Month: May 2019

LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK!

 

The Limelight School of the Week is…. Vandora Springs Elementary School in Garner, NC.

 

 

TEACHER:  Ms. Allaman

GRADE: 2nd grade

PROGRAM:  Cycle Babble

SCIENTIST:  Meteor Martin

 

Good Day to all the wonderful and extremely talented Scientists out there.  With Summer just around the corner, I assume those of you in traditional schools, are counting down the days until vacation and all the fun you will have traveling, going to the pool, summer cookouts, and hopefully seeing me in Summer Camps around the area!  For those of you in year-round schools, I’m sorry, but you will still be able to have loads of fun, and just think, at least you will be cool sitting in the classroom with all of your friends.

This week I want to give a huge shout out to Mrs. Allamon and the rest of the 2nd Grade teachers and students at Vandora Springs Elementary.  I had the opportunity to work with these bright and enthusiastic students not once, but twice, in one week.  We had such a great time leaning about the Life Cycles of organisms as well as different aspects of Weather.

I quite often mention to children during classes that little did they know, that they were going to be participating in not only a science class but also an art class at the same time. This lesson plan on life cycles is no joke as we build all four stages of metamorphosis of an insect from egg to adult.  I enjoy how most students will line their desks in correct order as we complete each stage.

One of my favorite subjects is Meteorology and I love being able to transfer my enthusiasm about weather to the children.  We covered information about our atmosphere, random collisions of particles as well as talking about low- and high-pressure systems.  The most exciting part of the lesson was when the kids are able to see how it is possible to blow up an eight-foot wind bag with only one breath.  I wish you could hear all the oohs and aahs from the children as the experiment works.  The bewilderment on their faces is truly something to witness.

I would like to thank Mrs. Allamon and the rest of the very helpful 2nd Grade staff for having High Touch High Tech be part of the curriculum at Vandora Springs Elementary.  I can’t wait to see you all again next year.  I hope your summer is safe, restful and full of fun adventures.

Until net year, this is “Meteor” Martin blasting off!!!

LIMELIGHT SCHOOL OF THE WEEK!

 

 

 

GRADE:    4th

TEACHER:  Ms. Mason

PROGRAM:  It Doesn’t Phase Me

SCIENTIST:  Meteor Martin

 

Limelight School of the Week:  Cape Fear Christian Academy

 

Hello Scientists, I hope everyone is having a wonderful and exciting Spring.  Playing sports, riding bikes, and enjoying this weather in anticipation of being able to go to the pool and cooking on the grill. Our season has been jammed pack full of classes and meeting new students and teachers.  One of those new groups was the Fourth Graders at Cape Fear Christian Academy in Erwin, NC.

I believe I have stated before, one of my favorite things is to go into a classroom for the first time and see how the children begin the class so quiet and shy because they have no idea what to expect or how exciting things are about to get and within 10 minutes everyone is raising their hands, asking questions, telling me stories, so much so that I often have to tell the kids that I wish I could keep calling on them but if we don’t continue the lesson, we will never complete all the great activities.

We had so much fun with our lesson “It Doesn’t Phase Me,” learning about the moon and where it came from, learning and making craters as well as covering the different phases of the moon.

After class, while I was cleaning up, the children began asking me questions.  Some were science related and then others were off the wall such as do I know the WOAH.  I said, “the what.”  Then they proceeded to show me some new dance called the WOAH.  After I did it, the entire class began clapping and cheering.  IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Well, I would like to thank Mrs. Mason and the Fourth Graders at Cape Fear Christian Academy for having High Touch High Tech be part of your lesson and I can’t wait to see you again next year.

This is “Meteor” Martin blasting off.

 

 

 

 

Today we honor Lucy Wills, the woman who created prenatal vitamins.

Lucy Wills,  born in Birmingham, England in 1888, she studied botany and geology and received a certificate in 1911. In 1915 she enrolled in The London School of Medicine for Women and legally  became a medical practitioner in 1920, earning her bachelor degrees in medicine and science.

In 1928, she did research about pregnant women and anemia and realized that the Bombay women had a correlation between their dietary habits and likelihood of their becoming anemic during pregnancy. Ultimately, her studies suggested that a vitamin deficiency was to blame.

Her discovery was the first step toward creation of folic acid. For many years it was the Wills Factor until folic acid was named in 1941 when it was isolated from spinach.

Now the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that women take 400 micrograms of folic acid are taken every day.

May 10, 1888 – April 16, 1964

Happy Birthday Lucy Wills and Thank You for all that you did for women and their babies!

 

Source: https://www.cnet
.com/news/google-doodle-honors-lucy-wills-pioneering-prenatal-care-researcher/
Pic Source: https://www.google.com/
Google Doodle

Compost

 

 

For the month of May, we are going to learn how beneficial, interesting, and easy composting can be!  You may ask yourself: what is composting or why is it important? You may also question why we need compost at all? We are going to explore the science behind composting and discover what a useful resource it is! Lastly, we will share exactly how you can make your own compost at home.

What comes to mind when you hear the word, “compost”? Compost is decayed organic matter, which includes a wide range of materials, such as sticks, banana peels, egg shells, coffee grinds, fruits, and vegetables.  Compost does not contain animal products such as meat, fish, butter, cheese, milk, or other fats.  Compost forms naturally and is everywhere! For example: leaves and grass are two organic materials that “break down” or decompose. The rich, dark brown, crumbly soil-like material that results is compost!

Tiny micro-organisms like bacteria, actinobacteria, fungi, Protozoa, and rotifers assist with “breaking down” organic materials to form compost. Earthworms also aid in the conversion of organic materials into compost by ingesting the partially decomposed material. Earthworms aerate the compost by making holes and tunnels too.

Now that you know what compost is, why do you think it is so important? What are its benefits? Composting is a wonderful way for us to help the environment. When trash goes to a landfill, it emits methane gas, a greenhouse gas, that contributes to climate change.  By composting, we reduce this methane gas as well as produce a rich soil that can be used as fertilizer.  Farmers use fertilized soil to increase crop yield.  It retains water better than plain soil thus allowing farmers and gardeners to grow more food with less water. Also, soils that contain lots of decomposed organic matter, like compost, can store more food (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, and calcium) for the plants to eat.  Composting can help save money on mulch, landscaping bills, trash/disposal services, and can even lower your water bill! How cool is compost?!

One of the best parts about composting is that you can make it right at home! There are so many different items that you can add to your compost pile. You want to make sure that your compost includes a mixture of “green” (Nitrogen heavy) materials and “brown” (Carbon heavy) materials like newspaper, card board, and dead plants.  Be sure to allow your compost pile to have access to sun, shade, movement, and add one tablespoon of water daily.  It will take some time for your pile to turn into soil, but you should notice a change within a few weeks!

Did you ever imagine that compost could be so exciting?  Its significance and benefits make it something fun!  Not only can it serve as mulch, but it can be mixed into soil to make very strong fertilizer! Composting helps save the environment and can even save your family some money. So, what are you waiting for?  Encourage and educate your household on its importance and start composting today!