Only a few more short days until our fragile Shad eggs arrive on site! Initially, we signed up to complete the Schools-in-Schools Shad Recovery Project for our 1st grade. I should have known that Maury's young thinkers in all grades would want to be involved! The project will now include all students in grades K-4, as well as Be Water Wise team members in Preschool, PreK and 5th grade.
While this project diverges from some of our other Think Tank Challenges and delves deeper into specific science content, we will still be utilizing many of our "smarts" and practicing some very important Habits of Mind.
This project will take a lot of diligent work by Maury thinkers. Students will test Ammonia, Nitrate and pH levels multiple times a day, and keep track of the water temperature.
They will also do "egg sorts" that will involve separating live eggs from the ones that have died. Your children will be doing all of these things! Live eggs will be clear, and the ones that have died will turn white. It is crucial that they are separated because the decomposing dead eggs will poison the live ones with Ammonia and Nitrate! They have practiced using these petri dishes, clear and white beads and mini pipettes.
Please stop by our hatchery in the front lobby to read the questions that students have posed, answers to their questions, posters about the life cycle and to witness this exciting project.
In order to get eggs as part of the Schools-in-Schools program, the eggs must be collected from female fish and fertilized. Kindergartner Sophia Beffert ,4th grader Xavier Hill and their moms Erica Beffert and Kim Frietze went on this expedition over Spring Break. What an experience!
Please don't hesitate to come and explore our wonderful Maury hatchery!
Until next time,
Mrs.Ford
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