SHS I See Science

Without You Here

2011-05-27T09:49:00.001-05:00

It may be graduation day, but there is already work being done to get our school ready for you next year! Do you recognize your classroom?

Biology - Crayfish Dissection

2011-03-28T07:39:00.000-05:00

Photo accessed at http://www.aa.psu.edu/biology/crayfish/crayfish/used/tail.jpg on March, 28, 2011

If you find a good website for crayfish anatomy, copy and paste the link in a comment here. Thanks!

pH Lab in Chemistry

2011-03-02T13:52:00.000-06:00

Here are some shots from today's chemistry lab. Today we ran tests on seven different chemicals and tomorrow we will talk about pH, pOH, acids and bases.

Owl Nest

2011-02-28T14:35:00.002-06:00

Check out this cool live webcam.

Monday, Feb. 14th - Biology

2011-02-11T16:24:00.000-06:00

Scan through Ch. 23, section 1 in your Biology books. Notice that there are six main adaptations that plants had to make to live successfully on land:

absorbing nutrients with roots,
preventing water loss,
reproducing on land using pollen,
transporting materials with vascular tissue,
protecting embryos with seeds and
attracting pollinators with flowers.)

Pretend that you are a salesman, selling one or more of these adaptations to plants. Make an advertisement, using any computer program that you want (or you may draw it on paper), selling the adaptation you have chosen. You may want to read more about it in the book (Ch. 23, section 1). Your advertisement must include the following things:

a picture (probably of a plant who either needs or has the adaptation you chose)
A name for your product (the adaptation - but be creative!)
The price you are selling your adaptation for
A short explanation of why a plant needs the adaptation you are selling.

If you made your ad on the computer, turn it in to the dropbox with your name in the file name. If you made your ad by hand, turn it in to the sub. If you aren't finished when the bell rings, turn it in tomorrow.

Monday, Feb.14th in Chemistry

2011-02-11T15:35:00.000-06:00

Each student needs to:

1. Pick any “Science World” magazine from the stacks on my desk.

2. Choose an article that is interesting to you and read through it.

3. Now choose any of the “Science News” magazines over by the frogs.

Read through any of the articles (if it is long, scan through it). You will have to share these magazines because there aren’t as many of them.

4. Answer the following questions on paper (you may use the colored scratch paper):

a. How would you compare these aspects of the two articles:

1. types of words and sentence structure

2. use of pictures or lack of pictures and picture size compared

to the article size

3. Creative title or lack of a creative title

4. Use of quoting someone else

5. Length of article.

c. Who do you think was the intended audience for each article?

d. Why do you think the Science World article was written and arranged the way that it was? What

about the Science News article?

Turn these observations in. We will use them in a discussion/project tomorrow. Neatly return your magazines to the stacks they came from.

The sub has your next assignment.

Biology - New Plan!

2011-01-13T12:43:00.002-06:00

Alright, so the glogster website is a disaster. Try this.

Click here to see which biome you've been assigned (ignore the nickname and password columns).

Now click below on your biome and work on making a miniature bulletin board about your biome. Your bulletin board must have at least three pictures (one of the biome, one of an animal that lives there, and one of a plant that lives there) and at least two facts (an example of where the biome is, and a description of the climate). You can add other facts, pictures, sketches, etc. after those things are there.

This is a collaborative project. Any changes you make will be seen by others (only add school appropriate content or you will lose your freedom to participate in online activities.) Also, other students can and will be adding to your bulletin board.

6th period

Tundra, Taiga, Temperate Forest, Temperate Grassland, Desert, Rain Forest, Savanna, Wetland, Freshwater, Shallow Ocean, Deep Ocean

8th period:

Click here to see which biome you've been assigned (ignore the nickname and password columns).

Now click below on your biome and work on making a miniature bulletin board about your biome. Your bulletin board must have at least three pictures (one of the biome, one of an animal that lives there, and one of a plant that lives there) and at least two facts (an example of where the biome is, and a description of the climate). You can add other facts, pictures, sketches, etc. after those things are there.

This is a collaborative project. Any changes you make will be seen by others (only add school appropriate content or you will lose your freedom to participate in online activities.) Also, other students can and will be adding to your bulletin board.

Make sure your name is on your "notes" to get credit for your work.

Tundra, taiga, temperate grassland, savanna, rain forest, desert, deep ocean, temperate forest, shallow ocean, freshwater, wetland.

Biology Glog Project

2011-01-12T15:36:00.000-06:00

Click here for your usernames, passwords and assignments. When you are through saving/publishing your glog, be sure to copy and paste its link back onto this spreadsheet.

Chemistry - Ch. 14, section 4

2011-01-11T13:52:00.002-06:00

Click here to get to today's assignment.

Answer the questions posted and then click the "check" button at the bottom of the page. It will tell you which ones you got right and give you a chance to try the others again. You will use the combined gas law formula for all of these, if I remember right.

Take a screen shot of your score (I want you to get at least 70% right), and turn the screen shot into my dropbox with your name in the file name.

Biology Dino Project

2010-11-18T07:54:00.000-06:00

Here is a website about the Permian time period fossils found in our area.

Prehistoric CSI

Biology: Deep Time Project, Ch. 12

2010-11-09T14:13:00.003-06:00

Click here for the timeline.

The information you must find is:
-What happened during your assigned period in each of the three categories (transformations, geology and extinctions)
-When exactly did each event happen

Make a bulleted list on your colored sheet of paper describing the details and date of each event you find, then illustrate your time period on the class timeline.

Biology - Genes to Protein

2010-10-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Click here for today's webquest.

Biology - Transciption and Translation

2010-10-21T11:24:00.001-05:00

Click here to transcribe and translate a strand of DNA.

Karyotyping - Biology

2010-09-30T07:22:00.000-05:00

Click here for the karyotyping website.

Tuesday

2010-09-21T06:10:00.002-05:00

Biology - Click here to experiment with different kinds of cells to see how they are affected by various signals. Write the results from your experiment in the table I have printed out for you and turn this in. Remember that these signals can be actively or passively transported into the cell.

Also, don't forget that you will have a Chapter 4 quiz tomorrow.

Chemistry - You get to show the class your scientist interviews today. After that, we will discuss section 2 out of chapter 4 and play a game if we have time.

Monday

2010-09-20T07:39:00.001-05:00

Chemistry: Finish your scientist interviews. These are due on Tuesday.

Biology: Chapter 4, section 1 (Osmosis). Then we will try to squeeze in two osmosis labs - one where you will see osmosis on a large scale and one where you will see it at the cellular level.

Click here for a good review on osmosis.

Thursday's Class

2010-09-08T15:49:00.000-05:00

It's test day! Every class is taking a chapter 2 test. Good luck!

Wednesday in Class

2010-09-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

All classes are preparing for a Chapter 2 test today. In my public folder on the server, you can find all of the powerpoints from this chapter and download them to study or find answers to your review.

Tuesday

2010-09-03T15:23:00.002-05:00

First of all, we have short classes today, so get ready to work fast when you get in class!

Also, you should be able to access all of my power points from class by going to my public folder at school.

Here is how to access my public folder:

Open your "Finder". (It's the icon with two faces on it).

On the left side of that box, click "All" to see all of the shared folders. Scroll until you find the one with my last name at the end of it.

Then click on your class folder and find the file you want to download.

Only ten people can access my folder at once, so make sure you "eject" my folder once you are through with it by right clicking on the driver icon (it has little people on it) that's on your desktop, and choosing "eject."

Chemistry - 1st period: you still need to learn about significant figures in Chapter 2.3 and then we'll move on to 2.4, which is about graphing. Don't forget to keep looking at the class calendar at the bottom of this page - you have a Ch. 2 test coming up!

Everyone else in chemistry: You are starting Chapter 2, section 4 (about graphing) and making a kind of graph that is about you and different than any you've seen before, I bet!

Biology - Your Label Tables are due today (put them in my class drop box) and then you will cover chapter 2, section 4. We'll test out the public folder for this class too so that you know how to use it in the future. Then you need to update your vocabulary word list so you'll have it ready to study when your test comes along. Be sure you are watching the class calendar at the bottom of this page so that you know in advance when tests are coming up.

Friday

2010-09-03T08:09:00.000-05:00

Today, chemistry classes are starting section 3 out of Chapter 2, which is about accuracy, precision, calculating percent error and determining the degree of confidence in a number by counting significant figures. Then we'll play a game to review what you've learned.

For biology - Great job on your biologist interview projects! I saw some pretty cool movies! Today we will start section four out of chapter 2 and then practice reading food labels. You will make your own tables in excel or numbers and then add two more foods from home this weekend before you turn the table in to me on Monday.

That's all for today! Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Thursday's Class

2010-09-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

In Chemistry, we are going to travel to Pluto in Ms. Beck's magic school bus (and finishing the section in Chapter two about unit conversions, scientific notation and building models to scale.)

In Biology, you are presenting your biologist interviews, finishing the water lab from yesterday and starting section three out of section 2. It's gonna be a busy day!

Wednesday in Class

2010-09-01T08:14:00.000-05:00

In Chemistry today, you are going to finish Ch. 2, section 2, which is about building models to scale. The model we are going to build of the class is over the solar system! Your calculations can be recorded here:

1st period click here. 2nd period click here. 3rd period click here.

In Biology,

Tuesday

2010-08-31T07:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday!

First of all, don't forget that your project proposal forms are due tomorrow!

Today in Chemistry, we are hitting chapter 2, section 2, which is about scientific notation and unit conversions for measurements. Then you are going to prepare for a flight to the moon...who said chemistry has to stay in the classroom??

Today in Biology, you are starting Chapter 2, which begins with a quick review on atoms, the building blocks for all things, including living things. Then we will play a game to see how well you know atoms! Don't forget that your biologist interviews are due on Thursday.

Monday

2010-08-30T06:30:00.002-05:00

Here we go with Week 2!

In Chemistry, you are going to start chapter 2 with a review over types of measurements you will use throughout this class, including density. Then you will do a lab about Den City. Think about that a minute....get it? :)

Here is something else for you to think about: What is "nanotechnology"? Find me an article about how scientists are using nanotechnology these days, and I'll give you three bonus points on your Ch. 2 test.

In Biology, we are going to quickly look at the types of issues in the field of biology that our world is facing today. Then you are going to "interview" a biologist of your choice (click here for the choices) and present your interview to us on Thursday.

Finally Friday!

2010-08-27T06:30:00.001-05:00

It looks like we have all survived our first week of class! Here's what stands between you and the weekend. :)

In Chemistry and Biology, your safety contracts are due and you will take your safety test today.

After that, chemistry classes will move on to Chapter 1, section 4, which is about types of research. Don't worry. It's short.

In Biology, you will hit Chapter 1, section 1, which is about our definition of living things.

Thursday's Class

2010-08-26T06:30:00.000-05:00

Biology and Chemistry: You will both start chapter one in your books today, starting with Scientific Method. Then, you will go to the www.sciencebuddies.org website to pick out your science fair project.

Don't forget that your science contracts are due on Friday and that you will take your Lab Safety test is on Friday too. You must make a 100 on this test to do labs in this class!!

Today in Class

2010-08-25T06:30:00.006-05:00

Today in class we are going to review those beloved safety rules in the Safety Contract. In chemistry, however, you are going to take knowing the rules a step further by improving the contract! There will be a test over the safety rules on Friday, so keep them fresh in your mind!

Next, we will look at three examples of communication in the field of science and we will look at their similarities, differences, purposes and apparent credibilities.

Picture This!

2010-08-24T06:30:00.004-05:00

Today you will identify lab equipment that we will use in class and you can prove you know your stuff by taking a picture of each piece of equipment and matching it with the correct name. Download the Google Document named "Lab Equipment" and save it to your computer (Click "File" and "Download As") before you start copy and pasting pictures onto your page. Then save this file and keep it to study for your test next week.

We will also cover the lab safety rules today!

What's New in Room 130?

2010-08-23T16:54:00.001-05:00

Well, first of all, I've changed the class website yet again! After all, part of being a good scientist is experimenting and changing the experiment where change is needed! So on this blog, you should be able to find announcements and assignment descriptions for class each day (any files you need for class can be accessed on the school server, not here) and lots of other stuff like pictures and good website links.

Today in class, we are all covering the same things. Here is the outline:

Introduction to Room 130

Where is everything?

Introduction to this blog and how to use it
Be thinking about your own blog, if you don't have one already (you will need a username, password and email address)

We will use that password and username for any free account we use in this class

My rules

Be respectful
Be ready for class (get here on time and with your stuff! This includes having your laptop charged.)
Be safe in the lab

What to expect from this class
Where your grades come from

Daily grades: labs, quizzes, assignments
Tests
Project

Today's Music: "Get Ready" by the Temptations

CurioCity

2010-08-22T22:36:00.000-05:00

In your down time today, check out this website. It has answers to all kinds of science questions, experiments, and a place to learn about new and cool jobs in the field of science. Let me know what you find that really interests you!

What do you think?

2010-08-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

There sure are a lot of changes going on at our school this year! Think about what you think class will be like, and then think about what school was probably like when your parents were in school. Do you think that the difference in technology truly changes the things you will learn this year? Or does it only change the way you learn? Will you be able to learn more than students from years past? Post a comment and in no more than two or three sentences, tell me what you think!

Meet Your New Classmates!

2010-08-20T16:09:00.001-05:00

Albert

Darwin

Albert and Darwin are African Dwarf Frogs! (Can you tell the difference between them?) Click here to read a Wikipedia article about them. If you can find a good website or article about this kind of frog (especially how to take care of them!) please post a comment on this page or let me know about it!

First Photo Contest!

2010-08-20T15:33:00.000-05:00

This six week's photo contest category is "In the Lab." Your photos are allowed to be digitally altered for this contest and includes equipment used in the field of science. Lab equipment used in our class is fair game, but remember that science happens in lots of places besides our classroom. Please send a digital copy of your picture to me if you can (email it to kimberly.beck@seymour-isd.net), and if you do not have a camera, talk to me. You can enter up to two photos for this contest and the top 5 photos (voted on by you, of course) will be automatically entered into this year's Photo Fair at Science Night! So get clickin', shutterbugs! Talk to me if you have questions!

Welcome Back!

2009-09-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know we're already well into the first six weeks of school...but welcome back!! We're doing lots of new things this year, and a lot of those new things have to do with the Three Rivers Foundation, who just happens to have a new blog, so I want to put a link to it here.

And of course, I can't leave out my new class website, where students can access all of the lessons they see in class, and get caught up if they miss a day. Once we get all of our new computers at school and other technological equipment, I hope to eventually have podcasts and videos and lots more student work there too, so keep an eye out and watch us evolve! :)

SHS is already signed up to take a bus load of kids to 3RF in November to watch the Leonid meteor shower from one of the darkest places around. Bring a blanket!

Also, we're getting closer and closer to starting our turtle habitat. Meet our first turtle (sorry, he's not named yet!)

What's Going On Here?

2009-04-26T16:48:00.000-05:00

Calling all Biology students! Out by your butterfly garden, I noticed something happening that you are learning about in this week's chapter about plants.

Here is a plant in the genus Oxalis in the shade:

And here is the same kind of plant in the sun:

Can you tell me what is happening here?

The Garden that We Built

2009-04-23T20:31:00.001-05:00

April 22 was Earth Day, and boy, did you guys do it up right! Thanks to the Three Rivers Foundation, you guys used your own hands to make SHS's very first butterfly garden! I am so proud of your attention to detail, the way you got in there and worked hard in the sun, and helped each other to do something good for your school. Now we have completed what is the first step to all kinds of cool projects - like tracking butterfly and hummingbird migrations, an eventual bigger garden, and even building a box turtle habitat. Good job!!!

And here's the result of your hard work! (Drumroll......)

Great work, guys!!

Chemistry: What Are Fossil Fuels?

2009-04-20T07:38:00.000-05:00

This week in Chemistry, we are taking a little trip away from your text book and are going to study something out of ~Chapter X~.....

What's Chapter X, you ask? It's a chapter that I built myself so that you can learn a little more about hydrocarbons - how we get them, how we use them, and how they affect us. By the end of the chapter, you will know more about alternatives to using hydrocarbons also.

To start off, go to this link: What are fossil fuels?

Use the website that comes up to answer the questions on your class handout.

Let's Take A Walk

2009-04-07T20:38:00.000-05:00

Spring is upon us - more or less. :) And depending on whether or not there are hurricane force winds outside, you may have gotten a chance to walk around outside some and notice a few things. If you are in Biology right now, you might start noticing some things we've been learning about in class. For example, on a shrub along the Brazos river, I saw this thing...What is it? What kingdom is it from?

You're right, I just asked you a trick question. This organism is actually from two kingdoms - it's part fungus and part algae - a symbiotic relationship known as a "lichen."

Not too far from the lichen, I saw this thing...

Whoa!! What is that?!!? The Blob? Maybe you need a bigger picture to figure it out...

Still don't know? Let's try an even bigger picture...

Those green blobs aren't blobs at all - they are algae. And if you go back to the first picture of "the blob," you'll see that it is using it's photosynthetic skills like the sun won't shine tomorrow. See all of those bubbles? What gas do you suppose is in them? To answer that question, you've got to think back to the chemical equation for photosynthesis:

Light + Water + Carbon dioxide --> Sugar + Oxygen

That's why algae can be good for water ecosystems. It is not only part of the food chain, but it oxygenates water for other organisms.

And even the Blob can't do that.

Seymour Science Day

2009-03-16T15:28:00.000-05:00

Seymour Science Day was this past Saturday, and wow, what a day! The Three Rivers Foundation brought everything from turtles, to bird seed garden kits, to meteorites to telescopes and even a cool game that let you build your own bracelet while learning about the water cycle. The Houston Museum of Natural Science was there too, with fossils, kites, coloring contests and yes - even bugs.......to eat!! A special thanks go to our student volunteers who put in a lot of hours to make this whole program work. Your hard work is deeply appreciated and you did such a great job!!

The only thing that could have made the day better was if the sky had cleared up in time for a star party, but don't worry, we'll have another one soon.

Here are some pics from our busy day that you might like. And I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted - so let's have a good, restful Spring Break! It got kicked off to a great start!

Do Something

2009-03-02T11:56:00.000-06:00

The last few chapters in our Biology book have made us very aware of some of the difficult issues (like acid rain, ozone depletion, global warming, chemical pollution, loss of resources and population growth) we face on our planet that will have to be addressed if we are going to be able to keep Earth so that it can sustain our growing population.

Believe it or not, as big as these issues are, there are actually a lot of things you can do to start working toward our new goals of protecting our life on this planet. If you will look over to the right hand menu over there, you will see a new "widget" called the "Act Now Matrix." This cool little tool is from DoSomething.org and lets you pick from a list of lots of pressing issues we have, and see lists of things you can do about your issue, all organized by the size of the group of people you are working with and where you want to work on your issue.

Here's what I want you to do:

1. Pick one of these issues that we learned about in class:

Acid Rain
Ozone
Global Temperature
Chemical Pollution
Loss of Resources
Population Growth

2. Use the widget from dosomething.org to find something reasonable that you can do, today, to do something about your issue. There are a lot to choose from.

3. Start a new page in your science journal ("Ch. 18 The Issues") and describe your issue - what has caused it, what is the overall goal we need to reach to resolve this issue and then tell me something that you can realistically do (for example, if acid rain is my issue, then my overall goal might be to cut down on putting chemicals in the air, and what I can do is something more specific that will help achieve that goal. And no, you can't use what I just said for your entry! :) ). Don't forget to draw a picture!

Summer Science

2009-02-27T08:24:00.000-06:00

There are some really cool opportunities for you guys to do some really cool stuff this summer!Here are some descriptions of programs you can apply for and links where you can read more about the ones you are interested in. You should be able to find applications on each website also. You can post a comment here to let me know what you're looking into. Let me know if you need help!

Aquatic Sciences Adventure Camp
Students study water resources in the beautiful Central Texas Hill Country. Activities
include collecting aquatic organisms, microscope labs, water chemistry labs (pH, temperature,
dissolved oxygen, turbidity), viewing wildlife and spring systems from a glass-bottom
boat. Recreational activities include tubing, swimming, river rafting, a scuba/snorkeling
lesson, and Sea World.

iD Tech Camps
Create digital movies, websites, video games, robots and more! iD Tech Camps provides
weeklong day and overnight summer programs for ages 7-17 at 60 universities in 26 states,
including UT Austin. Teen programs include: iD Gaming Academy, iD Film Academy and iD
Programming Academy.

Texas Brigades Wildlife Ed & Leadership Development
Dates: 6/14/2009 to 7/30/2009
Six week-long camps to choose from! Intensive programs studying wildlife biology and ecology,
along with leadership and life-skills development. Network with professionals in the industry.
Connect with youth with similar interests. Become a leader!

Wonder-Space Computer and Technology Camp
Build a computer or a robot! Design a computer game! Direct and edit your own video!
Or animate graphics and more! At Wonder-Space campers get hands-on experience with
engineering and technology principles using project based curriculums designed by Rice
University graduates. Ages 7-17. Coed. All experience levels.

Bridge to Engineering
Residential engineering camp for 9th & 10th grades

Science; It's A Girl Thing
The goals are to provide girls with strong role models and dispel myths and misconceptions about science and careers in science. Campers experience university life, hands-on classes and recreational activities. Some classes include: food and nutrition, chemistry, environmental toxicology, the biology of disaster relief, engineering, mathematics and animal science.

Shake Hands With Your Future
Shake Hands is a summer residential camp for academically talented students. Students experience university life and attend two classes. The camp includes field trips, and recreational activities.

Run on the Wind:Engineering A Clean Tomorrow
Students will explore the power of the wind and the means by which we harness it. They will measure the wind, learn the basics of turbine design and test their wind turbine. They will learn what academic skills are necessary to succeed in this important emerging field. Attendance is limited to 45 students. We encourage early registration.

Check them out and then let me know if you want to apply for any of these. If the program is not free, there is a possibility that you can get a scholarship through the Texas gifted and talented program. Keep in mind that being involved in programs like these can really get the attention of college, people who give scholarships to go to college, and even future employers. I met some of my best friends by taking the leap and getting involved in programs like these, and you never know what doors of opportunity will open to you, just from saying "yes" to one opportunity that comes your way.

Keep me posted!

Reading, 'Riting, Rithmetic, and....Recess?

2009-02-25T11:39:00.000-06:00

*I think it's safe to say that Spring Madness at our school started this week. On top of being busy in the classroom, we've got golf and ag events and tennis and baseball and softball and basketball an cheerleading and band and play practice and after-school jobs and - well, you get the idea. Spring Madness. Do you ever feel like spring time is just exhausting? Like you can't get a break, but you need one desperately? Like Spring Break might quite possible save your life?

Did you know that there's science to back that up?

An article just came out in the New York Times about how that recess time that you remember so fondly from grade school is actually good for you.

Check it out here.

Why is that break from recess so important? Here's what an article from helpguide.org says about the effects of relaxation:

"The relaxation response brings your system back into balance: deepening your breathing, reducing stress hormones, slowing down your heart rate and blood pressure, and relaxing your muscles.
In addition to its calming physical effects, research shows that the
relaxation response also increases energy and focus, combats illness, relieves aches and pains, heightens problem-solving abilities, and boosts motivation and productivity. Best of all – with a little practice – anyone can reap these benefits. "

Of course, now I know what you're thinking - If taking a break during difficult tasks, or between tasks can help your brain concentrate and focus efficiently on your next task, why don't we have recess in high school? You've got a good point there. Well, recess in high school might be a little disastrous, (looking at it from a teacher's perspective, anyway), so what can you do to stay better focused in class? How does this research apply to you when you are taking the TAKS test? How could opportunities for a little down time be worked into your every day schedule, or during class time, even? Or is it worth working in down time at all? Tell me your ideas.

Oh, and then put all of your ideas into practice. Go take a break. Then get back to your homework!

*Photo obtained from "The 3 R's? A Fourth is Crucial, Too: Recess" on Feb. 25, 2009. Photo by Stuart Bradford.

An Inconvenient Truth - and What You Can Do

2009-02-20T09:57:00.000-06:00

In Biology this week, we've talked about the carbon cycle and global warming. Then we watched An Inconvenient Truth and saw lots of alarming science. Did you know that we are already seeing effects of global warming? On the Inconvenient Truth website, scientists have stated the following facts:

" The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Colombian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.

The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.

At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles."

Scientists also predict the following changes:

Deaths from global warming will double in just 25 years -- to 300,000 people a year

Global sea levels could rise by more than 20 feet with the loss of shelf ice in Greenland and Antarctica, devastating coastal areas worldwide.

Heat waves will be more frequent and more intense.

Droughts and wildfires will occur more often.

The Arctic Ocean could be ice free in summer by 2050.

More than a million species worldwide could be driven to extinction by 2050."

Curious about how you affect global warming. Take this quiz to see how big your carbon footprint is.

Geeze, this all looks rather hopeless, doesn't it? In fact, a lot of people look at these facts and say "Ok, so I get that global warming is real. But this is such a huge problem, that there's just no hope that I can do something to fix it," and so the problem goes on. Is there anything you can do? Actually, yes! Here are some things you can do - right now - that can help counter global warming.

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl).
CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save
about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. If every family in the U.S. made
the switch, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! You
can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation.

2. Move your thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.

3. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases. Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models. If each household in the U.S. replaced its existing appliances with the most efficient models available, we’d eliminate 175 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year!

4. Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

5. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible. You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

6. Turn off electronic devices you’re not using. Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you’re not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

7. Unplug electronics from the wall when you’re not using them. Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year!

8. Only run your dishwasher when there’s a full load and use the energy-saving setting. You can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.

9. Be sure you’re recycling at home (when you can). You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.

10. Buy recycled paper products. It takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

11.Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

12. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen. Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

13. Avoid heavily packaged products. You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%.

Want to see the complete list? You can find it here.

You're right. The climate crisis is a really big problem. But solving it has to start somewhere. Why not you?

*All facts, figures, tips and pictures came from the Inconvenient Truth website. Accessed on February 20, 2009.

Chemistry, Energy and You

2009-02-18T11:44:00.000-06:00

In Chemistry this week, we're talking about energy, and when we talk about energy, a lot of times, we're talking about heat (energy flowing from one place to another). You are also learning that the energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance, like water, is called a calorie.

Wait a minute. I thought calories had to do with food?

Well, calories are related to food. You just use the word "calorie" a little differently. When the "calorie" is associated with caloric intake, you are actually referring to the heat (energy) released from the chemical reactions that take place in your body when you eat food and then break the bonds between all of those little molecules in your food. So if a particular food has a lot of "calories", that means that more heat can be released by breaking its bonds than other foods. The amount of energy that can be released is not to be confused with whether or not the food is good for you. A candy bar may have a lot of calories, but it has few nutrients that you actually need and has lots of stuff in it that you don't need. It also gives you the kind of energy that gets used up really quickly, but leaves you with oils and fatty materials that hang around in your body a long time.

All of the activities you do during a 24 hour period require different amounts of energy. Running, for example, requires a lot more energy than jus sleeping (which does require energy, by the way.) So because different people have different energy requirements, that means that a healthy diet varies depending on who you are.

In class, I want you to go to the USDA's food pyramid website and find MyPyramid Tracker (on the right side menu). We're going to do three things: 1) Calculate your caloric intake. 2) Calculate your Energy Requirements. 3) Compare the two.

To do this, scroll down to "Check it Out" and click there. You can register as a user for free later if you want to use the tools you're about to see on a regular basis.

Now fill in your information about how tall you are, etc. This will help the tracker identify how many calories you use for any given activity.

Click on "Proceed to Food Intake." Here, you can type in foods that you eat on a normal day. To find your food on the list, type it in, hit "Search" and select what you want from the list that appears. Click "add" for each food.

When you are happy with your list of foods for one day, click on "Select Quantity." Now you can tell the Tracker if you would normally eat an entire pizza or just one slice (big calorie difference!). When you are finished with that, click "Save and Analyze."

Now you have two options. Choose the first on - "Calculate DG Comparison," which will compare your intake to what is healthy. Take a look around.

Now scroll back to the top of that page and find the little sphere labeled as "Physical Activity Entry." Choose the "Standard Option" when asked. Now you are going to make a list of what activities you perform on a daily basis. To choose from a complete list of activities instead of thinking them up on your own, you can click on the "Select" button and choose from the detailed list that shows up. Add each activity you want and when you are finished, "Select Duration."

Now is the hard part - make those activities fit in a 24 hour period. When you are finished and everything adds up to 1,140 minutes' worth of activities, tell the Tracker to analyze your activities. Choose the to calculate your physical activity score. This is your energy requirement for one day.

Now go back to the spheres at the top of the page again and choose the one that says "Energy Balance." This will compare the amount of calories you need to what you actually take in on a typical day.

How do your numbers compare? People who take in fewer calories than they need will lose weight as they bodies get the energy they need from anywhere they can get it - usually fat reserves in the body. People who are taking in more calories than they need tend to gain weight because their bodies make the executive decision that just in case a famine occurs in the near future, all of that energy ought to be saved. The energy gets saved as fat, which is not that big of a deal if you live somewhere were famines occur. The problem is that in the U.S., famines don't occur too terribly often. Food is pretty readily available for most folks here and a lot of that food has a high caloric content. A great deal of U.S. citizens live pretty inactive lives (not like you guys, who have practice before school, go to school, go to athletics, go to practice after school, then go home and work some more), eat out all the time, and eat a lot every time they eat. Not good.

Put this data in your science journals on the same page as your estimated caloric requirements that you calculated in class.

As I mentioned earlier, this tool is available to anyone, is free and if you register (also free) you can use this tool to track your intake and needs on a daily basis. You can also find information about what a healthy diet should look like for you based on your energy requirements. Pretty cool, huh?

Biology Links - Material Cycles

2009-02-16T08:56:00.000-06:00

Hey guys! For today's lesson about how materials get cycled through both living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem, check out these links:

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

For your daily grade today, post a comment on how you think people could influence the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. Is that impact good, bad, or both (explain why)? Do these cycles need protecting in any way? Why? What can you do to help maintain a healthy ecosystem?

Fall in Love with Science

2009-02-07T10:22:00.000-06:00

Valentine's Day is just right around the corner, and whether that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside or feel like swearing off of all major holidays, you can't help but notice that love has some strange affects on people. Loss of appetite, a racing heart, blushing, sweaty palms, lack of sleep, giddiness, bursts of energy, and the complete inability to think about anything else except the object of your affection are all the typical symptoms of falling hard for someone. Did you know that these symptoms aren't just cliche ways of describing someone in love, but are actually real reactions to chemicals in your body that are released in response to finding a possible mate?

From biology class, you know that the survival of a species depends on successful pairing between individuals of that species. And your body ensures that you're interested in the survival of your species by pumping out hormones that make you feel good about carrying the species on. Don't believe me?

That intense interest in that significant other person initially comes from the hormones estrogen and testosterone (both hormones are released in both sexes). Then when the giddiness at the very sight of that person, flushed skin and sweaty hands - that's hormones like dopamine and norepinephrine at work. Do those names sound familiar? If they do, it's because we talked about both of them during Drug Free week this past Fall. Dopamine is the hormone that your body sends out every time you do something that needs to be encouraged, like eating, getting exercise, and promoting survival of the species in general. It's also the hormone that switches pathways in the brain when addictive drugs enter a person's body.

When both dopamine and norepinephrine (the hormone that makes your heart race) work together, then you get all of those other lovely side effects, such as sleeplessness and that loss of appetite that your friends make fun of you for. The two hormones' combined efforts, along with altered levels of serotonin, also lead you to focus on that person above all other things around you. These hormones even affect the pathways in your brain that you use when you judge what kind of a person someone is. If those pathways get suppressed, you have a hard time seeing that person's faults (anyone ever heard that "love is blind?")

By the way, eating chocolate actually stimulates a similar hormonal response in your brain, which might explain the Valentine's Day tradition of buying, giving and eating chocolate.

For folks who are going the distance in their relationship, some of these intense and exhausting symptoms we've just discussed might feel like they're fading. Science backs that up too. People who are in long term relationships have shown higher levels of hormones like oxytocin and vasopressin. These two hormones are associated with building bonds between people, and are also known for interfering with hormones like dopamine and norepinephrine, so now all of that skipping of meals, being oblivious to a person's faults, and sweaty palms fade away. But don't worry - even though the rush that comes with crushing on someone might fade, a hormones called endorphins pick up where dopamine lets off. Endorphins are feel-good hormones too, and they also make a person feel peaceful, happy and secure.

Like it or not, Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, but now you know the science behind the celebration. Whether you've got a valentine or not, if you think about it, your body is pretty smart when it comes to making sure your species lives to see another generation. Pretty cool, huh?

(By the way, the information and diagram in this post came from an article at How Stuff Works, by Lee Ann Obringer. )

Math Shmath

2009-02-05T08:33:00.000-06:00

Did you ever get the feeling that Chemistry feels an awful lot like Math class?

Even though you might feel a little lost in the midst of all of those complicated stoichiometry problems sometimes (check out the cartoon above by Sidney Harris), the cool part is science concepts are built on more branches of study, all tied together, than almost any other subject matter. Think about it - the ideas we discuss in chemistry are also often tied to:

biology, agriculture, and earth science (chemistry explains why we see the things we see in around us),

physics (think particle motion, kinetic energy, pressure, temperature - sound familiar?),

history (remember that science builds on itself),

english (anyone who ever wrote a lab report knows that you those research projects in english really do have a purpose),

technology (technology provides the tools we use in science and, and science, in turn, helps us create better technology),

health (chemistry is involved in medicines and their reactions in your body, for example),

and yes, you guessed it, math.

What all of this means is that it's not hard to find some part of science that you like, even if science itself is not your favorite subject. And what that means, is that when you start thinking about careers and fields of study outside of high school, organizations that are closely related to science, (like NASA, museums, chemical companies, etc.) depend on a really wide range of people with wide ranges of interests and skills to meet the goals they have for their organization. It also means that almost any job you choose is going to involve science, one way or another.

So next time you are in science class and you start to think about saying that "you're never going to use this" - think again. Science is everywhere, my friends, and there's no escaping it! :)

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it is tied to everything else in the universe. "
-John Muir (1838-1914) U. S. naturalist, explorer.

Interview with Leonardo the Dinosaur Mummy

2009-02-03T16:32:00.000-06:00

Speaking of a species going extinct, do you remember Leonardo the Dinosaur Mummy? I got to visit him this past Fall. Here are the pics from my trip.

(For the full story on the Leo exhibit at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, click here.)

Me and Leo like he would have been in real life.

Bone Structure

Leo's Head (He's looking to the right.)

Leo and the smoking gun. Whodunnit?

My challenge for you is this: If you could interview Leo, what would you ask and what do you think his answer would be? For extra credit, post your question and Leo's answer in a comment. If it's a really good - and I mean really good as in scientifically relevant to something you've learned in class - I'll give you a bonus point on your next test (Ch. 15 for Biology, Ch. 14 for Chemistry).

Science in the News - Bringing a Species Back from the Dead

2009-02-03T15:35:00.001-06:00

Hey Guys! Right now in Biology, you're learning about what happens when an entire population of a species begins to decline and possibly become extinct. In the last couple of chapters, you've also learned about genetics, evolution and history of the Earth in general. Put that all together and you get a common question: "Can you bring an extinct species back from the dead?"

Check out with Discovery Magazine has to say -

Cloning Makes a Mountain Goat Un-Extinct, But the Newborn Kid Dies 80beats Discover Magazine

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