Lit. Poems

"Mama and Papa"

Papa
Courageous, dependable
Loving, understanding, caring
Painter, father, laundry cleaner, mother
Cooking, cursing, caring
Pudgy, grumpy
Mama


"Grey"

Red are the stolen apples,
Clear are the tears that Liesel cries;
Grey is the color
Of Papa's bold eyes.

White is the snowman,
Yellow is the star on the door;
Grey is Max's face
Before finding a cure.

Black is the basement
Brown is the teddy-bear;
Grey is the dust from the bomb
That lingered in the air.


By:
Mooslover1892

Class Response: Aquarium

Recently, I went on a field trip to the aquarium. On that trip, we were not able to see much, but some of what we saw included penguins, hippos, seals, and sharks. The habitat of the penguins included a small, solid stone shore, water to swim in, and a cooling shower. The cooling shower is vital to the penguins' environment because they are used to a cold environment and they were in warm weather so they used the shower to cool themselves down. In their section, there were around ten penguins because they were quite small. The hippos' environment included a piece of land and a tub of water. There were not many hippos in the location and there seemed to only be two because of the large size of the hippos. In the environment, there was also tall trees that were homes to birds. The seals' environment included a small shore and a big tub of water. There were around five seals and they each had quite a bit of swimming room. The sharks' environment was not deeply examined but what was noticed was that the sharks lived in a tank of water with quite a bit of sharks per tank. Overall, though not much was seen, the trip to the aquarium was successful.

Class Response: Frog Dissection

Recently in science class, we dissected frogs. I went into this completely disgusted by the idea and when I saw how big the frogs were, that didn't help. To make it even better, my table mate chose the largest frog with the most eggs. As the skin of the frog was opened up and the eggs were removed, my opinion on the dissection changed. The organs were so clear and it was so easy to tell what they were. I then realized why dissecting is so educational and why it is necessary; because the frog's systems are much more like a humans and by dissecting a frog, I received a better education on how frogs work and even how my body works as a human. I was really surprised by how much my take on the dissection changed. I would even recommend the dissection of frogs in future years but one thing I would change about the dissection is I would have less frogs used per class because it is sad that so many frogs are being killed. The one other problem with the dissection though was something that could not have really been changed and that was the smell of the frogs. All in all, the dissection was successful and a lot was learned from it.

Snowacane

Recently the northeast has experienced a "snowacane". The storm was called a "snowacane" because is was similar to a hurricane but was with snow. Both hurricanes and this snow storm started because of the low pressure system in the atmosphere. The storm was formed around Texas on Tuesday and began with light snow flurries. As it progressed, is became much more violent, and intense winds became part of the storm. A hurricane begins lightly and as it progresses it becomes much more violent and ferocious winds are added, just as they did to the "snowacane". The "snowacane" also included huge waves and flooding just as a hurricane does. The damaging flooding is the outcome of the snow melting and the torrential rains that were added to the storm. Flooding and rain is also a part of a hurricane. Just as after a hurricane is over, the "snowacane" left some places severely damaged. Some of these damages included flooding, dangerous ice, and damages on buildings and such, from winds. Some believe the cause of the storm was global climate change just as some blame global change for the higher number of hurricanes. Will the snow ever stop coming?

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/02/24/news/doc4b8556d1e0a63495739464.txt

Global Warming and Math

When most think of global warming, they think of science but, global warming relates to math too. With global warming comes many statistics which include ratio, time, percentage, graphs, amounts, and probability. Some examples are graphs (such as the one above) that show the impact of global warming and how it is becoming greater throughout the years. Also, there were many percentages such as those saying how much of an increase of decrease there was in elements such as water and ice. Ratio is involved to provide a comparison between the amounts of certain elements in time and time was involved to show how over time, the effects of global warming have become greater. Probability was used to give an idea of how bad global warming can become if not stopped. Lastly, amounts were used to represent how much of certain elements are being effected by global warming and how much may be left in time. To conclude, math is a very big part of global warming.

Global Warming

In school, we were assigned a research task and we had the choice of our topic. For my paper, I chose Global Warming. The reason I chose this category was because I am very interested in the environment and I knew that there was a lot about Global Warming I do not yet know. I was really only aware of how Global Warming was effecting the arctic and I wanted to know how it effects other places. Something very interesting I learned was that Global Warming is actually beneficial to some. It is beneficial to some reindeer because the moisture in the air, from the heat, is making plants grow more rapidly which makes finding food easier for these reindeer. During this process, I have learned how Global Warming is changing places other than the arctic. I have learned how it impacts places such as bodies of water (and the marine life in them), tropical rain forests and normal forests, and more on the arctic . I have learned a lot from my research and really enjoyed learning about my environment and how I can help.

Food Science

This is a podcast of a radio show interview with a food scientist.

mooselover1892

Social Networking and Kids

I recently read an article on the concerns of children on social networking sights such as Facebook and MySpace. The sites have an age limit but there is no telling that the child may be lying about their age. Some scientists worry that the use of these sight by children may lead to internet addiction and can damage the brain and the child's relationships. I never thought that kids were on these sights and to think of it, it does make sense because the children go onto the sights to play games. I knew that preteens have been using these sights but I never knew that children were. This worries me and I think it it ridiculous that the parents of these children allow them to have a social networking profile becuase not only can it cause an addiction but it can also put the children in danger. This will hopefully stop and hopefully there will be a way to make sure that the age of the user is not a lie.
Click here for further information.

Peshawar Bombing (Extra Credit)

I recently read an article on a bombing in Peshawar in Pakistan. The bombing tragically killed eleven people, three being children, and injured at least twenty, two of which were police. There were also several cars destroyed because this was a suicidal car bombing. This article relates to science because the explosions were science and because the mental issue of the bomber that caused him to bomb the car line were psychological issues. Psychology is a study in science of the mind or of mental states and processes. The explosion of the bomb was science because it was a chemical reaction that made it explode.
The article's URL is: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-14-voa14.cfm

Science and Glee

Glee is a show about a high school glee club, a grouping of students who sing an dance together, in Ohio. When watching this show you would not think it relates to science but it does. In the glee club, the students sing and when singing, you use the voice box or larynx, which houses the vocal cords which connect the base of the neck to the trachea and the air from your lungs then strikes the vocal cords and produce song. That right there is science. Singing is actually physics as well because the vibrations of the vocal cords which convert air movement into sound energy. On the show they also choreograph and dancing is both biology and physics because it requires muscle fibers and is movement. There are also laws of gravity involved and that is science too. Though this show and many other shows are not thought of as science, they are and everything is science. How do you think you watch shows on your TV?

Roof Tiles That Change Color

I recently read and article on these roof tiles that change color to make heaters and air conditioners less strained. I chose it because the idea caught my eye and I was not sure what the title meant by " Roof Tiles Changing Color" .These tiles would turn white in sunny, hot weather to reflect the sun and in cold weather, the tiles would turn black to attract the sun. These panels will then either cool or warm up the house and will make the heaters and air conditioners less strained. The tiles are made up of layers of thin, clear plastic and a substance similar to the common hair gel. I personally believe that this was a great idea and am surprised that it was not thought of before. It is commonly know that the color black attracts heat and that white reflects the sun and this idea was simple and I really am surprised it was not mentioned sooner. I personally could have came up with the idea but would not have known how to make the product work. This idea actually interests me and I actually want to be an architect of environmentally friendly buildings and this is something someone in that career would use.

http://www.livescience.com/technology/091015-heat-tiles.html

Global Warming And It's Drastic Effects

I recently read an article about global warming and how drastically it is effecting not only the arctic but places everywhere around us. This personally scares me and I feel that action needs to be taken. I have always had a belief that global warming was not good and that it needs to stop but this article has made me realize how serious this matter is. For some animals such as some reindeer, global warming is actually good for them because the moisture from the heat is making the plants that they eat grow so finding food is easy for them. Other animals on the other hand, such as the caribou have not been able to adjust there calving season so there population is decreasing. Though the growth of these plants is good for the reindeer, it is not good for the environment because there is an over population of plants in those areas. The reindeer would have been fine with the plants that the environment has provided them with. All of this is happening now and will continue to get worse if we do not do something about it. Making a change is really not very difficult at all. What we can do is simple if everyone would just carpool more often and save gas in anyway possible and use less electricity. By doing this, we could create a huge difference.

http://www.livescience.com/environment/090910-arctic-biology.html

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Structure of Earth

I recently did an experiment on the structure of the Earth and the texture of the Earth's mantle. We had to add water to cornstarch and mix it together.The mixture created was floury and solid when pressure was applied. When not, it was liquid. The mixture was both liquid and solid depending on the pressure. When handled, the mixture becomes solid and more dense. When I pushed my finger into the mixture quickly, the mixture becomes solid beneath my finger. When I push my finger in slowly, my finger goes deep into the mixture and the mixture stays a liquid. When slowly poured into the other hand, the mixture stays a liquid and does not solidify. After a while of handling the mixture, it began to remain solid and would not become a liquid as often as before.The mixture is similar to the earth's mantle because the mantle moves slowly just like the mixture and the density is similar as well. They are also both very thick. In conclusion, the experiment was successful in proving that water mixed with cornstarch is similar to the earth's mantle and I have learned the similarities.
Bill Nye the Science Guy: What In the World?

"October Sky"

I recently watched the movie "October Sky". The movie was about a young man who had a dream to build rockets. This young man went through many challenges to pursue this dream and although he came close to giving up, he did successfully fulfill his dream of building rockets. In the movie, the young man, Homer Hickam, lives in a coal mining town and all the young men in that town are expected to work in the mine when they get older. Mining is very dangerous because it is underground and the coal and such can fall and severely injure the miners. When Homer's father is injured in a mine, Homer feels the need to take over his father's place. By doing this, Homer is letting go of his dreams and it doesn't help that Homer and his friends are being blamed for a local forest fire . Homer's father later recovers and Homer realizes he did not cause the fire. This leads Homer to go back to creating rockets and he later wins a science fair and gets into college. The mines that Homer's father worked in and that are world wide are very dangerous and I personally feel that there should be more options for people living in mining towns. In this movie, all five Character Education traits are shown. Cooperation is shown when the four boys work together to create rockets. Assertion is shown when Homer shows that the people of the mining towns can pursue their dreams and grow up to be something different than a miner. Respect is shown when Homer's teacher really respects his idea of building rockets and even helps him. Empathy is shown by Homer's mother when she understands how badly Homer wants to build rockets and lets him do so and she supports him and doesn't let him give up. Self control is shown when Homer finds out that he may have caused a fire and can no longer build rockets. Although he was let down, Homer did not get out of control. In conclusion, this movie was very encouraging and had a strong message telling me to follow my dreams.
This blog is based on the movie "October Sky"

Blog Response: Celiac Disease

I have recently read an article about Celiac Disease on tinkywinkyx123 's blog. I learned many new thing about the disease that I did not know. It is an autoimmune disorder. It occurs to people of all ages that are genetically predisposed. It was founded in London in 1887. The disease can lead to abdominal bloating and pain, chronic diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, weight loss, and pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool. The cause of Celiac Disease is not yet known but it seems though the genes within the cell that causes Celiac Disease include first-degree relative genes with the condition. The only treatment for the disease is a gluten-free diet because the cause is unknown so there is no specific treatment yet. When someone has this disease, they need to take all wheat out of their diet. If they have wheat, it would be toxic to the person consuming it. The symptoms of the disease cannot cause death but are still very unfortunate and not fun to go through. I think it is very sad that some people have to go through this and that I am very lucky not to have a disease like this. The article has helped to give me a better understanding about the disease and has taught me a lot.
http://tinkywinkyx123.blogspot.com/2009/05/genetic-disorder-celiac-disease.html

Down Syndrome

Recently I have researched Down Syndrome. I discovered many things about the disease that I did not know. Down Syndrome was discovered in 1959. The symptoms are slow growth, weak muscles, short wide neck with excess fat and skin, stocky short arms and legs, a single crease across the center of the palm, a nasal bridge that looks pushed up, mental retardation and heart defects. There are no specific treatments for the disease but there is treatment for the health problems. In some communities,there are special education classes and training for children with Down Syndrome which I personally believe is very nice. About eighty-five percent of infants with Down Syndrome survive to age one and fifty percent can be expected to live longer than fifty. One in seven-hundred-forty newborns would have this disease which means it is not very common. There is no certain race that is more prone to this disease. The male to female ratio is (1.15:1). The DNA for someone with Down Syndrome is three copies of Trisomy 21. To develop a treatment for Down Syndrome, we would need to know what really causes it and can than come up with a treatment from there. I think it is very unfortunate that some children have this disease and it is very sad. Some cases can be very severe which is even more sad. There are many problems that come along with the disease which make the child or adult struggle even more. I hope that someone soon comes up with a cure for this disease or at least something to prevent it.
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/birthdefects/f/down_syn_causes.htm
http://www.ndss.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=77

S.S. Blog State News

In the following article I have read about the stimulus plan of Corzine. It said that he plans in spending more than one billion dollars on this stimulus package. I think it's about time that something happened that will hopefully fix our economy. I also hope that this does not take money out of peoples pay checks that need the money and if anything, is taken from the people that do not need all the money that they are making. It seems that this money will be going to tax relief and to hopefully help out the unemployed. This money will also soften the damage we have created. Hopefully these cuts do no take away any ones jobs because that would defeat the purpose of helping the unemployed. I think the idea of creating jobs such as repairs and expansion of state highways, bridges, rail lines and seaports, as well as transit capital projects such as rail and bus stations is a very smart idea and will hopefully be successful. These repairs are needed for safe transportation so they are helping people economically and by securing their safety.
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/123545318436320.xml&coll=1

My Roller Coaster Website

The Drop

New Rat Species

In the following article, I have read about this new rat species that has been found in the mountains of the Philippines. They are called the Hamiguitan batomys. They are golden brown with a long fuzzy tail. The rat weighs 6.2 ounces. I think that it is wonderful that they have found this animal and that they continue to find other animals. These rats seem very interesting and different from the rats I have heard of. The rats that I know of are normally a gray color and live in highly human populated areas where they can access garbage. I thought that it was interesting that the Philippines had one of the largest amounts of unique species of mammals of any place in the world. I personally don't know much about rats but do find this discovery interesting and would like to hear more about it. I find new discoveries of animal species very interesting and I find it even more interesting that the species has gone so long not being discovered or unnoticed. I wonder if they were seen before and were not known to be a new species and I wonder how long they have been around for.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090218/sc_afp/philippineswildliferodent;_ylt=Anfjy6dhWyKWe3mTs.Sao794hMgF

Roller coasters

In science we are working on a roller coaster project. We had to earn "Omega Money" so we could "buy" the supplies for our project. Some of the supplies that we could buy are toliet paper rolls, empty milk cartons, empty soda bottles, large toilet paper rolls, tape and some other items that were made of cardboard. My group has a very small amount of money so we had to be sure not to waste any of it and use what we have wisely. So far me have just been using toliet paper rolls and masking tape. We have to have three hills on our roller coaster which we are having a bit of a hard time to built because you need just enough energy to get the marble up a hill and yet the structure still needs to be realistic. We have tried many different ways of making hills and some ways have suceded and some have not. I think we have learned that to get a marble up a hill, there should be a steep, longer hill coming down to it so that the marble has a lot of energy. I feel this project is fun and interesting because it shows us how cool energy and force are. Force is shown in this expreiment because the different angles and materials have different speeds and ablilitys which forces the marble to move throughout the roller coaster.. This project is a wonderful way to show force and really get you thinking. It is amazing how some of these roller coasters work and how they sometimes does not work. All in all, I have learned a lot from this project so far and it has been enjoyable.