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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

IN THIS CLASSROOM




WE BELIEVE THAT LEARNING IS A LIFELONG ADVENTURE.

WE BELIEVE IN FACING EACH DAY WITH MINDS OPEN TO KNOWLEDGE AND HEARTS OPEN TO LOVE.

WE BELIEVE IN THE FREEDOM TO WONDER,TO ASK, TO IMAGINE, TO CREATE.

WE BELIEVE THAT SUCCESS MEANS DOING OUR BEST, BEING OUR BEST, AND FEELING PROUD OF OUR EFFORT.

WE BELIEVE THAT EVERY ONE OF US HAS SPECIAL TALENTS, AND THAT THE TALENTS OF EACH OF US HELP ALL OF US.

WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES, AND IN EACH OTHER, IN THIS CLASSROOM
.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Mr. Lane goes DOWN!!!



It was a gorgeous day for a competitive kickball game. The 6th graders did not have specials on this particular day and the entire 6th grade had the opportunity to engage in a classic boys versus girls kickball affair. The first task at hand Mr. Waagner informs me to line the boys up from shortest to tallest eliminating any chaos in the batting order. The fans, media, and myself included could not have predicted the events that would transpire later on in the game between the two sides including myself.

Mr. Iannone was pitching his world renowned triple bounce over the plate brush the batter down heater with a little mustard on it. Mr. Iannone has a lifetime ERA of 2.23 and over 342 victories. Mr. Iannone's kickball numbers compare only to Sandy Koufax. Mr. Iannone was striking people out left and right showing us the flashbacks on his glory days that seem like they were just yesterday. Mr. Iannone was showing the rocket off on the base path left and right. The fans even had the pleasure of seeing the long but not forgotten Mr. Iannone double fist pump point to the sky. The hustle, fight, and hunger in the eyes of Mr. Iannone was a scene that had to be witnessed within the stadium that day to understand what it was all about.

Mr. Waagner and myself were having a grand old time managing both sides making sure the right batters were stepping up to the plate. The performance the kids were giving us on top of the effort Mr. Iannone was giving us was worth every cent of the admission ticket. I am in the sun relaxing with Mr. Waagner wearing my freshly pressed dockers, a tie, and looking dapper for the parent teacher conferences that would be taking place in the afternoon lasting into the early evening. What could potentially go wrong at this point in the story.

At the same time of enjoying this monumental battle we were also worried for the well being of Mr. Iannone. On a routine pop up Mr. Iannone sprinted from the pitchers mound to catch a pop up in foul territory and turn the 1-3 unassisted double play. The run alone had to be a good 30 feet topped with a near collision with Jorge. I was having a ball laughing my head off telling my mentor to slow it down because we need you teaching the rest of the year. Once he stepped between the lines he was no longer Mr. Iannone he was the man of his youth.

A few innings have come and gone and both teams are playing to a standstill thanks to superb play in the field from both sides. This is where the story takes a dramatic turn for the worst. With Hannah aka Kicks on second base I decide that I need to redeem myself after my first at bat was a weak dribbler down the third base line. I stroll to the plate and I can see the fear in the eyes of the 6th grade boys as they begin to retreat. Mr. Iannone gives me the nod as he knows to take a little mustard off and paint the outside of the plate with a double bouncer. I can hear my theme music blaring over the P.A. as if I were playing at Fenway Park.



I give a point to right center field to call my shot just like Babe Ruth. I size up the pitch and I get a hold of it and I know no matter what this is going to be a home run to win the game. I just see ball sail like it is on a flight path leaving Sky Harbor International Airport for Logan International Airport in Boston (thank you for flying and come again) and all I am seeing is the back of the heads of all of the boys chasing the ball. It has been a while since I have played kickball so keep that in mind at this point I am about to turn the jets on and really kick the wheels into high gear. As you get older it you slowly begin to realize that switch is not automatic as it once use to be. I touch the inside of the bag with my left foot creating an awkward turn heading into second and than all of a sudden I was DOWN. I literally felt like I stepped into quick sand. I was down like just like when Muhammad Ali knocked out Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine (my home state). The presence of Muhammad Ali standing over Liston is just what I felt like with all of the eyes of the 6th graders looking for at me wondering what I will do next. It was as if time had stopped and I was in the zone for that split moment. I looked over and saw Mr. Waagner in hysterics on the ground laughing, the ball still rolling, the sun at a 63 degree angle, three birds singing a rendition of Hey Jude (post Beatles version), Mr. Iannone screaming "GET HIM", and at that moment in time I had to make a decision. Was I going to lay on the ground like Sonny Liston after that knockout blow from Ali or was I going to stand up and fight back. So many emotions are running through my mind at this point in time and it all happened so fast. My hand was ripped up, my elbow was scratched, my pride was without a doubt wounded, and I know there would be no shame in just crawling back to the first base in the dirt.




Unlike Liston I made a quick check for my phone making sure it was still in my pocket and I got on my high horse and rode the bases like I was Paul Revere on his midnight ride. The adrenaline was pumping and I was moving. The pain did not really set in until I crossed home plate and looked down at my hand. Mr. Waagner was able to control his laughs to the point that he offered me his water bottle to clean the wounds. I was DOWN, but I got back up. It was a long embarrassing walk back to class as I was still trying to brush myself off and than all of a sudden a bigger reality began to set in. I still had two classes to teach teach. As I am trying to get the 6th period settled into the learning I am using all of Mr. Iannone's bandages to cover my wounds. The life long learning that took place on this particular day was: First) Do not make fun of Mr. Iannone Second) Be extremely careful when playing kickball in loafers.



The girls team prevailed and I hope they learned one thing from Mr. Lane's spill. Always "Play Like a Champion."

Friday, March 27, 2009

THE EYE OF A SCIENTISTS





AS SCIENTIST WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THINGS WITH A DIFFERENT EYE.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Mythbusters-Buoyancy

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/mythbusters-mythbusters-mythbusters-lets-talk-buoyancy/3747204332

Bill Nye the Science Guy & Buoyancy

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Students Demonstrate Buoyancy, Density, Water Displacement & explain what they have learned.







Hands on Learning (Buoyancy, Density, & Water Displacement)

Buoyancy, Density, & Water Displacement



The students have been learning about buoyancy, density, and water displacement. The students have had the opportunity to watch videos about buoyancy, build a boat and understand why some things float and why some things sink.

An extra credit opportunity for the students. The students will have the opportunity to earn 25 extra credit points in the 4th quarter if they can inform the blog of the following definitions. You can only answer one and it is a first come first serve procedure.

1) Buoyancy

2) Density-Math formula is also accepted

3) Water Displacement

4) Why some things that typically sink are able to float. Hint Bill Nye the Science Guy video.

Thanks for visiting the blog and earning some valued extra credit in the 4th quarter.

Remember there are only 13 days until your invention is due. Your inventions are due with everything Monday April 6th. The actual Invention Convention is Monday April 20th. Remember to fill out your Intent to Invent forms as well.

All About Cockatiels By: Gem Confer



Cockatiels are beautiful birds. Mr. Iannone, our science teacher, let me take Crystal and SongeBob home over spring break. Here is some information that I found out. At night cockatiels need a good 12 hours of sleep each night, so it is important to their health, and to your sanity, that they get quality sleep. When breeding cockaitels, their eggs are laid 7-10 days after the mating is successful. When cockatiel eggs are about to hatch the mom moves the eggs around a lot.The mom also seperates them so when they hatch the don't crack the other eggs. They do this because it helps the organs develop properly and so the chick does not stick to the membrane of the egg. The best bedding is newspaper. Newspaper is the best because it's cheap, readily available, easy to change and safe.

Part 2
The average lifespan of a cockatiel is 12 to 15 years. It is not unusual for a cockatiel to live to 20 years of age and the occasional cockatiel makes it to 30! To insure your cockatiel has a long and happy life provide a clean cage, daily exercise, a healthy diet including fresh fruit and vegetables offered daily, and plenty of activity and companionship. It’s hard to tell if your cockatiel is a male or female as a baby. It is difficult to decipher their gender until they have been through their first molt at around six to nine months of age. Only then will the adult coloring show. Normal gray cockatiels are easily gendered once the adult plumage is through. You will notice that the coloring is more defined with the male having a bright yellow face, where as the female has a gray face with traces of pale yellow. The male's body is a dark gray but the female's appears duller with almost a brown tint to the gray.

Part 3
Until their first molt both genders have barring patterns on the underside of their tail feathers. After the molt the male's tail feathers will be a solid gray color with no barring, but the female's will remain patterned. In the meantime, use the general guide below to assist with the sexing of other varieties, males have a great vocal ability and whistle a lot. Females generally are fairly quiet. Males whistle and call, where as females tend to screech. Females are often more likely to hiss and bite. Where applicable, males have slightly darker or brighter colorings on the face and orange cheek patches any hint of barring, markings or spots on the underside of the tail feathers or wings when they are spread indicates a female (you may need to hold your cockatiel up to a bright light in order to see any markings) males tend to strut around - they lift their wings slightly, stick their chest out and parade and strut, normally calling at the same time. Place a mirror in front of your cockatiel. How does it react? Normally a male will be fascinated and the mirror should hold his attention for quite some time while he performs in front of it. A female tends to lose interest fairly quickly.

Part 4
Cockatiel diet is extremely important and is the key to having a healthy cockatiel, along with exercise. Give your bird a good-quality cockatiel seed mix (not parrot mix). These are readily available at pet suppliers and supermarkets. Be aware though that most ready-mixed cockatiel seed contains far too many sunflower seeds and these are extremely fattening. Do not buy the seed in bulk - you are best to purchase small fresh amounts. Alternatively, you can offer your cockatiel a pelleted diet. Your cockatiel's diet must be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Small amounts of 'people' food are fine for cockatiels occasionally. They can have a nibble on crackers, cereal such as cornflakes, hard-boiled egg and whole meal bread. Also try rice, pasta, potato, pumpkin, sweet potato. These must be offered cooked, not raw. Cockatiels enjoy spray millet and seed treats such as honey bells or sticks. However, these are fattening and should be offered occasionally as treats only. Pet cockatiels can become overweight very easily so I recommend offering spray millet once a week if your cockatiel is fairly active, or if not, only once a fortnight. Seed treats are best given at two monthly intervals. Fresh drinking water is required daily. Also make available cuttlebone, and calcium, iodine and mineral blocks. Vitamin supplements in the drinking water once a week or fortnight are a good idea, although do not leave these in the water for long as bugs can grow very quickly. Some people prefer to sprinkle powdered vitamins onto the seed or moist food, like apple pieces or spinach. Either way, be sure to follow the product's directions with regard to dosage amount and frequency.

Part 5
A cockatiel diet must be supplemented with fresh fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. An all seed diet often results in an unhealthy or overweight cockatiel. FRUIT: apple, grape, guava, kiwi fruit, mango, melon, nectarine, orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, plum, strawberry, tangerine, water-melon. VEGETABLES: bok choy, broccoli, carrot (chopped or grated), celery, chard, lettuce (but small amounts of lettuce and not too often as not a lot of goodness), peas, silverbeet, spinach, sweetcorn, watercress, zucchini. Favorites with cockatiels tend to be apple, egg, pasta, peas, rice, silverbeet, spinach, sweetcorn. Note that the fruit and vegetables should be provided: thoroughly washed, in small pieces, at room temperature, unpeeled, free of cores, stones, pits or pips, raw (some cockatiels prefer certain vegetables cooked like peas and sweetcorn - use your judgment here), fresh (obviously this will be the most nutritious for your cockatiel but you can use frozen or canned) Be aware that your cockatiel's droppings may be runnier than usual with an intake of fruit and vegetables. Some cockatiels will not take to fruit and vegetables straight away. Persevere as it can take up to a year before your cockatiel will eat them. Fruit and vegetables are an essential part of your cockatiel's diet so offer them washed and fresh each day. Never give your cockatiel alcohol, avocado or chocolate - these can kill your cockatiel. Also avoid asparagus, aubergine or eggplant, cabbage, caffeine (tea and coffee), junk food, milk and cream, raw potato, and rhubarb (including the leaves). Many plants and food items are unsafe, if you have any doubt, don’t offer it to your cockatiel.

Part 6
Buy the biggest cage suitable for a cockatiel that you can afford. Obviously the bigger the cockatiel cage the better, but within reason depending on your budget and the size of your home. Your cockatiel needs room in its cage to stretch its wings and flap them. Also, do not forget the length of your cockatiel's tail. When considering cage size remember to take into account the cage fillers like perches, seed and water dishes, one or two toys. To enable your cockatiel to climb around its cage, ensure the cage has horizontal bars as well as vertical. A plastic removable tray at the bottom of the cage makes cleaning easier. Regardless of your cockatiel cage size please remember that in order to remain healthy and happy your cockatiel will require time out of its cage. It needs to exercise , so let your cockatiel out at least once a day, whether it is for a fly around (if its wings are not clipped), a walk around, a sit on your shoulder or simply to sit out on top of its cage. The minimum time out should be one hour per day, but ideally your cockatiel should be able to come and go as it pleases, within reason, and depending on your home environment. Do not keep your cockatiel locked up in its cage day in and day out. It must be allowed out each day. Cockatiels become sexually mature between 6 and 9 months of age. You should not breed cockatiels until the male and female are at least 12 months old, with a preferable cockatiel breeding age of 18 months.

Friday, March 20, 2009

PETROGLYPHS





MR IANNONE THE SCIENCE GUY DISCOVERS ANCIENT PETROGLYPHS


For Spring Break I went to Nevada to search for Petroglyphs.

As I traveled the dirt road called Christmas Tree. I spotted just a few Petroglyphs.
These markings are dated by approximately 5000BC-AD 300.








































































WHY A REPTILE ?






FASCINATING FRIENDS FOR PETS



Not all reptiles are very demanding pets. This is one reason they make great pets. The following are eight reasons why they make great pets.






  1. REPTILES ARE "LOW-MAINTENANCE" PETS -THEY DO NOT NEED ATTENTION EVERYDAY.





  2. REPTILES DON'T REQUIRE MUCH SPACE- A 10-20 GALLON TANK IS FINE.





  3. REPTILES ARE EASY TO FEED-JUST INSECTS OR RODENTS OR FRUIT AND VEGGIES.





  4. KEEPING REPTILES PROVIDES A LESSON IN RESPONSIBILITY-FAIRLY LOW IMPACT ANIMALS REPTILES ARE A BETTER CANDIDATE TO TEACH YOUNGSTERS HOW TO CARE FOR A PET THEN A HIGH MAINTENANCE ANIMAL.





  5. REPTILES FOSTER INTEREST IN THE NATURAL WORLD-REPTILES ARE MORE EXOTIC THAN OTHER PETS.





  6. REPTILES DON'T POSE MUCH RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY. SMALL BITE COMPARED TO A DOG





  7. REPTILES ARE QUIET-THEY DON'T BARK OR YOWL.





  8. REPTILES ARE COOL! THEY APPEAL TO KIDS AND MANY ADULTS


    HERE IS A LIST OF 12 SUITABLE REPTILES FOR KIDS:



  1. BEARDED DRAGON





  2. LEOPARD GECKO





  3. CRESTED GECKO





  4. CORN SNAKE





  5. BALL PYTHON





  6. CALIFORNIA KINGSNAKE





  7. RED-FOOTED TORTOISE





  8. RUSSIAN TORTOISE





  9. LEOPARD TORTOISE





  10. RED-EARED SLIDER





  11. PAINTED TURTLE





  12. COMMON MUSK TURTLE





Friday, March 13, 2009

Tug of War... Back-to-Back Mr. Iannone's homeroom...

Pictures from Field Day 2009!!! Victory with Honors...

WARRIORS DURING FIELD DAY






MR IANNONE'S CLASS WON THE TUG OF WAR




THEY WERE ALSO THE WINNERS OF TOXIC WASTE RELAY













THEY ALSO WON THE 3 LEG RACE








Tuesday, March 10, 2009

NEW COCKATIELS





Caring for Your New Cockatiel














STUDENTS WILL UP DATE THIS POSTING WITH COCKATIEL FACTS AND HOW THE EGGS ARE DOING.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

INVENTIONS FOR ENERGY

THE STUDENTS WILL SOON BE MAKING INVENTIONS FOR A CLASS PROJECT.