Woodford County Science

Here is the Continuation of my previous blog. On our trip this spring, we got to have the great company of Mr. Ratcliff!! He was EXTEREMLY helpful in explaining everything about plants and organisms in the creek. I will tell you more in my next blog!!! thnks for reading my email!! :P

There were alot of new, SPRING plants at Griers Creek, lots of different colors. Some were invasive plants such as Honeysuckles. There were Native Plants and Trees, Some of the Native plants were Wild violets, and some Native trees were Elm trees.

Very recently, Mrs. Pattie's second and fifth period classes went to Griers Creek. We studied many organisms in the environment of the gigantic creek. It was absolutly fabulous to get up close and personal to slimy, squishy, and scaled creatures. We learned about many invasive and native plants while we were there. Native plants originated here, but invasive plants have taken over. In several years, the invasive plants could rule the entire ecosystem! Our trip to Griers Creek was awesome! You should go sometime!

We went to Griers creek on a creek walk field trip. When we were there we studied plants and animals. Some of the plants that we found there were:

ALIEN                                           NATIVE

honey suckle                                     maple

Dutchmans britches                           oak

                                                            sycamore

 

We also studied animals. There we found some pretty cool things. Then we took a diversaty test. We scored really high. We found some crawdads, crawfish, water pennies, and fish.

Griers Creek was a fun field trip; but it was also educational! Oh the joy of picking up little bugs and classifying them! Also, there are bad plants that take over the good plants. The bad plants are called Invasive Species. The good plants are called Native Species. Native species have been in the area for a long time, but the invasive species takes over. It was fun!

 The second trip to Griers Creek was a whole lot of fun!!! We got to look at a whole lot of Invasive and Native plants. Look at the chart below for some of the Ivansive and Native plants we saw there.

 Native:

 1) Garlic Musterd

2) Honey Suckle

I am here to talk about our trips to Griers creek.The first trip we did we found some animal species, we found some invasive and native plants and we tested the water. Our second trip we found more animal species, more native and invasive plants and we looked at the riperior zones. 

I am here to talk about our trips to Griers creek.The first trip we did we found some animal species, we found some invasive and native plants and we tested the water. Our second trip we found more animal species, more native and invasive plants and we looked at the riperior zones. 

I am here to talk about our trips to Griers creek.The first trip we did we found some animal species, we found some invasive and native plants and we tested the water. Our second trip we found more animal species, more native and invasive plants and we looked at the riperior zones. 

Our class went to Grier's creek to collect our spring data so that we can study the creek in class and compare it to our fall data.  We tested the water for dissolvedoxygen and PH levels.  A healthy PH level is a 7.0 and the creeks level is very close to that so it is healthy.  While we were there we also we also looked for organisms living in the creek.  If we find a large variety of organisms then the living conditions of the creek are good. 

Mrs.Patties 5th period class went on a creek walk at Griers Creek. We took a diversity test on macroinvertabrates and there was a good amount, about 23. Also we tested the dissolved oxygen levels and PH levels in the water.  We also went to study the plants in the riparian zone to see how many invasive and native species of plants. There were mostly native instead of invasive which is good, but there were still some invasive plants, but not as many as native.

On our second trip to Griers Creek we looked at Native and Invasive Plants. Mr. Radcliffe told us about all the kinds of Native AND Invasive species. An invasive species is non-native therefore likely to cause harm, they also spread easily. Native species are just the oppisite.

 Native Plants

 Rue ~ Violets

Native Trees

Sickomore ~ Ash Leaf Maple ~ Walnut ~ Elm

Invasive Plants

Garlic Mustard ~ Honeysuckle

During early April, 2010, Mrs. Pattie and her class took a trip to Griers creek to study the Native and invasive plant species living there. There were many of both types, but there were much more native plants than invasive plants, including walnut trees, hinbits, dutchman's ritches, and purple violets. The invasive side, only having two recorded species, were garlic mustard, and honey suckle. The class learned a lot from the experience on the griers creek walk, and we hope we can go again someday.

In the Fall of 2009, Ms. Pattie's fifth period class used a mapping program called ArcGIS. It is a program that lets students create maps by using points from a GPS, or a global posistioning system. The instructor of this program is Mr. Hough, and he let us use ArcGIS to create points on a map of Woodford County, and points on Kentucky.

 In the fall of 2009 Ms. Pattie's 5th period class used a program called ArcGIS.  This is a program that creates maps from points from a GPS(global positioning system). Mr. Hough helped us make the maps that we made of Woodford County and the great state of Kentucky. 

       The students at WCMS have been using a software called Arc GIS. Arc GIS is a map making software that alows students to download points. The points that the students at WCMS download are the locatons were they do there creek studies. This summer WCMS I-TEST studendts will be having a camp teaching peoplpe how to use the ARC GIS software. ARC GIS stands for Gobal Positoning System. The WMCS students have been geting professonal help from Mr.Huff a GIS expert. As yopu can tell the students at WCMS are very hard workers.

     Mrs.Pattie's 5th period April creek walk was a very interesting experince for all the students. part of the class did chimical tests. These tests include PH level and desolved oxogen level in the creek, the other part of the class cought orginisms. The class caught a large verity of orginisms ranging from insect larva to left hand snails. After the students caught the orginisms they brought them all together and counted how many of each type of orginism they had in they bucket did a little math and got a high score of 23 wich is in the exolence range

     Mrs.Pattie's 5th period April creek walk was a very interesting experince for all the students. part of the class did chimical tests. These tests include PH level and desolved oxogen level in the creek, the other part of the class cought orginisms. The class caught a large verity of orginisms ranging from insect larva to left hand snails. After the students caught the orginisms they brought them all together and counted how many of each type of orginism they had in they bucket did a little math and got a high score of 23 wich is in the exolence range

On Septemer 16th 2009 Mrs. Pattie's 2nd and 5th period classes went to Griers creek. While the students were at the creek the learned how to do chemical testing with the water. The tests that they learned how to do were Ph and dissolved oxogyen tests. The students also learned about and caught some of the orginisems that were in the creek. Some of the orginisems that the students caught were crayfish, mayflys, and left side snails. The students learned about diversity levels in creeks and that you want the number to be high. They learned that the higher the number the more diversity and the healther the creek. In the 5th period class Caroline, Brianna, and the boys got the highest diversity level of the day, a high score of 19. So when the feild trip ended the students were dripping with water and scientifis knowlage.