Piranahs and the end to our Writing Workshops....

Well, I'd like to say that this past week

was a normal one...

but, unfortunately,

we were still battling a bug.

We are all on antibiotics now,

and I'm hoping for a more 'normal' week

coming up. 

I had my very last meeting

for the Writing Workshops on Thursdays.

I don't like the last day...

it makes me sad.

I get to know these kids for five weeks,

and just when we're bonding

it ends.

Two of the kids are missing from this picture...

as you can see, it was a big group,

(the biggest one of the three,)

but these kids were awesome.

I am SO happy that I chose 

to teach these workshops.

It was incredibly fun, incredibly rewarding

and I will absolutely do it again.

Below is Mylee's science paper.

It's about piranhas.

These are some freaky fish...watch out.

Piranhas

by Maya Wing

April, 2010

Piranhas are very dangerous fish. There are about thirty identified species of piranha. The most common is the red bellied piranha. It can grow up to sixteen inches, but a piranha's size ranges anywhere between eight inches to almost two feet. Piranhas don't look like savage killers. The piranha's body is built to be quick over short distances. The piranhas reputation is well known.

Most adult piranhas are dark gray or olive in color, with dark spots on their backs and sides. Younger piranha are lighter in color and usually don't have spots. Coloring on a breeding piranha is brighter to attract a mate.

Piranha's are egg-layers. They spawn during the early part of the rainy season. They lay from seven hundred to four thousand eggs at a time, depending on the species. Most species are nest builders. They lay their eggs in lagoons or very slow moving rivers. They make nests by hollowing out a shallow bowl shaped hole. Other species use leaves from floating plants to make nests. The eggs are sticky so they can adhere to weeds that grow in the water. Sometimes leaves break off from the plant, carrying the eggs down the river. That helps spread the species. The male guards the eggs and the new hatchlings. Sometimes the female helps. They protect the newborn fish, which are called 'fry'. When fry come out of their eggs, they are very small and blind. They hide in the weeds, eating their yolk sacs. After almost a week, their eyes develop so they can see. Scales appear soon, along with sharp teeth. They grow quickly during the first few months. Before long they're eating seeds, fruit, insects and then small fish.

Piranhas have round, flat bodies and stubby snouts. They have slime producing glands under their scales, protecting them from disease and helping them slip through the water. Piranhas have a small, fleshy fin near the tail called the adipose fin. This fin stores fat when there isn't a lot of food. They also have a sense organ along their sides called a lateral line. It senses vibrations in the water.

Piranhas have excellent eyesight and a wide field of vision. They have great hearing and a strong sense of smell and are incredibly sensitive to vibrations or movements in the water. Good hearing helps the piranha detect the splashing of a large animal that has fallen into the water. They can also detect the presence of a dying fish, even from a distance, and even with the muddy water, a piranha's highly developed sense of smell lets it track another fish's blood.

You can tell how dangerous piranhas are by the shape of their heads. The more dangerous piranha have a rounded profile. They also have bigger and stronger jaws than other piranhas. The less dangerous piranha have a groove above their eyes. They all have a lower jaw that sticks out past the upper jaw and rows of very sharp teeth.

Piranhas are freshwater tropical fish and you can find them in rivers, streams and lakes in South America. Piranhas live in every major river in South America, like the Amazon, the Orinoco, the Essequibo, the De La Plata and the Sao Francisco Rivers.

Most people think the piranha preys on humans, but the opposite is true. People throughout South America fish for piranha. Piranha are considered to be quite tasty, though people who fish for piranha have got to be careful. Fishermen use wire lines because piranha can chew through normal lines. To many of the people in South America's rain forests, piranhas are more than food. For example, the Tucuna Indians use piranha's teeth as razors and as decorations.

Although piranha are somewhat scary predators, they aren't at the top of the food chain. A few other animals prey on the piranha such as caiman, birds, dolphins, turtles and otters. A lot of these animals live in lakes and rivers with the piranha. Others might live by the banks of the river. Smaller predators generally attack from behind to stay away from the piranha's teeth.

Piranha are hardy fish and no species is endangered. Their role as scavengers makes them essential to the South American ecosystem. They keep lakes and rivers clean by eating dead fish and animals. The fruit eating piranhas carry fruit seeds in their waste and spread different kinds of plants throughout the waters. If you travel to South America, swim in the hotel pool, not the Amazon, and visit the piranha in a zoo or aquarium.

Maya wants to enter this paper into an essay contest.

The deadline is sometime in November,

and she could very well write another paper before then,

but I think she did an exceptional job on it.

For the rest of May...

both Maya and Scott have their last book club this month.

Scott is reading Half Magic by Edward Eager,

and Mylee is reading The Wednesday Wars by Gary T. Schmidt.

They are participating in the Barnes and Noble

summer reading program that begins on May 25th.

This will be Maya's last year as it is only available for kids

through the sixth grade.

We are also going to be testing by month's end.

Busy, busy, busy...

Three more weeks of school.

I will be sad to see this school year end,

but I am already planning for August!