Munching on Wild Violets

During an exploration of the school garden with Class 3-302, I pointed out all the tiny, purplish flowers growing in the lawn. Wild violets! I explained to the kids that the flowers are edible. They could hardly believe it. Then I popped one of the colorful morsels into my mouth to prove it. Yummy! Before I knew it, all the kids were harvesting handfuls of violets for themselves and loving them.

Wild Violets

And so many people just think these spring bloomers are pesky weeds! Prettiest weed I've ever seen.

In fact, all flowers in the "viola" family -- and that includes pansies, violets, and johnny jump-ups -- are safe to eat. And they look lovely in a salad.

Johnny Jump-Up

Pansies

CAUTION: NEVER EAT PLANTS, FLOWERS OR BERRIES UNLESS YOU KNOW THEY ARE EDIBLE. ASK A KNOWLEDGABLE ADULT!!!

BROWN EGGS VERSUS WHITE EGGS

Students sometimes tell me that brown eggs are better than white eggs, that brown eggs are healthier. Well, that's not true. In fact, egg color has nothing to do with healthiness or taste. It has to do with the chicken that laid the egg. Simply put, different chicken breeds or kinds lay different colored eggs.

This Rhode Island Red lays brown eggs

Americauna Hens actually lay LIGHT BLUE eggs!

Leghorn Hens lay white eggs

Here are come other eggs "colored by nature" and the chicken breed that lays them

KINDS OF SCIENTISTS

In my morning program, we have been studying different types of scientists. One of the scientists we studied is Charles Darwin, who lived from 1809-1882. His research changed the way we think about the natural world. He traveled all around the world studying different organisms and devised his Theory of Evolution, which was revolutionary at the time. Most scientists then believed that plants and animals  pretty much remained the same throughout time. But Darwin believed in "natural selection," meaning that only species that successfully adapted to the changing requirements of their habitat would survive while the rest wouldn't evolve and would eventually die off and disappear.

For a great explanation of how natural selection works, go to:
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_25.

IN MEMORIAM

On Friday, the science lab experienced two losses....the small American toad and "Jay" the medium-sized red-eared slider passed away. Causes unknown, but Ms. Seitz stayed after school on Friday and thoroughly cleaned their terrarium and aquarium. They will be missed.

Our Unofficial Show and Tell

I love when students think about science when they're not in school. Sometimes students bring in projects that they've done....not because I asked them to, but just because they want to. I love to see these projects. Sometimes, students bring in questions that they've been thinking about over the weekend, when they're not in school. And sometimes, students bring in really cool stuff. Check it out!

One morning last week, Arti walked into my room with the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. Well, not the actual bridge, but a model he made right at home. Way to go Arti! The real Verraano Bridge is a double-decked suspension bridge that connects Brooklyn to Staten Island.  It is the longest suspension bridge in the Americas, named for Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazano.

 Elliot brought in this bird's nest. Does anyone have any idea what bird made it?

Milo and Margalit shared this awesome skull with us! Their grandmother found it 35 years ago in the woods of the Hudson Valley. Milo and Margalit's father actually took the same skull to his school all those years ago, and passed the tradition on to his kids. If anyone has any idea what kind of animal this is, please let us know!

Meet the American Toad

Well I just popped into school to check on the animals and I'm pleased to say, all is well in the science lab. The plants are green and healthy, the turtles are swimming around, the anoles are camouflaging, the walking sticks are having a population explosion (there must be more than 100 in the container now!) and the toads are sitting in their bowl of water.

So what are these toads exactly?

There are many toad species, but the toads in Room 409 are Eastern American Toads. They can be found in areas with lots of moisture and plenty of insects, like grassy areas and forests. A mature female toad is larger than an adult male, and her skin is much rougher in texture.  Males and females have spotted bellies, but males have darker throats. Toads have a very warty appearance, and the warts (raised swellings, not “real” warts) protect them from predators by secreting bufotoxin, an unpleasant white substance that is a mild, foul-tasting poison. By the way, YOU can't get warts from holding a toad, but you probably will get peed on.

Toads have knobs on their back feet that they use to shove dirt aside so they can sink into the soil and disappear. Sometimes students think the toads have escaped from their terrarium when they are in fact just nestled deep in the soil.

In addition to insects, toads like to eat worms, slug, spiders and just about anything they can fit into their mouths. And what likes to eat toads? Snakes, owls, skunks and raccoons. Toads can live up to 30 years! 

FINBACK WHALE STRANDED ON BEACH IN QUEENS

Heard the news today about a finback whale beached in the Rockaways neighborhood of Breezy Point, Queens. According to my naturalist friend Don Riepe, the 60-foot whale is very emaciated and not expected to live. Finbacks are solitary creatures and this one was discovered alone. Finbacks are found in all the world's oceans.

Finbacks, also known as a fin whales, are an endangered species and the second-biggest whale after the blue whale. But unlike blue whales, who feast on krills, finbacks also consume a range of schooling fish, including anchovy and herring.


Note: The whale has passed on. It died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012.