In my last post, I talked about my trip to the pond in preparation for outreach to a group of students. I wasn't completely sure what to do with them (they were learning about biomes and habitat) since their teacher gave me a really broad idea of what she wanted.
So, with a few loose ideas in mind, I loaded a lot of show-and-tell type stuff into my car and headed off on a 90 minute journey to a very small town in Oklahoma (so small that I passed the school completely the first time around).
The science classroom was fairly well equipped - they had a separate "lab room" with sturdy lab benches and microscopes. Once I saw the space and the number of students, I decided to set up learning stations (for the uninitiated, I do not recommend going in without a firm plan).
Anyway, the six learning stations were as follows (no particular order):
Flotsam and Jetsam: Here I put out random things from the ocean - some mermaid's purses (skate egg cases), a weird isopod molt from Japan, a couple of deceased hermit crabs (one in shell and one out of shell), various shells and barnacles. I also put out a number of tide pool books and golden guides to the seashore, seashells, etc. Believe it or not, the students were very excited to identify the miscellanea using said books.
Freshwater/Saltwater: I set out various clam/mussel shells from the seashore alongside freshwater mussel shells (clams) so that students could make comparisons among the different shells from organisms that have similar function (filter feeding) in different habitats.
Ancient Aquatic Habitats: This station allowed students to compare modern clam and limpet shells (both marine) with fossils from Calvert Cliffs, MD and Southeastern OK. Since OK was once covered by a shallow sea, the forms of the fossil shells are very similar to the fossils from Calvert Cliffs and modern oceans.
Microscopic Life: This is my specialty. We set up three microscopes where students were able to view living plant tissue, live rotifers, and a cladoceran (which was fortunately stuck in place for some reason).
Macroscopic Life: This is where the pond water mentioned in the last post comes into play. Students were able to isolate aquatic invertebrates on styrofoam plates (it gives just enough water for the invert to move around, while allowing the students an opportunity to observe them rather closely).
Constructing a Habitat: With my giant water bug, "Buggy" (so named by another group of students) as an example, students set up their own aquatic habitats with mud, gravel, plants, pond water, and aquatic inverts.
Afterwards, we chatted about things they noticed and I pointed out form and function (grazers, shredders, predators, filterers). We also talked about animal shape and how water flow (rivers, waves, tides) can influence shape.
They asked some really great questions too - like why there are zebra mussels in the lakes. They were a very mature group as well. We were talking about how mussels feed, which involved talking about the location of the mouth and anus, strategically located such that mussels do not end up eating their own feces. The only one who giggled was their teacher, who was chastised by her own class! I think my most interesting question came from a student who wanted to know how mussels "do it" (we were talking about life cycle in response to the zebra mussel question).
I feel like I passed some sort of test with that one. "Explain mussel sex to eighth graders... check."
Monday, October 24, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
No really, I'll just run out to the pond quick.
Let me start by saying there is no such thing as running out to the pond quick. Instead, I was there for a little over an hour and got muddier than a dog in the rain. Okay, maybe not that muddy, but I was expecting to stay clean (don't ask me why...).
I ran out to the pond in the first place because I needed aquatic insects for a classroom visit in Asher tomorrow. Most of what's out there was water beetles and snails, but I did get a few crayfish too. The lake level is pretty darn low, which made it a little difficult not to get wet and muddy.
I love going to the pond over different seasons. There is definitely a fall-feeling to the vegetation that's up - purple thistles and hardy plants staking their claim over the fragile flowers from the spring.
Seeing the pond in its context made me think a lot about habitat, though nothing specific. That's what I'm talking about tomorrow - aquatic habitats, both freshwater and marine. I'm thinking of going the feeding route: i.e., shredders, grazers, filterers, and predators. We'll be able to talk about examples of those in both marine and freshwater systems. I think it will go well. I do need to get all of my "stuff" together tonight (besides the live guys, which I sacrificed my new sneakers to get - stupid, stupid aquatic ecologist!).
I ran out to the pond in the first place because I needed aquatic insects for a classroom visit in Asher tomorrow. Most of what's out there was water beetles and snails, but I did get a few crayfish too. The lake level is pretty darn low, which made it a little difficult not to get wet and muddy.
I love going to the pond over different seasons. There is definitely a fall-feeling to the vegetation that's up - purple thistles and hardy plants staking their claim over the fragile flowers from the spring.
Seeing the pond in its context made me think a lot about habitat, though nothing specific. That's what I'm talking about tomorrow - aquatic habitats, both freshwater and marine. I'm thinking of going the feeding route: i.e., shredders, grazers, filterers, and predators. We'll be able to talk about examples of those in both marine and freshwater systems. I think it will go well. I do need to get all of my "stuff" together tonight (besides the live guys, which I sacrificed my new sneakers to get - stupid, stupid aquatic ecologist!).
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Jack is Back!
Jack and Fey are littermates by farm cats in Nebraska and had never been apart. They were the first cats my husband brought home after his beloved Kaos died of an infection after having been lost for three weeks. Needless to say, Jack slipping out one Sunday was cause for concern.
Jack and our other cats are indoors-only. On average, indoor cats live three times longer than outdoor cats. Jack loves a roll around on a sunny sidewalk, and this time we didn't see him slip out.
When we realized he was gone, we went into desperate cat-finding mode. I posted on craigslist and lost-pet websites. My husband biked around the neighborhood for hours. We drove around at all hours, staring at houses, calling for Jack, and clanging dishes. We printed over 500 fliers and distributed them door-to-door throughout our neighborhood. We called the animal shelter and went over every 2-3 days to make sure Jack wasn't among the adoptable.
What we found, for six days wasn't Jack, but rather a caring community. We received several phone calls letting us know of possible Jack sightings. People stopped to talk with us, to give encouragement, and to promise to be on the lookout for our Mr. Jack.
We learned that we have a unique community of families and students just like us. Did you know that within our area there is a bookbinder, a paranormal investigator, and a storm-chaser? We also ran into three other families that have lost their cats. Keep your eyes peeled - without our community looking, we would have never found Jack.
Speaking of finding Jack, our favorite storm-chasing neighbor was coming in from a night of paintball and saw Jack sitting on one of the fence columns around our apartment complex. He called us several times in the wee hours and finally coaxed Jack inside, waiting for us to wake up and get his messages.
Jack is home! We've learned several things and made some changes around the house. All five of our cats wear collars with tags now and on October 29, the Norman shelter is holding a low-cost clinic. They're offering microchipping for $20 - so you better believe we'll be there!
Once again, I want to thank our entire community. All of you kept us uplifted - without your words of encouragement and phone calls, we would have certainly lost hope. Thank you.
I'm including a photo of all of our Jack sightings. The pink areas are where we posted fliers. If anyone needs to borrow our live traps to try and catch their kitties, well, you know how to contact us!
Jack and our other cats are indoors-only. On average, indoor cats live three times longer than outdoor cats. Jack loves a roll around on a sunny sidewalk, and this time we didn't see him slip out.
When we realized he was gone, we went into desperate cat-finding mode. I posted on craigslist and lost-pet websites. My husband biked around the neighborhood for hours. We drove around at all hours, staring at houses, calling for Jack, and clanging dishes. We printed over 500 fliers and distributed them door-to-door throughout our neighborhood. We called the animal shelter and went over every 2-3 days to make sure Jack wasn't among the adoptable.
What we found, for six days wasn't Jack, but rather a caring community. We received several phone calls letting us know of possible Jack sightings. People stopped to talk with us, to give encouragement, and to promise to be on the lookout for our Mr. Jack.
We learned that we have a unique community of families and students just like us. Did you know that within our area there is a bookbinder, a paranormal investigator, and a storm-chaser? We also ran into three other families that have lost their cats. Keep your eyes peeled - without our community looking, we would have never found Jack.
Speaking of finding Jack, our favorite storm-chasing neighbor was coming in from a night of paintball and saw Jack sitting on one of the fence columns around our apartment complex. He called us several times in the wee hours and finally coaxed Jack inside, waiting for us to wake up and get his messages.
Jack is home! We've learned several things and made some changes around the house. All five of our cats wear collars with tags now and on October 29, the Norman shelter is holding a low-cost clinic. They're offering microchipping for $20 - so you better believe we'll be there!
Once again, I want to thank our entire community. All of you kept us uplifted - without your words of encouragement and phone calls, we would have certainly lost hope. Thank you.
I'm including a photo of all of our Jack sightings. The pink areas are where we posted fliers. If anyone needs to borrow our live traps to try and catch their kitties, well, you know how to contact us!
Playing Possum
Our cat Jack has been missing for nearly a week now. We've posted on lost pet websites, craigslist, etc and physically delivered 500-600 flyers around our neighborhood. As sightings came in, we decided to purchase a couple live traps and bait them with tuna.
One of these traps we put at the edge of a neighborhood "wilderness area." The other is at the back of our apartment complex property. Both are places where a large, black cat has been seen and the two locations are perhaps within half a mile of each other.
For two days now, I have gotten nothing in the trap in our complex. After one night on the edge of the wilderness area.... possum. The poor little guy (he really wasn't very big) was waiting patiently, having finished off the can of tuna. My husband was concerned. In his days as a paperboy, he was once chased by a possum "the size of a dog." He brought the Maglite along just in case things got ugly.
Of course, everything was fine. Naturally, friend possum hissed and growled at me, but after I convinced him the trap door was open (this required some upending of the cage and shaking) he trotted off.
At least it wasn't a skunk.
One of these traps we put at the edge of a neighborhood "wilderness area." The other is at the back of our apartment complex property. Both are places where a large, black cat has been seen and the two locations are perhaps within half a mile of each other.
For two days now, I have gotten nothing in the trap in our complex. After one night on the edge of the wilderness area.... possum. The poor little guy (he really wasn't very big) was waiting patiently, having finished off the can of tuna. My husband was concerned. In his days as a paperboy, he was once chased by a possum "the size of a dog." He brought the Maglite along just in case things got ugly.
Of course, everything was fine. Naturally, friend possum hissed and growled at me, but after I convinced him the trap door was open (this required some upending of the cage and shaking) he trotted off.
At least it wasn't a skunk.
Monday, October 3, 2011
The Philosophy of Anime
My husband and I enjoy Anime, which is a style of Japanese cartoon. Anime is more of an adult cartoon (in my mind), just because of the complex and often dark storylines. I could be totally wrong though... I was a fairly sheltered child twenty-some odd years ago. Who can say what kids are used to these days? Maybe I'm just a Victorian prude.
Anyway, what I wanted to talk about today was the philosophy that is woven into the Anime shows we watch. Two of my favorites are Ghost in the Shell and recently, Full Metal Alchemist.
Ghost in the Shell constantly addresses the concept of consciousness. The story takes place in a modern world with highly intelligent automatons (programs) and the ability to transfer human consciousnesses (as programs) into artificial bodies. Do the automatons form a consciousness in time? Are the human consciousnesses transferred completely, or is there a spark that is lost when the mind is transformed from biological to mechanical data? This question of dualism of mind and body (i.e. a consciousness separate from physical being) hearkens back to Renee Descarte, who titled this "Ghost in the Machine." I often think about this when considering the ethics of human cloning. What determines consciousness, and do we as humans have the power or right to grant or deny that to a clone?
Full Metal Alchemist brings up thoughts of scientism. The main characters are always talking about the scientific objectivity of alchemy. In some ways, this is really kind of funny, because alchemy is an ancient and debunked "science" if it ever was one in the first place. In this show, the characters are able to mentally restructure atoms, affecting the form and function of existing items.. It addresses the concept of ethics and human limitation in the context of equivalent exchange. Again, the thread of humanity weaves its way through the story as the two main characters tried to bring back their dead mother by transmuting the major elements that make up an average adult human. Unfortunately for them, there is nothing of equivalent value to a human soul.
Anyway, what I wanted to talk about today was the philosophy that is woven into the Anime shows we watch. Two of my favorites are Ghost in the Shell and recently, Full Metal Alchemist.
Ghost in the Shell constantly addresses the concept of consciousness. The story takes place in a modern world with highly intelligent automatons (programs) and the ability to transfer human consciousnesses (as programs) into artificial bodies. Do the automatons form a consciousness in time? Are the human consciousnesses transferred completely, or is there a spark that is lost when the mind is transformed from biological to mechanical data? This question of dualism of mind and body (i.e. a consciousness separate from physical being) hearkens back to Renee Descarte, who titled this "Ghost in the Machine." I often think about this when considering the ethics of human cloning. What determines consciousness, and do we as humans have the power or right to grant or deny that to a clone?
Full Metal Alchemist brings up thoughts of scientism. The main characters are always talking about the scientific objectivity of alchemy. In some ways, this is really kind of funny, because alchemy is an ancient and debunked "science" if it ever was one in the first place. In this show, the characters are able to mentally restructure atoms, affecting the form and function of existing items.. It addresses the concept of ethics and human limitation in the context of equivalent exchange. Again, the thread of humanity weaves its way through the story as the two main characters tried to bring back their dead mother by transmuting the major elements that make up an average adult human. Unfortunately for them, there is nothing of equivalent value to a human soul.
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