Newsletter+Articles


 * [|TRC News May/June 2010] **

TRC News January/February 2010

~ PROJECT O ~
 * Norwich **** - Kelly Middle School – Team 6B **

If you like a change from classroom learning, you’ll love taking a trip to PROJECT O. At PROJECT O you will learn about different species and animals that live in Long Island sound. While on the boat, you will touch animals, test the water, learn about your absolute location and examine life under the sea.

At PROJECT O there are so many things to do.Aboard the boat at sea you will catch the animals.Meeting the captain was exciting, he taught us about latitude and longitude.This told us the boat’s absolute location in the Long Island Sound.The best part of this trip was meeting up with the students at Tyl Middle School.This trip was so entertaining and interesting, we wish we could do it all over again.

Touching the animals was such an incredible experience.The different animal’s skin varied from slimy to rough.Doing all sorts of experiments gave us such a rush.We experienced new creatures, the elements of water and ocean life.Learning about the ocean life was educational and enjoyable!

We are looking forward to more field trips with Tyl at PROJECT O.Also, we want to see more animals and species that live in the Long Island Sound.At the end of the month we are going with our friends at Tyl Middle School to explore more of Long Island Sound!

TRC has taken us many places but the Riverfront Recapture trip was definitely the favorite. We gained many things on the trip, including friendship, teamwork, and endurance.On our trips we had many differences but we also had some things in common.In the beginning, we started our day meeting new people by playing a circle and handshake game. On both trips, we were able to participate in the ropes course. The activities included rock wall, cargo net, and the tight ropewalk. Differences between the two groups’ trips are dragon boats jump rope, birthday game, world game and hand shake game. Group one got to use the dragon boats and had a great experience. Unfortunately, group two did not get that chance due to the river conditions. Instead, they played several games, including the jump rope game, the handshake game, and the birthday game.
 * Bozrah - Fields Memorial Middle School**

When we are working together with different backgrounds it can be hard. In the end when we all came together. It becomes easy. A good example of this was with the dragon boats. The first thing we had to do was help each other learn how to paddle. When we finally were in sync, we got into the boats. Rock climbing was the hardest of all. Everyone was cheering on one another, though, and it made us more confident. The globe activity also made us work together by hitting the ball at the same time.We communicated with each other in many different ways. Some kids couldn’t speak English, so we used hand signals to talk to them. At lunch time we got to eat with some new and old friends.

We had fun on the trip. We made friends, worked together, and we experienced each other’s differences. We really enjoyed the tight rope and other climbing activities like the cargo net. Thank you so much for these trips. We really enjoyed them!

A Wonderful Day at Hartford
 * Montville** **- Leonard J. Tyl Middle School**

On October 29, 2009 was the best day of my life.I really didn’t know if I was scared of heights because I never climbed something so high before.But when I climbed up on the staples I thought that I was going to die or fall and break a bone but I didn’t.I just climbed the staples onto the wires and as I got onto the wires I was a little bit shaky but I looked down and said to myself that this is not scary this is actually fun.When the lady that was holding onto the rope told me to let go, I really didn’t want to let go. I wanted to stay up there and see the beautiful landscape of Hartford but I let go and as soon as I let go it was like sliding down a pole, except I can move around and make nice and funny passes to my friends.When I got off I wasn’t scared anymore.Also when I was up in the sky I saw all my friends looking at me and they couldn’t believe I really did it.When I left I said to myself that I will never forget this day and I won’t forget this day. YH

Yesterday half of team one from Tyl Middle School joined Kelly Middle School at the Connecticut River.We all got into groups and the fun activities began.My group started by partnering up and telling each other about ourselves.Then we sat with our partners, back to back, and locked our arms.When we tried to stand up, it was so hard! We finally all stood up and moved onto the next activity.Two people swung a long rope and all of us had to go through either one, two, three people at a time and so on.Then all of us had to go through.Let me tell you, it is NOT as easy as it sounds!When our last activity came, we had to put on harnesses.Then we got in line for the rock wall or tight rope.I chose the tight rope.You got fastened to a rope, climbed up a pole with staples (foot holds) on them and walked across a tightrope.I personally was PETRIFIED!I did it anyway.It was a great experience and I was proud of myself after.I had so much fun at the Connecticut River, I never wanted to leave! AA
 * My Reflection**

Yesterday we visited a park in Hartford, and met up with our friends at Kelly Middle School.We were split up into different groups, and then smaller groups from there, so there was a mixture of Tyl and Kelly.We did many different activities such as jump rope and jumping under the rope. There we met a lot of friends and had a lot of encouragement from everyone.Also we had to work together to get a wooden swing out of the middle of an area and to our side without touching the ground.We ended up using sweaters and a shoe.Also there was a thing where you walk across a thin wire while holding on to thin wires.But it was safe because we all were held onto with a sturdy rope.After that we were all starving and cold so we sat down in the sunshine to eat lunch.Then we played a lot of trust games and pulling each other up.Over the course of the day I had a lot of fun and met a lot of friends. SF
 * A Day in Hartford**

Thursday, October 29, 2009, we went to Hartford to a park. At the park we played a bunch of games. One we latched arms with another person and tried to stand up.We also played a game where you had to try and keep the platform from hitting the ground.Personally, it was my favorite because it was so hard.Then we went to lunch after that we did the rope course and I did the rock wall.Now that I think about it I should have done the tight rope. It looked fun.I had a fun time. DP

Yesterday’s field trip to Riverfront Park was awesome.One of the things that we did was that some of us went tight rope walking!For that we had to put on a harness and get it all set before we climbed up the staples, which were metal hook-like things sticking out of the pole that we had to climb.One of the activities I didn’t do was one of the teamwork ones where one person had to untie one of their shoes and with their partner only using one hand had to retie the shoe. CS

Two Thames River Connections programs with Project Oceanology lessons have taught us so much. They have informed us subjects including the biotic and abiotic things that can be found in Long Island Sound.
 * Norwich** **- Teachers’ Memorial Middle School**

We participated in several things on the Project Oceanology Field Trip in Long Island Sound.

When we first got on the boat we were introduced to our partners from Fields Memorial Middle School. During the first half of the field trip we were going to study abiotic things in Long Island Sound. We went onto the deck and released fishing net. Along with that, we released a smaller net that was to be used to catch Zoo Plankton. After several minutes of waiting, we pulled the large fishing net out of the water and put the fish and other ocean animals we caught in tubs. We caught spider crabs, porgy, as well as a lobster. Rulers were handed out and we were told to measure the spider crabs and porgy. Then, we pulled in the smaller plankton net. We put the Zoo Plankton in a jar and examined it.

After that half of the field trip was over, we went back to the docks. There, we split into the groups and were told to measure specific abiotic categories such as pH balance, depth, bacteria, and temperature but before we started to get our information, the Project Oceanology worker explained how to use the special equipment we were going to use. Then we were sent to find our information. We recorded our results on charts and when we regrouped, compared them with the previous groups’ results.This was a fantastic field trip!

We learned several things the day the Project Oceanology scientist came to Teachers Memorial Middle School.

This little lesson was spanned over two days. On the first day, she started out by giving us a lesson on how to record information on a chart. Certain factors of the chart were the variables and the results. We talked about how if you change the independent variable, this will affect the results, the dependent variable. We then recorded down some information she had given us as practice. After that, we made a line graph to show the information.All of these exercises used technology of a computer and software that allowed us to make graphs with a couple of clicks.

On the second day, we were given the actual information and results of data collected from Project Oceanology excursions such as the one in which we participated.A data table was made available to us on each of our computers.We looked at various data, such as the number of crabs (biotic) and the temperature (abiotic). First, we selected an independent variable and a dependent variable to analyze.We made predictions about how one affected the other.Then, we copied the information down onto a chart and made a sketch on what are graph should look like. She then, showed us how to use Microsoft Excel, the program we were going to use in order to make our graphs. She explained how the chart on the program was similar to the chart on our worksheets. We plugged in the information we needed and then went to the tool bar and clicked on the graph button.After we created our graph, we were able to see the relationship of the two variables we selected.

These two lessons have taught us so much in so little time. We learned not only how to make graphs but how to see tell a male from a female spider crab and measure the pH levels. FW