Letter to Dr.Pepper

As a final assignment for our mini unit we had to write a letter to the company who package we took apart. this is what I wrote:

Dear Dr.pepper,
My name is Blanca (I used a fake name...) and I am in the 7th grade. For a science project my teacher asked us to take apart a package. I chose Dr.Pepper. From what I can tell you are a fairly eco-friendly company, but I was wondering if you had any suggestions of how you could improve your product to make it more eco-friendly.
Sincerely,
Blanka Jones

This is what they wrote back,

Dear Parent or Guardian of Blanka:
We received Blanka's e-mail and are pleased she chose to write to us! For more information on our company we ask that you please visit www.drpeppersnapplegroup.com.
We thank Blanka for her e-mail and hope she enjoys the holidays!
Sincerely,
Consumer Relations

Well it's not really what I had hoped but they responded. I have looked at the site the gave me and I found some pretty cool facts. Dr.Pepper is trying to recycle 80% of the wast they produce. They are also planning to replace all their machines by 2013 to those that will save 30% more energy then the current ones they use. Not only is everything in their package recyclable but they are doing a ton to try and clean up their act. Go Dr.Pepper!

Reflect on the unit question (

What is a necessity and how does an organism ensure survival of its species within its environment?) and how it relates to the unit title: Ultimate Survival. The unit question relates to the unit title because it is what you will need to find out to answer the unit question. In this unit we learned a lot about what specialties an organism has adapted to survive in an environment. When you are not on the top of the food chain it's a definite struggle to stay alive. When you learn about all the things different species adapt to stay alive you can understand what it takes to ensure ultimate survival.
Reflect on what has helped you in understanding the "big idea" of the unit.
(

Big Idea: Students will understand the use and management of natural resources, the transformation of resources into human capital, goods, tools and machines as well as sustainable development of human society to maintain the delicate balance between man and the natural environment. The things that helped me understand what was going on in the unit was the terminology. I knew the words for everything which helped me apply and understand concepts and Ideas we were talking about. One way I could apply this was the essays we wrote. Knowing terms like carrying capacity, niche, ect. really helped me write my essay clearly and efficiently. Another thing that really helped me out was understanding the food web. Drawing out the food pyramid gave me a visual of the carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and decompose rs. This helped me understand the flow of energy and a lot more.
How did the unit question allow us to view survival through The Area of Interaction: Environments:(FOR EXAMPLE: The effects of one environment on another, the roles our environments play in the lives and well-being of humankind, and the effects of our actions, attitudes and constructs, such as sustainable development and conservation.) The unit question allowed us to view survival through
the area of interactions because the unit questions answered what we needed to know about the area of interaction. The unit question is what is necessarily to ensure the species to ensure survival. Once you know this you can answer the effects environments have on each other, the impact humans have on the environment, and other questions like these.
What would you have liked to do more of? Less of?
I felt like this unit when a little long. I felt like it was broken up by fall break and the second unit was more about human wast, but it was deffanatly a long unit. I think the wast part could be a lot shorter, or maybe we could just move it along faster, and the so could the survival unit. Other then that this was a really fun unit and I enjoyed all the research, projects, movies, and activities we did.

In your point of view, how well did we investigate the unit question, concept, and area of interaction? Include this in your reflection as well and give specific examples to support your opinions.
With the time we took to explore the unit question,concept, and area of interaction I think we really got it down. To explore the question, we took lots of notes and learned some terminology to help us explain things. We watched powerpoints and created presentations as well. To understand the concept, we did another project, wrote an essay, and took a test to make sure we understood everything. For the area of interaction, I think this is where the wast section. For this we looked into the human effect on the environment. We watched food INC., dissected packages, and wrote to companies asking them how they think they can improve the amount of wast they send out. We had a lot of communication with the outside world, and this ties into what we are doing in LA. Learning what we have I think we have a new found sense of whats right and wrong, and how humans impact the environment. No only did we learn a branch of science through this unit but we also learned about how we as individuals can improve our lifestyle and how we impact earth.

Green Plastics reflection

How are these plastics being developed? These plastics are being made from natural resources like the sugar from corn and sugar cane. They can string all of the molecules together to create plastic that can be reused into other plastics, cloths, and even rugs. It also doesn't require any fossil fuels or take up any space in land fills.
What makes these plastics "green?" These plastics are made of natural resources that are easy to grow and don't require access mining. It can also be formed and molded into other plastics, cloths, and rugs. They are completely re-usable so it won't take up any space in landfills. They are natural and the factories won't relies the toxins into the air.
What are some issues with plastics that were mentioned? There are a few problems with the green plastics. One of which is that it takes a good amount of space to grow the corn the plastics are made of. A concern is that we are using too much space to make plastic then to feed people. Once the corn is growing they need to be sprayed with several types of pesticides and fertilizer. Once the corn is grown they have to harvest it. They use big machines that produce smog into the air. Once the corn is in the factories, it needs to be molded and packaged. They use machines for this job, and those machines run on energy. The energy used is the same amount as making the conventional plastics. Another problem is that if the plastics do end up in a landfill, they take just as long to decompose as conventional plastics, and this takes it's toll on the environment.
How might these green plastics change packaging practices?
We use so much plastic that we have created islands the size of Texas in the middle of our oceans. Most of this is plastics bags and packaging. With new bio-plastics, most of these could be recycled and the pollution we produce would drop dramatically. Another thing is that the Bio- plastics are flimsyer then conventional plastics. This could enforce the use of cloth and paper bags why buying groceries, eliminate the rings around six pack ,and stop selling individual packs (uh-hem Pudding cups!). In about 20 years we estimate that 20% of the plastics we use will be green, and that would help the environment in so many ways.

Food INC. reflection

After watching Food Inc, what are your impressions of how science of food industry, technology of food industry, and society are interrelated?
After watching food INC I have a clear understanding of how all of the elements are connected. The science of the food industry allows us to butcher large amounts of animals without using too much space, time or food. Science has allowed us to genetically modify animals so that they grow twice as fast and are twice as big. We now wait half the time we use to growing chickens and they are twice as big. This is where the technology comes in. We have programed machines to do all of the killing skinning, cleaning, and packaging so that companies dothe food industry's don't have to hire employees and save a buck. The public ties into this all. We buys the meat and other food companies send out and eat it without a second thought as to where it came from. Our food industries are allowed to sneak things right under our nose with the governments protection, and are likely to succeed in what can really be classified as animal abuse.
How did the film describe science & technology as a positive or negative impact on society or the environment?
The film described the science and technology used by the food industry as a negative. With the science and technology, companies can now slaughter, skin, package, and sell in half the time they use to. With the machines they don't have to hire new employees and can get more food into the grocery store faster. With new genetically modified animals, they grow twice and fast and are twice as big. This is what is allowing food companies to bloom.
How do our consumer choices affect what is out on the market and therefore, our own species survival?
When we purches the food the industries , this supports their mass production of our live stock. We are funding animal abuse. If we could support more food - friendly sources, industries would be forced to slow down. Unfortunately food that is animals friendly is often expensive and not locally grown. but if everyone bought "happy meat" for a just a week, I'm sure it would be enough to shut down these companies. How are we as humans connected to how the Earth is used?
Humans are the reason our earth in in trouble. We have polluted it to a point where we burned a hole in the ozone. We have pushed our need for food and choices to a point where it is no longer sanitary for the environment or the few people who work in the factories. Earth can only provide so much for the entire human race and we are taking advantage of it. We have less then a lifetime f resources left and we have pretty much destroyed life for our next generation. There are people who are doing things to try and help save our planet, but unless we make a drastic change soon, we are in big trouble.
When do we say "no" to more high tech devices and go back to what caused the problem in the first place? Why are we only into the "HOW" things work and not the "WHY" things don't? What did this farmer mean?
Food is not on the top of the list of things that need to be saved on our planet. I think that as soon as we figure out the ozone and other pollution, over population, overfishing, global warming, and peace throughout the world is when we will start working on the food problems. This would have to be a radical multi- million dollar process and probably won't happen in the next 50 years. We have spent the last decade and millions of dollars perfection the high tech equipment we use to slaughter animals and to take that all away will take time.

What is the difference between natural farming and industrial farming? Which is better? Are they both necessary for human survival? Why or why not?
Natural farming is what use to be efficent. It is where you grow a natural amount of livestock and slaughter and clean them by hand in decent amounts. Industrial farming is what we depend on today. We keep animals in tight places,genetically modify them and kill them in massive amounts. This is what we have come to depend on, and now if we decided to stop, there aren't enough natural farmers to produce the meat and crop we consume. Now that we have altered the food industry, we probably don't need natural farming anymore, which is really scary. In the last 100 years food has changed more than it ever had, and this is the price.
If technology and industry have improved so much that we are getting faster, fatter, bigger, and cheaper, how are science and technology held responsible for improving or ruining human health and survival?
Food doesn't change this much, this fast on it's own. We have found the science to speed this process up and the outcome is much more efficient. If we had kept farming naturally of not found the science we would have a completely different food industry. Technology doesn't help this either. We have created machines that compliment the science. We can now slaughter the thousands of animals we create in a day then natural farmers probably kill in a month. Improved technology and science has change the way we eat.
What economic costs, environmental costs, ethical costs, health costs, and cultural costs did you observe while watching the film?
During the film some of the health cost of eating food shocked me. There was a little boy who had eaten a hamburger and died of E. Coli. This should have changed the way we farm, but even after several law suits, the companies are still protected by the government. What the food was doing to the environment was also amazing. All the machines need to be powered and they consume a drastic amount of energy in a day. We need space to store our livestock so we have miles and miles of land devoted to keeping cows. Ethics is not a word in the food dictionary, if it was things would probably be different.
Finally, state your final thoughts about this film and any changes you see happening in the food industry in the future or even your own eating habits.
I'm not sure I can see any changes in the food industry occurring in the next 50 years. I hate to say it but I have little faith in the ethics of the food industry. I am trying to change the way I impact the world. I don't eat meat

very often and when I do it's from local markets. I can try and buy local grown food and try not to consume as much (he hem thanksgiving) It might not be much but i'll do my part

E. Coli Infection Linked to Long-Term Health Problems

Sophie Moynihan
7b

After watching food INC in class, most of us wanted to know more about some of the cows we saw. In the film, cows had a plastic tube implanted in their stomach in order for the farmers to be able to reach in and grad the remains of the corn they eat. This prevents a disease called E.coli. E.coli is a disease brought on by eating or drinking things our body doesn't want, such as contaminated water. E.coli could and probably will kill you, and if you live like the cows we eat do, it could be contagious. That's not all though, studies have shown that having E.coli could increase your chances of having a long term disease, such as high blood pressure and kidney problems. Gastroenteritis has been a problem in the states, this is a disease that infuriates the stomach, causing it to swell and brings on diarrhea and vomiting.In the united states, there have been 120,000 gasrto electric illnesses, resulting in 2000 hospitalizations, and 60 deaths. team of researchers in Canada studied the heart and blood diseases that are brought on by this. Using the research from Walkerton heath study, they gathered 1,997 adult participants, and tested how their body's would react when introduced to eight years of contaminated water. They found that the healthy or only mildly sick (cold, cough, ect.) participants were 1.3 times more likely to develop hypertension ( high blood pressure), 3.4 times more likely to develop renal impairment (kidney failure), and 2.1 times more likely to develop a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke) They conclude that "These long term consequences emphasize the importance of ensuring safe food and water supply as a cornerstone of public health."

I chose this article because I was tired of doing adaption ones. We have moved on to a new mini unit, human wast, and I wanted to report on that. As I mentioned we watched food INC in class, and a lot of us were concerned about the cows. They got this disease called E. coli, and I wanted to know just what we were eating if this was common for cows. If the cows are treated for E.coli, then it's no a problem. But if not, we would literally be eating sick cows... ew.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101118194607.htm

Analisis of owl prey

Questions from lab
When analyzing our owls prey we can definitely conclude that our owl loves it's voles and rats. Based upon the class rank voles are the most commonly preferred food among the owls in our class. Yummy! I'm guessing that 35 insects are definitely more energy expensive way to dine. When you catch one 35g vole, you only have to find,swoop, and grab. As for 35 1g insects you have to fly around and find 35would take bugs, chase them down, and frankly by that time the owl probably would have found some other source of food. If the shrew population decreased, it would effect the entire food chain. The shrew is eats and is eaten by many other organisms in the food chain. If the shrew goes, the animals that eat it will have lost their main source of food and this could effect the carrying capacity, causing other organisms to start depleting. The owl will then have less to eat, which will again trigger the carrying capacity .

Further inquiry
Our analysis might not be reliable because about half of our bones were gone when we looked for them. We did the best that we could with what we had and otherwise we have accurate data. Next time we could probably put cerran wrap over our bones so that we can have accurate info.

Cats show perfect balance even in their lapping

Sophie Moynihan
7B
Current Event

Cartoon, books, and just about every story about cats depicts a scene of a cat lapping their milk. Another feline stereo-type of cats is that they always have perfect balance. What do these two stereo types have to do with each other? Researchers from MIT, Virginia Tech and Princeton University have looked into this question, and can give you an answer. When cats drink their milk, they form there tong into a shape like a backwards J to get the milk into their mouth. Recent studies show that cat's don't actually dip their tong in the milk, they only lightly brush it with the tip of their tong. While doing this, the milk forms a wake. When the cat stops moving its tong, the inertia keeps the milk moving. It then fills the gap that is forms by the backwards J. The cat then draws its tong up to its mouth, without spilling milk on it's chin. Roman Stocker of MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Pedro Reis of CEE and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sunghwan Jung of Virginia Tech's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and Jeffrey Aristoff of Princeton's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering all helped film several other big cats (Jaguars,Tigers, ect.) drinking to see if it was a shared genetic between cats. The scientists studied the videos and came up with a formula for the ways cats drink."The amount of liquid available for the cat to capture each time it closes its mouth depends on the size and speed of the tongue. Our research -- the experimental measurements and theoretical predictions -- suggests that the cat chooses the speed in order to maximize the amount of liquid ingested per lap," said Aristoff, a mathematician who studies liquid surfaces. "This suggests that cats are smarter than many people think, at least when it comes to hydrodynamics."

I choose this article to show that we can make adaption big or small. It can be as simple as having a whole formula devised so you don't spill any milk on your chin. This article didn't really interest me, I'm not a cat person, but I feel like it did make a point about adaption.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101111141806.htm

Science reflection

What is sustainability? What is a human footprint? What can we do to reduce our human footprint?

Sustainability is directly defined as "To bear". This can be applied in conversations, when you're supporting a heavy weight, and in our case when you are trying to save out planet. To me, sustainability is when we make simple sacrifices, such as taking shorter showers or turning off the light when you leave a room, to preserve what is left of earths natural resources. Our planet has changed more in the last 50 years then it has in the previous 10,000 and we are to blame. Every person has a human footprint, which is the mark you make on the planet. It's the food you eat, the energy you use, and the heat and AC you blast in the winter. All of these are some of the many ways that we leave our mark on the planet. In class, we watched a video of some of the biggest contributors to our human footprint. The video provided some statistics of these factors were astounding. Some of the statistics that surprised me most were these. The average American will drink 43,371 cans of soda in a lifetime. We will eat 4 cows, 3 pigs, and 1,423 chickens. We will spend more money on beauty products, then on education. We have a huge variety of ways we impact the environment, we also have a variety of solutions. There are some that are shoved down our throats by the media like using energy efficient light bulbs, and others like eating less meat and not supporting the overpopulation that the meat industry's promote. They are now making eco-friendly food and by purchasing this maybe once a week we are helping reduce our carbon footprint. We are in trouble of completely depleting our earths resources and there are so many simple ways to stop. According to the site we would need 5.2 earth to support me (I'm really sorry guys!)

Suprise visitor

Sophie Moynihan
7B
November 10, 2010

Pollination is the process where pollen from one plant is transferred to the stigma of another plant. When we think of flowers being pollinated, we think of bee's and not much else. Scientists have discovered that not only are bees pollinating, but so are lizards, cockroaches, and a newly found contributor, crickets. The island of Reunion is just off the coast of Africa. Scientists on this island use night vision goggles to observe a certain kind of flower called an orchid. They had been recording what happens to this flower during the night and were trying to see how this flower is pollinated. While watching this flower one night, they made an astounding discovery, a new species of cricket. Not only was the cricket new, but it was also pollinating the orchid, something no one has ever recorded a cricket doing. One of the scientist observing the cricket, Claire Micheneau, said “This was very unexpected. The answer to a question brings us further questions.” Now, a commonly asked question between scientist is if crickets have been pollinating plants for longer then we thought. The cricket will eat the nectar that grows in the orchid, collection the pollen while it eats. It then moves on to the next orchid and transfers the pollen. When looking into this study, scientist think that if plants grows in a different sounding then the one where they originated, it could adapt strange pollinators. We think that this type of orchid was originally grown in Madagascar.

I think this was a really cool example of adaption and mutualism. The orchid, which they think was originally found in Madagascar, has learned to survive, or adapted, in a different environment. Its a good example of mutualism because the plant provide nectar fir the cricket, and in return it gets pollinated. This article really caught my eye because not only have we found a new cricket, but its doing something we have never seen crickets do. The word reunion means "to meet" in french, which sums up the relationship between the cricket and the orchid. When I looked further into this I found the actual video of the cricket and the orchid and it was pretty cool http://vimeo.com/8769516

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100203/Note2.asp

Making the most of a meal

Sophie Moynihan
7B
Science for kids

Scientists have discovered a type a slug called the Elysia chlorotica that looks like a plant and feeds buy sucking the nutrients out of the algae it feeds off of. A marine biologist named Sydney Pierce decided to look into these snails, and found some extraordinary discoverys. Pierce knew that these animals had the chemical in them that allows them to photosynthesize, or turn sunlight into food. Pierce has know found that not only can they turn light into food, they can also create chlorophyll, which is a chemical that is vital for the process. These slugs are starting to act like there food. “This could be a fusion of a plant and an animal — that’s just cool,” John Zardus. Mr. Zardus is a zoologist at the The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He specializes in invertebrates like these snails. In the algae and in every plant cells are chloroplasts. These chloroplasts absorbs sun, water, and air to make chlorophyll. When the snails eat the algae, it separates the chloroplasts instead of digesting them It Then absorbs the chloroplasts into its own cell system. But the chloroplasts use up the chlorophyll during photosynthesis. Pierce has dicovered that the slug dosn't only steal the chloroplasts, but also the gene that allows it to make chlorophyll. These slugs are takings the saying "You are what you eat" to a whole new level.

This article really interested me. I loved how the theme was that the snails were taking the saying " You are what you eat" to a whole new level. These snails have adapted to know how to separate the chloroplasts from everything else they eat and I think that is insane. They can separate the minuscule chloroplasts from everything else they eat! If that isn't true adaption I'm not sure what is.

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100127/Feature1.asp

Damsel Fish "Gardeners" Selectivly Weed Algae Gardens (Oct. 26,2010)

Science Daily
June 21, 2010

Hiroki Hata from Ehime University Japan investigated the behavior a type of Damsel Fish called Stegastes Nigricans. They found that it could selectively weed different algae gardens. "We surveyed 320 territories of 18 damselfish species and thoroughly examined algae from each fish territory from coral reefs in Egypt, Kenya, Mauritius, the Maldives, Thailand, Borneo, the Okinawa Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef. We found that although the crop alga species shifted in the West Indian Ocean, the intensive farming by damselfish was seen throughout this geographic range." Said Mr.Hata. The damsel fish don't have the rite digestive system to grind up the algae fibers it eats. The most common type of algae it can eat is the Red algae Polysiphonia, which isn't very territorial. Instead of dying out the fish have found a way to adapt. The damsel fish help the plant by killing off their rivals, or "gardening". This mutual relationship provides the damsel fish with an easy source of food and the algae gets more latitude to grow. When coming up with the results a satisfied Hata said "Obligate reciprocal interaction between marine algae and herbivorous damsel fish, called 'cultivation mutualism' was found to be largely maintained in the Indo-West Pacific." This is just one of the many fantastic relationships between animals.

I chose this article because it was a great example of adaptation and mutuality. Instead of dying out the damsel fish found a way to increase the likeliness of its food growing. It amazes me that a small fish can find a way to increases its chance of living. Fishes brains are probably a hundredth of what ours are and sometimes I think they're smarter then us!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100617194322.htm

Clam cleanup

January 1,2009
Science Daily

We're using them as pollutant traps," said Harriette Phelps, Ph.D., a biologist at the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, D.C. In Maryland, high school students teamed up with marine biologist to try and clean up the toxins in rivers. Usually this is a hard, pricey job but we have found a way to easily clean up the rivers that won't cost a thing. The students collected clams and placed them in some of the rivers over dirty areas like highways. Clams are filter feeders so they naturally such in water and absorb the content of it. What the clams didn't know was that by eating they were doing us a huge favor. Not only was the muscle they grabbing it's food particles, but it grabbed toxins in the water as well. When brought into the lab and cracked open the pollution in the water was reviled. The clams reviled that a outlawed pesticide that was thought to be buried, had leaked out. "We can trace them back to sources, and then hopefully we can go from there and get rid of the sources," Dr. Phelps said.
I think of the clams as little cops busting the toxins in the water. Then when they are studied in the lab its like the police figuring out how and what the criminal was using. Its really cool that we have found a way to clean up the mess we made using natural techniques. The clam isn't forced to do anything it doesn't want or need to and in return they clean our rivers. In class now we are learning about relationships between animals. There are three major types of interactions, competition, predation, and symbiosis. Then there are three different types of symbiotic relations. Mutualism where both organisms benefit, commensailism where one organism is helped and the other isn't helped or harmed, and parasitism, where one organism is helped and the other isn't helped or harmed. This is a really good example of either commercialism because the clam isn't harmed but it doesn't necessarily benefit from being in the river.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2009/0110-clam_cleanup.htm

Reflection on presentation

Mr. Watts presentation was amazing. I had a third grade teacher who went to Antarctica and ever since then I have been super curious about different people who go there and the different things they study. We learned a lot and this is some of what I remember. Some of the interactions I noticed were between the krill, the whales, and the Algae. The Krill need the algae because that's what they eat, the whales need the krill because that's what they eat and the algae needed the iron in the whales poo to be able to grow. Another is the hunter pray relationship between seals,penguins,squid,and fish. If there weren't seals and penguins around the squid and fish would overpopulate. The seals balance out the penguins. When the animals migrate it usually means its getting to hot or to cold. They often go somewhere more climate controlled. They also try and follow the food they eat or to where its easier to get like seals probable move with the penguins and fish. They also have their children when the food is easiest to get so they don't have to worry about their young starving. Animals also tend to reproduce when the climate is moderate and animals that lay eggs try and lay before the other animals start to have kids so that their baby's have a better chance of survival. Animals being as smart as they are have adapted thick layers of blubber and fir that makes them invincible to the cold. Pregnant seals conserve a thick layer of blubber and body fat to keep their young healthy and be able to give them what they need to grow. They also group together to conserve body heat. Penguins do this and can take fair turns as to who's in the middle where its warm and toasty and who's on the outside where its not. We are studying survival in class and these creatures are learning to live in one of the harshest climates in the world. They know that they need each other to survive. Right now I am wondering about the krill. There some of the most populous animals in the wold and yet there at the bottom of the food chain. I wonder if they know that they need to rapidly reproduce in order to survive. I know they have a good environment to live in but it amazes me that their doing so well.

What makes worlds smallest animal, tiny copepod so successful?

May 13, 2010
Science Daily

Even thought the Tiny Copepod is only 1mm long and blind, its the most populous animal on this planet. Being so tiny, it's assumed to be naturally easy to prey. They are a very important part of the food chain and are often used in aquariums as a food source. So what makes it so successful?
"The explanation is that the copepod has two separate propulsion mechanisms"
said Professor Thomas Kiorboe who studies the copepod with a group of researchers from DTU Aqua and Physics. He and his team watched the copepod use its crazy strong back legs to jump away from predators. They have estimated that the strength of a copepod is 10- 30 times stronger then any other species. It also has vibrating limbs that create a feeding current and also allowing it to move and swim. It also doesn't get worn out because while one propulsion system is working the other is resting. This has interested me ever since Mr.Watts came and talk to us about the arctic animals. He mentioned that krill were the most populous species and I wanted to learn more. It's also really cool that something as small as a copepod can be so powerful and can adapt so quickly and wisely and end up so successful.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100512172444.htm

At the bottom of the food chain is the algae because its a plant. Next comes the Krill, which are more successful then humans. They eat algae but are eaten buy fish, penguins and other birds, seals, etc. Next would probably be fish or penguins because they eat the krill which eats the algae, but are eaten by seals. Seals are up next because they get eaten and killed by whales and other seals. Bears and whales are up at the top and although they are the best hunters, there are a lot fewer of them.

Tiny New Pea Sized Anphibians are Worlds Smallest

Found on the side of a trail leading up to the Gunug Serapi Mountains in Borneo was the worlds smallest amphibian. Named after the flower it lives on the Nepenthes Ampollaria frog was found by Dr.Indraneil and Dr. Das Hass of the Institute of Biodiversity and environmental Conservation and the University of Malaysia.
"I saw some specimens in museum collections that are over 100 years old. Scientists presumably thought they were juveniles of other species, but it turns out they are adults of this newly-discovered micro species," said Dr. Das.
frog is a microlyid, a family of mini frogs that measure under 15 centimeters. The adult males only grow to be 10.6-12.8 mm. A team searching for 100 types of "lost" frogs track the frogs down by using their call which continues from dusk to dawn.
"Amphibians are quite sensitive to changes in their surroundings, so we hope the discovery of these miniature frogs will help us to understand what changes in the global environment are having an impact on these fascinating animals," said Conservation International's Dr. Robin Moore.
I think this article is a great example of exactly what global warming is doing to the planet. It's amazing how the scientists knew what the call sounded. Its also crazy that they found frogs that size. If you blink you miss them.




http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825094915.htm

adaptation videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW6jyS5jTIs

Adaptation video

During the movie, one of the things that really stood out to me was how animals know when to hunt in groups and when to hunt alone. They know that if they hunt alone they have a greater chance of being prey and if they hunt in groups they won't get as much food, but they still find ways to survive.They also knew that there young would need practice befor they when out. The fox practiced hunting before taking its young out to hunt I also like how the bola spider created the drop the smelled like a female moth that and killed the male moths that sensed it. The snapping turtles way for surviving was cool. It made its look like a worm.Fish would come and try to eat it and the turtle would eat them. I thought it was funny that the sloth moved so slow that algae grew on it and then i used that to camouflage. Its like a puzzle that pieces together. The sloth is too slow to run away so it can camouflage. The spider doesn't catch enough in its web so it found a way to smell like a female moth. It's really cool.

Homework Sep.7

The environment is super important to an organism. It provides shelter, food,and water to the living things in it. Within the environment organisms interact with living, or biotic factors (grass berries) and non living of abiotic factors (rocks rivers). Every habitat belongs to an ecosystem. We divide our ecosystem into 4 parts; Organisms, population, community, and ecosystem. We find different habitats in different ecosystems because of the way animals adapt. Animals in the dessert have adapted to that climate as appose to rain forest animals. As the seasons get colder some animals will hibernate. They eat and store as much food as they can and live off of that through the winter.

KWL chart

K:

• Living things must excrete wast
• They must be made of cells
• Have an environment
• Grow and evolve
• must be classified
• Breath

W:

• How do different environments effect the way things live
• How do living things learn to adapt
• Why are humans the dominant species
• What made us evolve
  

science goals

A new year means new goals. Here are mine.

1. I'm going to try and get a 5 or 6 on every assignment

2. I'm going to be much more organized not need extensions

3. I'm going to do my best on every assignment