We need to take a short break this week. Mystery seed will return next Tuesday.
In the meantime, hope you enjoy some of the fruit of this plant!
Year: 2013 (Page 6 of 59)
Our wrinkly mystery seeds from last week were from desert senna, Senna covesii.
Often it is the desert senna’s bright yellow flowers that catch your eye, standing out against the gray-green foliage.
You might also “hear” the flowers because the bees that are attracted to them buzz pollinate, hanging onto the anthers and making a loud buzzing noise to vibrate the pollen loose.
You can even hear the plant when there aren’t any bees. As my friend Lynne points out, “You usually hear it before you see it. It can be in a non-blooming stage and you won’t notice it but you hear it rattle.” That characteristic has led to common names such as rattleweed or rattlebox.
The sound is produced by the loose seeds rattling in the seed pods. Eventually the pods split open, releasing the seeds. The open pods stay on the plant for some time.
Desert senna is native to the Southwest, so it doesn’t require much water. It is a low-growing perennial, reaching about two feet tall.
In addition being attractive to bees, desert senna is also a host plant of the cloudless sulphur butterfly. It would make a wonderful addition to butterfly gardens.
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Thank you to Lynne for all her help and contributions to this post.
We have a special book for STEM Friday today.
The word about Fossil
In this new wordless picture book, the intended storyline follows a boy and his dog walking on a beach. When the boy accidentally cracks open a fossil of a fern, actual ferns emerge. When they break open a fossil dragonfly, a living dragonfly skims away. The next fossil the boy opens is…
Because it is a wordless book, the reader is the one who develops the story based on the illustrations. It can change every time you read the book.
The book trailer is a great way to see how it can work:
Isn’t that amazing? By the way, Bill Thomson’s stunning illustrations are all done by hand, using acrylic paint and colored pencils.
Giveaway
Would you like to win a copy? Two Lions/Amazon is pleased to offer a giveaway copy of Fossil to one winner (U.S. addresses only). All you need to do is leave a comment on this post (with a legitimate e-mail address so we can contact you if you win) by December 6, 2013 at 11:59 P.M. PST. Entrants will be numbered in the order received and then selected at random. Note:Â to increase your chances of winning be sure to visit some of the other participants in the blog tour, because most are also offering giveaways. Check the blog tour links listed below for details. Edit: The giveaway has now ended and the winner has been notified. Thanks to everyone who participated.
Fossil is so stimulating, it is sure to raise questions. Here are some links for related information and activities:
1. Ferns
Ferns are a group of plants that have been found as fossils, but also can be found in forests today.
They are vascular plants, which means they have the internal channels that move water and nutrients (xylem and phloem). Ferns differ from other vascular plants because they reproduce by spores. More about ferns at Mosses, ferns, liverworts and horsetails at Growing with Science.
2. Dragonflies
These insects with large eyes and wings that stick straight out have also been found in fossils. Some of the relatives of dragonflies were larger that those found today, with wingspans over two feet wide! The adults feed on insects they catch in the air, especially pesky mosquitoes.The immature forms or nymphs live in the water.
See Dragonflies and damselflies at Growing with Science.
3. Pteranodon
One of the fun things about the book, is that kids can call the large winged reptile whatever they feel comfortable calling it. The generic name for it is pterosaur, which means “flying lizard.”
Some people have called all these flying creatures with leathery wings “pterodactyls.” Technically the genus Pterodactylus consists of only smaller pterosaurs with teeth, so you won’t catch experts calling them that.
The larger pterosaurs that lack teeth and have large crests belong to the genus Pteranodon. The creature in the book is a Pteranodon.
If you are local, it turns out there’s an exhibit of pterosaurs called Rulers of the Prehistoric Skies at the Arizona Museum of Natural History right now. Even if you aren’t local, you can download a free educator’s guide – see “Rulers of the Prehistoric Skies” under “Current Exhibit.”
Related fossil activities at Growing With Science:
Links to free guides to accompany the book at Amazon :
Fossil
Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Publisher: Two Lions (November 5, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1477847006
ISBN-13: 978-1477847008
See a short review of Bill’s previous book, Chalk, at our sister blog, Wrapped in Foil.
Previous stops on the blog tour:
- November 9:Â Booking Mama (Giveaway ends November 22nd at 11:59 p.m. ET.)
- November 11:Â NC Teacher Stuff (Giveaway has ended)
- November 12:Â Just a Little Creativity (Giveaway ends Friday 11/22/13 at 11:59PM)
- November 13:Â There’s a Book
(Couldn’t find link) - November 14:Â Sharpread
(has an interview with the author) - November 15:Â Kid Lit Frenzy
(has interview and series of photos showing how the illustrations were done -giveaway ends Nov. 22) - November 18:Â Once Upon a Story (has interview- giveaway ends December 2)
- November 19:Â The Children’s Book Review (giveaway ends December 18 2013, at 11:59 P.M. PST)
- November 20:Â 5 Minutes for Books (Giveaway ends 12/3/2013 6:00 PM MST)
- November 21: Geo Librarian (With guest post by the author, giveaway ends 11/28/2013)
Disclosures: This book was provided for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate for Amazon, and if you click through the linked titles or ads and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Proceeds will be used to maintain this self-hosted blog.
Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.
For more information, see Roberta Gibson Writes.