Macon Dog Park Lab Report

This past week we ventured out to the Macon dog park located near Tattnall Square Park. Dog parks are good for the community because it not only lets dogs interact, but also the dog owners can come together as well. This  was the first dog park that I have ever been to and I really enjoyed it. However, we were not there to just observe dogs playing. The main reason we did this lab was to test the creek water that ran through the middle of the park. We were testing this water in order to see if lead was polluting this creek. This creek water was formed by humans and the main source is from storm water drains. Lead is a major pollutant that can poison dogs and humans.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm3zctK7Tqk

Darwin's Dilemma Lab Report

The last lab we had was when we watched the movie Darwin's Dilemma. This movie was about studying the animal fossil records and how complex they are. This was also known as the Cambrian Explosion because he was able to find genetics of different species and how they were able to survive the places they lived. Also how unique this new species the Cambrian was in the environment. From its shell and skeleton were so complex and thought that evolution had caused this specie to evolve in the world.

Hitchiti Forest Lab Report

This past week we went to the Hitchiti Experimental Forest located near Jarrell Plantation. We had a long hike ahead of us, but it was a lot of fun! During the hike we identified trees, plants, and even rocks. The most interesting leaves we found we of the Sassafrass tree. These leaves were shaped of a glove, a hand, and a regular looking leaf. Another interesting plant we discovered was Wild Ginger. This plant was interesting because  of the wild ginger smell whenever you cut the leaf open. We also saw some different kinds of moss growing big limestone rocks near the river. Some of these mosses were sponge-like and a light green color. We also enjoyed walking on the rocks through the creek and by the Ocmulgee River!

Jackson Springs Lab Report

Our adventure through Jackson Springs park was a good historical and scientific lesson. At first we went to this city creek that ran through the whole park where we found many rocks. The samples of rocks taken were: granite, feldspar, mica, and quartz. The geological findings were really exciting! From there we discussed about the history of the neighborhood named Baconsfield, and how it has changed throughout the years. Fort HIll used to be back in 50's where the middle class people would live. However, now that has changed by middle class people moved to the neighborhood near Jackson Springs and the lower class people are more dominate in the Fort HIll area. After this history lesson of that part of Macon, we then ventured on to the Ocmulgee River which was a good time as well.

Ocmulgee Indian Mounds Lab Report

The Ocmulgee Indian Mounds that we visited for our lab was a great experience. Even though I went on field trips to this site when I was younger, I was able to enjoy the time spent there. Our walks on the trail were awesome because we identified different trees and sedimentary as well. My favorite part of our lab was when we all went to the top of the bigger temple. These temples were burial grounds for those Native Americans that died there. They built these temples or mounds in order to keep those bodies that died to be sacred and secure from others.