Social Studies Blog #2

The New Jersey Department of Education made state test results public today. The results show that scores for high students dropped slightly. About 83 % of the students were categorized as proficient or advanced proficient in Language Arts and about 75% of them were proficient or advanced proficient in Math.

The middle school students’ scores dropped drastically in comparison to previous years, especially for the 5th and 6th graders. More than 60 percent of these students failed the Language Arts test and about 25% failed the Math test. The scores changed so much because the cut off scores for proficiency changed this year for these middle school students. So the students had to score higher on the tests than in previous years in order to be considered proficient. The cut off scores for the 7th graders also changed but their failure rate was not as high as the 5th and 6th graders. The Education Commissioner, Lucille Davy, said that the proficiency rates for the 6th and 7th graders would have actually increased compared to the previous year if the cut off scores had not changed.

The cut off scores changed so that educators are able to better identify which middle school students need more help as they prepare for high school. New Jersey’s Governor Jon Corzine has announced a change for the state’s high schools. He plans on making the curriculum more rigorous. This is in response to a large number of students entering college and needing extra help.

Tests are administered to students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11. Parents, educators, and other interested people can view the results by either reviewing the 2008 School Report Card which shows statistical data about individual schools, or the Statewide Assessments which provides detailed test results for the elementary, middle school and high school students.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/tough_new_state_tests_spur_hig.html

Class Response Blog #7

As always, I continue to learn new and interesting topics in science class, in a fun and exciting way. Currently, we are studying about the laws of Sir Isaac Newton. One thing that I learned about this topic in science class is that Newton came up with three laws. I learned that Newton’s law of gravity (Newton’s First Law) states that an object will not move forever; it needs momentum to continue moving. It also states that movement will eventually stop. Newton’s Second Law of motion states that the force required to accelerate an object with a large mass is greater than the force required to accelerate an object of smaller mass. Finally, I was taught that Newton’s Third Law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. I also was able to learn about this topic outside of school using the internet. I discovered that the First Law is called “the law of inertia.” Inertia is defined as the resistance to a change in motion. I also found out that it is thought that Newton observed an apple falling from a tree and realized that a force (gravity) acted on the apple to make it accelerate. This was his basis for the Second Law of motion. The sites I reviewed are: http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/law1.html and http://www.physicsplanet.com/articles/newtons-laws-of-motion.

I found this topic to be very fun and interesting to learn. I really like what we are doing because now, we are building rollercoasters and skate parks to show how the laws work, and this is really fun to do. Overall, I like this topic and the way we are learning it.

Less trees affect us all

Trees in the western United States are in trouble because temperatures are on the rise and there are drought-like conditions in this region. Warmer weather and decreased water supply mean dwindling forests are no longer absorbing greenhouse gases and this makes them more vulnerable to pests and fires. Studies have shown that in areas where temperatures rose by one degree Fahrenheit and average rainfall and snow pack runoff decreased; trees have a higher mortality rate. These areas include the Pacific Northwest, California, and the inland Western States. The growth rate for trees has not changed, so the forests are losing trees faster then they are being replaced!! Therefore, forests will be comprised of mostly fewer, smaller trees. These smaller trees are not able to convert as much CO2 as the larger trees. Animal species depend on the trees to convert CO2 to oxygen. So these habitats with smaller trees would no longer be an acceptable living area for certain species.

Analysts are unsure if the warming temperatures are a result of global warming or just part of a natural climate cycle. One thing is for sure, the trees are in danger and something needs to be done to help them. http://http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/us/23trees.html?ref=science

In my opinion, this article was very informative and it made me think about the damages warming temperatures are causing. Trees are crucial to the survival of humans, and how do we repay them, by killing them. And by killing the trees, we also damage everything else on earth, because all living things depend on trees and plants to supply a clean, breathable supply of oxygen. If all of us take action to help this cause, we can guarantee a brighter future for us and trees to come.

Social Studies Inauguration Blog

The topic that I chose to research was the inauguration of the 44th president, Barack Obama. The inauguration is the event in which the president-elect and the vice president-elect, swear in to office and become the new president and vice president. This inauguration that I researched is truly historical because it is the inauguration of our first African American president.

The first article that I found on the inauguration was descriptive about the day’s events. On Tuesday, America celebrated its first African American president. At 4 a.m. a large crowd began assembling to witness what turned out to be a very historic day. Barack Obama, after swearing in on the same bible that Lincoln used, gave a very persuasive speech. In his words, he vowed to make America a better country by stopping conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, helping with the economical crisis, and ensuring the lives of all Americans would be better. He stated that our nation’s challenges are overwhelming, but, as seen in our past history, we are a country with great determination. “Greatness is never given, it is earned,” he said (page 1). All over America, people gathered in bars and on the street and children assembled in schools to watch the historic day’s events. Leaders from around the world offered congratulations. After the address, Obama went into the capitol and signed his first documents, including cabinet nominations. The Obama family was driven to the White House where the first family watched the rest of the parade from outside their new home. I found this article to be very interesting and descriptive and I enjoyed researching this historical topic. http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.inauguration/index.html#cnnSTCText


The second article that I read discussed the size of the crowd that attended the National Mall to witness the inauguration. Prior to the event, it was estimated that about 2 million people would attend. Satellite images are indicating the actual size of the crowd may be at about 1 million, according to Clark McPhail, a professor emeritus of the University of Illinois. “It was sparser than I thought,” said MchPail. “There were lots of open spaces.” (page 1) The Associated Press placed the count of the crowd to be more than 1 million. And the Washington Post estimated total onlookers to be 1.8 million. The Park Service no longer provides a count of the inauguration crowd, but because of the historical aspect of this inauguration, the Service hopes to provide an accurate number later this year. At that time, we will know if this inauguration sets the record for the most attendees. The current record is held by President Lyndon B. Johnson, who inauguration was attended by 1.2 million people. I found this article to be interesting and informative. I believe that when the Park Service announces the count of the crowd, this inauguration crowd will set the record. It was such a historical day for our country. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-inaug-crowds21-2009jan21,0,3359744.story

In my opinion, the inauguration of Barack Obama as our country’s 44th president is a very cool change for the United States of America. He has many new and exciting plans for our country. I am very excited to have witnessed history.

Class Response

As the school year progresses, I continue to expand my knowledge in my Omega science class. Currently, my class is learning about waves. Waves are disturbances that travel through a medium such as air or water. I have learned that there are two types of waves, longitudinal and transversal. I have also learned that there are numerous examples of waves other than just water waves in the ocean. There are chemical, electrical, sound, and radio waves, and many more. Finally, I learned that a transversal wave is a moving wave that consists of oscillations occurring perpendicular to the direction of energy transfer and that a longitudinal wave occurs when vibrations are in the same direction as the plane of motion. Outside of school, I have studied about waves by using the internet. I visited the website: http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/Class/waves/u10l3c.html . I learned that waves can interfere with each other. Constructive interference occurs when two or more waves have simultaneous displacement in the same direction at the same point. A rogue wave is an example of constructive interference. Also, destructive interference occurs when two or more interfering waves have a displacement in the opposite direction and cancel each other. In my opinion, this topic was so fun and interesting to learn. My class saw wave simulations and we saw a demonstration with a slinky. I had trouble with this topic in the beginning, but as I participated in the activities, I understood it better. Overall, this topic was great.

Class Response

Since joining the Omega unit, I have learned many new things in science class. One of the most interesting topics that our class studied is food webs and food chains. I have learned that food webs are actually overlapping food chains and that a food chain describes the eating relationships between species within an ecosystem. I now understand that there are many food chains and food webs, not just one. I have also learned about these topics outside of school. Using the internet, I learned that food chains have only 4 or 5 links most of the time. Most animals are part of more than one food chain and they eat more than one type of food to meet their food and energy requirements for their health. I visited the website http://www.vtaide.com/png/foodchains.htm to find out that information. I really liked this topic because it was very interesting and was really simple to learn. I played computer games, like the food chain game. In this game, I had to put animals in to food chain order. For example, the grass is eaten by the mouse, which is eaten by the wolf. I also completed other activities to help me understand the topic better.

Class Response

My science class is currently learning about symbiosis. I have learned many new things about symbiosis. Symbiosis is a close relationship between two organisms in which one organism lives near, on, or even in another organism and in which at least one organism benefits. I have learned that there are 3 types of symbiosis - mutualism, communalism, and parasitism. Mutualism is where both organisms benefit. Communalism is where one benefits while the other organism is not harmed. Finally, parasitism is where one organism benefits while the other is harmed.

I have learned facts about symbiosis using resources (see below) outside of science class. I learned that I have a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria in my body. I depend on the bacteria to produce vitamin K for me – which helps clot blood. I also learned that hermit crabs and sea anemones have a symbiotic relationship. The sea anemone receives food and gets transported by the hermit crab, and the sea anemone uses its stinging tentacles to protect the hermit crab.

In my opinion, this topic is interesting. I like this topic because it is easy to understand and I am learning it in a fun way. I got to play the Wii and I saw diagrams of symbiosis. It was a great way to learn this topic. For example, I probably would have had trouble learning the difference between the three types of symbiosis. But we drew diagrams and pictures and these helped me to understand. Overall, I liked this topic.

Information from Funtrivia.com
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Symbiosis-in-Nature-150084.html