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Littlefoot is a baby russian tortoise and the newest member of the Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center. This curious tortoise belongs to Sydney. If you want to meet Littlefoot ask the St. John's for an introduction. Here is a video of Littlefoot with itty-bitty brothers and sisters.
Optional Reading and Additional Information: Cycling a Fish Tank:Nitrogen Cycle We are waiting to put fish into this aquarium. Why? When an aquarium is first set up, especially one using real soils and fertilizers to grow living plants, the ammonia levels are dangerously high for fish. In a mature system bacteria convert ammonia from fish waste and soils to Nitrites, then to Nitrates. At each step in this ammonia cycle (actually called the nitrogen cycle) the product is less toxic. So high concentrations of ammonia are the most dangerous to fish, while nitrates are relatively harmless. We want these these nitrates in the system because they are important as plant fertilizers. Helpful bacteria must be given time to grow in an aquarium. These bacteria are essential for changing ammonia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates to make the water safe for fish and plants to live together. We are waiting for these healthy bacteria to grow in this tank before adding fish. This process is called Cycling an Aquarium because it gives time for this nitrogen cycle to start. Growing plants in a fish tank requires the right balance of many things including ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, oxygen and carbon dioxide. We are regularly testing for these indicators to know when to add additional residents. It can take weeks. Here is this handout in printable form:
Day #1: 11-5-2017 Update
The test results provided by students were as follows:
Day #5: 11-10-2017 UpdateThe water clarity and turbidity is improving considerably, however it is the invisible ammonia levels that we are most concerned with. See the results below.
As expected the ammonia levels from the soil fertilizer are at toxic levels for fish. It will be a while longer before fish can be added as these need to drop almost to 0ppm before fish can be added. In the nitrogen cycle these ammonia levels will drop as nitrite levels rise. Then nitrite levels will drop as nitrate levels rise. Once our nitrate levels are higher and the ammonia is low we can add fish. We can see by the low nitrite and nitrate levels that the cycle is just getting started.
The pH level is low, this is also expected because organic materials in the soil will usually lower pH. Before we add fish we may need to adjust the pH up to 6.5, but we can make that call later. These classes start Oct. 30 at the new Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center in Vancouver, WA. For a complete list of classes see: https://www.fphrc.org/
Science Research: Inquiry and Experimentation (10 weeks)
The specific focus will vary by grade. Younger students will learn to form testable questions, plan experiments and carry them out. Older students will focus on more abstract concepts including testing methods, data analysis and presentation of results. All teaching at the center assumes a Christian worldview and that God is evident through scientific study. See: Romans 1:20.
Please Contact Us with any questions. ~Joel & Roxy Cost:
While our classes may not be the cheapest you'll encounter, they will be the best. The memories and high academic impact are far reaching. At Glen's Gizmos we have extensive resources and experience. We put this equipment and expertise to work for you. Expenses vary by age, mostly related to equipment and consumable costs. Laboratory supplies are a significant portion of the expense in many classes. Each class fee has three parts. The first two are paid directly to Glen's Gizmos (Joel and Roxanna), they include payment for an instructor and materials. The third part is an admin fee per class hour. This portion of the bill will be paid separately to the resource center either before or after paying Glen's Gizmos. Generally it is $2 per class hour for member families and $4 for non members. This makes most 10 week hour long classes an extra $20 or $40. Admin fees pay directly for operations at the Homeschool Resource Center and keep the lights on. If you have questions about the admin fee or membership please contact the Resource Center and visit the FAQ Page. |
Inspiring students to STEAM ahead.
February 2020
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