October Sky

On Thursday, May 14th, we watched the movie October Sky, which was a movie based on a true story. This movie was about a small-mining-town boy who aspired to work in the Space and Astronautics field. Homer Hickam, the boy, faced many bumps in the road along the way, but at the end of the day, he achieved his goal. This movie portrayed a lot of science, math and character education.

On of the obvious science connections in this movie was all about coal mines and coal mining. Coal mining is the town's way of supporting itself. Coal mining is very dangerous. In the movie, Mr. Hickam, became seriously injured due to a collapse in the coal mine. The coal that is mined is used for energy use and fuel. America is very dependent on coal. There are many ways to extract coal from the mines.

Next, Rockets and Rocket Science was very prevalent throughout the movie. Homer and his friends built many rockets. They used physics, math and many other scientific concepts to build and design their rockets. Homer and his friends (they were often called the Rocket Boys) used trial and error to build the perfect model of a rocket. In addition to the Rocket Boys' rockets, real explorations were in the process. Russia had sent up Sputnik, the first rocket in space, into outer space. The Russians had a few troubles along the way, but they always tried their hardest.

The boys used math to prove their innocence when they were in trouble. Police thought that a forest fire had been started by the boys' rockets and experimenting. Through a detailed math (such as geometry), the boys proved they were innocent. If the boys had not used their math and science, they would have been in heaps of trouble for what they didn't do!

Finally, this movie talked about health issues. Everyday, the coal miners put themselves at risk for lung cancer. Breathing in the horrid fumes and other chemicals in the coal mines damaged their bodies. In addition, Homer's teacher was faced with Hodgekin's Disease. Hodgekin's is a type of cancer. A few years later, their teacher had died due to Hodgekin's.

The miners in the movie often showed respect towards one another. When the cave caved in or collapsed, a miner was always there to push a fellow miner out of the way. Also, many of Homer's friends and family supported his dreams to become what he wanted. However, his brother and his father often were negative about his dreams. Homer's teacher gave Homer a lot of support and help to achieve his goal. Also, Homer showed self-control when his dad did not support his dreams (most of the time). Once, Homer and his dad got into a fight over it. This fight occurred as a result of Homer being assertive towards his father. In addition, Homer's father stepped in when one of Homer's friend's step-father was beating his step-son. Mr. Hickam stopped him. Homer's dad also saved peoples lives, putting his own at risk, when the mine collapsed. Finally, when Homer needed to help the family out, he put his own needs and desires to the side to cooperate and help his family in their time of need.

To reiterate, October Sky was a good movie. I enjoyed its lessons. This movie taught me that even in a small town, it's possible to become a big shot. Also, I learned that strength is something you choose. In addition, I learned that even if there's a bump in the road, you jump over it or you walk over or around it. I learned that if you fall down, you have to pick your self up and just keep going. If there's a scratch on your knee, you need to rub it and keep on going. All in all, I really loved this movie, I hope I can watch it again.

Angelman Syndrome Response Blog

After reading about Angelman Syndrome on babybblue14's blog, I learned a lot about this genetic disease.

What exactly is Angelman Syndrome? Angelman Syndrome is a genetic disease. This affects the nervous system. Angelman Syndrome was discovered in 1965 by Harry Angelman. There are only about a thousand cases in the Unites States. However, around the world, there is between 92,702 and 154,504 cases. People are usually born with this disease. Infants are presented with developmental issues at very young age. Also, children have feeding issues. Although, it doesn't end here, sadly. As the person gets older, they have to fight more and more problems. In addition to affecting the brain, Angelman Syndrome will affect the physical appearances. Even with all these problems, there is no perfect cure. However, there are different ways to deal with having Angelman Syndrome. 

In my opinion, Angelman Syndrome seems like a hard thing to live with. I want to do something to help these kids and people who have this disease. It makes me sad that infants are faced with such challenges. It also makes me sad that parents need to watch their kids suffer. All parents want are healthy babies that will lead a happy life. It must be tortuous for parents to watch their kids suffer. Although, I think that we can learn something from the many kids that have Angelman Syndrome. They teach us that its possible to lead a good life, even with a few bumps in the road.

To read babybblue14's blog here!

 

Phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria (commonly known as PKU) was discovered in 1934 by Asbjorn Folling. PKU is usually found in newborns. It is a genetic disease. If not treated, PKU can lead to brain damage very soon after the birth of the infant. PKU is caused when there is a excess amount of protien in the baby's body.

PKU has many symptoms. The infant can have an intellectual disability, seizures, delayed development, behavioral problems, psychiatric disorders, musty or mouse-like odor, eczema and lighter hair and skin color the unaffected family. However, PKU can be treated. A reduced-protein diet and phenylalanine-free formula (which is should be fed 7-10 days after the birth of the baby). In the picture above, you can see all the different kinds of foods good to eat if one has PKU. The medicine "Kuvan" is also prescribed in some cases.

PKU is common in about one in ten thousand people to about one in fifteen thousand people. Even though how common the disease is in people varies from place to place, it is mostly common in Whites and Asians. Very often, PKU is diagnosed in newborns.

In the end, there are many treatments for PKU. Since this is a genetic disease, we can hope that one day, it will die out. Personally, learning about PKU made me sad because small and innocent infants are faced with this.

Links I Used:

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DNA Conclusion

On Wednesday, we did a simple lab to extract DNA. We extracted DNA from a human and from a plant. Before we did anything, we took a few observations.

(If you look closely at the HUMAN DNA, there is DNA, it's just small)

The procedure to extract the human DNA (which I did) was to swish the Gatorade in my mouth for one minute. After that, spit it into the cup. Next, put it into the test tube. Following that, put alcohol into the test tube. Finally, let the test tube rest at an angle for fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes later you will see white pieces floating around. This is the DNA. As the time goes by, you can see it getting slightly bigger. My partner, had to extract DNA from a strawberry. Once she was done with her procedure, we looked at each others DNA and compared them to one another.

In the end, I thought this was a cool lab. I learned a lot from it. I learned how various types of DNA look. I also learned that DNA is a lot like a puzzle piece. I think the only thing I did wrong was the fact that I didn't put the alcohol into the tube gently starting at the side. I just, well, put it in! If I did that, I wonder what would've been different if there was any difference! I enjoyed this lab very much and hope to do something this fun again soon.

Cells

In science, we are learning about cells. Cells are considered the basic units of life. To start, each cell has a cell membrane. The cell membrane protects what is inside. In plants and algae, the cells have a cell wall. The cell wall gives the cell membrane support and strength. After that, there's everything inside. The "computer" of the cell is all in the nucleus. The DNA is in the nucleus. The DNA contains the information needed to make the cells proteins. There might also be a nucleolus inside the nucleus. Next, there's the ribosomes. The ribosomes are very small building blocks of cells. These ribosomes carry messages to the endoplasmic reticulum. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is known as the delivery system of the cell. The ER transports protiens (that come from ribosomes) somewhere else later, after storage. The mitochondria of a cell is known as the energy system of a cell. Did you know the reason you breathe is so the mitochondria has the oxygen it needs? Plants and algae have chloroplast which is responsibe for converting energy. Lastly, lysosomes contain enzymes.

Look at the diagram above to learn more about a cell.

Click on the CELL to learn more

Roller coasters

Bloggers,

I realize this is a bit late, but here are some really cool site to go along with the post named "Rollar Coasters" (with an A [=) Please look at these sites, they are really cool!

Great one to start off learning the physics and just messing around to see what you can get out of observations.

http://www.funderstanding.com/coaster

Great one to see it action and have a detailed explanation as you go along. Mix and match around and see what you get out of it with an explanation!

http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster.html

Great website for the final step... SAFETY! Mix around and see how well your audience likes it
-- safety wise!

http://dsc.discovery.com/games/coasters/interactive.html

Sprinklers Flood a Police Station

There are sprinklers in some of your houses. What if they cracked? Then what? A leak or nothing might be expected, right? But, what if the results were much more worse... Like a flooded police station?!?!

In the South Brunswick Police Station, cracked sprinkler heads created turmoil and damage on the first and second floors. The damages made cost about $158,327. There was also lots of damage done to the equipment. ”The fire sprinkler heads burst and it caused substantial damage to the lower floors at the Police Department,” claimed Ron Schmalz. “Once our dispatchers saw the heads leaking they called in Public Works, but those sprinklers throw out a lot of water so by the time they got it turned off there was substantial damage.” Mr. Schmalz also mentioned that the police were in the middle of some work while this had happened, but they evacuated soon enough. Mr. Schmalz also said that repairs are almost done. Although, out of all the damages, the worst is probably the carpet! $74,918 will be needed to replace it! A computer, a projector with a lamp and new ceiling tiles also need to be replaced.

To learn more about the disaster, click on the broken sprinkler.

My Roller Coaster Website

The Elephant

Rollar Coasters

So here's the deal, bloggers. We're building these amazing roller coasters that use physics to operate. But the thing is, they are made out of paper products and are only about 4 feet tall. Some ride, huh? Not really! Our "company" needs to figure out how to make a roller coaster that has at least three hills and one other characteristic of a roller coaster. At the end of designing, we need to drop a marble into the entrance and see if it will go through the whole thing with out stopping.

Easy? Not at all. We have to buy all our supplies - with money that is earned hardly. Since this is MY blog, I will be honest. Ten O-Dollars for one toilet paper tube? Crazy right? That's okay. Be polite with Treasure, the Shopkeeper, and you'll be rewarded! My point is, spend your money wisely and your roller coaster is perfect. Less can be more very often.

Other than the money factor, we have a PHYSICS factor! Some questions we have to ask ourselves some questions. How will our roller coaster function? What should our design be so the marble will gain lots of energy to be able to easily overcome the hills? How will we get support for cheap? $5 for lots of tooth picks or $1 for a straw? What should we use?

In the end, we still are working on it. I hope by tomorrow it will all fall into place. We have come across some problems, but we have easily fixed them. Maybe next week I will post a detailed diagram of our roller coaster and how it works.

But for now,
Adios!

glowriter54

Iraq Moves Towards Democracy

Finally, the moment has come. Iraq is making swift movements toward Democracy. Although only 51% of registered voters showed up to vote, everything ran as smooth as ice. There was no violence or riots. There was lots of precaution taken to avoid any violence and riots. This is the first time that voting has been set up the same way it is set up here in America. Voting centers were set up based on addresses and location. Iraq is divided into 18 provinces. Each one is led by provincial councils. Provincial Councils monitor the budget and infrastructure projects. In the election that took place, over a thousand people ran for a position that was only meant for 440 people! President Obama had a very positive outlook on the whole thing. He had said "I think that you have a sense now that the Iraqis just had a very significant election with no significant violence that we are in a position to start putting more responsibility on the Iraqis and that's good news not only for the troops on the ground but for the families who are carrying an enormous burden." I, myself, am very proud with the Iraqis. They are doing a fantastic job with coping with us. Of course it will take a while to count up all those votes, but until then, GREAT GOING IRAQ!

Click this to learn more and see where I got my information from.

Amazon Kindle

If there's any amazing things about the Amazon Kindle, it's that it's eco-friendly and tiny. The Amazon Kindle is sleek and slim. It is an eBook reader. The Kindle can hold about 200 books. Books can be purchased straight from amazon.com or the Kindle itself! The Kindle has a Wi-Fi connection on it. You can purchase a books from the bus or in bed with the touch of a button. In addition to books, newspapers and magazines can be sent straight to your Kindle.

The Kindle doesn't have a backlight, therefore, eyes are not strained while reading. You can take your Kindle anywhere! It's slim and small. Books can be big are heavy. Consumers say that the Kindle is great to use because their houses are much less cluttered because they don't have books in every corner of their house.

There are over 200,000 books offered for the Kindle. Books prices are usually $9.99 or less. The New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases are $9.99. You can sample a books by downloading the first few pages or chapters. You can even get international newspapers. Some places you can get international news papers are France, Germany and Ireland. You can even email your word documents to view on your Kindle.

The Kindle is definetly a great advancment in technology. I can't wait to get one. The only downside is that its $359. Also, it is curently sold out. But until it's back in stock, I can't wait!

To learn more about the Kindle click here. To buy the Kindle at learn more about kindle click here!

Ciao Bloggers,

glowriter54

National News - The Presidential Inauguration

Just a mere twenty four hours ago, we lived a moment in history that will be in all new history books to come for the rest of forever. Barack Obama is the first African American to be President of the United States. This historic event is so important to America. Every battle that has been fought in the Civil War, every protest that has been protested in the Civil Rights Movement, and every boycott that has been boycotted in the
Civil Rights Movement has finally been paid off.

An article on CNN Online discussed the greatness of Obama becoming President. It was said that over a million people attended the inauguration. Other than the person who was being inaugurated, everything else was the usual. Obama put his hand over the same Bible that Lincoln did. Obama gave a powerful and thoughtful speech after his inauguration. The article said that "Obama thanked those who sacrificed so much so 'A man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.'" This was powerful to me because Obama really jumped a whole big step in this world. Obama's inauguration was celebrated all over the world in many ways. Students crowded in auditoriums, colleagues huddled in the break room and kindergarteners worked on coloring pages while watching the inauguration. Overall, this article discussed the greatness of Obama and his accomplishments. Click on this to learn more.

Yahoo News had a positive outlook on the inauguration of President Obama. It was said that there were many happy and jolly spirits standing in the bitter cold to witness the great event to come. The article also talked about what Obama is planning to do this week. “Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state,” said Yahoo News. Already, it is very clear that Obama is being responsible. "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Said Obama. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship." It is clear that Obama won’t let us down. Obama is already taking his job very seriously and it is not even Day One. Obama’s speech just was a giant piece in showing us great promise. He gave us many words of wisdom. Click here. to see the article

To summarize, I feel that Obama has great promise. His speech was moving and effective. Usually, I just can’t seem to focus on speeches because they bore me, but this was an exception. I held on to every word that Obama spoke, and I think I understand why all my friends and family are so excited about this. I wonder what Obama will do first. I have high hopes in Obama and I hope to see high things coming from him. More than anything would I love for him to get him out of this mess that America is in. If he does that too, then I truly believe he can do anything.

Happy New Year

It's 2009 at last!

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope you have a fanaweamabulous (FANtastic AWEsome AMAzing faBULOUS) year.

~glowriter54~

What will you do in a second?

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Have you ever asked for one more second? One second to score a tie-breaking point? One second to avoid an accident? One second extra to make a decision? One second to eat that last bite of cake before 2009?
In 2008 (just days ago!), that was the case. There was an extra second that was added on to the year. The extra second was added on December 31, at midnight. So imagine this; "Just before midnight it will read 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds. But instead of clicking over to 00 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds on January 1, it will first read 11 hours 59 minutes 60 seconds on December 31!" **
This extra second made 2008 the longest year since 1992. The reason scientists have done this is so the Earth's rotation can catch up with the clocks. In addition, the idea was to have the Sun at it's highest point during noon. Carrie Brooks said "Our clock and the universe's clock can't always be in sync, so they have to find a way to make it right and fix it." It's true right? In support, the theory has proven to be true. There have been 24 leap seconds since 1972. Some have been June and some have been on New Years Eve.
What surprised me was that this was not the first time that this has happened and that it has happened 24 times before. I thought this was a historical event that only happened once or twice.
After reading this article, I wondered how do the scientists know when to add a leap second. For now, I think it was cool and interesting that something like this really happens. But now that I am thinking about it, what could have I done in that extra second?

Click here to go to where you can get quick and easy facts about this subject.

Click here to learn about more scientific information that is complicated, for the higher level and deeper understanding. **THIS IS QUOTED FROM THIS ARTICLE**