It's Not Unusual

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

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

My New Earth Day Album Drops Next April 22

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

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.

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!)

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"

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

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.