New Year

All posts below are from 2006-2007

Tupperware Landforms

In class we recently did a really cool activity with Tupperware. We actually created the illusion of a landform!

TUPPERWARE LANDFORM ACTIVITY

Here is what you need for the activity:

At least 5-10 Tupperware plastic transparent containers
1 Eraseable marker
a paper towel (or anything to erase with)
A sheet of landform levels

The activity is very easy but very cool as well. You start out putting one container on the bottom (biggest) level of the mountain or landform. you trace that level then put another container on top of it and trace the next level through the containers. As it gets smaller, you can see a landform forming up. To make different ones, just erase the marker and you can even make your own 3-D landform! Try it!

Wiki Introduction

Here is my Wiki Intro for now;

Wiki Introduction

Mark Twain and earthquakes. Already, you may be thinking that they don’t mix. At least that you know of. In 1865, an earthquake shook the city of San Francisco, California. Mark Twain was there and as he says, “enjoyed his first earthquake”. Also known as Samuel Clemens, this famous and later classic, author had been inspired by earthquakes and wrote a book describing the event. This book was called “Roughing It”. What was in the book? What happened to the people? All these questions and more will be answered further on and you will soon be an expert on Mark Twain and the Great Earthquake of 1865. You will also learn a slight amount about the earthquake in 1905 as well. “Is this paying proper respect to earthquakes? I think not. If I were an earthquake, I would never stand for such insolence from Popper. I am confident that I would shake that shell down, even if it took my last shake.” That is a quote from Mark Twain expressing his feelings towards earthquakes. He felt that lightning should not be feared because it will not always hurt you, but earthquakes can’t miss you. Mark Twain feels that earthquakes are under appreciated. He also says “Who is Ajax to Popper, and what is lightning to an earthquake? It is taking no chances to speak of to defy the lightning, for it might pelt away at you for a year and miss you every time - but I don't care what corner you hide in, if the earthquake comes it will shake you; and if you will build your house weak enough to give it a fair show, it will melt it down like butter.” As you can see earthquakes didn’t horrify Mark Twain, they motivated him. Some of Mr. Twain’s writing from the earthquake helped his writing career and even changed his life. All of this is because it’s what planet Earth does.

Website Advertising Krest Kingdom

This is the link to the website that I made to Advertise our Rollercoaster: Krest Kingdom

Rollercoaster Class Response

Recently we have been doing a pretty cool project. It is:

BUILDING ROLLERCOASTERS

Our latest assignment is supposed to teach us about Kinetic Energey, Potential Energy, along with Mass, Momentum, Speed, and force. If you are confused right now, I'll help out. Our assignment was to create a rollercoaster out of supplies using our knowledge about the terms that I gave above. But we can't just get the supplies whenever or whatever we need. Over the past few weeks, the Omega teachers have been rewarding good behavior on tests and in class with "Omega Money". We use this to buy our supplies so we can also learn the value of money while participating a littl more in class. We were put into groups and we cobined our money to buy the supplies. A group needs about $1,000 in Omega Money to get the top quality supplies to ensure that the rollercoaster will work. Our supplies consisted of: Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Rolls, Boxes, Straws, Cups, Cans, and anything that Omega Students donated to the "Omega Store". The Rollercoaster can't just look nice, it has to work too. We use a marble to go fluently through the ride. We also must have at least 4 hills and 1 rollercoaster aspect. When finished we must label parts of the ride. Then comes in the Tic Tac Toe project which also lets you advertise your rollercoaster. You can name and price your coaster. This project has many lessons.

Oldest tree on Earth tell scientists more about the prehistoric Ecosystems

Scientists realized that the Oldest tree know to man on Earth had Fronds not leaves. It is:

"OLDEST TREE HAD FRONDS, NOT LEAVES"

So many of you may be thinking "What are fronds and why are they so important?" Well to start off, fronds are the green leaves you see on palm trees. They are very thick and sturdy and large. The exact defenitions are:
1.
an often large, finely divided leaf, esp. as applied to the ferns and certain palms.
2.
a leaflike expansion not differentiated into stem and foliage, as in lichens.

So now that we know what fronds are, why are they so important to scientists? CNN states that "The stumps in Gilboa were unearthed in 1870 when workers were blasting a quarry. Until now, scientists had never seen the tops of those trees." The fronds explained some questions about bugs and the ecosystem. CNN also says that it was " a tree that looked like modern-day palm with a crown of fronds that grew up to 30 feet high and reproduced through spores." The trees are said to be about 23-million years old. Also the tree branches fell on the floor which had created shelter and food for bug and other forest creatures. This helps scientists recreate early ecosystems and it might surprise them with even more untold tales.

SOURCES

CNN Article

A Chicken's Cousin is a T-REX??

This is the new discovery shocking people around the globe.

CHICKENS ARE RELATED TO T-REX'S

Yes, you are seeing right. The chicken, the symbol of being scared is found to be a distant cousin of one of the feircest dinosaurs that was said to roam the Earth. The T-Rex. Scientists had discovered this by studying protiens from a 68-million year old dinosaur bone. This is the first known Bird to Dinosaur relation with molecular proof. This new study might help scientists a lot more with learning about evolving. I think that everyday as we uncover more history we learn SO much more about the past. Keep an eye out for even more discoverys. You never know what might happen.

SOURCES

CNN Article