FOSSILS AND PLATELETS

Baby Bird from Time of Dinosaurs Found Fossilized in Amber

Today Yari, the reporter, shared a fascinating article about a REALLY old bird.  The remains of a baby bird from dinosaur times were found fossilized in 99-million year-old amber in Burma.  The bird had teeth and was very different from the birds flying around today.  In the amber you can see the preserved head, wings, skin, feathers, and clawed foot.  The feathers suggest that this young bird was capable of flight and not dependent on parents like baby birds are now.  So cool to find something so well preserved from that long ago!  If you're ever in China check out the fossil at the Shanghai Museum of Natural History.  And take a peek at the examples of amber/resin on the left.  The pendant in the middle shows how things can be preserved just like the bird.  Thanks for sharing Yari!!

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What's in blood?  How do we stop bleeding?

Ella, our scientist, was curious about our blood.  What's in it and how do we stop bleeding?  She showed us how to make a model of our blood using water beads, red foam pieces, and ping pong balls.  The water beads represent red blood cells that carry oxygen all around our bodies.  The ping pong balls represent white blood cells that help to fight off illness.  The foam represents platelets, which help us form blood clots when we're bleeding.  They rush to the scene of the injury and stop the blood from gushing out similar to 19 first graders trying to get out the door at the same time!  We got a chance to play with the "blood" and thought this was pretty cool.  Stay tuned for a BIG math problem involving these red beads.