Monday, October 10, 2011
Glow Kitties
Orens, S. (2011). Glow kitties. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2011/09/glow-kitties/
Researchers have been trying to figure out a way to stop FIV, a disease that is a menace to cats throughout the world. Scientists have been researching FIV because it is very similar to HIV, a disease that affects humans. Researchers believe that if they can cure FIV in cats, then they might be able to cure HIV in humans. FIV can be terminated in a specific type of monkey, because their cells consist of a unique protein that cat cells don’t comprise of. So to insert the proteins into the cat’s cells, they gave it egg cells that comprise of genes that make the unique proteins. To make sure that their experiment worked they gave the cats another egg cell so they could tell if the egg cells did their job. This additional egg cell consisted of genes that make the cats glow in the dark; and when the cat they inserted the egg cells into had a litter, the kittens were a bright yellow-green! However, the scientists still aren’t sure whether or not the FIV-fighting egg cell worked.
I found the article amazing and intriguing, I learned a lot about FIV and HIV! A glow in the dark cat sounds so cool! If my dog could glow in the dark then I could take them for a walk in the middle of the night without tripping every other step. This article made me wonder more about DNA and genetic mutation. Could you genetically mutate a human without harming them? If so, what changes could you make, could they have multiple arms, or wings, or maybe we could even glow in the dark too? Do scientists believe they could inject the same protein-producing egg cells they injected into the cats, to humans to cure HIV? This article really made me think about DNA.
In The Middle
“In the Middle” describes the pros and cons of 6th to 8th grade middle schools, and Kindergarten to 8th grade schools. Recently, there has been a developing trend in the way students ages 10-15 are being educated, numerous educators are denying middle schools and accepting K-8 schools.
Middle schools were made to solve problems that junior high schools presented, to help solve over-crowding in elementary schools, and to benefit students in the move to high school. However middle schools aren’t doing any better than junior high schools did.
Some educators, like Jana Juvonen believe K-8 schools are far superior to middle schools, because kids are going through many physical and psychological changes. Students who are switching from 5th to 6th grade, have had a decline in test scores in both reading and math. However some educators think otherwise, Barry Fein a principal at a middle school in New York agrees that middle school is a difficult change but thinks it is a worthwhile switch. He says that middle schools offer clubs, sports, and more classes, unlike elementary schools.
All educators deem that kids should have the most proficient learning conditions educators can offer. Maybe a possible solution to this debate is the option of choosing K-8 or middle school, just like in a district in California that gives families this option. I think that we should use the K-8 model, because we don’t have to switch schools at such a difficult time. I think we should make middle school a part of elementary school, what I mean is that, by the time you get to 6th grade you are offered sports, clubs and more classes, but you don’t switch schools.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
SWEAT, SWEAT, AND MORE SWEAT
Vroom! The sound of my dad’s Toyota blasted my ear. I could feel the chilly morning breeze, blowing in my face. I could smell the tea my dad had, which was steaming hot. I stepped into the car teeth chattering.
The Battlefield was a soccer tournament in Virginia that I competed in. In the first game of the Battlefield, I did not play well, because I was playing at center-mid. At center-mid, you are the quarterback of the soccer field. You have to make the passes early; you have to switch the field. You also have to be an option for everyone on the field. Center-mid is very important and in the first game of The Battlefield tournament, I didn’t do my job. We still won over the Black Dogs 5 to 2. I was delighted and depressed, delighted that we won, but depressed about my play. So I decided to pick it up a level.
In the second game, we won 4-0 over the Cardinals and I scored a goal; I was playing outside-mid. “Pant, pant!” The sweat made me uneasy as it trickled down my face. Sam had the ball on the other side of the field. Being Sam he was dribbling through everyone. All the attention was focused on Sam, so I carefully snuck up towards the left goal post. Once Sam got to the goal line, he nutmegged a pass to me. Excellent!!! All I had to do was tap it in and, GOAL!! We were winning one to zero. The game went on without them scoring a goal, and I got an assist as we won 4-0.
The day was almost over as my dad drove me home. The Plain White Ts were playing Hey There Delilah on the radio as I thought about how I played. Okay I thought, but I knew I could do better.
As I went to bed, I was still considering how I played. My final considerations were to play like I did in the second game.
The next morning, I had to wake up at 6:40, because we needed to get to the tournament by 8 o’clock. As the clock reached 6:30, I started to wake up. I kept on commanding myself to sleep; you’ll need it, I thought. It didn’t work and I spent the next 20 minutes in my bed, unaware of the time. “6:50,” I shouted, astonished!
We got in the car at 7:20. As I walked out the door, I realized how cold it was as the breeze blew through. “BRRRR,” I exclaimed teeth chattering.
When we got to the park, we couldn’t locate the field. We were supposed to go to softball field three or SB3. When we found the field it was already 8:10. We warmed-up effortlessly and then it was game time. We were playing the JR Royals, an NVSC (Northern Virginia Soccer Club) team. It was freezing. My nose was dripping snot; I sucked it back in and felt a warm sensation, that made me feel uncomfortable. As I breathed moderately, I saw my breath as a small white cloud in front of my face. “BRRR,” I shivered while rubbing my hands together for warmth. As we started the game, I forgot about the cold weather.
We started the game and it went by rapidly. At half-time it was 7-0 and my coach told us that we could only score goals off crosses. The game finished with us winning 8-0.
Now that we had won the first three games, we were onto the semis.
“Who?” I said in disbelief, when I heard who we were playing. “The black team,” my Dad said annoyed. The Black team was the lower team in Arlington.
The battle of the ages, I thought, as we walked to the soccer field. When we got to the soccer field we warmed-up together. We were goofing around in the warm-up saying things like; “Hey Owen!” or “It’s on!” as we exchanged grins. Obviously, the coaches weren’t happy. They made us do wind sprints!
I was excited as the game got underway. I gave it my all. “Huff, Puff!” I sprinted down the sideline. PHHH! Went the noise of my foot striking the ball, as I stole it from Jonathan. I dribbled the ball and passed it to big Nick. Nick took a lousy first touch and they stole it. The game went on like this for the two halves and went into overtime with no one scoring. We went onto a PK (penalty kick) shoot-out! Everybody on the field at the end of overtime would participate. As the teams huddled up, Coach Alexis asked who wanted to shoot first. Everyone raised their hands but me. I was too fearful. I also had to urinate really badly. As the shoot-out started, a warm liquid dripping down my leg made everything warm and sticky. E.P shot first and scored, we cheered while I urinated. The shoot-out went on until everyone had shot except for the goalie and I. That meant that I was up. As I walked up to the ball I urinated more rapidly. The referee blew his whistle, and I started to shoot. GOAL!!!
I stopped urinating. Unfortunately, they made it so our goalie was up and he scored!!! GOAL!!! Now the other team had their final shot. BHHTT!!! The sound of the ball striking our goalie’s gloves. DEHH!!! DEHH!! DEHHHH!!! The sound of the whistle meant the game was over. We had won!!!
We were on to the finals! 30 minutes later I was at the same field warming up. At the time none of us realized how exhausted we were. As the game started we scored the first goal. Champions, I thought. Not for long. The Lee Mount Vernon Soccer Club Patriots scored two goals before half-time and we were losing it.
I went in to start the second half. “Pant, Pant!” My legs ached, my mouth was dried up, and I was exhausted. I sprinted as fast as I could, but the other team out sprint me. Sweat dripped down me, it plopped on my cleets as I stopped to catch a breath. I was jogging towards the ball when number 18, a visiting player, swung his foot upward; I experienced a large amount of impact to my gut. “UGHHH!!!” I moaned in pain. I felt the pain of a giant bruise with a 10,000 pound weight being dropped on it.
As I got up the pain died down, a ball hit me in the eye. Again, pain. I walked to the sideline as the Patriots won 4-1.
We lost the tournament, and as I drove home my dad said that we would play that team again on Halloween. The tournament was a blast even though we lost, but, I can’t wait until Halloween, because there will be no number 18!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Fractions
Once upon a time, in the realm of math, there lived a young lad named ¼. ¼ was a very jolly lad. He appreciated everyone and everything. He was knowledgeable in the study of math. But, ¼ didn’t know everything. He wondered about many things. He was partially depressed. The day he met 1/2, he was very depressed. ½ was very large; two times the size of 1/4. ¼ wanted to meet, but still had never met anyone smaller than him.
“Why can’t I meet anyone smaller than me?” wondered ¼.
“I know,” exclaimed ¼, “I shall set out on an adventure to find a fellow smaller than I am!”
But there was one glitch to his plan.
“Hmm, I shall need a companion on my journey,” exclaimed ¼. “Yes! I shall see if 25% will help me,” said ¼ with joy.
25% was ¼’s best friend because they were equivalent in size. 25% and ¼ were very similar. They almost looked like identical twins.
“25%,” said ¼, “Will you help me on my journey to find a fraction smaller than I?”
“Yeah! I mean yes!” exclaimed 25%.
“Okay then, let’s go!”
They were off on their long journey, unaware of what was in store for them.
¼ and 25% walked and walked and walked. It seemed as if they had been walking for an eternity.
“Are we there yet?” whined 25%.
“I wish!” complained ¼. They had walked 57 miles without any sight of civilization. They were in the middle of nowhere. They trudged through the woods nearing a river. They stomped over a bridge in pure rage not knowing what lied below.
“Hey, who’s there?” shouted a sour-toned voice.
25% and ¼ tip-toed over 1/3 of the bridge before the fractions from below appeared. It was the mighty ogre twins. These two fearsome brutes were the most wanted fractions in the whole kingdom; 1 ½ and 3/2.
“Oh-no!” exclaimed 25%. They weren’t able to get over the last third of the bridge, because the ogres were in their way.
“What shall we do?” wondered 25%.
Now, ¼ wasn’t dumb, he had gone to school. He knew that 3/2 and 1 ½ were equivalent (or the same.) He would trick them into believing they were both 3/2 (true) and then they would argue and eventually brawl. As they did this, 25% and ¼ would escape.
“Hey 3/2 and 3/2,” said ¼ bravely.
“Silly fraction! I’m not 3/2. I’m 1 ½!” bellowed 1 ½.
“Well it doesn’t look that way to me,” improvised ¼.
“HMM,” 1 ½ had a quizzical look on his face. “How could that be?” asked 1 ½.
“Well, I’m just saying you look exactly the same,” said ¼ courageously.
1 ½ looked down at his “2” in 1 ½ and then he looked at the “2” in 3/2. “You’re right’” exclaimed 1 ½.
“No, you’re 1 ½ not 3/2,” said 3/2.
“No you fool, we’re the same!” bellowed 1 ½.
“Did you just call me a fool!” exclaimed 3/2 flabbergasted.
“Oh yeah I did!” confessed 1 ½.
“My plan’s working,” thought ¼.
As the two beasts began to brawl, ¼ and 25% crept away.
“Yes!” exclaimed ¼ joyfully.
The two skipped along looking for any sight of civilization. 25% eyed a cave and revealed it to ¼.
“Look!” said 25%. They were nearing the cave. As they got closer, they saw smoke.
“Numbers!” shouted ¼ excited. They turned a corner to see an intense inferno with several fractions sitting around it. ¼ and 25% examined the fractions.
“Uhhggg!” murmured ¼, “they’re all bigger than me.”
Right at that very moment 1/12 walked out of the cave.
“Uhhh,” ¼ gasped, “finally, someone I can boast to.”
1/12 glared at ¼.
“Hey what’s your name?” said ¼ in a sly voice
“1/12,” answered 1/12.
“Well, teeny tiny 1/12,” chuckled ¼.
“Hey, I’m bigger than you because 12 is bigger than 4,” yelled 1/12.
“Dummy,” muttered ¼, “I’m bigger than you because if you imagine two identically sized pies and cut them into slices; one has 12 equal-sized slices and the other has 4 equal-sized slices, each slice from the pie with 12 slices will be smaller than each slice from the pie with 4 slices.”
1/12 was getting enraged.
“Yeah, well, well….. You’re such a fatty!” squawked 1/12.
“What did you just say?” asked ¼.
“You heard me,” exclaimed 1/12.
“Why, I oughta….” ¼ headed toward 1/12, fist clenched; an intense glare in his eyes.
“Wait!” interrupted 25%, why are you fighting. Both of you are important,” explained 25%
“He’s not. He’s just a midget,” screamed ¼.
“Stop! You two are both important because you both are fractions. Fractions are the parts of the number, without you we would not have tons of things. Without you two there would not even be a fair currency. You guys make up so many things. Imagine math with no fractions. Scary, I know.” Explained 25%
1/12 and ¼ were lost for words.
“I, I’m so sorry,” apologized ¼.
“Me too,” agreed 1/12.
They then hugged and ¼ and 1/12 saw the realm of math from a different perspective. Everyone was important.
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