What is a Geyser?

Here is an  animation of a geyser from youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4zA_YPCyHs

A new geyser in Russia has also been found!

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/environment-natural-disasters/landslides-and-more/kamchatka-geyser-vin.html

A New Hawaiin Island!

Watch this video to see how the Earth's core is creating a new Hawaiian Island!

Then make comments about how it relates to your reading on geysers.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/87641/national-geographic-specials-a-new-hawaiian-island


Good luck! E.J.

What kinds of animals live in Yellowstone Park?

Check out this great audio ABC book I found about the animals that live in the park. You can read it with, or without sound.

Please make comments about what you wonder about the animals. Or, you can also comment about anything you wonder or already know about the park. Let's get a discussion going!

http://www.nps.gov/yell/forkids/animalbookonline.htm

Have Fun-EJ

What happened during the dust bowl?

Have you ever heard of the dust bowl? The Dust Bowl was a devastating event that hit many farmers hard in the 1930s. Watch this video and then see what else you can learn about the dust bowl from your own research. Make a comment and communicate what else you have learned through research.

Watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2CiDaUYr90

And do more research here:

http://www.wartgames.com/themes/american/dustbowl.html

Is it possible to go to Mars?

Take this webquest to learn more about space travel.

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/Tech_Ed/mars.shtml

Inquiry Blog Post #3: Who is Philippe Petit?

Philippe Petit is from France!  He walked between the towers in 1974.

Check out the video below to learn more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEU7lrtehDs&feature=related

Inquiry Blog Post #2 Why does a tree's leaves change color in the fall?

Have you ever wondered questions:

1. Why does it happen in the fall?

2. Why do the leaves fall off after turning colors?

3. Why do some trees turn red, while others turn yellow or orange?
Did you know?

Leaves change color because the length of night gets longer. Because there is more night there is less light that the leaves are exposed to during the day.

Pigments (chlorophyl, anthocyanins, carotenoids)  influence the colors of the leaves.

Different species show particular colors in the fall. Oaks turn red or brown.

Leaves fall off because the veins in the leaf are clogging and sealing themselves off from the woody part of the tree. This triggers anthocyanins which cause leaf color.

Answers:

1. A decrease in the amount of light during the day starts the color change

2. The veins or tubes begin to clog and seal off, this brings on the presence of anthocyanins. Once the leaf has completely sealed off from the woody part of the tree it will drop.

3. The color the leaf changes depends on the species of tree. Oaks turn red and brown while poplars turn yellow.
Wonder words to know and use:
chlorophyll-makes photosynthesis happen, green color in leaves

carotenoids- produce yellow and orange color

anthocyanins-appear as leaf veins clog, red colors in leaves
pigment-a chemical compound that shows a specific color

Inquiry Blog Post #1 How did Responsive Classroom start?

Have you ever wondered?
Who started Responsive Classroom?
Where did it start?
Who started it?


Did you know?
Through my inquiry research, I found out that Responsive classroom started in 1981. A group of teachers got together in Greenfield, Massachusetts to develop a strategy to manage elementary classrooms. One of these teachers was named Ruth Charney.

Ruth Charney wrote a book called Teaching Children to Care in 1991.  Chip Wood wrote another book called Yardsticks in 1994. These two books have been a major influence on teachers around the United States. 

A local (Minnesota) organization of Responsive Classroom is called Origins. They opened in 1997. Origins trains teachers in the Midwest to use Responsive Classroom. 

Wonder words to know and use:
classroom management
responsive
development
caring
logical consequences

Still Wondering?
You can find out more about the history here: History of Responsive Classroom

Responsive Classroom even has their own blog: Responsive Classroom Blog

What else can you find out about Responsive Classroom? Explore these websites and post a comment about what you learned!

Good Luck-EJ