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

Bullying (Man's Inhumanity to Man)

Maybe our society can't put an end to bullying because we aren't able to stand up for one another. Instead, our mind assumes that someone else will stand up for others. Or, we follow the crowd and make fun of the victim automatically, even though we know it's wrong. This relates to Ralph from the book Lord of the Flies because he constantly neglects the opportunity to stand up for Piggy towards Jack. Instead, he decides to follow the crowd and either makes fun of Piggy, or does nothing.

Summer Reading Question

While I read Bud, Not Buddy, I thought of the author and what kind of person he might be. I imagine Christopher Paul Curtis (author) as a person who was brought up in the same hometown as Bud. He probably didn't experience all of the same events that Bud did, but I imagine that he went through some of the same hardships. I also think of him to be someone who is very determined and caring like Bud. Overall, I imagine Christopher Paul Curtis to be quite similar to Bud.

Welcome Scientists!

My favorite subject is science, because I enjoy learning new things about the world. I also enjoy science because I like to conduct experiments.

The best book I ever read was The Map of the Known World.

My favorite food to buy in the cafeteria is nothing. I don't enjoy the cafeteria food.

On the weekend, when all my chores are done, I like to go over my friend's house.

If I won a free airline ticket to any place I wanted, I would go to Australia to visit the kangaroos and the Sydney Opera House.

My favorite color is Green.

If I had a pet, it would be a panda, and I'd name him/her Oreo.

This year, if I work hard enough, I hope to get a 95% or higher in math.