Welcome to Pam Cyr's Class Blog

Anemometers by Garrett

2011-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

Anemometers by Garrett

In science we made anemometers. An anemometer is a tool to measure wind speed. We used the anemometers to measure wind speed at different locations. We compared our results with the Beaufort scale. If wind speed is below one mph, smoke rises straight up. If the wind speed is 8-12 mph, the flag ripples and leaves move.

Toy Making by Addy & Audrey

2011-11-08T07:30:00.001-08:00

Toy making by Addy and Audrey

In music class we created toys out of recycled material. We got inspired by the song, The Marvelous Little Toy. We all invented unique toys. They were all great. We all thank Mrs. Burritt for helping us!

Polaris Visits Shelburne Farms by Addy, Grace & Jackson

2011-09-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Polaris Visits Shelburne Farms By Grace, Jackson, and Addy

Last Thursday (9\8\11) the Polaris students went to Shelburne Farms.

For lunch we made pizza. We were each assigned to make an ingredient. One group made dough. Another group cooked sauce. A different group made cheese. The last group harvested and chopped the toppings and mixed a salad with homemade dressing.

We played a lot of fun games to help us with teambuilding skills. The game “Portal to Mars” allowed us to work together to discover a pattern. One team member would run under a swinging rope. It would stop if the team guessed the pattern wrong. In the “Ski” game, everybody held onto a rope which was connected to a board that you had to stand on. A group of a dozen people would try to walk in rhythm across a field. We also played the “Shape” games. The entire group had to make a shape with a rope. The hard part was that our eyes were closed. We learned to communicate more clearly!

After that, we had a delicious lunch with pizza, apples, salad, and apple cider. Finally, we split into two groups. The first group made cookie dough for Moretown students who were affected by tropical storm Irene. The other group put wood chips on a path that lead to the Renaissance School playground. We had a blast at Shelburne Farms!

Salsa Making by Karolina & Delaney

2011-09-29T07:58:00.001-07:00

Salsa Making

By Karolina and Delaney

Last Tuesday (9/13/11) the Polaris team made salsa. First, we mixed the main ingredients from the Stony Loam farm recipe. Then we added some special ingredients such as: apples, tomatillos, cantaloupe, cheese and maple syrup. If you want to, you can make the recipe at home. Here it is!

Salsa Recipe

4 large ripe tomatoes, diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

4 peppers or 1 hot pepper* (like jalapeno) seeded and diced

½ cup onion, diced

4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro OR chopped parsley or a combination of both

Salt to taste

Juice of 1-2 limes or 3-4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Combine the tomatoes with their juice, garlic, peppers, onion, cilantro/parsley and ½ teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add the lime juice or apple cider vinegar and taste for salt.

If the tomatoes aren’t very juicy add 1-2 Tablespoons of water.

*If you use a hot pepper wear rubber gloves while handling them.

Polaris' Hairy Hygrometers by Julia

2011-09-29T07:43:00.000-07:00

Polaris' Hairy Hygrometers

By Julia

Today our team did a fun science project.

Some girls donated strands of their hair so we could do the project.

We got sheets of paper that had the directions and the steps so we could do it by ourselves.

We were surprised how easy it was to make the hygrometers.

The only things we needed were

some tape, a strand of hair, a piece of cardboard,

And some paper. We all had lots of fun making these ‘Hairy’ Hygrometers

We hope our hygrometers measure the humidity accurately.

Shelburne Farms Field Trip

2011-09-02T05:37:00.000-07:00

Team Polaris will visit Shelburne Farm Thursday, September 8th. We will leave SCS @ 8:45 a.m. and return by 2p.m. Children need to wear clothing appropriate to the weather. We will work in the gardens and participate in team building activities outside. Each child needs to bring a large, healthy snack. (No glass please.) We will make pizza together for our lunch. Parent volunteers are needed. Please contact Pam or Bob if you are able to join us.

Rainforests by Alex

2011-06-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

Rainforests

By Alex

Who is protecting our rainforests? Why do we need to protect our rainforests? Who is destroying the rainforests? How can we stop it?

Rainforests help the Earth. 50% of plants and animal species live in the rainforests. The rainforest maintains the planet’s climate.

Who is destroying the rainforest from clear cutting? Loggers are cutting down trees for homes and money.

How can we stop it? We can stop logging for homes, money. “Of the original 3.8 billion acres that once covered the planet, less than half remain. Everyday, approximately 80,000 acres of tropical rainforest are permanently destroyed.”

Are you going to help save millions of animals or are you going to sit there and watch them die?

Tigers Live On a String By Connor

2011-06-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Tigers Live On a String

By Connor

Out In the Siberian jungle a tiger lays on the jungle floor. A poacher takes out a sniping rifle. He takes aim and fires. He misses. The tiger runs away safely. This happens almost every day. Do you think this is a horrible thing, would you like it if somebody took out a gun and shot you and you didn’t do anything wrong? If you read more, you could learn why tigers are hunted and how you can help.

Why are tigers endangered? Tigers are mostly endangered due to poaching and hunting sports. People hunt tigers for fun. And what I say to that is NOT COOL. Usually people want some insignificant gold trophy or they want a head mounted on the wall, and usually the money. If they are so rich, why do they need money so BAD when they have plenty of it? I despise these poachers!

People can get a ton of money by killing tigers and then selling them to the BLACK MARKET. It’s a risk to get money quick. The people at the black market take parts of the tiger and make trophies, necklaces, rugs, boots, coats and sometimes drugs!

I think we can save tigers by cutting off imports to black markets, track down poachers and not using any products made by endangered species. If we buy products like this, then they’ll hunt more animals to make it! Then we need to work together to stop poachers and protect tigers. Or we will not to be able to enjoy them. So put the gun down or get out of town!

Bed Bugs By: Maddie

2011-06-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

Bed Bugs

By: Maddie

You’re sleeping and all of a sudden you feel a bite. You look and it is a BED BUG! You panic and scream. You go back to sleep and it happens again. You wake up and scream. You finally go to sleep. You wake up and you see a BIG FAT WELT.

New York City has been hit the hardest with bed bugs. It costs over $1,000 to treat one family home. Why do we care about bedbugs? When they bite, they leave a really nasty bite mark. OUCH! I think that bed bugs need to munch on something else besides human flesh. Believe me, a lot of people react to bed bugs.

In New York there are bed bugs everywhere. People need to exterminate hotels and theaters because there are so many bed bugs. So do not go to the hotels or theaters in New York City! If you must travel, check out bedbug free hotel websites. Keep yourself safe!

Resources:

http://www.bed-bug.org/bed-bugs-life-cycle/

Golden Retrievers By: Megan

2011-06-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Why do golden retrievers make good pets? Golden retrievers make good pets because of their friendliness. You must not fail to remember that pets judge whether Good or bad their actions depend on the responses they get from their master.” Dogs are so nice and friendly you can pretty much bring them anywhere.

If you want to adopt a golden retriever you have to give him or her food, water, sleep, toys and exercises so you can keep your dog healthy. The moment you bring your new pet home, start to get comfy and acquainted with her or him. You have to begin training right away. This type of dog needs to be trained so it behaves. These dogs are known to give love loyalty and enjoyment.

So if you want a dog, go to a humane society and they will fix you up! Dogs are a lot work. If you don’t have a job or you have a lot of time that would be for your golden retriever. If you want a dog you have to make sure him or she is right for you.

German Shepherds By: Olivia

2011-06-13T09:52:00.000-07:00

Are German shepherds hard to rescue? Do they make good pets? Well, if you want to learn more, you should read on!

How and why German shepherds are rescued? Why do some German shepherds get abused by their owners! We should rescue German shepherds so they don’t end up in a shelter. They don’t want to be in a cage all day! German shepherds also make wonderful pets. They are fluffy, soft and playful. They are perfect for some families!

The Central Wisconsin German Shepherd Rescue. Helps more than 280 German shepherds a year! How can we help the German shepherds? We can help by raising money for the food and medicine that they need when they are very sick. We could help them by adopting the German shepherds from the animal shelter.

We should help the German shepherds by raising money, rescuing them and adopting so they have a loving home. They need someone to care for them and someone who will play with them, and doesn’t just leave them in a cage all day.

Resources:

WWW.Germanshepherds911.org

Who's Killing Tigers And Why? By: William

2011-06-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

WHO’S KILLING TIGERS AND WHY?

By: WILLIAM

Do you care for tigers? Well you should. Scientist says there are only a few thousand left in the wild. Some tigers are extinct. Others are endangered. If we don’t hunt tigers, we might be able to save them from extinction. Would you like your home cut down and not have enough food to survive? Would you like to be killed when you didn’t do anything wrong, just like tigers? Would you?

Who’s killing tigers? Asian, Australian and North American people kill tigers a lot but Japanese and Chinese people also kill tigers. They use guns, knives, chains, and even their hands. “In 1990, over 4,180 pounds of tiger bones were exported from Taiwan to Japan. In Hong Kong black markets, venders sell a pound of powdered tiger humorous bone sells for over $1700.” People hunt tigers almost every day!

Why kill tigers? People kill tigers for money, food, medicine and for fun. People eat everything on the tigers. They get money for killing tigers by selling the tiger for food, fur, and medicine that are in tiger’s bones. People found out that there was medicine in tiger’s bones in 1980. It is illegal now and probably wasn’t even real medicine. They thought that if you eat a tiger’s brain it would cure pimples and laziness. They also thought that if you consume tiger whiskers it would prevent toothaches. People who kill tigers “think” it’s cool to kill a Tiger, but it’s NOT!

Tigers can’t do anything save themselves from extinction they need our help. If you want to make a donation to save tigers go to http://www.forevertigers.com/organizations. If you keep hunting tigers, they might come extinct in the future. So would you like your home cut down? Would you like to be killed? Just like tigers. Would you?

Rampant Cutting By: Jonathan

2011-06-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Rampant Cutting

By: Jonathan

I walked into the cold, dense, and dark forest. I liked walking through forests and enjoying nature. I took the path. Then I noticed a clearing ahead of me. “I’ve been in this forest before.” I muttered. “That clearing wasn’t there before.” This is an example of clear cutting. People walk into forests and cut down some trees, sometimes a whole forest.

In America clear cutting is a problem. People go to forests with a saw or something and cut down a section of the forest. Why is this a problem, because it can kill off animals that live in the trees that you cut down. So if you clear cut, drop the chainsaw or don’t go in the forests.

If clear cutting is a big problem then how do we stop it? I really think that we should not deforestate at all, but sometimes we have no choice. We make houses out of trees wood. A way to stop deforestation is have people who clear cut for more space, drop the chainsaw. But if you are building something you need that could help you survive, keep going.

You know, less trees, less people. Less trees, more carbon dioxide. (And carbon dioxide is very bad for you.)

Why Do Kids Need Recess By: Ian

2011-06-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Classes all around America are shortening recess time. There are many reasons to have recess. Sun light is good for you. It is a good source of exercise and you can be social and recess is lots and lots of fun.

Everyone Needs a Break

When kids take a break from school work they can burn off energy by running around and playing games. When they go back into school they will be tired. They won’t be hyper when they are doing school work, and they will concentrate better. When kids take breaks it also reduces stress.

Recess Is Healthy

When kids go outside for recess they get vitamin D from the sun light. Recess also helps them develop social skills because they cannot talk when they are doing school work but they can talk at recess. In my school some of the mean teachers will send us to the planning room [principals] for talking.

If we don’t increase recess time in America then all of the kids who go to school will be more likely to become obese. Playing video game and watching TV is unhealthy but now people are saying one of the BIG factors of making kids obese is school. Research also shows that we need a break every 90 minutes. I have a break every 90 minutes but do you?

I think we should have 1 hour of recess every day but we should have it split up half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon.

Schools need to increase recess time so we have recess every 90 minutes.

Website Rescore:

http;//www.movingandlearning.com/resources/Articles30.htm

Celtics History By: Luke

2011-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Celtics have 120 points and they’re tied in the championship with the Lakers. Pierce shoots. He scores. Celtics won again. Now think back and think of Celtics. Try to remember all of their stars like: Bird, Lewis, Pierce, (who is still playing) Halicek, and Cwons. That’s just the beginning of it all.

How did the Celtics come to be? Basketball was invented by James Naismith. At first the Celtics were terrible, but the Celtics never gave up and. Since then, Celtics have won 17 championships! Now that’s a lot. This is their story.

The first four years the Celtics struggled. They hit bad times and won hardly any games a year. Their players were terrible too, but they had no idea what was coming up.

Once they recruited all those stars, they were awesome! Unfortunately all of them retired and didn’t play again. Then the coach drafted Bird and he was good, pierce too! Know they are awesome once again.

The Celtics struggled. Before they had all those stars but after they drafted those stars, they were awesome. Some might say its luck, but it was all about skill, practice and hard work. If you want to be like them, then practice and never stop trying. And that’s how it all happened.

Why Is Soccer So Popular Worldwide? By: Nathan

2011-06-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Why is Soccer so Popular Worldwide?

Nathan

Soccer is about lots of practice and perseverance. You need good communication with your teammates and participation.

How is soccer so popular? “There are one hundred million people playing soccer in over 150 countries. In the United States alone 40 million young people including college students play soccer and 45% are girls.” I think that’s a lot of people!

Why is soccer so popular? Soccer is popular because it teaches people about social skills and it`s fun to play. Players learn good sportsmanship. It also gives you good exercise.

Why don`t you try playing soccer? You could become an all-star soccer player. In the future, soccer`s popularity will grow wildly because of the younger generation. So come on play soccer and be popular!

Yahoo sports 2011 soccer stadium

http://pacificyouthsoccer.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=70

Is Horse Racing Abuse? By: Ali

2011-06-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

Is Horse Racing Abuse?

By: Ali

Is horse racing abuse? What do you think? What do you think, should they stop it, or not?

Is horse racing abuse? I don’t know. I could go either way as a horse back rider. I know how horses love racing, but is a horse meant to fly 35 miles per hour? I get a chill in my back every time I see a horse fly down the final stretch, but I get that too when I see a horse play in the field.

Unfortunately, race horses are only two or three years old and their bones are not fully grown. 800+ horses die on average a year. And the jockeys and trainers whip them really, really hard. If they whipped you and me as hard as they whip the horses we would go as fast they wanted us to go. Also, worn out race horses go to the slaughter house for meat

On the other hand, the horses that run in races are born to run as fast as possible and get a lot excurse with their giant legs and they get very much exercise. Then horses get treated like kings and queens. They get a massage every day and get fed premium food. Horses don’t feel pain as much as we do. “ I get a sense of strength and power when I see them take stride after stride.” Say Elise Maurice.

So is horse racing abuse? Should they make a law against it? How can we help? Should we help? These are only some of the questions that I have. Like belles eight snapping both ankles on the final stretch or Barbaro shattering his leg. Many say these animals did not deserve it. Did they? I don’t know? I think that they should still race but not whip them so hard. I think that would be perfect!

Resources

http://www.vegansoapbox.com/horse-racing-is-acceptable-abuse/

Picture

tophorseracingtips.net

Puppy Mills By: Ana

2011-06-13T09:29:00.000-07:00

What is a puppy mills? Are they bad? Do they need to be stopped? These are questions any person would ask. If you want to know more about this read on…

What is a puppy mill?

The first thing you need to know about puppy mills is what they are. A puppy mill is a factory that takes horrible care of puppies that have been suffering their whole life. These poor dogs receive no human contact, barely enough food to live. The puppies are stacked on top of each other so the poop and pee all end up in the same place. The moms are over breed, the puppies are not named. Many dog never have felt grass under their feet and MUCH, MUCH more. While I am writing this I am thinking oh my gosh the poor things. People responsible for the dogs “treat the new born puppies like an ear of corn.” Elsie R. Maurce says “It is the worst way of abuse. When you foster them they come straight from a puppy mill so they are covered in worms. It is the worst you can do to the dogs. The food is terrible. I hope the people responsible for the puppy mills will suffer as much as the dogs. The water has bacteria in it and all the dogs drink out of it. All of the dogs get super sick because of it. They kill the poor mothers that cannot be bred anymore.”

How can we stop them?

The second thing you need to know about puppy mills is how to stop them. We need to get these puppies out of this horror land they are living in. If you are looking for a dog or puppies DO NOT buy it from a pet store, adopt it from the Humane Society. There are about 10,000 puppy mills across the country. 99% of puppies originate from puppy mills that are sold in pet stores. If people stop buying puppies from pet stores or online, the puppy mills producing the puppy mills will hopefully run out of money by not selling puppies and go out of business. If one goes out of business, there will be 9,999 puppy mills left and that is a good start.

To help stop puppy mills you could take part in an organization trying to shut them down, donate money or simply not buy dogs from puppy mills. It is your choice. Do you want to stop them or let the suffering, dying dogs stay where they are and continue to let the owners torture them? Make a difference and save the life of an animal today.

dog-obedience-training-review.com

Pawsofjh.org

Puppy mill dogs

What Do Chameleons Need To Survive? By: Nickolas

2011-06-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

What Do Chameleons Need To Survive?

By: Nickolas

Zap! Where’s its tongue? So cool! I couldn’t even see it; it was so fast. If you blink, you would miss it. Chameleons are weird changing colored animals with funky feet and googly eyes. How does this incredible animal survive?

Chameleons eat: vegetables, fruits, bugs and insects. Chameleons absolutely can’t eat iceberg lettuce. If they do, they will most likely die because it has no nutritious value for them!! Chameleon’s diet includes crickets. They love them so much! The weird thing about some chameleons is they suck food through there Tongue in to their stomach. So COOL!!!!!!!

Chameleons live in many different climates hot, dry, wet, or cold. Most chameleons live in hot and dry places like Madagascar and Africa. So whatever kind of chameleon you get, make sure you know what habitat it lives in. If you don’t, you will have a bad day and a bad day for your chameleon too.

More than 180 different chameleon species are left and some of them are endangered. So if you get one of these funky animals, take care of it really well. We don’t want chameleons to all die. That would be sad!I hope you learned a lot about what chameleons need to survive. If you choose to have a pet chameleon for a pet, make sure you provide it with a good habitat and a healthy diet. http//www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick/Animmals/Amphibians-and-Reptiles/Chameleons.aspx

How have Basketball Rules Changed? By: Jason

2011-06-13T09:26:00.001-07:00

How Have Basketball Rules Changed By: Jason

What if there was no three point line on the basketball court? What if there was no shot clock? Without these rules, we would not have great memories such as when Lebron James got a buzzer shot with 0.7 seconds left to win the game.

What are some of basketballs old rules? One rule was: if there are three fouls in a row, it was a goal. A foul is striking the ball with your fist. Another old rule is that you could only hold the ball in your hands.

What are some of basketballs new rules? One rule is: if there is a foul, the team that got fouled gets two shots or the ball. Another rule is: when someone pushes a player, it is a foul. A new rule is: if you can hold the ball around your arm instead of always in your hand.

Why are the new rules better? One reason is that the new rules make it more difficult to score. Another reason is safety. Sometimes the players got hurt.

Will basketball rules change again? If they change, will they be better for players’ safety? Only time will tell. What do you know about basketballs old and new rules?

Website resource:

xhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_basketball

Dogs Abandoned, Why? By: Amelia

2011-06-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

Dogs abandoned,why?

by Amelia

Did you rescue your dog? If so I am glad .You did a good thing! Six- eight million dogs end up in shelters every year all over Chittenden county .Read this article to find out how you can stop dog abandoning!

Why and how many dogs are abandoned?

A dog could be abandoned because: the landlord does not allow pets; the owner can’t pay; owner may be moving or the owner may be having personal problems. Three- four million dogs are euthanized (killed) every year.6-8 million dogs are sent to shelters all over Chittenden county .That’s a lot!

How can we prevent dog abandoning?

It’s going to be hard to stop dog abandoning, but let’s at least try. Here are two ideas to stop dog abandoning: 1. we could vote to let dogs be allowed in all homes, 2. we could try and make it easier for the owner to pay for the dog.

Why are dogs abandoned? Why such a cruel thing? Buy the dog, keep the dog and love it forever. Care for your dog because the shelter may kill dogs. Treat your dog like you do for yourself. Love it, care for it, and feed it,

Animal Abuse By: Lily

2011-06-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Whipping. Screaming. Abusing. Ignorance. Do you like animals being abused? Animal Abuse happens all over the world almost every day, and the animals can die! Animals are living creatures and they need to be treated like it! On average 1,000 animals die a year! That’s way too many! How can we stop animal abuse? What is the abuse that happens? How can we prevent animal abuse? People treat animals like there humans and fight them, and they (people) think that they might be humans, and they can fight back, BUT THEY CANT!!!! Some animals will be left in their house, locked up, and forgotten about when their owners won’t be coming home.

Some Animals get yanked and tied up to their house with a chain. Some people think that is ok! It’s not! Other animals are left in a blistering hot black car with no water to cool them off. Animal abuse can kill animals, and its heart breaking to think about.”If you have pets, be sure to always show them your love and good care that they deserve.” Either way you should always give the animals the love they deserve!

The person who is abusing the animals might not purposely mean to kill their animals, but they sometimes do. You can prevent animal abuse by taking your pet for a walk, and keeping them cool and hydrated. Just think about it! ANYTHING is better than animal abuse! How would you like to Be Abused? If you’d like to help out, donate to your local humane society and give loving treatment to those adorable creatures. Recoureshttp://www.spcai.org/learn/animalcruelty.html?gclid=CN3T-bGig6kCtFQbe4AodukWCSw http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/top-10-ways-to-prevent-animal.aspx

Skin Cancer By: Meghan

2011-06-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

How do we get skin cancer and how do we prevent it? Skin cancer is a very dangerous disease, and there are a lot of different kinds of it. People die from skin cancer every day and we want to stop it NOW!

Getting Skin Cancer

If you see a mole on your body that is a reddish color, than that is the start of skin cancer. If the mole is bleeding, itching, or in pain, it is a symbol that you are getting Melanoma skin cancer. If you’re in the in the sun way too long for a lot of days there could be a mole or scab forming. You NEVER want that!

Preventing Skin Cancer

If you don’t want to get skin cancer than you better listen to this! First avoid tobacco and tobacco products. Because this could cause skin cancer. Second, reduce exposure to ultra violet or the sun light. Finally wear protective clothing when you go outdoors.

More than 1,500 People all over the world get skin cancer every day. If you use a hat, put on sun block, or use an umbrella you can prevent skin cancer. If you want to find out more information you can go to your doctors.

resources :

http://www.healthtipsandguides.net/skin-causes-and-treatment.html

Ocean Pollution By: Lila

2011-06-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

By: Lila

How does ocean pollution affect animals? It affects them in many ways. How can we help? A good way to help is by not polluting. People think its fine to pollute oceans, lakes, or rivers. Rivers can carry pollutants right into the ocean. This kills animals! How does this kill animals? It’s killing them in many different ways. Whose fault is it? Is it ours? Yes, it is! Everyone is being careless. Pollution affects people too. How does it affect us? How are we being careless?

People all over the world are careless about polluting oceans. The most common pollution is physical. That includes trash, toxins, and oils. Trash can float on the ocean surface for days, weeks, and even years. Aquatic animals that mistake it for food can suffer from starvation. Others can get tangled, drowned, or strangled. Trash that settles at the seafloor crushes bottom dwellers. Toxins can cause disease, birth defects, death, and much more. Some toxins settle on the seafloor. Oil spills kill animals too. Nearly 1 billion gallons of oil are dumped into the oceans each year! Birds and marine mammals die of exposure when sudden feathers and fur lose their insolating abilities. How would you like it if suddenly your skin doesn’t protect you anymore?

Ocean pollution affects people, not just animals. Many people love the sea and its animals. Now the sea and shorelines are scattered with pollutants and other harmful substances. More than 20% of the global population gets the majority of its protein from seafood. Seafood is now so tainted with pollutants, such as mercury, lead, and dioxin that they are no longer safe to eat in large amounts. Seafood might not be edible soon!

Ocean pollution affects animals and people because we’re careless about the oceans. Ocean pollution affects the environment too. The pollution from the oceans and beaches can (and has) kill hundreds of different species of fish, birds, and marine mammals. If we don’t help clean up bodies of water and beaches, animals will die faster, become extinct, and there will not be any more seafood! Do you want that to happen? Shouldn’t you help? You can help by cleaning up the beaches, cleaning up the oceans, and (if you can) you can donate to an organization that is against ocean pollution, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council. That can go a long way. So, unless you want horrible, polluted beaches, help clean up or donate to help the oceans have safe swimmers!

Sources:http://216.101.114.100/UCCP/APEnvironmentalScience/course%20files/multimedia/noaa/lesson13/l13text.htm

Greyhounds By: Lucia

2011-06-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Greyhounds

http://www.google.com/imgres

B y: Lucia

The finish line in sight. The greyhound races it hardest to please its master. How does dog racing affect Greyhounds? Do owners respect them? Do greyhounds like to race or not? Let’s find out

Shape and Food

One of the kind things about racing greyhounds is that they are fed fine food. They are fed raw or cooked beef, and dry dog food. They are skinny because they are built for speed. If there was a racing dog that was overweight, it would have to bring around a lot of weight. Greyhounds also have short fur, so the fur doesn’t get in the way.

Muzzles

Have you ever wondered why greyhounds wear muzzles? It is not because greyhounds are mean or that they will hurt another greyhound to win, but because people want to keep them safe. What if something flew into the greyhound’s mouth? That could hurt them. That would be bad.

After the Race

There are some good cruel things that greyhound owners do to their greyhounds. There are many things that are mean to greyhounds when they race, but the worst thing that happens after greyhounds are done with their racing career. Some owners do not care about their greyhound when it does not make any more money. So the owner thinks, what is the point of keeping this dog if it does not do anything? They want to make room for a new dog that makes money so they put them to sleep. But there is a dog organization called Greyhound Rescues. They save the greyhound just in time, and find a loving home. Unfortunately, some greyhounds do not find a home if they are injured in a permanent way.

Lack of Attention

There are other mean things about racing a greyhound. Greyhound’s owners do not play with their greyhound, or love their greyhound. They are either in a kennel, practicing, or racing as hard as possible on a track, chasing artificial lure trying to finish first, to please their master. Greyhounds deserve to have a lot of attention to

You should adopt a greyhound; give it the love it never had. Let it sleep all it wants or play the whole day. Greyhounds can be great pets if you care for them right. If adopting is not a option for you, give to a greyhound rescue. Show you care!

Resources:

www.greyhoundinfo.org

http://www.google.com/imgres

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dogbreedinfo

Why Not Junk Food? By: Elena

2011-06-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

Why not junk Food?

By Elena

Is junk food ok? Why is junk food unhealthy? What can happen if I eat too much junk food? These things you will learn if you just read on.

Junk food is loaded with fat, salt, and sugar. Too much salt can cause heart disease. Too much sugar is bad for the blood. Too much fat can cause people to become obese. Obesity can put risk to the health of the heart and can cause many diseases.

Junk food is okay sometimes, but nobody should have it every day. Instead of an unhealthy meat pizza, try yummy veggie pizza. Or eat grilled fish instead of fried fish! There are so many other options! Everybody needs some salt, fat, and sugar. Most healthy choices have all the salt, fat, and sugar you really need. It is fine to have junk food once or twice a month.

I see why you might have junk food when you are traveling but not every day! Try a nice family meal all together! The food pyramid recommends to:

Eat a variety of foods

Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

Eat lower fat foods more often

Get your calcium-rich foods

Be physically active

All of these things may lead to a healthy diet.

Junk food affects many people. There may be a time where obesity is normal! Nobody wants that! You could help yourself and your family by becoming more aware of this issue and eating the recommended foods from the food pyramid!

Research done at

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/junkfood.

And http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/about.html

http://www.methodsofhealing.com/files/2009/04/america-food-pyramid.jpg

How Do Iguanas Make Good Pets By: Nikos

2011-06-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

How Do Iguanas Make Good Pets?

By Nikos

Have you ever wanted a pet? How about an iguana. Most parents don’t think of an iguana as a pet when it comes to get one. But really, iguanas are really easy to take care of. For example, all they need to eat is just vegetables.

Food is an important thing. What food do they need? Is it a special kind? All they need are veggies. Here are some they can have: spinach, green peppers, frozen mixed vegetables and parsley. Don’t give them iceberg lettuce. They could get hooked on it, and refuse to eat anything else. So really, you can feed iguanas most veggies that you eat at a regular dinner. “An iguana is like a kid. It does not want the same food every day. So give your iguana a variety of foods to eat every day,” says greenigsociety.

A habitat for your iguana is very important, it needs lots of things for your iguana can be happy and healthy. Light is very important for your iguana. It needs ultra violet light, and a regular light. Turn off your iguana’s lights when you go to bed, so your iguana can have a night. When you wake up, turn on his light so he can have a day. Let him have direct sunlight by walking him. If you don’t feel comfortable walking your iguana, put him near sunlight. Have two thermometers in his habitat. One spot where he hangs out a lot should be 90 degrees – 95 degrees F. Other spots should be about 80-90 degrees F. That way your iguana can decide when he wants to be hot and when he wants to be a little bit cooler. Your iguana’s cage has to be huge! (The size at the minimum is 4x4x6 for an adult.) But if it’s small, your iguana won’t be healthy or happy.

You need to have a large fresh bowl of water. Two times a day, spray your habitat with a water bottle. That water will evaporate, and make the habitat humid. Try to give him a bath every two days. Just let him soak in the water for a half an hour. Make sure that the water is hot, but not burning. Have the water so the iguana can stand with his head out of the water. Watch your iguana in the bath so he doesn’t drown. Clean your iguana’s cage once a week. That includes cleaning poop and uneaten food. Your iguana should have an annual doctor’s appointment just like people. So now you’ve read about the iguana. Do you think you might want one? Are they right for you? Only you can decide!

http://www.life123.com/parenting/pets/iguanas/where-do-iguanas-live.shtml

Resources

http://www.greenigsociety.org/kc1.htm

Rainforest's By: Alex

2011-06-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Rainforests

By Alex

Who is protecting our rainforests? Why do we need to protect our rainforests? Who is destroying the rainforests? How can we stop it?

Rainforests help the Earth. 50% of plants and animal species live in the rainforests. The rainforest maintains the planet’s climate.

Who is destroying the rainforest from clear cutting? Loggers are cutting down trees for homes and money.

Are you going to help save millions of animals or are you going to sit there and watch them die?

http://www.google.com/search?q=logging+rainforest+facts&hl=en&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=ogzdTfC0JtSz0QGdvIDQDw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=63

https://www.seacology.org/save-rainforest-coral-reefs/rainforest.html