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!

Recently we had the Moon Rocks in class

Have you ever wondered why the seasons change throughout the year? All of earth's , 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.