Spring Science: Goodbye, Mouse and Mole

On these warming spring days
I justify stretching recess time a bit
by also calling it science class.
Today my kids learned about puffball fungi.
They squatted on the volleyball court
poking the small brown spheres 
and spore clouds filled the air.
"Hey, this one won't puff--
oh, wait,
it doesn't have a hole."
We were on the volleyball court today
because yesterday
the science discovery was
that side hills get quite muddy
(read that "slippery")
when the frost goes out.
"Mrs. Shaffner! I'm all muddy!"
I grin. 
"Your mom knows all about washers."

The day before yesterday
on that same side hill
my kids discovered moss.
"This looks like a green bump!"
             It's Leucobryum-- pincushion moss.
"This kind is soft."
             It's called Polytrichum.
"This kind is big!"
             It's Sphagnum.
             The Indians used it for diapers
             because it's like a sponge.
             Squeeze it
             and watch the water drip out.
"This looks like feathers!"
             It's Thuidium-- delicate cedar moss.
As the kids were dislodging sections of Thuidium from the hillside
they also learned
that moss is Great Fun to throw at friends
and you don't get in trouble
because it is so soft.
(Fear not, nature lovers.
There was LOADS of moss,
and it will regrow.)

Last week
when there was still snow on that hillside,
S carried a dead mouse
and mole
from the woods
and told me that mole was harder to get
because he had been frozen to the ground.
I held the small furry bodies
while the kids looked closely.
"Ew! Gross!"
soon turned to "Ooooh, look at his nose!"
"He doesn't have arms,
just hands!"
"What a tiny tail!"
"How did they die?"
"I bet they had a fight!"
We decided to bring them in
to our classroom for further study.

The kids used their science eyes to draw details,
then used their pictures to write a report.
As the afternoon progressed,
we noticed a certain smell
and learned the word "de-comp-o-si-tion" 
so I moved our silent friends to a lidded jar. 

The next day we reviewed what we had learned,
used rocks from our rock collection to make headstones,
and at the start of recess
we had a funeral for Mouse and Mole.
"Does anyone have anything nice to say about our friends?"

"Mole was a good digger."
"Mouse had nice yellow teeth for chewing."
"Goodbye, Mouse and Mole."
"I liked them."
"I am sorry for their loss."
We sang Home in the Woods
(think Home on the Range),
had a moment of silence
and put flowers on the two tiny graves--
the baby's breath
and heather
from Den's ancient Valentine bouquet
were crunchy
but perfect.

As the frosty ice crystals
turn to mud,
may you find time to appreciate tiny details
and be thankful
that your teeth
are still good for chewing.