This was our first field trip with snow! The snow was crunchy, and it was sunny and cold. Brr! People were really cold! We learned that the ground was not frozen because the soil sampler was able to easily collect a soil sample. Our sample was really wet. After testing our soil for potassium, ph, phosphorus and nitrogen we compared it to our soil sample from Bartlett Cove. They were very similar. The only difference was that there was a little more phosphorus in Bartlett Cove. After looking at our results we decided to take another soil sample test from Bartlett Cove and behind the school.
One of us learned how to use the GPS and led us to all of our study sites behind the school. We all learned how to use compasses. We were told the directions by a classmate and we used our compasses to see if he was right. We tried to break a trail so that next time it would be easier to get to our sites.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
November 3rd Behind School
On November 3rd, the 3rd-5th grade went behind the school and collected data for the first time since we created our questions. We found our study sites and took pictures and pin-pointed it on our GPS. In one of our study sites we had an alive tree and a dead tree, but in the other site we only had a dead tree.The biggest cottonwood tree that we saw had the circumference of 246cm.We wrote about the cottonwood tree and drew pictures to follow. Most of the deciduous trees didn’t have their leaves.
When we took our soil sample the soil was really clayish and we had a hard time getting a good sample.The ground was very crunchy and it was on a very cold sunny day.
We had a lot of fun on our first data collection field trip.
Please give comments and questions.
When we took our soil sample the soil was really clayish and we had a hard time getting a good sample.The ground was very crunchy and it was on a very cold sunny day.
We had a lot of fun on our first data collection field trip.
Please give comments and questions.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Year Long Study Questions
These are our year long study questions. It took us along time to agree on them.
1. What types of soil are in Gustavus?
2. What types of soil do certain plants need in Gustavus?
3. What needs to be in the soil for certain types of plants to grow?
4. What do plants do in the winter?
5. How many invasive species are at our study sites?
6. How many species of native plants are at our study sites?
1. What types of soil are in Gustavus?
2. What types of soil do certain plants need in Gustavus?
3. What needs to be in the soil for certain types of plants to grow?
4. What do
5. How many invasive species are at our study sites?
6. How many species of native plants are at our study sites?
Friday, November 4, 2011
October 13th Outdoor Art
On October 13th, the 3-5 grade class rode our bikes to Kimber’s house, Brian Waverly’s barn, and the Sunnyside Market. We were looking for ideas for beautifying the back of the school. In between the spots we took soil samples and we collected native plant seeds for our native plant garden behind the school. We will be working with Steve Schaller from Glacier Bay National Park to design and plant a garden behind the school.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Behind the School October 6th, 2011
On October 6, 2011, we went on a field behind the school to collect soil. It was a cold wet day. We were all having so much fun being out in the woods! Kimber and Lori came with us. We were collecting seeds and soil. We dug holes to get the soil. The holes were almost one foot deep. The soil was sandy and clayish. Both groups at least dug one hole. We are collecting seeds for a native plant garden for The First Bloom Project. Do You know what kind of soil we have other than clay and sand? What soil does a Sitka spruce prefer to live in?
September 29th Behind The School
On September 29th, the 3-5 grade class went behind the school for a field trip. We completed The Circle Of Life, which is where you put a piece of string around some plants and tally up all of the plants you see.The different groups tallied up all of the different kinds of plants we saw. The reason we did it was so that we can learn more about plants, since it is one of our topics for our year long project. We learned that the most popular plant behind the school is strawberry plants.
One of the groups found metal tags on most of the willows behind the school. After the field trip we wondered why there were tags on the willows. So at the Open House at the school, Ms. Jessie asked Tania Lewis who we could contact and she said Kevin White. He is a scientist for the Department of Fish and Game. A few days later we got an email from him saying that the tags were used to mark individual willow plants. They used the tags to document how moose browsing affects their growth patterns and production.
Please give comments and questions, because we love to answer them.
One of the groups found metal tags on most of the willows behind the school. After the field trip we wondered why there were tags on the willows. So at the Open House at the school, Ms. Jessie asked Tania Lewis who we could contact and she said Kevin White. He is a scientist for the Department of Fish and Game. A few days later we got an email from him saying that the tags were used to mark individual willow plants. They used the tags to document how moose browsing affects their growth patterns and production.
Please give comments and questions, because we love to answer them.
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