SMART!

In Science class we have been frequently using the SMART Board.The Smart Board is an interactive white board.It enables you to display the screen of a computer using a projector. Then , you must align the SMART Board with the computer screen. You must do this because the SMART Board is basically a touch screen monitor. The SMART Board has been used to view slide shows, play educational games, view text documents, and demonstrate proper use of certain computer programs. The SMART Board has been a very useful tool in learning science in a fun yet effective way. SMART technologies have come out with plenty of educational and corporate solutions. One of SMART technologies' education resources is SMART Learning Marketplace. This is a collection of several--several meaning millions--learning resources. These resources include images, text documents, and more, all of which are professionally developed. As mentioned, SMART had also come out with corporate solutions, one of which is called Sympodium Interactive Pen Display. This allows you to write over slides with digital ink, save notes, access the Internet and project your work onto a larger screen.

source: http://smarttech.com

And the Blox Went Boom!

Recently in science class, we played a game called Boom Blox on Wii, using the Smart Board.To play Boom Blox, you must think if ways to "kill two birds with one stone." In other words you must formulate a decision about how to knock all the Blox over in as little tries as possible. In different games you can play Chem Blox (cause chemical reactions to knock over blox), Bomb Blox (use bomb blox to remove the Blox), and more. Boom Blox is a great game that really helps build good problem solving skills. It forces you to think about chain reactions. There are plenty of other games and software that will really help kids learn. JumpStart Study Helpers Spelling Bee Software enables children to import their spelling vocabulary as it helps them study. Hooked on Phonics and Zizzle make toys for children that help with their phonics skills. With a world of technology out there, learning is as fun and simple as saying "Boom Blox!"

TrueCall: Stay Safe!

Source: http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/hughes/34813 (YAHOO! tech)

Former telemarketers Steve Smith and John Price have created TrueCall. TrueCall is a device that can block callers who try to steal your financial information, perhaps those who commit fraud. When you receive a call TrueCall decides whether it is a good call or a bad call. If it decides that a caller is a bad call they put it on hold and the machine asks them for their name and the call is then forwarded to the user's phone. Once the call is forwarded to the user's phone they are given the option to either take or reject the call. You can add numbers of those who you know to your "Star" list and TrueCall will not scan this call. Instead it rings normally just as it would with your phone without TrueCall would. Numbers on your "zap" list will not go through at all. TrueCall simply blocks these calls. As for now, TrueCall is only available in the United Kingdom. But soon enough TrueCall will be available in the United States!
I feel that TrueCall is a great way to save those who are unaware of fraud from giving out their personal and financial information. However, I am unsure of whether or not it would block a good number accidentally and have you miss an important call. Nevertheless, this is what the "Star" list is what this is for.

Current Event: Solar Power to the Rescue!

Going camping? Need a working fridge on the trip? Well, with Sola Unagi, you can! The Sola Unagi is a 22 pound suitcase that holds two 13 watt solar panels. Though the specifications do not note how long the Sola Unagi takes to completely charge, once charged, it can work wonders. The Sola Unagi can power a 21 inch color television for five hours, a laptop for six, a dorm fridge for five, and charge up to twenty cell phones at once. However, one Sola Unagi costs $1,115. I feel that this is a huge step in the cause to be green. I also think that the Sola Unagi is a great thing for portable use, though the weight is an issue. Nevertheless it is far too expensive despite the discount you receive when you purchase this item in larger numbers. Overall, trying to use solar power is becoming more and more popular and I appreciate this step in becoming more advanced in using it. Solar technology is taking the world by surprise one step at a time.

SOURCE: YAHOO! tech
link: http://tech.yahoo.com/blog/patterson/16687

Class Response: "The Arctic Tale"

We watched a movie entitled "The Arctic Tale" as a part of the Science curriculum. It was about polar bears and walruses in the Arctic, fighting for survival. Nani's mother was looking out for her two children--Nani, and Nani's brother. Polar bears actually eat walruses. So on the walruses' part , life isn't exactly easy either. On top of this, global warming is melting the polar ice caps, which is home to the polar bears ( a currently endangered species). It was shocking that a male polar bear would actually attack the cubs. Every time a polar bear saw a walrus, they would go crazy in their search of food. It was sad when Nani's brother died of starvation. As a result of this, the mother had to scare Nani away because if she didn't they would both starve to death. This movie was very informative because not only does it show the adverse effects of global warming, but it also shows us how far animals can go to survive. They basically go with their first instinct. This is exactly what the walruses and the polar bears do in "The Arctic Tale"

Class Response: Omega Kite

In science class, we were assigned to make a kite, decorate it with weather symbols, and include a paragraph on why we think kites fly. Making the kites was fun, as well as informative. We used the design process to think of a creative way to make the kite fly. Since we also had to design the kite with symbols of weather, the weather symbols remained in my mind this time--rather than forgetting them. While writing the paragraph on why kites fly, we had to really think. Kites do not fly simply as a result of wind. We discovered that not only does the wind carry kites through the sky. We learned that it does not need to be windy for a kite to fly, because of convection currents.

Weather Poetry Extra Credit

THE BREEZE

by Ina L. Jenkins

Let’s keep its name – “The Breeze”!
These others do not please.
A “hurricane” soon spends its strength
And rubbish strews its path;
A “grapevine” smells of sour grapes
And, some think, “Grapes of Wrath.”
A “chatterbox” is much too loud
And noisy to be heard;
And the “back fence” has been blown down
And that’s no “weather” word!

So let us name it something like
The gentle wind that blows
Nobody any harm at all
And whispers as it goes.

In: “The Breeze.” Vol. 2, No. 2, March 10, 1945. P. 2.

Above is the poem entitled "the Breeze" The author, Ina L. Jenkins uses weather in the poem by mentioning breezes, hurricanes, and stronger winds. Ina L. Jenkins's knowledge of wind being a main component of a hurricane enhances the poem by showing the effect of such a strong, harsh wind. She writes "And the 'black fence' has been blown down." The type of weather that is being discussed is the hurricane and its harsh winds that come with it.

The poem "The Breeze" would not be the same without the mention of weather, because weather is what it is all about. Even from the title, one can tell that this whole poem is about weather. An onomatopoeia is used when she describes the sound the wind makes. There is also imagery when the author describes the smell of a grapevine, the color of the fence that has been blown down (black), the volume of a chatterbox, and the gentleness of some winds that blow. This poem, however, does not further my knowledge of weather because I was already aware of winds that are contained in hurricanes and the adverse affects of them.

Social Studies Homework

My mom said that thirty years ago they didn't have microwave ovens. Surprisingly, until then I paid little attention to how much they actually help us. When I asked her how her food was heated she said that they did it all on their gas stove. However, not all foods can be heated in this manner, and it does take a lot of time for it to do so. Sometimes the gas stoves don't even turn on. For people who eat a lot of leftovers, she said that microwaves really made life easier for.

Assignment 3

GREY WOLVES OFF THE ENDANGERED LIST

Grey Wolves, of the North Rockies are being removed from the endangered list. About 1,500 of them inhabit the states of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. This is a very drastic change, since this species almost went totally extinct in the 20th century. However, public hunts for these animals might be allowed as soon as this fall.

site link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/02/21/wolves.delisting.ap/index.html

Assignment 2

Article title: "Recycling in its Purest form--Among the Worms
by the Associated Press
link: http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/12/26/green.coffin.ap/index.html

Summary
A new fad of paper, biodegradable coffins and caskets are more eco-friendly than the regular wooden coffins that we bury underground in cemeteries. Although they are more friendly to the environment, and rot over time they still burn a lot of fossil fuels in the making, due to cremation. The price range of these coffins ranges from one hundred dollars for a simple cardboard box to three thousand dollars for a handcrafted burial. These coffins although mainly used in United Kingdom, are becoming more popular in New York, California, South Carolina, Texas, and Florida. The average revenue of these coffins is eleven million dollars. Bob Fells says that although he doesn't know if these coffins are here to stay, he is ready to give what is needed of these biodegradable, eco-friendly coffins.