Chef Project

Interested in being a chef, well listen tto this and learn all about being and becoming a chef
http://omegapride.podOmatic.com/player/web/2009-12-11T11_45_23-08_00

Class response 11/20/09

So far in my 8th grade year, we have learned about many interesting topics. In fact, we just finished learning about the phases of matter. While we discussed this intriguing topic, I learned important facts. I learned that a solid could skip the liquid phase and go straight to the phase of gas. This process is called sublimationThe sublimation process can be seen when dry ice is mixed with water. Also I learned about amorphous solids. The amorphous solids change under certain conditions. A great example of an amorphous solid is cornstarch with water, which liquefies under no stress, and solidfies when under stress. Finally, I learned about the phase of plasma. Plasma is very rare, and can really only be found in space.
I was also able to learn about the phases of matter outside of my classroom. On the internet, I found that when people ice skate, they are not skating on solid ice but on liquid water. The pressure from the skater melts the ice, and then when the skater leaves, the water instantly refreezes. I learned also that plasma is harnessed in the everyday world to cut metal. Molecules are ionized to create plasma, which creates great precision in cutting metals. I found this topic to be fascinating and very informative. I definitely did find many new and cool facts on the phases of matter that I did not know before. I can’t wait to learn other new and interesting science topics like this one.


http://www.schooltube.com/video/39886/Plasma-The-fourth-state-of-matter

http://www.helium.com/items/197024-the-science-behind-ice-skating

The Kyoto protocol signed in 1997 required 37 counties to cut there carbon emissions. A loophole in this agreement did not count carbon from bio energy. Countries seeking to boost their bioenergy production deforested their land to plant crops for biofuel. Several scientists point out that this does not help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere. By deforesting, you cut down forests that intake carbon and replace biofuel that intake and outtake carbon. The scientists hope to prove their point and cause world leaders to amend the Kyoto protocol when a climate treaty is signed in Copenhagen summit in December.
My opinion on this article is that it was informative and interesting. I found a lot of new information, and it makes me think again about the "benefits" of biofuel. This article captivated my attention because I had always thought of biofuel to be the answer to the environmental issues, but now, I have the knowledge of the consequences of burning biofuel. Overall, I learned many new things and I enjoyed reading about this topic.

Arctic Disappearing

The Arctic seems to be literally disappearing, as it has been confirmed that the Arctic ice cover for the month of September has reached its minimum for the year, the third lowest recorded since 1979. Year after year, the amount of ice that returns to the Arctic becomes less and less, and the ice that does return in very thin and exposed. Scientists are afraid that the Arctic may change forever. During the summer months, ships can now pass through areas that were impossible to pass through a few years ago. The ice cover was significantly low for this year of 2009 because of the pollution and greenhouse gases dumped into the atmosphere by humans. NSIDC Research Scientist Walt Meier quotes “Atmospheric circulation patterns helped the Arctic sea ice spread out in August to prevent another record-setting minimum.” This year the ice cover did rank as the third lowest recorded since satellites began measuring ice extents in 1979. The minimum ice cover for 2009 is 620,000 square miles, which is nearly the size of the area of Alaska. The ice cover for the Arctic still continues to decrease and with this trend, the Artic may someday have ice free summers.

It is my opinion that this article was descriptive and informative. This article gave me a large amount of information on one of the worst environmental issues today. It really showed me that if we do not act soon to stop global warming, it is very possible that the polar ice caps could disappear forever.
http://www.livescience.com/environment/090917-artic-ice.html

Plasticity Lab Conclusion

Currently in science class, we are learning about the Earth’s interior. Recently, my class performed a lab on the mantle. We mixed cornstarch and water together, which resulted in a substance that is gooey and very fun to play with. This mixture is both a solid and liquid. When heat and pressure are applied, you can roll it into a ball, like a solid. However, if you let it sit in your hand it will slip and slide, like a liquid. When handled, the mixture turns into a solid. When not handled, it’s a liquid. This is an accurate example of the Earth’s mantle because like the mixture, the mantle is solid when heat and pressure are omnipresent. However, the mantle turns to liquid form when heat and pressure are not omnipresent. This was a very interactive and fun lab, and I had a great time completing this hands-on experiment. Omega science is exciting and interesting, and I really enjoy participating in my science class.

October Sky Blog

I recently watched the movie October Sky during class. This movie was about an underappreciated boy named Homer Hickem who must overcome challenges and obstacles to do what he wants to do, build rockets. In one part of the movie, Homer and his friends have to prove their innocence because they are falsely accused of starting a forest fire, due to one of their rockets. Homer and his friends shoot one of their rockets, and nearby on the same day, a forest fire is started. The police find an object that looks like a rocket near the site of the fire, and they blame Homer. However, Homer uses mathematical equations to prove to Mr. Turner (the principal of Homer’s school) and the police that his rocket could not have started the fire. Homer calculated the final location of the rocket and it was no where near where the object the found. Later, it is confirmed that it was a military flare that started the fire, set off at a nearby airport. A character education trait that was not shown in the movie towards Homer was respect. Homer was not shown respect by his brother and father, because they did not appreciate his academic pursuits. Homer was not shown respect by his brother Jim because Homer wanted to build rockets, and Jim thought football was all that mattered. He felt that Homer’s dream was a joke. Homer also was not respected by his father because his father did not “approve” of Homer’s dreams. Since Homer did not excel at football, his father thought that Homer should spend his life working in the coal mine. His father proudly went to all of Jim’s football games, but never to one of Homer’s rocket launches. I found this movie to be interesting and enjoyable, especially since it is based on a true story. It also delivers a very important message - Always follow your dreams, and listen to your heart since no one can choose your life for you.

Genetic Disorder Response Blog

After I completed my project on Down Syndrome, I took the time to look at other people’s blogs and I found a very interesting blog posted by silver star. Silver star’s blog was on the genetic disorder known as Patau’s Syndrome, and it was very descriptive and informative. I learned many facts regarding this genetic disorder; for example, I learned that this disorder is caused by three copies of chromosome 13. Also, I found out that one in every sixteen thousand fetuses is diagnosed with Patau’s Syndrome. People who are born with this disorder can have certain abnormalities including extra fingers or toes, heart defects, and incomplete eyesight, to name a few. Another bit of information I have learned while reading this blog was that people with Patau’s Syndrome die at a very young age. In fact, the oldest age that someone has lived when diagnosed with this disease is the age of 33. This is a very sad and upsetting disease, because I learned lastly a very sad fact. 82% of the infants who are diagnosed with Patau's Syndrome and survive birth die within the first month of their lives. This article was very informative and well organized, but it made me feel very sad. I was sad while I read this article because this made me aware of the worst disease I have ever known. I have never thought it would be possible that a disorder could be this severe. This article made me aware of this disorder, and I will now know that this disorder is out there. These types of disorders exist out there in the world, and we all should be more aware of all of them, and treat the people who have them with special care and respect.

Genetic Disorders Blog

As the amazing Omega year ends, I continue to enjoy the interesting topics I am studying in my science class. Currently, I am learning genetic disorders. For my genetic disorders project, my assigned genetic disorder was Down Syndrome. While researching Down Syndrome, I learned many different details about this disorder. One detail that I learned is that humans with Down Syndrome have one extra chromosome. This means they have 47 chromosomes, instead of 46, which is the normal amount of chromosomes. Another thing I learned about Down Syndrome is that as a woman gets older her chance of having a baby with Down Syndrome increases. Finally, the last detail that I will tell you about Down Syndrome is that 1 in every 800 children born in the United States is afflicted with Down Syndrome. Also, 1 in every 1,000 newborn children in the world is born with Down Syndrome. Apart from class, I have used the internet to learn about Down Syndrome information not required in the packet. One thing that I learned about Down Syndrome on the internet is that Down Syndrome is a condition that cannot be cured. People with Down Syndrome usually have lower IQs, slow motor development and delayed language development. However, they can lead normal and happy lives. The other thing that I have learned about Down Syndrome on the internet is that doctors can take a blood test on a baby to tell whether or not the baby has Down Syndrome. I learned this information at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down_syndrome.cfm. I found this topic to be interesting. I learned so much of this genetic disorder, and I am more aware of it now. I will be sensitive towards the capabilities of people with Down Syndrome.

DNA Extraction Conclusion Paragraph

My science class recently completed a lab on extracting DNA. I extracted DNA from a plant cell. I added ingredients to the cells, such as detergent and alcohol. In order to get the ingredients to mix in well, I had to swirl the cell’s container gently. As I performed these steps, right before my eyes, I saw the DNA rise from the cell. The detergent gets rid of the fats/lipids, and the alcohol separates the DNA from the cell. My observations of this project are that when the DNA is separated, it looks gray and it looks like clouds. Also, I noticed that the cells were the color red, and they had a foul odor. I thought this lab activity was fun and informational.

Science Blog #8

Early on February 24, 2009, NASA experienced a devastating failure when a satellite attached to the tip of a Taurus XL rocket failed to separate from the rocket and fell in to the Pacific Ocean, near Antarctica. The Optical Carbon Observatory (OCO) was doomed by the very apparatus that was supposed to protect it. The clamshell shroud wrapped around the satellite to safeguard the satellite’s sensitive equipment did not automatically shed from the satellite upon entering the thickest part of the atmosphere. Therefore, the OCO did not get the boost that it needed to get into orbit, and fell into the Pacific Ocean, along with the rest of the Taurus XL rocket. This was truly a great loss to NASA because this satellite was to provide measurements on harmful gases, and how they are dispersed around the globe. This satellite was going to provide us with valuable information that could help diminish global warming. The Glory satellite, which is also meant to collect data about global warming, will be checked thoroughly before being launched in October on another Taurus XL rocket. This investigation will help avoid devastation like OCO.

In my opinion, I thought that this article was informative, and it provided details about a great loss for NASA. Rockets and satellites cost millions of dollars, and it is just like throwing away a substantial amount of money. But more importantly, valuable information that would help this earth will not be collected. I thought that this article was interesting because it told me a lot about this event. The article is located at http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2009-02/rip-orbiting-carbon-observatory

Social Studies Blog #3

Cracked sprinklers caused $158,327 in damage to the lower floors of the South Brunswick Police Station in the Municipal Complex on Ridge Road during the late hours of January 18 through the early hours on January 19, 2009. The repairs are almost finished, but the large amount of water given off by the sprinklers significantly damaged furniture, equipment and ceiling tiles. Surprisingly, the water and repairs have not interfered with the police dispatch service yet. Repairs were made to walls, alarms, and fireproof mechanisms. A projector with a lamp, a computer, and the most expensive of all, the carpet, need to be replaced. Hopefully, the repairs will be finished soon, so that the ability for the Communications Department to handle 911 calls is not disrupted in any way.


http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2009/02/24/south_brunswick_post/news/doc499d784aeabb3278823730.txt

My Roller coaster Website

Eruption

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.