Wolfe Like Tiffany

Some of our school's finest science researchers are investigating how you get head lice for the regional "science expo." This fascinating introduction to lice was written by our own Tiffany in Ms. Arias' class:

How dose lice feel? We had to interview VIP people to know that! We interview Ms. Ramsey, Ms. Arias. We want to www.headlice.org to get a little bit of imformation. We ask people if they had lice before! And them both said yes!

Lice is very itchy! said “Ms. Arias.” At frist you don’t feel it, or you don’t think of it tht much! But when your head itches that when you think you have lice. Or when you hear lice you start to scratch more and more! When there is egg you can’t feel the lice at all!! That what Ms. Ramsey said! It takes some time for them to grow biger! Once they lay eggs and more of them are born, there are a lot on your head. They get really, really, itchy when there are a lot of the actual bugs!!

What you have to do so the lice could go away is that you could use a special shapoo!! That what Ms. Ramsey use to get rid of the lice!! And her mom had to take the killed lice always with her hands!! Ms. Arias, what she did was that they poured gas in her head!! How naste was that!!

You could get lice from playing outdoors, from some one else, They can be spread by clothing, bedding, swimming and material!! So you better watch out for lice!!! It could be anywhere around you!!!!

I told Tiffany that she writes with a lot of "voice." She uses a lot of exclamation points like a very famous New York writer named Tom Wolfe. Wolfe is the man in the picture. He is a social scientist. That means he researches the science of people and society. He also always wears that silly white suit.

Parental guidance is suggested for these related clips (language, explosions):
South Park: "Lice Capades" (TV.com)
TV on the Radio: "Wolf Like Me" Music Video (YouTube)
*Photo courtesy www.achievement.org.

March Scientist of the Month: Richard Feynman

That's Dick Fine-Man to you, because Dick Feynman was a very fine man indeed.

YOUTUBE VIDEO COMING UP! KEEP READING!

Feynman grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. He loved science more than anything, especially if science could help him play jokes on his friends. Never in a mean way, Ms. Miller means. Feynman was all about fun!

As a kid he spent most of his free time taking radios apart and making up new ways to do math. In college Feynman's pranks got bigger. There, he studied physics, the science of how things on Earth move, so he could make explosions and fake trap doors in his house.

Later Feynman wrote a lot of papers about electricity. They were so smart that they won the Nobel Prize, the biggest award in the entire world. He taught science to people all over the world in a new and silly way that made him very famous. He played the bongos, painted, and made a point to tell anyone who didn't like his ideas that he didn't care what they thought as long as he liked himself. And that made everyone who knew him think he was pretty cool.

When you're older you can read about all the amazing stuff Dick Feynman did for science. For now watch this easy YouTube water experiment Dick Feynman once did in college to impress a girl:

Flipping Water Video (YouTube)

Question: How'd You Like This Knowledge That I Brought?

PS163's Independent Woman (Part 1) answers your questions again. Remember: Science time is for science lessons. I will, however, answer all your personal questions here. All you have to do is read!

Who would win in a fight: Human Torch or the Silver Surfer? Wolverine or Spiderman?
Angel, Ms. D'Ascoli's class
I'll call in my brother as a guest blogger and have him get back to you on that.

Have you seen 300?
Jillianlee, Ms. D'Ascoli's class
No, but I've heard it's pretty amazing. Did you know it's based on an ancient Greek war? Read about the real "300," the Battle of Thermopylae, here at History for Kids. The real story is much grosser and scarier than any movie!

Are you a real scientist?
Jonathan, Ms. St. Marie's class
Yes.

Have you ever done a science experiment before?
Argenis, Ms. D'Ascoli's class
Yes. Many. But my best project was from 8th grade, when I tested different sunscreens on members of my family. We all have fair skin, so they all got bad arm burns. I just watched. And took pictures.

Have you won the Nobel Prize?
Neville, Ms. Arias' class
No. Oh, well. But Alfred Nobel invented dynamite... good times.

What's Yale?
various students
Yale is a college in Connecticut. At Yale I studied history after I graduated from a science high school in Virginia. As a wise man once said, "Yale is at once a tradition, a company of scholars, a society of friends.

You a drama teacher or somethin'?
Jerry, Ms. Arias' class
No, but I played the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, my 4th grade class play.

You Irish?
Jose, Ms. Arias' class
I'm 15/16 Irish. Can you draw that fraction?

Image courtesy "Making Science Make Sense"

Water Saves, New York Invests (In Its Future)

Water Saves
by Gaby, Christopher A., and Bryan, feat. Ms. Reinmann
Scientist S.O.M.E. (Studier of My Environment)
Big Mo Records

Water helps to keep us alive
So what we say—it isn't just jive
Unless we start conserving the stuff
You know that soon there won't be enough
When you brush you teeth don't let the water run.
Don't waste in washing dishes or you'll have non
Take a short shower—don't take a bath
The water you waste will be cut in half
In summer don't use too much H2O
When you use the pump, try to restrict the flow
'Cause hydrants need water to help fight a fire
Or he flames will just go higher and higher
Remember everybody just do your part
Don't waste water—use your brains and your heart.

Water Conservation Rap
by Diandre, Walter, Oscar
Scientist S.O.M.E.
Big Mo Records

The water is black 'cause of people
They throw their food like seafood
The nearest river by Chinatown
Is the East where a lot of dirt can be found

Sewers, sewers they're so dirty, dirty
They're on the bottom of New York City
Travel to the East River
Make it smell like liver
'Cause my mom says I wanted to go swim in it
But it was so dirty I couldn't even live in it

Brooklyn Bridge is fallin' down
Plus it looks like my mom when she's stressin' out

OCEANS
They stay fly
They're fresh
We drink it
OCEANS
They're in New York...

Great work, boys and girls!

*Ele-FUN courtesy www.lvwater.org

Question Time 2: "Stan the Man"

Always with the questions!

Who would win in a fight: Human Torch or the Silver Surfer?
--Angel, Ms. D'Ascoli's class

Stan Lee, the man who invented both characters. Lee is from the Bronx. He founded Marvel Comics after graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School a few blocks up Grand Concourse.

Here's what Stan Lee has to say about elementary school:

Stan sees many things that can be done with education to make it more beneficial [helpful] to students. To him, there is nothing more exciting than history, geography, language or science, if those subjects are taught in an imaginative, entertaining way. He thinks teachers need to take a tip from show biz, to learn how to hold a youngster’s interest, to make him want to learn by making learning fun.

I hope this blog makes science learning fun!

Stan Lee photo courtesy comicon.com

It Takes The Conservation of Millions to Hold Our Water Supply Intact

Untitled Water Conservation Rap
Scientist S.O.M.E. (Studier of My Environment)
Laquanda, Daisha, Stephanie, Leslie, feat. Mabel ("she likes cable!")
Big Mo Records

Yo, yo, don't keep the water running
After washing your hands
You hear the man!
And when you want to get wet
Don't keep the fire hydrant running
After you get out of the shower
Don't keep water running
Because in case of a fire
And we don't have no water
To put the fire out

Who's inviting these girls to Freestyle Friday?

Photo courtesy New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The Science of St. Nick

"Ms. Miller, can I ask you a personal question?" Angel in Ms. D'Ascoli's class asked this afternoon. "Is Santa Claus real?"

Actually, scientists have proved it! Every Christmas a team of scientists tracks Santa's path from the North Pole using radar. Radar is a way to tell where people and things are. It measures where you are by the invisible waves you let out everywhere you go. In this case, this radar is called "SantaCam." Basically, scientists use a digital camera and take many pictures of Santa as he flies through the air with his eight reindeer.

So yes, Santa is real. Tell your friends. Please also remind them that fake Christmas is in July, not March, which is St. Patrick's month. (Erin go bragh!)

NORAD Santa radar (en espanol)
Radar Online (celebrity news, not about real radar)
St. Patrick's Day Games (GAMES, people!)

We Second That Experiment On Oceans

Take two, this time with Ms. Arias' class!

Inquiry Question by Dieshell
-->Why do cities put salt on the streets when it's icy?
Let's say a lady comes out of the store with bag's. There's no salt of the side walk. They ran out of the store than sliped. I don't think the person that own's the store want's to go to cort. Salt melts ice.


Hypothesis by Jessica
If we put ice on hot water then the temperature is going to decrease.

Observations by Esther
0 min Nothing
1 min the salt observe [absorbs] the ice
2 min it melted
3 min it turn to water a little bit
4 min the ice srinked
5 min it turned to all water
Every minute the salt kept on melt into the ice. By the fifth minute it turned to all water. When you feel it it's cold and feels like ice water.

Data by Adrian
Time Temperature
0 min 12°C
1 min 11°C
2 min 8°C
3 min 10°C
4 min 9°C
5 min 12°C
6 min 8°C
7 min 11°C
The pattern goes from greatest to least.

Conclusion by Kelly
Today in science we learned that when you put salt on ice it first hardens then it melts.

Image of icy Bronx street courtesy luckypauper.com

Ms. Samuels' Class Is Worth Its Salt

Let Ms. Samuels' scientific method experts take you through our latest experiment, inspired by the Bronx's recent snowstorms. They sure showed Ms. Miller how smart science is done!

Hypothesis
If we pour salt on ice then the ice will melt quickly and be more cold.
(Marlin)

Observations
Time -- Observation
1 min -- bubble
2 min -- Mix with water
3 min -- It melt
4 min -- Stuck
5 min -- Ice
6 min -- Smack out
7 min -- Sweat
8 min -- Salt ice
9 min -- Hard shell
10 min -- Smell like limon
(Diandre)

Time -- Observation
0 min -- Nothing
1 min -- The salt is melting the Ice.
2 min -- The ice is stuck to the can.
3 min -- The salt is breaking the Ice.
4 min -- The salt is frozen.
5 min -- The salt burn my frend
6 min -- The Ice is frezing the can
7 min -- Now the Ice is melting
8 min -- The Ice is getting thin
9 min -- The can is getting colder
10 min -- The Ice is gone
(Robert)

Data
Time (min) -- Temperature (ºC)
0 (min) -- 10 (ºC)
1 (min) -- 0 (ºC)
2 (min) -- 4 (ºC)
3 (min) -- 0 (ºC)
4 (min) -- 0 (ºC)
5 (min) -- -2 (ºC)
6 (min) -- -3 (ºC)
7 (min) -- -10 (ºC)
(Walter)

Conclusion
The salt melt in to water. It had ice in it. It cud mix with enitin.
(Oscar)

The salt was turn into cold in the ice. The water was turn salt, then the water was cold. The water and salt was mix into ice.
The temperature went down. My hypothesis is similar to results. The temperature went down. The hypothesis is a guess.
(Charnier)