Science Extra Credit :D

What Makes Weather?

What makes weather?
Do you know?
What makes rain,
and sleet,
and snow?

What makes summer warm and breezy?
What makes winter cold and sneezy?
What makes autumn crisp and keen?
What makes spring so warm and green?

I know, I know
what makes weather!
Lots of things that work together:
Wind and water,
earth's rotation,
bring the seasons
to each nation.
So now we all know
what makes weather—
lots of things that
work together!

by Helen H. Moore



Weather is used in this poem because it discusses different types of weather and how it occurs. For example, it includes an explanation stating that many things, like wind and water and earth's rotation have to do with seasons changing. The poets knowledge of weather enhances the poem because she knows what makes weather occur and how seasons change. Without this knowledge, Helen H. Moore wouldn't be able to make a clear statement on weathers' changes. This poem discusses warm weather, cold weather, summer, autumn, spring, and winter. Without the mention of weather, this poem would not be the same. It would be completely different. There are a few literary techniques that are used in this poem. Two are repitiion and rhyming. "What Makes Weather" did further my knowledge about weather. It taught me that weather changes because of the earth's rotation, and thats how seasons change.

This poem can be found at:
http://www.k12.hi.us/~shasincl/poems_prop_cycle_weather.html#whatmakesweather

Class Response: conduction, convection, radiation!

In science class, we are learning about CONDUCTION, CONVECTION, and RADIATION.
All three of these are heat transfers.

Conduction is the transfer of energy through matter from particle to particle. It is the transfer and distribution of heat energy from atom to atom within a substance. For example, a spoon in a cup of hot soup becomes warmer because the heat from the soup is conducted along the spoon. Conduction is most effective in solids-but it can happen in fluids.

Radiation: Electromagnetic waves that directly transport ENERGY through space. Sunlight is a form of radiation that is radiated through space to our planet without the aid of fluids or solids. The energy travels through nothingness. Because there are no solids (like a huge spoon) touching the sun and our planet, conduction is not responsible for bringing heat to Earth. Since there are no fluids (like air and water) in space, convection is not responsible for transferring the heat. Thus, radiation brings heat to our planet.


Convection is the transfer of heat by the actual movement of the warmed matter. Heat leaves the coffee cup as the currents of steam and air rise. Convection is the transfer of heat energy in a gas or liquid by movement of currents. (It can also happen is some solids, like sand.) The heat moves with the fluid.


site: http://www.mansfieldct.org/schools/MMS/staff/hand/convcondrad.htm

Class Response: Kites :]

A few days ago in science class, we made kites out of paper and strings. We were given very limited materials: a construction paper poster, a long string, tape, scissors, a hole-puncher, and markers. On the kite, we labeled/designed it with weather symbols. For example, a snowflake for snow, a lightening bolt for lightening, a filled in circle for rain, a triangle for hail, and an upside-down triangle for shower.

The next day, we were given a long piece of string and hole punched our kites. Then, we put the string through it and tied a thick knot. Later, we took our kites outside and attempted to fly them in the light winds. Unfortunately, most of our class did not succeed.

In my opinion, I believe that our kites did not fly because of the low air pressure (light winds) and because of the structure. If I could change something about my kite, I would make it out of a more sturdy and durable material.

This relates to what we are learning in science class because it has to do with different types of winds.

A Few Things To Keep In Mind:

*Winds are formed by a movement of air from one place to another.

*Local Winds- Blow from any direction and usually cover short distances.

*Global Winds- Blow from a specific direction and almost always cover longer distances than local winds.


*Both local winds and global winds are caused by differences in air pressure due to unequal heating of the atmosphere.

*Sea Breeze- Flow of air from the sea to the land.

*Land Breeze- Flow of air from the land to the sea.


visit this site for some info: http://library.thinkquest.org/C001472/en/development/types.content.html

Advancements In Technology-Social Studies Blog

The world is full technology, almost everything you see is the result of technology. Our houses, cars, buildings, streets, lights, and way more. We don't think about how much a part of our society it has become, or what life would be like without it. We should think about what technology has brought us, and what it enables us to do. In my opinion, I believe that internet has made a huge impact on society. Without internet, we wouldn't be able to learn as much as we are learning now. For example, our school uses the internet everyday, and without that resource, researching would be much more difficult. Although you can very easily use books, the internet is always preferable. People these days also use the internet for communication, entertainment, education, finding all sorts of information, playing games, and emailing. Without internet,

People would actually be posting letters through the post.

People would actually sit at a table to play games.

People would be participating in more social activities (ice skating, basketball, soccer, etc.

People would have to share physical CDs instead of iPods or MP3s.

For Wasps, spotty faces are KILLER

Just as some people look too scary to get into a fight with, so too do the looks on the faces of some wasps keep others away.

Paper wasps wear black spots to warn others of their grappling prowess, according to a new study that illustrates a strategy animals can use to avoid fights.

Animals spend a lot of time competing with each other over food, territory or other desirables.


The better fed and larger these wasps are, the more black spots they often have on their yellow faces. The more spots wasp faces had, the more other wasps might shy away.

The researchers perched dead wasps on top of sugar cubes and painted their faces with specific patterns. They next saw if other wasps dared approach the cubes for some tasty sugar. "The dead wasps kind of served like scarecrows for the other wasps," a researcher explained.


The researchers found that wasps preferred challenging guards with fewer spots and veered off from those with more spots!

Math Extra Credit..3

A year is a long time in a child's education, the time it can take to learn cursive writing or beginning algebra. It's also how much time kids can spend with substitute teachers from kindergarten through high school — time that's all but lost for learning.

The vacuum created by teacher absenteeism has been all but ignored — even though new research suggests it can have an adverse effect in the classroom.

The problem isn't just with teachers home for a day or two with the flu. Schools' use of substitutes to plug full-time vacancies — the teachers that kids are supposed to have all year — is up dramatically.


Link to lower test scores:

Teacher absences lead to lower student test scores, even when substitutes fill in. And test scores have gained heightened importance, because the 2002 education law penalizes schools if too few students meet testing benchmarks. The goal is to get all kids reading and doing math at their grade levels by 2014.

10 teacher absences within a year cause a significant loss in math achievement. When the regular teacher is gone for two weeks, it can set students back at least that amount of time.


With math in particular, the higher the level taught by the absent teacher, the harder it is to find a substitute.

Math Extra Credit..2

Girls like writing and reading; boys like math and science. At least that's the stereotype. Suprisingly, a new survey shows that girls in elementary school actually like math and science better than language arts!

Researchers at the University of Miami in Ohio surveyed nearly 2,000 girls in grades 4 through 8 at public and private schools and had them rate their enjoyment of four subjects, science, math, language arts and social studies, on a scale of 1 (strongly dislike) to 5 (really like).



Fourth-grade girls clearly liked science the best; their average enjoyment levels were:

4.11 for science
3.85 for math
3.5 for language arts
3.49 for social studies
As girls get older though, they seem to like science and math less, with science's average likeability score falling to 3.29 for girls in 8th grade.

But these subjects aren't alone, as girls seemed to lose a little interest in every subject. Likeability for social studies fell to 2.91 for 8th graders.


Just why girls lose interest in all these subjects is something researchers haven't worked out. But the good news, they say, is that girls regain some of their interest in science in college.

As an eight grader, I actually gained more interest in Language and Literature. Those are among my best subjects and I want to be involved with them as I become older.

Math Extra Credit..

With a total of 18 mathematicians and computer, scientists from several countries worked for four years to successfully map the inner working of E8 — one of the most complicated structures in math, a 248-dimensional object. The findings were reported today by the American Institute of Mathematics.


The mapping of E8, according to researchers, may very well have implications in mathematics and physics which won’t be evident for years to come.

Underlying symmetrical objects such as spheres and cylinders is something called a Lie group — a mathematical group invented by the 19th century Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie to study symmetry. E8 is an example of a Lie group.


The result of E8 and all its representations is 60 gigabytes in size, enough to store 45 continuous days of music in MP3 format. In comparison, the Human Genome Project holding the entire genetic code of a cell is less than a gigabyte in size.

In order to understand this concept, one must know many different areas of mathematics and science, including algebra, geometry, number theory, physics and chemistry. This project will be invaluable for future mathematicians and scientists.

The result of E8 and all its representations is 60 gigabytes in size


A unique aspect of this very large output answer is that unlike many large-scale calculations, the size of the input is small compared to the enormous and very dense answer.

Kids on steroids willing to risk it all for success?!?!

Although many sports stars deny that they are role models to the younger generation, many kids today grow up idolizing famous atheletes. Among students in grades 8 through 12 who admitted to using anabolic steroids in a confidential survey, 57 percent said professional athletes influenced their decision to use the drugs and 63 percent said pro athletes influenced their friends' decision to use them. Eighty percent of users — and 35 percent of non-users — said they believed steroids could help them achieve their athletic dreams.

What's even more upsetting is that the kids said that they were willing to take extreme risks with drugs to reach there atheletic goals. The survey found that 65 percent of steroid users versus 6 percent of non-users said they would be willing to use a pill or powder, including dietary supplements, if it guaranteed they would reach their athletic goals. Even if it could harm their health and even shorten their lives, many people said that they would be willing to take steroids.

The survey was mostly taken in New Jersey,Pennsylvania and New Mexico. Other states included Iowa, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Missouri, Ohio, Colorado, New York, Minnesota and California.

Overall, 1.6 percent of students (about 50 students in total) addmitted that they have used anabolic steroids.

Some students reported using other dietary supplements to boost their game or physical appearance. Of all students surveyed, 17 percent said they had used supplements such as protein powders, creatine and amino acids to gain body mass. And 35 percent said they had used supplements such as fat burners, high-energy drinks, ephedra and caffeine pills in an attempt to lose weight. The more supplements kids took, the more likely they were to also use steroids.

Sports role models are very powerful in a young kid's life. The mindset is that if [a pro athlete] had to use that, then maybe I should use that.

In my opinion, I believe that steroid use is wrong. Many kids think it's cool to take drugs or follow their sports role models, but drugs can really ruin your life. So, I think that every kid should think twice about imitating their irresponsible role models so they don't harm their lives.

This article can be found at:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22984780/

Music Can Heal Animals?!!??

After being tested, many labs found out that animals can calm down and feel better after listening to the sound of harps playing. Amazing, right? In 2000, a scientist performed for recently hospitalized canines at a Florida veterinary clinic. The hour-long sessions immediately began to lower heart rate, anxiety, and respiration in many cases.

Dogs aren’t the only animals benefiting from the harp music. Cassie, a black and white cow, used to have anxiety-related behavior issues.


On a recent morning, for example, a few scientists walked into the barn to find the 1,500 pound Holstein snorting and stomping.They weren't sure what upset Cassie but decided to try calming her by playing a CD of harp songs.

Within 20 minutes, Cassie calmed down. Now thats cool.


Both wild and domestic animals can benefit from music therapy but not all of them respond to it.

This is how it works:

The scientists use certain harp vibrations to resonate with the animals own cellular rhythms to help release tense muscle tissue, calm anxiety, improve digestion, induce restful sleep, and increase endorphins for pain management.

"Harp of Hope," a collection of 17 songs, was originally recorded for people but Schneider (the creator) decided to release an animal edition last year after owners reported it helped their arthritic dogs fall asleep and calmed their agitated cats.

Today, many Veterinary Hospitals use the CD to relax nervous animals!

If you would like to view the original article, visit:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22539914/