Oxley Nature Center

Thursday and Friday, June 11 & 12, 2009, I was at Oxley Nature Center in Mohawk Park. I must say, it was the best two days so far...of course I am a bit of a nature nut myself so I was in my element.

We began by making sundials and learning how to tell time. Luckily, the sun cooperated and shone brightly. Next we learned how do some orienteering with a compass. That was really fun when we went out into the parking lot and tried to follow the directions. It was kind of confusing at first getting your bearings, but as I tell my students..."practice makes permanet". After we mastered the parking lot we set about finding our way in the great outdoors. When we did the more difficult one we spooked something out from under a tangle of brush. Later we discoverd it was a fawn when we saw it's mother coming down the trail, stopping at the brush pile, and getting her fawn. They were only about 10 feet away...it was really something to see.

Tulsa Air & Space Museum

Wednesday, June 10, 2009, we went to the Tulsa Air & Space Museum. We found out about Tulsa's early history with aeronatics. The first "airflight" was 1897...a hotair balloon. We also received a gyroscope and learned how to make a "human" one.

Here is a link to view all the pictures from that day.

TASM pictures

Day 2

Today we learned how to use a science notebook properly. We also conducted a little experiment with water and gobstoppers that I plan to do with my students. I took lots of pictures which I would love to share, but I don't want my students to know the outcome. Okay...I will post the first picture I took...but that is all. It is not exactly what you think it would be....so if any of you want to try it here is what you do:

1. Get a clear plastic container
2. Get some water
3. Get some gobstoppers (4 different colors)
4. Put the water in the container
5. Add the gobstoppers one at a time so that they don't touch each other. Try putting them in the corners of the containter.
6. Sit back and observe...don't forget to illustrate what you see and write about it. Take digital pictures if possible.
7. Just observe for about 15 minutes...you will be surprised.

Also try to think of some varibles that you could use to conduct this activity a different way. If you do give this a try...don't tell anyone else and bring your results to class when school starts.

Here is a little video to show you that even teachers get excited and noisy when they are doing science.

Free stuff

Today was an awesome day at my science workshop...we were given new digital cameras and spent the afternoon taking pictures of nature around the TCC west campus.

Here is a video I took.

Here is a link to the pictures I took today.

Day 1 Pictures

Tomorrow we will be learning about the right way to keep a science notebook...I can't wait for that! So be prepared students...we will be doing a lot of note taking and illustrations during science next year.

Summer School

Tomorrow, I am starting a class at the University of Tulsa. It is for teachers in public education and will cover science subjects. I am very excited about this because it will provide me with some excellent sources in the community to use with my students.