Concrete Is Remixed With Environment in Mind

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/science/earth/31conc.html?_r=1&ref=science

Concrete Is Remixed With Environment in Mind

This article talks about a concrete job on the new bridge above the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. The bridge was built to replace one that collapsed in 2007 and killed 13 people. It is constructed almost entirely of concrete embedded with steel reinforcing bars, or rebar. The CO2 emissions associated with them are accounted for in electricity generation and steel making. They help reduce the concrete’s carbon footprint.

Boys and Girls Together, Taught Separetly in PS

This article is about a school where fifth graders ,boys and girls are separeted in their classrooms. Major, Blomberg gave freedom to the Principals to create single-sex classrooms. Some teachers and parents think that this new change has been helping to the children in term of behavior and academic development.

Room Change for Monday, March 30!!!

Hello Everyone,

This is just a (reminder) notice about Monday's session. We will not be meeting in the normal room. Instead we will be meeting in 2615 James Hall. 

The class will also be staring a bit later than usual. We will begin at 6:45 due to a class in session in the room at our normal start time.

Because of the late start, YOU CANNOT BE LATE! We will start the activity as soon as we are set up settled in the room.

See you there.

Vitamin D Deficiency May Lurk in Babies

The article talks about the above condition and a number of other diseases that may be due to Vitamin D deficient in breast milk. Doctors agrre that the breast milk is the best. However, research are now encouraging mothers to supplement breast feeding with Vitamin drops.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/health/research/26rick.html

Poison Gas May Produce Clean Energy

The world's largest dead zone, "The Black Sea" may be chock-full of life- sustaining energy. The influx of toxic waste from European countries have caused a decline of oxygen in the water. Subsequently, the creation of a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas, now exits in the water. Scientist beleive that if hydrogen is harvested from this poisonous gas, it could produce a new form of clean energy for Europe.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090324-black-sea-energy.html

Polluters, Beware: These Eco-Police Officers Are For Real

This article is from the NY Times and it talks about a group of police officers whose job are to check up and enforce environmental laws. They go to stores that have complaints against them as well as just stopping into to various places. There are only about 20 people on this force but they are real police. They can ticket and arrest people who are in violation of the law.

They investigate things such as stores selling undersized fish, businesses that have oils and noxious substances leaking onto the streets and even stores that refuse to take peoples bottle deposits.


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/nyregion/26ecocops.html?_r=1&ref=science&pagewanted=print

Scientist Examined Asteroid Remains

I forget to include the site.It is submitted below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/science/space/26asteroid.html?ref=science

Scientist Examine Asteroid Remains

The article stated Scientist were able to track an asteroid on a collision course with earth, this was a first time phenomena. They watched it exploded in the atmosphere and were able to pick up remnants off the ground. This occured on Oct.5th,2008. Richard Kowalski spotted a white moving dot on his computer at an observatory on Mount Lemmon in Arizona. He sent the cooridinates to his colleagues at the Minor Planet Center at the Havard- Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. They all watched this explosion and was in awe at this sight.

Strange Particle Created

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090320-news-particle.html

An unexpected new subatomic particle has been discovered in Illinois' Fermilab atom smasher. Scientist beleives that this discovery may break all known rules for creating matter. The article drew my attention seeing that my final presentation is on the topic of Matter. This new particle is called Y (4140). Researchers are not sure what this particle is made of.

eMints National Center

These resources are useful for educators to use in theirs classrooms.http://www.emints.org/ethemes/index.shtr.

Say No to Drugs Webquest

http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/kaiserclass/no/intro.html

Welcome fellow deputies! Thank you so much for joining the force to help kids say no to drugs! Your help is very important to us. The more people we have to spread the word, the better chance we have to save young kids from the dangers of drugs! It is your mission to create a short slide show presentation that will be used to teach kids how and why to say no!

Chocolate Chip Cookies: To eat or not to eat!

http://collier.k12.fl.us/weblessons/cookiewq/index.htm

Description
"Hello! Let me introduce myself. I am Inspector Chips. I am on a mission, and I will need your help. It has come to my attention that "Chocolate Chip Cookies" may be harmful to your health... We need to work together as a team to gather clues that will lead us to facts and help us solve our mystery."

What's the Matter? WebQuest

This WebQuest is suitable for 2nd or 3rd Grade.Students have to investigate and conclude the reson for the changes in property of their Skating Rink. It was frozen ice, then the next day it was a pool of water, then the water disappeared. The students have a big skating competition coming up. Their coach told them to query this mystery before the big game.
http://questgarden.com/68/38/1/090321182414

Webquest: Health & Nutrition

Healthy Meals for a Healthy Life : http://www.slideshare.net/guest542f60/nutrition-webquest

This webquest promotes a healthy lifestyle for students. It requires students to come up with a nutrition plan for the week and then comment on if they followed it and what foods they did and did not like.

Mr. Sarvaris’ Web Quest of Knowledge and Power : http://www.teacherweb.com/NY/MassapequaHighSchool-AmesCampus/YouAreWhatYouEat/wqr2.stm

This webquest asked the students to look at an athlete with a "special situation", such as diabetes or being a vegetarian and take a nutrtion plan and make it work for their special situation while also providing the athlete with the nutrition he/she needs.

Webquest: Matter is no laughing matter

http://www.mcs.k12.nc.us/wq/labarre/matter/introduction%20and%20task.htm

This is a second grade Science and Language Arts WebQuest designed by Nicole LaBarre. Students have to find the defintion of matter. What in the world is matter?

Task:
It is up to YOU and YOUR PARTNER to find out! Put on your lab coats and get out your microscopes. You are on your way to earning your junior scientist awards. All you have to do is investigate three types of matter. Good luck and happy learning!

WebQuest: What's the Matter?

What’s the matter? WebQuest is for 1st and 2nd grade.

In this Webquest, the students have to investigate what is the matter with matter. The students become matter detectives and have to find answers.

This is the task:
You will become the "Matter Detective" and investigate the problem with the states of matter. The world is counting on you to put the states of matter where they belong. So put your coat and hat on and don't forget your spy glass and find out what is the matter with matter.

http://yorkcountyschools.org/mes/what's%20the%20matter%20webquest/index.htm

Webquest

Animal Adventures

http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/ellisville/firestone/habitatwq/index.html

Happy Habitats Travel Agency is sponsoring a contest for an all expense paid excursion to one of four habitats around the world. You are an animal that has always lived in a zoo and is interested in visiting your native home land. You task will be to investigate and learn about the habitat where your species originated. You will research information about body coverings, food, water and shelter. You will then create a diorama showing yourself enjoying the habitat you wish to travel to. Your project will be evaluated by the Happy Habitats Travel Agency to determine the contest winner. Good Luck!

This has been designed for first graders.





Butterfly Changes

http://www.rockwood.k12.mo.us/woerther/harmon/butterflywebquest/intro.html



Your task is to learn and explore how a butterfly changes from an egg to adult through metamorphosis. This particular webquest is designed for first graders as well and their task is as follows:

1. Learn the 4 stages of the butterfly's life cycle.
2. Explore different web pages to learn about the different stages of metamorphosis.
3. Write complete sentences that explain each stage of the life cycle in the butterfly journal. Illustrate each stage in your journal.
4. In the back of your journal, write a story telling the class where your butterfly flew away to live.

Properties of Matter- WebQuest

This webquest is suitable for a 4th Grade Class. IT looks at the Staes of Matter, ice, water and air. Human beings are made of matter. All living and non-living things are made of matter. The differrent links put students on a journey in the world of "matter".
http//questgarden.com/76/51/3/090211142216/process.htm

Webquest

Building a New Habitat

http://teacherweb.com/IN/PNC/DSAZooHabitatWebQuest/index.html

This webQuest is for students to work on in groups of three and each student would be given specific roles (zoologist, contractor,and researcher) to create a presentation. The objective is to choose an animal that's not in the San Diego Zoo and research about the animal so that students can create a realistic and natural habitat for the animal.

Light+ Water+Temperature = a Beautiful Plant?

http://teachers.emints.org/FY04/colemang/plantexpwebquest/index.html

This webQuest is for fifth graders to create an experiment to see which houseplant is best to grown at a school setting and what specific locations. I really liked this webQuest because it incorporates research, observation, scientific method, thinking skills, hands-on work, and creativity.

WebQuests: "Head in the Clouds" and "Weather"

http://questgarden.com/78/48/0/090319053859/index.htm
This webquest is titled "Head in the Clouds". It asks for children to assume the role of a meteorologist, where they must present to the rest of the class the different type of clouds. They are to research links provided in the webquest. In the end, they provide the class with a PowerPoint and lecture, and give them a study sheet on the important terms to know.
This webquest helps children assume the role of the teacher, and how it is to teach on clouds. However, this can only be effective if they have been exposed to using PowerPoint. It doesnt really ask them for measurements, or collecting any data-- this is just for mere presentation skills.

http://questgarden.com/73/22/1/081118131437/index.htm
In "Weather", children are weather reporters, and they must report the forecast of an assigned city. Links are provided so they don't get lost navigating the web, and worksheets are given so they keep track of their data. Here, students will graph the weather over a period of ten days. then they will gather the information and present to the rest of the class.
Children must be exposed to weather and temperature before doing this webquest. It can help them on their presentation and organization skills. It's a long task-- thus the teachers must make sure chikldren are on the right track of completing this project.

Matter is no laughing matter! Webquest

http://www.mcs.k12.nc.us/wq/labarre/matter/index.htm

This webquest is designed for 2nd grade students to learn the different types of matter. It is interdisciplinary, combining both science and language arts skills. It requires the children to find and write about different types of matter in their classroom, while working in pairs. It uses "circle maps" as a teaching tool, as well as a computer program called "Kid Pix," which must be a drawing program because it asks children to draw what they see. The evaluation rubric was clear and simple, easy for second graders to use by themselves.

Generally, it was easy to use, but the links were hard to read because they were yellow against a gray background.

Web Quests

http://teacherweb.com/IN/PNC/SBriggsWebQuest/index.html
The first web quest that I accessed was called “The Lost Food Pyramid”. This site was very easy to access, especially since it was geared for grades K-2. It was very colorful and the pictures made it easy to navigate. The students had to build their own food pyramid based on information provided by the teacher. I feel that this would be very effective to create students who are conscious of healthy food choices. This is allowing students to make decisions about what healthy goods they feel are best to focus on in the pyramid. The students will also be developing ways to encourage other students to make healthy choices when eating.

http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webquests/quilts/
The second web quest I found was called “A Stitch in Time”. It focuses on creating a new historical quilt for the Museum of Natural History in regards to African, Amish, and Native American quilting patterns. This site is also very easy to naviagte and geared towards children in grades 3-5. This project seems a lot more interesting since it is interdisciplinary. It is focusing on history and art patterns in history. I really enjoyed this web quest because even in college I enjoyed looking at quilting patterns of the past. This is a great way to foster creativity in a group project. I feel that this project would be very effective. It is allowing students to use their creativity to create history in their own eyes. I feel that many classes would enjoy doing a project like this one.

The Magic of Matter Webquest

http://www.ripley.k12.oh.us/lindnert/MatterWebquest/matter.html

In this webquest, the children learn about matter. They learn about the different types of matter and how to classify it.

I thought this webquest was rather difficult to navigate because the directions weren't very clear. The teacher might have given the students more directions in class or in a handout.

Let's fly away! Butterfly webquest

This butterfly webquest was really nicely laid out. It has many links to find the information that the students would need.

For this webquest the students work in groups, decide what type of butterfly they want to be and then create a webpage, PowerPoint or a poster that shows the information they have obtained.

http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/butterfly.html

Where In The Weather Am I?

Where in the Weather am I? This is a webquest about weather in different regions of the United States. This webquest is for kids in grades 3-5. The children work 3 in a group. Each child has a job, the navigator, the reporter and the data keeper.

The kids read the letters to find out what state Floyd Flood is in and then learn information about the weather for that particular region.


http://euphrates.wpunj.edu/courses/ciee_611/lovell/lesson-template1.htm

Solar System WebQuest

Although I tried to stick with my topic of energy, I couldnt resist this topic of the Solar System for more reasons than one. The object is for the student to become an astronaut and search the nine planets in our solar system. The task includes;

• collecting data from each planet.
• choosing a favorite planet.
• sending a cyber postcard to an earthling.

However, before the last step of sending a cyber postcard to an earthling is completed. Students must not forget to report into Mission Control (the teacher). The information collected should consist of the following;

• The order the planet is from the sun.
• Does the planet have any moons?
• If yes, how many moons does it have?

The children must be sure to remember to take turns with their partner in order to have equal access and contribution to the assignment. immediately following is the link for the "Solar System WebQuest"

http://home.mchsi.com/~dlwantuch/

Electric Energy WebQuest

What is a web quest?
A web quest is a learning based activity used by educators. All of the information gathered by the students is taken from the World Wide Web. I came across a web quest titled "Electric Energy."

I chose this site because this is the topic in which my group is working on for our lesson plans. Although there are many forms of energy, Electric Energy is very popular as well as important in our everyday lives. This web quest is proving just that. The task of this web quest is to research Electrical Energy use in the 1740's and compare it with the use of electrical energy in the 1990's using the Internet.Specific information was given to be researched such as;

• You will find out what happened when Ben Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm.


• You will discover what homes were like in the 1740s. What kinds of energy did they have?
  


• You will create dioramas of a home in the 1740s and a home in the 1990s.
  


• You will use magazines to find pictures of things that need electricity to operate.

The process is for the web quest is very specific and laid out in and organized fashion. It is to be done with a partner and can be chosen from a list of various character's.

The assessment includes the children now taking the role of the teacher and sharing the information gathered. The focal point being on the differences of the 1740's and 1990's. Immediately following is the link for the web quest titled"Electric Energy."


http://www.nashua-plainfield.k12.ia.us/projects/karen/

WEBQUESTS

Clement Pisnoy ED 38 3/22/09

A webquest is a learning activity that is commonly used by people in the field of education. Webquests are internet links that direct you to a webquest site, which, in turn, involves activities like role playing, research, and experiments. According to Wikipedia, a webquest is an "inquiry-oriented activity in which some or all of the information that learners interact with comes from resources on the Internet, optionally supplemented with videoconferencing." Learners using webquests generally work in cooperative groups. Each learner is given an active role to play.

An example webquest URL is: http://www2.franciscan.edu/Webquests/weather/
This webquest is titled "A WEATHER INVESTIGATION"
This webquest makes students choose a camp in Ohio, which they will attend four times a year and they must complete the webquest in order to determine what types of clothing and what type of weather will happen during a particular month. The webquest also involves the creation of a poster,which contains the following information:

1. Average High and Low of temperature
2. Record High and Low of temperature
3. Average precipitation
4. Record precipitation
5. Types of severe weather possible
6. Hours of daylight for the day in the month
7. Clothes needed for camp

After the poster is made, the students make an artistic representation of themselves performing a camp activity and the weather for that day.

The webquest involves 3 people:

1. Navigator: controls the keyboard and mouse
2. Recorder: records the data found
3. Reader: reads information from computer and other sources

WEBQUEST 2

http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webquests/paper/navbar.htm

PAPER OR PLASTIC

The webquest is about recycling, where the students make a poster that promotes recycling. Students take on the roles of for or against paper or plastic, and learn more about re-usable resources.

Butterfly

http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/butterfly/monarch.htm

This websquest is more of an introduction as to what butterflies are. After doing this webquest children will be able to answer simple questions such as : Is a butterfly an insect? Is a butterfly the same as a moth? Do butterflies live everywhere in the world? They will also learn fascinating facts about one of nature's most colorful creatures. One thing that I liked about this website is that a lot of the information the class will need to know has to be found on the internet. This gives students the oppurtunity to learn how to use the different resources provided. This webquest also correlates well with a literacy lesson because at the end of it the children will be able to write a poem about butterflies.

Metamorphosis- Discovering the life cycle of a butterfly

http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/butterflies2/butterflies.htm

With this webquest chi;dren will learn and explore how a butterfly comes to life through "Metamorphosis". They will learn the 4 stages of the butterfly's life cycle and will be able to answer questions about each stage of the life cycle. With the help of graphic organizers and other visual aids, students will have a good time recreating the step-by-step processes of a butterflies life.

Robot Fish to Detect Ocean Pollution

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090320-robot-fish-video.html

Scientists will soon relese a robot fish modeled after a carp into the waters of Northern Spain to collect data on pollution and transmit this information back to the research center. This robot fish will set of in 2011, but as of right now it is still "swimming" in the London Aquarium. The fish will detect hazards such as chemical spills and fertiler runoffs, and will allow officials to understand the impact pollution has on the water in the area. The scientists also want to make sure that the robot fish is not mistaken for prey by other fish, or that it does not disrupt the natural environment in the water.

Daily Temperature Webquest

http://www.my-ecoach.com/project.php?id=10496&project_step=17028

The Students work in groups of three and will compare the temperature in their city as the day goes by, by checking it online starting at 8:00 A:M. Than a different member of a group checks the weather conditions at 12:00, and finally the third member checks the weather at 3:00. In this webquest, the students not only learn about using the internet, but the also learn about how temperature changes throughout the day.

The Quest For The Moon

http://www.geocities.com/computer8teacher/index.html
This webquest will help students learn about the size and weight of the moon, its orbital period, the phases of the moon, the theories of the origin of the moon. The students will also theorize if there is any ice or water on the moon.

Weather Webquest

http://davidson.k12.nc.us/webquests/weather/weather.htm

This webquest if very interactive for students. It requires students to visit website on local weather for five days in order to observe weather patterns. Students also observe cloud formation, national weather and climate. Students must graph their data on spreadsheets, which allows them to experience different programs.

A Weath Investigation

http://www2.franciscan.edu/Webquests/weather/

This webquest allows students to see how weather changes during different months. It also demonstrates to students that weather is always changing, as they have to discover record temperatures and precipitation.

Weather Watch: Searching for Home Insurance

http://questgarden.com/46/32/5/070206083643/

In this webquest, students will act as insurance agents. They will research weather threats (tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, etc.) and where they occur in the United States in order to develop an idea of what type of insurance should be recommended to customers based on where they live.

Weather Warning!

http://j.torbit.home.mchsi.com/weather/index.htm
(3rd grade)
This WebQuest will serve as the culminating activity for a weather thematic unit. This way, the children can connect their previous weather knowledge with an understanding about how weather can drastically affect people’s lives.
Through this WebQuest, students will present a newscast. They will pretend it is the day of a weather disaster. The children are expected to work together to create a newscast to teach the other students about their weather event.

"The Butterfly Life Cycle" Webquest

"The Butterfly Life Cycle"

All living things have a life cycle. During some animal's life cycle, there isn't much change. A butterfly is an animal that changes many times. A butterfly changes four times or has four stages of life. This WebQuest will help you discover the four stages of a butterfly's life.

"The Four Seasons" Webquest

"The Four Seasons"

This WebQuest is for first grade students to learn about the four different seasons and what kind of weather happens in different seasons. Grades K-2

'Brain decline' begins at age 27

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7945569.stm

Although I tend to agree that brain decline begins at an earlier age than previously thought, to think that it begins at age 27 is absolutely terrifying. Our brains, like our bodies, should be in their prime during our 20s and to find out that our minds "dwindle" before the age of 30, is really a frightening thought.

The studies being done are showing that doing brain exercises such as puzzles and tests of brain speed help slow the aging process.

Thwarting Tree Poachers

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39402/title/Thwarting_Tree_Poachers


According to this article, the earth’s tree cover helps store carbon dioxide and moderate ground temperatures. We know that because of the increase in green house gases trees are important to maintaining the earth’s temperature. It has been known that for years people are cutting down forests to provide the demand for the wood. Many trees are being destroyed at enormous rates and something needs to be done to protect the trees. The article states that “a new U.S. regulation that went into effect earlier this week has the potential to dramatically dampen trade in those poached trees”. There is the Lacey Act which protects certain species from being poached and traded. When this Act was originally signed it was only designated for wild life and game. In the years that it has been in affect (over 108 years), it has was amended to prohibit interstate or international importation of protected or illegally gained species.

Roadkill GPS Navigation System to Protect Animals

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090311-roadkill-GPS.html

A new technology in Australia can help car owners avoid accidents, and not harm the wildlife population in the are by installing what researchers are calling the "roadkill GPS system." This system can be installed in cars, and can be used like a regular GPS device, expect it alerts the motorists when they are approaching roadkill spots. Technologists are currently negotiating with car rental companies to install this device in their cars, because they believe it would limit the amount of dead animals in the area.

A Better Battery? The Lithium Ion Cell Gets Supercharged

Two researchers have developed battery cells that can charge up in less time than it takes to read my short article summary. The work could eventually produce ultra-fast power packs for everything from laptop computers to electric vehicles. Reachers have found a way to get a common lithium compound to release and take up lithium ions in a matter of seconds. The compound, which is already used in the electrodes of some commercial lithium-ion batteries, might lead to laptop batteries capable of charging themselves in about a minute.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=better-battery-lithium-ion-cell-gets-supercharged

Moon-Smashing Probes: Are the Data Worth the Damage?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090306-moon-crash-nasa.html

NASA scientists a new moon smashing mission, which is becoming known as a decade long tradition. This is being done for future lunar exploration, to determine if there is reservoirs of ice on the moon. Scientists warn that any time you hit the moon with such severe impact, the impact would obviously causes damage and when you hit it so many times. However, lunar sample experts disagree, and say that meteors crash at around 15 miles a second, ten times more any human impact, which wreaks a lot more havoc on the lunar surface. Also because the moon has no athmosphere, the debris won't move around and contaminate anything.

New Assignment

Prof.

You indicated in your email that we should let you know by 4/6/09 about the method of presentation we would like to use for the latest assignment. Did you mean 3/6/09 and if so, is the assignment due on 3/9/09?

Andy Frederick

"Power Struggle"

http://www.popsci.com/node/24984

“Power Struggle” was an article written by Seth Fletcher. This article is about Chevrolet producing a new vehicle that runs on a battery. This battery weighs in at 400 lbs and is 6 feet long. It has 300 individual three volt lithium ion cells that are bundled together. The battery is one of the best technological advances in electrical storage equipment ever engineered. This battery has the power to go 40 miles before it runs out of energy.

-Regina Flit.

Sticky Fingers Leaves Credible Biometric Evidence

Stick Fingers

Sticky fingers leaves credible biometric evidence is the subject of the how humans and animals develop fingerprints, use fingerprints, and leave fingerprints behind as markers in places that they touch. The article discusses research done to legitimize its uniqueness and how it has become one of most widely use method to identify individuals. Other biometric identification methods like dental records, iris scans, DNA or genetic markers, face and gait recognition are mentioned. The author also touches on the changes in the structure of fingerprints and how different diseases can affect this structure, but still not affect its uniqueness from individual to individual. This article provides interesting material which can be very exciting to youngsters and which can be taught in interesting ways ¾for example, it can be introduced to elementary students via a detective fact finding mission, so that they are encourage to participate and learn about the subject as they are involved in the activity. I suggest you take a look at this article.

Reference: Judson, Olivia. "Sticky Fingers." Natural History. Dec. 2008 /Jan. 2009. Vol. 117, Iss. 10, p. 16-20.

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UPDATE on The Global Fish Crisis

I forgot to add the source of the information.  Here it is below:

Montaigne, Fen.  Global Fish Crisis.  National Geographic, Apr. 2007, vol. 211, issue 4, p. 42-69.

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A Global Fish Crisis - The Giant Bluefin Tuna

I read an interesting article which reports on the devastating ecological effects of overfishing around the world.  I thought I would share its content with you since it deals with the near extinction of one of the world's great wonders in the animal kingdom of which we are all part of.  We've seen the extinction of the dinosaur and many other creatures, and wonder what it would be like to see these animals and have them be part of our ecosystem.  The article focuses on the giant bluefin tuna and its rare structural attributes, like its buttered belly meat, that makes it one of the most attractive catch to serve as suchi and steak in the Japan, American and European markets.  Other species also suffer or have suffered the same fate, example, the cod, the swordfish and sharks.  Bycatches are also caught in nets and left to suffocate and then dumped.

Fishermen use strategies that involve the use of fleets of purse-seine boats and spotter aircrafts to locate and haul in millions of tuna.  Additionally, tuna ranches are20springing up all over the Mediterranean, where bluefin tuna are caught and transferred to coastal sea cages, fed oily fish to give their flesh a high fat content greatly prized in Japan.  They are then killed offshore, and frozen.  The spread of tuna ranching also mean that bluefin are being wiped out at all stages of their life cycle.  Japanese companies stockpile thousands of tons in giant freezers.  The result of these events is that an "ecological and economic suicide" is being committed leading to the depletion of the ocean's bluefin tuna, shark, cod, haddock, sea bass, hake, red snapper, orange roughy, grouper, grenadier, sturgeon, plaice, rockfish, and skate among other species.  Governments have done little to alleviate these situations and this global fish crisis continues.

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In a Lonely Cosmos, a Hunt for Worlds Like Ours

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/science/03kepl.html?_r=1&ref=science

A spacecraft called Keplar will orbit around the sun in search for planets like ours, in hopes of finding life and making contact with various planets. Keplar is set to take off this Friday. Even if Keplar comes up empty handed, the results will still be there, says one researcher, because that will mean the Earth is really rare, and we might be the only species of life in the universe. Scientists are ready for any surprises that Keplar brings at them in its discovery.

CLASS CANCELLED - MARCH 2ND

The title says it all. Be safe and stay warm.

Assignments are still due. A new assignment will be posted/emailed shortly.

EAP

class?

Hey!! Will there be class tonight?

Car Crashes to Please Mother Nature

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/arts/television/02twen.html?ref=science


"24" has decided to go green. The hit Fox television series is now trying to do their part in helping control the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. The show is known for its adventure, story line, and the amount of car crashes that happen. The cast and crew have all planned to help lower the amount of carbon dioxide the show emits in the air by making personal sacrifices, for example, viewing scripts electronically and driving hybrid vehicles from and to the sets. Its a step forward towards slowing down global warming. I wonder how many more shows will follow suit?

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Obama’s Backing Raises Hopes for Climate Pact

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/science/earth/01treaty.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=science


The big talk has been about Global Warming and things haven't changed yet. Now that we have a new administration in political office, it is now time to see what Obama will do. The Obama administration has said that it will push through federal legislation this year to curb carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997 is being seen as flawed. Many countries signed it promising to help decrease the carbon dioxide emissions. Many countries have lagged behind in doing so, but government officials are hoping that a new treaty will help countries keep a more reasonable promise. Obama is hoping to make the United States a leader in this promise, but he will have to show that the US means business. The question remains whether politicians will be willing to commit to such changes to ensure that there is a stance on global warming.