Plants, Nature, Oh My!

I've been blessed by getting a week in one class this week. It can be love/hate because it's nice to be in one spot for a bit, but if the kids are naughty, you're stuck! Luckily this is a pretty sweet class.

They're finishing up their farm unit and I just introduced them to their plants/animals unit, with emphasis on plants right now.

We did KWL on Monday and some weed plant collection and sorting Tuesday.

I'm having a blast and the kids are too! They thought it was the coolest collecting specimen for their science journals. Plus it was sunny, so it was an added bonus!

Today was soaking a lima bean and studying it with a magnifying glass and then seeing the different parts of the bean and what it's used for. Tomorrow we're observing the plants that were planted last week.

Soaked lima beans (for about 4 hours)

Look Ms. T! I see the 'baby'.

Exploring and observing.

Writing down seed parts.

Can we eat it? No thank you.

Then after school, a bunch of teachers were chillin' in the pond that you can see from two sides of the school. LOVE this school the most (my fave, but don't tell the other schools that ;) ) and I love that they have two outdoor areas  atriums << ooh look at me using fancy words! One atrium has two picnic tables and a tree (and flowers/weeds). The other has a picnic table with a pond.

The pond has 4-6 turtles. One said turtle happened to have snapped a bullfrog's leg and was dragging it around the pond. At one point, the frog was riding on top of the turtle. We didn't know what to do? Help the frog? Let nature take it's course? A male teacher was cheering the turtle on. One teacher was covering her eyes in horror.  I stood there watching the whole debacle. Kindy teacher came (she has a snake and used to work at a zoo) and debated about the pros and cons. Meanwhile the frog got drug underwater a few times and a ride or two around the pond...conclusion? She grabbed a net and scooped both out of the pond and the turtle still had its jaws clamped around the frog's leg. Male teacher who had been laughing tapped the turtle's head and then it let it go. Poor frog :( It's leg did not look good. It hopped/limped away to the other side of the pond. I don't know if it will make it.