Koalas

Author's Note:
This is an essay describing koalas and their environment.   I am using a report type voice and am focusing on formatting.


Climbing through tall soft trees, eating Eucalyptus leaves straight off the branches, having fun all by yourself and taking in all of the wind that blows by, you can barely feel the branches on top of your fur.  The warm, sunny days are ideal for your lifestyle and the tree's.  Your light, round body lets you wonder around the tree with ease and leisure.  Taking naps for hours upon hours on end all through the daytime.  This is just an average day for a normal koala.   Since they just lie around and eat, koalas obtain one of the easiest lifestyles you could ask for.


Koalas have a soft, wool-like coat that has gray hair on top and white hair on the bottom.  Their fur is mostly white below their necks and their ears have some white hairs on the tips. The koala resembles a bear, but it's actually a marsupial.  Marsupials are a special kind of mammal which carries its young in a pouch. Koalas can live to be seventeen years old, though high death rates for males lower their life expectancy to between two and ten years.  Most koalas are small, pudgy animals that normally weigh about 30 pounds and grow to be 2 feet tall. Overall, koalas are basically stuffed animals that breathe.


These plush creatures prefer to live in eucalyptus forests, coastal islands, and low woodlands.   Countries that koalas can be found in include Australia or New Zealand.  Koalas consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from several different eucalyptus tree species. Being nocturnal mammals, koalas sleep for up to 16 hours a day. Also, they are arboreal, which means that they live in trees. Lastly, they do not live in large packs or groups but rather prefer to live  alone.


Conserving koalas is becoming more and more important. Once numbering in the millions, koalas suffered major declines in population during the 1920's when they were hunted for their fur. Today, habitat destruction, attacks by dogs, and natural disasters kill an estimated 4,000 koalas yearly. Laws in Australia protect koalas, but each city is responsible for the animal's conservation. Right now, there are fewer than 100,000 koalas in the entire world.


Destroying koalas and their homes can leave harmful impacts on our planet.  Taking away koala’s homes don’t just endanger koalas, but it would also endanger the 600 other species that live there.  Another reason is that killing and hunting koalas could effect one of the rarest habitats in the world, eucalyptus forests.  Which might lead to other problems such as holes in the ozone and lack of fresh air.  None of this would happen if everyone stopped hunting and started protecting the harmless and peaceful koalas.

Sources:

• "Koalas: Photos, Video, Facts, E-card, Map -- National Geographic Kids." Kids' Games, Animals, Photos, Stories, and More -- National Geographic Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. <http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/creaturefeature/koala/>.
• weeks, 13, and the young has attained a body weight of about 50 g. "Koala Information." koalas .org. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. <http://koalas.org/koala-info.html>.

Solids Liquids and Gases of Saturn

Searching through a telescope.  Noticing all of the stars in the sky above you.  The stars, the moon, and planets are all shining so brightly.  You love being able to turn the telescope, because looking through it is like a kaleidoscope.  Everything changes in a blink of an eye just by a slight tilt. Gazing up you notice a large dot.   Your telescope lets you see the rings and color of this planet, it's Saturn.  All of the ice in the rings and the colorful gases changing the color of the planet itself.  Saturn is definitely the most beautiful planet in the sky because of this.

Saying that Saturn has a solid center is debatable, but still possible.  While Saturn might not have a rocky center, there are other solids in other places on the planet.  Such as the rings.  Each of the rings are made up of two main substances, ice and rock.  Ice is the greater substance in the rings, but there are rocky particles covered in ice that make up part as well.  The rest of Saturn is pretty much all liquids or gases.

Liquids can be found in man different parts of Saturn.  The center of Saturn has several liquids surrounding or around the area.  Closest inward you can find water and liquid metallic hydrogen.  Surrounding that is a layer of hydrogen and helium in a thick, sticky form.  The last place with liquids is one of the moons.  Titan has now had confirmed lakes of ethane which can also release mists and gases.

There are several types of gas on Saturn.  What we see from Earth is just wispy clouds of ammonia and perhaps water vapor. Below this is just hydrogen with trace amounts of helium. You would sink right down. And as you got deeper into the planet, the temperatures and pressures rise to the point that you would be crushed.  75% of the entire planet is made up of hydrogen and about 25% helium, so if placed in a big enough ocean, the planet itself would float!

From gases to solids, there are several substances floating around Saturn.  There are only two important solids, ice and rock, but there are several liquids on Saturn.  Because the largest part of the planet is made up from different gases and mists, if you put Saturn in a large enough pool, it would float right to the top.  From the core of the planet to the rings, there are many different materials flying around Saturn.

Resources

"Does Saturn Have a Solid Core?." Universe Today. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://www.universetoday.com/15303/does-saturn-have-a-solid-core/>.

"Saturn." Chris Mihos - Webhome. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/stu/advanced/saturn.html>.

"Saturn." The Nine Planets Astronomy for Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. <http://kids.nineplanets.org/saturn.htm>.

Denmark

Author's Note:

This is a content essay the five themes of geography on Denmark.  I am focusing on location, movement, and region. Also I am using a report voice.

Seeing the sites, walking down paths, taking pictures of everything around you, you see castles, you see  bikes, and most importantly you see culture.  There are rivers and lakes everywhere you turn.  As you walk around, you can't understand much because everyone's speaking a language you have yet to learn.   At the end of the of the day, you go back to your hotel.  Only, it's not a hotel, it's a castle.  Everyone unpacks and decides to go out to eat.  Burger King and Wendy's aren't on the menu. Foods such as fish and vegetables are traditional options.  Your trip to Denmark has already been life changing.  Denmark is one of the most remarkable countries in the world.

Denmark is a small, compact country located in central Europe.  It's exact location is latitude line 54.9 and longitude line 10.2.  So it isn't quite in the western hemisphere.  Countries than surround Denmark include Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Germany.  It's average altitude is only 31 meters above sea level and it's highest point is 171 meters above sea level.  Overall Denmark is a small flat country, right in the middle of Europe.

Since Denmark is flat, a lot of people get around by riding bikes or driving small cars.  Another reason is because since the country is so small, there aren't many places to go and you wouldn't need a big car.  Denmark's official religion is Lutheran, which is also popular in America.  Lutheranism is the religion that is practiced by their state church.  To summarize, small cars and bikes are a popular way to get around and Lutheranism is the official religion. 

Denmark is made up entirely of islands and peninsulas.  The biggest part of Denmark is the Jutland Peninsula.  Most of the country is pretty smooth and flat, but there are some  places on the Jutland Peninsula that have large hills.  Though there aren't any mountains anywhere in Denmark.  Surrounding Denmark is the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea.  Most of the people in Denmark speak Danish or English. Lastly, Danish is the official language of the country.

Languages, religions, and cultures.  Denmark is a country of islands and flat lands.  Lutheranism is the official religion and Danish is the official language.  Surrounding countries include Sweden and the Netherlands.  The entire country isn't any bigger than half the size of Missouri and is about the same size as New Hampshire.  Finally, riding bikes and driving small cars are popular ways to get around.

Public vs Private

Tech:

Click Here

Author’s Note:

This is my narrative for mine and Abbi’s project Public vs. Private schools.  I am focusing on organization. 

Brookfield Academy costs $16,350 each year to attend.  Private schools all over America are expensive, but also have higher college acceptance rates, higher quality materials, and have small student teacher ratios for better learning environments.  Though public schools, which don’t have tuitions, are still fine schools.  I found that there are major differences between public and private schools academically, athletically, and extracurricular wise.  Though there are similarities too, such as they both start in September.  There are different types of private schools too.  Private schools are better schools than public schools, but they also cost a lot more.

Private schools, while they cost more, are high quality schools.  They have better and more materials in their classes and larger buildings, but less students in each class.  There are many types of private schools as well.  Such as regular private schools, religious, and boarding schools.  The first private school in America was started in about 1610 by Spanish or French explorers.  Now there are about 35,000 private schools in the United States. Lastly, most private schools are worth the money they cost.

While public schools don’t cost as much as private schools, they still are good schools.  Public schools get money from fundraisers, tax money, and the state government.  Normal public schools have larger class sizes than private schools, too.  The first public school was started in 1635 by Rev. John Cotton in Boston.   Most public schools now are just about the same and do not have as many types and private schools.  Finally, both types of schools start in September because, in the old days, American children would work on their family’s farms during the summer and the last part of spring, so schools took the summer part of the year off to make sure that kids weren’t missing school. 

The two types of schools each have differences and similarities and I wanted to know if any of this research was 100 percent correct.  So Abbi and I took a trip to Brookfield Academy for a day.  We were observing things such as their school’s standards, the types of clubs and sports they offer, and the classes.  The two of us found that their school has very high expectations, for instance, how they have to dress, how well they have to do in class and how they are supposed to act.  They are supposed to dress neat, “groomed” and are not allowed to wear tee shirts or jeans.  Finally, their athletic and club options include classic movie club, field hockey and more. 

Since private schools are better than public schools, it isn’t unexpected that there is a major cost difference.  The two schools have differences like cost, dress code, athletics, and academic standards.  Also, private schools have been around for just a little longer and was started by a Spanish or French explorer.  While public schools were started by an American in Boston.  Next, our trip to Brookfield Academy showed us that private schools do have more money for textbooks, extra rooms, and more teachers. Another fact is that private schools have many different types while public schools are mostly the same. Finally, both of the schools are great, both are fun, and both attract many students.

Goals:

1. When working in a group communicate better
2. Stay on track with task list
3. Get meetings set up better

Self reflection:

For this project I think that I did the best on this project than any other.  I think that getting to go on a field trip to Brookfield Academy was an experience that was fun and eye opening.  Abbi and I both worked on finding a time we could go and went in only a week.  Also, I think that I found a lot of interesting research to go with my topic.  Overall, I think that I did a good job.

 

Movie Effects

Author's Note:

This is on how movie effects have improved and I am mostly comparing Indiana Jones and Tron Legacy.  I am using an report voice and I am focusing on word choice.

The previews and advertisements stop.  Finally the movie starts playing on the wide, black screen.  There's lights, there's noises, and there's so many extravagant costumes that the actors are wearing.  All of the lights keep changing and the sounds are complex and robotic.  A lot of people from the eighties couldn't imagine that all of this would be possible in only twenty years.  They grew up with movies like Indiana Jones with little effects and peculiarities.  Movies have been expanding and will continue to expand in areas such as costumes, green screens, and background sounds and noises.  These advancements have made movie watching more interesting and entertaining.

One of the main advancements has been costumes.  Costumes may sound basic and non-important, but they play a huge part in the movie.  They can show a character's disposition or just portray how they are feeling that day.  Different examples of how costumes have grown are looking and Indiana Jones where all the "costumes" are really just clothes made to look adventurous.  And now with movies such as Tron Legacy, there costumes light up and are made out of plastics and rubber. 

While costumes are very important, green screens are the quintessence of a movie.  Using my example of Indiana Jones, you can easily tell that the editors are using green screens because there are black lines and they have an absence of shadows.  Thought in Tron Legacy people are in an unreal technical universe and it looks terribly real.  Presently, there are higher quality programs that allow people to easily put a person in any video or picture.  There used to be a monotony of backgrounds that could be used in movies, but now people are able to make it look like people are in Australia or in the mountains.  Overall, there are several improvements that have been made to the art of green screens.

So far, movies have costumes and green screens, the only part missing are the sounds.  Sounds have developed from playing instruments to using a computer to generate different noises and songs.  In the movie Indiana Jones, you can hear different trumpets and guitars, but not really computer noises.  Though in Tron Legacy you hear computer made songs and other edited sounds.  To summarize, there have been many additions to the several sounds and noises you hear in movies.

All of these improvements that have been made to movies have made movie watching a much more fun and enjoyable experience.  Costumes have grown by using different materials and using lights in the outfit.  Green screens have been used more and better by creating new software to make the cutting and pasting of images more realistic.  Finally, sound and music has advanced by making songs on computers and editing and changing the tone, length, or speed.