Math | Science | Writing
Sunflowers
by Evamarie Spataro
Quick Support Sign Up

I love taking pictures.
Recently I started taking pictures with a digital camera. I can take as many pictures as I want and don't have to worry about film. What I really like about my camera is that you can store the pictures on regular floppy disks. My dad had a lot of extra disks he doesn't use anymore, so I can take as many pictures as I want. I took some pictures in the garden of the sunflowers in my garden.

I wanted to share some pictures with you.
Maybe you might want to share some pictures too.

My mom grows sunflowers in our garden every year without fail. This particular sunflower is a Mammoth species. I thought that it was very beautiful and should capture it in a picture. I had a good time taking this picture.

This flower really caught my attention because it had five bees on it. I thought that it made an interesting composition with the bees. I had to be quick, though, to capture this moment. There were actually two more bees that didn't make into the picture because they were too fast!

This Sunflower looks different than the others because it is burgundy colored. It is a species called Autumn Sun. It is very interesting because that species also has warm yellows and reds, not just burgundy. This flower, too, has a bee on it. These bees help pollinate these beautiful flowers and make them even more striking.

Save the Manatee
by Evamarie Spataro

Manatees thrive in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas. Manatees are important to their ecosystems because they eat vegetation that grows in estuaries. Manatees are teetering on the edge of extinction due to reckless boat-driving humans. There is much work to be done and it can be helped with you. Find out more.

Sunflower Seed Necklace
This week's Craft of the Week is sunflower seed necklaces. I love sunflowers and grow them every summer. They are easy to grow and require very little care - just plenty of sun ! They are a wonderful introduction to gardening for any preschooler and make great kids jewelry. After the flowers have bloomed, your youngest can still have a wonderful remembrance of her sunflowers with this necklace. It is a terrific way to use the seeds from sunflowers and inspire the gardener in every child.

"The Latchkey Dog"
by Jodi Andersen
hosted by Eva Spataro
Jodi Andersen has spent the last twenty years raising and training dogs.  She offers extremely clear and manageable, step-by-step instructions that will permit you to get your house back in order, while teaching your dog to be useful, working member of your family. We had the opportunity to ask Jodi Andersen about her wonderful book, tell us a bit about her approach to dogs and little bit about her dogs.