Science Fair Time

 Because Caroline is in my Integrated Science class, she is required to do the dreaded "science fair project" this year.  Yes, Caroline is one of my students, and no, it wasn't my first choice.  But I'm the only 7th grade teacher who teaches this advanced class, so she's stuck with me :)
We did a DNA extraction lab in class with dried peas and Caroline thought it was a neat idea.  So she expanded on that lab to do a project on different fruits.  She wanted to see if the pH level of the fruit affected how much DNA can be extracted from that fruit.  Her hypothesis was that the fruit with lowest pH (highest acidity level)--the lemon--would have the most DNA.  She tested strawberries, bananas, apples, oranges, lemons, and kiwi.  I set everything up for her, but Caroline ran all of the trials herself.  
The KGMS Science Fair is next Wed, January 21st.  We'll see how Caroline's project does in the fair!

See the top layer of floaty white stuff?  That's the DNA!

Pouring the chilled isopropyl alcohol into the graduated cylinder.

Christmas Photos

 Well, here are some photos from our Christmas last month.  Tim and I have been done and out with various illnesses.  I started December with a sinus infection and ended up with viral bronchitis.  I would wake up each morning feeling exhausted and had a cough that cleared the room.  The doctor warned that it could take up to 3 weeks to feel "normal" and boy was she right!  But now Tim and I are back at work and feeling like our old (more energetic) selves.

Playing on the new Leap Pad 3

Someone likes his head lamp!

Nintendo DS XL for Garrett!

I Pad for Caroline!