July 2012 Archives

Investigating Nature News: Week of 7.16-19.2012
Shirley G. Moore Laboratory Summer School

The first week of our Investigating Nature: Mud Edition program was truly a full-sensory exploration and investigation into the elements of the natural world! The children jumped right into (at times, quite literally) the investigation of mud, dirt, and soil while exploring the many different areas/materials provided. They asked many interesting questions that showed their thoughtfulness and intrigue with learning as much as the possible about the topic of investigation: What is mud? What is dirt made of? What kinds of mud can we make? Where can we find different kinds of soil? How can/do we use mud/dirt/soil? Below are the many different ways the children tried to gather information about the questions asked.

What is mud? In order to investigate all the interesting properties of mud, we needed to get out hands on (or more appropriately, in) it. Many of the children already knew that "dirt and water mixed together makes mud," but we took some time to explore different kinds of dirt/soil. As the children experiment at the sensory table, science table, as well as on both playgrounds, they discovered that not all "dirt" is the same. It has different colors, textures, and smells! However, a very interesting questions was raised after comparing the different specimens: "What is dirt made of?"

What is dirt actually made of? Upon closer inspection, the children discovered that dirt is way more than just "dirt." This rich material is composed of all kinds of tiny ingredients: sand, soil, earth, dead/crunched up leavers, worm poop, as well as other organic material! These ingredients were shared by the children during large group and gathered later in the day, put into a blender, and "chopped up into tiny bits," resulting in our very own, school-made dirt!

What kinds of mud can we make? As they collected various soil samples throughout the week, the children had the chance to mix them with water at science table; discovering many different types of mud! Some were just soil, some had more sand, and some had more "other stuff" in it, but one interesting discovery came from mixing just sand and water together. Upon comparing the sand and water mixture to the various soil and water mixtures, the children determined that the sand and water mixture is not mud. It does "make the what dirty, but it's not mud."

Where do we find mud (more specifically, the soil to make mud)? We collected some soil samples from around the school/playground: store-bought topsoil from the sensory table, under the grass outside, in the raised garden beds, and even deep under the sand in the sandboxes! However, we also noticed the construction site right across the driveway was covered with soil...and several different kinds! We took a trip to investigate, and came back with many different samples. From previous discussions, the children could identify the different "ingredients"/ properties between the samples. We also investigated insects' role with making soil. Children talking about how worms help make soil by "eating all the stuff and pooping out [soil]." To go further, we set an up an observation station using our mealworms and some leftover snack. We'll see what happens next week!

How can/do we use mud, dirt, and soil? After being able to find soil as well as identify different kinds (including the differentiation between soil and sand), we investigated its various uses. During many conversations, the children had several ideas related to soil/mud's many uses: "We use soil to grow lots of kinds of plants," "Animals likes pigs use it to stay cool in the sun," "Beavers use it to make dams with sticks," as well as "Kids use it to make mud pies." We also learned you can sculpt with mud, other insects and animals make homes out of mud, and you can even paint with mud! All these ideas were great, but one of the biggest realizations came on Thursday, as many children discovered...it's just fun to play in it (especially when it's "deep, sticky, and extra goopy!)!!

We also made a trip to the Farmer's Market, as many children discussed how soil is in integral part of growing plants. To foster the personal connection for the children, the group talked about all the different kinds of plants people have in their gardens at home and how some families use pots, raised beds, and even just the ground itself to grow these plants. A discussion about how the plants at the Farmers' Market were grown on farms followed, and some children discussed the differences between home gardens and farm gardens..."farm gardens are much bigger!"

There has been lots of investigating, and we are very excited to see what new answers (and questions) the children come up with next week. One very important thing we've learned already: you often have to get a little (or lot!) dirty when you want to learn about nature and mud!

Highlights for next week, July 23-26
- The research with Lauren will continue this week. Your child will have a participation form in their folder if they played the games that day.
- Thursday is our final day of the Investigating Nature summer program. It's been quick, but we've seen a lot of (messy) fun and learning already...and we're excited to see what we can discover during this upcoming week!

See you Monday,
Bob, Elizabeth, Ross, and Sheila