"The Big Mo"

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2007-05-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

And play these city environment games.

GoWild NYC (gowildnyc.org)

It's Not Unusual

2007-05-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

It's not unusual to read a terrible science rap on here.

Now this is a story all about me
And how my environmental awareness came to be
So I'd like to take a minute... just stay with me
So I can tell you how I recycled at 163

Near East Tremont/180th born and raised
On the playground is where I spend my spring school days
Talking with friends and relaxing (within rules)
We drink fruit punch outside before after school
When Ms. Miller comes up... I think she means good...
She starts making us trouble about our snack food
Our containers on the street top make her real mad
She says, "You need always to recycle bottles and cans!"

I ask glass or plastic and her look gets weird
Ms. Miller says "use plastic"—no glass allowed here!
If anything at least her advice is free
So I might as well recycle and save work, and trees

I walk up to a green bin 'round two-thirty
And I say to my classmates, "Please come join me"
How clean it would make our community
To dispose of all refuse at 163!

Best of The Fresh Prince (YouTube):
The Carlton Dance
Jazz Gets Thrown Out
"Jump On It" (Apache Dance)

My Web Hits Could Be A Mill Saying Nothing On Scienceback

2007-05-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ms. Miller's raps are hot. Yours ain't 'cause they're store-bought.

Think Ms. Miller's homemade science raps are the worst? Try this T.I. video! There are calculators.

Somebody Ms. Miller knew in high school used to dress up as a calculator at football games.

What You Know About Math? (YouTube)

Calculator image courtesy TI-83calculator.net

Just Cause

2007-04-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

A hypothesis is a science guess. We use it to guess the cause of an effect. As scientists we guess causes. We observe (see) effects.

A good hypothesis takes "If _______, then _________" form. The "if" is the guess, or cause. The "then" is the observation, or effect.

Say I drop a penny from the tallest building in the Bronx:

If I drop a penny from the roof, then the penny makes a hole in someone's head on the ground.

Doctors create hypotheses all the time! They observe someone is sick, then explain why. The same is true of earth scientists: They see the Earth is polluted, or dirty, then tell us how we can make it better.

What do you hypothesize the Bronx will look like after 100 years of pollution?

*Graphic courtesy edventures.com

Kid and Play

2007-04-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

You are a kid. Play these pollution games.

The pollution games are from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The picture is from early '90s pop rap duo Kid 'N Play, stars of House Party.

Kid 'n Play, the cartoon (NBC, via YouTube)

My New Earth Day Album Drops Next April 22

2007-04-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Now let me remind you that you are the science kings of 163!

"I Pollute"
Southsidebronx Tweensounds
Big Mo Records
I pollute
Soon as I get up and turn on the TV I pollute
And when I drive my car or take the D I pollute
Sometimes when it's hot and I need AC I pollute
And when I listen to an iPod track by Jay-Z I pollute
So kids don't bring your trash to me, please, 'cause I pollute
And kids, don't bring your clean water to me, 'cause I pollute
Please believe it unless your home is airtight with a dustbuster
Then don't bring your stuff around me 'cause I pollute

That's right I tell the truth and the whole truth
When it come to energy I'm not reducing like I'm supposed to,
reusing like I'm supposed to, recycling like I'm supposed to
Conserving materials like I'm supposed to
I don't understand when Al Gore says we have to clean the earth
Puttin' earth tone suit clips on YouTube across the earth
Somebody told me that global warming's just a cover
Just soon as a new president's elected he's gonna put another
Watchdog on the prowl when I'm dirtying the park
If I could, man, I'd probably try to find a different park
Yeah, yeah, they say I'm against conservation
But when I step up to them, I'd go back, it's OK, pollution
Believe me, kids, I heard Ms. Miller's students know their sci
And that the students learn ecology in sci
Now the moral of story is conserve 'cause hey
The earth's resources are precious—it's rich!
So don't pollute!

Air Pollution Game (SmogCity2.org)

Image courtesy arborday.org

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grade Science Teacher?

2007-04-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

Welcome back from break!

There's a new TV show on FOX called Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Since you are a 5th grader, or the parent of one, I think you know the answer. Either way, try the TV show's 5th grade science quiz game.

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (FOX)

Wolfe Like Tiffany

2007-03-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-03-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

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)

2007-03-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

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"

2007-03-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-03-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

"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

2007-03-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

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

2007-03-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

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)

Surf for Ocean Games

2007-01-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

Can you put these ocean puzzle pieces in motion? With your new ocean map and data table-reading skills, I bet you can!

But can you name all the oceans without the map? :)

Ocean Map Game

Glo-Ballin'!

2007-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

"Hydrosphere"
Scientist S.O.M.E. (Studier Of My Environment)
Ms. Miller
Big Mo Records

Hydrosphere, we live here, you know this (OCEANS!)
Water circlin' outside, inside, in a ball-shaped building
Hydrosphere, 3/4 of here, on earth, you know this (OCEANS!)
5th grade sci, oh my, we study oceans

The water part of the earth is called the hydrosphere. It takes up about 3/4 of the earth. (Say 71% if you want to be exact like one smartie, Maria, from Ms. D'Ascoli's class.) Three out of every four places you go on earth are underwater. Most of that water is saltwater in oceans.

I'm Your Density

2007-01-26T17:05:00.001-08:00

Great minds think alike. This college teacher did the same experiment Ms. Miller did in class today with cubes. You can think like us, too!

Today we played with the most important chemical on Earth. It's called dihydrogen oxide—H2O! Water!—and you can get it anywhere.

Try this trick at home!
- Get 2 cups half-full of water and 2 pencils that are the same kind.
- Pour a lot of salt into one cup. Mix the salt and water up.
- Tell a friend you can do magic!
- Put a pencil in each cup.
- One pencil will sink. One pencil will float.
- Can your friend tell you why?

You can! The earth has 2 kinds of water: freshwater and saltwater. When you swim at the beach, you float. When you're on a lake, it's easier to sink and drown. But how so?

Fifth Grade Funnies

2007-01-22T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ms. Miller used to be in fifth grade, too! (Click to enlarge)

She's the one with the bangs and the weird shorts front and center!

New diseases and a new scientist of the month to come in the next couple of days.

Question Time

2007-01-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! So many new questions, too. Ms. Miller asked her assistant J. Walter Weatherman to answer a few for you.

What are your favorite bands?
Angel, Ms. D'Ascoli's class
Some of Ms. Miller's favorite bands are Talking Heads, Blondie, the Kinks, the Clash, Radiohead, and Wilco. These are older bands, so if you know any of them Ms. Miller will be proud of you. She is always happy to talk about music after class. If you like Ciara or Rihanna, for example, Ms. Miller thinks you try Kelis, who is better because she is more fashionable and married Nas.

Who is your favorite Degrassi couple?
Clarissa, Ms. Arias' class
The best couple of all time on Degrassi, by far, is JT and Liberty. Ms. Miller's favorite character is Craig.

Do you watch Desperate Housewives?
Jose, Ms. St. Marie's class
Ms. Miller watched the first season. The show was really good until Bree's husband Rex left the show.

Do you have a MySpace account?
Leandro, Ms. D'Ascoli's class
Sadly, no. Ms. Miller wanted Scienceback to be a MySpace page so her students could friend it and message her. But then Nick News told her MySpace can be dangerous, so she made a blog instead.

Do you have friends? Do you have a life?
Manuel, Ms. Arias' class
Teachers have friends, too! They just can't talk about them during class because you have so much to learn.

Send Ms. Miller your questions after class, or write them in your science notebook. She will try to get Mr. Weatherman to answer them here every once in a while.

*Image courtesy kidsrcrafty.com

Pretty, Pretty Proteins

2006-12-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-12T19:32:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-12-12T19:22:00.000-08:00

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

2006-12-03T18:52:00.000-08:00

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

Scientist of the Month, PS3 Edition

2006-11-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

November's Scientist of the Month winners are...
- Diandre (Samuels)!
- Ismael (Arias)!

They got prizes. (Not a PS3, unfortunately, but they can show you.)

December's Scientist of the Month will be online next Monday...

Don't Hate Nutrition, Hate the Game

2006-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

Scienceback is back from break.

Play this food pyramid game!

Gimme 5 food groups!

- Grains (orange)
- Vegetables (green)
- Fruits (red)
- Milk Products (blue)
- Meat and beans (purple)

*The thin yellow line is for oils, like grease and fat.The bigger the slice, the more you should eat from that group. Eat homemade, healthy snacks when you can. Eat a little of each group every day.

Food Pyramid Blast-Off Game (MyPyramid.gov)

Mo Miller, Mo' Problems

2006-11-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

Another single, she drops...

"Mo Miller, Mo' Problems"
by Manuel and Ismael
with outro by Jerry, Bryan, and Zaquan
Southsidebronx TweenSounds
Big Mo Records

THE BIG MO-TIVATION
THE BIG VOCABULARY
THE BIG KNOW QUIZZES
SO PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS!

No Guts, No Glory (But Yes, It Is Emo)

2006-11-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

I Heart Guts is a hip fashion label in L.A. It sells T-shirts about our organs. If you look at the "Art & Photos" section on that website, you can see what happens when Heart and Stomach take a field trip to New York.

Our friend in the picture is Kidney. He says, "Urine good hands."

Through I Heart Guts, you can friend your favorite organs on MySpace.

*Note to Parents: Some language on MySpace is inappropriate for children.

Scientist of the Month, Again: Ken Kutaragi

2006-11-12T17:17:00.000-08:00

Our "Scientist of the Month" is still Ken Kutaragi. Ken Kutaragi invented Playstation. Write a 2-page report about him, and Ms. Miller will love you forever. You might also win a small prize...

Remember: Reports are now due Friday, November 17.

If you need help writing your report, talk to Ms. Miller before Friday. This story has some ideas. The vocabulary's tough, but Ms. Miller knows you can read it!

Be a Bathroom Expert

2006-11-08T10:43:00.000-08:00

Excretory System Movie

Our excretory system helps us go to the bathroom. (To excrete means to get rid of body trash.)

This picture has labels that tell us all the parts in the system. When these parts work together as a system, urine (liquid) and feces (solid) come out.

Check back tomorrow to see what all these parts can do!

Scientist of the Month: Ken Kutaragi

2006-11-05T17:05:00.000-08:00

Ken Kutaragi invented Sony Playstation.

Write a two-page report on Kutaragi by November 13. The writer of the best essay will get a small prize.
- How did Kutaragi become a scientist?
- Which parts of Playstation did he invent?
- Why is this invention important to you?
- What can you do to be more like him as a scientist?

Mo-tivators -- Metabolism Quiz

2006-11-03T08:03:00.000-08:00

This week I'm not listing the class averages because they were too low for the Big Mo. Come on, kids! You can do better than that! Thankfully, two classes had a long list of Mo-tivators. So, who hit the Big Mo (80% or above) on this week's metabolism quiz?

Arias
Neville
Merlin
Manuel

D'Ascoli
James
Ciara
Aliah (100%)
Amanda
Xena (100%)
Albania
Jhoanna
Jarlenis (100%)

Congratulations to first-time Big Mo winners Manuel, Jarlenis, and James! Let's see it next week, too!

Happy, Healthy Halloween

2006-10-31T07:43:00.000-08:00

This is a food label. The label tells us what nutrients are inside our food. That is why it says "Nutrition Facts" at the top.

The label tells us the amount of nutrients in one serving of the food. We know how much food is in a serving from the serving size -- How many pieces of candy? How many cookies? How many chips?

Sometimes the label will list the serving in grams, which measure how much the package or group of food weighs. One gram weighs about as much as one paper clip. You can find the serving size below the "Nutrition Facts" heading.

Calories are a way of measuring energy we get from food. One serving of food has a set number of calories inside it that our body makes into energy. You can find the number of calories in a serving below the serving size.

If you eat 2 servings, you eat 2 times the number of calories on the label. If you eat 5 servings, you eat 5 times the number of calories. (If you eat 5 servings, you probably are eating too much. What does your body do with that extra calorie energy?)

Calories from fat are the amount of energy from fat in the food. Fat is a kind of nutrient. Some types of fat are good for you in small amounts.

The total energy that we use up and get from food makes up our metabolism.

Nutrients: Games and Notes

2006-10-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

Click here for a Halloween nutrient game!

When we eat, our digestive system breaks food down into nutrients. Nutrients are the chemicals inside food that help us live and grow.

Nutrients react (mix) with chemicals inside our saliva and stomach. When too many of the stomach chemicals (acid) react, we get sick to our stomach and throw up -- and acid burns our throat!

Our small intestine cleans the nutrients with small hairs (villi), like in the picture here. The clean food goes through the intestine tube walls to the blood.

Blood circulates good nutrients. It takes them around the body for energy. Our large intestine gets rid of the garbage left over. We flush out when we go to the bathroom.

The chemical energy from food adds up to make our metabolism. We know our metabolism by how fast we burn calories, a way to measure energy. That's what you'll do in the game.

Climbing Science Hill

2006-10-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Some students asked for pictures of Yale, which is where Ms. Miller went to college. Here is a picture of "Science Hill," which is where students at Yale study science. The buildings are called "Science Hill" because they all sit one hill that looks over "the Have." (Yale is in New Haven, Connecticut, a small city an hour north of the Bronx by train or car. Some Yalies, or Yale students, call New Haven "the Have." Ms. D'Ascoli's students have another word for these Yalies from word study: ridiculous.)

An online tour of Yale, "ScienceBack Goes Back to Yale," is coming soon.

Mo-tivators: Digestive System Quiz

2006-10-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

How close did each class come this week to hitting the Big Mo, our goal of 80 percent mastery of each week's learning objectives?

#1 Arias (501), 64.8%
#2 Samuels (233), 60.0%
#3 D'Ascoli (500), 56.3%
#4 St. Marie (502), 53.5%
#5 Rios-Beltran (522), 46.7%

Good work, but we've got a long way to go to hit an 80 percent mean!

The week's "Mo-tivators" are below. "Mo-tivators" scored 80 percent or above on the Big Know weekly quiz.

Samuels
Robert

Rios-Beltran
Jonathan
Josue

D'Ascoli
Ciara
Amanda
Aliah
Xena
Shaiasia
Jhoanna
Leslie

Arias
Gaby
Dieshell
Jennifer
Merlin
Yehaziel
Neville
Kelly
Ryeasha
Christopher

St. Marie
Ariana
Edwin
Imani
Kevin R.

Science Says

2006-10-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I believe the children of PS163's science labs are our future.

Some things I learned in science is that an organism is a complex adaptive living system of organs. I learned about the Big Mo and a Big Vo. In the big Mo I learned about the cells that is in my body. The cells are the smallest building in your body. I also learned from my science teacher is that we had microscopes. I think my science teacher is really cool. When I was in 4th grade I never knew this stuff but now I know it. Thanks.
-- Chelsea

I learned about the digestive system and how it works. We first chew the food. Then we wet it with saliva. It goes down the esophagus. It goes down the stomach and to the intestines. Finally down the colon.

I went to scienceback.blogspot.com and played the game. The game is about the digestive system. You need to put the parts on the part. When I finish playing the game I go to study for my quiz on Thursday. I use it to study for digestive system.
-- Walter

After Walter used ScienceBack.blogspot.com to study the digestive system, he scored 30 percent higher on this week's quiz than last week. That sounds like Big Mo-tivation to me!

N*Sync With Science

2006-10-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Click here for the words to "ScienceBack," our class rendition (version) of the Justin Timberlake single. Any student or group of students who memorizes the song and performs it for the class with choreography (a dance to go along) will win a special prize. If you're too shy to stand up in front of the group, write another verse so we can "take it to the chorus!"

If enough of the fifth grade learns the song this way, I will try to videotape us for YouTube. That way every fifth grader in America can bring science back with us. And maybe we'll get famous.

*Also, we will bring science back to the forefront of the national policy agenda, thereby reinvigorating the movement toward higher academic standards in American elementary education. Hooray!

Digestion Questions -- Study for the quiz! Play a game!

2006-10-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

(Scroll down through this quick reading for the game.)

Teeth chew up our food. Saliva from our tongue breaks the food up even more so it will slide down our throat.

Our throat has a food tube inside called the esophagus. It moves the food down into our body by a muscle motion called peristalsis.

After food goes through the esophagus it goes into the stomach. The stomach has chemicals inside it which break up the food into invisible pieces.

From the stomach the food parts go into longer intestine tubes. Intestines clean the food pieces so they can move into the blood and become energy.

There are two kinds of intestines, the small and the large. The small intestine is long and thin -- 20 feet long, in fact! The large one is thick and short.

The colon is part of the large intestine. It gets rid of our food trash when we go to the bathroom.

Digestive system game

It's All Greek To Me

2006-10-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

In reading, we predict, or guess, what will happen next in a story. In science, we can predict what will happen next in an experiment.

Scientists make a lot of predictions, so they write them in a special way. A hypothesis is an ancient Greek word for a science guess.

Each hypothesis sentence uses the same words:
1) "If ______________..."
2) "...then _______________."

So you don't confuse a hypothesis with a hippotamus, remember this...
Hypo = Under
Thesis = Argument

A hypothesis is a guess we use as an argument under our whole experiment. Ifsomething happens, then something else will happen, too!

*Clyde Crashcup was the scientist on the old Alvin and the Chipmunks cartoons. He was a genius, but sometimes he would get his vocabulary words confused. You can learn more about Clyde and his lab assistant Leonardo here.

They Blinded Me With Science

2006-10-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Ms. Rios-Beltran's bilingual scholars let us in on what they've learned so far this year... one language, one time only!

I learned complicated words that I can't remember and I learned that every time I don't get the Big Mo I definitely need to retake the test and try better every day. I learned that things that you eat and things that are not living things and things that are living can be just like the human skin. I learned that the veins bring back the blood to the heart. I learned that the body of a human can be very complicated and that you do not only need lungs and air to breath, people need oxygen.

-- Patrick

In science I learned that with a microscope you ould see little stuff like germ. I learned that you can do fun experiment like check the temperature of ice in water. You can make like putting water in a cup and putting black pepper in the water then you can grab a glove and put it in the water and it can feel soft or gross. You can learn about hypothesis and cells and tissue. That can be a lot of fun learning about this stuff. I learned about the Big Mo and great stuff about science you can even learned about skin cake.
-- Paola

I think that this year is going to be really fun. With learning science because Ms. Miller is going to do really fun experiments for us... One day I know that we are going to be the best class in the whole school. Also we are going to get all those fun experiments that Ms. Miller wants to teach us.

--Adrian

"Organ-ize This"

2006-10-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Study for this week's "Big Know" with a digestive system game! Match the organ to its job on a human body cartoon.

I didn't make up the "Organ-ize This" title, but I so would've... which I note in my valley girl writer's voice for my girls in Ms. D'Ascoli's class.

Digestive System Game (HealthTrek)

ScienceBack -- The Single

2006-10-20T10:20:00.001-07:00

"ScienceBack"
Southsidebronx TweenSounds
Fifth Grade, feat. Miss Nuala
Big Mo Records

We're bringing science back
We're here to teach you science facts
We know that you know how to act
To learn how chemicals react

More verses to come. We will try to get an mp3 or video soon.

Charles (Drew) in Charge

2006-10-20T10:08:00.000-07:00

At the start of every unit, each fifth grade class gets a real-life scientist Role Mo-del to guide our own studies toward the Big Mo. Ms. Samuels' students want someone like Charles Drew in charge the next time they need a blood transfusion...

Charles Drew was African-American. Charles was a doctor and a scientist. Charles makes needles for people. Charles Drew was the famous scientist of the world. Charles helped people to live. Charles knows about lots of things about science. Charles Drew loves science a lot because he likes to me stuff and to be smart all day.

-- Joshua

I learned that Charles Drew was a miracle and that he was a doctor and he used to cut people very open and their heart and lungs. You can see anything about the body.

--Oscar

What is the Big Mo?

2006-10-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

"The Big Mo" is short for mo-tivation. In class we motivate ourselves and others to master 80 percent of 5th grade science standards by the end of the school year. To know whether we are getting closer to our goal, we take a "Big Know" quiz on what we have learned every Thursday. Every week, we hope to hit that magic number, and celebrate the student "Mo-tivators" who do. These quizzes review our new science vocabulary, which we call—can you guess?—"The Big Vo."

To get the Big Mo, we must remember to follow our class rules or "M.O.":

Be polite
In class, work together
Get work done on time
Make the effort
Own your actions

Bringing Science Back

2006-10-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

My name is Ms. Miller. (As some of my students like to add, "at science I'm killer.")

At P.S. 163, the fifth grade is bringing science back. This site is here so we can teach you science facts. This is our online resource for homework and class enrichment activities.

Welcome.