Mr. Ardito’s Classes

56 responses so far ↓

• 1    january g man // Feb 6, 2007 at 4:37 pm

  article:
  Biotechnology is a branch of science where living things are used for the creation of products or to perform some tasks for human beings. Plants, animals and even micro-organisms like bacteria are used to produce some benefit to mankind. In the medicine and agriculture field industry, biotechnology helps in producing foods, test for diseases and to remove waste. Biotechnology can also be used to solve problems and to help in research.

  Biotechnology is generally divided into three sub fields - red, white and green biotechnology. Red biotechnology deals with genetically altered microorganisms that are used for producing products like insulin and vaccine for medical use. White biotechnology involves the creation of useful chemicals for the industrial sector through organisms like moulds or yeast. This form of biotechnology is also referred to as grey biotechnology. Green biotechnology, also known as agricultural biotechnology, deals with applications related to agriculture.

  It is through red biotechnology based research that antibiotics for different infections have been developed and vaccines for boosting the immune system against disease and to detect and treat any genetic disorders and disease have been produced. Red biotechnology also helps in reproductive technologies like invitro fertilization, DNA profiling, forensics and in technologies of transplantations.

  It is with the help of white biotechnology that the environment is helped in the control of pest animals and plants. Biotechnology has helped in cleaning up oil spills, protecting endangered species by storing DNA samples to be used for future research and to help remove any excess nutrients there may be in the soil and water. Research in biotechnology also aims at leaching metals from the soil to provide for clean mining, in the detection of landmines and in the cleaning of arsenic and other metal contamination.

  Green biotechnology involves the manipulation of plants and animals to produce species that are more environment friendly and productive. Development of varieties of wheat that are disease resistant by cross breeding different types of wheat is an example of green biotechnology.

  Reflection: Before i read this article, i didn’t know what biotechnology was. After i read this article, I learned it all. This article pretty much says what i have to about it, and biotechnology.

• 2    Hilary Duff // Feb 7, 2007 at 11:38 am

  This article was called To Catch a Dragonfly written by Emily Sohn. I found this article at Science News for Kids (www.sciencenewsforkids.org). And the actual site was called http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20061213/Feature1.asp .

  This article was about how we are learning so much more about dragon flies than we have ever known. The article said how dragonflies can cover 37 miles in 2 weeks even though they are very small creatures. They fly around really fast, it’s really hard to catch one, and they are quite skinny. The dragonfly population is decreasing, and conversationalists thought that if we killed their predator like the crayfish, we would help them start to become more common. They were wrong. A study was shown that in the spring, at a certain stream, the population of dragonflies (specifically the Hine’s Emeralds) was booming, but when the winter came around, they would all disappear, then suddenly again in the spring, BOOM! Loads of dragonflies. The scientists looked to see if they could find where the dragonflies were hiding, because they could find that they weren’t migrating and found up to 74 dragonflies in several crayfish burrows! The scientists were wrong about killing the crayfishes because then the dragonflies wouldn’t be able to hide.
  I think that this is actually a really amazing thing. You don’t want to be killed by the cold, so instead you hid yourself in your enemies’ house. It’s a really smart tactic for the dragonflies to use. I’ve also always thought when you see a dragonfly that they were pretty common because we see them all the time over here by the point, but they are actually lessening in numbers. I also didn’t know how fast their reactions are. If the temperatures at night keep decreasing for two days, they start to migrate south. I didn’t know that dragonflies migrated. I didn’t actually know where they went during the winter but I never really considered the option of migrating. One small criticism is that in this particular article, I wished there would’ve been some of Emily Sohn’s own opinions on the article. I would’ve liked some ‘feedback’ from her.

• 3    Maniac Leprechaun // Feb 7, 2007 at 11:46 am

  For this weekly science report, I have chosen to write a response to an article which I know very little about. The topic I have chosen is the oil drilling in the Arctic. The article can be found here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9984545/
  Re-Tell: Many environmentalists are against the drilling for oil in the Arctic, and so far, they have succeeded in being able to keep people from drilling there. Recently, the need for oil has increased. Plus, with most of the government being controlled by Republicans, who are mostly in favor of drilling, the effort to keep drillers away has been a difficult one. But, a bill which would call for drilling in the Arctic was recently stopped, because of higher concerns that the bill needed to address. So, Arctic Drilling was removed from the bill, meaning no drilling would take place, at least for a little while. The House of Representatives has called for drilling five times, but each time the proposition has died out in the Senate. So for now, the Arctic is safe from drillers.
  Response: I really loved this article. It started out saying that the fight for anti-Arctic drilling is a losing battle, then it introduces hope that it will never happen. Bush really wants to drill there, but I swear it is a horrible idea. All the animals will be homeless, and the ice will break up even quicker then what is already happening because of global warming. We are totally killing the environment, and this drilling will be another development in the ever going process of humans consuming the environment. I am so glad that the Senate keeps on turning down the bill, and the habitat is safe. Polar Bears are already endangered, and the drilling would force them over the edge into extinction. I say that Bush should be extremely ashamed that he would even suggest such a thing. People have been completely blind to the cruelty and utter indifference to the suffering of others that our beloved President has been doing ever since he was put into office.

• 4    ManiacLeprechaun // Feb 7, 2007 at 11:49 am

  This comment is for january g man
  I really think you need to put a lot more effort into your articles. I went to the article, and I realized that you just copied and pasted the article into the response you put up. This shows me that you really did not want to do much work at all, and other readers should not have to re-read the entire article to find out what you are talking about. Also, your little response was pretty short. I really think you need to put more effort into this.

• 5    maniac Leprechaun // Feb 7, 2007 at 11:54 am

  This comment is for Hilary Duff
  That is a very neat article for you to have chosen. I really never knew any of those things about dragon flies. I never knew the little buggers were so fast! Anyways, I think you did a great job retelling the article. Your response was also nice. Good Job!

• 6    january g man // Feb 7, 2007 at 3:49 pm

  maniacleprechaun,
  Thank you for telling me that it really helps. I also liked how you felt on the story and your concerns on the environment. After reading what you had to say about your article, I have to agree on the subject that if we as a people start drilling for oil even more, than there will pretty soon be no more Arctic, or polar bears. You did a really great job and thanks again.

• 7    january g man // Feb 7, 2007 at 3:54 pm

  Hilary Duff,
  I had no idea that dragonflies migrated either and could fly 37 miles in 2 weeks. I also had no idea that crayfish fed on dragonflies. You did a really great job on your article, because of all your facts.

• 8    Alphabetsoup // Feb 7, 2007 at 5:15 pm

  Eat Out, Eat Smart.

  This article is about the amount of calories in fast food and food from restuarants. Doctors are trying to make food more healthy in places like McDonalds and Burgerking. You may be surprised to learn that a BK Double Whopper with Cheese has 990 calories. An Arby’s Broccoli & Cheese Baked Potato has 536 calories. And a medium chocolate malt at Dairy Queen has 760 calories. Most adults and teenagers need about 2,000 calories a day, depending on body size and activity level.
  People in the United States now eat restaurant food twice as often as they did in the 1970s, doctors say. In fact, kids and adults get about a third of their calories from eating out.A 1999 study found that women who ate out more than five times a week eat about 300 more calories a day than women who ate at home more often.
  In the United States, two-thirds of adults and 15 percent of 6-to-19-year-olds are overweight or obese. Weighing too much makes people more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems.Restaurant meals tend to be calorie filles. This means that a bite of a restaurant meal contains more calories than a bite of a home-cooked meal does. By adding water, fruit, and vegetables to recipes, doctors have found, people can eat just as much food but with 25 percent fewer calories. And they still feel full.
  The only way to make sure people know what they’re eating is to supply obvious, easy-to-understand labels, nutritionist’s say. People are often surprised to learn, for example, that roast beef has fewer calories than tuna salad, or that baby back ribs can be healthier than fried chicken fingers. Labeling can change how people eat. Studies show that people choose healthier options with fewer calories when given nutrition facts.
  This article made me think about what fast food can do to your body and made me more aware of what I order. I think that most people dont really think about how many calories or whats in it i think people just want to food to eat it.

• 9    Alphabetsoup // Feb 7, 2007 at 5:18 pm

  Hilary Duff
  I had no idea dragonflys could fly 37 miles in 2 weeks. That really shocked me. Good Job on your article!

• 10    Alphabetsoup // Feb 7, 2007 at 5:19 pm

  maniaclepechaun
  Your article was very educational. You really said how you felt about it.
  Great job!

• 11    Alphabetsoup // Feb 7, 2007 at 5:22 pm

  January g man
  Your article was very interesting. It seemed like you used some backround knowlege,

• 12    Gia Beth // Feb 7, 2007 at 5:22 pm

  ManiacLeprechaun - I think it is very good that the senate has not let that bill pass. Your report was very good and I like that you mentioned the polar bears.

• 13    Gia Beth // Feb 7, 2007 at 5:27 pm

  Alphabetsoup - The summary of your article was great but you should next time add more to the response.

• 14    Maniac Leprechaun // Feb 7, 2007 at 6:19 pm

  This comment is for AlphabetSoup
  I think you had a great choice of article, in a subject that’s very popular right now. Personally, I think that America has really got to slim down.
  I think your response could have been a wee bit longer, but it was still very well done. Happy Eating!

• 15    lola // Feb 7, 2007 at 8:28 pm

  Article Title - “What Are They Doing Down There?”
  Written by - Douglass H. Chadwick
  Source - National Geographic

  The article I chose is all about humpback whales, and about the activities taking place underneath the water. During the 1960s and 1970s it was proved that this species of whale was endangered. But between the Hawaiian Islands of Maui and Lana’I, there are many 45 ton humpback whales left. They gather around Hawaii from late in November into May. During this time, 90 percent of the humpbacks’ time is spent underwater. This leads to the question of, what could they be doing down there? Most people would think “they’re swimming, and doing whale things.” But really, since the whales have such a large area to roam in, scientists have trouble tracking them down. So observers from The Whale Trust in Maui are set to find this out. When the whales aren’t breeding, nursing, singing or feeding, they are just simply hanging out. Observers found out that whales drift for a mile or 2 per hour. This relaxation is called breath holding, and can help boost up a whales strength to do underwater activities-mainly searching for mates. One way that males search for mates is by spreading out their fins, forming a cross shape, in order to block the several other males searching for mates as well.
  One thing that baby whales love to do most is climb Underneath their mother’s flipper, and stay there underneath her throat getting a little ride. For some reason, whales and dolphins have been trying to do this too. Meagan Jones of The Whale Trust has been trying to figure out if the presence of a calf affects a mother. However, nothing has been proven yet because of the fact males are protecting their mates. Circling them, looking out for predators. Females usually give birth every two to three years because pregnancy last about 11 months plus another year of nursing the growing calf. Normally, a female whale with a baby doesn’t mate.
  Jim Darling has tried for 25 years to crack the code that the male humpback whales sing. Darling found out that the melodies being sung were not for females, but were sung to other males. Females don’t seem to be intrigued by the tune, yet males are interested in the sounds. Once to males join together in the singing, they circle each other and look aggressive. This could mean that when males sing the songs, they are calling for rivals or allies. Researchers found out that humpback populations in different parts of the world sing distinctly different songs. These songs also change over each generation of whale. Many more things are yet to be learned of whales, although some of the secrets are now opened.
  This article was really interesting to me. I knew that there songs that whales song, but I never knew so many facts about these melodies as I do now. I also never knew most of the facts about breeding and calves. This article made me go beyond the average article I would normally write. This is because the article had a lot of hard words to read and it was very long, 11 pages. (Not to mention the pages with pictures of humpback whale on them. Overall, I really enjoyed learning about whales!

• 16    DARLiNGPiNK! // Feb 7, 2007 at 8:36 pm

  Weekly Science Report

  Article Name: Scientists Craft Embryonic Stem Cell Ethics Rules
  Author: Will Dunham
  Where it can be found: http://thestaronline.com/news/story.asp?file=/2007/2/2/worldupdates/2007-02-02T081335Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_-286046-2&sec=Worldupdates

  This article is about how scientists have made specific rules about embryonic stem cell research. These guidelines are to help ensure that the procedures that are used are looked over and ethical. The rules talk about if it is ethical to pay for eggs that women have donated. These rules also ban reproductive cloning (like cloning babies). The rules also talked about producing and experimenting with animals that have human cells.

  I chose this article because I do not know much about stem cell research and this article briefly described it in an understandable way. The article talked about how stem cells are able to transform themselves into various tissues and cell types in the human body. This is what makes them so valuable-they can be used to treat diseases and injuries because of their ability to transform. It’s a weird concept to me, I understand it and all but it’s absolutely amazing how stem cells can just transform into something important. I had known that they were valuable but I didn’t fully understand the whole concept. It’s a very controversial issue, so I think these guidelines will really help any future debates about stem cell research. While these guidelines still probably have kinks, I think they’re making people think about stem cell research in a more positive way than before.

• 17    Hilary Duff // Feb 8, 2007 at 10:58 am

  Eat Out, Eat Smart,
  I had no idea that a BK Double Whopper with cheese has 990 calories. Also you did a really good job on your article.

• 18    The coolest kid // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:11 am

  New Lemur species

  In Madagascar scientists found a new species of lemur called mouse lemur. It is a species only found in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is the countries flagship species.
  Madagascar has all different kinds of lemurs. They discovered three different mouse lemurs in Madagascar. The new lemurs are bringing tourists to Madagascar. And people love the new lemurs.
  Madagascar has more than 10 types of lemur and they bring lots of people. 16 species of lemur have disappeared from the island of Madagascar. Their homes are disappearing so that is why the lemurs are disappearing from Madagascar.

• 19    Hilary Duff // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:12 am

  January g man,
  I think you had a great choice of article, in a subject that very popular right now.

• 20    Hilary Duff // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:18 am

  Maniac Leprechaun
  I think it is very good that the senate has not let that bill pass. Your report was very good.

• 21    moi171 // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:19 am

  Mit has made optics on a chip, a new advancement in nanotechnology and communication. The new streamlined chip combines imaging with fiber optics, and combined with other technology such as coding, writing and faster processers, information can move from place to place at a speed almost not imaginable to land lines and copper wire. The new device will allow computers to have better links with internet services and sites and help scientists conduct remote testing and spectroscopy. Those kinds of options would be great news for probes on Europa or other spacecraft the chips will be introduced onto the mass-market production lines within five years if demand is large enough. I think that the author of the article was way to short, and the author could have spent more time adding more details to the article.

  My source was: http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20070206-10473800-bc-us-chipoptics.xml

• 22    moi171 // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:19 am

  I think that the advantages of having an unusually large brain size for our body is that we have a lot more processing power. Some animals, example cats, have a brain the size of a walnut, and look how advanced they are. I think that we developed a larger brain because as we evolved different skills to survive, like speech to coordinate hunts and information, and inventiveness to make new weapons, home designs, and other things that would protect us and help us live our brain had to create more space. Some of the skills and advantages that came with it are stated as follows. We can speak, we have the ability to eat different food, and we can have extremely complex thought processes, and have individual personalities. We also communicate with complex verbal skills, have the ability to advance and better ourselves, and also have an understanding of time and space. Included are the skills of invention, art, and emotions. The bad parts of our large cranium are that we create technology that pollutes, damages, and generally destroys the space around us. What I find unusual about our brain is that even when we use every one of our brain functions, we only utilize 17 percent of it. That means that 83 percent of our brain is never used, and is just empty space. Scientists have no idea of what or why that space is there, so there are some things we don’t know. Those are the advantages of a big brain.

• 23    moi171 // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:19 am

  Tumor killing virus

  Source was http://www.sciencedaily.com/

  In the UK, a team of scientists and doctors have been performing injections that supposedly can eliminate brain cancer. An injection containing a mutant herpes virus was given to a man with brain cancer in 1997. The man had 4 months to live, but after the injection he is still alive with no tumor. Doctors had the idea of using a mutated virus after a report from 1912 that a woman had been bitten by a dog, and when doctors gave here a dose of weak rabies vaccine, her cancer tumor shrank. So researchers genetically mutated a herpes virus so it only attacked cancer cells and not the human body. Doctors that used the drug on patients reported that patients lived up to eight or ten years when they were only supposed to live a few moths. Some patients are now living normal life. Viruses seem to be the best defense against cancer. You can alter them to infiltrate the cancer cell and implode it, make it commit suicide, and can kill them in thousands of other ways. They are so effective that they kill up to 4000 cancer cells per single cancer cell, compared to the 14:1 ratio of chemotherapy. I think that this weapon shows a great potential for becoming an effective cure, and I hope that more people get to use it. I think that the author of this study did a great job of explaining this new technology.

• 24    The coolest kid // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:52 am

  To Hilary Duff,
  I thought that your article wa sreally good and I learned a lot. I didn’t know that dragonflys can fly 27 miles in 2 weeks.

• 25    The coolest kid // Feb 8, 2007 at 11:55 am

  To moi171,
  When I read your article I was instantly hooked. I didn’t know that they found a cure for brain cancer.

• 26    crazy // Feb 8, 2007 at 12:00 pm

  The article was published February 5, 2007 and it was by Emily Son. The article “Eat out, eat smart” was about foods that are fattening and make you overweight.
  In the article it said that McDonald’s, Wendy’s, restaurants, and Burger King and even Star Bucks, put fat in every food. I feel sick because I eat in one of those places. McDonald’s has this Double Whopper with cheese that is 990 calories, but wait there’s more. Arby’s Broccoli and cheese Baked Potatoes has 536 calories. There is a lot of food that makes you overweight. Even though a lot of food makes you overweight don’t just stop eating but just watch on what you eat and be careful eating it too cause some food can be dangerous.
  I agree with Emily Son because a lot of people don’t care about what they are eating but what they do care about is how it tastes.

• 27    The coolest kid // Feb 8, 2007 at 12:01 pm

  to alpibetsoap,
  I thought that your article on fast food had a lot of facts. I didn’t know that fast food had so many calories in the food.

• 28    White Ivy // Feb 8, 2007 at 12:03 pm

  This comment is for maniacleprechaun–You did a really good job! I want to read the article now. You explained it very well, and thouroughly expressed your opinion. Super!

• 29    lola // Feb 8, 2007 at 12:05 pm

  This comment is for Moi171-
  Your article was really good and reassured me in a way that we can invent cures for fatal diseases. My only question was that, how was this article more challenging to you? I ask this only because your report was as short as just a regular report. (Unless of course, that was not the most challenging thing.) Overall goog job!!!

• 30    The coolest kid // Feb 8, 2007 at 12:08 pm

  New Lemur species

  In Madagascar scientists found a new species of lemur called mouse lemur. It is a species only found in Antananarivo, Madagascar. It is the countries flagship species.
  Madagascar has all different kinds of lemurs. They discovered three different mouse lemurs in Madagascar. The new lemurs are bringing tourists to Madagascar. And people love the new lemurs.
  Madagascar has more than 10 types of lemur and they bring lots of people. 16 species of lemur have disappeared from the island of Madagascar. Their homes are disappearing so that is why the lemurs are disappearing from Madagascar.

  I forgot to include my reflection on the New Lemur Species. Here it is: I thought that the article on lemurs was a really good. It was full of facts and lots of good stuff on lemurs.

• 31    PinkButterfly397 // Feb 8, 2007 at 5:02 pm

  ~~Weekly Science Report~~ 2/7/07
  The article I read was “Eat Out, Eat Smart” by Emily Sohn. It was written on February 7, 2007. This article was about how people are getting more aware of what they are eating. Restraints will soon have to place the amount of calories in food on their menus to inform their costumers if they food they are eating is good or bad. It also said that many people in the United states are obese… two thirds of adults and fifteen percent of teenagers are obese and weighing too much makes people more likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems. I t showed how much things have changed from the past… many restaurants have been using trans fats and over-sizing the proportions.
  This article showed some very good points. I didn’t know that people were not aware of what they were eating. I also found it very interesting that if you eat the same thing at your house rather than eating it a restaurant you could eat 25% less calories. This article was very well written and was written so I could understand it. I think that it was kind of boring though it should have had more facts.!!!

• 32    PinkButterfly397 // Feb 8, 2007 at 5:04 pm

  ~~~`the coolest kid~~~
  your retell of the article was very good but i think you should add some more to your response!!!

• 33    PinkButterfly397 // Feb 8, 2007 at 5:07 pm

  ~~~Crazy~~~
  Your retell was very good you added good examples from the article..i think that you should add more to your retell though!

• 34    PinkButterfly397 // Feb 8, 2007 at 5:08 pm

  ~~~moi171~~~
  good retell and response!!

• 35    lola // Feb 8, 2007 at 5:58 pm

  This comment is for the coolest kid-
  Your report was very interesting, and fun to read. ( I did a report on leumers for one of my articles as well.) I think your response should have been a little bigger though, and explained what was challenging to you in this article compared to all the other other ones, but good job anyway.

• 36    lola // Feb 8, 2007 at 6:02 pm

  This comment is for crazy-
  Ewww! It disgusts me to know how many calories are put into foods! I need to Though your report was very well written and informative but I think your response should have been longer. Over all-great job!

• 37    lola // Feb 8, 2007 at 6:06 pm

  this comment is still for crazy-
  I need to check the calories on boxes and other foods!!!!
  -thats all, just finishing my other sentence which I so meanly ignored.

• 38    Gia Beth // Feb 8, 2007 at 7:11 pm

  The article I read is called “UV Damage to DNA Clocked” written by somebody at Ohio State University. I found it at http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20070101164743data_trunc_sys.shtm
  The article was about how ultra violet light can effect the energy level in the DNA strand. When the energy level goes up from the UV light it can cause molecular bonds to form between the Thymine bases that are stacked up on top of each other. The cells that are so badly effected just simply die, which is what gives sunburn it’s sting. The scientists also think those kinds of molecular structure damage could be what is the cause of skin cancer.
  I think it is good that they are working on figuring out how skin cancer may be caused. It would be even better if after they figure out how it is caused they could find a way to cure it and all other types of cancer. But I think the author should’ve told more about the scientists research and if they believe they are able to find the definite cause of skin cancer. All in all, I think it was an interesting article to read especially when we have just finished learning about DNA. If it had that little bit more it would’ve been all that much better.

• 39    green // Feb 8, 2007 at 8:44 pm

  Wizardry At Harvard: Physicists Move Light
  by Kenneth Chang

  This article is about these scientists doing stuff with light. They were actually able to slow down the speed of light and eventually stop it all together. They did all these tests with lasers and weird chemicals. Whats very cool about it is that they would capture light and then release it. The released light would start moving again. They are beginning to build a computer that will be able to do this.

  I think it is extremely cool that they can do this. I did have some trouble reading the article. It was very complex and talked about a lot of stuff that I didn’t know. They said that this light thing would be very useful but Im not really sure how

• 40    volleyball chick 4 lifee // Feb 9, 2007 at 11:53 am

  The article I chose is called, “Eat Out, Eat Smart”, by Emily Sohn. It can be found at http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20070207/Feature1.asp.

  This article talks about different health decisions that restaurants may be forced to make, such as putting health information on the menus, and taking “heart damaging” trans fatty foods out of bakeries. The article also talks about obesity and that people who eat out generally devour more calories, but less healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.

  I like this article for a few reasons. One reason is that like many other people, I LOVE food. I like reading articles about food because they can teach me things I need to know about food that I don’t already know. Things that could protect me from becoming obese or getting diabetes.

  Another reason that I like this article is because it is not very challenging, but it is long and purely informational. It is also a very easy subject to read about. Who wouldn’t like reading about food?

• 41    DARLiNGPiNK! // Feb 10, 2007 at 4:01 pm

  This comment is for volleyball chick 4 lifee.

  Your report was really good! I too like to read about food (but when I read about trans fat I just want to throw up). Your response was thoughtful and really good, I just wish you had wrote more about what the article was about-like you could have included statistics and facts from the article.

  Good Job!

• 42    Gia Beth // Feb 11, 2007 at 11:56 am

  PinkButterfly397 - I like how, in your response, you said that the article was good but that it could’ve included more facts. You were able to find that it was a good article but it could’ve been better. Great job!!!

• 43    DARLiNGPiNK! // Feb 11, 2007 at 3:00 pm

  this comment is for january q man:

  You did a great retell of your article-I learned a lot about biotechnology from just reading your retell! In your response you didn’t write very much, so next time maybe you should write less in your retell and more in your response.

• 44    DARLiNGPiNK! // Feb 11, 2007 at 3:06 pm

  This comment is for ManiacLeprechaun:

  I really enjoyed reading your report! What you wrote about was really appropriate for this week’s article because we just saw An Inconvenient Truth. It is terrible what is happening to our environment and I too am happy the Senate is turning down the bill.
  You had a great response and retell!

  Once again, Terrific Job!

• 45    volleyball chick 4 lifee // Feb 11, 2007 at 3:51 pm

  This comment is for DARLiNGPiNK!

  Your article was very good. You used very sophisticated vocabulary and you seemed to know exactly what you are talking about. Really really well written… NICE WORK!

• 46    volleyball chick 4 lifee // Feb 11, 2007 at 7:12 pm

  This comment is for PinkButterfly397.

  I was skimming the reports in our class when I came across your report, and I saw that you did your report on the same article as me! Having read the article myself, I can tell that you fully explained the article in your summary. I like how you put some criticism into your report, such as what Emily Sohn should have included or taken out in her article. Overall, great job!

• 47    volleyball chick 4 lifee // Feb 11, 2007 at 7:16 pm

  This comment is for Gia Beth.

  I like your report a lot. You concluded it well, you summarized it well, it was a very well done piece. I like how you said what you like and dislike about the article because it shows there is a little bit of good bad in every article. Really nice job!

• 48    Earthchild // Feb 11, 2007 at 11:34 pm

  Article: HPV vaccination and teen sex: A teenager’s view
  Author: Courtney Toombs

  Summary: In the eyes of a 19 year old (Courtney Toombs) she states her feelings on the vaccination for HPV. Her mother also has a veiw in this editorial. Many Parnets believe that the vaccination is inviting their daughters to have sex because HPV is transmitted sexually.
  In this editorial peice Courtney states that she strongly beleives that the vaccination doesn’t offer daughters to have sex. Courtney also belives that the more taboo parents make sex the more likely theur daughters will do it anyway. She believes that if teens are educated better then they will know whether they are emotionally ready.
  Courtney’s mom belives that it’s the girl’s responsibility to guard herself. Vaccination choice has nothing to do with wheter or not the girl and the boy choses to have sex.

  Reflection: I think that this editorial is very personal to all girls. I agree strongly with Courtney. Havign sex deals with emotions more than vaccines and i agree with her mother on the idea that it is the girl’s responsibility. I think that its rather idiotic for parents to not vaccinate their daughters on the soul reason alone that it gives them and invitation to have sex. Again, I agree with courtney on the fact that it is being emotionally ready more than being vaccinated.

• 49    Earthchild // Feb 11, 2007 at 11:36 pm

  to green: your article sounded very interesting, but it seemed as though all of it was mostly reflection

• 50    Earthchild // Feb 11, 2007 at 11:43 pm

  to volley ball chick 4 lifee:
  i liked your article, but in your reflection you should talk more about how this affects you. Not just in the way that it’s preventing dabetes and obesity btu also how maybe it will save you from getting a heart attack.

• 51    Earthchild // Feb 11, 2007 at 11:44 pm

  To Gia beth:
  excellent report i loved how you had a solid summarry and and a good and thoughtful reflection.

• 52    White Ivy // Feb 12, 2007 at 11:41 am

  My article is called “The Flora Among Us” and it’s by Henry Fountain. For starters, for those who don’t know what flora is, they’re bacteria and other microorganisms that normally inhabit a bodily organ. Researchers from the New York University School of Medicine have proven that there is a big community of bacteria living on the human skin. They had tests done on the forearms of six healthy people. From the tests, they discovered that there were more than 180 bacterial species. Two of the researchers, Dr Martin J. Blaser and Zahn Gao did a survey to characterize the bacteria using a genetic ananlysis. They isloated the DNA fragments from the bacteria in the skin samples. Then they compared the sequences with a database of known sequences from bacteruial species. The researchers determined that there were 182 species with 91 genera. So each test subject had about 50 species. When four of the six subjects were tested months later, many original species had been replaced with new ones. There are varied species of bacteria on our bodies, and 90% of them fall into three main phyla.
  I picked this article because of the title. The article itself wasn’t so long, but I had no idea what “a flora” was. When I was reading it for the first time, I had to stop a lot to look up words and eventually ended up reading the article three times. The writer used scientific words which were hard for me to understand. I didn’t really find this article that interesting because it was only two pages long and didn’t seem to have a real point.

• 53    White Ivy // Feb 12, 2007 at 11:43 am

  This comment is for Gia Beth–I liked how you told what you liked and disliked. Your reflection was very good!

• 54    White Ivy // Feb 12, 2007 at 11:45 am

  This comment is for DARLiNG PiNK! –You used great vocab to explain the meaning of your article. We can really tell that you fully understood what you were writing about–great job!

• 55    High School never ends // Feb 16, 2007 at 11:15 am

  Action Video Games Sharpen Vision 20 Percent

  I read an article that claims playing action video games improves your eye sight by 20%. This discovery was found at the University of Rochester. The experiment happened on the campus of the University of Rochester. They had to groups one of the groups played tetris a couple hours a day for 1 month the other group played Unreal Tournament. This summed up that play action games improve your eyesight by 20%

• 56    Jack // Jan 3, 2008 at 10:18 am

  Jack…

  I’ve just bought a Tony Buzan book about self-improvement. Highly recommended….

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