautiful view of the East River and Manhattan. Everything looked so lush and delicious. The folks at the garden say that preying mantises have even found the garden, as well as spiders, insects and birds. They also have chicken and sell the chicken eggs. And there's rabbits as well. A real garden, in Brooklyn, 6,000 square feet way up on top of a roof. It's open to the public too, so you can go check it out!

IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL!

2011-09-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Although I had a wonderful summer--I traveled to Australia and enjoyed its very different flora and fauna--I am excited to be starting a new year with all of you! Most of you have brought in your notebook and supplies and a hearty thanks goes out to your parents for donating the paper towels, pencils, sponges, etc. It is so greatly appreciated.

Fourth-graders can look forward to their first unit exploring food chains and ecosystems, while fifth-graders will become scientific engineers as they build a protective container for a raw egg. Stayed tuned for more information on The Great PS 230 Egg Drop!

This year I have one third grade class, Ms. Williams, and one second grade class, Ms. Birchfield, as well. Third graders will soon get started on a Measurement Unit, in which we will investigate the metric system used by scientists. Second graders will explore sand, silt and clay and how they are related to rocks, pebbles and even boulders.

Some of you may have seen the photo of me on the science room door in which I am holding a koala bear. Check out this one of a python checking me out! Wow!

There's a Grackle in my Garden

2011-04-03T14:44:00.001-07:00

This is the Grackle in my Garden

I don't usually see Grackles in my garden, but today a flock of six or seven were busy checking out my bird feeder. Grackles love to travel in large flocks (that's a "crowd" in bird world). Grackles are a type of blackbird. They have long tails, glossy, iridescent bodies and spooky yellow eyes. (By the way, I love their spooky eyes.) I noticed them turning over dead leaves and other debris looking for food. Grackles are also noisy. As soon as I slowly opened the door to the garden, they scattered into the trees and started chattering, most likely telling each other to keep their distance from the human intruder.

Exploring the Properties of Water - Fourth Grade

2011-03-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Water is pretty amazing. It not only comes in three forms: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor), but it covers most of our Earth--97 percent to be precise!

Water is also extremely important to ALL living things. In some organisms, up to 90% of their body weight comes from water. Up to 60% of the human body is water; the brain is composed of 70% water, while the lungs are nearly 90% water.

Insects called water striders can skate on water because of a unique property called SURFACE TENSION. Surface tension is caused by water molecules sticking together at the surface, creating a kind of "water skin."

And while most liquids contract (get smaller) when they get colder, water is different. Water contracts until it reaches 4 degrees Celsius and then it expands until it is solid. Solid water is less dense than liquid water because of this. If water was like other liquids, then there would be no such thing as an ice berg, the ice in your drink would sink to the bottom of the glass, and ponds would freeze from the bottom up!

Water is constantly being recycled through a process called "The Water Cycle." Now sing this little ditty to the tune of "She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain."

Water goes around in a cycle, yes it does!

Water goes around in a cycle, yet it does!

It goes up as EVAPORATION

Forms clouds as CONDENSATION

Then comes down as PRECIPITATION

Yes it does!

Urban Nature Club Goes Birding in Prospect Park

2011-01-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Today the Urban Nature Club grabbed their binoculars and headed to Prospect Park to watch birds at the "secret" bird feeders, generously filled by Brooklyn Bird Club President Peter Dorosh. What a great day! We saw chickadees, downy woodpeckers, white-breasted nuthatches, cardinals, juncos, white-throated sparrows and even a red-winged blackbird. We also spotted many empty birds' nests in the now leafless trees. (Oh yes, winter is a great time to go bird nest hunting!)

SCIENCE IS ALWAYS CHANGING!

2010-12-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

Big news. Scientists found a tooth in Israel that may have belonged to an ancestor of modern humans, scientifically known as Homo sapiens. The accepted scientific theory is that Homo sapiens originated in Africa 200,000 years ago and migrated out of the continent. Scientists say that if this tooth is definitively linked to modern human's ancestors, it would mean that modern man in fact originated in what is now Israel 400,000 years ago, which would change the whole picture of evolution. Further research is needed to see if this pans out. Anyone out there want to be a archaeologist or paleontologist?

SNOW DAY!

2010-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Prospect Park

I hope all my PS 230 students are getting outside to enjoy the snow. Ms. Seitz sure is! Decorate your street with a snowman, have a friendly snowball fight or go sledding in Prospect Park. Remember to dress in layers and wear warm, water-proof boots. Now, go have some fun!

I'm sure many of you have gone to the Pavilion Theatre. Well this is what it looked like on snow day. Notice they had to take down the letters from the marquee because it was so windy.

Prospect Park sledding hill by the Picnic House

Ms. Seitz all bundled up in front of her snowy house

SCIENCE QUESTION - HOW DOES SNOW FORM?

Snow begins in the atmosphere as water condenses into a tiny droplet. As more and more water vapor condenses onto its surface, the droplet grows. Cold air then freezes this water into an ice crystal.

Each ice crystal has a unique shape that depends on the surrounding air's temperature and water vapor content. If it is below freezing and there is a lot of water vapor in the air, the crystal grows six evenly spaced branches. More and more water vapor collects on these branches and freezes, making the ice crystal increasingly heavy. Eventually, the ice crystal falls from the sky, leaving the cloud of precipitation that it helped to form. As it falls, the crystal continues to grow by picking up more water vapor.

As it descends, the ice crystal can come into contact with warmer air that makes it melt somewhat. This melting acts like a glue, causing crystals to bond together into larger flakes, forming what many people think of as the "classic" fluffy snowflake. If the crystals melt too much and then refreeze as they get closer to Earth's surface, the precipitation falls as sleet instead of snow.

Once on the ground, snow will remain if temperatures are cold enough to keep it from melting. Glaciers that form on mountains, for example, are made up of snow that accumulates on the ground and eventually turns to ice.

What's the Difference Between a Food Chain and a Food Web?

2010-11-21T16:33:00.000-08:00

A food chain follows a single path of what eats what. But most animals eat more than one type of organism so they are part of more than one food chain. That's where Food Webs come in. A food web is made up of interconnected food chains. How many food chains are in the above food web? Leave your guess and Ms. Seitz will let you know if you're right!

THE GREAT EGG DROP CHALLENGE

2010-10-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

Fifth-graders were recently asked become engineers to create a protective container for a raw egg that would be dropped from 2.5 meters. The only materials they could use were: a Foodtown bag, three straws, six cotton balls, 75cm duct tape, two 75-cm pieces of yarn, a dixie cup. The students have come up with all kinds of designs--some have protected their egg, while others have not.

Why is this important? Well, think of your egg container as a bicycle helmet protecting your brain from a bicycle fall. A good helmet provides padding, which absorbs some of the force and reduces the impact of the force on your head. In other words, increased time applied to the force of impact will protect an object from breaking. Air bags in cars do the same thing--they create a cushion between the force and you so you won't feel it as hard. Now do you see why it's important to have a well-engineered egg container?

Here are the results so far:

Ms. Robb's class: 3 survivors, 4 tragedies
Ms. Greenspan's class: 6 tragedies
Ms. Water's class: 6 survivors
Ms. Grant's class: 2 survivors, 4 tragedies

CONGRATULATIONS FIFTH-GRADERS!

2010-06-29T09:02:00.000-07:00

It was great having you all for science. I wish you happiness, success, health and a plain old good time in middle school as well. Have a wonderful summer! Ms. Seitz

Bird Falls Out of Its Nest

2010-05-04T19:52:00.001-07:00

While Urban Nature Club members were just getting ready to plant some lettuce in the school garden, fifth-grader Dmytro came running over to tell us that there was a baby bird behind a fence in the playground. We all raced over and indeed saw an almost featherless bird crying for its mother behind a fence. Since it's an old wives tale that mother birds will reject a baby bird once touched by humans, we all took turns sticking our arms through the fence so we could hold it. Finally a skinny arm successful reached the bird.

My first impression was just how warm the bird felt in my hand. Like I said, it had few feathers, so it must be a real newborn. It had a huge yellow mouth that kept opening and calling for food. Many of the club students, and kids at the playground, got a chance to hold the baby bird (and then, as instructed washed their hands). It appears to be a baby starling like the one pictured above.

We located the nest at the top of a building next to the playground and just above the spot where the chick was found. Apparently, the little guy or gal fell out of its nest. When you think about how little room there must be in a nest, you realize that it's pretty easy to slip out.

After holding and appreciating the little bundle of energy, we placed it back where it was found, hoping that its cries would help its mother locate it and bring it back home. I'll check tomorrow and see if it's still there.

By the way, these birds are actually called European Starlings or Common Starlings. They are not native to Brooklyn (although they're everywhere these days), but were brought over from Europe during the nineteenth century by some Shakespeare lovers as part of a plan to introduce the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works. These intelligent birds like to fly in flocks and wreak havoc wherever they go.

2010-04-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Calling all kids and parents!! Please help PS 230 win an organic garden. All you have to do is vote for PS 230 at this web address: http://www.organicitsworthit.org/join/newsletter-sign. Make sure to put PS 230 Brooklyn. You'll be signed up for an organic food newsletter, but you can always cancel it if it's not your thing. PLEASE PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW! Put it on facebook, your blog, wherever! Let's see how many votes we can get! Happy Spring and Thanks!

NESTCAMS!

2010-03-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

I've just spent some time watching two adorable barn owls in their nest....courtesy of technology known as NestCams. A NestCam is a camera mounted near a nest so humans can spy on birds without disturbing them, and hopefully, learn something about bird courting, mating, laying eggs, and raising young. The nest I was watching tonight is in Texas! I was hoping to see one of the owls fly out and bring back a nice, tasty rodent to eat!

If you want to peak into a bird's nest, just go to: http://watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams. Have fun!

YEAH! SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

2010-03-07T11:49:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone got outside this weekend. It's 56 degrees right now and after this post, I'm heading out for a bike ride in Prospect Park.

The warm weather inspired me to do a little work in the garden this morning. I hadn't been out there in a while, so I enjoyed getting reacquainted with the garden while I picked up sticks, swept up leaves, pulled up dead plants, and then fed most of it to my compost bin. I noticed a lot of spring bulbs emerging from the ground, but the best thing was coming across a single, purple crocus in full bloom. The first flower of spring!

So when you go outside, take a look around and notice the telltale signs of spring--the budding of bushes and trees, birds carrying twigs to treetop nests, flying and crawling insects, weeds growing out through cracks in the sidewalks, the days getting longer. Spring is here and, yes, I'm glad!

2010-02-11T17:24:00.000-08:00

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed the big snow storm. I was feeling very stuffy in the nose, so I stayed in while my boys and their Dad had snowball fights in the yard. I thought I was safe taking photos of them from the back door, but wouldn't you know, the boys both clobbered me with snowballs anyway, which splatted on my face and neck and rolled into the living room.

While I was cleaning up the snow from the floor, it got me thinking about snowflakes. I love that they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, although that's really hard to see with the naked eye. Under a microscope, the complex shapes can be better seen. The different shapes are the result of differing temperatures and level of humidity as the ice crystal moves through the atmosphere.

Generally, six-sided hexagonal crystals are shaped in high clouds; needles or flat six-sided crystals are shaped in middle height clouds; and a wide variety of six-sided shapes are formed in low clouds. Colder temperatures produce snowflakes with sharper tips on the sides of the crystals and may lead to branching of the snowflake arms (dendrites). Snowflakes that grow under warmer conditions grow more slowly, resulting in smoother, less intricate shapes.

A really good snowflake book is "Snowflake Bentley," a true story about a Vermont farm boy who was mesmerized by snowflakes. The boy, Wilson Bentley, was fascinated by the six-sided frozen phenomena, and once he acquired a microscope with a camera, his childhood preoccupation took on a more scientific leaning. Bentley spent his life taking countless exquisite photographs (many that are still used in nature photography today), examining the tiny crystals and their delicate, mathematical structures.

So there you have it! Have a great winter break everyone!

GORGEOUS WOOD DUCK AT PROSPECT PARK LAKE

2010-01-24T11:23:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since my last post. Sometimes I get busy and sometimes I wonder if students are checking out the blog or not. If you are, leave me a note. The more interest I see, the more I will post new things to the blog.

This morning I took a walk to Prospect Park. I wanted to check out the bird feeders that hang in the woods near the Audubon Center. I saw some chickadees, downy woodpeckers, a red-breasted woodpecker, red-breasted nuthatch, a house finch and other birds eating at the feeders. It was great. Then another person watching the feeders told me that there was a wood duck in the water down by the Audubon Center. So I took a walk there.

And there is was, among all the Canada Geese and Mallards swimming in the frigid water, a wonderful, brilliant wood duck! Luckily I had my camera and took some photos. Isn't he simply beautiful?

Most ducks nest on the ground, but wood ducks nest in trees near water, like Prospect Park Lake. They will nest in tree cavities or nesting boxes set up by people. They eat seeds, acorns, fruits, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.

The male wood duck I saw was swimming around with a bunch of mallards, who occasionally picked on him, but the wood duck didn't stand for it and occasionally pecked back at them. When someone showed up with bread, the wood duck joined the other waterfowl sliding on the ice for a handout. (Remember, don't feed bread to ducks. It's not good for them.)

On my way out of the park, I noticed a red-tailed hawk perched in a tree, but he didn't stay long. Before I knew it, he spreads his wings and took flight.

THE DIRT ON DECOMPOSERS

2009-11-12T17:11:00.000-08:00

Hello fourth-graders. So far we've learned that plants are PRODUCERS in the food chain because they make or produce their own food. Next are the PRIMARY CONSUMERS who eat the producers, followed by the SECONDARY CONSUMERS who eat the primary consumers, and the TERTIARY CONSUMERS who eat the secondary consumers. Got all that? Now what happens when all these ORGANISMS die? Let me introduce the very valuable, all important DECOMPOSER. The decomposer we've been studying is the EARTHWORM, which not only eats soil but all the decaying plant and animal pieces mixed into the soil. Then the EARTHWORM digests this tasty mixture, letting it all out as CASTINGS. Castings (basically worm poop) returns important NUTRIENTS to the soil. Nutrients are important for plant growth and health. Other DECOMPOSERS in the natural world are fungi and microscopic bacteria. DECOMPOSERS are NATURE'S RECYCLERS.

2009-11-12T17:06:00.000-08:00

Who is that little green creature inside our classroom terrariums? Why it's the green anole, also called the American chameleon, because it changes color from brown to green. Anoles eat crickets and are considered SECONDARY CONSUMERS. And because they eat crickets, they are also CARNIVORES or meat eaters. And they are PREDATORS because they hunt for their food. Anoles live in Florida and love to climb trees rather than crawl on the ground. When the males get angry or when they are looking for a mate, the hanging skin below their mouths puffs up, sort of like a frog. This loose skin is called a DEWLAP. They also have ridges on their feet to help them climb trees and will drop their tail if a predator gets hold of it. This way, the anole runs away safe and sound, while the predator is left holding the tail. These are called ADAPTATIONS and they help the anole survive in its environment.

Hummingbird in my Brooklyn Yard

2009-11-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

Just the other morning, right before getting ready for school, I noticed a hummingbird sipping nectar from the flowers on my pineapple sage. I couldn't believe it! So I grabbed my camera and started clicking away. (I was almost late for school too!)

I knew it was a ruby throated hummingbird because they are the only hummingbird species east of the Mississippi River. (Where my Mom lives, in Arizona, there are many species of hummingbird.) It is also the only breeding hummingbird in North America (that means it nests and lays eggs here in the summer.) I also knew it was a female because the males have a ruby throat and this one didn't.

Like monarch butterflies, this tiny bird migrates south during the winter. It was filling up on nectar in my yard for the many miles ahead of her en route to Central America, Mexico or the Caribbean. (Wish I was en route there too!) They are so tiny--about 3 1/2 inches long and weigh 1/8 ounce or 3 grams--that's three of those tiny blue gram pieces we use for measuring mass in class kids!)

Ruby-throated hummingbirds fly straight and fast but can stop instantly, hover, and adjust their position up, down, or backwards with exquisite control. This little gal would sip for a few seconds, then take a break. Here's a photo of her resting on the telephone wire and another on a butterfly bush.

I actually planted the pineapple sage hoping to attract a hummingbird. They are attracted to red, tubular flowers or long flowers. That's because they have long, skinny beaks that they stick down the long throats of the flowers to sip nectar. We have some pineapple sage in the raised bed gardens on McDonald Avenue, but they haven't bloomed yet because it's not sunny enough. Hopefully they will bloom and a hummer will visit the PS 230 garden soon!

Tortoise Siting at Brooklyn Campout

2009-10-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that Ms. Seitz loves to go camping. Every year, I go camping in, believe it or not, Brooklyn! The site is in Floyd Bennett Field, which is a national park. You buy a permit and you are allowed to pitch a tent in a beautiful grassy area, surrounded by trees. There's no program. You're on your own. This was my seventh year camping at FBF. This year, just before we were leaving, one of our friends spotted what I thought was a turtle, a big turtle. I picked him up. He was so friendly. All the kids got to hold him and feed him grapes and apples. He had a big appetite! I was thinking of taking him home for a few days so I could bring him to school and show all of you, but then I thought I should just leave him in his native habitat.

On the drive home, I was thinking about the turtle the kids named "Ralph," and the more I thought about him, the more I began to think that he wasn't a turtle at all, that he looked more like a tortoise. So I did some research on GOOGLE, and discovered that he is an African Spur Thigh Tortoise from the Sahara Desert. Apparently, someone released his or her pet into the wild. I guess they didn't want him. I don't know why. He is so lovely.

So I went back to Floyd Bennett Field, in the dark, with my son and his friend and we scoured the brush for Ralph. Despite our best efforts, we didn't find Ralph. Now I'm sad because he won't be able to survive our cold winter. After all, his native habitat is the desert. I've called a Ranger at the park and asked him to keep an eye out for Ralph. Hopefully he'll be found. He is such a beautiful creature. His shell is like wood and his legs have a really unusual texture. He is great. I just hope he's okay.

HOW DO PLATE TECTONICS AFFECT THE EARTH'S CRUST?

2009-09-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Fifth-Grades: Here's some information on plate tectonics to help you better understand this phenomenon. Remember, the Earth is always changing, always moving. The Earth's rocky crust (both oceanic and continental) is comprised of a series of plates that float on the semi-solid or magma-like mantle. Convection currents cause the magma to rise and fall, therefore, moving the Earth's plates in different directions. This movement is responsible for mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Convergent Plates: When two continental plates converge or collide, the crust is squished together, folding and buckling and forming mountains. This is just one way mountains are formed.

Subduction Plates: When one continental plate and one oceanic plate collide, the more dense oceanic plate is subducted or pushed under the continental plate. As it plunges deeper into the mantle, the rock of the oceanic crust melts, becoming part of the mantle. An ocean trench forms at the plate boundaries. Volcanoes and earthquakes may happen here. In the case of volcanoes, molten rock rises until it erupts at the surface.

Divergent Plates: When plates spread apart or diverge, magma rises up from the mantle and fills the gap, creating new crust. As this continues, volcanic islands may form at the surface.

Transform Plates: When plates grind against and past each other in opposite directions earthquakes may strike along these boundaries.

This map shows the continents and oceans and the plates on which they move.

WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL!

2009-09-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

After a relaxing and often exciting summer hiking mountains, I am happy to be back at school. So get ready to be curious about the world around you and let's have fun doing science. And if you haven't checked out the school garden on McDonald Avenue, take a look. It's bursting with color!

School's Out For Summer!

2009-06-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had as great a year as I had! It was a pleasure teaching science to all of you. I wish all the fifth-graders happiness and success in middle school! Way to go! I look forward to seeing all of you in September for another fun-filled year of SCIENCE. Have a great summer! Peace and Hugs, Ms. Seitz

Horseshoe Crabs Galore

2009-05-25T14:16:00.001-07:00

Went to Plumb Beach to see the annual mating ritual of the horseshoe crabs and what an event. There were thousands out there on the shore just after high tide at 9 a.m. We even found some eggs. It is a spectacular thing to witness. Check out the photos!

FOURTH-GRADE CAMPERS

2009-05-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

From May 14-15, Ms. Nelson and Ms. Singer's fourth-grade classes enjoyed an overnight camping trip at Brooklyn's Floyd Bennett Field, where they compiled scientific data about the health of Dead Horse Bay, learned about the value of composting, roasted marshmallows over a campfire and layers them with chocolate and graham crackers and made delicious 'Smores, and slept outside in tents. The kids and teachers, including moi--Ms. Seitz--had a blast....and it was educational! We're looking forward to doing this again next year!

School Garden is Now Planted

2009-05-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check out the new school garden on the school's McDonald Avenue side. The Urban Nature Club has planted flowers that will attract butterflies, plants like Buddleia (butterfly bush) Monarda (bee balm), Rudebekia (Black-eyed Susans), Calendula, Zinnias, and others. There's also an herb garden to tickle the senses. Check out the Lamb's Ear, Pineapple Sage, Rosemary, and Lavendar.

A STRANGE TURTLE STORY

2009-05-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, I had one of my turtles escape from its tank during the summer. I had kept the tank in my yard so the turtles could enjoy the sunshine. Somehow, the lid to the tank was not on correctly and one of the turtles figured out how to get out. I thought she was lost for good.

Just the other day, my neighbor, Sally, said she had something to show me. I went next door to her yard where she lifted a big piece of black plastic that she kept over some leaves. Under the plastic was a turtle. I checked it out. It was a female, like the one I lost. It was about the size of my turtle and it appeared to be a red-eared slider, the kind of turtle I had.

So for two years, the turtle has been able to ADAPT to the environment in our Brooklyn backyards. She probably feasted on plants and dug down into the soil during the winter to keep warm. I think it's pretty amazing that she was able to survive on her own. We call this RESILENCE when something is able to succeed despite difficulties. Now the question is....do I just let her continue her life in the wild, or scoop her up and put her back in a tank. WHAT DO YOU THINK? LET ME KNOW. Signing off, Ms. Seitz

URBAN NATURE CLUB BEGINS MAY 5, 2009

2009-04-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the students who applied to the Urban Nature Club. Twelve students from the fourth grade have been chosen. Our first project will be planting a school butterfly garden and sprucing up the other gardens on the school property. We will keep a nature journal of our work, observations, discoveries and thoughts. We will also try to have the garden open during lunch periods once we post the rules of the garden on the garden gates. I'm really looking forward to being in the great outdoors with each of you!

FOURTH-GRADE SCIENCE DAY A HUGE SUCCESS

2009-04-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all the fourth-graders who came out for science day and brushed up on their scientific skills and knowledge of science. We enjoyed making a literal "food chain," tested our knowledge with Quiz Boards, created awesome things with recycled materials, investigated gadgets for simple machines, worked with inclined planes, discovered what objects conduct electricity, and more. We even made our own Quiz Boards to take home. You are all AWESOME!

LANDFORMS-FIFTH GRADE

2009-03-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Last summer I drove with my family from New York to California and back again. This is called a cross-country trip. We visited many wonderful places, especially out West where there are magnificent landforms, like the ones I've included here.

As part of our landforms unit, you will create an island out of clay and include six different landforms. You will then label the landforms. Next you will create a travel brochure for your island, explaining the landforms on your island and how they were formed. This project will be due in early May.

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Devil's Tower, Wyoming

Zion National Park, Utah

Some More Strange Animals

2009-02-12T16:23:00.000-08:00

Check this creatures out. Do you think any REALLY exist? Ms. Seitz

NAME THAT ANIMAL!

2009-02-04T15:39:00.001-08:00

Hi kids! My father-in-law recently sent me some very strange animal photos. They look real, but alas, these animals do not exist in the real world. (I guess someone was having a little Photo Shop fun.) So, take a look at these photos and let me know what you would name each of them. Don't stop there. Be creative and describe their ecosystem, diet, behavior and any other characteristics. Can't wait to read them. Bye for now, Ms. Seitz

Electricity is Hot!

2009-01-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

Fourth-graders are currently learning about magnetism and electricity. We recently created some circuits using D-cells, wires, motors and light bulbs (components) and learned that the tiny wire inside a light bulb that makes it light up is called filament. It's made of a metal called tungsten. Tungsten is used because it stays solid at very high temperatures. Also, all the air in a light bulb has been sucked out to make it work. If air wasn't removed, the wire would burn up instantly. Electricity flows through the filament causing it to heat up. This heat makes the tungsten glow. As the filament heats up, it gives off light. The tungsten slowly vaporizes, or turns into a gas.When a light bulb “burns out,” it is because the filament has vaporized. The black film on the inside of a burned-out lightbulb is resolidified tungsten vapor (gas). Wow, huh?

ALL GRADES: HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT DUE THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY 2009

2008-12-14T09:16:00.000-08:00

Scientists keep neat, organized notes in order to review the results of their investigations and make sense of their data.

When you come to science class, you are scientists conducting your own investigations. The data YOU collect must also be written neatly. Every investigation must also be dated and filed in your binder in an organized way.

During the holiday break, you are required to bring home your binders and organize them in a neat, coherent manner. When you return in January, your binders will be graded. The grade will, in part, influence your overall science grade on your second report card, so please take care in making your science binders something to be proud of.

1. Binders should be organized into three sections: CLASSWORK, HOMEWORK, and WORD BANK/GLOSSARY. Classwork belongs in the CLASSWORK SECTION, homework/projects belong in the HOMEWORK SECTION, and vocabulary words go into the WORD BANK/GLOSSARY SECTION.

2. Classwork is organized consecutively by date. The first thing we did in September should be page one, the second thing page two, and so on. Everything is filed in the order in which it is done. I expect you to date a new, clean page of paper or your worksheet every time you come to science class, and you must take notes.

3. All homework must be filed in the homework section and also arranged by date.

4. Vocabulary words must be written in the Word Bank/Glossary section. If this section is messy, please rewrite the words and their meanings on a clean sheet of paper and file it.. Entries should be written like this, with the new word underlined--ecosystem: a place where living and non-living things interact.

5. If pages in your binder are ripped or falling out, either rewrite the page on new paper or tape the rips around the holes so they don’t fall out of your binder.

6. Please bring in lined, loose-leaf paper and a box of pencils to class when you return to school in January.

File this sheet in your homework section and show your parents the assignment. Binder will be GRADED for neatness and organization. I expect EVERYONE to complete this assignment. If you have questions during the break, you can reach me at oogly2@yahoo.com. And remember to visit www.sciencewithmsseitz.blogspot.com.

Have a safe and happy break.

Cheers!
Ms. Seitz

Fifth-Grade Family Science a Huge Success!

2008-11-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

It was great seeing so many fifth-graders at Family Science Day on November 22nd. Students enjoyed many science investigations and made terrific observations. Kudos to Robert Kosinski and Juan Villacis from Ms. Bradley's class for creating great sculptures from trash! We also have some budding scientific illustrators at P.S. 230--so many of your bird illustrations were marvelous. Kids also got a chance to read tree cookies and find out the age of a tree and the conditions under which the tree grew. Students wracked their brains trying to solve toothpick puzzles and built some pretty tall skyscrapers using clay and toothpicks. The tallest skyscraper was built by Cassidy McAllister. Sabiha Afroz from Ms. Shapiro's class guessed correctly that there were 350 pencils in the Estimation Jar. Way to go Sabiha!

2008-11-21T12:20:00.000-08:00

Whew! Parent-Teacher Conferences are over. It was so nice meeting so many of my students' parents. My apologies to anyone who tried to see me but couldn't because all the slots had been filled. Please feel free to email me at oogly2@yahoo.com if you still wish to speak to me.

FOOD CHAIN PROJECTS

2008-10-31T18:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks to all the fourth-graders who handed their food chain projects in on time. I've really enjoyed reading them and want to compliment many of you on your fine work. We've even enjoyed a few food chain skits that were great, as well as a puppet show. Science grades will be handed in this week, so if you didn't hand in your project, this will be reflected in your grade. Please get your project to Ms. Seitz as soon as possible. We are doing some very important work and it is your responsibility to hand your work in on time. Thank you.

And next in the food chain........Anoles!

2008-10-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

That's right. Our terrarium ecosystems have a new occupant, the green anole, also known as the American chameleon because they change color from brown to green. The anoles eat crickets and are considered SECONDARY CONSUMERS. And because they eat crickets, they are CARNIVORES or meat eaters. They are also PREDATORS because they hunt for their food. Anoles live in Florida and love to climb trees rather than crawl on the ground. When the males get angry or when they are looking for a mate, the hanging skin below their mouths puffs up, sort of like a frog. This loose skin is called a DEWLAP. Okay, so let's recap our FOOD CHAIN so far. The chain starts with the SUN. Plants use the sun's energy to make food. That's why plants are called PRODUCERS...they produce their own food. Plants and in the case of our terrarium, grass, then becomes food energy for CRICKETS (PRIMARY CONSUMERS), which in turn, become food for ANOLES (SECONDARY CONSUMERS).

REX GETS TERRITORIAL. NINJA IS REMOVED FROM TANK!

2008-10-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

After a year and a half of living peacefully together, Rex has gotten territorial and began attacking little Ninja this week. To keep Ninja safe, Ms. Seitz has taken Ninja home and set him up in a tank in her kitchen. Rex seems to be sulking now that he is alone in his tank in Room 409. Ninja seems a bit lonely in his kitchen aquarium. Hopefully, Rex and Ninja can be reunited in the future, but for now, they need their own space.

The Crickets Have Arrived!

2008-10-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Fourth-graders are just finishing up their study of the first link in the food chain--plants--also known as PRODUCERS because they produce their own food (using sunlight, air and water). Now for the next link--CRICKETS--also called PRIMARY CONSUMERS. PRIMARY CONSUMERS are always HERBIVORES because they eat PRODUCERS, which are always plants. They are eating rye grass in our terrariums.
Crickets are insects. Only the males chirp, by rubbing their wings together. It is their love song. They live in fields, grasses and meadows and are nocturnal.
Students will be taking a close look at crickets to distinguish between males and females. They will also draw scientific illustrations to accurately depict the anatomy of a cricket.

WHAT DO OUR CLASS TABLES HAVE IN COMMON?

2008-09-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

As the students know, our science classroom tables are each named for a particular creature. We have the Luna Moth, Horseshoe Crab, Flying Squirrel, Monk Parakeet, Large-Eyed Click Beetle, Spotted Salamander, Downy Woodpecker, and Moon Jelly tables. I have asked the students what they all have in common and have received some good guesses. So far, however, no one has hit the nail on the head. So put your thinking caps on and try hard to figure out what each of these creatures have in common. Either let Ms. Seitz know or drop a note in her question box near the front door. There's a prize for the first person who guesses correctly, so give it a go!

The Monarchs are Migrating

2008-09-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

While you walk around your neighborhood, look to the skies and the gardens for these brilliant orange and black butterflies. They are gathering nectar so they can make the long flight south for the winter. Many of our monarchs will be wintering in Mexico and, in the spring, make the return journey to Brooklyn!

SCHOOL IS IN FULL SWING!

2008-09-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

We're just about starting week three of school and so far I am very pleased with the enthusiasm and curiosity of many of my students. Thanks for being prepared with your binders and thank you for participating during class and working cooperatively with your group members at your tables.

We started the year off with a Lemon of a Lesson, during which students had to describe and draw their individual lemons, so they could pick them out of a crowd of lemons. This exercise helped students hone observation skills, which are necessary in order to conduct accurate scientific investigations. It also required students to use their data (as evidence) that the lemon they picked out of the crowd was indeed their own--just as scientists have to prove their conclusions with scientific evidence.

Everyone was happy to see the return of Ninja and Rex to the classroom. The two turtles spent their summer in my kitchen. Sometimes I took them out into the yard to catch some sun. But I can tell they were aching for their bigger aquarium in the classroom, where they can swim around to their hearts' content. While my sons were sad to see Ninja and Rex leave the kitchen, my students were thrilled that they had come back to PS 230. For the record: Ninja is the small one and he is a painted turtle. Rex is the big guy and he is a red-eared slider. They are both pond turtles, which means they live in fresh water.

The fourth grade started their unit on Food Chains and Webs by studying the composition of three different soil types: potting soil, local soil (from Ms. Seitz's backyard) and peat soil. They learned that soil is composed of living and non-living things and were asked to determine whether each of the soils was more sand, silt or clay. They did this by studying the soil particles while dry and then wetting the soil and making soil snakes. If the soil wouldn't form a snake, it was mostly sand; if it made a snake that broke when bent, it was silt; and if it made a snake and stayed when bent, it was mostly clay.

Fifth-graders started their unit on Variables. A variable is anything that can be changed or manipulated in an experiment. Students were asked to hang washers one-by-one from a rubber band and then record how the length of the rubber band changed with the addition of each consecutive washer. The washers are what's called an independent variable, the variable changed by the scientist. The dependent variable is the rubber band, because it responds to the changes of the independent variable. All other variables remain constant and are called controlled variables.