The 4th grade is working on learning about animal adaptations in science.  For this unit, each 4th grade class is doing a unique project related to what they are chosen to focus on.  Mrs. Highgas and Mrs. Maxwell's class are the first to come to CLIC.  They chose to create sculptures of animals and plants from different ecosystems.  The sculptures must exhibit the adaptations that help the plant or animal survive.
Students first learned how to create paper and tape sculptures that were covered with plaster strips. Students then painted their plant or animal highlighting the adaptations.  We are now  learning how to use LED's, copper tape, and button batteries connected to a switch to light up each adaptation on the scientific sculptures.
​

Over the last two weeks, students learned about different pollinators.  We were given some honey bee specimens, (including a queen bee) from a local bee keeper to look at under the microscopes.  We did pen and ink scientific illustrations of the anatomy of the honey bee.  These were companion drawings for the botanical illustrations we did the week before.  Michaela taught the children about the many different ways plants entice pollinators by their size, shape, smell, time of bloom, and color.  Children did matching games and challenged themselves to pollinator fact trivia while they worked on their drawings.  Fellow girl scout, Katherine came last week to get involved in Michaela's Gold Award project.

Our first class was all about figuring  the size of the game surface, adding walls and the slanted base to keep the ball in play.  The second class will involve making the mechanized plunger and guides that shoot the ball up onto the game board.

We began by learning about painting on an easel and on canvas.  Students chose a salt marsh landscape to use as a composition to paint.  We learned how to use vine charcoal to sketch out our compositions and then how to mix paints with the palette knife.  Students also began painting their skies and learned how to paint clouds.  It was an awesome class!

At our first class, Masco senior and Girl Scout, Michaela Dillon introduced herself and the project.  Students learned about the anatomy of flowers and did scientific botanical illustrations.  Students spent time looking through microscopes at pollen as well as plant parts.  Students learned to use quill pens and ink with pastels to create their drawings.