Genetics: Breeding Border Collies

Hey kiddos!

Here's a fun little game that will help you with your understanding of genetics - you are all now officially dog breeders!

Play this game: PBS Kids Dog Breeding Game

...and then email me (at sylvan.taylor@gmail.com) with your thoughts on what traits each of these dogs' parents had. Be sure to include the fur color, fur length and ear types! You can always go back to the game and check your thinking before sending your answer.

Have fun!

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Building on Last Week's Thinking...

Hi kiddos!

Last week, I got LOTS of really terrific answers from everyone who responded. I have a few more things for you to think about, related to the weather map. Most of you already got some "brain stretcher" questions to get you started for this week.

Use the map above and the wind map on the link to answer the following questions: 

1. Compare the two maps. On the wind map, there is a large white area touching Wisconsin (WI), Illinois (IL - the city of Chicago is noted on the wind map here) and Michigan (MI). What is that area?

2. There is also a large white area on the wind map that borders the areas labeled as Texas (TX), Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. What is that?

3. What about the the white areas along the coast of California, Oregon and Washington? The white areas along the coasts of Florida (FL) up through Maine (ME)? 

4. What do all those areas have in common - don't over-think it!

5. Do you think that water affects wind patterns? Why or why not?

6. Using the information in this link about the jet stream, sea breezes and land breezes, how do temperature differences affect wind? How does this relate to water?

7. Why do hurricanes form over water? 

Don't forget to write your answers in complete sentences and to send them to my email - sylvan.taylor@gmail.com - by next Monday. Also be sure to check out the update post, giving lots of information about our turtle buddies and one of our class members' recent accomplishments!! Also be sure to check out the class webpage and let your parents know that I am currently updating the calendar and other features of the class webpage. All due dates for your states project are now up. Soon I should have up field trips and other important dates, also!

Have a super week, everybody! 

In case you are interested, here are some more cool science stories related to weather and climate:

Science News for Kid: A Record Ice Melt

Science News for Kids: Seal Scientists

Journey North: Weather and Climate Conditions Continue to Affect Monarch Migration

News on Hurricane Nadine

Sunday Update before the Monday Assignment!

Hi guys!

Thanks for your answers for this week's blog assignment. I am still getting around 3/4 the class's responses most weeks. If you are not responding every week, remember that I AM keeping track and this DOES count. It can also be a lot of fun! Remember, I respond to everyone individually, so if you ever don't get a response from me by the time the next week's assignment is up, let me know - this means I didn't get your work.

The new blog assignment will be up tomorrow afternoon. It relates to the wind maps and information from last week - we are continuing to build on those same concepts.

Here are some EXCITING updates:

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to Rachel! Her blog, "be green" (check out the link in our blog roll to the right) caught the eye of the Yadkin River Keeper, and they invited her to be a guest interviewer - how cool is that? You can read her interview, and learn more about Yadkin River Keeper, here: Rachel's Interview

Also, how cool is this picture? Way to go, Reporter Rachel!

Also, I am very much belated in posting an update on our turtle friends! As you know, the school no longer allows animals in classrooms, so they needed a new home. I contacted the Winston Salem Reptile Rescue and they assured me that our turtle buddies would do fine in the wild, since they'd lived in captivity less than a year and we'd done such a great job feeding them live food. I released them last weekend at the pond at Triad Park. They seemed SO excited to re-join the wild, and this gives them some time to acclimate before it's time for them to hibernate.

You can learn more about Triad Park here: Triad Park

You can learn more about Winston-Salem Reptile Rescue here: W-S Reptile Rescue

Pictures of the release:

The Pond

Jack helped me release the turtles.

The first to venture into new territory!

The tiniest turtle, exploring his new home!

WIND PATTERNS!

Hi guys,

One of the questions last week was related to this wind map of the US, and I got lots of really thoughtful answers about why certain areas were, well, windier than others. As I am posting right now, the strongest winds are moving northeastward across Southern California and Texas, as well as north-eastward and south-eastward across most of the Great Lakes Region. These are also the areas that were seeing the most wind "action" whenever kids were checking last week. Why is that?

Here are your questions for the week to help you think about that:

1. What are those white areas beside Chicago, below Texas and the other "deep south" states and to the west of California? What do those areas have in common?

2. What area or areas have the strongest winds right now and how many mph are the winds moving?

Check out this link: Weather Whiz Kids: Wind

3. Using the Beaufort Scale on the Weather Whiz Kids page, what ratings would the winds in your #2 answer have? What does this tell you about the wind in that area right now?

4. What is a sea breeze?

5. What is a land breeze?

6. What is the jet stream?

7. What are your thoughts now on why the wind is stronger in some places than others?

Please email me your answers this week, like you did last week (sylvan.taylor@gmail.com). Don't forget to use complete, detailed sentences!!

Stay tuned tomorrow for an update on our turtles...

*Not an Assignment - an Update*

Hi kiddos!

This is an update, not this week's assignment. For this week's assignment, go here: Hurricanes and Monarchs

First of all, a goodbye: our turtles are moving out of their tank and joining their wild cousins in pond life! They are very excited. As some families have probably already heard, we are no longer allowed to have animals at school, so I made a call to the Winston-Salem Reptile Rescue and they assured me that our little buddies will do well in the wild! Hooray! The big move happens this weekend.

Also, I found this link that was really interesting, related to an assignment from awhile back. Several kids said that Kinsey has a 50/50 chance of having blue or brown eyes, and I disagreed with this. Based on my calculations, it's more like 75% likely brown, 25% likely blue, BUT here is a calculator tool on a website that suggests that 50/ 50 is the real probability. I am going to look into this more! For the record, her eyes are currently a dark bluish gray, but babies' true eye color isn't revealed until they are at  least 6 months old.
Eye Color Link

Have a wonderful weekend, guys! If you haven't already emailed me your work for this week's blog assignment, please don't forget to do that.

THE BLOG IS BACK IN ACTION!

Hi kiddos!

Thank you for being patient with me as I ease back into "the real world." As many of you, especially those with baby brothers and sisters, probably know, babies don't always agree with the grown-up notion that sleeping is for night time.

Great answers on the hurricane post! Depending on when you answered the questions, the correct hurricane name started with "M" or "N" (hurricane Michael was just getting started as the first posters posted, and then, several days later, hurricane Nadine was forming).

This week's post and questions are related to hurricanes and how they affect the migration paths of monarch butterflies. Thinking back to our studies of animal adaptations at the start of last year, you'll remember that monarchs complete their metamorphosis at this time of year and make their long journey to Mexico so that they can overwinter in the Oyamel forests.

Read this article: September 13 Monarch Update, and then answer the following questions.
Please email me your answers (sylvan.taylor@gmail.com) because everyone's answers should be the same this week. Thank you!

1. The "Image of the Week" shows a monarch that was blown to where?

2. What are two other unusual places that monarchs have been seen?

3. What hurricane seems to be blowing them off-course?

4. Look at the wind map. Where in the US is the wind the strongest now? About how many miles per hour is it blowing, and why do you think it might be stronger there?

5. Read the article, How Much Fuel do Monarchs Burn? How long can they fly during flapping flight? How about during soaring/ gliding flight?

6. How can the wind help migrating monarchs? How can it hurt them?

If you are interested in reading more about Hurricane Isaac (which was hitting Florida about the time school started), here is an article that discusses many of the effects and details of hurricanes that you guys mentioned in your work for the last blog posting: Hurricane Isaac.

If you are interested in monarchs, you may be able to find monarch caterpillars happily munching on milkweed or waiting to undergo their metamorphosis in their chrysalis right now. A great place to look is in the "weedy" area along the creek in Hanes Park and even right here in our school garden! Also keep an eye out for adult monarchs flying through on their journey South to Mexico!

Have a great week at school, guys! Remember, please send me your answers, thorough and in complete sentences, by next Monday. Everyone who responded did a terrific job with that last week! Thanks so much! I want to see 100% response this week!

Baby Taylor is Here!

Kinsey Madeline Taylor was born at 3:59 am September 6. She's doing GREAT and so is everybody else. Jack is a super big brother!!

I am giving you a week off from blog assignments, since we are adjusting at home and it will take me a little while to check up on your Hurricane work and respond well.

I've heard such great things about how hard you are all working at school so far this year! That's terrific! Keep it up!