The Nature of Summer

Summer continues to be a great time to be outdoors, especially in the early morning or evening just before sunset. The pond got a nice shower this afternoon, and the bream, catfish and carp were feisty this evening when we fed them. After two summers of very low rainfall, it's a nice change to have a full pond as the end of June approaches.

We found a beautiful lichen along the pond this evening--"land coral." The garden is yielding abundant amounts of beans and cucumbers, and the vines are loaded with tomatoes! It's just a matter of time before every meal is tomato-centered.

Take time to notice the nature in your backyard. Go to the park, or just check out the bark on a tree in your yard. Do some observing, and ask some good questions. The nature of summer includes longer days, slower pace, and extra time to wonder. Explore.

Unicorn Beetle on the CCS Playground!

Three of my students found me in my classroom this afternoon, and delighted me with the gift of a marvelous beetle specimen. They found it on the playground, and "rescued" it from being consumed by ants. "It's so cool--and smells like broccoli!" they proclaimed.

Here is a website that identifies the beetle the boys found. It’s a great specimen…really stinky!

http://www.naturalworlds.org/scarabaeidae/species/Dynastes_tityus.htm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Dynastinae
Genus: Dynastes
Species: tityus

http://wildflowers.jdcc.edu/Unicorn_Beetle.html

It’s called a “Unicorn Beetle,” and is the largest beetle in the United States! It is one of two species of rhinoceros beetles in America.

Thanks for helping me get a great start on my insect collection! Keep collecting, exploring and observing!

Welcome to CCS Science!

20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. --Romans 1:20

Middle school science is an exciting transition for students as they continue to explore God's creation, but begin drawing connections and posing questions in areas that prepare them for further study in high school subjects. Perhaps in no field as much as science, students must continually train their minds and hearts to see the creation of our universe as revelation of God's order, majesty, creativity and beauty.

Sixth graders at Christ Covenant School will study Life Science, complete with a dissection lab series and opportunities to perform several other labs throughout the year. I'll post pictures when available!

Seventh grade will explore a wide variety of topics this year in an investigative science series based on real-world phenomena like thrill rides and art fraud, and disasters like hurricanes, oil spills, forest fires, contagious diseases and groundwater contamination. We'll use a team-based approach to exploration and presentation of solutions that the students will develop with their own research and problem-solving processes. I can't wait to see what they create!

All middle school students in grades six through eight will explore independent research topics and submit science fair projects to our annual CCS Science Fair. This year's fair will take place on November 14, 2009. Five middle school students will be selected to attend the Region 7 fair at East Carolina University in the spring of 2010, and several student winners will be eligible to attend the ACSI Regional Science Fair at North Raleigh Christian Academy in February 2010.

I am looking forward to using this blog to share general information, science websites and resources, and some history of science and scientists who have shaped our world. Please feel free to comment, ask questions, and send me emails so this blog can better enhance our classroom and research experience!