Tuesday, December 2, 2014




Being A Zookeeper

          Hi there kids, I’m Irene I work here at the zoo(1). I hope you can help me here at the zoo. We’re going to go talk about and take care of some important friends of mine. There are some animals here that are very healthy, and some that are not doing so well out in their homes, also some animals that don’t live here on Earth animal.
 The first couple of stops we’re going to make are the animals that are doing great in their homes. The first animal we’re going to take care of is the American Alligator (2), these guys have been around for a very long time. They live in swaps and they like warm weather.
Let’s move onto the National bird, do you guys know what that bird is? Your right it’s the American bald eagle. These guys weren’t doing too well in their homes but we took care of them and now they are all over the United States. They are the best kinds of birds to have around the area. Why they were on the list the first time is because they couldn’t lay eggs without having them break when they would sit on the eggs to keep them warm so they could have baby birds.
         

 Ok zoo keepers lets go to the do you know what an animal called when they are on the endangered list. This means that the animals are not doing too well in their homes. We are going to go see some of these animals. The animal that we are going to see is a black footed ferrite (3). This little guy is on the endangered list so we are helping him get better so we don’t lose him and his friends. Want to go see some other areas in the zoo? Great come on we are going to go see what the scientists are doing.
         
 
The scientist that are here in the zoo to look at some animal bones. These animal bones are so we can see what animal this was before it left the earth. And when they find out bones they are we see where this animal lived and what the place was like. We don’t want any more animals to leave the earth from something bad happening to them. The animal that the scientist are looking at looks like a fish (4).
Well this looks like the end of our fun time together. I hope you learned a lot about our animals. We need to take care of these animals that are here on earth. The ways that we can help is to take care of the earth. You guys were great zoo keepers today. Thank you for coming to the zoo.
         
 
 
 
 
 
Work cited
1). http://www.preschool-plan-it.com/zoo-theme.html
2).http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/americanalligator/
 
3).   http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret.aspx
4). 
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/fossils/images/22216858/title/fossils-wallpaper
 

Soda Recycled into Water?


Have you ever thought about what happens when you pour your can of soda out in the grass? What happens to it? Where does it go? The answer is: In our drinking water. Yes, the can of soda that is in your hand can make its way back into your house if you expose it to soil.

Soda can in the grass (1)
So what does happen
when we pour our 
sodas in the grass?

Well, once your can of soda is poured onto the grass it begins to seep through the dirt hundreds of feet and eventually it reaches the ground water. Once it has entered the ground water it can make its way into water wells, which many families use as their main sources of water. Also, our groundwater is connected to rivers which causes further water pollution as. 


The Water Cycle (2) 

In the picture shown above, you can see how the contaminated groundwater is connected to the river and water supply wells. This type of water pollution is called non-point source pollution, and this occurs a lot more than one may think.


Oil on the road (3)



Non-point source pollution is almost impossible to avoid. 

Oil leaking from a car(4)











Where does it come from?
Non-point source pollution comes from things that are commonly used by people every day such as
-septic tanks
-cars
-trucks
-boats
which are shown above and to the right. Millions of motor vehicle engines drop small amounts of oil every day onto roads and parking lots and much of it makes its way to the ground, rivers, and oceans (5).

WATER POLLUTION IS EVERYWHERE

Believe it or not, contaminated drinking water can lead to terrible illnesses, including cancer. It’s a scary thought because “a known carcinogen found globally in groundwater supplies due to natural geological occurrence is arsenic (6)." A carcinogen is anything that may cause cancer. You will not find arsenic in your drinking water because of a spilled can of soda only because arsenic is naturally occurring, but drinking contaminated water that has not been filtered can make you very sick... Especially if you drink water with motor oil contamination, yuck!


People don't really think about what happens to their soda once it's spilled onto the ground when in reality, it's getting absorbed into the earth and potentially ending up in our water supply wells. Who wants to bathe in or drink old soda that has been passed through the ground? Not me!

So next time, think twice before dumping your soda in the grass!


 

References
1)Flickr. Jordan Hampton. Retrieved from 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jordanhampton/5877859268/

2) EC.GC. Retrieved from
https://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=6A7FB7B2-1
 
3) Flickr. David Ambridge. Retrieved from 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/89076857@N00/6838120426
 
4) Huffington Post. Retrieved from 
6) Chappels, H., Perker, L., C. V., Conrad, C., Drage, J., O’Toole, G., & Dummer, T.B. (2014). Arsenic in private drinking water wells: An assessment of jurisdictional regulations and guidelines for risk remediation in North America. Journal of Water & Health, 12(3), 372-392. Doi:10.2166/wh.2014.054




Spoiled trip to the Seashore

Figure 1 - An ocean setting.

Imagine planning a family vacation to your favorite beach. You pack all your belongings up, you finally get to the beach, and you start unloading your things, you run out onto the beach and you feel the warm sand in between your toes. This is your favorite beach that you’ve been to so many times before. But this time it’s different!!
You see ocean debris and garbage floating in the ocean and littering the shoreline!! You see bits of tiny pieces floating in the water! What you see is ocean and marine pollution!!
What is Ocean Pollution
Ocean Pollution comes in two different big ways.
Point source and Nonpoint source pollution (1).
Point source pollution defined by NOAA is “any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack”. This means any major garbage spill that enters our oceans, like a ship spilling oil or other garbage or an underwater pipe bursting (2).
Figure 2 - Debris and litter polluting the ocean.
The biggest source of ocean pollution is nonpoint source pollution. It makes up 80% of the pollution in the water! Nonpoint source can come from anywhere. Your house, your school, anywhere you’ve ever been or anywhere you’re ever going to go! Nonpoint source pollution comes from everywhere, which is why it’s so hard to control. It can come from cars, pools, septic tanks, any drink you’ve spilled, anything that’s spilled into the ground or anything that can get washed away or carried into water (3).
All of this pollution adds up and goes into our oceans, and affects the water and the different animals that live in it! Every mile of water has almost 10,000 different pieces of plastics floating in it (4)! This plastic hurts the animals living in the water and can get washed back onto the beaches which we like to swim in and vacation to. Ocean pollution affects everything and everyone! Everything that needs the ocean or water can be affected by pollution, that’s why we need to do everything we can to prevent it and stop pollution from happening.
We can’t stop all pollution from happening, but if we all do our own part, we can make a big difference and help to stop pollution around the world, and save our beaches and the different animals living in our oceans.

Figure 3 - Recycling can lower trash found in the ocean.
Here are a few things we can do to save our oceans and prevent pollution.
·         Recycle plastics and other materials
·         Carpool and drive more energy efficient cars
·         Clean your local beaches and community
·         Use different reusable products.

 
References
 
 

Amazon

Hey guys, welcome to my blog. Todays subject is:


AMAZON.COM


Back about twenty years ago, before many of you were even born, there was a website called Cadabra.com?  Ever hear of it?  No? Hey, that's ok, because most others haven't either?  How about Amazon.com, ever hear of that one? Of course, right? So now the question becomes, what do the two dot coms have to do with each other?  Let's start back at the beginning.   



Image 1.  The man, Jeff Bezos
Introducing Jeff Bezos (Image 1). In 1994, after leaving his job on Wall Street, Bezos moved to Seattle. He hoped to capitalize on, what was left of, the booming dot com industry.  After considering what kind of business he wanted to start, he narrowed his choices and decided to start an online bookstore.  Once incorporated, the company went online and began doing business; Douglas Hofstadter's book Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought (image 3) was the first book ever sold on Amazon("Amazon.com", n.d.) 

Image 2.  Beyoncé and Kesha
For years, what we know as Amazon was commonly referred to as Amazon.com. However, before that even, the original plan was to call it Cadabra.com.  Today, the name Amazon is associated with value and convenience; it has become so familiar and recognizable that few people bother to include the dot com anymore.  This is a fairly common practice these days.  How so? Many of today’s brands, icons, and even celebrities were once known by other names.  Kesha, formerly known as Ke$ha, was born Kesha Rose Sebert and, for quite some time, Beyonce used her full name after leaving her successful girl group, Destiny’s Child, to pursue a solo career (Image 2).  Sometimes these name changes are a result of personal or professional choices. Then again, sometimes there is no official change, but instead an implied change is adopted by the masses. Both of these examples apply Amazon.com; the company formally changed its original name and then the public ( like you and me) shortened it, dropping the dot com, for everyday use.  The original name, Cadabra.com, was abandoned because it sounded too much like the word cadaver (a dead body).  Additionally, the new name made sense, because the word amazon appears near the top of any alphabetized list, giving it an advantage in search engine lists ("Amazon.com", n.d.). Like its name, Amazon.com has adapted and evolved from an online bookstore to the multifaceted e-commerce juggernaut you see today.




Thanks for stopping in. I really hope you've enjoyed your visit, because I sure enjoyed having you. If you did and you'd you like to know a little more, stick around minute. Check out the timeline below, it highlights some of the events that helped make Amazon what it is:


Image 3.  This book, really?

1994

  • Cadabra.com is incorporated by founder Jeff Bezos, who quickly chooses the name Amazon.com instead


1995

  • Amazon.com officially goes online
  • The company’s first book is sold (Image 3).


1997

  • The company goes public and begins trading on the stock market.

1998

  • International sites begin doing business in the United Kingdom and Germany
  • The site begins offering DVD and VHS videos

1999

  • Image 4.  Not too shabby
    Time Magazine names Jeff Bezos its Person of the Year (Image 4)

2000

  • Amazon's introduces its new logo. With a smile shaped arrow pointing from the A to the Z in Amazon, the logo implies that the company offers any and all products from A to Z (Image 5)
  • Amazon/Toys R Us alliance is formed
    

  • Kitchen department goes online
Image 5.  A to Z logo

2001

  • Amazon/Borders and Amazon/Target alliances are formed
  • In-store pick up is introduced

 2005

    
    
  • Amazon Wedding is introduced

  • Image 6.  Katrina damage
  • Company partners with celebrities to raise money for hurricane victims (Image 6)
  • Amazon Prime is introduced (a flat annual fee for unlimited express shipping

2006

  • Grocery department goes online
  • DVD quality video downloads are available with Amazon Unbox service

2007

  • 
    Image 7.  Amazon gets techy.
    Amazon Unbox is made available to all TiVo (DVR) subscribers
  • Amazon MP3 is launched
  • The first Kindle is introduced (Image 7)
  • Amazon purchases The Tales of Beetle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

2008

  • Announces the acquisition of Audible.com for $300 million
  • Announces the acquisition of BoxOfficeMojo.com
  • Motorcycle and ATV department goes online

2009 

Image 8.  Cell phone anyone?
  • Kindle 2 is introduced
  • Kindle apps for iPhone and iPod are introduced 
  • Amazon store for Xbox live is launched 
  • Outdoor Recreation department goes online 
  • AmazonWireless is launched (Image 8) 
  • Free shopping app for android is launched

2010

  • Kindle app for major platforms are introduced (BlackBerry, Mac, iPad)
  • Next generation Kindle is announced
  • Amazon WebStore is launched

2011

  • Image 9.  Cool comic partnership
    Forms a partnership with DC Comics (Image 9)
  • Prime Instant Video is made available to all Prime members
  • Appstore for android is made available
  • Amazon launches Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, and Kindle Touch 3G
  • US children’s book titles by Marshall Cavendish are acquired by Amazon publishing

2012

  • Amazon studios develop original shows for instant video
  • Avalon Books are acquired by Amazon Publishing
Image 10.  Amazon delivers

2013

  • Amazon introduces a plan to partner with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver packages on Sundays
  • The TV show 60 Minutes reveals Amazon Prime Air; a plan to use unmanned drone based delivery system (Image 10)

2014

  • Amazon announces plans to open an actual brick and mortar store in New York
  • Fire TV box is announced to compete with Apple TV and Google’s Chromecast
  • Fire Phone is released in July
  • Fire TV Stick is launched (like the Fire TV box but much smaller)




    Amazon.com. (n.d.). Retrieved from December 2, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon.com
    (6) After Hurricane Katrina [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://bashapedia.pbworks.com/w/page/22888219/ the%20damage%20of%20hurricane%20katrina
    (3) Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_Concepts_and_Creative_Analogies
    (2) HBO; MTV [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
    http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/
    archive/2013/04/ what-beyonc-could-learn-from-ke-ha-how-to-actually-humanize-a-pop-star/275266/
    (1) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
    http://www.lapatilla.com/site/2014/05/22/
    presidente-de-amazon-se-lleva-el-premio-al-peor-jefe-del-mundo/
    (4) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://blog.econsultant.com/who-was-time-person-of-the-year-for-1999-jeff-bezos
    (5) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hd-tecnologia.com/amazon-entra-en-el-mundo-de-la-moda/
    (7) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://nvate.com/3814/gear-review-the-kindle-touch/kindle4/
    (8) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://th-th.facebook.com/AmazonWireless
    (9) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pieceofcape.blogspot.com/2012/08/ continuity-most-powerful-word-in-comics.html

    (10) Unknown [Online image]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/WRrxOfgwFyw/ maxresdefault.jpg

















    Trashy Trenches


          What do you think of when you think of the ocean? You probably picture your family on the beach during a warm summer vacation or a scene of dolphins jumping through the water over a sunset. Many of us pay no attention to what happens in the ocean because we believe since it is out of sight, it is out of mind. The ocean is not all pretty blue waves like we think. There are many pollutants in the ocean that cause harm to all of the creatures living there. People pollute the ocean in so many ways that we do not realize. There are many types of ocean pollution caused by humans, and one of the biggest ones is plastic debris. Plastic debris is any kind of plastic that people use in their daily lives that eventually end up getting washed into the ocean. Common plastic items in the ocean are soda can holders, water bottles, and grocery bags.

    

    Figure 1 from N. Quiroga's article "Swims with Seals"
    shows a victim of ocean pollution


          Plastic holders from soda cans end up getting into waterways and then eventually they float along in the ocean. Sea turtles will get caught in the plastic rings and they have no way of getting them off. Shown to the left is an unfortunate victim of ocean pollution. Peanut the sea turtle got caught in a soda can ring when she was younger and she never got it off so her body grew around the plastic. Luckily, Peanut is fortunate enough to be healthy and alive today. Unlike Peanut, many sea turtles do not live, especially if they eat the plastic. Sounds weird right? Well, sea turtles mistake plastic, especially plastic trash bags, for their favorite food; jellyfish.

          Among plastic debris, many unprofessional fishermen throw their fishing nets into the ocean when they are done with them. Sea lions love to try and play with the fishing nets or swim through them, and they end up getting tangled up, like the one shown below. When they cannot get themselves out of the nets, they ultimately die because they are not able swim fast enough to get away from prey or swim after their food.

    
    Figure 2 from the Leeson Science Photo Library, is a sea lion trapped in a fisherman's net

          Of course, it is very sad that these poor innocent animals are getting harmed or dying because of things people do on earth to create ocean pollution. The even sadder thing is that all of these problems could have been prevented if humans disposed of plastic and fishing nets correctly. Among sea turtles and sea lions, almost every other living creature is affected. Ocean pollution is a huge problem today, but it will be an even bigger problem for future generations. Each generation is going to be left with cleaning up all of the previous years of trash, as more marine animals get trapped and/or die. It is up to you to make a change on this planet. Every piece of plastic or fishing net recycled can save a life. Ocean pollution negatively impacts the marine life, and the faster we work towards reducing it, the HAPPIER our planet will be as a whole.  






    References
     
    Figure 1. Quiroga, N. (2013). Swims with Seals [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.swimswithseals.com/2013_12_01_archive.html
     
    Figure 2. Leeson, P. Science Photo Library [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/388350/enlarge

    Protect the Platypus

    Protect the Platypus



    Everyone knows the Agent P or Perry the Platypus from the show Phineas and Ferb, but Perry may not be known if pollution doesn't stop. Pollution is any unwanted or dangerous object that is present in a body of water (1).The plastics that are not thrown away properly, create obstacles for the platypuses in the oceans. The trash that is at your house can end up in the ocean and then hurt the animals by having the trash wrapped around them (2). There is ways to stop the animals from getting the plastics and trash in their homes. Perry the Platypus will tell us how to keep the trash out of the ocean.
    (3) Perry and the Trash

    The first thing that stops ocean pollution is YOU! You are the person that needs to watch what you are throwing away. To make sure that you are throwing the right thing away follow these steps.

    (4) Perry wants YOU!
    •     Make sure that you separate the trash from things that need to be recycled
    •     Have different bins for trash and recycling
    •     Know what can and cannot be thrown away
    •     If you are not sure, ask an adult
    •     Keep the habit going, don’t stop after a week
    •     Tell your friends and family to do what you are



    There are other ways to keep the trash out of the oceans that you can do at home. YOU can…

    •     Buy a reusable water bottle
    •     Use less plastic forks, spoons, knives, plates, and cups
    •     Refill your shampoo and body wash bottles
    •     Read the labels on the bottom of objects to see where they should go



    Some items that YOU CAN recycle..                      
    • Glass Bottles                                                                        
    • Soda Cans
    • Plastic Shampoo Bottles
    • Newspapers
    • Cardboard

     Some items that YOU CAN'T recycle..
    • Foods
    • Juice Boxes
    • Light Bulbs
    • Toilet Paper
    • Paper Towels
    • Styrofoam


    All of these tips can help keep the plastics from your home into the oceans and keep the animals like Perry the Platypus safe in the water. The animals need the help from humans to keep their home safe and everything that you do to help, makes their lives easier. Don’t make the animals have to go through an obstacle course to swim around, keep the oceans clean by doing your part in recycling and reusing to reduce for the animals.


    (5) Phineas and Ferb


    (1)  Woodford, C. (2006) Water pollution: An introduction. Retrieved from http://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html.
    (2)  Amos, A. (2011). Pollution of the ocean by plastic and trash. Retrieved from
    http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Po-Re/Pollution-of-the-Ocean-by-Plastic-and-Trash.html
    (3) Perry and the trash [photograph].(n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014 from http://images6.fanpop.com/image/polls/1238000/1238533_1372327034771_full.jpg
    (4) Perry wants you [photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014 from http://moodle.tcaps.net/pluginfile.php/32380/course/section/8875/Agent_P_want_you____by_KatieLah.jpg
    (5) Phineas and ferb title scene [photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014  from http://blurppy.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/phineas-and-ferb-and-candace-and-perry.jpg