John's 8th Grade Blog

Shift Happens

2009-08-20T10:59:00.001-07:00

                                               Shift Happens



   I am John and I thought that the part about the super computer was awsome. I was amazed that there are more honor students in China than students in the United States. Overall, I thought that Shift Happens was fasinating.

   Im TJ and I thought the part when they said more text messages are sent every day than there are people was a crazy thought to think about. all and all i thought that that this clip was very interesting and made me think about a lot of stuff.

   I am Amanda, we all agreed that "Shift Happens" was a very cool and informative video. It showed us how materialistic the USA is because of the statistics about cellphones and the supercomputers. I couldn't believe that they predict that by 2040 there will be a computer that is smarter than the human race, it was very shocking. Also that they said that half of what we learn will be outdated in the next 3 years!

   In Conclusion, all of us thought that Shift Happens was awesome.

Final Post

2009-05-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Astronomy- My favorite topic while studying the solar system was learning why Earth's seasons occur. I always thought it was because Earth moved closer and farther away from the sun at certain times of the year. This is not true. Earth is always the same distance from the sun. The Earth rotates at a 23.5 degree tilt on its axis. It is because of this tilt that seasons occur. The Earth, season wise, is divided in to two parts. The half's are the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. During one half of the year, the northern hemisphere receives more direct sunlight. This is summertime. During the other half of the year the southern hemisphere receives the most direct sunlight. When one hemisphere experiences summer, the other experiences winter. It is always warm around the equator because due to its middle position, it always receives direct sunlight. The cause of the seasons is very interesting.

Weather and Climate- My favorite part in the weather and climate unit was learning about the layers of Earth's atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere is made up of 6 different layers. The first layer is the troposphere. The troposphere is 8-16 kilometers thick. It contains 75% of the atmosphere's mass. All of Earth's weather occurs in this layer. The second layer is the stratosphere. The stratosphere is colder on the bottom than the top. The ozone layer is in the stratosphere. The third layer in the atmosphere is the mesosphere. The mesosphere is the middle layer of the atmosphere. It begins 50 km above the surface of the Earth and ends 80 km above the Earth. The top layer of the atmosphere is called the thermosphere. The thermosphere extends from 80km to outer space. The thermosphere is divided into two different sections. The first layer is called the ionosphere. It extends from 80km- 400km above the earth. The second section is the exosphere. The exosphere begins at 400km and extends thousands of kilometers into space. Learning about the layers of the atmosphere was fascinating.

Geology- My favorite part of this unit was learning about the layers of Earth. The first layer of the Earth is the crust. The crust is the crust is a layer of solid rock that includes both dry land and the ocean floor. The crust is 5-70 km thick. The next layer is the mantle. The mantle is made up o hot but solid rock. overall the mantle is 3,000km thick. The mantle is divided int o three different layers. The layers form top to bottom are the Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, and the lower mantle. The next layer is the core. The core is divided into two different layers. The outer and inner core. The outer core is made up of liquid nickle and iron. The inner core is a dense solid ball of nickle and iron. Learning about the layers of the Earth was cool and exciting.

Weathering and Erosion- My favorite part about this unit was learning about how weathering and erosion work. Weathering is the process that breaks down rock and other substances at Earth’s surface. Weathering works in a couple of different ways. There is mechanical and chemical weathering. Mechanical weathering is he type of weathering in which rock is physically broken into smaller pieces. There are a few different causes for mechanical weathering. These causes are freezing and thawing, release of pressure, plant growth, actions of animals, and abrasion. Chemical weathering is the type of weathering that breaks down rock through chemical changes. Chemical weathering also has a few different causes. These causes include the action of water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, living organisms, and acid rain. Erosion is the removal of rock particles by wind, water, ice, or gravity. After weathering breaks rocks down, erosion carries the pieces away. Learning about how weathering and erosion was the best part of this unit.

Earth's Water- My favorite part of this unit was learning about the steps in treating drinking water. The first step is the first filtration. In the first filtration, fish, trash, and leaves are removed from the water ass it travels through screens. the second step is coagulation. In coagulation Alum is added to the water to form sticky flocs. Particles of mud and bacteria stick to the flocs. The third step in the process is the settling basins. All the water and the flocs is drained into settling basins. The forth step is a second filtration. Water is forced through sand and gravel to remove algae, chemicals, and bacteria. Chlorination is the fifth step in the treating process. In this step chlorine is put into the water to kill any remaining organisms. The sixth step is aeration. During aeration air is put through the water taking away unpleasant odors and taste. The seventh and final step is additional treatment. In this step, sodium or lime is added to soften hard water. Also, fluoride is put in to prevent tooth decay. This was the most interesting part of Earth's water unit.

This is my final post on my page. I hope you have enjoyed following my 8th grade page. 8th grade has been challenging and fun year. I have had a lot of fun creating this blog. Well, I'll see you later.

Colorado Springs Water

2009-04-30T07:55:00.000-07:00

75% of Colorado Springs comes from snow melt in the Rocky Mountains. Our water travels over 200 miles through an intricate system from the western front to the eastern front to our water plant. The snow melt is collected in Home steak Reservoir. Then it goes down to Turquoise Lake. Next, the water travels to Twin Lakes Reservoir. From there it goes through Clear Creek Reservoir to Rampart Reservoir and then on to the treatment center. After that it goes to our homes.

pixton comic

2009-04-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Diagram of Water Cycle

2009-04-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

The Water Cycle

2009-04-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Water Cycle

# What is the water cycle?- The water cycle is a process through which water moves through the environment driven by solar energy.

# Does the water cycle have a beginning or end?- No, the water cycle has no known beginning or end.

# Starting with a puddle on a sunny day, describe how water might move through the water cycle and eventually fall back as rain.- First the puddle would evaporate. Then a cloud would be created through condensation. After that precipitation in the form of rain would occur. Finally runoff would land the fallen water back into a puddle.

# Create a diagram (using Google docs or word) of the puddle to rain scenario you created for extra credit.

Presentation

2009-04-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

Anitated Bib.

2009-04-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Annotated Bibliography

How do Solar Panels Work?http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/solar-electric/how-do-solar-panels-work/- This website explained how solar panels work. It said that solar panel are made up of a bunch of individual cells that all soak up solar power. Then the power from the cells combine to create a force of electricity. I plan to use this site to tell how solar panels work.

Solar Cost FAQ http://www.thesolarguide.com/solar-power-uses/cost-faq.aspx This site tells ho much solar panel systems cost. It said that a house system coasts about $20,000. It goes on to talk about other systems for powering different things. These systems are cheaper than the house systems. I plan to use this site while advising citizens to purchase solar panels for their homes.

Solar Homes-The Benefit of Solar Power at Home http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Homes---The-Benefits-of-Solar-Power-at-Home&id=251082- This site tells about the benefits of using solar power. It says that solar panels provide free energy at your homes. It also explains that solar panel are environmentally friendly. I plan to use this information while explaining how it would be if everyone took my advice.

Greenhouse Gases and Society http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse.htm- This site tells about the Greenhouse Gas Effect. It lists the main greenhouse gases. It talks about how the temperature of the Earth is rising. I plan to use this site to explain what would continue happening if nobody takes my advice.

4 questions

2009-04-20T07:27:00.000-07:00

HOW WILL SOLAR POWER REDUCE CARBON ADMISSIONS?-JOHN

What, specifically about your topic, are you going to research?--- I am going to research how solar power reduces green house gases.

What conclusions did you come to?
Converting to solar power directly reduces green house gases. Solar panels convert light from solar rays to electricity. The do this without admitting any carbon into the atmosphere. Solar power is a clean and effective way to power homes with out burning coal or natural gas.

What do you recommend average citizens do to make a difference? Be specific. This is the main part of your assignment.- I would recommend average citizens to look into installing solar panels to power their homes. Solar panels are getting cheaper and cheaper all of the time.

What would happen if, worst-case scenario, nobody listened to your recommendations?--- We would continue burning coal and natural gas for our energy sources. Carbon admissions would increase more and more.

What would happen if, best-case scenario, everybody listened to your recommendations?---If people listened, carbon admissions would dramatically decrease and we would have a free and green energy source.

The Penny Lab

2009-04-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

http://image63.webshots.com/163/0/54/9/2222054090088425273fnuGSl_fs.jpg
The penny lab was an interesting activity with a surprising outcome. The procedures of this lab were, first to put a penny on a flat surface. Second take a water dropper filled with water an see how many drops of water could be put on the penny before it spilled over. I predicted 8- 10 drops of water. The results of trial 1 were 12 drops of water. Trial 2 resulted with 19 drops of water. Trial 3 proved the most with 20 drops of water. These results surprised me. My prediction was defiantly low. Surface tension is the reason that the water stayed on the penny. The polar nature of the water caused the water to stick together. The water beading up will be supported by surface tension until the force of gravity becomes to great. then the water spills of the penny. This experiment was really cool.

Everglades Nation Park

2009-03-31T08:07:00.000-07:00

Travel Journal
3/31/09
Today I went on a journey to the Everglades National Park which is located in southern Florida.
My purpose for this was to study the overall environment and the health of the ecosystem, as a biologist. The Everglades is a diverse subtropical wilderness, with thousands of different animals and plant life. It provides a habitat for endangered species like the American Crocodile. The park also has many different sounds like birds signing, frogs croaking, and water splashing from the under water life. The Everglades are made up of hundreds of square miles of wet land, covered by saw grass. This type of grass can grow up to 3 to 5 meters tall. Scattered throughout the wet lands are trees growing on hammocks. Hammocks are geological features that provide higher patches of land sutible for trees in a flooded area. Also there are huge forests of mangrove trees growing along the rivers. Water definatly plays a major role in the Everglades existance. Without the water the ecosystem would be destroyed and most of the lands will become dry lands. None of the marsh plants or animals would survive in a dry climate. With the rising population of humans the demand of water is increasing. Less water is making it from lake Okeechobee to the Everglades. This could potentially cause problems to the fragile ecosystem. Also, pesticide runoff from farms polutes the habitats, harming fish and other animals. Overall my journey to the Everglades was very educational and eye opening.

Picture

2009-01-23T06:32:00.000-08:00

Earthquake Questions

2009-01-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

Where do most of the earthquakes tend to happen?- Most of the earthquakes happen on the Pacific plate along the ring of fire.

Why do you think that is? I think this is because of all of the volcanoes that make up the ring of fire.

What is this area called? The area is called the ring of fire.

Where is the earthquake closest to Manitou Springs? What are the details of this earthquake? Would people be able to feel this earthquake? About how much more ground shaking would occur for this magnitude earthquake compared to a magnitude 1 earthquake? About how much greater is the energy released with this earthquake compared to the energy of a magnitude 1 earthquake?-

Earth quakes have occurred near Manitou due to fault lines that extend from Cheyenne Mountain to Woodland Park and Divide. The closest earthquake to Manitou Springs would be on the active Rampart Range fault, Oil Creek fault, and the Ute Pass fault. Sometimes you can feel these earthquakes. The mosty recent earthquake near Manitou happened on Saturday, January 17, 2009 at 8:02. This earthquake had a magnitude of 2.8. Sometimes you can feel these earth quakes but usually you can't. This earthquake occured in New Mexico, 82 miles north of Albuquerque. compared to a magnitude 1 earth quake, this earthquake would have had around 100 timews the ground shaking. The energy released from a 2.8 magnitude earthquake is about 1,000 times greater than a magnitude 1.

Choose one earthquake that has happened in the last seven days. You will be researching that earthquake. Tell me all about it. Are earthquakes common in this area? Include at least one picture, preferably of the earthquake, but if you can’t find one include one of the area.

On Thursday, January 22, 2009 in Guatemala, there was a 5.1 magnitude earthquake.
The cordinants of this earthquake are 15.309°N, 91.499°W. To put the location into perspective, it was 80 miles NW of Guatemala City, Guatemala.

How can people protect themselves from the dangers of earthquakes?

When an earthquake is occuring, get under a desk or table. Hold on to your shelter and be ready for it to move on you. Avoid windows, hanging lights, and tall furniture. Cover you neck and head with your arms. If shelter is unavailavle, stay under a doorway.

Character

2008-12-18T16:24:00.002-08:00

Character is the way a person thinks, feels, and acts. A good character is made up of a few diferent traits. Character traits are qualities that demonstratehow a person thinks, feels, and acts. There are six traits. The six traits are trustworthy, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. THe trait trustworthy is being honest, loyal, reliable, and dosent decieve, cheat, or steal. having respect is being considerate to others and tolerant of differences. Responsibility is using self-control and thinking before you act. Fairness is playing by the rules and practicing good sportsmanship. Caring is being compasionate and kind to others. Citizenship is the way you conduct yourself as a member of community. It is obeying the rules and laws. All of these traits make up a good moral character.

2008-12-18T16:24:00.001-08:00

Weather Front Summeries

2008-12-05T07:42:00.000-08:00

Cold Front- The warm air rises over the top of the cold air. As it rises, it creates storm clouds.

Warm Front- During the war front, the warm air rushes in and over the top of the cooler air. Rain occured during this front.

Stationary Front- The warm air and the cold air colided and stop. They seem to push at each other but neigther could overtake the other. A storm formed where they met.

Occluded Front- Two cooler air masses move toward eachother, trapping a warm mass between them. THe cool air moves under the warm air and the warm air rises. A storm occurs where they meet.

Ship voyage

2008-11-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

Direction traveling: San Francisco, United States to Sydney, Australia Southwest

Were you successful? Yes I was successful.

How many attempts? I completed this voyage on my first try.

How were you successful? I was successful by getting the trade winds to blow me South of the equator and the West to Sydney.

What winds did you take advantage of or compete with during your travel? I took advantage of the trade winds.

Direction traveling: Havana, Cuba to London, England Northeast

Were you successful? Yes I was.

How many attempts? It took me 6 tries on this voyage.

How were you successful? I was successful by taking advantage of the prevailing westerlies to blow me north. Then, I went East so I didn't get to far North. Then,
after that I had a straight shot.

What winds did you take advantage of or compete with during your travel? I took advantage of the prevailing westerlies.

Direction traveling: Lima, Peru to Cape Town, South Africa Southeast

Were you successful? Yes I was successful.

How many attempts? It took me 8 attempts.

How were you successful? I was successful by using the prevailing westerlies to blow me around the tip of South America. Then, I went slightly North, and the East to port.

What winds did you take advantage of or compete with during your travel? I took advantage of the prevailing westerlies.

Atmospheric Factors Affecting Climate

2008-11-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

My paper is linked above.

Ozone

2008-11-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

Ozone is a gas containing three oxygen atoms in the molecule instead of two. It is a form of oxygen. Ozone is made by interactions between ligthning and oxygen. Ozone is good and bad for life. It helps us majorly by protecting us from the sun. In the Stratosphere there is a layer of ozone that protects the living organisms on Earth from ultraviolet radiation rays from the sun. These rays can cause skin cancers and bad sunburns. Ozone can also have a negitive impact on life. Ozone,if breathed, can cause damage to tissue in the lungs. Ozone is a very vital gas in our atmosphere. Without ozone, many creatures would be killed by the harmful rays from the sun. We defenatly need our ozone.

Greenhouse Gases

2008-11-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring process that aids in heating the Earth's surface and atmosphere. Greenhouse gases help in keeping the planet warm enough for us to live. But, too much of these gases can have a devestating effect. They cause etream climate changes and teperatures. They cause the polar ice caps to melt. Swealing of the oceans causes flooding all over the world. Humans definatly increase the gas amnounts from the carbon dioxides released from cares and other machienery. If changes are not made on the greenhouse effect could have a bad influence on our planet.

London Smog

2008-11-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

One hundred years ago, the city of London was filthy dirty. People burned coal in private homes and factories. London's air filled with soot and was very unhealthy to breath. In 1925, the term smog was created by combining the words smoke and fog to describe the air pollution situation. London smog forms when particles of coal dust join with droplets of water in humid air. The cleanliness of London air has dramatically improved over the last century because of the decreasing popularity of burning coal.

Atmosphere Paragraph

2008-10-29T07:20:00.002-07:00

Earth's atmosphere makes it very different from the moon and all the other planets in the solar system in a few different ways. First, hundreds of craters cover the moon from meteoroids. There is no atmosphere to stop them. On Earth however, there are far less meteroids that strike. The reason that so few meteroids make it to the surface of Earth is the atmosphere. When the meteroid enters the atmosphere, the friction of the object and the atmosphere causes the object to burn up. The evidence of the ones that do strike doesn't last very long. The weather and climate change on Earth wears away the evidence of the impact. Earth is also extreamly different from the other planets because of its atmosphere. Earths atmosphere. On planets lacking an atmosphere, the sun bakes them allowing nothing to live. On Earth there is a steady temperature deue to the atmosphere. On the moon and other planets they are extreamly hot when the sun is touching them and extreamly cold when the sun isn't facing them. Finally, on Earth thre is liquid water because the atmosphere protects it from harsh temperatures that would evaporate or freeze the water. On the moon and other solar system planets, the temperatures an way to extreame for water to take its liquid form. Earth is very unique.

2008-10-29T07:20:00.001-07:00

The Space Program

2008-10-07T19:37:00.001-07:00

Summaries

2008-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

The Science of Rockets- Since the late 1950's, NASA has used Atlas rockets to launch its space expeditions. Recent models of this rocket are used today.

The Space Program- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)was started in 1958. NASA has been responsible for many famous space expeditions such as Project Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo 13. NASA has landed men on the moon on several different occasions.

Exploring Space Today- New technology is aiding present day space exploration. A floating robot has been designed to help scientists on the International Space Station. This robot could assist in scientific breakthroughs.

Using Space Science on Earth- Many people believe that the Space Program is a pointless program to fund with the U.S. budget. Less than 1% of the money is put into the Space Program. NASA believes that the Space Program helps us here on Earth as well as in space. Many technological breakthroughs and more understanding of Earth has resulted from the program. It also improves our economy by providing jobs for Americans.

Slide Show

2008-10-01T07:36:00.001-07:00

Seasons Conclusion Paragraph

2008-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

The tilt on earth's axis causes the hemispheres to recieve different amounts of the suns energy. the results of this is seasons. Earth's axis is angled at 23.5 degrees. As the earth revolves around the sun the southern and northern hemispheres are exposed to different amounts of solar energy. For part of the year the northern hemisphere recieves more direct sunlight. For the other part, the southern gets more. If it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is summer in the southern hemisphere. The tilt and revolution of earth causes seasons.

Season Voki

2008-09-21T17:04:00.001-07:00

Get a Voki now!

Enigma Box

2008-09-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Enigma Box is a black rectangular box with two holes at the top. One hole is big and one is small. At the bottom of the box there is a small tube coming out of a hole in the bottom of the Enigma Box. When water is dumped in the to larrge hole it dosent drain out the tube until a certain amount of water is dumped in the hole. The water comes out the tube at around 400ml. of water. Then, it completly drains.

I think that there is some kind of bladder inside the Enigma box. When enough water is dumped inside the hole it expands at the bottom. then all the water is sucked down through the tube. The bladder expands at around 400 ml.

my inference was incorrect. Inside the Enigma box there is a tube with both ends open. It is louped around on the inside of the box. Both ends are on the bottom, but one sticks out. When water is dumped in, the level rises in the tube and outside of it. When the water level reaches over the peak of the tube's curve, is rushes down the downhill side. All the remaining water is sucked out by air pressure. On this particular box, the water rises above the tubes peak at around 400 ml.

I thought that thjis was really cool. I theought and thought how it worked. It seemed so hard. But, when I was told it seemed so simple. It was awsome!

Zoom

2008-09-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

In the book Zoom the pictures start out as a simple rooster. The rooster turns out to be a toy in a table top toy set in a magazine. The magazine is shown being read by a lady on an advertisement for a California Cruise line. The cruise advertisement is on the side of a bus. The bus is on a T.V. being watched by an Indian in the middle of the Arizona desert. This whole scene turns out to be a stamp on a letter being delivered by a mailman, in a boat, to some natives on a tropical island. All of this is being watched by a man in an airplane. Then the pictures zoom out again and finally endas in a scene showing earth from space.

My inference was that the book will show a broader and broader view, turning simple scenes into a small part in a larger picture. This was correct and had a lot to do with perspective. As the perspective grew and grew, the viewer's whole attention changed with it.

When I was looking at the book zoom, I was blown away at how dramaticly the perspective changed. I didn't think it would be anything more than a farm at the end. Instead it was the world. Thinking bigger and more open mindedly helps altar your perspective.

In the field of science, people will be interested in different perspectives of the world in which we live in. a bioligest might prefer a small perspective, studying one single organism within billions. Where an astronomer woud use a much broader perspective to study our relation and location in space. The perspective varies from field to field in science.