HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! WELCOME TO 2011! Now, let's all take a moment of silence in memory of 2010. Okay, so last year's gone. Last year, we had some good times. We went to Rock Eagle, we made it through Alice in Wonderland, a lot of new movies came out, including Harry Potter 7 part 1, The Lost Hero came out, and we went to the shuttle launch (in a manner of speaking). All great memories. All gone. But think of what we're going to do this year! We're going to go through another play, Robin Hood! The Son of Neptune will come out, the second Kane Chronicles Book is coming out, Harry Potter 7 part 2 is coming out...what more could we ask for (rhetorical question). Let's try to enjoy the New Year! (Peach drop---->)

Peach Drop

RNA and DNA

        Now, I know what you're probably thinking: "What the heck?". Well, if you'd just be patient, maybe I'd actually tell you. Okay? Ready to listen? Great. Today, we're learning about DNA. But we also have a guest: RNA. See, RNA is a great friend of DNA, and DNA kindly asked RNA to come to here. Now that you know the story, let's get started!

         So, this song tells you all you need you know! Peace! HA! Yeah, right, like I'm going to do that. I'd get in trouble. Anyway, yes, it tells you the basic stuff. But you need to know more! You know that DNA is what makes you, you, and me, me.


Double Helix: DNA



        Okay, so DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. You can think of DNA as a computer program for your body. Everyone has different DNA, except for identical twins. Identical twins are like clones of one another(I'll get to that later) because they have the exact same DNA. Almost every cell in your body has a complete set of DNA. DNA is in the center of your cell, inside the nucleus. The shape is called a double helix, kind of like a twisting ladder. They come in long strands called chromosomes.

        Normally, there are only four types of helix's: cytosine, guanine, adenine, and thymine. A DNA chain is so long, base pairs can arrange themselves in millions of different sequences. For example, adenine pairs up with thymine, and cytosine pairs up with guanine: ACGT or TGAC.



Helix

         Each section of a DNA 'codes' for a different trait. Whether it's your hair color, your eye color, the size of your ears, how tall you'll be, or even if you'll end up with certain diseases. Each one is called a gene, which your parents pass their genes down to you.



RNA



        Scientists research DNA for lots of different reasons. To name one: cloning. Identical twins are basically like twins because they're born with the same DNA. That's natural cloning. Artificial cloning is something completely different. The idea behind it is basically to copy the DNA of one animal and 'grow' a new one with the same DNA.

        Okay, let's move on to RNA. RNA stands for ribonucleic acid. It carries out the orders of the DNA to the rest of the cell. That's not its only job, though. RNA is responsible for the making of ribosomes, the structures used to assemble protein strings, carrying amino acids in and out of their ‘storage’ in the cytoplasm, and carrying a copy of the genetic information located in the DNA to ribosomes for protein creation.

        So, that's DNA and RNA. It's pretty simple stuff once you get to know it, and it's pretty much what helps us survive. Glad I could give you some information. Oh, and if any of you guys has seen a blue and white flash drive, please return it to me. Anyway, if you want to learn more, go to SuperSara's and youngro-jalenguy's blogs. Until next time!



Bacteria, NO, WAIT! It's actually pretty interesting!

        Phew. So...bacteria. Yes, yes, I know what you're probably thinking: 'Ew, bacteria. Why would I want to learn about germs?' Well, the question is why wouldn't you want to learn about germs? Because, first of all, most bacteria is good, believe it or not. And even if they weren't, you'd want to know about them to prevent them, right? Right. Glad that's settled. Now, sit back, listen, and enjoy learning about BACTERIA!
       
        So, the video tells you the basic stuff-- how germs can spread, why you should wash your hands before you eat, and never eat anything anyone else has touched, no matter how tempting it might be. But even though they looked like they could harm the woman, there's a chance that it won't make her sick. I mean, it probably will considering the man sneezed them out. But, like I said before, most bacteria are harmless. Some of them even help you.

        First of all, bacteria are single celled organisms. They do not have a nucleus, but they do have a nucleoid. Some bacteria break down certain types of food to help us digest it. Some make nutrients that our bodies need. Some can even destroy some types of microorganisms that can make us sick. Less than one percent of bacteria actually harm us.

        FUN FACT: Nine out of every ten of the cells in your body are bacterial cells, which means that most of your cells aren't your own.

        Okay, now is time for my actual assignment: describe six parts of a typical bacterial cell and give their functions. That other stuff was just stuff you needed to know. Now, please try to enjoy yourselves, okay?           
        Good. Now, a bacterial cell is pretty simple. Here-

• Nucleoid: The DNA in the bacterial cell is usually confined in the nucleoid. It isn't bound by a membrane, but it is still visibly distinct.
• Ribosomes: Ribosomes make protein for the bacterial cell. A good way to remember this is to think of ribs. The word 'ribs' is in the word 'ribosome', is it not. And we all know that ribs give protein, so really, thay fit together.
• Cell Wall: It maintains the shape of a bacterial cell.
• Plasma Membrane: Responsible for the transport of ions, nutrients, and waste across the membrane.
• Capsule: Protects the bacterial cell.
• Flagella: It helps the bacterial cell move. Bacterial cells without flagella cannot move. It almost acts a 'motor'.
• Pilus: Tiny and hairlike, pilus is made of proyein and allow bacteria to attach to other cells. 

        That's it for today. Hope you enjoyed, and, as always, if you want to know more, where do you go? That's right. To youro-jalen guy's blog and to SuperSara's blog. I'm 98% positive they have awesome information(never be completley positive).  Peace, my home dawgs.
        ANOTHER FUN FACT: Did you know that there's more bacteria on you than there are people in the world?

Plant and Animal Cells

        Oh my God. I'm so scared. We're locked in a room. HELP! We're at Shreiner Academy. SOS! In a room. The only locked room. Call the SWAT team. Break down the door and get us out. Our teachers are crazy! Our animal cells are in danger. The plant cells aren't. Lucky plant cells.
        Oh, false alarm. Well, not really. They did take us, but it was for good reasons. Anyway, we're supposed to be learning about plant and animal cells. They may look different, but they're the same in some ways. And they're different in some ways. Let's start with the similarities first.
        Plant and animal cells are both eukaryotic. This means that that they both have proper nucleus. They both have mitochondria, a nucleus, Golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum(smooth and rough), ribosomes, and so on. They are both living, obviously, and they both need food.

        Now, the differences. Plant cells have a cell wall as well as a cell membrane while animal cells have only a cell membrane. Both animal cells and plant cells need food, yes, but the difference is that plant cells can make their own food with photosynthesis. Plant cells have something called chloroplast which is what conducts photosynthesis. They also produce chlorophyll, which makes the plant green. The shape is different, too. A plant cell is rectangular(fixed shape), and an animal cell is round(irregular shape). Lysosomes are in animal cells, in the cytoplasm. They're not usually evident in plant cells, though.
         Ever wonder why leaves change color? Well, whether you like it or not, you're going to learn  about it. Okay, I told you about chlorophyll, right? Well, during the winter, the leaves go into hibernation, so the leaf does not produce chlorophyll or photosynthesis. It lives off of the food it has stored. Since the leaf does not produce chlorophyll, the leaf does not turn green. Leaves survive during the spring and summer, and dies during the fall and winter. Which means they have very short lives. Poor leaves.
        Well, that wraps it up for today. If you want to know more, again, simply go to youngro-jalenguy or SuperSara's blogs. Well, until next time!
P.S. Here's a picture of an animal cell:

Cells Made Easy

        Cells are important. Very important. In fact, without cells, you wouldn't be here! They are what keeps you alive. But a cell is not what it seems. Because inside a cell, there is a factory, castle, house, school, or whatever going on. There are workers, bosses, kings, walls, bodyguards, and so on. It's actually very cool, and you should be interested because, as I said before, they're what keeps you alive and well. Since what goes on inside a cell can be pretty complicated, I'll make it easy.

• The nucleus: In a factory, the nucleus would be the boss. It controls the cell. It's usually round and darker than the rest of the cell.
• Cell membrane: In a castle, the cell membrane would be the bodyguard. It protects the inside of the cell. The cell membrane supports and gives a cell its shape. It also controls the movement of materials(food, water, waste) into and out of a cell.
• Cytoplasm: It's basically the wall of the cell. The nucleus floats in the cytoplasm. Most of the cell is made up of cytoplasm. Most of the cells activities take place in the cytoplasm.
• Mitochondria: The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. It produces the cells energy. They're rice shaped structures that are so small, you need an electronic microscope to see them. They break down food to make energy for the cell.
• Lysosomes: In a school, the lysosomes would be the janitors, or clean up crew. Lysosomes are small, round structures that are involved with the digestive activities of the cell. They also digest old cell parts. They contain enzymes that break down large food molecules into smaller ones.
• Vacuoles: They are like storage bins. They store food, wastes, and some hold water.They pump extra water out of the cell.
• Ribosomes: Ribosomes are small, round structures in the cytoplasm . They make protein needed for cell growth and repair . They can help fight certain diseases. Ribosomes are the cells most numerous organelles.

        I know, I know. It's not easy. But it is interesting. I couldn't make it so easy that you could do it in your sleep, but nothing is so simple. It takes a lot of brain power to memorize stuff, so I hope you have some to spare. If you want to learn more about cells, simply go to youngro-jalenguy's blog, or to SuperSara's. Peace, me out!

Memories in Florida

        We were all excited to go to Florida. We wanted to drive at night, because we thought it would be funner. Boy, were we wrong. Monday started out relatively simple, despite the fact we weren't supposed to be in school. We were supposed to be in Florida by then, but since the space shuttle had been canceled. We were supposed to get to Shreiner at seven or eight. 
        When we got there, there was no one. We went to the Welcome Center, no one. We went up the hill, no one. So we headed back down to the Welcome Center and waited. After a couple of minutes, people started arriving.
         Before long, the place was packed. I found my fellow classmate and most of sixth grade. We waited, and waited, until the coach bus finally arrived. It was huge. We packed our suitcases on the bottom of the bus, then put a couple of the bags we wanted to keep in the overhead compartments. It was kind of like a mini airport. Once everyone got on board, the bus got moving. We waved a last goodbye to our parents, then we were off. It was very dark, and I was sleepy.
        But I was awake. For some reason, I just couldn't get to sleep. The seats were just not comfortable. But when we started watching WALL-E, I managed.



       When we got there, no one had gotten a good sleep and it was about eight o' clock in the morning. So you can understand that we were all tired. I had five other people sharing the room with me, and four other people in the other room. Our room got messy in the first five minutes, but that was pretty much expected with six bodies in one small room. 



 

        After we got settled in the rooms, we headed to the Kennedy Space Center. We ate a quick breakfast of muffins, cinnamon rolls, and breakfast bars. We fed some of the leftover muffins to the birds. That is, until the teachers told us to stop.

        We were all tired, but we managed to see some pretty cool stuff. We saw space suits, we saw the first seven astronauts, we saw a shuttle, we saw satalites, we saw--, well, you get the picture. We saw an IMAX movie, but almost all of us slept through it.

         Afterward, we rode a ride called the Space Simulator. The way the guy was ranting on about it, I'd expected it to be the best ride of the century, but alas, it really wasn't. It was maybe five minutes, and the seats were shaking, then it stopped and then we were 'floating in space'. What I thought ruined it was when they opened the top of the thing, and they showed 'Earth'. I mean, if it really was Earth, and we were really in space, what kind of idiot would open the door when there's no air? Anyway, after that we went in the gift shop and stood in line for two hours, which wasn't very fun. 

Space Simulator

       So, here's the rotten cherry on top of this tasteless ice cream: once we got out of the gift shop, we were greeted with this news: the space shuttle launch has been postponed! And it's getting postponed the day we're leaving, and guess what? The time it supposed to launch is the time we're going to be on the road! Not exactly the best news in the world. In fact, it's one of the worst. But anyway, we were all really angry, sad, and disappointed. I mean, it's not everyday you get to see a space shuttle launch. Apparently, we weren't going to see it. The teachers kept saying, "We knew this was a risk, and we took it. It got postponed, and we can't do anything about it." The thing is, no one told us about this 'risk', no one told us we might no get to see the launch. I mean, a heads up would've been nice.

        We got into the coach bus, all of us complaining, and went to Pizza Hut. We were all very smart about what to get, saving money and stuff, because we had to pay. It turns out, the school paid. We got back in the coach bus, all of us sleepy, and drove to the hotel. We took a shower, brushed our teeth, and went to sleep. We were all so dead tired we were asleep before our heads hit the pillow. Actually, that's an exaggeration, but we were dead tired. 

        In the morning, we woke up, brushed our teeth, changed our clothes and went to go have breakfast. This time, we had breakfast inside the hotel, instead of at the Kennedy Space Center. It was good. After breakfast, we went to Cocoa Beach.

Cocoa Beach

      It was really fun. We saw five dead jelly fish, one alive jelly, and small fish. We walked along the beach, looking for really good shells. After about an hour of this, we tried building a working river in the sand. We had the skeleton, but we couldn't get the water flowing. It was still pretty cool. 

        After the beach we went back to the Kennedy Space Center, but this time we were split in groups. Our group went to the nature exhibit, then we saw more space stuff, and then we went to the same movie we went the day before, except this time, we were awake, and boy, those picture at the end were fantastic. They were breath-taking. After the movie, we went to another exhibit, then went back to the hotel. We ate dinner at the hotel-- salad, spaghetti, bread sticks, garlic bread, and chicken with cheese on top. It was an amazing dinner. Since we were so energetic during dinner, our teachers decided to bring us outside to burn it off. We all decided to play freeze tag and our math teacher, Mrs. Crimminger, was it. There was no moon, but the sky was peppered with stars. They provided enough light for us to see by. 

        When we got back to our room, our principal, Mrs. Sarah, told us that if they didn't postpone it again, we would see the shuttle launch then leave for home. With that, we all read and played cards. Lights out was at eleven thirty, and when it was lights out, we all slept soundly. The next morning, Mrs. Crimminger informed us that the launch had been postponed yet again. So we packed the coach bus, got in and headed home. As we entered Shreiner, we cheered. We were home at last. 






   Here's what we were supposed to see:

The Supernatural

        Many people say that ghosts are fake. They say the same about dragons, elves, fairies, leprechauns, wizards, witches, mermaids, monsters, and Greek gods. But are they correct? Can anyone prove that they don't exist? I mean, sure, no one has ever seen them. But have you ever seen a million dollars? I know I haven't, but that doesn't mean it isn't real. I mean, just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it's not true.
        People call these myths. They call them myths because they haven't been proven. Basically, with some of the human race, if it can't be proven, it's not real. I find that stupid. I mean, no one can prove God is real. But people know he is. Well, not all people. Some people don't believe in anything. Personally, I don't believe in ghosts. Super Sara says that the ghosts will kill me, but she shouldn't talk. She doesn't believe in the Greek gods. But no matter. She'll believe in them when Zeus zaps her with a lightning bolt.

Zeus about to strike Super Sara

       Anyway, there has been 'evidence' of ghosts, but not Greek gods, witches, wizard, etc. I mean, there's a logical explanation for most of it, but still people believe. Well, I'm sure that if I heard my son speak from the dead, I'd believe, too, but no matter. My son isn't dead because I don't have a dead son, and I never will have one. Personally, I believe in dragons, Greek gods, and wizards, but hey. Everyone believes in something supernatural, right? I mean, we all what something that's not 'real' to be real, if you know what I mean.
        Here's a video:

       Okay, I know what the video said. The video is made for people so that they can believe in ghosts. What a bunch of baloney. Of course, you might have a different opinion, but mine stays the same. Okay, I know dragons, witches, wizards, Greek gods, and all the other, I know that they don't have photos or videos or whatever, but still. I believe in them, and many other people do too. The thing is, many people write about the supernatural. So, in a way, they're still real. They're real in peoples minds and on the pages of books.

Greek Gods

Dragon

Wizard

Leprechaun 

Witches

      
      
      

A ghost

Acids and Bases

An acid: lemon

        Okay, so I have no idea what these words mean, so it looks like I'll be learning something as well as you! So... acids and bases. Good stuff, weird stuff, I-have-no idea-what-those-words-mean stuff, whichever you prefer.Personally, I'd go with the last one, but no matter. That can be changed, if you pay attention.

A base: soap

        Okay, so you know how lemon juice and vinegar taste sour? Well, for thousands of years, no one knew why. But now we know these are acids. The word acid comes from the latin word 'acere', which means 'sour'. In the seventeenth century, the Irish writer and amateur chemist Robert Boyle first labeled substances as either acids or bases. Here, mabe this will help:

• Acids-taste sour, are corrosive to metals, change litmus red, and become less acidic when mixed with bases.
• Bases- feel slippery, change litmus blue, and become less basic when mixed with acids.

        Okay, so maybe you're wondering what litmus is. Well, so am I, for that matter. So let me just look it up... ah, yes, here it is. Litmus is a dye extracted from lichens. Doesn't really help. So now I have to look lichens up. Great.... Perfect. It doesn't give a reasonable explination. This is what they gave me:
   "Lichens are made up of two, and some times three, different organisms from three different Kingdoms, which form a symbiotic relationship with each other for their mutual survival."
        Doesn't really make sense to me, but maybe it made sense to you. Right now, though, I have to tell you about bases. 'Kay, here we go.... That's interesting. They gave me a different definition. Here, I'll put it on, just in case you didn't get the first definition. Acids:

• react with zinc, magnesium, or aluminum and form hydrogen (H_2(g))
• react with compounds containing CO₃^2- and form carbon dioxide and water
• turn litmus red
• taste sour

Bases:

• feel soapy or slippery
• turn litmus blue
• they react with most cations to precipitate hydroxides
• taste bitter

      

        So,if you'd like to know some common acids and bases here they are:

Acids:

• lemon juice
• vinegar
• stomach acid
• battery acid
• many vitamins

Bases:

• soap
• dishwashing liquid
• egg whites
• ammonia
• blood

        Alright, so if you don't know this already, there's something called a pH scale that you can use to tell how strong an acid or base is. The highest acid is a 1. The lowest acid is a 6. The highest base is a 14. And the lowest base is an 8. Water is nuetral. Here's a picture:
                
      

   Okay, so maybe you're wondering what happens if you mix them together. Well, the answer is relatively simple: the base will make the acid neutral, and vice versa.       

 P.S.  Here's a video, in case you wanna watch it:

        



An acid: vinegar



A nuetral: water

A base: laundry detergent

Physical and Chemical Changes

        Hello, people! Okay, so we're not completely finished with the periodic table of elements. The stuff I'm going to talk about today has the periodic table in it, but it's not all about the periodic table. So... chemical and physical reactions. It's pretty hard to understand, but not super hard. But, it is, in fact, high school stuff. So if you wanna get ready for high school, then be prepared! It's gonna get hard!
        Let's start with the basics. First up, chemical reactions! 'Kay, chemical reactions are basically when you make one thing change into another. Like, say you have a match and a piece of paper and you light the piece if paper on fire:

Paper on fire

         Okay, so when the fire consumes the paper completely, it will turn to ash. It can never change back into a piece of paper. That's a chemical change. A physical change is different. A physical change is a change in appearance. Say you have another piece of paper. If you crumble it up, it's still a pice of paper. You didn't change that.



Crumpled paper

        Now let's talk about products and reactants. But first, here's the real definition of a chemical and a physical change:

• Chemical Change: produce new substances that have properties different of the original substances.
• Physical Change: affects only it's physical properties, such as size and shape, or whether it's a solid, liquid, or gas.
• Product: the substances that form as a result  of the reaction
• Reactants: the substances that exist before the reaction

        I know this is hard to understand. I really do, seeing as I'm the one who has to learn it. Basically, a product is what you start out with, like a match and a piece of paper. A reactant is what you finish with, like ash. Here's a video:

Oxidation and Reduction

        Hello. 'Sup.
        Okay, so we're going to learn about Oxidation and Reduction. Take a guess, anyone. Come on, don't be shy. Okay, fine. I guess I'll have to teach you. Oxidation is when one of those squares on the Periodic Table loses an electron. Reduction is when one of the squares gain an electron. Here's a video if you have thirteen minutes lying around:
 

        Okay, so the video told you a lot. But I seriously doubt that you have thirteen minutes lying around. So I'm going to explain more. There is this one group on the Periodic Table that loves to hog electrons. This group is: Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Fluoride. N.O.F. These guys love to hog electrons all to themselves. To quote Mr. Sellers: "It's basically like having a plate full of chocolate chip cookies. A guy named Hydrogen is giving them away, and a guy named Oxygen takes the whole plate and runs off."
Remember:
        Leo-Losing Electrons=Oxidation
            says
        Ger-Gaining Electrons=Reduction   
        Now, if it were real chocolate chip cookies, I'd take the plate and run too, but that's not the point. So Oxygen and Hydrogen bond together and form H2O, which, in case you don't know, is the chemical symbol for water. So, if you want to learn more, watch the video or read Anabel's and Jalen's blog. See ya! (Bed, here I come!)

Stuff

        It's not about the Periodic Table, don't worry. Actually, worry. It's about the Periodic Table, kinda. I just felt like I owed you good news. 'Kay, we're learnin' 'bout the difference between a Metallic Bond and an Ionic Bond? Eet is wierd, but vhat ars you going to do? anabel was here. *Get off the computer! Get off! Come on! It's my blog!* Sorry 'bout tat. Tat vas obviously Anavel.
        Okay, no more vampire accent. Check out this video!

        'Kay, metallic bonding is the bonding with metals, obviously. It involves the delocalized sharing(A type of molecular bonding in which the electron density of delocalized electrons is regarded as being spread over several atoms or over the whole molecule. Also known as nonlocalized bond) of free electrons between metal atoms. Metallic bonds can be compared to salt. Iron is so strong bcause of metallic bonding.
        Ionic and covalent bonding are chemical bonding. Covalent bonding is the most common.
        Alright, if you wanna learn more about this stuff, go to Jalen's and Anabel's blog! Tee Hee!