Class blog 2

In class we learned about oil. Oil comes from mostly hot areas such as deserts in Middle Eastern areas. It is derived by holes drilled in the ground then sucked out into tanks which later get preserved in either reservoirs underground or above ground facilities. Oil is made from organic layers in the earth getting compressed and heated. We did our own experiment were we got to experience a simulation of what oil drillers have to do to retrieve oil. We did this by picking points on a map then drilling those points in a tray overlapped with foil. Under the foil was kitty litter, which was representing erths crust, and syrup, which represented oil in the crust. We drilled whole with a pointy stick then we recorded our results. The results not only consisted of if we found oil or not, but the price for drilling the holes and other factors such as the mass of the hole. To sum up, this experiment took a lot of knowledge about oil finding to find the exact point where the oil could be located. And it was also very realistic to real life oil drilling. It was and educational and fun experiment overall.

Class blog 1

In class we built our own kites, which we later tried to fly outside. When building the kite, we had to take the shape of the kite into consideration as well as the size/weight. Because if the shape is not correctly made, the kite won’t fly straight or it might not fly at all. And if it is too heavy it will fall, but if it’s to light it will be unbalanced and out of control. After the kites are made, the next step is to fly them. I order for the kite to fly, you have to get enough velocity going so the kite can get up in the air. For there, you can control it by pulling or loosening the string. The way the kite gets into the air is by wind. In this case, the wind used to fly my kite was a local wind. A local wind is a wind, which covers up a shorter distance and blows in any direction. Local winds come mainly from land breezes and sea breezes. Since we are not exactly by the shore, the sea breeze can come from nearby rivers or lakes. Global winds would not fit into this category because they blow in a specific direction and cover much longer distances. Overall, this experiment needed us to be clever with the way we designed our kites. This was also a fun experiment, which also taught us the winds used.

The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle
When I was young
I used to think that water camefromthe kitchen sink.
But now I'm older,and I know,that water comes
from rain and snow.
It stays there, waiting,
in the sky,
in clouds aboveour world so high.
And when it falls,
it flows along,
and splashes outa watery song,
as each raindropis joined by moreand rushes tothe ocean shore,
or to a lake, a brook, a stream,
from which it rises,just like steam.
But while it's down herewhat do you think?
Some DOES go tothe kitchen sink!
by Helen H. Moore

Science weather poem

Poem: The Water Cycle
By: Helen H. Moore

In the poem “The Water Cycle” by Helen H. Moore, she uses weather to tell a story of how she imagined water to travel when she was young, then how she later finds out how it travels. The poet’s knowledge of weather helped enhance this poem because of the way she later described the way the water cycle works with vivid and very specific detail. If the author didn’t know a lot of back round information she would have given a preschooler’s description like water comes from the sky and into the ocean.
If weather was not mentioned in this poem, it would be totally different because the author wouldn't be comparing her thoughts about weather from when she was a child to when she was an adult. So the whole poem would be pointless because there is no main focus or topic (Weather.) One literary technique used was a metaphor when she said watery song. Another literary term used was a simile when evaporation was compared to a rising steams. This poem enhanced my knowledge of weather because it taught me more about what happens in the water cycle in every stage in a simpler and cooler way.

Social studies Yellow homework

One item I could not have accepted from the old days would be the television. Okay, to start off it the colors were all black and white. Everything was just boring and plain. A movie with out colors is like a story without a plot, pointless. Next thing was there were only 5-10 channels! How could 5 channels possibly be entertaining? Also, besides 5 channels, they were all basically the same things. Another thing was the TVs where ridiculously huge for the size of the screens they provided. Also, the TVs were not satellite, which means you had to get up and tune up the connection in order to get a sketchy reception of a channel. Last but not least, there were no remotes which means you have to get up to change the channel. Well I guess it cant be that bad if you only have 5 channels but its still horrible. Today I am very thankful for my flat screen HD TV with a satellite receiver and a wireless remote because it is so much better than the TVs back then.

"Everyday Math" program: Does it add up? (ExtRa CreDiT # 3)

How is basic math most commonly learned? Multiplication tables, for instance, were learned for the most part by doing them multiple times to master them. Now, the Beaufort County School District is moving away from that type of elementary school math education to a controversial method called "Everyday Mathematics." Basically, Everyday Math, a K-6 curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School of Mathematics, uses a method called "spiraling," where a teacher spends just a few days on a topic and moves on. Classes come back to the topic later and build on the information learned. This curriculum heavily relies on games and other fun activities. Which is very different to what most students are used to. Basically, Everyday Math, a K-6 curriculum developed by the University of Chicago School of Mathematics, uses a method called "spiraling," where a teacher spends just a few days on a topic and moves on. Classes come back to the topic later and build on the information learned. Everyday Math has been criticized nationwide, both from parents who don't understand some of the teaching methods used, and mathematicians who say students who are taught by that method simply don't learn the basics. which has lead it to become a very controversial topic in these schools. But according to district officials, they say strong test scores in Bluffton schools surely prove that their method works. I think this curriculum is not really good because in my opinion i think students should develop a strong base in math buy consistently solving problems. this way, they have them memorized so when they use them in the future for more complex problems, it would be much easier and faster for them. Overall, I disagree with this "Everyday Math" program.

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/248418.html

At L.A. school, Singapore math has added value (ExTRa CREdiT # 2)

In 2005, just 45% of the fifth-graders at Ramona Elementary School in Hollywood scored at grade level on a standardized state test. In 2006, that figure rose to 76%. What made this huge difference? The difference between the two years may have been Singapore math. In the beginning of the 2005-06 school year, Ramona began using textbooks developed for use in Singapore, a Southeast Asian city-state whose students consistently rank No. 1 in international math comparisons. Ramona's math scores rapidly rose. "It's wonderful," said Principal Susan Arcaris. "Seven out of 10 of the students in our school are proficient or better in math, and that's pretty startling when you consider that this is an inner-city, Title 1 school." Ramona easily qualifies for federal Title 1 funds, which are intended to alleviate the effects of poverty. Nine of every 10 students at the school are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. For the most part, these are the children of immigrants, the majority from Central America, and some from Armenia. Nearly six in 10 students speak English as a second language. The decision to approve the books could place California ahead of the national curve. The National Mathematics Advisory Panel, appointed by President Bush, will issue a report Thursday that is expected to endorse K-8 math, in many ways, are very similar to the Singapore curriculum. Although this curriculum is very successful in many ways, not all teachers like it, and not all use it. The Singapore books aren't easy for teachers to use without training, and some veterans are more comfortable with the curriculum they have always followed. But you can tell when you walk into a classroom using Singapore math. The Singapore curriculum "requires a considerable amount of math background on the part of the teachers who are teaching it," said Milgram, "and in the elementary grades, most of our teachers aren't capable of teaching it. . . . It isn't that they can't learn it; it's just that they've never seen it." So based on the teachers attitude towards this curriculum, the students will either improve or just stay the same or even get worse. I thought this article was very intriguing how America is restoring to countries in Asia for help in education. I hope this curriculum doesn’t come to New Jersey because based on this article, it would be very hard.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-math9mar09,1,2133870.story?track=rss