Heredity & Reproduction

In science, we are presently investigating inherited characteristics in plants and animals.

Which of these traits do you have?  You can thank your parents.  :-)

Hairline:

Hair:

straight or curly?

Hand Clasping:

Second Toe:

shorter than big toe

or

longer than big toe?

Thumb:

Dimples?

Can you roll your tongue?

Do you have a cleft chin?

Do you have freckles?

Can you make the vulcan sign?

Colorblindness and some allergies can be inherited from your parents too.

This topic is especially exciting to me as I am eagerly anticipating becoming an aunt at the end of summer!  

My brother and his wife

Will Addison Faith have her dad's (my brother's) brown eyes, or her mom's blue eyes?  Will she have her dad's fine hair texture, or her mom's thick hair?  Will she be average height like her dad or tall like her mom?

My parents, 1976

My brother and me, 2012

What about you?  Do you have more of your dad's or mom's physical characteristics?  Or are you a balanced mix of both parents?  Did you inherit any characteristics that neither of your parents have (but possibly your grandparents or even great-grandparents have/had)?

What about your pets?

I never met our dog's parents, but she has a Chow curled tail and spotted tongue (her mom is Chow-German Shepherd).  Mr. Remley said her brothers were colored like her dad, a Rottweiler.

Stay tuned!  We'll also learn that some characteristics are affected by environment.

Boosterthon Camp High Five

Yesterday we had a pep rally to kick off our school's second Boosterthon.  We are hoping to finish raising enough money to replace/upgrade our playground equipment.  Your student received information about Boosterthon yesterday, including who and how to ask for flat donations or pledges.  If you haven't already, make sure your student logs on to www.funrun.com to view special daily features such as music videos and keep track of online donations and pledges.

Both classes are in the process of picking team names and deciding whole class incentives to receive when we reach our pledge goals.

Today's challenge is the class who gets the most pledges tonight will have the opportunity to challenge the Boosterthon team to a game of kickball.  Doesn't that sound like fun?!  Let's be that class, Team Kirkham or Team Remley!

Let's Talk About...The Birds and the Bees (in the Plant Kingdom!)

Since we have finished FCAT, I am thrilled to have time for science again!  This week, we kicked off our unit on heredity and reproduction, starting our study of sexual reproduction in flowering plants.  Here's a sample of the language we've been using:

We'll continue to look at pollination, fertilization, and seed dispersal over the next week or two.

UPDATE 4/25:  Today we used plastic cups, corn starch, sand, cotton balls, and our hands to make a model showing what happens when flowers pollinate:

 We recorded our observations in our Science Interactive Journals.

We discussed what each part of the model represents: cups (flowers), corn starch and sand (pollen), cotton balls (nectar), and our hands (pollinators).  Just like in the natural world, our "pollen" stuck to everything!

We've also learned that different kinds of plants have different life cycles.  Some plants produce flowers as part of their life cycle.  Other plants, such as pine trees, produce cones.  Today we found a female pine cone on the playground.  We're still on the lookout for a (male) pollen pine cone, which looks something like this:

FCAT Week

What a week!  We hope everyone did their best on their tests!  Our students started each day of testing with laps around the track before school to help them wake up and get their blood flowing to their brains,

 

enjoyed receiving pre-test love notes from their parents and post-test treats from PTA, two recesses per day, and daily surprises from their teachers.  By far, the sweetest part of FCAT has been being adopted by Mrs. Croley's first grade class (Remley's homeroom) and Mrs. Brown's kindergarten class (Kirkham's homeroom).  We met up with our buddies every day to receive more sweet notes of encouragement, pictures and posters to pretty up our bare rooms, and even water bottles that were decorated with things the fourth graders like, which the first graders learned when they met/interviewed us last week.

Countdown to FCAT: Get Moving Outside

 

What gets blood flowing to the brain?  Movement!  Take advantage of these beautiful mild, sunny spring days, and get outside!  As little as fifteen minutes of exposure to sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, which has been proven to help your mind to be in a better mood.  Have you had your daily dose of sunshine today?

Countdown to FCAT: Eat for Energy

Every day, we expect our students to come to school ready to do their best thinking.  This starts with a healthy, satisfying breakfast!  Students in grades 3-5 have come up with many healthy breakfast ideas, which the students will receive as a bookmark this week.  A healthy breakfast consists of foods high in fiber, low in sugar, and a source of protein.  Adding a serving of healthy fats, such as those found in nuts, avocados, olives, and egg yolks helps keep your body satisfied.  Healthy fats are also important for the brain to develop properly and help keep you in a good mood.

My favorite breakfast is eggs and sweet potato hash browns.

Mr. Remley is not a morning person, so the night before, he makes oatmeal (with milk for protein).  He mixes in cinnamon, blueberries, chopped walnuts, and sweetens it with a little honey.  Sometimes, if he's in a hurry in the mornings, he makes a peanut butter and banana sandwich!

We love bananas!

(Remember to hydrate yourself by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up and another with breakfast!)

What is your favorite healthy, satisfying breakfast?

Countdown to FCAT: Hydration

 

The human body is more than 60% water.  Blood is 92% water, the brain and muscles are 75% water, and bones are about 22% water.  So, in order for your blood to flow properly through your body to your brain when you are thinking, it is important to drink enough water.

“Lots of studies have shown that dehydration is linked to poor performance on memory and attention tasks,” says Caroline Edmonds, PhD, University of East London senior psychology lecturer.  Some research has shown, for example, that the fluid-filled spaces in the brain become enlarged when someone is dehydrated, which causes brain tissue to shrink and makes it harder to think.  Thirst can be maddeningly distracting, too.  When it’s gone, the brain is free to focus on more important things.

To test water’s brain-boosting power, Edmonds asked 34 thirsty men and women to perform a series of mental tasks, measuring their reaction time, memory and learning capabilities.  Half were given water; the other half weren’t.  The subjects who guzzled about 2 cups of water before completing the tasks increased their reaction time by 14 percent.  In addition, the water drinkers felt happier, less confused, and more relaxed.

Your body loses water overnight while you breathe (and if you sweat) when you're sleeping, so it's important to drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up to help get things moving.  Caffeine also causes your body to lose water.

Plain water is refreshing, but if you want to add a little flavor, slice (with adult supervision) fruit such as lemons, limes, strawberries, or pineapple.  Add it to your water bottle, and let it chill in the fridge.

How much water is enough?  A good rule is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces.  How much do you weigh?  How much water should you be drinking?  Are you drinking enough?