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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 article was about new camera called the trajectory tracker. It is a high-speed camera made to record a large portion of a projectile’s flight path. The article also includes information about how the camera works, such as a mirror, which is programmed to match the motion of the projectile, which gets rid of motion blur.

This relates to projectile motion because this camera can track the projectiles. A projectile moves through the air in a parabola, the arc in which a projectile flies, and is affected by its velocity, angle, the gravity and the direction and strength of the wind. This camera could help track any of these and help predict and outcome. The velocity is how hard the projectile is thrown, when it is thrown harder, it goes faster and farther. The angle of the projectile also affects how far the projectile goes, the experiment in class had shown that at 45 degrees the projectile went farthest, and as the angle went closer to 0 or 90 degrees, the projectile didn’t go as far. If the gravity is increased the projectile reaches the ground faster. If the wind is blowing against the projectile, it will slow down and not go as far. If the wind is blowing with the projectile, it will go much farther. – Elizabeth B.

Chan, Wai, Taylor, Keith, and Smethurst, Wayne. "Digital imaging for ballistic proofing ranges." __Advanced imaging pro__. August 22nd. Advanced imaging pro. 27 Aug 2007 <[|http://www.advancedimagingpro.com/print/Advanced-Imaging-Magazine/Digital-Imaging-for-Ballistic-Proofing-Ranges/1$4410>.]

//Comment 1://

Add more to the first sentence of the 2nd paragraph. Otherwise overall it looks pretty good. Comment 2:

**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:// //The scientific method was neccecarry because all the steps of it were followed. The problem was finding the cube’s density, Observations were made, such as qualitative and quantitative data, and results were found through research. The experiment was actually easy, because it was all gathering information. First we found the density and then reasearched the substances to find their density. The choices were limited also by the look and texture such as wood or metal. Density is a good way to find the identity of an unknown substance. The only problem is that some substances have the same density, but no matter what, density is always a help.// //- Elizabeth// //Comment 1:// You should explain more about whether or not your method in the experiment was necassary. You shouldn't explain your entire expirement because you only need to answer the questions about the expirement. Besides all of that you did a good job on everything. -Andy 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 determining the identity of a substance by checking the color it is over a flame. The chemical is heated up, and then it produces a color. This is very important in fireworks. The color in the flame test is the same color that is used in the fireworks. The flame test and fireworks are basically the same thing, except fireworks have added explosives. For example, if you used a sample of lead in a flame test, it would turn blue, as it would be in a firework. Therefore, a flame test is the same concept and the same procedure as fireworks. -Elizabeth B.

"Qualatative Analisys - Flame Tests." __About.com__. 2007. The New York Times Company. 17 Oct 2007 <[|http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/aa110401a.htm>.]

//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:// In the experiment, a chunk of sodium was dropped into chlorine. The two elements reacted and caused an ionic bond. Sodium gave up one electron to chlorine, making its outer energy level full and it became positive. When chlorine received one electron, its outer energy level was full and it became negative. Since negative and positive attract each other, the sodium and chlorine stuck together, creating salt. -Elizabeth B.

//Comment 1:// Wonderful! I think you really understand whats happening. I think that you should talk a bit more about what ionic bonding is, you never know who will be reading this. Your spelling and grammar were good also. The length was a little short but if you were to go in just a little bit more detail you would have it. I think that a A would be best, i do think that yours is very good. -TaZ

Comment 2:

I think you have excellent data but you need to watch the wording. One example was "chunk." i agree with Taz you also could add a bit more detail. i thought you rushed through this take your time. Try to make your next paragraph easy to explain to a first grader otherwise excellent. -Imraan

Entry Rewrite: In the experiment, sodium was dropped into chlorine. The two elements reacted and caused an ionic bond. Sodium gave up one electron to chlorine, making its outer energy level full and it became positively charged. It changed to positive because a negatively charged electron had been taken away, so there were more positively charged protons than negatively charged electrons. When the chlorine received sodium’s electron, its outer energy level was full and it became negative because it gained a negatively charged electron. Since negative and positive attract each other, the sodium and chlorine stuck together, creating sodium chloride, or salt. -Elizabeth B.

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 project this year was the podcast about the element because it was fun and I liked having people try to guess our element and trying to guess other people’s. I think that I was best at the experiments. I could of improved my performance by doing all of my homework.

//Comment 1://

Comment 2:

12/18/07
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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: I know that electricity is conducted through some metals. I also know that electricity is used to power many of the things that we use in everyday life, such as phones, computers, televisions and many kitchen appliances. My question is: How do these appliances use the electricity that they are getting to make them function? I would like to do some research how a TV works.

Comment 1:

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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 kilowatt hours.

Entry: Graph 1 shows that from 1950-2005 there was a great increase in the use of coal as a source electricity. It rose from roughly 0.1 trillion kilowatt hours to almost 2 trillion kilowatt hours. Graph one also shows that the second highest increase was in nuclear electric power for electricity. It rose from 0 Kilowatt hours to roughly 0.7 kilowatt hours. When coal is burned, it produces carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming. Petroleum and natural gasses are also big contributors to CO2 emissions. Nuclear power, though, produces very little CO2, as well as hydroelectric power.

In Graph 1, coal shows an increase between 1972 and 1985. Petroleum and Natural Gas was in high use in 1972. Then its use dropped by 1985. Seen in Graph 1, nuclear and electric power was on a steady rise between 1972 and 1985. Hydroelectric power stayed around the same amount of Kilowatt hours with no significant rises or falls.

"Coal - a fossil fuel." __Energy Kids Page__. February 2007. Energy information administration. 4 Jan 2008 <[|http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/coal.html#Environment>.] “Carbon Dioxide Emissions from the Generation of Electric Power in the United States __“Energy Information administration__. February 2007. Energy information administration. 4 Jan 2008 <[|http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/coal.html#Environment>.]

Comment 1: In your last paragraph you clearly state what has had a high use and what has had a low use. When you say a use of energy goes up you list the years in between it went up. I think you did a very good job on this blog entry. -Nathan N.

Comment 2: Elizabeth, I think that you did a good job on this entry, but you didn't write anything about the data or how much an energy source increased or decreased. All you used to back yourself up were the years in which rises and falls happened. I think that you were trying to rush your sentences to get five sentences. I think you could have spent a little bit more time in your data. Overall you did a good job! -Rabiya S.

Comment 3: "In Graph 1, coal shows an increase between 1972 and 1985 DATA. Petroleum and Natural Gas was in high use in 1972 AMOUNT. Then its use dropped by 1985 AMOUNT. Seen in Graph 1, nuclear and electric power was on a steady rise between 1972 and 1985 DATA. Hydroelectric power stayed around the same amount of Kilowatt hours with no significant rises or falls.SUMMARY SENTENCE." - 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 Graph 1, the four energy sources, coal, petroleum/natural gas, nuclear electric power, and hydroelectric power, Increased slightly from 2000-2005. The highest increase in this period of time was Petroleum and natural gas, which increased from a little more than .5 kilowatt hours to .8 kilowatt hours. Coal increased from about 1.8 trillion kilowatt hours to almost 2 trillion kilowatt hours. Nuclear electric power stayed about the same at .7 trillion kilowatt hours, as hydroelectric power did, at .2 trillion kilowatt hours. Therefore, 2000-2005 showed little fluctuation in usage, and all that did change was changed to have a greater usage. - Elizabeth B.

Comment 1:As seen in Graph 1, the four energy sources, coal, petroleum/natural gas, nuclear electric power, and hydroelectric power, Increased slightly from 2000-2005 {which increased? Not all…or all be more pacific and make it in its own sentence}. The highest increase in this period of time was Petroleum and natural gas, which increased from a little more than {0}.5 kilowatt hours to {0}.8 kilowatt hours. Coal increased from about 1.8 trillion kilowatt hours to almost 2 trillion kilowatt hours. Nuclear electric power stayed about the same at {0}.7 trillion kilowatt hours, as hydroelectric power did, at {0}.2 trillion kilowatt hours. Therefore, 2000-2005 showed little fluctuation in usage, and all that did change was changed to have a greater usage.{good job!} -TaZ k.

Comment 2:

I don't agree with Taz. You describe how they change later in the paragraph. The only thing i could recommend is that you put a zero in front of the numbers- like, instead of .2, you would put 0.2. The period can be easily missed and readers will think it is 2 instead of 0.2. A "Coal increased from about 1.8 trillion kilowatt hours to almost 2 trillion kilowatt hours. Nuclear electric power stayed about the same at .7 trillion kilowatt hours, as hydroelectric power did, at .2 trillion kilowatt hours..." I would like you to rephrase that that sentence and replace the word 'did'. Over all, very good!

Re-Entry: As seen in Graph 1, the four energy sources, coal, petroleum/natural gas, nuclear electric power, and hydroelectric power, Increased slightly from 2000-2005. The highest increase in this period of time was Petroleum and natural gas, which increased from a little more than 0.5 TRILLION kilowatt hours to 0.8 TRILLION kilowatt hours. Coal increased from about 1.8 trillion kilowatt hours to almost 2 trillion kilowatt hours. Nuclear electric power stayed about the same at 0.7 trillion kilowatt hours, just like hydroelectric power which used about 0.2 trillion kilowatt hours. Therefore, 2000-2005 showed little fluctuation in usage, and all that did change was changed to have a greater usage. - Elizabeth B. VERY GOOD- JT

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 a measure of electrical power. the way you calculate watts, the electrical power, is by multiplying the current by the voltage. First, the watts are multiplied by the number of hours there are to find the total amount of watts. Since 200 times 24 equals 4800, the answer is 4800. Since the answer is required in kilowatt hours, and 1000 watts make a kilowatt hour, 4800 divided by 1000 equals 4.8 kilowatts.

Comment 1: Your overall work is splendid. You need to work on capitalizing you sentences. You did the math right and even remembered to divided to make the kilowatt hours correct. -TaZ k.

Comment 2:

Grammar could be improved, but overall excellent! It flows nicely, and all information is correct. Good on the equation, and correct answer. Work on making that first sentence flow with the rest of the entry. Good work!

~ Katherina

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 I enjoyed many things. I had fun making circuits. I also learned a lot about electricity. I would like to improve upon writing lab reports. I also really liked holding the snakes. Overall I had a great trimester in science!

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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: The way you could tell a robot from a human is tat a robot would be filled with gears. A human would be made with organs and blood. I think that we shouldn't make robots that are better than humans in every way. Then humans would become obsolete and robots would take over the world. I also think that there shouldn't be a robot to do homework, because then kids wouldn't learn how to manage their time properly. Comment 1:

Comment 2: