February 15, 2018 - Erika Miranda's fifth and sixth grade students at Sierra Foothill Charter School continue to learn about the benefits of microbes in our environment with the help of Dr. Carolin Frank, an Associate Professor of Biology at UC Merced. Recently, the students' focus was on beneficial microbes in soil. After learning all about the nitrogen cycle in class through their text book, each student drew and used water colors to paint their own image showing what they learned. The next day, the class had a visit from Dr. Frank who taught them even more about the nitrogen cycle, specifically about root nodules on the roots of plants like clovers. They learned that the root nodules form a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria and make the soil more nutrient-dense. Each student had a chance to examine these types of roots. They then divided into groups and helped create a whole-class collage.
Pictured with the finished collage: Jamie Ardell, Jaeyanna Bolar, Sage Inman, and Carolin Frank.
A student water color of the nitrogen cycle.
Khalil Neogy examining root nodules on clovers.

Sierra Foothill Charter School is a free, non-profit, TK-8 public school. Open enrollment for the 2018-2019 school year is happening now through April 11. For more information, contact the office at (209) 742-6222 or visit SFCS’s website: SierraFoothillCharterSchool.org. To stay up to date on all the latest happenings, “like” SFCS on Facebook.