This week, the students continued to inquire into how living things are interconnected by playing a card game that forced them to make decisions about how to create a healthy balance within a pond for a fish to be able to live there. We learned about how different organisms either add or reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in a pond depending on what type of role they play. Plants or producers help take out carbon dioxide and change it into oxygen, while consumers and decomposers increase the level of carbon dioxide. Throughout the game, the students added different organisms to their pond and adjusted the carbon dioxide level accordingly, until they got conditions just right for their big fish! Whoever got their pond ready first, would be the winner.
In PE, we also played a food chain tag game. Students took on the roles of plants, rabbits, eagles, and one was the sun. When a rabbit tagged or 'ate' a plant, the plant would become a rabbit, likewise if an eagle 'ate' a rabbit then the rabbit would become an eagle. If an eagle were to be tagged by the sun, then the eagle would return to the ground and become a plant again.
After a few minutes of playing, we noticed a problem...there were no more bunnies! At this point, we stopped and discussed why the bunnies were all gone, as well as what had happened to the other organisms. They were quick to notice that the eagles' population had grown, but also observed that without the bunnies to eat that the eagles would also start to die.
Our final project for the week was a research project on an invasive species. Each student chose one invasive species to learn more about. Working on their own, they could choose to show what they learnt in one of three ways: 1) Poster 2) Research Paper on Google Drive, or 3) A book or slideshow on Seesaw.
I am looking forward to them presenting their findings to the class on Monday so those who are not done, MUST FINISH over the weekend.
We will be wrapping up this unit, and starting our 2nd unit next week.
Speaking of next week...
Oktoberfest!
Next Friday, October 8th we will celebrate Oktoberfest in school with the students. The PTA and some teachers have made some preparations for the festivities, such as various games for the students to play. On the day, parents are asked to prepare a Bavarian-themed lunch (sausages, mashed potatoes, etc.) and if the students happen to have dirndl or lederhosen, they are encouraged to wear them!
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