Fables

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Appearances can be deceiving. The wolf dressed up as a sheep by wearing sheep skin, therefore, the lamb was fooled into thinking the wolf was actually a sheep.

The Four Oxen and the Lion: We stand and fall together. The oxen used to work together to protect one another from the wraths of the lion, but once a fight broke out between the group, the lion attacked each of the four.

The Fisher and the Little Fish: It is better to appreciate what you have now, no matter what size or shape, than to wait for a result you are unsure of later. The fisherman did not let the fish go because he was not sure of whether or not he would catch the fish later.

The Crow and the Pitcher: When there's a will, there's a way. The crow did not give up the quest for drinking the water from the pitcher and soon found a way to quench his thirst, and save his life.

The Fox and the Goat: Don't be deceived by a man in trouble. The goat was fooled by the cleverness of the fox. The goat thought that he was saving himself. In reality, the fox was only using the goat to help himself get out of the well.

Ask A Geneticist

As I read the article, "Ask a Genticist", I found it very intriguing how humans and chimpanzees have about the same number of genes. This really portrays how similar humans are to chimps. Even though we think of them as a more primitive species, we are over 98% the same as chimpanzees. I also learned that the human Y chromosome is not much different than the chimpanzee Y chromosome, except the fact that the human Y chromosome is a little bigger. This still allows both humans as well as chimps to carry out the same number of critical male genes.

Response to "Wooden Bowls"

The story, "Wooden Bowls" portrayed a phase that occurs in real life. As we hit our last stages of life, our body starts to retire. Consequently, we are not capable of completing skills that we previously had. For example, the grandfather was not able to properly grasp a grass of milk. This downfall made the son and daughter-in-law of the grandfather look at him in a condescending manner. They never realized how heart-wrenching this made the grandfather feel only until they saw the bad example they were setting for their four-year-old son. This story connects to C.A.R.E.S. as an example of empathy because the son and daughter-in-law failed to put themselves in the grandfather's shoes.

Basic Genetics

I learned many new facts from the University of Utah genetics website. I learned that we get our traits from our parents. This is because our parents each contribute one set of 23 chromosomes. The only rule for making us who we are is that we have to receive one of each chromosome. This pattern continues when we have kids and through the next generations.

I also learned that we can have physical traits, behavioral traits and predisposition to medical conditions. For example, we can have obvious physical traits such as eye color or hair color. Behavioral traits are how we act. We could have the same stubbornness that an older grandparent had just by receiving traits. Cancer is a common example of predisposition to medical conditions and is usually received by traits.

Article: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu, What is Heredity? What is a Trait?; Source: University of Utah, Internet

Class Response

This year in science class, my favorite activity, by far, has been the dissection of owl pellets.Owl pellets are masses of bone, teeth, hair, feathers, and exoskeletons from its prey. During this experiment, we were given an owl pellet to dissect. As we dissected the pellet, we took apart the bones and reassembled them to make a skeleton. In my particular owl pellet, I got a rodent. This activity was fairly difficult because the bones were very small and fragile. I found it very interesting because even though the bones went through a strenuous process in the owl's body, they still managed to come out intact.

To gain further information about owl pellets, I visited the site "biologycorner.com". In this site, I learned more information about owl pellets that I didn't know before. For example, there is an entire ecosystem contained in one owl pellet. This is because beetles and other insects feed on the fur and feathers or use the pellet as shelter. I also learned that owls are similar to snakes because they both swallow their prey whole. On the other hand, snakes are able to digest the fur and bones unlike owls.

Article: http://www.biologycorner.com/worksheets/owlpellet.html, Owl Pellets; Source: The Biology Corner, Internet

Science Blog Assignment (#2)

Did you know that 90% of the deaths in Africa are caused by malaria? This is because there are so many mosquitoes swarming Africa at night, the most vulnerable time of day. These tiny mosquitoes carry malaria and when they bite a person, this disease immediately enters their bloodstream. A child dies every 30 seconds in Africa because of malaria. Thanks to the program called "Malaria No More", they have created a way to prevent this dreadful epidemic. They use chemical-treated mosquito nets. These nets can be hung over beds at night. The chemicals prevent and can even kill mosquitoes on contact.

I feel that "Malaria No More" has really done a lot for Africa by creating these mosquito nets. Not only will kids be safe, but parents can also rest assured. Even though scientists have not yet found a cure for malaria, I am confident that they will find one in the future.

Article: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/SpaceScience/Malaria, Malaria Is Still A Problem In Africa; Source: National Geographic Kids, Internet

Science Blog Assignment (#1)

Americans buy more bottled water than any other nation in the world. This is a major problem contributing to the destruction of our environment. We use 29 billion bottles of water a year. What we don't realize is the process it takes to manufacture and construct all of these bottles. Many people are tricked into thinking that tap water is not safe or can induce harmful effects. In reality, scientists think that water bottles can hold hazardous chemicals that transfer into the water. Though water bottles are easy and compact, we never take the environment into thought. Instead, we think only about our own convenience.

In my opinion, I feel that it is wrong to fill our beautiful environment with so many landfills. Even though many of us recycle, only one out of the six bottles we use get recycled. The others go to a landfill. We can do many things to prevent this problem. For example, instead of using water bottles, we can use refillable steel containers. Or, if you use a water bottle, reuse it by filling it with tap water for your next use. Just recycling one water bottle can power a 60-watt light bulb for 6 hours. Imagine what everyone can do together if we each recycled just one water bottle.

Article: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/SpaceScience/Water-bottle-pollution, Drinking Water: Bottle or From the Tap ; Source: National Geographic Kids, Internet