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Lichens are found throughout the world, growing on tree trunks and rocks. Lichens can be found in some of the harshest environments, such as the arctic tundra, which makes them great subjects for winter science! Lichens are the result of a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, partnership between a fungus and an alga plant or a bacterium. In other words, they are technically not plants, but rather … [Read more...]
Squirrels {InstaScience}
We live in a neighborhood with lots of oak and walnut trees. In addition to all the wonderful shade, we also have a lot of wildlife visiting our backyard to feed on the acorns and nuts these trees produce. One of those visitors is the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed squirrel! Did you know that there are over 260 different species of squirrels around the world? And that are two main groups of … [Read more...]
Basalt {InstaScience}
We found this super strange looking rock in a creek on our property. It’s quite large and very hard. I hate to admit it, but I was stumped. I’m more of a lab rat than a rock hound. So like any good homeschoolers, we looked it up and found out that our large grey chunk was actually a piece of basalt! Basalt is an igneous rock that forms when molten rock is extruded out of the ground during a … [Read more...]
Ocean Waves {InstaScience}
There are very few things as peaceful as the sound of the ocean waves as they gently crest onto shore. It is a sound you can count on hearing every time you set foot in the beach. But what causes this to happen? Waves are the result of energy moving through the water. And there are two main causes for the waves we find on the beach. First as the wind moves over the surface of the water it … [Read more...]
Fossils {InstaScience}
We found this fossil of a shell a few years back as we were skipping stones in a local river. Luckily, our daughter turned her stone over and found the impression fossil. Now, the stone is a part of our ever-growing rock collection. Fossils are bits of plants or animals that have been preserved from the past. There are several different kinds of fossils based on how they are formed. The three … [Read more...]