Food Chains and Food Webs

 

In continuing the learning about the role science plays in the environment, the girls took the role of ecologists and explored the relationship between plants, animals, and the environment. They explored the flow of energy through an ecosystem and the impact humans can have through various activities. 

 

 

The class started by each girl receiving a name tag with a certain animal and its characteristics listed. Some received common animals while others discovered new types of predators and prey. Girls learned definitions such as omnivore, consumer, producer, etc. The girls then stood up if they believed their animals fell under that certain category. After knowing the definitions and where their animals fell, the girls jumped into a game of BINGO in which they had to have another girl sign the box that represented their type of animal. The girls buzzed around excitedly until someone yelled out “BINGO” and in unison “awwwww” was heard.

 

 

Following, the girls competed and coordinated to see who could build the longest food chain with their animal name tags. During this activity the girls applied the vocabulary they learned and you could hear them saying “we need a producer” or “we need more prey.” Some girls even took it a step further and created a food web instead and were able to show how species interact in an ecosystem. To seal their learning, the girls played a game of predator-prey tag. The girls were categorized into grasshoppers, spiders, birds, and toads. They then went outside and through the game, were able to see what occurred when the number of prey and predators increased and when they decreased. The activity finished by the girls coming up with predictions of what causes the fluctuation in number of prey and predators in an ecosystem and how humans cause this and how they can help fix these issues in the future as ecologists!

 

 

Solar Ovens

 

This week in Girlstart, the girls were able to explore alternative forms of energy and see one in action! They put their building hats on and became Civil Engineers as they created their very own solar ovens! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They started off by learning the difference between renewable and nonrenewable energy. Following, they were given cards with different examples of energy sources and had to work together to place the cards into the two categories. The girls then learned why renewable resources are so important, specifically when it comes to the benefits they provide. This includes lowering the emission of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the environment, which have negative effects on wildlife that were seen in action the week before with Freddy the Fish.

 

 

Finally the girls were given a cardboard box, aluminum foil, black paper, and plastic wrap in order to construct their oven! As they built, they learned why these specific materials were being used. The foil was used to reflect the sun and the black paper absorbed the sunlight to trap the heat produced by the lightwaves the color absorbs (which they were told would largely be explored in their college chemistry class). Once the ovens were built the girls ran outside to heat up a marshmallow using solar energy!  Afterward many were excited to see what else they could heat up and even build to use once the Texas heat arrived!

 

 

 

Biofuels

 

This week at After School To-Go, students investigated different energy sources as Biofuel Engineers! After reviewing concepts like alternative energy, fermentation, and nonrenewable and renewable resources, girls discussed common sources of energy. What makes a resource renewable or nonrenewable? How do countries acquire more nonrenewable resources? Students explored these and other questions to prepare for their biofuels experiment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students were given water bottles with warm water, yeast, and various forms of sugar to examine different forms of alternative energy. After adding the ingredients to each mixture, girls fit balloons over each water bottle and observed the chemical reactions occurring within. Depending on the sugar source, some balloons expanded much more than others! Students hypothesized that the mixtures with smaller balloons were not as efficient at creating biofuels as were the mixtures with very large balloons.