Identification Day @ AMNH

Saturday, May 9, 2015
Noon – 5 pm
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall
FREE WITH MUSEUM ADMISSION

Usually, we go to the museum and look and learn about things THEY collected.  We enjoy displays and research done by paleontologists, astronomers, anthropologists, and biologists.

This time, YOU are the collector!

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the American Museum of Natural History celebrates the importance of nature collections by inviting YOU to bring in your own specimens to their annual Identification Day. Bring your shells, rocks, insects, feathers, bones, and artifacts to be identified by Museum scientists and explore rarely seen objects from the Museum’s collection. Scientists will attempt to identify your discoveries and provide a certificate of identification. Items identified in previous years have included a whale jawbone, a green-beetle bracelet from Brazil, and a 5,000-year-old stone spear point from Morocco.

NOTE: NO APPRAISALS WILL BE GIVEN, AND GEMSTONES WILL NOT BE IDENTIFIED.

Before you come to Identification Day, here are a few tips that will help scientists identify your specimens:

Anthropology
• Bring as much information on your specimens as possible. If it belongs to a friend or family member, try to get the information from them.

Botany
• Please only bring plants that you have permission to collect.
• Plant samples that have flowers or fruits (or both) are much easier to identify than those without.
• Bring your plant sample in a zip-lock bag (this will keep the plant moist for easier identification and will avoid spreading pests in the Museum).
• Please try to bring fresh (very recently collected) plant samples.

Paleontology
• Bring as much information on your specimen as possible, especially its place of origin.

3D Scanning

Things that are great to scan
• Objects that are larger than a 50 x 50 mm (2 x 2 in) cylinder
• Objects that are smaller than a 203 x 203 mm (8 x 8 in) cylinder
• Objects weighing less than 3 kg (6.6 lbs)
• Stationary objects
• Opaque objects

Things that are difficult to scan
• Transparent objects
• Shiny or reflective objects
• Very dark objects
• Fuzzy objects
• Moving objects

A Special Note on Animal Specimens
• With the exception of insects, please do not bring any live or dead specimens. Photos of your snake, bird, or other specimen will suffice for identification.

Learn more about what, and what not, to bring in a video, here.

This makes me love trees even more…

Maker Faire is Back in NYC!

Lego Coolness

My daughter sent this to me today! I love that she knows exactly what I think is cool!

The Eiffel Tower Goes Green

What do you know about the Eiffel Tower?

• It’s in Paris, France.
• It’s made of iron.
• It’s really tall.
• It’s a major tourist attraction.

But did you know that Gustav Eiffel, the man in charge of the project of building the tower had an apartment on top for himself? That there are restaurants, offices and shops on the Tower’s three floors?

Did you know that the Eiffel Tower is going green?

Two wind turbines were just installed and are expected to generate enough energy to power the whole first floor of the tower. The wind turns the turbines and the energy is converted into other types of energy like electricity for lights and heat for cooking.
Watch the turbines in action:

How does this help the Earth?

• No Air Pollution
• No Water Pollution
• No Emission of Greenhouse Gases
• No Depletion of Natural Resources

Good job!

The Concord Road iCREATE Science Fair

The Concord Road iCREATE Science Fair
Kindergarten -2nd grades

Young Inventors Program Showcase

Thursday, April 30th, 2015 at 7pm

It’s time to remind you about our Annual iCREATE Science Fair!

The Concord Road iCREATE Science Fair is just around the corner and if you are a K-2 student at Concord Road Elementary School, you should already be thinking about what you might want to explore, create or design. All students from kindergarten to second grade are encouraged to participate by investigating topics which stem from their own curiosity, and allow them to think like young scientists, engineers and designers. Creating and viewing projects is a motivating and enjoyable experience for the whole family.

More information, including entry forms will be coming soon!
For everything you need to know about The Concord Road iCREATE! Fair, read Mrs. Feldbaum’s blog, CR Sprouts.

We are very excited to see what this year’s scientists stir up!

Questions? Please contact our science department!

Mrs. Feldbaum efeldbaum@ardsleyschools.org
Mrs. Zucchetto fzucchetto@ardsleyschools.org

Monster Storms Family Day

Crystal Coolness

Can you guess what this is?

Or this?

We just found a pretty old box of Playdoh in the closet and while checking them out to see if they were still playable, we found this!

According to the Playdoh people, Playdoh is a mixture of water, salt and flour, with a few secret ingredients thrown in. When the water evaporates, the salt crystalizes and creates beautiful pin-like structures which form on the surface of the dough. They are extremely fragile, so if you want to try this at home, keep your Playdoh away from wind, and little sisters!

I think I’m going to try creating a little creature with different colors and see what happens!

HANDS-ON SCIENCE AT HOME: NEEDLESS OR NECESSARY?

by DJ Souza: Fresh Prince of the Science Fair.
Writer for Steve Spangler Science.

Some of us grew up with fantastic science teachers. Mrs. Russell, Mr. Steward, and Mr. Landis are names that you won’t necessarily recognize, but they’re the three science teachers I’ve had in my entire lifetime. I will never forget them, because they were and are awesome science teachers. (Forget the fact that I graduated with less than 20 kids in my class and that the last of those teachers is my best friend’s dad, or that my sister married my best friend’s little brother… Hooray small towns!) But some kids will never have that, that’s why you need to get hands-on science at home.

I assume that not everyone had the beneficial science teacher experience that I did, but it blows my mind. How can that even be possible? Then I discovered that the “science teacher” is an endangered species.

Especially when it comes to elementary-aged chitlens, there aren’t teachers dedicated to educating 6- to 12-year-olds on the FREAKING AMAZING WORLD OF SCIENCE! If you were to remove science education from my elementary education, I can personally guarantee that I would not have graduated. Math never made sense unless there was a scientific application. Science is the answer to “when will I ever use this?”

Read more on Steve Spangler’s Blog

2nd Graders “Get to Know a Leaf!”

OUR TREES

Second graders learn about seasonal and environmental changes by studying the seasonal cycles of trees. We will be studying two mystery trees located on our school grounds and paying close attention to their special features. Through our observations and some research, we will learn about our trees. All of this work will be done in school.

The following is an assignment to be done at HOME and brought back to school.
Click GetToKnowTree for the PDF.

THE PROJECT

Follow steps 1-6 to complete the project.
You will decide how to present both the written and the display portions. 

BE CREATIVE!

Click HERE for photos past years’ projects!

1. Find it: Take a nature walk!
2. Press it: see directions.
3. Research it: using books, guides, and websites
4. Write about it!
5. Display it anyway you like!
6. Present it to the class.

1. Find it!
The leaves are falling fast! Here are some tips for finding the perfect tree:

• Walk around your neighborhood or nearby woods to find your tree. Collect some of its fall leaves. You can collect green leaves too if you like.
• Don’t run through private property without permission from home owners. If you can’t find leaves on the ground, ask permission to pick leaves off trees on private property.
• While you are walking, notice the seeds which are growing or have fallen from the trees. Talk about the trees and the seasonal change. Discuss how deciduous trees lose their leaves while
  coniferous or evergreen trees keep their leaves year-round.
  Enjoy the outdoors and exercise!

2. Press it!

• Choose leaves that are relatively flat, not curled. Look for leaves that aren’t spotted or bumpy. Don’t be afraid to try leaves in various stages of changing colors. Before you press your leaves, make sure they are dry and flat. Drier leaves press well.
• Place the leaves you wish to press between sheets of newspaper. Place heavy books on top of your leaves.
• Allow to flatten and dry for at least 3 days.
• While you are waiting for the leaves to dry you can look online or in books to identify your leaves.

3. Research it!
Ask a parent before going online!

Arbor Day Foundation http://www.arborday.org/trees/wtit/

Dendrology http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/DENDROLOGY/main.htm

Leaf Id http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/forsite/key/intro.htm

Fall Folliage video http://www.maine.gov/doc/foliage/kids/movie.html

Leaf ID http://pick4.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?guide=Trees

Books: Check these out of the library!

Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert
Leaf & Tree Guide, By Rona Beame
The Tree, A First Discovery Book
Looking at Trees & Leaves, from Grosset & Dunlap
Autumn Leaves, by Ken Robbins
I Wonder Why Pine Trees Have Needles, by Jackie Gaff

4. Write about it!
Wonder about your tree and the leaves and seeds that came from it. Begin by asking questions:

• What is the name of the tree?
• Is the tree deciduous or coniferous?
• What color does it change to in the fall?
• Why does it change color?
• What are the lines that run through my leaf?
• Where are the tree’s roots?
• Does anything else grow on the tree? Come up with your own questions! What are YOU wondering about?

5. Display it!
Think of the most creative, unusual, fabulous way you can to display all of your information about this tree!!