Notes from the Field
Minneapolis Students Extend FOSS Environments Module

On November 11, 2008, at 9:57 PM, msingh@mpls.k12.mn.us wrote:

NAME: Maria Singh
EMAIL: msingh@mpls.k12.mn.us
SCHOOL: Pillsbury MST
CITY: Minneapolis
STATE: MN
STATUS: teacher
TOPIC: FOSS Resources (Books, Videos, Websites)
COMMENTS: My class enjoys the FOSS science kits. We have also taken it upon ourselves to grow over fifty different plants and flowers in our classroom. If you would like our classroom to send pictures or feedback, please let us know. We love it!

From: foss@berkeley.edu
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 6:49 am
Subject: Re: FOSSWEB QUESTIONS: FOSS Resources
(Books, Videos, Websites)

Hi,
How about something for the next FOSS Newsletter? Deadline is Dec. 14. It would be great to have pictures and some words from your students. Digital photos with a resolution of at least 300 dpi are best. Text files that can be opened in Microsoft Office Word are the easiest to use. Any photos with students need consent forms. I've attached a copy if you don't have one you use already.

Thanks for letting us know about your green classroom.

Best regards,
Sue Jagoda
FOSS Newsletter Editor

A student investigates the soil samples to ensure proper plant growth.

These are the photos we received from Maria and her fourth- and fifthgrade students. One of her students provided this description of what the class has been doing with the FOSS Environments Module.

Environments
Room 225 is Going Green!

We are trying to develop ways of making our classroom environmentally friendly! We use FOSSweb daily in our class. Every student has a science notebook, which has various graphic organizers for success!

Planting seeds is part of an experiment to determine how well certain flowers and plants grow indoors in a school environment.

Pillsbury Math/Science/Technology students in Room 225 are planting over 200 different seeds. The students have learned a lot about different habitats. The FOSS Environments kit has launched new learning experiences. We have investigated different soil samples within our community using a handheld magnifying glass and a sophisticated microscope. We have taken CSI to a different level. We have placed a camera over the microscope to record our findings. We can identify community soil versus planting soil. We will also collaborate with another school in Texas to explore their habitats by using a GoogleTM map. The FOSS Environments kit gave our teacher an idea to explore more. The class is also constructing their own Rube Goldberg (Levers and Pulleys) Machine. We are motivated to experiment. Let us go green all the way. We will keep you updated about our plant-growing experience. We will share our green experiences!

Students view different resolutions through microscopes to se the effects of the liquid plant growth solutions they have developed and placed on the leaves for growth.

Reading articles in the Environments FOSS Science Stories hapens between observations