Newspaper Microscope Lab

microscopic MIZZOU tiger

Yesterday was our introduction to Microscopes for the 2013-2014 school year. In order to introduce them, students looked at scraps of newspaper under the microscope and took photos of what they saw with their smart phones.

First, they looked at black and white text from a newspaper:

 

 

Then the students looked at a colored image from the newspaper under the microscope:

 The goal of this lab is to allow my students to begin to use the microscopes with an easily example. All students have seen a newspaper, but very few students have seen a newspaper under a microscopic lens. I love seeing their faces when they discover that paper is made up of many tiny fibers and that one color is actually made up of many different dots of color.

2 Stars for success!

stomata lab

Right now students in my class are wrapping up our the PHOTOSYNTHESIS & PLANT UNIT. One of the things students needed to know is the role of stomata in the leaves of plants.

Stomata are small openings in the underside of a leaf that allow gases to flow in and out of the cell. It is surrounded by two guard cells that open and close, depending on various factors.

Stomata are easily found in a plant called a Wandering Jew plant because the underside of the leaves are purple, whereas the stomata are a bright green color.

Yesterday students identified stomata first using a magnifying glass and then using a microscope. Below are some photos of their findings:

4x magnification

 

10x magnification

40x magnification

Gingerbread Man Lab

DNA & Genetics Unit

Last week students were able to see how traits are passed from grandparents, to parents, to offspring through our Gingerbread Man Generations of Traits Lab.

Through this lab, students were able to visualize the passing of these traits in a fun, creative and festive way.

Here is a final product:

Cheers to DNA, Genetics and Christmastime!
Mrs. Swift

onion cell lab

Today in class was our first microscope lab of the school year... our Onion Cell Lab! It is the only day in the school year that Mrs. Swift's room is the stinkiest room in the building. (Hopefully).

Other than being stinky, we observed red and white onion cells under the microscope. The purpose of the lab was to give students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with microscopes, to learn how to make a wet mount, and to learn how to stain an item for the purpose of viewing under the microscopes.

Check out what they saw:

red onion cells

40x magnification

(6th hour)

stained red onion cells 

400x magnification

(7th hour)

 white onion cells

100x magnification

(6th hour)

 stained white onion cells

100x magnification

(6th hour)

All photos are student observations taken with Mrs. Swift's handy dandy iPhone.

pacific northwest: part 2

Continuing from yesterday... after a week at Wallowa Lake, Oregon we went back to my dad's home in Kennewick, Washington and spent half of a week hanging out all together under one.lovely.roof.


Here is round two of our trip through photos:

grandpa jerry, sawyer, and my dad

sawyer and taylor swift

diesel dan

groundbreaking ceremony for KGH (the hospital my dad works at)

my brother-in-law david and sister ashley

pinata fun

mr. swift and me

cake face

sawyer, ashley, my dad, me, and diesel

freckle face

I hope you are enjoying the photos!

pacific northwest vacation: part 1

Two weeks ago Mr. Swift and I flew out of Denver to visit my Dad and family in Eastern Washington. It had been a long time since our last trip.

I was so excited to see my dad and family. It had been the longest time I had gone without seeing them.  (A little less than a year).

We were expecting to spend the following 2 weeks with them, my sister and her family. But we were happily surprised by a pair of disguised grandparents picking us up from the airport. It made our holiday even better to have my grandparents with us in the pacific northwest.

The morning after we arrived we drove 4 hours south to Wallowa Lake, Oregon. Here are some of my favorite snapshots from our holiday travels:

**Warning: there are many photos of my adorable nephews! Beware.**

baseball with mama and grandpa jerry

little nephew sawyer

i think there was a crazy story being told here

my dad and my nephew diesel

cutest.thing.ever.

jospeh, oregon (pretending we're parents)

antiquing

mr. swift loves coca cola

my brother garrett

mama and my sister taylor swift

david, grandpa jerry and mama

wallowa lake, oregon

my sister ashley and her husband david

guided fishing tour

my sister and my dad 

vacation, part two to come!