For my science methods class, I chose to create a freshwater biosphere for the science fair. I would liked to have experimented with a marine environment, but it involves a significant amount of time to research and, as usual, I was already short on time. The freshwater biosphere turned out very well and the organisms are still living after three months. I might venture out for some fish and see how they survive in the existing environment. I found a great site that has good information about creating natural environments without chemical filtration: http://naturalaquariums.com/ .
During our science fair, I had the opportunity to visit with Barbara Morgan, the first female educator in space. She is definitely an inspiration to educators! I really enjoyed speaking with her and gleaning ideas for my future experiences in the classroom. She brought with her basil seeds that have flown on the space shuttle along with K-12 lesson plans for students to design, build, and evaluate their own lunar plant growth chambers. More information can be obtained from: http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge
I have to say that the science elementary methods class has been one of my favorite classes. I had an amazing instructor who has definitely inspired me to bring inquiry-based hands-on projects to my own children and future classrooms.
