Saturday, May 17, 2008

Natural Disaster or Natural Selection?

I've been thinking of the terrible natural disasters in China and Myanmar. They seem so horrific. The planet is designed to hold so many people and with these natural disasters the planet seems to be having a natural selection. Like, when deformed babies a born they might die because of Natural selection. Natural selection means that the planet needs to have a balanced population because the world can only hold 10 billion people. So when you think of these natural disasters and the effect they have on the planet you cant help but think that this has something to do with natural selection. The phillipines population has soared 60 MILLION in the past decade. How can this not be natural selection to keep the planet at it's population?

Saturday, April 12, 2008

The ginger beer experiment

Prediction

1. After 24 hours the ginger beer will be fizzy because It has been in warmth so the yeast will be activated causing the ginger to become fizzy.

2. I think it will taste sour because we added lots of lemon juice and lemon juice is extremly sour.

After tasting

1. After 12 hours the ginger beer was extremly fizzy. When Miss Wilson opened the bottle it was hard and difficult to open.

2. It tasted bitter and sour.

Prediction


1. After 48 hours the ginger beer will be fizzier than yesterday because it will have had more rest so the bubbles will expand even more.

2. I think it will taste even more sour because the effect from the lemons will make it more tangy.

Ginger Pop

You will need..

1.5 litre plastic bottle
2T warm water
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t yeast granules
1 cup sugar
juice two lemons
Rind of 2 lemons
2 t ground ginger

Method

1. Put 1/2 teaspoon sugar in warm water to dissolve. Add yeast then stir. Put in a warm place.

2. Pour one cup boiling water over rind and juice, cup of sugar and ginger. Leave for 10 minutes. Strain liquid into bottle. Top up with cold water.

3. When yeast foams pour gently into bottle. Gently shake and leave in a warm place until bottle becomes firm (12 hours to 3 days)

4. Chill bottle and open gently.

5. Enjoy!

Without Learning..

Dolphin Land

It was a cloudy day up in the mountains. Jamara, a tiny silver trout, was swimming in the cold, bubbling stream with all the other trout. Her mother looked at her proudly, as she swam strongly and skilfully. She called Jamara to
her side. "Jamara, you are a powerful swimmer, but you must NEVER swim beyond those big brown rocks at the bend of the stream.

Before Jamara could ask any questions, rollign thunder signalled an approaching storm. Soon the stream would be swollen and angry. The water would be swift and strong. The trout swam back to the calm water of an underwater cave.

Jamara found her friend, Byron. "Why can't we swim past those big brown rocks at the bend in the stream?" she asked him curiously.

"I don't know," He answered, "..but anyone who has ever gone there has never come back."

Jamara swam tot he mouth of the cave and looked longingly towards the big brown rocks at the bend in the stream. "How proud everyone would be if I found out what was beyond those big brown rocks," she thought, and she swished her tail powerfully. With another strong swish of her tail she swam off quickly, ignoring Byron's cries to come back.

She swam looking forward at the sickening black water that lay ahead. It looked as deadly as she knew. But the water and her curiousness made her think. "What now...?" She thought to herself.
She came to the bend in the stream, and hesitated. Then with great hope she breathed in, held her breath and swam in. It looked like a normal stream except maybe wider and deeperand it was.....SALT!! Uh oh!! It was salt. But that's not the only problem. Jamara's mother had told her about the ocean withs it's deadly creatures and seaweed. She jolted forward and with the swish of courage she swam deeper and deeper into the ocean.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" asked a snarley voice up ahead. "Umm, am I not allowed to be up here?" Jamara asked. "No!!! Your banned, dont you know anything?!" said the snarley voice in a mocking tone. Jamara looked up to see the dolphin coming towards her with terrifying teeth. Then she closed her eyes and within seconds she was in the jaws of a dolphin.

The jaws were as sharp as a knife, Jamara knew this was the end. She felt sorry, sorry for all the trouble that she had caused for all her family and friends and now it was all going to end. But then she heard her mothers gentle voice calling out, "Ja-mar-a?, Ja-mar-a? Hello?? Are you there?" "Mum!! Jamara cried out "Help me I'm stuck!! I'm stuck!! I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused, please help me!!" Jamara called. Then her mother swam towards the dolphin with proud and quickly said "Let the girl go!!! Or us trout will move back here!" The Dolphin quickly let go of Jamara.

Jamara and her mother swam back to the cave with ease, then Jamara asked "Why did you say we'll move back?" "Can I tell you a secret?, Millions of years ago trout lived in the sea happily with all the fish until one day the dolphins decided to ban us from the sea. Then they said we'll come up with a comprimise, YOUR ALLOWED ANYWHERE ELSE JUST NOT BEHIND THOSE BROWN ROCKS AT THE BEND IN THE RIVER so thats why anyone who has been there has never returned, you were lucky to get out alive!, now get some rest we have a big day tomorrow, Banquet of celebration.

WHAT WAS JAMARAS LESSON?

By Marz Barz, 2007