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Heading South

12/29/2011

27 Comments

 

Heading South

 ....I'm leaving on a jet plane... don't know when I'll be back again...

 This classic Peter, Paul, and Mary song kept strumming through my mind as I stood in the airport ready to board my flight on Dec 26th.  It was hard saying goodbye to my family over the holidays, but their unwavering support gave me much comfort.  I safely met up with the rest of the research team, including Dr. Lee, in Miami, FL later that day.  We then had a 9 hour flight across the Atlantic to Santiago, Chile.  From there, we landed in Punta Arenas on December 27th, which is the southernmost tip of Chile.  It's summertime here in the southern hemisphere, but a chilly and windy one!  I can't wait to give you more details about my trip so far,  but it will need to wait till I have a better internet connection. 

I am sitting here now on the Lawrence M. Gould icebreaker ship, waiting to depart on the final four days of the voyage to Palmer Station, Antarctica.  I won't have an internet connection till I arrive and get settled.   It won't be the smoothest boat ride, but I look forward to this next part of my adventure!    Bon voyage and I wish you a Happy New Year!!!!

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Frozen Flies?

12/26/2011

5 Comments

 
Frozen Flies???
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Can you survive being frozen solid like a popsicle?  Of course not!    But, Belgica antarctica is a wingless fly that has this incredible adaptation (and many more) to help it survive the cold harsh Antarctic environment.   Believe it or not-it can survive being frozen solid for a long time!!!!  Do you know any Ohio animals that can survive being frozen all winter???
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The bio-swales, Crestwood Primary School

Nestled in our schoolyard, there is a fly that has similar adaptations as Belgica antarctica!  It lives inside this tall yellow flowering plant found in our schoolyard in early September.  It is called golden rod.  There is a remarkable relationship between this plant and the golden rod fly!
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Here my students are taking a habitat hike through the same natural area in our schoolyard in the fall.  Notice that the golden rod plant is now brown and brittle.  Do you notice anything unusual about the golden rod plant now?
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These round structures are called golden rod galls.  The golden rod fly lays its eggs in the plant's stem early in the spring.  Then, the plant forms this round growth around it.  The egg then hatches into a larva and lives inside all winter.  It freezes solid, thaws in the spring, and then flies away unharmed by the cold!
To learn more about the galls and the cold-hardy fly inside, my first graders and I collected several of them for Dr. Lee's visit.  Since the outside air is so cold this time of year, we stored the galls in the freezer until his visit. 
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Dr. Lee is an extreme entomologist.  This means that he studies insects living in extreme conditions, especially cold weather.  He is an expert on the golden rod fly.  By studying the golden rod fly in our schoolyard, we can better understand the Antarctic fly surviving at the bottom of the world!
Since so many students were curious about this insect, Dr. Lee conducted scientific investigations with students K-8 during his Crestwood visit.  The students used their observation skills as they dissected the gall and made predictions about its contents.
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Middle schoolers use scientific tools to examine the larva living inside!
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Here's the larva we found inside.  It started wiggling and crawling away once it thawed in the classroom!

Students even discovered a parasitic wasp living in the galls too!  Dr. Lee taught us how the gall can contain a community of organisms!
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How do you think the golden rod fly is alike and different from Belgica antarctica???

Belgica antarctica, adult 

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Nature Detective Challenge:  
Name an Ohio animal (besides the golden rod fly) that can survive freezing during the winter months.  Conduct research and respond back with the answer!  
5 Comments

Crestwood Students Meet Antarctic Researcher!

12/22/2011

10 Comments

 

Crestwood Students Meet Antarctic Researcher!

Photograph by Jen Zajac

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Dr. Richard E. Lee., Jr.,a Distinguished Professor of Zoology from Miami University, OH


 In early December, Crestwood students across the district were intrigued by Dr. Lee and his fascinating research at the bottom of the world.   His research team studies the largest land animal in Antarctica.  What do you think it is???
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Polar Bears???

No...Polar bears only live at the North Pole.
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Penguins???

No, penguins are a marine animal.
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Seals???

No.  Seals are another marine animal.

Drumroll please...

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A wingless Fly!

Belgica antarctica

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And...its the size of a pencil tip!  Dr. Lee and myself will travel 8,000 miles to research the southernmost insect in the world.  Why do you think this fly is wingless?

Dr. Lee held assemblies at all four Crestwood schools to help students to learn about life on the frozen continent, including Belgica antarctica.  Check out these highlights below!

Crestwood Primary students perform our Antarctic theme song "There Are No Polar Pears in Antarctica" during their assembly with Dr. Lee.

Click on the gray triangle above to hear the full song "There are No Polar Bears in Antarctica."    Thank you Mrs. Gilles for recording my students!
10 Comments

First Graders Draw a Scientist

12/4/2011

4 Comments

 

First Graders Draw a Scientist
At the beginning of the school year, I was curious to find out my students' perception of a scientist.   Do children know that scientists.... are people?    ...that common stereotypes exist (ex, a mad scientist, Frankenstein, a genius)?  Do children know what scientists do today?  
A main goal of my outreach program is to help students understand the important role of a 21st century scientist.  So, I needed a starting point...

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Draw a Scientist Test 

All first graders participated in the Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST).  Based on the work of David Wade Chambers (1982), this simple test helps to measure a child's perception of a scientist.  

First, the students were asked to draw a person on a blank sheet of paper.  
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Drawing 1a                       By:  Crestwood First Grader
Then students were asked to draw a scientist, without any prior discussion of the word "scientist."
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The scientist pictures were then analyzed for common stereotypical features...


Percentage of First Graders


26% of students drew a   Lab coat

20% of  students drew  Eyeglasses

27% of students drew untamed hair

44% of students drew scientific tools (desk, table, test tubes)

51% drew a male scientist

27% drew a female scientist

22% drew no gender preference


To get a deeper understanding of a child's perception of a scientist, my students were interviewed based on their drawings.  The following movies were created at the start of the school year.   

4 Comments

Survey Results

12/4/2011

1 Comment

 

And the Survey Says...
Last week I posted a survey about one's image of a "scientist."  I want to thank each individual person and class for participating.  View the graphs below to see the results!

Question #1

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Question #2

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Question #3:

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Question #4:

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Question #5:

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Nature Detective Challenge:   Do you agree with the results?  Why or why not?  Figure out how many participants responded in all.  
1 Comment

    Author

    Miss Natalie Harr is a first grade teacher at Crestwood Primary School in northeastern Ohio.

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