The Anatomy of a River

As part of Woodlawn's Salmon in the School project, the 4th graders were able to learn about the health and anatomy of a salmon stream.  We discussed the big picture of watershed health with the Watershed Table from the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership.  The students were able to identify both point pollution sources (factory, water treatment plant) as well as non-point sources (erosion, car oil, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste).  We discussed the pros and cons and ways that the pollution could be prevented from entering the watershed.

Without pollution

With pollution

The students were then able to focus on the anatomy of a healthy stream for the salmon.  This activity was linked to their studies of the salmon life cycle as we connected the best areas of a stream for the eggs, fry, and adult salmon.  Using glue, yarn, play dough, leaves, sticks, sand, and cat litter, the students created the steam path, rock berms to slow the water flow for the salmon fry, gravel patches for the eggs and alevins to hide, and healthy vegetation to prevent erosion along the stream.

A healthy stream with eggs, an alevin, and fry

NASA astronaut plays space water ping pong with paddle designed by a PSU student




Karl Cardin, a Portland State University mechanical engineering student, was able to watch his invention of hydrophobic ping pong paddles tested this past week aboard the International Space Station.

A New Planet in Our Solar System?  NASA Takes a Look




Always keep dreaming, questioning, and debating!  

When in doubt, make sure to use Carl Sagan's rules for Critical Thinking!

Astronomers say a Neptune-sized planet lurks beyond Pluto

"The solar system appears to have a new ninth planet. Today, two scientists announced evidence that a body nearly the size of Neptune—but as yet unseen—orbits the sun every 15,000 years. During the solar system’s infancy 4.5 billion years ago, they say, the giant planet was knocked out of the planet-forming region near the sun. Slowed down by gas, the planet settled into a distant elliptical orbit, where it still lurks today."

Read the article by Eric Hand

The Heartbeat of an Alevin

A team of 3rd graders and I were able to capture a close up of one of our salmon alevins with the Proscope and iPad!

Student Salmon Videos

Today one of our little alevins was close enough to the tank wall for our students to take some 50x videos of it's head and heart.  Check it out!

The Eggs are Hatching!

Our first egg hatched late on Monday night!  Here are some videos from our salmon cam.  The new alevin looks like a reddish blob with a wiggly tail.  They will slowly absorb their egg sac (the red spot) over the next month and a half and become salmon fry.

Science and Dance

How can you connect science concepts with art?  Through kinesthetic learning!  Thanks to the choreography skills of Rieke's dance teacher Jocelyn Edelstein, we are able to create movement related to the 5th grade's earthquake curriculum.  The students are learning an earthquake dance to Mr. Parr's 'It's an Earthquake' song!

Are you ready to SHAKE?

Here is a fun sneak-peek into what may happen next week in the Woodlawn salmon tank!

Woodlawn Salmon in the Classroom Slideshow

From day one to the March release, we will be posting photos of the Woodlawn salmon adventures here - https://flic.kr/s/aHsksFioCu

Woodlawn Students and the Salmon

Over the last week and a half the salmon eggs have become part of the Woodlawn family.  Students have been helping test the water for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and ammonia to make sure the tank is safe for our fish.  We have even had students reading to the eggs showing that it is good to be in a school!

Salmon Eggs and Technology

One of our salmon eggs landed close to the tank wall so we were able to use our Proscope to peak at the developing fish.  The Proscope is a 50x hand held microscope that links to our iPad for live viewing.  The students were able to view the spine of the fish as well as watch it's heart beat!  In the video, watch for the beats in the southwest corner of the pink egg.

Woodlawn salmon cam!

When will the first egg hatch?  Keep your eye on the eggs, they move every once in a while just like a human baby kicks, rolls, and wiggles in the womb.

EExplore the World with Google

Have you ever wanted to take your class to the Great Wall of China?  Or allow your students to observe and count fish on different coral reefs?  Since we can't fund a class trip to Mars, Google is creating technology that will allow teachers to take their class on these journeys.  Google visited our school today to demonstrate their Google Expedition Pioneer Program.  Each of the

students was able to use a smart phone in a Google Cardboard viewer that were connected to the teacher's tablet.  Once the teacher choses a location and clicks play, the students can see 360' by moving their head and body.  What an amazing teaching tool!

The Salmon Eggs Have Arrived!

On January 6th, Mr. Johnson, a scientist at the US Fish and Wildlife Services, spoke at Woodlawn's assembly about the Salmon in the Classroom project.  He asked the students to become 'citizen scientists' and help the project with their observation of the Woodlawn Chinook eggs' development.  Over the next three months the students will be able to test the tank water and observe the salmon as they change from eggs to alevin to fry.