Welcome Back!

It is the start of a new school year. There is an open house this Thursday from 5-7, and I encourage all parents to attend. I'll have information about dual credit, projects, and classroom policies.

Stay tuned for more information shortly.

Water in the West: What teachers do over the summer

What do teachers do over the summer break? We plan, we re-write lessons, we recharge, and we attend workshops and conferences related to our field.

Recharging with a hike

This last week I attended a workshop put on by BSU called Water in the West that dealt with the economics, politics, and science surrounding that post precious of resources- water. We listened a guest speakers from the Idaho Department of Water Resources, United Water (the provide water for the city of Boise), Idaho Power, and Idaho Rivers United (a non-profit group). Each speaker had a different view of how water was used in the state of Idaho, and in addition I learned a lot of about the treaties and laws in our state that govern how water is used. It was fascinating!

Idaho: Definitely a desert

I'll leave you with the same question they asked us at the beginning of the workshop: How does water impact your life?

Also, who decides what to do with the limited water we so have?

Resource Use by Spencer

The last subject our class learned about was resource use. The whole world depends on resources, some countries more than others. Some people use way to many nonrenewable resources, which could cause that particular resource to be depleted. Because of that some people are trying to conserve resources, or come up with alternatives. An example of this is, instead of using electricity to power a house; people might use solar panels on their roof.

      Using fossil fuels and natural gas/oil is bad because they are nonrenewable resources. It takes these resources over thousands of years to renew. We humans are using these resources way too much. At this rate we will run out of fossil fuels by around 2090.

As I said before the world is running out of resources, but there are many other alternatives that can help us slow down or even stop this problem. Solar panels, wind turbines and dams are all a better alternative. The world isn’t going to run out of sun, wind or water.

The most reliable alternative resource is solar panels. The use the sun as power. They convert the suns energy and use it to power homes or cities. Dams are very useful too. They use the flowing water to do the same thing that solar panels do. As you probably may have guessed, wind turbines use wind to get natural electricity. The only downfall to wind turbines is that wind doesn’t always blow, so they aren’t extremely reliable.

When it comes to food resources, the world isn’t lacking. What is lacking is the distribution of the food. I made a brochure on fish Idaho’s fish resource. People have started to over fish, so the only way we can stop that is by having fishing seasons and limits on how many fish you can catch.

Electric cars could become very useful in the near future. This way people use less gas (which is nonrenewable) and won’t pollute the air with exhaust. I think the best car to use is a hybrid car. Some of the time you use gas, but at other times you use electric power.

SO overall I think the world should start using solar panels, wind turbines, dams and even electric/hybrid cars to slow down the depletion of resources. This world is ours, so why shouldn’t we try to help save it.

Equilibrium by Jesse

The point in time when both the product’s and reactant’s concentration are no longer changing.

Summary

Equilibrium occurs in reversible reactions when the concentrations of the product and reactant are no longer changing. In a reversible reaction the product will turn back into the reactant so the reaction becomes a continuous cycle.

During a reversible reaction there is a certain percentage of the reactant of the product that reacts each ‘step’. That percentage of the reactant is subtracted from the previous amount of the reactant and added on to the previous amount of product, this is called the the change forward. It is the same for the product; that percentage of the product is subtracted from the product and added on to the reactant. Once equilibrium occurs the change forward and the change reverse become the same and no longer change.

Facts

Equilibrium only occurs in reversible reactions because it is the only type of reaction that some of the product can and will turn back into the reactant.

The reaction never actually stops but since the change forward and change reverse become the same the amount of the product and reactant do not change and equilibrium is reached.

Change in temperature and pressure will cause a change in equilibrium and therefore change the concentrations of the products and/or reactants.

Visual

Here is a table to help your understanding.

The “certain percentages” are 60% of the reactant and 20% of the product

In the 1st step 60% of 10 equals 6 and 20% of 0 is 0. The equation for the reactant will be 10 - 6 + 0 = 4 and for the product 0 + 6 - 0 = 6. The next step 4 and 6 will be used at the start instead of 10 and 0.

Equilibrium is reached at step 5.

		60%	20%
		Reactant	Product
1st Step	Starting Amount	10	0
	Change Forward	-6	+6
	Change Reverse	+0	-0
	End	=4	=6
2nd Step	Change Forward	-2.4	+2.4
	Change Reverse	+1.2	-1.2
	End	=2.8	=7.2
3rd Step	Change Forward	-1.68	+1.68
	Change Reverse	+1.44	-1.44
	End	=2.56	=7.44
4th Step	Change Forward	-1.54	+1.54
	Change Reverse	+1.49	-1.49
	End	=2.5	=7.5
5th Step	Change Forward	-1.5	+1.5
	Change Reverse	+1.5	-1.5
	End	=2.5	=7.5
6th Step	Change Forward	-1.5	+1.5
	Change Reverse	+1.5	-1.5
	End	=2.5	=7.5

Importance

            The system that transports and delivers oxygen in the body depends on the reversable reaction, and equilibrium, between the oxygen and the hemoglobin in the blood. Most of the oxygen gets bonded with the hemoglobin molecules. The hemoglobin then carries the oxygen to the body tissues.

Question

How/why does temperature and pressure affect equilibrium?

Mushrooms by Dillon

The topic we covered in class was mushrooms. We talked about how to tell the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous mushrooms. We created a brochure on our favorite mushrooms and if we could eat them or not.

Some facts about mushrooms are they have a root system and one mushroom is a lot of mushrooms. They are also called a toadstool. Some mushrooms are used for medicine.

What interests you the most about mushrooms?

The topic is important because we need to know the difference between good and bad mushrooms because if you eat the wrong one you could die.     

Fermentation by Kashya

The topic being covered in class is fermentation and how to preserve foods. We have gone over the multiple ways of how to preserve food as well as how to tell a food has gone bad. Fermentation is the chemical breakdown of a substance by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms, typically involving effervescence and the giving off of heat.

3 interesting facts about fermentation:

1-Fermentation has been a practice for thousands of years, but was not successful till later day.

2-Fermentation is one of the most commonly used things done with foods.

3- Brining is a type of food preservation and it is when you soak foods in salted water

How do you know Fermentation has gone wrong?

This topic is important because this is something you could actually use in your daily life. This will significantly help when you need to make sure a food doesn’t go bad. I have found this very helpful when wanting new methods on how to preserve foods accurately and how to do it so that i know things haven’t gone bad. 

The Structure and Function of the Brain by Hannah

The human brain is a very complex organ. It has many different sections, each with a different job. The brain is split by a groove in the center of the cerebrum in two hemispheres, the left and the right. These two regions are connected by bundles of neurons called tracts which relay information between the two hemispheres. These tracts cross over in the area of the brain called the corpus callosum. The hemispheres are then divided into the frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal lobes. These main regions are only part of the cerebral cortex; there are more parts within the cerebrum. The cerebrum is responsible for language, thinking, vision, memory, and many other functions. The cerebrum makes up about 85% of the weight of the human brain. The wrinkles in the cerebral cortex increase the surface area. Underneath the cerebrum you find different areas of the brain that are smaller, but no less important than the cerebrum. The cerebellum is located at the the base of the brain; it controls balance, posture, and muscular coordination. The thalamus and hypothalamus are important in processing information. The thalamus processes sensory information and channels it to the different motor centers on the cerebral cortex. The hypothalamus is involved in regulating internal activities in the body, for example, homeostasis. It also is in charge of the hormone secretions of the pituitary gland. Together with the hippocampus and amygdala, the hypothalamus and thalamus make up the limbic system. The brain stem is made up of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. It connects the brain to the spinal cord. The brainstem controls your breathing, swallowing, digestion, heartbeat, consciousness, and sleep.

Interesting Facts:

●      “Researchers have found that the two sides of the cerebrum can operate as two different brains. For instance, in some people the tract between the two hemispheres has been cut by accident or by surgery. In laboratory experiments, one eye of an individual with such a “split brain” is covered and a stranger is introduced. If the other eye is then covered instead, the person does not recognize the stranger who was just introduced!”    

-- Johnson, “The Living World”

●      A person with damage to the speech area of the brain may not be able to speak but may have the ability to sing.

●      While awake, the brain produces between 10 and 23 watts of power-or enough energy to power a lightbulb.

If the brain is so vital to living, why do people do so many things that damage it?

Conclusion:

It is important for people to understand the importance of the brain so they know how to take care of it. If they are informed of the effects certain habits have on their brains, they may be less likely to try them or to continue them. Knowledge of the brain and its functions also helps doctors and scientists identify diseases and other dysfunctions and figure out methods of treatment. There would be no such thing as brain surgeons if we didn’t know the structure of the brain. All in all, knowing about our own brains and how they work could lead to healthier lifestyles and maybe a healthier world overall.

Kitchen Biology's Food Preservation Website

Spoiler Alert

Go check it out- it is full of puns, science, and food. Plus, there are some pretty awesome videos the kids made.

Food preservation by Nick

what we learned about in class is food preservation. there are many types of preservation including pickling and burial. pickling is able to make sure to keep the bad bacteria from the food. burial can also help to keep the food in good condition to stay preserved for a long time.

three interesting facts about food preservation are the following below:

1.    can help make food safer to eat if it is processed

2.    make preservation last longer than processed food

3.    pickling is an example of food preservation.

how do you think pickling will affect your health?

This is one example of food preservation that is called pickling. It used a salt brine which is a mixture of water and salt.The pickling process can be helpful to someone's health. 

Urban Sprawl by Michael

Urban Sprawl is the migration of a population from a high-density environment, to a low-density one. This migration usually happens when attraction for city living is lost and people desire “breathing room”. The problem with this concept is it is very common. So many people desire this breathing room that the rural area ironically become over-populated and become known as a suburban.

There are many problems associated with this suburban lifestyle. One problem is the utilization of land. When these rural areas are over-populated they require more land. The land they have to utilize is usually farmland. When there is a small amount of farmland available for use, there is a decrease in the amount of crops grown. When the supply of crops doesn’t match the demand, prices increase.

Another issue associated with urban sprawl is the environmental impact it has. When a lot of people move into a rural area in a small timeframe there isn’t any established public transportation. This lack of public transportation requires everyone to personally transport themselves. Not only does this clutter the roads and cause more traffic, but it also makes more exhaust fumes, which harm the environment.

There are a lot of suggested solutions to urban sprawl, but few of them have a big enough impact to make a difference. I believe that education is the best way to prevent urban sprawl. If the people knew about the cons of living in a suburban environment they would be less likely to live in one. Also, I believe it is important to maintain the urban areas and keep them attractive. If we do this, people will not get bored with the city and will be more likely to continue living in them.

The image below shows an example of urban sprawl: