Here is an indoor and outdoor activity your class can do for learning the science of The Olive Tree.

Growing From Seed:

Here are some basic instructions for growing an Olive Tree from a seed, though most likely, the plant won’t ever bear actual fruit.  For some reason we are still researching, the only ones that bear fruit once growing, are the trees that are sourced from a cutting.  However, you can still have fun planting an Olive Plant in the classroom from a pit, and watch it grow through most of its stages.  Or, you can have your class visit a Nursery and retrieve actual cuttings to plant.

Materials:

Empty milk or juice carton (2 for each student)

Scissors

Compost

Sea Soil (Soil that has been fertilized with seaplants like kelp)

Cactus Potting Soil (sandy)

5/6 Olive Pits

Small pebbles or small broken terra cotta pot pieces

Desk-size piece of leftover cotton fabric

Thick Pencil or Pen

1/2 Spray bottles to share

First Carton:

1  Have all students bring from home 2 empty milk or juice cartons, and a handful of pebbles.

2  Lay out a piece of cotton fabric to catch dirt drippings

3  Cut the first carton down to about 3 inches and fill with compost.

4  Place the Olive seeds sporadically across the compost soil.

5  Once the seeds are in place, spray with water bottle to moisten the seeds.

6  Keep the seeds and compost damp (but not soaking wet).  Place them on window sill where they will receive lots of warm sunshine

7 With constant daily spraying and sunshine, germination will take place within several weeks.

Second Carton:

1  After the seeds have begun to sprout, cut the top off the second milk/juice carton.

2  In the bottom of the carton, poke the pencil or pen through the middle and create a hole about 1 inch in diameter.

3  Layer the bottom of the carton with 8 or 10 of the pebbles, not covering the entire surface, though enough to allow water to flow through.

4  With a ratio of about 1:3 mix seasoil with cactus potting soil and fill the carton to about 3/4.

5  Move the healthiest looking germinated seeds from the short cartons to the second taller cartons.

6  Water the seedlings well – only when the soil in the pot feels dry.

7  Keep the plants in the same warm, sunny area indoors – even if is warm outdoors, as the plants are still in a stage where they need extra nurturing.

8  As it grows, prune the lower leaves off of the Olive Tree as it begins to grow, to encourage its upward growth into a tree.

9  Transplant the small trees outdoors only if you live in a warm climate.

Planting From a Cutting: 

If you want to grow an Olive plant that one day bears actual fruit, it is better to grow from a cutting than the seed.

1  Find a friend or local tree nursery who would give you a small cutting of their already growing olive tree.

2  With a sharp set of scissors or branch trimmer, cut a small branch off a tree, just under where the “V” is (sort of two small branches in one).

3  Dip it in water and if you have some available, then dip the cutting in “root stim” (Comes in a small bottle and looks like this: (http://www.progressive-growth.com/proddetail.php?prod=34022).  Root stim is a plant hormone that can aid in getting a cutting to grow a root.  You could possibly borrow a bottle from a neighbor or a nursery may donate one to your class.

4  Follow the same instructions of the Second Carton section from above.  Keep the plant in the sunlight, Spray the Leaves, and water once a week.  It is important to spray the leaves everyday as this is how the plant will first take in water, whereas there are no roots as of yet.  Olive plants need lots of sunlight as they are originally a plant from the Middle East.

Note:  if you are planting from a raw cutting, it is always best to cut just under one of the “V’s” or “W’s” where the very new baby growth is, as this is what will grow new roots with best possibility.  The older wood pruned off can be saved for other activities, like handing someone an olive branch (sign of peace).

For more tips on growing and pruning Olive Trees, you can visit here:

http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/olives.html

and here:

http://www.olivepicking.com/Pruning-Olive-Trees.html

Olive Tree Nursery Outing:

Have your class visit a local Tree Nursery.   Phone ahead and ask if they have any Olive Trees there to study.  If there are no Olive trees yet around to study, study some of the other trees at the Nursery.  If a trek to a local nursery is not possible, have a simple outdoor trek around the school grounds.  Ask the Learners to study the growth patterns of the tree branches.  If your school is close to the ocean, visit the beach and retrieve seashells that clearly show the spiral growth pattern.  It is called the Fibonacci Spiral. Here are some of the other plants and seeds they may find to see the Spiral: the Pinecone, in the Branch growth pattern of trees, the mini-fruit pieces of the Pineapple, the Artichoke flower, a Fern during its uncurling, and Seashells.

Science and Math are so intricately connected in all areas.  The Fibonacci Spiral and The Fibonacci Sequence is a great example of this. Fibonacci is a Number / Integer Sequence, that when applied in geometrical form, manifests in a Spiral as in that of a Pine Cone or a SeaShell.  The sequence was named after an Italian mathematician known as Leonardo of Pisa (or Leonardo de Fibonacci).  In 1202, he wrote a book called Liber Abaci in which he gives name to the number sequence.  There are historical examples of the sequence showing up in East Indian mathematics as well.

In Spiritual Theory, Life must look back on itself before it can move forward.  In Relation to the human species, we must look back toward our Ancestors to learn Wisdom and give Gratitude to Life in the Present in order to move into the Future in the best way and in the Best Direction.  Because in theory the Spiral is not quantifiable in the concrete sense; i.e. it is a sequence that is Infinite (no final end number), mathematicians use straight lines around the spirals to give it as close to a concrete geometric equation as is possible.  Hence, the spiral looks like a spiral of expanding squares as shown here, and is known as the Golden Mean Ratio.  In biological settings, The Fibonacci Sequence can be seen in the Spirals of the Pinecone, in the Branch growth pattern of trees, the mini-fruit pieces of the Pineapple, the Artichoke flower, a Fern during its uncurling, and Seashells.

To further see the mathematical relationship of the Fibonacci Number Sequence to the Fibonacci Spiral, you can visit our Math-Skills page: http://www.math-lessons.ca/blog/2012/04/05/fibonacci-sequence/.

And for other Fun Learning Science Games, we invite you to visit here:

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/ocean.html.

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/space.html.

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/brain.html.

Basic Science Tutorials

Great Selection of basic science topics from Jefferson County School website.
Very comprehensive list of science and other tutorials from the Vocational Information Center.

Short List of Standardized Tests with Basic Science questions:

College Entrance - CBASE,  PLAN,  CPAT

High School - ITBS,  AHSGE, CRCT,

Nursing Entrance – TEAS,  PAX, PSB, DET, Gateway/TCAP, MCAS

 Armed Forces – AFQT

Science Practice Questions

1. The _______ Theory defines acids and bases in terms of the electron-pair concept; according to its definition, an acid is an electron-pair acceptor, and a base is an electron-pair donor.

1. Arrhenius
2. Lewis
3. Clark
4. Brønstead-Lowry

2. In chemistry, a _______ is any compound produced by a chemical reaction between a base and an acid.

1. Salt
2. Radical
3. Crystal
4. Electrolyte

3. In the periodic table of the elements, elements are arranged in order of their atomic  ______, which is the number of _______ found in their nucleus.

1. Mass, protons
2. Number, neutrons
3. Mass, neutrons
4. Number, protons

4. Any physical manifestation that is part of the observable structure, function or behavior of a living organism is its ________________.

1. Genetic code
2. Chromosome
3. Genotype
4. Phenotype

5. The manner in which instructions for building proteins, the basic structural molecules of  living material are written in the DNA is a __________ ___________.

1. Genotypic assignment
2. Chromosome pattern
3. Genetic code
4. Genetic fingerprinting

6. A ______ ______ is a graphical description of feeding relationships among species in an ecological community.

1. Food web
2. Food chain
3. Food network
4. Food sequence

7. Gas laws are physical laws concerning the behavior of gases.  Boyle’s law and Charles’ law may be combined to give the general or universal gas law, which is expressed as:

1. (pressure x volume)/temperature = constant
2. (pressure x temperature)/volume = constant
3. (pressure x constant)/temperature = volume
4. (temperature x volume)/pressure = constant

8. Classification is a grouping of organisms based on similar _______ and ______________.

1. Traits, evolutionary histories
2. Traits, biological histories
3. Behaviors, evolutionary histories
4. Traits, evolutionary advancement
5. Characteristics, evolutionary histories

9. The groups into which organisms are classified are called taxa and include, in order of size, ______, _________, __________, _________, _________, and _____________.

1. Genus, Kingdom, Phylum/division, Class, Order, and Family Species
2. Order, Kingdom, Phylum/division, Genus, Class, and Family Species
3. Genus, Kingdom, Phylum/division, Class, Order, and Family Species
4. Kingdom ,Genus, Phylum/division, Class, Order, and Family Species
5. Family species, Order, Class, Phylum/division, Kingdom, and Genus

 Answer Key

1.  B
The Lewis Theory defines acids and bases in terms of the electron-pair concept; according to its definition, an acid is an electron-pair acceptor, and a base is an electron-pair donor.

2.  A
A salt is any compound produced by a chemical reaction between a   base and an acid.

3.  D
In the periodic table of the elements, elements are arranged in order of their atomic  number, which is the number of protons found in their nucleus.

4.  D
Any physical manifestation that is part of the observable structure, function or behavior of a living organism is its phenotype.

5.  C
The manner in which instructions for building proteins, the basic structural molecules of  living material are written in the DNA is a genetic code.

6.  A
A food web is a graphical description of feeding relationships among species in an ecological community.

Note:  A food web differs from a food chain in that the latter shows only a portion of the food web involving a simple, linear series of species (e.g., predator, herbivore, plant) connected by feeding links. A food web aims to depict a more complete picture of the feeding relationships, and can be considered a bundle of many interconnected food chains occurring within the community.

7. A  Gas laws are physical laws concerning the behavior of gases.  Boyle’s law and Charles’ law may be combined to give the general or universal gas law, which is expressed as:

(pressure x volume)/temperature = constant

Note:  Boyle’s law and Charles’ law are concerned with the relationships between the pressure, temperature, and volume of an ideal (hypothetical) gas. Van der Waal’s law includes corrections for the non-ideal behavior of real gases.

8. A
Classification is a grouping of organisms based on similar Traits and evolutionary histories.

Note: Taxonomy and systematics are the two sciences that attempt to classify living things.  In taxonomy, organisms are assigned to groups based on their characteristics. In modern systematics, the placement of organisms into groups is based on evolutionary relationships.

9. A
The groups into which organisms are classified are called taxa and include, in order of size, Genus, Kingdom, Phylum/division, Class, Order, and Family Species. 

• Their eyes may be blue, unlike albinos, and have white fur, meaning, they are leucistic;
• Some rare genetic conditions cause the calf to be born white, though turn brown within a year or two.
• If they are albino, they will be without pigment color throughout their lives, just like albinp people.
• Sometimes farmers have crossbred cattle with bison, and the cross-genetics of white cattle is what causes the white fur to result.

The National Bison Association estimates the occurrence of White Buffalo being born is one out of every 10 million births.

This white calf was born in Janesville, Wisconsin on The Heider Farm, and was  named Miracle, the first one born since 1933.  She lived to be 10 years old and during her life, had several calves.   http://whitebuffalomiracle.homestead.com/Miracle_and_Calves.html

http://whitebuffalomiracle.homestead.com/

http://whitebuffalomiracle2.homestead.com/

The Sacred Lakota People have within their family who is known as The White Buffalo Calf Woman or Pte Ska Win.  She is a Sacred Woman from Pure Spirit origin, who equals The Female Messiah / Shekinah.  In Lakota Spirituality, it is She who brought forth their Peoples’ Seven Sacred Rites.

This link is a photo of a Most Gorgeous Sculpture depicting The White Buffalo Calf Woman with Her Calf.  Sculpted by Artists Lee Leuning & Sherri Treeby, this piece was the winning sculpting in 2009 for the Avero organization:  http://www.avera.org/img/mckennan/sculpture/12-White-Buffalo-Calf-Woman-large.jpg.

Other Buffalo Facts:

Female African Buffalo, in particular, are notable for their apparent altruism. Female buffalo express a sort of shuffling behavior -  in which during resting time, the females stand up, shuffle around, and sit back down again. They then sit in the direction they think that they should move, and after an hour of further shuffling, the females move to travel in the direction they finally decide on. This decision is communal and not based on hierarchy or dominance.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_buffalo.  If hunted by a predator, The Buffalo Herd huddle close together to build their strategy, as like other species, they are stronger when joined together.  Calves remain protected in the middle of the adult members. If a buffalo is under duress, the others move to rescue the other.  If the call is from a calf member, then not only the Mother comes, but the entire herd. In one recorded instance, known as the Battle at Kruger, a calf successfully survived an attack by both lions and a crocodile, after the herd intervened.

Similar to domesticated cattle, Buffalo sing a 2–4 second low pitch call that is repeated at 3-6 second intervals.  This signals the herd to move. When it is time to change direction, herd leaders sing a sound like a creaking gate. When signaling others of a place to drink water, they have an extended maaa’ call, and the call is made by usually one to a few individuals, and is made up to 20 times a minute before and during the movement to the oasis.

Females begin having kids after about 5 years old, and their pregnancies last about 11.5 months. Newborns hide in greenery for the first few weeks, while the Mom nurses now and again, before the Calf joins the main herd. The Maternal bond between Mother and Calf lasts longer than in other species, though if a new Calf is born, the bonding with the first calf ends, and the Mother keeps all other offspring out of the way to protect the newborn – The White Buffalo, a Most Interesting Mammal.

For Our Fun Learning Game about other Mammals, you can visit here!

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/mammals.html.

Here is a brief list of Teacher Certification exams that have Chemistry specialty tests.    Praxis II, NYSTCE, MTTC,  MTEL, ICTS,  GACE, FTCE, CSET, CEOE/OSAT.   Learn more about being a Certified Teacher at Wikipedia and at teachers count.

Here is a quick over view of Basic Chemistry.

1. What are the differences, if any, between mixtures and compounds?

1. A mixture is homogeneous, and the properties of its components are retained, while a compound is heterogeneous and its properties are distinct from those of the elements combined in its formation.
2. A mixture is heterogeneous, and the properties of its components are retained, while a compound is homogeneous and its properties are distinct from those of the elements combined in its formation.
3. A mixture is heterogeneous, and the properties of its components are changed, while a compound is homogeneous and its properties are similar to those of the elements combined in its formation.
4. A compound is heterogeneous, and the properties of its components are retained, while a mixture is homogeneous and its properties are distinct from those of the elements combined in its formation.

2. What are the differences, if any, between chemical changes and physical changes?

1. During a physical change, some aspect of the physical properties of matter are altered, but the identity of the substance remains constant. Chemical changes involve the alteration of both a substance’s composition and structure.
2. During a chemical change, some aspect of the physical properties of matter are altered, but the identity of the substance remains constant. Physical changes involve the alteration of both a substance’s composition and structure.
3. During a physical change, no aspects of the physical properties of matter are altered, but the identity of the substance remains constant. Chemical changes involve the alteration of both a substance’s composition and structure.
4. There is no substantive difference between chemical and physical changes.

 3. When a measurement is recorded, it includes the _________ ________, which are all the digits that are certain plus one uncertain digit.

1. Major figures
2. Significant figures
3. Relative figures
4. Relevant figures

 4. The _______ _______ is based on the lowest theoretical temperature, called ________ _______.

1. Kelvin scale, absolute zero
2. Celsius scale, absolute zero
3. Kelvin scale, boiling point of water
4. Centigrade scale, freezing point of water

 5. Through experiments and calculations, ________  ______ has been verified to be _________^o on the _________ scale.

1. Through experiments and calculations, absolute zero has been verified to be – 273.15^o on the Celsius scale.
2. Through experiments and calculations, unconditional zero has been verified to be 0^o on the Kelvin scale.
3. Through experiments and calculations, absolute null has been verified to be -100^o on the Celsius scale.
4. Through experiments and calculations, absolute zero has been verified to be – 273.15^o on the Kelvin scale.

6. When using the scientific notation system to express large numbers, move the _______ ______ until _____ digit(s) remain(s) to the left, then indicate the number of moves of the decimal point as the _______ __ ___.

1. When using the scientific notation system to express large numbers, move the decimal point until only two digits remain to the left, then indicate the number of moves of the decimal point as the exponent of 10.
2. When using the scientific notation system to express large numbers, move the decimal until only one digit remains to the left, then indicate the number of moves of the decimal point as the exponent of 2.
3. When using the scientific notation system to express large numbers, move the decimal until only three digits remain to the left, then indicate the number of moves of the decimal point as the exponent of 10.
4. When using the scientific notation system to express large numbers, move the decimal until only one digit remains to the left, then indicate the number of moves of the decimal point as the exponent of 10.

 7. In science, ________ indicates the __________ or ___________ of a measurement, while _______ indicates the ________ of a measurement to its known or accepted value.

1. In science, accuracy indicates the reliability or reproducibility of a measurement, while precision indicates the proximity of a measurement to its known or accepted value.
2. In science, exactitude indicates the reliability or reproducibility of a measurement, while contiguity indicates the remoteness of a measurement to its known or accepted value.
3. In science, precision indicates the reliability or reproducibility of a measurement, while accuracy indicates the proximity of a measurement to its known or accepted value.
4. In science, uncertainty indicates the realism or possibility of a measurement, while precision indicates the distance of a measurement to its known or accepted value.

 8. The _________________ states that, in a chemical change, ________ can be neither _____ or ________, but only changed from _______________.

1. The Law of the Preservation of Matter states that, in a chemical change, energy can be    neither created nor destroyed, but only changed from one form to another.
2. The Law of the Conservation of Energy states that, in a chemical change, energy can be    neither created nor destroyed, but only changed from one atomic number to another.
3. The Law of the Conservation of Energy states that, in a chemical change, energy can be    neither created nor destroyed, but only changed from one form to another.
4. The Law of the Conservation of Energy states that, in a chemical change, energy can be    neither duplicated nor destroyed, but only changed from one form to another.

9.  A _________ is a process that transforms one set of chemical substances to another; the substances used are known as ________ and those formed are _________.

1. A chemical change is a process that transforms one set of chemical substances to another; the substances used are known as products and those formed are reactants.
2. A biological change is a process that transforms one set of chemical substances to another; the substances used are known as reactants and those formed are products.
3. A chemical change is a process that transforms one set of chemical substances to another; the substances used are known as reactants and those formed are products.
4. A chemical variation is a process that transforms one set of chemical substances to another; the substances used are known as reactants and those formed are products.

10.  ________ is the series of chemical reactions resulting in the ______ of organic compounds, and _________  is the series of chemical reactions that _________ larger molecules.

1. Anabolism is the series of chemical reactions resulting in the synthesis of inorganic compounds, and catabolism is a series of chemical reactions that break down larger molecules.
2. Anabolism is the series of chemical reactions resulting in the synthesis of organic compounds, and catabolism is a series of chemical reactions that combine larger molecules.
3. Catabolism is the series of chemical reactions resulting in the synthesis of organic compounds, and anabolism is a series of chemical reactions that break down larger molecules.
4. Anabolism is the series of chemical reactions resulting in the synthesis of organic compounds, and catabolism is a series of chemical reactions that break down larger molecules.

Answer Key

1. B
A mixture is heterogeneous, and the properties of its components are retained, while a         compound is homogeneous and its properties are distinct from those of the elements combined in its formation.

2. A
During a physical change, some aspect of the physical properties of matter are altered,         but the identity of the substance remains constant. Chemical changes involve the         alteration of both a substance’s composition and structure.

Note:  Examples of physical changes include breaking glass, cutting wood and melting ice. Sometimes, the process can be easily reversed. Restoration of the original form is not possible following a chemical change.

3.  B
When a measurement is recorded, it includes the significant figures, which are all the digits that are certain plus one uncertain digit.

4.  A
The Kelvin scale is based on the lowest theoretical temperature, called absolute zero.

5.  A
Through experiments and calculations, absolute zero has been verified to be – 273.15^o on the Celsius scale.

6.  A
When using the scientific notation system to express large numbers, move the decimal point until only two digits remain to the left, then indicate the number of moves of the         decimal point as the exponent of 10.

7.  C
In science, precision indicates the reliability or reproducibility of a measurement, while accuracy indicates the proximity of a measurement to its known or accepted value.

Note:  Regardless of the precision or accuracy of a measurement, all measurements include a degree of uncertainty, dependent on limitations of the measuring instrument and the skill with which the measurement is completed.[i]

8.  C
The Law of the Conservation of Energy states that, in a chemical change, energy can         be neither created nor destroyed, but only changed from one form to another.

9.  C
A chemical change is a process that transforms one set of chemical substances to         another; the substances used are known as reactants and those formed are products.

10.  D
Anabolism is the series of chemical reactions resulting in the synthesis of organic compounds, and catabolism is a series of chemical reactions that break down larger molecules.

http://www.explorelabrador.nf.ca/home/gallery.php

Warming Herbs to Cook With and/or Make Steeped Tea: Ginger, Cinnamon, Cayenne Pepper (Red), and Black Tea  – Grated Fresh Ginger – (powder if you’ve no access to fresh) is essential in cooking or tea for Keeping your Hara (Belly) and Bones warm.  Ginger is also a balancer for all other elements.  It is why sailors make homemade fresh ginger soda if on the water as it strengthens the stomach and keeps one’s balance strong, preventing any kind of nausea or seasickness. Cinnamon – is usually used with cooking in the a.m. but can be used anytime or even made with tea.  It is another blood, bone and body warmer.  When making oatmeal or other hot cereals. Cayenne Pepper (Red) – If you can handle a bit of hot spice, Red Cayenne Pepper, just a sprinkle is great raw over your plate of dinner or while cooking.  Cayenne is one of the spices that will draw heat from your body center out to the body’s extremities such as your nose, ears, hands and feet.  Vigorous exercise will also do this, if you don’t like cayenne pepper!  B3 is Niacin, though if used, only in minute amounts, especially at first, as it can cause the heart to palpitate….though, this vitamin can also, like cayenne pepper, draw heat into areas of the body where the blood has been stagnant or muscles have been dense and there is “stuck” energy or chi. http://www.shen-nong.com/eng/lifestyles/food_property_food_tcm.html.

Black Teas – In general, even though Green teas have caffeine, they are “cooling” when it comes to body elements, and not warming.  Black teas, especially Aged Fermented Black Teas like “Purh” Tea have warming effects to the body.  And if you strain with hot water a few times before drinking, much caffeine can be removed. http://www.davidstea.com/our-teas/pu-erh-tea. Here is a list of more “warming” foods: http://www.raw-foods-diet-center.com/warming-foods.html

Slowcooking – Slowcooking stews, soups, and casseroles, with covered oven dishes or pots, (we usuallyslowcook 4-12 hrs at 220 degrees – 24 hrs for chili) – with a Tblspoon of lemon juice or vinegar in the beginning, will draw out essential minerals such as blood-warming iron, from the Bones (if not vegetarian).  Otherwise, you are eating some minerals, but not all of them or the best and most essential of them).  The best for meats and fish are organic fresh wild game as they are devoid of pesticides and growth hormones (that are in general, strength, mineral and marrow stealers).  Always add grated or chopped ginger! http://slowcookertipsandrecipes.com/category/healthy-slow-cooker-recipes/

Several Types of Warming Wool! Thank you The Blessed Lambs and Sheep – Read The Labels! – We are amazed at the numbers of people who buy “winter” clothes and wonder why they are not still not warm.  LOOK and READ the tags on your clothing – both the ones you own and wear now, and the ones you buy in the future.  If any of the tags say “acrylic” or “polyester”, or other “non-natural material, in general, put them all into storage until spring or summer, as in the winter months, they are close to useless when it comes to staying warm. Instead, only wear clothes made of 100% Wool (Cashmere and Merino Wool are the is softest against the skin).  If the wool is not soft, you can soak the wool in baking soda and water and dry wrapped in towels.  The baking soda/water solution will soften the wool so it is not itchy against the skin.  If wool is too itchy for you, or if you have allergy to them, then find vests and other pieces that are wool inside of the padding. http://www.mymerino.com.  There is another reason to better use natural materials rather than non-naturals and it is because they are very much slower to burn, if there was ever a flame around to have to deal with.  This is especially important for night/sleep clothing, but all clothing in general.

First Layer and Thermal Underwear: Layers, Layers, Layers – When dressing for winter, the FIRST LAYER is MOST  IMPORTANT as it traps a layer of air to the body, which is thermalized as you add other layers, and remains warm through the day.  If you have a loose sweater on as your first layer, the air simply will not be “trapped” and the cold air somehow still finds its way in.  Thus, undershirt and pants are a must.  The first layer should be wool, or even silk as silk draws moisture away.  But cotton is a cool fabric and it will trap cool air.  This is okay, though  in general, this is what you do not want.  There are thermal / merino or silk undershirts you find these days.  The more Layers of Clothing, the more layers of air you have trapped for staying warm – but the first one MUST be snug to the skin! Flannel-Lined  Jeans and Pants – can be found at Eddie Bauer’s Clothing, LLBean, and other outdoor outfitter stores. http://www.llbean.com/llb/search?freeText=flannel+jeans&qs=3033060_pmd_googleca  Or, you can wear thermal underwear.  The best thermal underwear is made of soft Merino Wool (made to protect from –33 degree weather) and can be found at Capitol Iron or other outdoor outfitter stores. http://www.capitaliron.net/clothing.html  Make sure the material is wool and NOT acrylic or polyester.

Mittens and Gloves – should be lined with wool and best if also water proof.  Mittens generally keep fingers and hands warmer than gloves because they keep the fingers huddled together, but if you need finger access for dexterity, then make sure the lining is wool.  Acrylic will freeze your little phalanges (fingers). Hats – the same – wool or down is best and the snugger the better as the snugness traps warm air to your head like thermal undershirts.  This is particularly important as an exposed head can lose a lot of valuable body heat.  And it is important to especially have ears covered from wind as wind there drops one’s immune system to be susceptible then to catching colds. Creepers – are great for preventing iceslips, especially for the elderly.  These are metal braids that are easily stretched over the bottom of boots.  They give boots treads if your boots do not already have treads.  Outfitter stores often have these. http://winterwalking.com/html/icegrips.html

Lambskins are a Blessing! (If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can always say Gratitude Prayers to Mother Earth for the life of the animal for helping you stay warm as She Loves All Creatures of the Earth – even us.  Lambskins  – sleeping on them, sitting on them or keeping them under your feet will greatly assist you in retaining your heat, especially those healing from injury or the elderly.  It is important NOT to wash them.  If you do, you must use very gentle soap.  It is better to just brush them with a wire brush and rub essential oils into them.  The Lanolin in the lambskin, or any animal for that matter,  is a key element to the retaining of heat of the body, and if you wash them with harsh soaps or too often, the lanolin will be stripped and they will not be as strong for retaining heat.  You can also rub beeswax into the underside to stop water from coming in.  This can especially be helpful if you are camping or living outdoors. http://www.lanolin.com/home.html   As much as some people do not want animals to be used for clothing, in the North, it has been essential for a very long time.  http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/first_nations_inuit/clothing.cfm

Animal Fur around the collars of Hoods, especially the long kind, is the only hood lining that will 100% protect the face from winter winds that cause frostbite.  We tested it!  Don’t chance frostbite in experimenting with this!  But be sure and Give Great Gratitude and Grace to Mother Earth and Her animals for the Blessing of protection from the elements.  We have tried many “non-fur” alternatives, and none of them protected us from frostbite like that the animal fur.  Thank you God and Mother Earth and these animals for Protecting us.  Down Feathers are another big positive for staying warm, but it must be kept dry or weather proofed, as when they are wet, they no  longer keep you warm, and will be very difficult to make it dry again. So make sure if your coat or vest is down feathered, or sleeping bag if outdoors, have a water protective coating.  Flannel Sheets for bed and/or Flannel Jammies are great!  And so are hot-water bottles at the feet under the sheets especially, before you go to bed.  Go to bed already warm! Warm up by taking jumping around, doing some jumping jacks, or dancing. If you wrap a frozen salmon in a sleeping bag, will it stay frozen? Yes, because your sleeping bag will insulate cold or heat, just like a Thermos.  Thus, you must be warm BEFORE you get into your bed.  In your emergency travel kit, especially if you have a car, you should have: Warm Buddies, Weather Proof Matches, and Warm Wool Blankets – Warm Buddies – are plastic hand-size packs you can reuse, with boiling water, and put them into your boots and mitts.  Canadian Tire and Home Hardware carries them. http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Outdoor-Living/Sporting-Goods/All-Season/Hunting/Accessories/WARMERS-HAND-10PR-PK/_/N-2pqfZ67l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I6579047?Ntt=hand+warmers  They are also good to keep in your emergency car kit, in case you are stuck in winter snow somewhere. The other kind of Warm Buddy is a close friend or a pet.  When people huddle together, they stay warmer!  Body warmth, increased by the number of people, increases exponentially.  Ever go into a cold room at an event, and as the numbers of people enter, the temperature goes up and up?  It is the collective warm blooded people huddled together that drives the temperature up. Plastic on Windows and Door Weather Stripping – With a hair dryer and plastic and tape, you can dramatically reduce heat loss and drafts from your home.  Best to do BEFORE winter comes, but never too late.  Large rolls of this can be bought at the Home Depot or Hardware store.  Much less costly than the packages you can buy.  Also, weather stripping in crevices of doorways and leaky windows also greatly reduces loss of heat. Not only do these tips keep you warm, but they also save you lots of heat, electricity and money – especially over the long run. http://www.homedepot.ca/catalog/weatherstripping/172015

Have a Great Winter – Stay Warm! Then, you can have Fun!  If you want to stay in on a cold winter day, you may want to play one of our Fun Learning Science Games! http://science-lessons.ca/games/brain.html

http://science-lessons.ca/games/birds.html

1. Sea Turtles live in all the world’s oceans except the ____________.

2. Adult Turtles swim in shallow lagoons, feeding mostly on various species of ______________.

3. Clownfish are native to the warm waters of the ___________ and __________ Oceans.

4. _________ have two stomachs and therefore can hunt for larger animals than their mouth could otherwise handle.

5. Angelfish are ____________ animals, because they hide amongst the crevices of the reef by night.

6. Through the 19th century, the word “kelp” was closely associated with seaweeds that were fired to obtain __________ (primarily sodium carbonate).

7. Manatees use taste and smell, in addition to sight, sound, and touch, to_________.

8. Salmon eggs usually range from _____________ in color.

9. Clownfish are one of the few fish that are safe from sea ______________.

10. The ___________ is a marine mammal, the heaviest member of the weasel family.

11. When eating, the otter first uses ___________ to dislodge prey and to open shells.

12. Seahorses have an equine profile, meaning they look sort of like ________.

13. ____________ have vibrant rainbow colors and deep, sideway-flat bodies.

14. Before spawning, salmon may grow a hump and grow canine teeth like a dog, developing a_______, a curve in the jaws.

15. Like___________ , anemones have stinging cells.

16. When a shark is resting, it does not use its nostrils, but rather, its___________, tiny holes behind each eye.

17. A _________tail is paddle-shaped.

18. ________ are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae family.

19. _________ are pink and silver fish from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and the Great Lakes.

20. Although corals can catch small fish and animals, they obtain most of their nutrients from photosynthetic unicellular_______.

21. __________ typically have five “arms” which radiate from a central disk.

22. __________ are slow-moving and live in warm, shallow, coastal waters, surviving above 15°C.

23. ____    ________ are related closely to coral and jellyfish.

24. _________ have proven problem-solving skills, social complexity and curiosity.

25. Coral have______ ; each one being like a tiny upside-down jellyfish with a shell.

26. ____  _______ “bob” around in sheltered areas such as sea grass beds, coral reefs, or mangroves.

QUIZ ANSWERS:

1. Arctic Ocean

2. Seagrass

3. Indian and Pacific

4. Sea Stars

5. Diurnal

6. soda ash

7. communicate

8. orange to red

9. Anemonae

10. sea otter

11. rocks

12. horses

13. Angelfish

14. Kype

15. Spiracles

16. jellyfish

17. manatee

18. Kelp

19. Salmon

20. algae

21. Starfish

22. Manatees

23. Sea Anenomae

24. Sharks

25. Polyps

26. Seahorses

If you really want to give yourselves an elementary science Brain-Squeeze this summer, here is an Oceans Quiz from National Geographics: http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/ocean-extremes-quiz/

And Here is one from our classroom at Science-Lessons.ca: a 52-Card Playing Deck for Ocean Learning, includes 4 several games and completely downloadable for Print and Cut-out – Crazy Starfish! Go Snorkeling! Sea Cluster! and ?Hypothesy?: http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/ocean.html

1. Which Galaxy do we live in on Earth?

Milky Way Galaxy

2. Is our Sun considered to be a Star or a Planet?

A Star

3. When did a human being first set foot on the Moon?

1969

4. What planet is known for being Red even though its faux tv fiction inhabitants are considered to be Green?

Mars

5. What planet has the hottest temperatures of 500 degrees Celsius?  Is it red Mars?

Venus

6. What is the name of Nasa’s most popular telescope?

The Hubble

7. How old is our Solar System?

4.6 billion years old

8. How long does it take for Light from the Sun to reach our Earth?

8 minutes

9. A Solar Eclipse occurs when the “what” is between the Sun and the Earth?

The Moon

10. Comets are made of dust particles, rock particles and what?

Ice

11. The hazey glow and tail around Haley’s Comet are known as a what?

A Coma

12. The surface of Venus rages with active what?

Volcanoes

13. Scientists estimate that the extinction of dinosaurs on planet Earth was caused by what?

An Asteroid

14. How many planets does our Solar System have?

8

15. What in our Solar System used to be, but is no longer, considered to be a planet by Nasa?

Pluto

16. Who was the first human being first set foot on the Moon?

Neil Armstrong

17.  The Earth’s ocean tides are caused largely by the Moon’s pull of what?

Gravity

18. What races around Saturn at a rate of 800 km per hour?

Wind; Storm Wind

19. If you were on Jupiter, you would weight 2 and half times the weight than when you are on Earth because of the what?

Magnetic Field

20. What planet has the worst stormy weather of all the planets?

Neptune

Then try one of our Fun Games for Learning more about the Solar System:

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/space.html

This week, have your students create a new species, and write about and draw a picture of their animal. Have them examine the qualities of different species, and combine them into what they think would be the most adaptable survivable animal.  It could be a “dolphi-gator” – an animal that is half dolphin and half alligator. It could be a “spid-eagle” – a half spider and half eagle.

Share in your elementary classroom, the super powers that your species has and how it could outlive a different species because of its cross-splicing rare abilities.  Where does it live?  What are its habits?  Is it nocturnal?  What does it eat?  How does it care for its young?  Does it have mammalia glands? They could even find photos of their 2 creatures and paste them together to make the new one.

Adapting to our environment is a capability in which we human beings quite excel.  Constantly through all the stages of our lives, we break through “limits” that our minds once falsely held.  Crawling to walking to running -  jumping, driving, skiing, sailing, and flying.  If there is one ability we have as a species that makes us different from many other species, it is our ability to adapt to our environment.

The weather changes to hot, cold, damp, dry, wind, and multiple combinations of these – and our bodies adjust our physical temperature to keep all systems stable for continuing our life journey.  For some, the number of limbs they have changed (due to unforeseen circumstance), and still they adapt to do the same things they did before, just differently.  A newt would grow its arm back.  A human being would come up with interesting ways of attaining their food supply with the other arm – maybe use their feet, or become left-handed instead of right.

Is it because of the miracles of our human brain and heart? What makes your new species so adaptable to its natural environment?

For ideas, kids may wish to look at some of our Fun Learning card decks, such as Our Learning Brain, Mammals and Birds:

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/brain.html.

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/mammals.html.

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/birds.html.

The 2010 Census of Marine Life, designed to catalog what lives in the ocean, where and to what extent, found strange new beasts such as a hairy white blind 6 inch long crustacean called the Yeti Crab, and discovering several species (once thought to be extinct). More scientifically known as Kiwa hirsute, its fuzzy, winter-white coat might look at home in the Himalaya, the yeti crab was found flittering around hydrothermal vents ~2.4 km under the South Pacific off Easter Island in March 2005.

It was found by a group organized by Robert Vrijenhoek of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Monterey, California; and Michel Segonzac of the Ifremer,;and a Census of Marine Life scientist. The animal has strongly reduced eyes that lack pigment, and therefore is thought to be blind. Although it is generally thought to be a carnivore, its food is likely bacteria.

Often referred to as the “furry lobster” outside the scientific literature, Kiwa hirsuta is actually a squat lobster, more closely related to crabs and hermit crabs than true lobsters. Kiwa is named after “the goddess of the shellfish in the Polynesian mythology,” and in Maori mythology, is a male guardian of the sea. Hirsuta means “hairy” in Latin. (Alsdon Best; The Maori – Volume 1. pp. 89–105; Cosmogeny and Athropogeny.)

For a wonderful list of the photos of the new species found during the 10 year Marine Census, visit National Geographic:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/10/photogalleries/101004-census-of-marine-life-mr-blobby-new-species-photos-science-pictures/

From Summary of the First Census of Marine Life 2010 (Complete) www.coml.org
In the late 1990s, leading marine scientists shared their concerns that humanity’s understanding of what lives in the oceans lagged far behind our desire and need to know. Some emphasized the question, “What kinds of life inhabit the oceans?” They pointed to opportunities to discover new kinds of life and to catalog and estimate the total diversity of life in the vast global ocean. Others asked, “What lives where?” They highlighted establishing addresses of marine life and drawing reliable maps of neighborhoods and travels. Still others asked, “How much of each lives?” and pointed to the human appetite for seafood. Everyone worried about changes in marine life and the need to improve management with sound knowledge.

In the year 2000, the scientists founding the Census of Marine Life converged on a strategy, a worldwide Census to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life. The founders organized the Census around three grand questions: What did live in the oceans? What does live in the oceans? What will live in the oceans? They designed a program to explore the limits to knowledge of marine life. They agreed to report in the year 2010. Delving in archives, setting out on more than 540 expeditions in all ocean realms, and partnering with other organizations and programs, the 2,700 scientists from more than 80 nations who have become the Census community have assembled, augmented, and organized what is known about life in the oceans. They have drawn baselines for measuring changes of marine life after natural changes and human actions. Equally important, the Census has systematically delineated for the first time the unknown ocean.

Many books, papers, Web sites, videos, films, maps, and databases now form and report the Census. The following summarizes its findings, describe its legacies, and tell how it worked.

The Census encountered an unanticipated riot of species, which are the currency of diversity. It upped the estimate of known marine species from about 230,000 to nearly 250,000. Among the millions of specimens collected in both familiar and seldom-explored waters, the Census found more than 6,000 potentially new species and completed formal descriptions of more than 1,200 of them. It found that rare species are common. With its collective digital archive grown to almost 30 million observations, the Census compiled the first regional and global comparisons of marine species diversity. It helped to create the first comprehensive list of the known marine species, already passing 190,000 in September 2010, and also helped to compose Web pages for more than 80,000 of them in the Encyclopedia of Life. Applying genetic analysis on an unprecedented scale to a dataset of 35,000 species from widely differing major groupings of marine life, the Census graphed the proximity and distance of relations among distinct species, painting a new picture of the genetic structure of marine diversity. With the genetic analysis often called barcoding, the Census sometimes shrank seeming diversity by revealing that organisms had been mistakenly called separate, but generally its analyses expanded the number of species—and especially the number of kinds of different microbes, including bacteria and archaea.

After all its work, the Census still could not reliably estimate the total number of species, the kinds of life, known and unknown, in the ocean. It could logically extrapolate to at least a million kinds of marine life that earn the rank of species and to tens or even hundreds of millions of kinds of microbes. Distribution
The Census found living creatures everywhere it looked, even where heat would melt lead, seawater froze to ice, and light and oxygen were lacking. It expanded known habitats and ranges in which life is known to exist. It found that in marine habitats, extreme is normal.

With sound, satellites, and electronics, some- times carried by marine life itself, the Census tracking of thousands of animals mapped migratory routes of scores of species and charted their meeting places and blue highways across the interconnected ocean. The tracking measured animals? surroundings as they swam and dove and revealed where they succeed and where they die. The Census found temperature zones favored by animals and saw the immigration into new conditions such as melting ice. Now anyone can see the distribution of a species by entering its name at iobis.org, a Web site that accesses the names and “addresses” of species compiled in the Census’s global marine life database.

For a short video on the ocean project, visit the Great News Network:http://www.greatnewsnetwork.org/index.php/news/article/first_ocean_life_census_finds_6000_new_species1/

And for one of our very fun Science Ocean Card Decks, including 4 Interactive Learning Card games:
http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/ocean.html

An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System.  Extrasolar planets became an object of scientific inquiry in the nineteenth century. Many astronomers supposed that they existed, but there was no way of knowing how common they were or how similar they might be to the planets of our solar system.  The first confirmed detection was made in 1992, arising interest in the possibility of extraterrestrial life.  Most of the discovered extrasolar planets lie within 300 light years of the Solar System. Regardless of the precise number of stars with planets, the total number of exoplanets must be very large. Since our own Milky Way Galaxy has at least 200 billion stars, it must also contain billions of planets – if not hundreds of billions.

Precise measurements using the Kepler space telescope have shown that the planet, named Kepler 10b, has a diameter 1.4 times that of Earth, and a mass 4.6 times higher.  Measurements of Kepler techniques using astero-seismology showed that the parent star was about eight billion years old – a grandparent among stars of its type.  Kepler techniques are similar to the study of earthquakes on the Earth.  In addition to the size of the host star, the details of the planet’s and star’s “dance” with each other, and the planet’s radius, the density of the planet can be calculated.  Geoffrey Marcy University of California Berkeley marked this as “among the most profound scientific discoveries in human history.”

Since January 11 of this year (2011), astronomers announced confirmation of 518 such planets  –  with hundreds others awaiting for confirmation pending further investigation.  Most are giant planets thought to resemble Jupiter.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12158028

Kepler Mission

The Kepler Mission is a NASA space observatory designed to discover Earth-like planets orbiting other stars.  It was launched on 7 May 2009.  The mission spacecraft is named in honor of 17^th C astronomer Johannes Kepler.

http://www.kepler.nasa.gov/news/nasakeplernews/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=94

Most exoplanets cannot be seen directly through telescopes because bright light from the stars that they orbit drowns them out.  Instead, astronomers use a variety of indirect techniques to find them. One method is to look for tiny wobbles in stars’ positions caused by their gravitational interactions with orbiting planets.

Johannes Kepler (1571 – 1630) was a key mathematician, astronomer and astrologer, in 17th century scientific revolution.  He is best known for his laws of planetary motion, later developed by later astronomers.  Kepler lived in an era when there was no clear distinction between astronomy and astrology, but there was a strong division between astronomy (a branch of mathematics within the liberal arts) and physics (a branch of natural philosophy).

Kepler also weaved religious reasoning into his work, motivated by the religious conviction that God had created the world according to an “intelligible plan that is accessible through the natural light of reason.”  Kepler described his new astronomy as “celestial physics”.  (Ref: Wikipedia: Johannes Kepler; Exoplanet, Exosolar)

For one of our Fun Learning games on the Solar System and Teaching Space:

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/space.html

http://www.science-lessons.ca/games/planetsbingo.html