RJAV -- Blogmeister

Antarctica is the only continent/country without a flag to represent its qualities. Usually, the colors or pictures displayed on a flag represent its qualities or something well known about the country. I drew each thing on the flag because it represents something in Antarctica. Thi mountains and ice represent terrain in the country which consists mostly of ice and mountain ranges. The penguin and whale represent wildlife in Antarctica. There are many animals and plants that live and grow beneath the ocean surface but almost none at all live on land due to the harsh conditions.

In Art class, we got to use advanced cameras to take a picture of the place we were hiding(anywhere in the art class), then another picture of us in the position we wanted to be in. Then, we photo-shopped the picture of us onto the backround

Its Snowing

Changing, swaying, turning, blowing
So much fun not even knowing.
Twisting, tumbling, winding, fleeing
Soon enough it's time for skiing.
Floating, whirling, circling, glistening
Gather round the fire listening.
Sailing, swooping, plummeting, dancing
Through the snowy wonderland prancing.
Weaving, roaming, catching, clutch
It is softer when you touch.
See how fun the snow can be?
Come enjoy the snow with me!

Light

An explosion
Bright Flares Flying
Through the darkness
A mirage or color
Intense heat
Light

No Survivors
Of this
Fiery madness
The quilted sun
Lost behind
Darkness
There is
No more light

Buttercup

Small and so delicate
Though there are many
You are basically yellow
Other colors, not any
You bask there all day
Absorbing the sun
And later at night,
There’s no time for fun
You are such a sight
For everyone to see
Because you are a buttercup
As buttercups should be

Kitten in a Box

I am cold
I am hungry
I am tired
My fur is dirty and wet
My box is small and empty
I am alone
I am terrified
The city noises around me are loud and scary
I cower in the corner of my box
So many people walk by
But no one pays attention
To little kittens in boxes

Dear Mom and Dad,
We just finished Module 1 in our mathematics textbook. There were a lot of worksheets and problems to solve.
First, we learned how to make frequency tables. Just tally the amount of times something happened in one column, and then write the number of tallies in another. To make a frequency graph, just make a sideways bar graph. We did several pages in the book where we had to answer questions based on a graph. We also learned when to use a line graph and when to use a bar graph. You use a line graph to show changes over time and you use a bar graph when you are putting things into categories. We even took a take home quiz where we had to answer several questions using a graph we found in the news paper.
Next, we moved onto probability. I worked on a project where I picked Gummy Bears out of a bag, then made a table to show experimental and theoretical probability. Experimental probability is what happened in the experiment. The theoretical probability is what was supposed to happen in the experiment. We also did experiments with spinners and dice to show probability.
After probability, we studied number patterns. Our teacher showed us all kinds of cool number tricks that seemed unreal. We used algebra to show how the tricks worked. We also used algebra to show the relation from term to term number in a table, so we could find the nth figure. Once I got the hang of it, the problems were very simple to solve.
Then, we studied order of operations. Our math teacher played us a funny rap about PEMDAS. P for parentheses, E for exponents, M for multiplication, D for division, A for addition and S for subtraction, you can call it PEMDAS! It was awesome. We did some worksheets. To go with that, we learned how to calculate exponents. At the end of the Module, we had a big test.
Sincerely,
RJAV

Today during Science our class went down to the cafeteria and learned about space and the solar systems with Mr. Gianforte. We learned mostly about exoplanets, and how they were discovered. There are 494 known exoplanets in the universe. There are many technologies used to find the faraway planets. Radial Velocity method is one way to discover the small planets. These planets are so far away, you can't just see them with any telescope. We are trying to discover other worlds that are habitable for human life, so they have to be relatively close to their sun, or they would be too cold to live. They just recently discovered a planet that seems just like earth, with the right climate and conditions for humans. He also taught us that on September 29, 2010 they announced that a goldilocks (planet that is not too hot, not too cold) planet was discovered. It is the most earthly planet we've discovered yet. The only problem is that it's hundreds of light years away. Another thing I found very interesting was that the universe has an end. That was the most surprising news that I learned.

The countdown is always the most nerve racking part. People always wonder if they'll make it or not. Did you ever wonder what it is like to go up into a spaceship and live in space? Living in space has many requirements. There is a lot of work that each astronaut has to do on board the space ship, but there are also a lot of fun activities that the crew members can do during their free time. A few important things that you might like to know about living in space are space clothes, sleeping, hygiene, food, and living quarters. Here are a few interesting facts about the NASA astronauts. First you should know about about the living quarters. Cabins are very tight on both the space station and the shuttle. There are 2 crew cabins that are usually used for a lot of things including eating, sleeping, working, and exercising. Its a lot to do in just one small room. When the crew members are moving throughout the cabins, the must be very careful to go slowly because there is no gravity, so they could easily hit something. Weightlessness is another thing the astronauts have to get used to. Another thing that you should know about is eating and sleeping in space. When it comes to food,there is a wide variety of selections. Most foods can be eaten naturally like fruits and brownies. But some other food require adding water like pasta or mac and cheese. Food must be stored properly and it can also be heated. Things like salt and pepper have to be put into liquid form or else it will float away. Just like here on earth, they eat three meals a day at the same time. Sleeping in space can be complicated. Since there is no gravity, the crew members have to strpa themselves to a wall, seat, or bunk so they dont hit something where they're sleeping. They sleep in sleeping bags to keep warm. There are many things to know about living in space. To learn more about living in space, you can read more blogs or visit the NASA website! Cupola

Recently we had the Moon Rocks in class

County: Rockingham
State: New Hampshire
Region: New England
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Hemisphere: Northern and Western
Planet: Earth
Solar System: Sun;Sol
Galaxy: Milky Way
Cluster: Local
Super Cluster: Local
Universe

The Rock Cycle

I am Magma. A strange name isn’t it? You might know me better as Lava. Right now I am lying beneath you in the Earth’s core where the temperatures would scorch you to the bone. Soon, I will begin the Rock Cycle. Our first stop of the cycle is right down here, in the magma chamber. I build up pressure, consolidating until finally; I erupt, sending ash clouds into the sky. When I am just about done flowing down the volcano side, I begin a process called crystallization. The process has turned me into an Igneous rock! An Extrusive Igneous rock because I formed upon the Earth’s surface.

Far in the distance I can see a storm cloud forming. Within a few minutes it has reached me and the rain has started down pouring. Farewell solid rock. The erosion of my hard form and minerals has turned me into sediment. I am now a Clastic Sedimentary rock. All of the rain created a stream. I flow down it passing by sand and rocks being picked up along the way. It took almost a day before we reached a much larger body of water. The water was not salty so it had to be a lake or a river. Falling into it was a real thrill. It was almost like I was jumping off of Niagara Falls. I clung to a leaf as we floated down to the bottom with all of the other sediments. It was the Deposition of the sediments. I wasn’t able to keep track of how long I had been waiting there. But the pile of sediments was rising. I being at the very bottom of the pile. We were compacting and reducing our size so that we might be able to leave the underwater ditch. That process is also called cementation.

As the tectonic plates shift below us, some of the sediment is able to escape through a small crack. Since I was on the bottom, I made it through. We slowly slide down as one of the plates rises above the other. This process is called metamorphism. I will now be turned into a Foliated Metamorphic rock. As the process continues on, it becomes warmer because we are much closer to the core. Suddenly, I start to feel very warm. I am melting! Though it is painless, I do wish I could be a rock on the crust so that I could see the world. But now, I have reached the core. I am nothing but magma.

I waited for even longer than before. There had to be another way out. Yes! There is much more to the Rock Cycle. I swam through the magma to the right upper side of the crust. I had saved enough energy to break through. I pushed with all of my strength until I made a small cut into the earth. That small cut was enough to start the process of crystallization which should be able to help me get to the crust and into the air. I was soon cut off from the rest of the magma. My temperature had cooled a lot. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get any higher. The crystallization had turned me into an Intrusive Igneous piece of granite which is a rock that contains crystals. I had once again gotten crystallization mixed up with consolidation.

The next day, I woke up in a very different place. It was much warmer than before and I was different too. My once crystallized form was now very different. It then occurred to me that I had melted down and reshaped myself as a metamorphic rock. Since before that I was igneous, I now had to be a Nonfoliated Metamorphic rock. I am probably quartzite or some other rock like that. I have been here for a while now without a change in where I am located or how I look. As soon as I melt away again, I will continue to write about my journey through the Rock Cycle.

Have you ever wondered why the seasons change throughout the year? All of earth's seasons , autumn (fall), and winter. Since this axis is tilted, different parts of earth are pointed towards the sun at different times of the year. Summer is warmer than winter because the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a more direct angle during summer than during winter and also because the days are much longer than the nights during the summer. During the winter, the Sun's rays hit the Earth at a very extreme angle, and the days are very short. These effects are due to the tilt of the Earth's axis.

Solstices are days when the sun reaches its farthest northern and southern directions. The winter solstice happens on December 21 or 22 and marks the beginning of winter. It is the shortest day of the year. The summer solstice happens on June 21 and marks the beginning of summer. It is the longest day of the year.

Equinoxes are days in which day and night are of equal time. The two yearly equinoxes occur when the sun crosses the celestial equator. The Vernal equinox happens in late March. It marks the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere and fall in the southern hemisphere. The Autumnal equinox occurs in late September. It marks the beginning of fall in the Northern hemisphere and spring in the Southern hemisphere.

Autumnal Equinox: The first day of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth’s tilt is 23.5 degrees.Summer Solstice: The first day of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth’s tilt is 23.5 degrees.Winter Solstice: The first day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth’s tilt is 23.5 degrees.Vernal Equinox: The first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. The Earth’s tilt is 23.5 degrees.

Science: In science class I made a poster on an African animal I was given. I got the Serval which is a type of feline. The poster had to include a labeled drawing of our animal, a map of where in Africa it is found, a multi-faceted food chain, 3 paragraphs on our animal, and a few other things. The multi –faceted food chain included a drawing of our animal, its predators, and its prey. O the back, we had three paragraphs on our animal’s adaptations to the environment, its status which is if it is endangered or not, and its scientific name meaning. We also included a glossary of ten words, and a work cited page. These posters had a lot of work put into them, in the end, they all turned out great!

Language Arts: In Language Arts, we wrote our very own African Folktale. First, we read through different types of folktales like Myths, Fairy Tales, Tall tales, and Fables. Then, we got to choose the type that we wanted to write. I choose a Myth. After that, we made a graphic organizer and planed out our story. Next, we wrote a rough draft. With the requirements on the rubric we were given, and with a lot of editing and revising, we had our final draft. A perfect folktale!

Math: In Math class, we made our very own African patterns and designs. At first, we were introduced to African patterns on modern day things such as cloth and furniture. After we had an idea of the different shapes and colors we were allowed to include, we could start a rough draft on a plain piece of centimeter graph paper. We also had to include three different transformations of shapes. Translations—sliding, rotations—spinning—and reflections—flipping. When we got approval from Mr. Scogin that our rough drafts looked ok, we could start the final on a larger piece of paper. We had to make interactive transformations out of paper. It was difficult to put them together, but they all turned out great.

Social Studies: In social studies class we were given an African country to work. We are taking an imaginary trip to the country. We have a budget and a checkbook that also ties into math. It is hard to stay within the budget while having to buy food and other mandatory needs. We have to travel to at least 2 countries and there is a maximum of four. For each country, we take notes and make a travel brochure, a detailed map, and a picture of our flag. The trip is a month long so in between days we write journal entries about the trip.

Technology Education: In Technology Education, we are making traditional African instruments called M'biras: an African thumb instrument. They make a wonderful sound produced by pressing down and then releasing on flat nails over wood. We also got to wood burn a pattern into the bottom. I can't wait to finish mine.

Music: In music class, we have been learning about music in countries all over Africa. I really enjoy learning the different types of African music. We have mostly been learning about Australia and Jamaica. We have used the drums we have in class to try copying the beats we hear in the music. We even add our own words to them. We recently learned about Bob Marley and his combination of reggae and ska music. Right now, we are all making an African instrument that we will play later this year. We had a choice or a drum, shakerae, paper maché maracas, a didgeridoo, and a few others.

Art: In art class we all made clay whistles. We were given a good sized piece of clay and a wide variety of sculpting tools to use. Mrs. Vitali had an example she had already made herself. She painted a zebra striped pattern on it. First, we had to form our piece of clay into an oval shape. When we gave it to Mrs. Vitali, he cut it in half with a sharp wire, and then she showed us how hollow it out. Next, we gave the whistle to her so she could bake it in the oven at a hot temperature. We will later paint our African patterns from math class onto these whistles.