Halloween Fun with Beye Discovery!

Halloween was such a fun holiday to celebrate with the students! The neighborhood was decorated with an eerie and scary lot of characters, from skeletons to bats, and the children had a wonderful time trick-or-treating in their costumes. When we returned to school, we made some perfectly spooky ghosts with model magic to haunt the night... A big thank you to Renee Berentsen (Aidan's mom) who helped chaperone the outing!

Animal Hybrids/Habitats with Nina

Nina focused on the strengths and weaknesses of mammals and their differences for this project. How does a lion or a horse’s particular strengths benefit them in the environments in which they live? What would happen if different parts of animals were combined to create a new animal hybrid? Using collage techniques, students selected images of mammals and landscapes from National Geographic magazines to create their own animal hybrids and habitats to thrive in. Nina encouraged students to consider how specific body parts are best suited for a particular environment. The results are fantastic! Students also had the choice to do an online follow-up collage activity inspired by the work of French artist Henri Rousseau: http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/jungle.htm  Parents: this is a great activity to chase away the "I'm bored blues" during yucky weather days!!!

Bat anatomy takes flight with Jenny!

With less than a week before Halloween, we were eager to include some seasonal fun! We gave the students labeled bat diagrams and discussed bat anatomy so they could draw the anatomy on their paper bat silhouettes. The students contributed to our discussion with a number of important bat facts about vision, hearing and diet. Jenny also discussed the role bats play in keeping insect populations in check, especially mosquitos! 

Dexter

Jenny demonstrating how to stuff the bat with crumpled paper

Norah's high fashion bat, sporting a necklace!

Emily's bat is also adorned with a necklace!

Hayden incognito as a bat

Porter contemplating the finishing touches

Sharing bat designs with the class

Hayden completing the opposite side

Field Trip to Trailside Nature Museum

Our trip to the Trailside Museum in late October was extremely informative. Sara, a naturalist from Trailside, conducted our tour and it was rewarding to witness the student’s engagement and their knowledgeable responses to Sara’s questions. Because the animals at Trailside had either imprinted on humans at a young age or suffered injuries that made them vulnerable to other animals, they are prevented from returning to the their natural habitats. Sara provided a wealth of information about each animal, from the red fox to the horned owl, in regard to diet habitat, and habits. During our bus trip back to school, many students drew pictures of what had captured their attention at Trailside. Even on a gray rainy day, the students took some great photos!