Dear Teach: Pastels everywhere---can you name that blossom?

Hi Boys and Girls,

Well, if you haven't noticed, look around you. Spring is here and it is teeming with a blast of color. Beautiful pastels! They are everywhere. 

These flowering trees put a smile on your face. Besides the fact they help us welcome Spring, just looking at them brings joy and inner peace. 

Future days will be warmer and many more trees will green and others will burst into vivid hues. 

But trees that are blossoming now, in these first few weeks of April are very special indeed. They may be timid, or fierce and bold for they bare the all too unsure condition of, "Is it safe yet, will there be an unexpected frost to wilt our blossoms?" 

Regardless, and as if on cue these magnificent trees bravely open their buds one-by-one, petal by petal for all to see their spectacular display and smell their intoxicating scents!  

But that isn't all, if you stand quietly beneath anyone of these trees not only will you be swallowed up in the sweetness of their aroma, but you will hear the frenzy of busy bees humming in pure delight. 

Now don't move or disturb them, just observe them. These little miracles of nature bring pollen to and from one flowering plant to another and are the gardeners of our fields and plants. 

Tip your head back and look up at the sturdy tree trunk and its graceful limbs which hold hundreds of bouquets of flowers. 

By now we've used most all our senses, well almost except for touch. No need to, unless you have planted trees or bushes for the purpose of cutting and bringing their flowerets indoors.

And, sooner or later you may have spotted or wondered, "Now what is that beautiful flowering tree," or "what's that yellow bush I see everywhere?"

You may not be a budding arboriculturist [no pun intended], but it doesn't mean you shouldn't know the names of the native trees that adorn the North Eastern part of the United States each spring. 

Knowing a few names of trees and what their flowering parts look like may well provide you with a few details to support you and your writing. It'll give your sentences a flair!

So without further adieu, can you guess the names of the flowering images below?

Here's a few to consider:

Forthysia bush with elongated woody stems

Because these grow so prolifically, homeowners will clip a few of their long stems and bring them indoors for a splash of Spring color.

Look closely here, you'll see a perfectly formed star. What tree do these blossoms belong to?

White with ever-so-light pink edges

Strong graceful limbs

Blossoms against green and white clouds

Seemingly, giant cottonballs against blue sky

Have you seen these?

It is the Glorious Cherry Blossom tree!

Deep pink Japanese Cherry Blossoms

Japanese Cherry Blossom tree, one of the first to blossom

Saucer Magnolia bud begins to unfold, 
resembling a large saucer when fully opened

Large Magnolia tree buds waiting to burst

Flowering Magnolia's filament

Magnolias opening up

Stella Magnolia Blossom

Small Stella Magnolia Bush 

Have you seen these?

Here's a close up of these amazing blossoms.

Weeping Cherry tree,
resemble pink clusters of cotton candy!

These are everywhere one looks!

Have you seen them?

They often line the downtown streets
 casting a canopy of whitish greenish hues...
the outstanding and exquisite Pear tree!

So what's blooming in your back yard?

Be well kids!

The Teach

Dear Teach: Makin Things!

Hi Boys and Girls,

I bet many of you enjoy making things. Using your hands, experimenting with trinkets and the like. Well, now it is official, the Maker Faire is at your finger tips! Here's a great place to come and watch, participate, and just have a blast!

What do you think these two boys are making?

So what ever you have been doing, keep doing it, just like sleeping, or eating, or breathing. It's good for you. And guess what, you don't ever get enough of it. Never! No, not even in school! Imagine doing that all day long: Making something, each and everyday! What would you make? What would it look like, would it be the same one month later? Who would benefit most from it? How could you improve it? In case you are wondering, it is the Maker Faire.

Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. Just imagine if Leonardo Da Vinci hadn't tinkered, we wouldn't have the helicopter, or the parachute, or more!

Check it out right here:

Well, if you think that was cool, what are your thoughts on:

                                                 Lego Table!

So now what do you think? Are you ready to join the movement?

Be well kids!

The Teach

Dear Teach: What's in a Name?

Hi Boys and Girls,

So, what's in a name? You all have names. And, perhaps you were named after a special member of your family.  You have learned the names of people, places, things and ideas since you were a tot, and maybe even called someone a-not-so-nice-name.

Yet, when one least expects it, a name becomes very important, as was the case with a little girl named Daisy Morris. A newly discovered small flying reptile,  pterosaur— is now officially known as Vectidraco daisymorrisae, “Daisy and the Isle of Wight Dragon,” A tribute to Daisy Morris who found it.  It turns out in 2009, when Daisy Morris was five years old, she was walking along a beach at the Isle of Wight which is located in the UK when she stumbled across “tiny little black bones sticking out of the mud and decided to dig a bit further and scoop them all out.”

                                   

Isle of Wight, UK

Daisy Morris, amongst her varied collections
  

115 million-year-old pterosaur fossil, pelvis, just 40 mm long

                                                                             

After Daisy and her parents consulted with Martin Simpson, the fossil expert at the University of Southhampton, it was determined the fossil was the remains of a 115 million-year-old unknown small flying reptile species—or pterosaur. The fossil is about the size of a crow. Martin Simpson, the fossil expert at the university claims the importance of, "major discoveries can be made by amateurs, often by being in the right place at the right time.”

The family has donated the fossil to the Museum of Natural History in London. However, Martin Simpson has written a children’s book, Daisy and the Isle of Wight Dragon telling of her experiences.

Book by Martin Simpson, and a picture of five-year-old Daisy,
budding fossil collector

 Martin says: "The story highlights the special relationship between amateurs, academics and curators, in bringing these important finds to the attention of the scientific world. It also shows that, continuing a long tradition in palaeontology, major discoveries can be made by amateurs, often by being in the right place at the right time."

'The University of Southampton is home to the UK's largest and most productive vertebrate palaeontology research group working on fossils from the Isle of Wight and collecting new ones.

From 20 - 21 September, the University of Southampton will host a major international conference to celebrate the Isle of Wight and the uniqueness of the Island for dinosaurs and our global understanding of animal evolution at the dawn of the Cretaceous.'

As far as Daisy is concerned, she continues to collect fossils. Her bedroom reportedly resembles a natural history museum, filled with her ongoing discoveries. What items fill your room? Check hers out: look at the second image!

So, for all of you who are fossil and dinosaur enthusiasts, no need to fly out to UK, instead look closely, maybe you'll find a hidden treasure in your own back yard!

Be well kids!

The Teach

Dear Teach: All Things Considered

Hi Boys and Girls,

One of the most important independent activities I can think of---is reading. Why? Besides the obvious [fluency, vocabulary acquisition, knowledge, improved writing skills, etc.] reading articles raises your personal bar, particularly reading articles from the New York Times; it is just plain paramount. In one day I have discovered topics from "Drones, Kilian Jornet, asteroids, to headlines such as: So You’re Extinct? Scientists Have Gleam in Eye. The list is just exhaustive and that's a good thing. 

So, again, why should you care? Because learning is in YOUR hands. You accelerate it or you diminish it. Yes, there is always school where much learning takes place, but reading independently at the young age of 10, or 11, or 12 has benefits that are more than ten-fold. 

Can you imagine sitting down to take those darn standardized tests, and here you are clueless because you have no idea how to bring in factual evidence to defend an argument or claim. Those rich ideas do not just float onto the paper. Those ideas are the work of collected independent readings you have done over a period of time. When you least expect it, you will need an  idea. Plus, reading one article brings new ideas to you and allows you to construct another idea and another and another. That is called THINKING. Those thoughts push you to new unexplored terrains and take you anywhere you want to go.

So let's consider the above topics. Let's bring in a closer lens to these ideas and turn them into persuasive and argumentative writing prompts. 

Should the government continue to use drones? What are the pros and cons? Where do you stand on this topic? Why?

How large are these drones?

Should experiments be conducted to bring animals once thought extinct back to life? What are the pros and cons? Where do you stand on this topic? Why?

Can you guess what extinct animal this is?

What underlining lesson does Kilian Jornet champian mountaineer really teach us? What does nature have to do with his success? 

In one word, describe Kilian's trait.

How does one calamity [disaster] bring opportunity or does it? What does this tell you about the human condition?

Consider: Is that object strong enough to tear a hole in someone's jacket? Of course it is! Now consider thousands of these raining down! What story could you tell that incorporates these space nuggets?

These are but a few ideas to consider. Find a place, bring your iPAD along and tap into the New York Times, and maybe National Geographics. Make it a habit. You will be amazed at how much is out there, and you do not want to miss the boat! You want to ride in it, all the way, take it as far as you can. Even if you only read a headline, a paragraph, two paragraphs, in time you will find yourself THINKING. 

So, in closing, I recommend you read one or two of these articles, or check out today's New York Times and send me a headline worthy of mentioning on this blog!

What could be better!

Be well Kids!

The Teach

Dear Teach: Your Most Valuable Possessions

Hi Boys and Girls,


What's your most valuable possession?

Well, photographer Gabriele Galimberti set out to photograph children's most beloved toys from around the world.

What conclusions can you draw about the children, their culture, their specific personalities, where they are from, why their toys were viewed as valuable, etc. If you hover over the image, it will tell you where the child is from.

If you were to be featured, what would the image show and say about you?

If a child, let's say, living during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, or in the year 2150 were to be photographed, what types of toys would they consider most valuable? In fact, has the toy even been invented yet? Ummmm...

Think of technology from the past, in the future and how it shapes culture, or does culture shape it?

There are many ideas to consider, and most likely, many questions to pose.

Here's the online article from "feature shoot" and the author's remarks:
Photos of Children From Around the World With Their Most Prized Possessionsby AMANDA GORENCE on MARCH 12, 2013

Shot over a period of 18 months, Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti’s projectToy Stories compiles photos of children from around the world with their prized possesions—their toys. Galimberti explores the universality of being a kid amidst the diversity of the countless corners of the world; saying, “at their age, they are pretty all much the same; they just want to play.”

But it’s how they play that seemed to differ from country to country. Galimberti found that children in richer countries were more possessive with their toys and that it took time before they allowed him to play with them (which is what he would do pre-shoot before arranging the toys), whereas in poorer countries he found it much easier to quickly interact, even if there were just two or three toys between them.

There were similarites too, especially in the functional and protective powers the toys represented for their proud owners. Across borders, the toys were reflective of the world each child was born into—economic status and daily life affecting the types of toys children found interest in. Toy Stories doesn’t just appeal in its cheerful demeanor, but it really becomes quite the anthropological study.

Here's a glimpse at what the photographer discovered:

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Gather your most valuable toys and snap a photo. Send it on to DEAR TEACH! Wait for one single year, then see if your favorite toy has changed!






Be well kids!

The Teach