Class Blog #2

Water Cycle

In Science, my class did an activity that visualizes the water cycle. Mrs.Nietsky(sorry if I misspelled her name) set this activity up for us to do, so we can understand the water cycle. First, Mrs.Nietsky set up 5 buckets of various sizes. Then, Mrs.Nietsky asked us some questions and explained the procedure of the activity. There were five buckets around the room. They were known as: Aquifer, Ocean, Reservoir, Plants & Animals and Streams & Rivers. Accordingly, Mrs.Nietsky gave 15 students cards. Some people took spoons(they were the people who brought water to designated place). The spoon people's job was to take some water from a designated place to another designated place. Some people took cups(these people were the clouds who took the water from the spoons. The cup people had to get water into their cups from the spoon people. They had a certain amount of water to be filled in the cup.After they did get the cup filled to the "line", they needed to pour the water into a designated place. I was a "cloud". I had to take my water and pour it into the Aquifer. In the beginning, the results showed no effects. We noticed that human influence was needed. Therefore, after about 10 minutes, we added 3 more buckets. The 3 buckets were: Industry, Residential and Agriculture. The poeple who did not have cards up til then were part of the "human influence" group. These people had to take water from one of the other 5 buckets and pour the water into one of the "human influence" buckets. This time, we had a big change in our buckets. The Aquifer, Reservoir, Plants & Animals and Streams & Rivers decreased drastically in amount of water. The Ocean didn't have too big of a change. Agriculture practically overflowed. Residential and Industry didn't overflow yet. After about 10 minutes, I switched my job with someone and continued being a spoon. This time the twist was that we have pollution in the waters. It started at Industry and got its way around all the buckets. So, after 10 minutes,the results had shown changes. The Aquifer, Reservoir, Plants & Animals and Streams & Rivers decreased drastically in amounts of water again. The Ocean decreased a little. The "human influence" buckets overflowed again! That activity was soooo much fun!

A site that talks in detail about the water cycle is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cycle. In the beginning, it has a description about the water cycle and description of each process involved. As you go further into the article, the resources and effects are mentioned. Also, I found another site which shows the process of the water cycle in an animated version. This site is http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/index.html. This site is helpful for both teachers and students in understanding the water cycle.

My opinion on the Water Cycle Activity is that it is really fun. You are able to visualize and also DO IT! You can experience the water cycle by conducting it and being a part of it. Plus, this same cycle is happening in your life. The water cycle has an effect on humankind and animals. In the world now, human influence has made a big effect on the water cycle(pollution).This was a fun and wet experience to me.

Arctic Tale

During the 6th grade assessment, I watched a documentary movie called "Arctic Tale". It was about the life of a polar bear called Nanu and the life of a walrus called Seela. Obviously, this movie took place in the vast snow kingdom of the Arctic Pole. It was a breath-taking movie to watch. What makes this movie cool is that it is a real-life adventure (It took about 2 years for this film to be made.... I think). An interesting fact that I learned from the movie is that male polar bears are a danger sign for a mother polar bear and cubs. Mrs. Rousseau says it is part of their way of survival. Another interesting fact that I learned is that a polar bear cub stays with his/her mother for 3 weeks and then leaves them to survive by themselves. That is also part of their survival system. Something else that is interesting is that an arctic fox would be friends with a polar bear(they never eat each other or fight, the fox is always there for the polar bear).
The website for the movie is http://www.arctictalemovie.com/ . You can find a lot of information about the movie in the website. The site has info on what equipment did they use for filming the movie. It also has the pistures of the creatures involved in the movie. The website has info on the filmmakers, too. It has a gallery, downloads and learn more tabs. It is a good website that provides info about the movie.
I also learned that each season in current year is coming earlier than the previous year. Also, the warmth of the sun is melting the ice, effecting walrus', polar bear's (Seela's and Nanu's) and other animals' survival. This change in seasons is a change to the weather and surroundings of the animals living there. My opinion on this movie is that it is outstanding and a breath-taking movie. It has live footage that children and adults can learn from. It is a way to learn how weather takes part in any animal's life. You can learn about an animal's risky life. I personally think this is a movie that you can learn a lot from.

Extra Creit:Weather

A Line-Storm Song

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift.
The road is forlorn all day,
Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,
And the hoof-prints vanish away.
The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,
Expend their bloom in vain.
Come over the hills and far with me,
And be my love in the rain.

The birds have less to say for themselves
In the wood-world's torn despair portrays
Than now these numberless years the elves,
Although they are no less there:
All song of the woods is crushed like some paras.
Wild, earily shattered rose.
Come, be my love in the wet woods, come,
Where the boughs rain when it blows.

There is the gale to urge behind
And bruit our singing down,
And the shallow waters aflutter with wind
From which to gather your gown.
What matter if we go clear to the west,
And come not through dry-shod?
For wilding brooch shall wet your breast
The rain-fresh goldenrod.
Oh, never this whelming east wind swells
But it seems like the sea's return
To the ancient lands where it left the shells
Before the age of the fern;
And it seems like the time when after doubt
Our love came back amain.
Oh, come forth into the storm and rout
And be my love in the rain.


Robert Frost


Explanation:
Weather words are mentioned in the poem "A Line-Storm Song"(left). Robert Frost talks about rainy weather in the poem. The poet described the weather as dismal. Robert describes that the weather is unpleasent and no one would enjoy this. The next para of the peom has the same feelings as before. The animals mentioned in the second para are feeling unpleasant and untenable of the weather. Robert Frost the second para as destroyed and shattered. The third para of "The Line - Storm Song" is different from the first two. In the third para, the poet describes the gusty winds and how the heavy downpour that comes with it.

Robert Frost is a nature- loving man. In this poem, he is describing how bad weather effects animals. Clouds, rain, wind, east winds, storms and seas are the types of weather mentioned in the poem. Gloomy and rainy weather was discussed in the poem. The poem would not be the same without the mention of weather. This poem itself is about the effects of weather. The poem would have nothing to describe. Robert Frost uses deep description with adjectives. The poet used figurative language such as metaphors and rhymes. He also used imagery and mood. The poem "A Line- Storm Song" did not further my knowledge about weather.