Newport Aquatic Center

My block-mates and I went outriggering in Newport Back Bay!

Before we were able to get in the outrigger we needed to learn a few things. First we put on our life jackets and grabbed a paddle. We were then strategically placed in our seating order for the outrigger. We learned the correct way to paddle using our core muscles but to also have every other person paddling on the opposite side.

We got in the outrigger and began our tour of Newport's Back Bay. We learned about native plants and animals. Something I learned that was very interesting was about the Native Americans that once lived there. They would outrigger to Catalina Island. It would be a long journey that would take an entire day. I can only imagine what that would be like, because after an hour of paddling on the water my arms were tired. They must have been in great shape!

This trip was an amazing learning experience! This is a great place to bring students on a field trip. They could learn about the native plants and animals that live here, the Native Americans that once lived here and about  how they affect their environment! 

Silly Putty

In my science class we do an engaging and fun experiment or activity each time. One of my favorite activities was making Silly Putty! This is how you do it:  

1.  Mix 10 (or 15) ml of Elmer white glue with 3 ml (or 1 teaspoon) of water and stir.
2.  Add 15 ml of a base solution, like borax.   An optional step is to add food coloring to get the desired color you want.
3.  Stir rapidly until the water is fully separated from the putty. Then pull the putty out and enjoy!

My professor bought everyone in the class a plastic egg to store their silly putty inside. It is important to share with students that the glue, water, and base solution mix together to create a chemical reaction which creates a substance something similar to silly putty! It is missing the preservatives that real silly putty has, so it has a bit of a different feel.

Cal State Fullerton Arboretum

On February 10th, my block-mates and I went on a tour of the Fullerton Arboretum. The Arboretum is a botanical garden that represents every region in California, except the mountains. It is a beautiful and educational place to visit. My block leader, Barb, lead the tour. It was a great opportunity to observe how a field trip could be done here with my future students.

Inside the Arboretum there is not only the plants, but also a few species of wildlife. While we were there we saw a rabbit, butterflies, squirrels, turtles, ducks, and koi fish!

Before we finished our field trip we did a science activity about ground water. We learned in doing the experiment how pollution affects ground water, lakes, and the oceans. Inside our cups we created a slant with our rocks to represent a hillside. We poured in dyed blue water to create our lake. Next, we poured on some red dyed water to represent pollution. We watched the pollution trickle down into the ground water. We poured in some blue water to represent rain and watched the pollution mix in with the ground water and the lake. I would love to bring future students to the arboretum and do the ground water activity! It is an engaging and educational way to learn more about California regions!