Things that go ouch

Ben will tell us when to stay away from something. But if you want to study them.

Here is a list of venomous snakes,  I think there are 12 of them. Why don't you write down the names of them and how you might identify them. You can even draw them in your journal.

and here is one on stingrays, but they don't all live in the yucatan. Can you find out which ones live in the waters near Mexico?

numeros en espanol

Numbers in spanish after 39

40. cuarenta
50. cincuenta
60. sesenta
70. setenta
80. ochenta
90. noventa
100. ciento
101. ciento uno
200. doscientos
201. doscientos uno
300. trescientos
400. cuatrocientos
500. quinientos
600. seiscientos
700. setecientos
800. ochocientos
900. novecientos
1.000. mil
2.000. dos mil 
3.333. tres mil trescientos treinta y tres
1.000.000. un millón
1.000.000.000. mil millones

Questions, Questions and Observations

Hi J and Q -- J. and I were talking this morning about the different types of turtles we might see. And how we would know which one we were looking at.  It got me to thinking about the different types of questions we ask when we become interested in something.  There are so many questions...and so many types of questions. And then sometimes it is fun not to ask questions at all and simply observe.

I was just writing about a school I visited and one of my notes is that when we encounter new things sometimes we are learning about it (a lot or a little) and sometimes we are making meaning. And sometimes both.  The types of questions we ask and how we focus our attention when we observe (using any or all of our senses) is one way we make meaning.

So what types of questions do you like to ask?

Let's add to this list that I started?

Facts about One Thing: What is a loggerhead turtle? What does it look like? What are it's markings? How many eggs does it lay? Where? Observation is really helpful here. If we were thinking about history this might include dates and putting together a timeline.

Putting Facts Together: What are the differences and similarities between green turtles and loggerheads? What does a loggerhead look like as a baby and as an adult?  Charts are helpful to make comparisons.  We could compare how the Mayan empire developed over time and compare it to the Spanish history. (Personally, I have to do something otherwise my head fills with facts and recuerdo nada  -- that means I remember nothing!)

Understanding:  Why is something the way it is? Why does the loggerhead have a bigger head than the green turtle?  Does it eat different food?   Sometimes there are facts that can help us. Sometimes we have to analyze (think) and come up with good guesses until we find someone who can help us.  How has the Mayan culture shaped the Yucatan? How is the Yucatan different than other parts of Mexico?

Understanding How Something Has Changed Over Time: How have turtles changed over time? What did their ancestors look like in the dinosaur era? How has their population changed over the last century? (We get to ask why here as well so we can understand the reasons that something has changed. This is creating a story isn't it -- a story about how things have changed).  The Mayan language is still used...a lot? How has this changed over time...and why?

Understanding Context and How Things Are Linked to Each Other: What is changing that is impacting the turtles? Why are they endangered? Are they changing their behavior at all?  This is where we think across ideas -- history, culture, science.  Why does the Yucatan government think it is a good idea to teach Mayan in schools now? What changed?

Projecting into the Future:  How might things change in the future? Are there places where turtle popoulations are increasing? (WHY?) If some turtle populations are growing will that change other things? How might things change if the Yucatan schools start teaching in Mayan and Spanish? 


Empowerment:  What can we do to change the future? Who are other people and organizations we want to know about so we can learn from them?

And to wrap this up with pure nonsense?  How did this dog learn to get on this float and paddle?

From Joe

Hi Chris,
Here is a website i found on corral reefs in the Yucatan: http://www.itchyfeet.org/articles/enchilada.htm

Also while I was looking I saw this cool weird picture of a bird called the : scale-crested pygmy tyrant.  My mom thought that was a good name for me but I did not approve!

K-Poetry

Here is a poem about kinkajou's

Can you all write a poem about one of the creatures we might meet?

snorkle

hi -- i am not the best snorkeler-- so i found this to help me. i have de-fog for us.

i bet we see some turtles when we go snorkeling.

we better learn about coral reefs too.

joe can you find some interesting websites about coral reefs?

mayan math

the mayans were/are really good at math and astronomy. they had a different system of math than we do. instead of based on 10 it is based on 20.

here is a site where you can learn to write numbers in mayan. and check out their system. i dont quite get it. i need to look at it again.

they have a really interesting calendar system too. here is a video on their calendars

let's learn some of these hieroglyphics!then we can write mayan! here is a video about its writing

mexican chocolate

thinking about the cinnamon challenge, we should try some mexican chocolate while we are there. it will be a little too hot for hot chocolate...but maybe we can find some mexican chocolate ice cream.

what other food might we find there -- here is a list of fruits and vegetables in the yucatan. let's see how many of these we can try: (joe remember tasting new food in washington dc -- you liked most of it!)

i love chaya -- it is like spinach but has 10 x the amount of nutrients. Geronimo makes me agua fresca plus chaya in the morning....fresh fruit juice with chaya mixed. after i drink it i feel like i could swim across the ocean!

• Nance is a small, tart, yellow cherry-like fruit with a strong flavor and penetrating scent. The fruits are eaten raw or cooked as dessert, and in colonial times were included in soup or in stuffing for meats. They are also made into a candy, Dulce de Nance, prepared with the fruit cooked in sugar and water.
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• Guaya, a relative of the lychee, has a thin but rigid layer of skin, traditionally cracked by the teeth. Inside the skin is the tart, tangy, cream pulp of the fruit, which is sucked by putting the whole fruit inside the mouth.
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• Saramuyo is another alien-looking fruit from Yucatán! It's known elsewhere as sugar apple or sweetsop. This member of the anona family is found in local markets, especially in the Valladolid area of the Yucatán. It has the green, scaly skin typical of the anonas, with soft, sweet white pulp used in ices, ice cream and aguas.
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• The mamey fruit is oval shaped, similar to a football, and is 3-8 inches in length. It has a relatively thick, woody, brown skin and its flesh has an orange/reddish tint. Although you can eat mamey raw, you must first remove its skin and any pits inside. Raw mamey sapote is usually eaten with sugar, it's also added to fruit salads, blended fruit drinks, and as an ice cream flavor. The taste is similar to sweet potato pie with a dash of almond.
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• Cebollina is an herb, somewhat of a cross between chives and spring onion greens.
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• Camote - white sweet potatoes - are used much like potatoes. They are usually boiled, then pureed with butter, salt, and pepper.
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• Chile Maxs (mash) - tiny red or green chiles that pack a powerful punch!
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• Elote pibil -or, pibilina - Maize, much tougher and less sweet than North American sweet corn, is soaked in salt water, then baked underground in a pit lined with hot rocks, a Mayan style of cooking known as pibil. The end result tastes like smoked corn.
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• Chaya, or Mayan spinach, is an important source of vitamins and protein. It must be cooked, as the raw leaves are toxic.
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• Sour orange - naranja agria - is used in many recipes, especially those using achiote paste. If not available, you can use a 50-50 blend of white vinegar and orange juice. They look like bumpy, green oranges.
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• Chayote is a member of the squash family, it's pale green and avocado shaped. It can be used in any recipe calling for summer squash. The fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten raw in salads. It can also be boiled, stuffed, mashed, baked, fried, or pickled.
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• Guanábana - this fruit has a leathery green skin covered with soft spines. It's a favorite ice cream flavor, and the juice is available everywhere.
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• Tuna - sweet prickly pear - this is the fruit of the nopal cactus. It's eaten raw, made into fruit drinks, or cooked into a jam. Be careful - the intense purple-red juice stains everything!

Whip It

I liked the name of this lizard. The yucatan whiptail.

Journals

Hi J and Q:  As you know each of us will be bringing a journal on our trip to write in at the end of each day. I was just reading something and I thought it was so perfect...that I wanted to share it with you:

In the world of experiential education (this just means learning from experiences not from books), journals function as an amulet. (do you know what an amulet is?). They not only help us to record our journeys, our memories, transformative events, and innermost thoughts; journals help us discover who we are. 

Our journals will be private. But sometimes, if we want to, we can read them to each other. Each of us will be having a very different trip even though we will all be together. Reading from our journals will help us learn about the world from each other's eyes as well.

Questions from Joe

What kinds of insects live in the Yucatan? Click here 
Here is another good site on insects.


What kinds of turtles? Click here

Here are reptiles including snakes- there are 12 venomous snakes...ewwwww.

And just in case we do the cinnamon challenge -- where does cinnamon come from?