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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://

The Red giant Myra A was found to have a massive tail, almost as large as four full moons. This tail was said to be performing a parabolic arc. The red giant was said to not have enough energy to become a supernova, and it will become a white giant, exactly like our sun.This star has been researched, and it has been found that it shines only with ultraviolet light. This star relates to projectiles and parabolas because the tail is performing a parabolic arc, which is much unlike other stars.

This relates to what our science class has learned in the past week because the star's tail is making a parabolic arc, which, as we have learned, is an arc that projectiles make.

GRANT C-


 * Brenn, Max. "Red Giant Star." __www.efluxmedia.com__. August ||
 * || 16 2007. 27 Aug 2007 . ||

//Comment 1:// //Good first phraragraph.Your 2nd Pharagraph is to short, Try to add some more detail. Change classe have to classe has or classes have. Besides that Nice work!// -TaZ

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? . //Entry:// This experiment was performed by using the scientific method. Each cube was, in turn, examined and weighed to find the density, mass, and volume. The cubes were researched to determine the specific identities of each cube. The density of each cube is very important in determining the identity of each cube, because without the density of the cube you could not research the substance to find out if your hypothesis. The most helpful data in determining the identity of each cube was the Qualitative data (Color, Smell).

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 identify an element or compound by burning it. Some elements/compounds create beautiful colors of flame when tested. An example of a flame test could be fireworks and the different colors of flames the tails produce when lit. Fireworks will have different colored explosions in corollation with which chemicals, elements, and compounds are used in creating the fireworks. Many compounds will increase the heat or the height of the flame it is being tested by, and some will even change colors. After flame tests the testing rod needs to be cleaned off.//

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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: The chunk of sodium was dropped into the chlorine gas and it was set on fire. The reaction involves sodium losing one electron to chlorine, which makes them both happy. Sodium ends up with a positive charge and chlorine with a negative charge, and they bond ionically to creat NaCl, or table salt. This reaction is a chemical reaction, and when they combine a flame appears. The site shows the sodium being dropped into the chlorine, and igniting into flames. Once they have bonded they create table salt, which is completely opposite of both of its reactants. Chlorine is a poisonous gas and sodium is a metal, and they both combine to create an edible food like substance. The Cat-ion is the Sodium and the An-ion is the Chlorine because sodium loses an electron to chlorine// Grant C

//Comment 1: In the paragraph there is no spelling errors and the lentgh is reasonable. The content is detailed and correct in explaining what the reactent is.It is however, using low vocabulary at points, ecspecially when it states "the reaction involves sodium losing one electron to chlorine, which makes them both **happy**." A more sophisticated// //word than happy should be used. Other then that, the description is through and correct. Good job! This is A+ work!// -David J.

Rewrite entry: //The chunk of sodium was dropped into the chlorine gas and it was set on fire. The reaction involves sodium losing one electron to chlorine, which makes them both appear to be noble gasses. Sodium ends up with a positive charge and chlorine with a negative charge, and they bond ionically to creat NaCl, or table salt. This reaction is a chemical reaction, and when they combine a flame appears. The site shows the sodium being dropped into the chlorine, and igniting into flames. Once they have bonded they create table salt, which is completely opposite of both of its reactants. Chlorine is a poisonous gas and sodium is a metal, and they both combine to create an edible food like substance. The Cat-ion is the Sodium and the An-ion is the Chlorine because sodium loses an electron to chlorine.// Grant C



"reaction of sodium and Chlorine." __www.angelo.edu/.../Sodium_Chlorine_1_04.jpg__. Angelo.edu. 5 Nov 2007 .

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 topic was projectile motion because we got to launch pumpkins. I also liked the game we played where you could play with speeds, densities, and different objects. The snakes were very interesting because I have never held a snake before (it was a little scary at first). I think I excelled at fast learning of the elements and their symbols. I could have improved upon reading directions more thouroughly. Grant C.//

//Comment 1:// You did good in the experiments. Your confidence keeped everyone on track. Nice work! Comment 2:

12/18/2007
Our next unit is about electricity and electronics. In first person write a long paragraph about what you know about electricity and what questions you might like to have answered in our electricity unit. If you could investigate any subject area related to energy in the home, electricity, electronics, computers, etc. what would you like to research or investigate?

Entry: One thing I would like to know about electricity is how it is stored through batteries. I cant see how a battery could hold an electrical charge for as long as some do. I would also like to know about who invented electricity, and who used it first. Was Thomas Edison the first to use electricity? Why does creating electricity cost so much ( elctrical bills ), and cant we use more natural methods than coal, like waterwheels. How do the people that supply energy keep energy bottled up so that they can release a certain amount at certain times. If I were to investigate one topic, it would be computers, because it astounds me that a computer can run for 2 hrs + on one full charge of a battery.

Grant C.

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1/3/2008
Our next unit is about electricity and electronics. Observe the following graph, Graph 1 and write an analytical paragraph describing what it means. Make sure to address what trends are observed; how things change over time, etc. Write at least five sentences for 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.]

Entry: This graph is a graph showing the rise and fall of the usage of certain kinds of power, spread out through the years. Coal is clearly the largest source of energy according to this graph. From graph 1, It is obvious that nuclear electric power was dicovered around the 1970's, as it started to rise following that year. Coal has still increased the most. the largest decrease was petroleum.

From Graph1, The largest energy source that directly contributes to global warming is coal and natural gas. This is because they are both large producers of CO2, or Carbon Dioxide. This gas is what causes the greenhouse affect, or global warming. CO2 creates a haze around the earth. This haze traps in the suns rays. this process, the greenhouse effect, creates an excess amount of heat on the earth.

The trend from 1972-1985 was a large increase in proportion to years past of nuclear electric power. Coal had the same very fast, steady increase, while petroleum and natural gas died out. Hydroelectric power stayed the same if not lost some killowat hours. petroleum and natural gas gained and then died out. Nuclear just started in 1972, and had a large increase.

www.eia.doe.gov/neic/infosheets/renewable**energy**.html

Comment 1: Grant, Good Job summarizing the overall trends and writing in third person. In your next entries, it would be helpful to reference "Graph 1." You used words from the question, which is a good strategy to make your statement clear. You did not capitalize the first letter of the 4th sentence. Your thoughts about the data make sense, and from reading it, I know the general idea of the graph because your conclusions are very appropriate.

-Emily

Comment 2: Grant, your blog entry is very good except for a few mistakes in the words, killowatthours instead of killowat hours and some letters that need to be capitalized other than those few mistakes that you made. Your reference to the data you used is clear and understandable. I think you did a very nice job on your blog entry.

-Nathan

COMMENT 3: "The trend from 1972-1985 was a large increase in proportion to years past of nuclear electric power DATA. Coal had the same very fast, steady increase, while petroleum and natural gas died out DATA. Hydroelectric power stayed the same if not lost some killowat hoursDATA. pPetroleum and natural gas gained and then died out EXPLAIN, DATA. Nuclear just started in 1972, and had a large increase.OVERALL CONCLUDING SENTENCE" -PRETTY GOOD JOB. JT

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: As seen in the chart GRAPH 1, Coal is the highest energy source at around 2 trillion killowat hours SP. Hydroelectric power flattens SW out during the time period of 2000-2005 at about 0.2 trillion killowat SP hours. Petroleum and Natural gas has HAVE a fairly large increase from about 0.5 trillion killowat SP hours to 0.6 trillion killowatSP hours. Nuclear electric power flattens SW out at about 0.55 trillion killowat SP hours. Although all of the energy sources increase and decrease VARY?, coal still has the highest rate and amount of increase. CLEARER CONCLUDING SENTENCE NEEDED. - JT Grant C.

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 in it burned for 24 hours straight (you forgot and left it turned on), how many kilowatt hours would it use? Make sure to writein 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 the amount of energy converted and is used to measure mostly in household appliances. The wattage for this problem would be 200*24 = 4800 watt hours. The wattage was rune for 24 hours, which gives off 200 wats per hour, which leads to my conclusion of 4800 watt hours. This is measured in watt hours because it is the amount of watts run for each hour. I wonder if the light bulb was run for 24 minutes if the resulting wattage would be 4800 watt minutes?

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:

Comment 1:

Comment 2:

Comment 1: Firstly your grammar could have been better because some of your sentences were awkward and others were run on. Be careful to watch out for those. Another thing for this problem you were supposed to convert it to kilowatt hours although your watt answer is correct. I also think that you need to explain your conclusion a little more. Some things that were good was that you wrote in third person and got the point across. Great job Grant!

-Imraan

Comment 2: Grant good job on your writing, you only had a few mistake but other than those it was very well written. Your mistakes include one two grammar errors, an example is watts not wats. Your writing is all in third person except for the ending. I don't know if you can end you blog entry with a question. Your math was not right, you did not get to 4.8 kilowatt hours (the answer to the second questions. Other than those few errors you did a good job.

- Nathan

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: This trimester in science was a great trimester in terms of learning new things. My favorite thing this trimester was the snakes and watching how much they grow. I liked working with the Electronic learning kits because of how much freedom we had with picking our circuits. I also like learning about circuits and how they worked. I liked learning about how to troubleshoot circuits because it might come in handy later on in life. Getting my blog completed for our circuits project was very difficult for me because I couldn't get my video to download. Overall it was a great trimester in terms of learning and fun.

Grant C

Comment 1:You helped me so much because of all the helping me out you did with understanding things. Yo uh ad a few mistakes in grammar. So lets have a good next trimester.-Clayton

Comment 2: