One of the places I have always wanted to go on vacation is Hawaii.  I want to go to one of the islands that is not very busy.  I want to especially spend time swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving.  I want to do this because I enjoy the amazing variety of sea life that you see on a coral reef.  The large turtles, brightly colored fish, eels, sea snakes and small sharks. 

I love the feel of the warm water and the warm sunshine, I enjoy looking for shells or all shapes and sizes that I can add to my collection, and I enjoy spending time with my family.

Another dream vacation for me would be driving race cars...but that is a post for another day.  What is your dream vacation?

Click here to view part of the dissection.

So, I like disgusting activities that are related to science. I like dissections, not primarily because they are gross, but because the inner parts of all organisms show an almost incomprehensible complexity.  When you dissect a flower or a chicken wing or a spiny dogfish shark or a squid, you see the amazing inner organs of each of these organisms.  The way everything fits together and the way that are organized is truly beautiful.  We I begin a dissection I am a little nauseated but after we begin that all goes away. 

Is there something about you that is a little strange?  Tell me about it!

I have so many favorite animals that it is hard for me to decide.  One of my favorites now is the giraffe.  I was able to feed this on just a few days ago.  We were standing on a platform about 4 feet off the ground when she came along.  We feed her leaves of romaine lettuce which she grasped with her 16 inch long tongue.  All giraffes have a prehensile tongue.  Just like a monkey has a prehensile tail that it can use to grasp branches and hold on, she is able to use her tongue to grasp food and pull it into her mouth.  She stands about 16 feet tall and her neck is a little more than 6 feet long.  She has 7 bones in her neck, just like we do, but the smallest bone is about the height of a medium book.  She eats about 100 pounds of vegetation each day and just had a baby about 4 months ago.  Her hair on her body is more rough and course that the hair on a horse and she is very muscular.  She has a four chambered stomach and is in the same family of animals as the cow.  She is an incredible and amazing animal.

What is your favorite animal and why.  If you have interacted with one tell us about it.

We went snorkeling Tuesday.  It was fresh water and the temperature was about 72 degrees.   We were swimming with the large marine mammals.  They moved slowly enough that we could easily keep up with them.  We found a more with her baby in an area near houses with many boats moving slowly by. 

Later on Tuesday we went snorkeling in a river created by several fresh water spring.  This spring produces more that 300 million gallons of water a day and sometimes as much as 400 million.  Any more guesses?  If you think you know what state I'm in please try to locate the city or area.  And please include reasons for you guesses.

The students and I spent Monday morning learning to snorkel in a magnitude 2, fresh water spring.  We learned about indigenous species found in the area.  In the afternoon we visited an animal hospital that specializes in caring for a particular marine mammal.  This mammal lives in both fresh and salt water.  It usually feeds on vegetation found at the mouth of rivers.  This is a very large marine animal.  Are you getting any closer to guessing where I am?  What guesses do you have and what reasons do you have those guesses?

By the time I finished 5th grade I had several accomplishments.  I had starred in a play when I was in fifth grade.  I played the part of Charlie Brown in the play, "You're A Good Man Charlie Brown".  The play was rather long so I shared the part with two others.  Funny that even though many of those students are still my friends I don't remember who the other two were.  In fifth grade my parents signed me up for music lessons.  I started to learn to play the trumpet.  My parents even bought me a new trumpet.  That must have really cost them a lot of money.  Even though I was learning to play the trumpet in Taiwan the music instructor ordered her instruments from the USA.  My Olds trumpet was made in the factory that Olds had in Fullerton, California.  Though I had no idea where that was, since I was from Scotland, I always wondered about Fullerton.  Many years later, I attended university within 5 miles of Fullerton.  I also survived fifth grade and was on my way to Jr. High where I would attend a whole new school with new curriculum.  So, starred in the school play and learned to play an instrument, survived fifth grade.  By the way, I still own that trumpet that was new in 1975 and still play it, as does my son, who started music when he was in sixth grade. 

What are some of your accomplishments?

Sunday, my students and I boarded a plane from Los Angeles and flew to Phoenix, Arizona.  We changed planes and flew about 1,700 miles to place where there is a beach.  The students will be studying marine plants and animals, they will be conducting experiments, and will be learning to snorkel.  You job today is to use Google maps and other resources to name the possible locations where I may be.  Please post a list of your educated guesses with reasons for each place on the list.

Summer school starts on Monday June 18th.  I have two goals for summer school.  First, I want my students to increase their understanding of how technology can help them learn on their own and how technology can help them create products which will grab other people's attention.  Secondly, I want to learn from my students what best meets their needs.  During the summer I will be blogging about my progress.  

A second goal was to take a group of students on a science trip that may change their lives forever.  I am doing that today.  

What are your goals for summer school?  List two and describe them.