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.