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School Closure Resources
Nature is NOT off limits!
WA State Parks are now fully open. Please be safe and healthy if you choose to visit these spaces.
Current health and safety guidelines are changing regularly. With wildfires, smoke, and COVID-19 concerns, many of our parks and green spaces are closed or modified. Park bathrooms and playgrounds may remain closed, so check ahead of time to be sure. Observe all distancing regulations and be prepared to find a new park if it is too crowded! The good news? Nature is EVERYWHERE. There are things to see and learn about right outside your door or window! Many organizations and educators are also providing free nature-based online resources for when you can't get outside. These services include live-streamed nature events, printable activity sheets, and vibrant interactive and photographic resources. Find these additional resources on the Family Connections page!
You can respect the health and safety of others while still enjoying the amazing experiences nature has to offer.
Sept 15-24: Seeds and Seed Dispersal
You shouldn't have to look too far to find an ant or two this week. While we will focus on black garden ants, you might find lots of other kinds on your nature walk!
Garden Ant Facts
Classification: Insect (3 part body: head, thorax, abdomen, 3 pairs of jointed legs, exoskeleton)
Habitat/Living Habits: ants live in colonies with queens, workers (sterile females), and males (winged)
Diet: Omnivore (eats just about anything, some prefer sugar, meat, or grease)
Food Chain Role: Primary consumer (eats mainly providers or scavenged food)
Predators: birds, small rodents, other insects, some frogs and toads (secondary consumers)
Poetry Corner
The Ambitious Ant
by Amos Russel Wells
The ambitious ant would a-travelling go
To see the pyramid's wonderful show.
He crossed a brook and a field of rye,
And came to the foot of a haystack high.
"Ah! wonderful pyramid!" then cried he;
"How glad I am that I crossed the sea!"
Art Corner
Anthill
Ivan Shishkin, 1892
Website and Assignment Archive
Did you miss an assignment or want to go back and use the resources from a previous week? Click below to see previous work.