This week's slideshow highlights: a rare sighting of "Leroy the Catfish" in our classroom aquatic ecosystem; 7th graders set up a couple of science demonstrations and experiments such as "leaf chromatography" to investigate why leaves turn colors in autumn, as well as "How can Superworms eat and safely biodegrade styrofoam?:;Decatur 5th-8th grade students gearing up for their upcoming First Lego League Tournament by teaching each other coding and showing their creativity through planning their innovation projects; 6th grade was busy this week working in cooperative groups to research the topic of "Greenroofs" and how they help combat climate change, in particular the phenomenon of the "Urban Heat Island Effect"; 5th graders explored why the seasons change by analyzing and interpreting data from a Scientific Simulation of the Earth's tilt combined with its yearly orbit around the sun; 7th graders were excited to break open a box that just arrived that contains a hydroelectric kit that they will assemble and test to see how running water can transfer energy to produce electricity; 7th graders also observed as I dissected aquatic planaria so that they can see how planaria can reproduce asexually through binary fission and regeneration; and last but not least, another sighting of Curtiss, our class pet Bearded Dragon. Thanks for checking in with us this week:)