Finally Flowers!
This week at Casa de Belen we planted our seeds from our Garden in a Glove activity and went on a Nature walk. We collected flowers, pedals, stems, leaves and more to include in our next week’s lesson! We will be drying and pressing the flowers to create nature bookmarks! We had a wonderful time [...]
Casa @ the Crater
This past Sunday we got to take youth from Casa de Belen to a snowshoe hike at Crater Lake National Park! We had a beautiful day full of snow and amazing adventure!
Crater Lake Winter Wonderland
The Spring Crater Lake trips are in full swing! Last week we took Elkton, Riddle and Myrtle Creek Elementary 5th graders! Most of these students are getting to experience their first time at a national park (including some of the parent chaperones)! Snowshoeing in over 12 feet of snow has these students excited to learn [...]
Science Olympiad Competition!
Last Saturday we drove up to Corvallis, OR to compete in the state science olympiad competition at OSU! Douglas High School students had spent months studying, experimenting and building for their competition events! Today was the day to leave it all out there and we had a great time competing and seeing other students constructions [...]
Science Olympiad!
It is crunch time! We are 1 month away from our state Science Olympiad competition in Corvallis @ OSU! The students at Douglas High School are doing great with all their building and study events!
Tension on the surface?!
We had a wonderful lesson last week with Casa! We experimented with water’s surface tension, learned about CO2 and photosynthesis and at the end we created grow bracelets that represent all the elements needed for plants to grow! Can’t wait to see what next week has in store!
Geocaching Sunshine
Yesterday as we were wrapping up Science Wednesday we got lucky with some amazing sunshine for our last day of geocaching! The Fir Grove students got to learn how to use Global Positioning Systems (GPS’s) while searching for caches containing trinkets and review questions! We got lots of great photos of their finds and treats!
What is Wilderness to you?
Today we started our Wilderness Literature class out at Phoenix Charter School. We played some wilderness games, got to go outdoors and read an article about how nature is good for our health! There is lots more to come and we are excited to read and learn more about our natural environment (especially while going [...]
Practicing Flotation
This week at Casa de Belen we worked on floating paper clips, Goldfish and toothpicks on top of water’s surface tension (Hint: some are harder to float then others!) We got to snack on the left over Goldfish while we experimented and learned all about the water cycle!
Casa Science
Last week we got a chance to learn about the Earth’s atmospheric layers through a sweet activity with lots of colors and liquids! Check it out! Thanks Casa de Belen for partnering with us for Science Mentoring Lessons! We are excited to see what else we can find out about the world around us.
Science Wednesday Water Cycle!
Our Fir Grove 5th graders loved their Science Wednesday class last Wednesday! This included a review of the water cycle with a shaving cream food color activity! We learned about precipitation, condensation and evaporation!
What does a scientist look like?!
Last Wednesday we started the Science Wednesday program over at Fir Grove Elementary; as we learn about water chemistry, cycle and forest ecology! Here are some photos of our first lesson and the 5th graders interpretations of what a scientist looks like!
Forest Thursdays – Dreaming of Spring
This past Thursday we made spin-wheel floral creations, while learning the parts of the flower! The youth at the Boys & Girls Club loved the activity!
Science Wednesday Success!
This Fall Science Wednesday at Eastwood Elementary went spectacularly! We enjoyed tons of science activities while, learning about water chemistry, weather and geocaching! The students loved the lessons involving hands-on field work and of course candy! Here are a few photos of the Eastwood 5th graders during their lessons throughout the 6-week program.
Climate stewards!
The Science Friday students have been working hard on their Climate Stewards project! Check out our blog!
What does a scientist look like?
Students are subjected to stereotypes every day. When I ask my students to draw what they think a scientist looks like, I usually see drawings that represent conventional fallacies: scientists are “crazy”, male, nerdy, they wear lab coats, glasses and have untamed hair.
So yesterday when I asked the 5th [...]
Exploring Crater Lake National Park
Umpqua Watersheds, Inc. organized two field trips to bring 160 4th and 5th grade students from McGovern Elementary to Crater Lake this fall. The students were able to experience the natural wonders of Oregon’s only National Park with hands-on activities and hikes. The students learned about forest and fire ecology, climate change in the national park, geology, and [...]
UCC Field Botany Tour
This past Sunday the UW staff returned from a 6-day journey through Northern California and Southern Oregon with Dr. Ken Carloni’s UCC Field Botany class. The tour consisted of identifying, keying, exploring, swimming, hiking, and learning, and we are so proud of the students and community members for making this the greatest botany tour to date!
[...]McGovern Outdoor School
On June 2nd Umpqua Watersheds traveled to Camp Myrtlewood to teach six presentations about watershed science to McGovern’s ninety 6th graders. The students learned about water chemistry and the water cycle. We explored the complex concepts of the cycle by getting out of our seats and embarking on our very own “Incredible Journey’s” as water molecules. Thank [...]
Science Wednesday – Eastwood Elementary
May 27 marked the end of the pilot “Science Wednesday” program at Eastwood Elementary in Roseburg. The program consisted of a six-week environmental stewardship curriculum co-led by UW’s Katrina Keleher and Eastwood’s Jeff Jackson. The fifteen 5th graders in the program learned about water chemistry, dendrochronology, GPS navigation, and environmental science for two hours after school every Wednesday. [...]