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8/24/2007
Find an web article from a reputable news website that contains information about any type of projectile. The article must relate to some science topic this could include something having to do with the projectile of bullets or weapons but should not focus on killing!Write a short (1 paragraph) summary of the article and then describe how anything you have learned in the past week about projectile motion might relate to it (second short paragraph). Finish with a citation to the web article. Enter all of this under "Entry" below.

//Entry:// On July 30, 2007: 01:19 PM EST a new series of less-lethal projectile launchers are for sale. They are made for law enforcement and military and they have great test results. They were developed Veritas Tactical, a division of Security With Advanced Technology. The MK series less lethal projectile launchers can shoot up to 100 rounds a second. This will help military and police officers.

"New Less-Lethal Series of Projectile Launchers for Law Enforcement and Military Now Available." __New Less-Lethal Series of Projectile Launchers for Law Enforcement and Military Now Available__. July 30, 2007. 27 Aug 2007 <http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/marketwire/0284005.htm

Comment 1: The entry is pretty good, however the main downfall about this is that it is not two paragraphs. This means that it say nothing about what this article has to do with what we are doing in Science Class. It is written in third person and does use vocabulary that is understandable. But there are some improvements that can be made. For example, in the last sentence it said, "this will help military and police officers." But something you could probably tell us is why it can help them and when they would be able to use them. Overall, this is a lovely entry. Bailey P.

Comment 2: It is not two paragraphs, but the one paragraph is 3rd person. It also has understandable vocabulary understandable vocabulary. It is well summarized, but you did not say how it was related to the project. You changed the tense of the paragraph, by putting are, present, and were, past, in the same paragraph. Overall, though, it was a fine summary of the article, plus there was an MLA citation. Adam L.

Make sure to follow the instructions on the Student Blog Page

9/24/2007
Reflect upon the mystery density cube experiment. You may write in first person. Create a long paragraph addressing these questions:

1.) Was the scientific method necessary in this experiment? If not, why? If so, why? 2.) What made this experiment difficult? or was it easy? 3.) Is density very important in finding the identity of an unknown substance?

The scientific method was incorporated into the density cube experiment. Our group had to hypothesize which cube was what also had to develop a materials and method, take quantitative and qualitative data and research the different materials. This is an example of most of the scientific method although it is in a different order. This experiment was slightly difficult, the hardest part was the research. Density is very important when you are finding a unknown substance. Without it would be very difficult to find out. //Entry://

//Comment 1:// Ian, overall this is a good paragraph. Good job answering the questions. You gave a basic sentence or two about the topics. But next time try to add a little more, and describe what you are talking about. Make sure you really think about what the questions are asking. Also, make sure you answer the "why" or the second parts to the questions. You knew what you were talking about, due to using facts from your own experiment. Great Job. -Jordan Comment 2:

10/16/2007
What is a flame test in your own words? How does this relate to the use of chemicals in fireworks? Make sure to include your MLA citations you may not use Wikipedia! . //Entry:// A flame test is a test used to determine the identity of a chemical. We know what chemical this is because the ionic salt changes colors when mixed with fire. To perform a flame test you clean a nickel-chromium wire in hydrochloric acid. To make sure the the wire is completely clean put it in the hottest part of the flame and if it changes colors it is not clean. Run it through the fire a few times to clean it. Now you can dip the nickel-chromium wire into the chemical you would like to test. After that stick the wire in the hottest part of the flame and observe what color the flame turns.

//Comment 1://

Comment 2: ...

11/1/2007
Go to this site: [|http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=55 .]Click on "Watch the Reaction with Sodium and Chlorine" In your own words and in third person, create a blog entry describing the reaction and explaining what is happening in terms of the bonding. Write a long paragraph. Explain in detail.

//Entry:// When sodium (a grayish like metal) is dropped into chlorine (a greenish gas) they have a major reaction and catch fire. The reaction between sodium chlorine makes an ionic bond. Each sodium loses one electron to chlorine, burns and then turns into NaCl or table salt. This i a chemical reaction and you can not remove the positively charged sodium from the negatively charged chlorine. The chlorine now has eight electrons in its outer energy level instead of its normal seven and the sodium looses one and has eight electrons in the outer energy level instead of one. The element in now NaCl or sodium chloride or table salt.

//Comment 1:// Ian, you did a good job on your entry. In the future it would be a good idea to put your entry through spell check because you have some grammatical and spelling errors. Your information is accurate, and you have a decent amount of it. Your entry is easy to understand. I would give it an A- for all of the errors and only a decent amount of information. Otherwise, you did a pretty good job. –Sarah T

Comment 2: ... 11/08/2007

What was your favorite project, experiment or topic this trimester and why? (projectile motion, density cube experiment, podcasts, chemical reactions, flame tests, etc.) You can also comment about the snakes. What do you think that you excelled at this trimester? How could you have improved your performance in Science 7? (Make sure to check your spelling and grammar).

Entry: My favorite experiment was the rap podcast. It was very creative and I learned a lot about my element. The thing that excelled the most at the first trimester was the experiments. To improve more in the next trimester I could study for tests more. Tests were my major downfall in science.

Comment 1:

Comment 2:

Comment on Ian H. Ian did a great job this trimester, and will undoubtedly exceed in the second trimester as well. I think he is a great person to have around, and he can make any thing fun, whether it be a cap on a test tube blowing off, or a flame burning a hole in a table. He focuses the right amount, while still having fun. He is really doing a good job!! Keep up the good work!!

Griffin

1/3/2008
Our next unit is about electricity and electronics. Observe the following graph, Graph 1. Write at least five sentences for each of the following questions. Write in third person. Directly cite data and identify the graph (1). 1.) Which electricity source in the US has increased the greatest amount over the time period shown in the graph? 2.) Which of the sources listed below directly contribute to global warming? Provide evidence and explain using the Internet (MLA citation). 3.) Describe the overall trends from 1972 to 1985 regarding the US's sources of electricity. [|This graph can also be seen at this LINK.]

Here is an example statement: "Graph 1 shows that from 1960-1965 there was a steady increase in the use of coal as a source of electricity. It rose from roughly 0.2 trillion killwatthours to 0.5 kilowatthours.

Entry: 1. Coal has increased the most in the U.S. On the graph it grew from about 0.1 trillion killwatthours to almost 2 trillion killwatthours in 55 years. The second most increased was Nuclear Electric Power. It increased from 0 to about 0.7 in less time than Coal. The only disadvantage from using coal is that it creates lots of carbon dioxide.

2. The main cause of global warming is coal. What coal does is it creates carbon dioxide which keeps sunlight in the atmosphere and that causes the earth to heat up. The less we use coal the less global warming will affect our earth. On the graph it grew from about 0.1 trillion killwatthours to almost 2 trillion killwatthours in 55 years. If you look at a graph on global it looks about the same as the graph above.

3. Coal is the most used source of electricity by far, It has had a steady increase ever since the 1960's and now over two trillion killwatthours are used today. The second most used source of electricity is petroleum and natural gas. Even though it went through a major downfall in the 1980's it caught back up with about 1.8 trillion killwatthours. In third place is nuclear power, it is just slightly below petroleum and natural gas at 1.7 trillion killwatthours today. Bringing up the rear is Hydroelectric power at a steady 0.25 trillion killwatthours.

http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/f101.asp

//Comment 1:// Ian, your did a good job answering the questions. You wrote in third person, and you have at least five sentences for each paragraph. In the first paragraph, instead of just talking about the most increased, you mentioned the second most increased. This was a creative way to add more information. Your second paragraph is very well written. You obviously understand how coal releases carbon dioxide, which blocks the sunlight. Great job giving examples from the graph also. Your third paragraph is also very strong. Great Job Ian! -Kjersti //Comment 2://

1/8/2008
Please read the paragraph below about energy use to create electricity from 1972-1985 in the US. Observe that the graph is referred to, there is an introductory statement, supporting statements are backed up with data, and that their is a concluding sentence. This would have been a well written paragraph for question 3 in our previous blog entry.

"As seen in Graph 1, there were four sources of electricity production in the US from 1972-1985. These sources were coal, petroleum/natural gas, nuclear electric power, and hydroelectric power. From 1972-1985, the US needed greater and greater production of electricity from these combined resources. This best example of this is that during these years, coal increased from 0.5 trillion kilowatthours to roughly 1.5 trillion kilowatthours. During this same time period hydroelectric sources remained approximately the same at 0.3 trillion kilowatthours. There was a slight increase in nuclear electric power sources from 0.1 trillion kilowatthours to 0.3 trillion kilowatthours during this same time period. Finally, petroleum and natural gas showed the greatest amount of fluctuation during this time period staying about the same from 1972-1980 at 0.4 trillion kilowatthours but then deceasing to 0.3 trillion kilowattthours by 1985. Thus, although greater and greater amounts of resources were needed to produce electricity during this time period, coal accounted for the greatest increase in use." - JT

//**Using the above paragraph as a model, describe the changes in electricity production sources from 2000-2005. Make sure that you reference the graph (Graph 1). Make sure all statements are backed up with data. Make sure you have an introductory sentence and a concluding sentence that provide an overall summary/statement.**//

Entry:

3. Coal is the most used source of electricity by far, It has had a steady increase ever since the 1960's and now over two trillion killwatthours are used today. The second most used source of electricity is petroleum and natural gas. Even though it went through a major downfall in the 1980's it caught back up with about 1.8 trillion killwatthours. In third place is nuclear power, it is just slightly below petroleum and natural gas at 1.7 trillion killwatthours today. Bringing up the rear is Hydroelectric power at a steady 0.25 trillion killwatthours.

Re-Entry:

3. Coal is the most used source of electricity by far as seen on graph one. Even though it has stayed mostly POORLY WORDED even between 2000 and 2005 (only rising 0.1 trillion killwatthours). It stands now at 1.8 trillion killwatthours. Hydroelctric power has stayed the same from 2000 to 2005 at a steady 0.2 trillion killwatthours. The highest gain from 2000 to 2005 was by petroleum and natural gas PUNCTUTATION it jumped from 0.5 trillion killwatthours to 0.8 trillion killwatthours over the five year span. Nuclear electric power has stayed at a steady 0.6 trillion killwatthours. CONCLUDING SENTENCE. KEEP WORKING ON YOUR SW WRITING AND HEED THE COMMENTS BY YOUR PEERS. - JT

//Comment 1:// The first thing i noticed was that you said killwatthours. It is not killwatthours it is kilowatthours. You also had a spelling error in the fifth sentence. You said gain when it shouldve been increase. Youcan also have a period after, "The highest gain from 2000 to 2005 was by petroleum and natural gas". You also need a good concluding sentence and an introductory sentence. Good job!

2/05/2008
What is a watt? How do you calculate the amount of electrical power that is used in a circuit? Finally, if a lamp with a 200 watt lightbulb burned for 24 hours straight (you forgot and left it turned on), how many kilowatt hours would it use? Make sure to write in complete sentences and in third person. Explain how you calculated the amount of kilowatt hours that would be used in the question above.

Entry: A watt is measure power. To calculate the amount of electrical power the curent is multiplyed by the voltage. To find out how many kilowatt hours it would take if a 200 watt lightbulb burned for 24 hours straight. The amount of watts is multipyed by the time that the light bulb burned (200*24=4800). Then 4800 is divided by 1000 because kilo means 1000. The final answer is 4.8 kilowatt hours.

Comment 1: This entry undoubtedly shows you understanding of watts, and killowatthours. You easily showed your understanding of each question and the equations and number sequences to get your answers. I saw a few grammar mistakes, such as multipyed instead of multiplied, and curent for current. Overall, this entry was very well written. Griffin

4/22/2008 Go to: [|The Tech Museum: Robotics]. Spend 10 minutes browsing the information and museum. Answer the following blog prompt in complete sentences and in third person. Create a full paragraph. If in the future machines have the ability to reason, be self-aware and have feelings, then what makes a human being a human being, and a robot a robot? Explain. Are there any kind of robots that shouldn't be created? Or that you wouldn't want to see created? Why? Entry: If machines have the ability to be able to reason, be self aware, and have feelings there is still a difference between humans and robots. For example; humans have a soul, heart, or any living organs. Robot are not alive and they cannot die. Plus they can be completely controlled by humans. A type of robot that should not be created is a robot that is more advanced than humans. Comment 1: Comment 2:

Comment 2: Excellent entry Ian! You answered all three questions asked of you. Your definitions are clear and easy to understand. I can follow everything you said and figure out a problem for myself from what you told me. You might want to proofread next time. Overall Ian great job!

2/28/2008
This trimester we started by finishing up our chemistry unit by doing an acid/base experiment. After this, we started our electricity/electronics unit in which we first made basic series and parallel circuits with buzzers, speakers, motors, and lights. We applied ohm's law to these experiments. Following this, we started working on the Radioshack Electronics Kits where we made complex circuits that had a variety of functions- blinking LEDs, screeching speakers, analog to digital converters, etc. The technology we used this trimester included the pH probes that we connected to our computers to get the pH of household chemicals, using the wiki to create an class test review sheet, the Radioshack Electronic Kits, and creating collaborative lab reports in the wiki for our electronics unit (instead of a formal lab report).

//__In this blog prompt, please write a paragraph long entry (5-6 sentences with a intro and concluding sentence) that addresses what you enjoyed during this trimester and what you have learned. You can also comment on what you would like to improve upon for next trimester or what was difficult for you. Feel free to comment on our snakes- Peppermint and Diablo if you would like to as well as the technology that you enjoyed this trimester. Please check your spelling and grammar as this blog entry may appear in your end of trimester comment. You may want to write it in Microsoft Word to check the spelling, etc. and then copy it in the blog.__//

Entry: I enjoyed many things this trimester. My favorite unit by far was the electronics lab. I learned tons in this unit. I learned about capacitors, resistors, integrated circuits and breadboards. This unit also helped me learn how to be a more productive member of a group. When we were building our circuits we had to work together as a team. This trimester I struggled with the tests in the electricity and the electronics unit. Next trimester I need to be fully prepared for each test. Another thing that hurt my grade this trimester was forgetting to do a couple homework assignments. Next trimester I will fix this problem by writing down my homework at the beginning of class each time. Overall I have done a moderately good job this trimester.

Comment 1: Ian i think you did a great job. I have enjoyed working with you and john. I hope you enjoyed it as well

Comment 2: