Plasticity Conclusion

Recently in science class we did a plasticity lab. We took, corn starch and water and mixed it together and that created the mixture for our lab. The mixture was liquid at first then became a solid. The mixture became a solid when it melted in our hands. It would be both a solid and a liquid or a special type of solid. When first holding it, the mixture would melt and then if you rolled it around in your hands it would become a solid. I for one would consider this mixture a solid, yet a special type of solid due to the fact that it would melt in your hands yet act as a solid as well. Even after the mixture oozed out of your hands it then became a solid ball like clay. If we smashed the ball that we made of this mixture, it would tend to crumble into pieces, acting like a solid. Yet if we just let it fall between our fingers, it would act as a liquid. After pushing my fingers into the mixture it would become a solid and it was had to move it. It became like clay or play dough. This mixture is just like the earths mantle which is a solid and a liquid. The mantle acts the same way the mixture does. The mantle is the layer under the Earth's crust, and it is about 1800 miles thick. The mantle is the largest part inside the earth and it is both a solid and a liquid as our mixture was. This is how this lab connects to the Earth's mantle. An example of this mixture would be in this Youtube video. This man is walking on the mixture and is able to do it due to the fact that it is both a solid and a liquid. The part where the man walks is a solid and he is able to quickly run through it without his feet sinking into it. This is a perfect example of our lab.

Picture- http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/oobleck-2.jpg
Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2XQ97XHjVw

"October Sky"

Recently in our unit we watched the movie, "October Sky". This movie was about a teenage boy and his friends who all gained a liking for rockets. They started to build rockets in their town, which was a coal mining town. This movie showed connections to both science and the character education traits.
This film showed many connections to science. One major connection was in the beginning the whole town was excited to see the launch of Russian satellite Sputnik. This launch was truly the inspiration for Homer Hickim, the main character in this movie. Sputnik was launched in October 4, 1957. This launch was one of the largest steps for all space exploration. The launch was said to change everything, it caught all Americans off-guard. Sputnik amazed all the Americans in 1957 and still leaves a huge impact on Americans presently. In the film, Homer lived in a coal mining town. The coal mine was a big deal in their town and the whole town was controlled by the coal mine. Coal mines caused many health dangers. Many coal miners risked their lives working long hard hours in the mines. They lived in the state of West Virginia, which is still known for their coal mines. 99% of the state's power is still generated from coal. The coal mine was the main priority for the town that Homer lived in. His father worked in the coal mines, and dreamed that his son would take his place one day. Homer though did not wish to work in the coal mines. Once his father had gotten injured from the mine, Homer was told to leave school and work in the mines. Staying in the mines too long would damage lungs and cause other health hazards. In 1952 though, congress passed the Federal Coal Mine Safety Act. This helped coal miners get help for their injuries. Overall, this film had important connections to science.
Also in this movie they showed connections to the character education traits. At first, Homer was just another boy in the town who played football and future was to work in the coal mine just like everyone else. He though showed everyone that not all men have to work in the coal mines. Homer became friends with a boy named Quintin and they showed cooperation because the two would never even be seen together before this but then got together and built their first rocket. Homer's dad continued to tell him that his dreams in rocket science wouldn't bring him anywhere in life. Homer was very mad at his dad for not believing in him, yet he showed self control and stayed calm when his dad threw his materials away. The teacher that cheered the boys on showed respect because she was the only one that truly believed that the four boys had potential. She continued to tell them that they should continue with their work and not stop no matter what their fathers said. Homer showed assertion throughout most of the film because he was confident in his work in the rockets and when he was told he couldn't continue with his work, he proved his innocence using math. Homer also showed empathy when he went to his teacher and she had confessed that she had cancer. He showed his feelings for her and felt bad for the only person that truly believed in him at first. He also showed empathy when his father had gotten injured from the coal mine and he had to step in for a while. This was empathy because he knew that his father was not able to work. Homer knew that he needed to support the family and he did so. All in all, this film had all the CARES traits incorporated into one.

http://www.wvgenweb.org/wvcoal/time.html
http://www.wvminesafety.org/wvcoalfacts.htm
http://history.nasa.gov/sputnik/
http://www.markgerber.com/images/october_sky.jpg

Response to Down Syndrome

Recently, I read the blog of mooselover1892. She wrote about the genetic disease of Down Syndrome. This disease makes me feel very disappointed because there is still no known cure for it. There are many symptoms for this disease and some are very tragic, such as mental retardation. The patients of this disease live to a long long age, at all, in fact 85% of newborns die at the tender age of one. This makes me feel very sad because the children die before they are even able to talk. That is one of the many sad things about this disease. Still, there is no treatment for this disease but there is treatment for the health problems that come from this disease. 1 in 740 infants are born with disease making it not common yet, defiantly possible. Something that makes this disease even more tragic is the fact that most of the patients have very severe cases of it. Some of the bright things about this disease is that there are schools and training classes for children affected by the disease. That makes me feel happy because I know that the children are getting better from this terrible disease. Many of the children are most likely terrified due to this disease but the classes make them feel happier and better. That is very nice because these children need anything that can make them feel better

Cystic Fibrosis

The disease Cystic Fibrosis was discovered in the 19th century. It mostly affects the lungs and the digestive system. The symptoms one may get when the have this rare disease may be, very salty skin, persistent coughing at times with phlegm, frequent lung infections, wheezing or shortness or breath, poor growth/weight gain in spite of good appetite, and frequent, bulky stools or difficult in bowel movements. This disease obstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. It also clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections. There is no known treatment for this disease, but a good lifestyle and good nutrition may help out a lot. The mortality for the disease is 30-40s. 37 is the predicted median for the patients age. The disease has hit 30, 000 children and adults in the United States and 70, 000 people worldwide. Most children and adolescents are vulnerable to this disease. The genes of this disease are mutated. The majority of the patients are diagnosed at the age of two. About 1, 000 new cases of this disease are found each year.

This disease makes me feel sad. I feel sad due to the fact that there is no known cure for it yet. The patients go through hard times from this disease and they cannot do anything about it other than live a good lifestyle. I feel that doctors and scientists should work their hardest to find a cure because this disease though rare, affects many people around the world today.

http://www.cff.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cystic_fibrosis