Spring Chickens!

Thacher Building has some new residents...

Birds & the Scientific Method

Sixth grade bird research projects are underway! After learning how to identify the local avifauna that frequent bird feeders in the area, students designed original controlled experiments to investigate a question they had about bird feeding behavior. For the past few weeks, students have been monitoring feeders, either at home or at school, collecting data in an effort to gain insight with regard to their experimental questions. This year’s observations have included a bobcat staking out a feeder and a sharp-shinned hawk chasing a junco into a window! Soon, students will be analyzing their results, writing them up, and submitting them for possible publication to a student journal created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

raising salmon

Our salmon eggs were delivered today! This is Derek West of the Connecticut River Salmon Association showing the eggs to the first graders before putting them in our tank. These Atlantic salmon eggs are being raised by our students for the Salmon Restoration Project. After the eggs hatch and the young fish are big enough to be released, the children will return them to the Connecticut River.

Studying Soils

Ms. Emily Wei, Middlebury College junior and our Environmental Intern for her January J-Term, discusses and digs up our local geology with seventh graders.

a visit to the outdoor classroom

a new school year...

who knows what Country Schoolers will be getting their hands into!

summer science

Summer is a great time for exploring. Whether it's geology or biology, ecology or astronomy, we can learn science in our travels and right in our own backyards. What did you learn this summer? NCCS science teachers are lifelong learners. For us, summer means time for professional development -- taking classes, writing curriculum, brainstorming for the coming school year -- and we're excited to share our summer learning with our students! (summertime quiz: where was this photo taken?)