The Pancreas

During a lesson on soil

Student: Why does everyone like the mushroom?
Me: Hmm, I don't know.
Student: Cause he's a FUNGI

Hahahaaa. 

Do you know what else tickled our funny bone this week? 
Our posters on organs of the human body.  While this is technically the shape and the color of the pancreas, it's unfortunate in other ways.  

The Pancreas.  Causing trouble.

I feel like I can reuse this poster for my lesson on birth control AND male reproductive systems. Thanks kid.

Speaking of body systems, I did a demo lesson on HIV and AIDS.  I don't know if kids these days are afraid of STDs.  I mentioned the resistent strain of gonorrhea and what that means in terms of NEVER GETTING RID OF GONORRHEA.

And the kids just looked at me. Unfazed.

So I gave them cups of water and had them "mix" water with three people.  Two cups had a little dissolved sodium carbonate. A little phenolphthalein and BOOM.

Clear means you are disease free. Pink/ red means you have the "disease."  Here are the results.

 

Test Results

I had to assure the kids that the cups did not contain HIV.

As for the results, instead of being worried about the chances of getting HIV or STDs, I got a lot of "Ooh, that's pretty!" from the reaction of the phenolphthalein.  GAHHH, red and pink mean disease kids!  

Last weekend, we went upstate to visit James' parents and decided to use a pair of free lift tickets we picked up from a Warren Miller Film. The warm weather loosened the snow and made the day pretty awesome.  People were skiing in sweaters!

Gore Mountain

Too bad it rained the next day.  And the fog made the streets look like a scene from the Exorcist.  At least we got in one good day!

Overheard in the classroom

Student 1: I always wanted to be an astronaut.  But I found out that I can't become one now.

Student 2: Why not?

Student 1: I'm afraid of heights.