Tag Archives: Animals

Protecting Animals: Earth Day 2019

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This year our Earth Day theme focused on protecting animals on planet earth. Over the last several months we looked at worldwide conservation efforts, how animals’ populations are interconnected with their habitat’s health, and threats facing animals. We investigated these topics through a series of school activities, speakers, and field trips.

Last Friday, we celebrated Earth Day with a wide array of animal-related activities.

Highlights included:

-Meeting/seeing various animals, including the following: alligator, Burmese python, armadillo, lynx, tamandua, sloth, hedgehog, ringtail lemur, possum, and a snapping turtle (Thanks to Safari Encounters)

-Learning interesting facts about animals from a presentation by Safari Encounters

-Taking action through art by: designing animal stamps, signing petitions to support endangered species, making public service announcement videos, and other activities

-Conducting a bake sale to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund

-Watching films related to protecting animals and our planet

To learn more about Safari Encounters, please visit: https://www.safariencounters.org/

 

Animal Collage Artwork

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Grade 5 students recently completed colorful collages showcasing animals from across the United States. Abby created a beautiful grey fox.

She shares this reflection about her artistic process:

Overall, I think I had a good experience making this collage. It was a little hard to find the right colors that I needed. What I did to get through the challenge was improvise to find a solution that worked even though it took a long time. The part of the process that I enjoyed the most was collaborating with my friends and finding a way to put the scraps onto my picture. I like the way my piece came out because I am not naturally talented at collaging, but I still was able to do this successfully. The part of the artistic process that surprised me the most was that we spent so long drawing our animals. Now that I look back at it, I think it was very important that we spent so long drawing because we need to know all of the spacing and color details.

Exploring Ocean Animals in Grade 5

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On April 3, Grade 5 students were visited by Sharkmobile.

The Sharkmobile is a classroom program that focuses on the biology, natural history and conservation of sharks. The program has been underway since 2004, serving schools in eight counties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and reaching over 10,000 students and teachers.

The Sharkmobile program is for grades 4 through 6. The program teaches students about sharks and their cousins—skates and rays. Topics include biology, natural history, evolution, adaptations and conservation. The program addresses common shark myths, including how sharks are portrayed in the media and popular culture, as well as ways we can all work together to protect sharks and their ocean habitat.

Earlier in the year, a representative (also from the Greater Farallones Visitor Center) visited Hamlin and taught about leatherback turtles. Students learned about the life cycle and migration patterns of the turtles through interactive games. Girls also watched footage of a leatherback turtle foraging for food, and learned about their anatomy and physiology.

Protecting Animals on Planet Earth is the focus of this year’s Earth Day, and this partnership has been a wonderful way to support that theme. In May our students will go to the Greater Farallones Visitor Center to learn about squid and seabirds.