Getting Started with Science

We began our study of science this year with some simple activities aimed at helping us to explore the subject of "classification," and "adaptation." We looked at how opposable thumbs allow a species to manipulate their environment in a way that is not possible without the ability to grip in this fashion. That activity asked that students wear gloves with the thumb tucked up against the palm rather than fitted into the thumb hole of the glove. As they attempted to play a game of checkers, catch a ball, and write their names, the value of being able to grip with the thumb was made clear. We also set up a selection of mushroom varieties to make spore prints. The hope was that we'd be able to use those spore prints to help us see how we might classify different mushrooms. Unfortunately, our mushrooms mostly just shriveled up and dried out. We think that it was the heat and humidity in our classroom that caused this. Whatever happened, our mushroom activity was the first thing that didn't go as we might have hoped this year. Science is like that sometimes. We may try the mushrooms again in a few weeks when it has cooled down a bit.