Pretty, Pretty Proteins

Proteins are like pretty necklaces. They break into beads. The beads twist into shapes. The shapes get big. The big shapes make strong new body muscle.

How much protein should we eat?

Say I weighed 100 pounds. (I wish.) Every day I should eat 1 gram of protein for every 2 pounds I weigh. So I need 50 g protein:

100 pounds/2 = 50

A peanut butter sandwich has about 8 g of protein. How many sandwiches should I eat to get all 50 g for the day?

December Scientist of the Month: Al Jean

That's not a picture of Al Jean. That's a picture of Springfield's smartest scientist Professor Frink.

Did you know that the people who make The Simpsons are science geniuses?

Meet Al Jean. Al Jean studied math and computer science at Harvard. Harvard is a small college in Boston. Nobody cares about it. But very smart people go there.

Al Jean uses science to write TV like The Simpsons, and, uh, Charles in Charge.

Write a 2-page report on him before the holiday. Maybe you'll win the prize! Here's a start:
Al Jean
Simpsons Math
"Meet the Geeks"

Not a Christmas Card... That Thing's A Carb!

Carbohydrates are nutrients. It is a fancy word for sugar or flour.We call them "carbs" for short.

We can't see inside carbs. But carbohydrates are made of carbon and water.

carbo -- carbon; hydra -- water

The carbon (C) and water (-OH) make pretty shapes.

The special carb shape helps shape our body cells. When those shapes break, though, they let out energy.

Sometimes carbs give us so much energy we can't use it all. When this happens, we get hyper -- sugar rush!

When you go on a "low-carb" diet, how many carbs do you eat?

Mo-tivators -- Food Pyramid

This week's 80 percent or above-ers are below. The Big Mo herself sends a shout out to St. Marie's class for their 73% class average this week! What hard work!

D'Ascoli
Aliah
Shaiasia
Nautica
Evan
Hemanjali
Leslie

Arias
Yehaziel
Zaquan
Tiffany

St. Marie
Aikia
Ariana
Imani
Jonathan
Jose
Kevin R.
Martin
Roy'ell

Samuels
Diandre
Robert
Marlin