Marine Biology

I have mentioned that I love both our co-op and where we live, before haven't I?  Well, let me say it again.  I reallly love The NW and FHE academy co-op!

About five minutes from our home is Redondo beach and they have built a Marine Biology lab there within the last year.  We were able to visit and have a teacher from Highline community College give us great bits of wisdom.

We first went to the aquarium where if you can reach it you can touch it.

They gave the children laminated sheets so that they could identify which animals they were seeing.

It dawned on me this morning as I was watching my children work together, watching the older ones naturally care for and teach the younger ones, this is one of the huge benefits to Home schooling.  This interaction between my children, between the older ones and the younger ones is beneficial in every way.  They learn together, the older ones teach the younger ones and feel the pride and achievement in that  and they learn to be caring and nurturing.  The younger ones look up to the older ones and trust them and are eager to learn from them.  I love that they are able to experience these interactions, that they are able to learn together in a self-less manner.

I love this picture.  You can just sense her wonder.  Dad hates these pants, but what can I say it was laundry day at our house (what day isn't).  What you can't see is that she is wearing a pink shirt that doesn't match at all.  I made her keep her coat on so no one would know she didn't match today.  Guess I could have fibbed and told people she had dressed herself and we were encouraging her independence.....

Matt had to come and stay with the children for the last part of the field trip as I had a VT appt. to get to.  I guess he was talking with a friend later about it and the friend laughed and said that the guys at this lab swear their star fish are Pavlovian (yes I know that is not a real word, but you know what I mean) trained.  He wondered how a species without a brain can be trained.  I tell you they are though!!!  The minute they feel fingers they all flip upside down in an effort to receive food.  We were able to feed them calamari and other disgusting fishy things. 

We put the food out on the ends of their tentacles and then they would move it along with their thousands of little feelers until it got to the center and then their stomachs come out and envelope and digest the food. It was fascinating!!!  And yes, I really believe they were trained!

I love the looks on the faces of the boys in this pic.  Because of the small size of our group the instructor really went above and beyond in explaining things to us.  He showed us molten crabs and the kids were able to feel a soft shelled crab.  He also showed that a star fish is a huge predator which I found interesting.  He put it in the other tank and it approached a clam.  We all watched as the clam like thing suddenly stuck out a long white leg thing and propelled itself by bouncing away from the star fish, it was really quite funny.

We also learned that a sea-cucumber in a last ditch effort at survival will spew its guts for the predator to eats while it makes an escape, turns out it can regrow them in a few months. interesting.

Riah and Isaac investigating the animal life.

Another reason I love our co-op is that us ladies truly watch out and care for one another.  So many times one of the other mom's has stepped up to help my child when I was busy with another one or when it needed to be done and they were closest.  Whether it is holding them, getting them a glass of water, taking them to the bathroom, anything.  Sariah was kind of having a hard day and was more than happy when a friend gently led her away from the group for a little private-quiet look at the animals.  I am so grateful for these ladies!!!

From the aquarium we went back to the class room where we looked at Plankton and discussed the various kinds and the differences.

Then we went out to catch our own plankton.

This involved lowering a weighted, windsock, net-like thingy about a foot and a half under the water and dragging it as they walked up and down the dock a few times.

The water sample was then collected in a bottle at the end and Isaac came up to me yelling "Look Mom, I caught water!!".

Then it was back inside to look at and identify our own Plankton!!! 

It was such a great trip!  There is also a new piece of art work at Redondo.  the instructor explained that it represents how humans take nature apart and then try to put it back together again.