Destination Germination

"Do seeds need light to germinate?" is the question we are investigating in our current science unit on plants. We gathered our materials including: beans, soil, 1 clear cup marked "A", 1 clear cup marked "B", water, one box with a lid marked "A", and one box without a lid marked "B". Next, we soaked our northern dried beans in water for a few hours to soften the seed coat and speed up the germination process. Then we went outside to the various stations to complete the initial steps of our experiment.

Wah lah!!!! We are ready to put our A and B cups in their respective boxes and wait to see the answer to our hypothesis: Plants do need light to germinate OR Plants do not need light to germinate. Stay tuned for our results.

Wildlife Expo Field Trip

Heading out to the Lazy E Arena in Guthrie to experience the Wildlife Expo is definitely a worthwhile adventure for our fourth graders. This is a first-class act sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and is the biggest event of its kind in the nation. And did mention that it is FREE? Yes, we enjoyed kayaking, shooting, making native american crafts, sawing, mountain biking, a bird show, and fishing to name some of the highlights. There were cool reptiles to touch, insect collections and displays about habitats. The experts were on hand at each booth to demonstrate and answer our numerous questions. We ate buffalo meat, turkey jerky and venison stew. Some yummy chocolate cake was made in a dutch oven too.

What makes this field trip such a favorite for me is that is covers many of our science, history, reading and Bible topics covered in our grade throughout the year. It also is a rare opportunity to be outdoors all day in a beautiful setting nestled in Guthrie, Oklahoma. It doesn't surprise me to hear that many students convinced their families to return again the next to experience MORE of this fabulous expo.

This kayak was outfitted with EVERYHING you could ever imagine!!