As I was thinking about our classroom in the fall, and how smart all of you are, I thought that I would share some ideas with you all about how you can all be Field Researchers this summer, so that we can learn more about our world from one other in September! Whether you are in Dallas or somewhere else, I hope that you will try a few of these ideas and let us all know what you discover by writing back on this blog, so that all of your friends can read your story. The best Field Researchers are always asking questions and searching for answers!

Okay, here we go:

Open your eyes outside. What do you see? How many different kinds of animals can you count? Dont forget to look up in the trees!

Plant two seeds, one in one pot, and one in another. Put one pot in the sun and water it each day. Put the other pot someplace dark and don't water it. Make a note on the calendar of when you planted your seeds. How many days does it take to see your first green shoot in your pots? Do you see shoots in both pots? Please let us all know how your field experiment turns out!

Collect bugs in a bug magnifier and count the number of legs you see. If the bug has six legs, it is officially an insect. How many bugs can you find with six legs? Make an insect journal by folding paper and stapling the fold. Draw pictures of the bugs you observed and bring it to school!

Be a Field Researcher at the grocery store or the Farmer's Market. Look for a fruit or vegetable that you've never tried. Ask your family if you can try it. Write down the new food you tried and bring the name to school. Try drawing a picture of your new fruit or vegetable. You may discover that you like a new Super Hero Fruit or Super Hero Vegetable that will help make you even smarter and stronger! One of my favorite Super Hero Fruits are blueberries! (remind me to tell you about my kayak ride in Morgan's Bay last summer and the magical island where I picked the sweetest, smallest, most delicious wild blueberries I've ever had)! My favorite Super Hero vegetable is spinach! Yup! Miss Clark loves spinach! Maybe you will too!

Go fly a kite! What makes the kite fly higher?

Count the number of different kinds of trees in your yard or garden, or in your patio. How many different kinds of trees can you find? What makes them look different?

Hang a bird feeder in your yard and count the number of birds that visit. What color are they? What size are they?

Look outside for things that are shaped like a circle. What are they? Look for things that are shaped like a triangle. What are they? What about squares? Can you find things shaped like a square? Please write about what you find so that everyone can read about one another's discoveries!

Ask your parents if you can visit the Nasher Sculpture Garden and sit in the outdoor dome. Look up and what do you see? Count the number of clouds in the sky. Do the clouds change shape? Do the clouds look like animals?

Walk or scooter to your local library and ask for a library card with your name on it. Then, whenever you have a question, you can find a book that will have the answer! Remember, Field Researchers are always asking questions and trying to find the answers!

When you are on vacation or when you drive some place new, look for things that are smooth, and things that are rough. Make a collection. Bring it to school in the fall.

When it rains, look at the color of the sky. What color is it?

Smell flowers that are different colors. Do they smell sweet? Which one is your favorite? Draw a picture of your favorite flower and bring it to school!

If you want to see someone smile, take a flower to a friend, a grandparent, or someone else you love or care about. Try to remember the smile on their face and you can think of them smiling at you later when you miss them.

Fun Otter Fact #3
Sea otters are one of the few animals in the world to use tools! Sea otters use rocks and shells to pry open food like clams and mussels. They also use tools to crack open snail shells, sea urchins, and abalone. If you want to see what these critters look like, check out the website for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_otter/otter_meet.asp

Here, you can see the sea otters that live at the Aquarium.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/efc_otter/otter_cam.asp

I will report a lot more about our otter Field Research tonight or tomorrow. We are having so much fun!