WonderWorks: Pond Life (Science)

What flora and fauna lives in and around ponds?

Today's Topic: Ponds!
Supplies:

round blue tablecloth
pictures of pond creatures and plants
blue paper cut roughly into pond shapes
band-aids
wiggle eyes

Books:
  In the small, small pond / Fleming, Denise

The dark, dark night / Butler, M. Christina

Craft Lab: "Tie-Dye" Tiles

Swirling colors make infinite designs in psychedelic hues.... groovy. 

Craft Lab Project:  Tie-Dye Tiles
Supplies:
Sharpie markers in as wide a variety of colors as you can afford
blank ceramic tiles
eye droppers
91% rubbing alcohol
small plastic containers for holding alcohol
(optional) clear spray paint

Today's class was guest taught by the multi-talented Karen Corbeil of the newly founded "The Bodgery."  Thanks, Karen!

WonderWorks: Digging Tools! (Technology)

Paleontologists use many different tools to dig for fossils--how do they choose which tools are the right ones for the job?

Today's Topic: Tools for Digging
Supplies:
shovels (as wide a variety of sizes as you can pull together, but not too heavy or sharp)
sand (we used modeling or "moon" sand similar to this but regular sand would work fine)
containers
things to bury (we used fossils and minerals on loan from the UW Geology Museum plus plastic dinosaurs and a floor puzzle)
wading pool
styrofoam packing peanuts (or other inexpensive, bulky filler)
tarps (to cover your floor if it's carpeted)
plastic dinos frozen in a big block of ice
old toothbrushes, paint brushes or other brushes
spoons, butter knives
safety glasses (optional)

Book:  
Digging up dinosaurs / Aliki

WonderWorks: Camouflage in Nature (Engineering)

How would you hide if you were an animal?

Today's Topic: Camouflage in Nature
Supplies:
m & m candies and Skittles candies (classic colors), sorted by color
bowls
patterned paper (find two matching papers and cut shapes from one sheet)
large pieces of fabric

Book:  
Where else in the wild? : more camouflaged creatures concealed--and revealed / Schwartz, David M.

Since Engineering is all about problem solving, let's solve the problem of how to hide using camouflage!