Mira's Science Blogs

Summary: States of Matter: You may be wondering, what are the three states of matter? The three states of matter are solid, liquid and gas. An example of a solid is a pencil, and example of a liquid is apple juice or milk, and an example of a gas might be the heat coming from your soup. Solids: In solids, the molecules are held together by attracting and repelling like a little dance in an orderly fashion. Once the molecules start to heat up, they attract and repel faster and faster until they stop doing everything "organized" and move around freely. This causes them to melt because they cannot hold the shape anymore. Liquids: In liquids, the molecules are moving freely, which is why a liquid does not keep its shape except the shape of it's container. Liquids will flow due to the force of gravity. When molecules are moving slowly, they become cooler, but when they move fast they become warm. This is why, when liquids are cooled enough they turn into s...

Summary: In this project, I learned about Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics. In Mendelian genetics, the dominant allele in a genotype decides what the trait for the offspring (baby) will be. In non-Mendelian genetics, there is incomplete dominance where the colors are blended, and co-dominance where both colors are showing, like spotted or striped. Epigenetics is when nature or the person's choices affect what the person will end out like. If the mother eats a lot of sweets when she is pregnant, the offspring will end up with diabetes. That is an example of epigenetics and how it can affect the child when they grow up. Mutations are when there is a change of genetic material. There are ext ernal factors , like radiation or pollution, and there are internal Factors, which are errors that get bigger over time. Mutation s do not happen on purpose and a re ra ndom.  Ge ne Mutations: Substitution ( switched base) Incursion (extra base) De letion (one base ...

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/content/dam/kids/photos/animals/Mammals/Q-Z/sloth-branch-hanging.jpg.adapt.945.1.jpg Summary: Have you ever seen a sloth? They live in tropical forests in Central and South America such as Costa Rica. They have long arms and claws to hold onto a tree branch and have long fur, which makes them look like a monkey when they are related to anteaters and armadillos. You would usually find them relaxing in a tree or eating leaves. They can sleep up to 20 hours a day and move very slowly. They move so little that they can have algae on their fur! Sloths, also known as  Bradypus variegatus can be  2-2.5 feet long and depending on species and geography, weigh 8-7 pounds. The family name is  Bradypodidae and is classified as a mammal. They live about 10 years and are herbivores meaning that they eat plants. There are two kinds of sloths, that look very alike.  Three-toed sloths like to sit upright on a tree branch ...

http://s2.thingpic.com/images/ed/GexAz6wusXFhzU7zEJSzz2Uo.jpeg Summary: In class, we were learning about four organ systems and what they do in their normal mode, but we were also learning about what these organ systems do in a villainous superhuman state. The four organ systems that I chose were skin, muscles, eyes and ears. For each of these systems, we drew a scientific diagram. Skin The skin is covered over the body, called the integumentary system. It protects the body from injury and disease caused by bacteria and various viruses. Skin also helps to maintain body temperature are keeps cells from drying out. This is a very important organ system so the body can stay safe from harm and danger. Muscular System There are three different kinds of muscles. Cardiac muscles, skeletal muscles, and smooth muscles. They are located in various different places of the body such as arms, legs, and even eyes. They help perform some of the body's movements such ...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/assets/2014/07/12.png Summary: This week in science we have been learning about Mutations and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms.) Mutations are not planned or done purposely, but GMOs are modified for specific different reasons from harmful viruses to better tasting fruit.  What are Mutations? A mutation is a change of genetic material. There are two ways that Mutations can occur. The first way is by external factors. These are caused by radiation, pollution, or chemicals. Then, there are internal Factors which are errors that get bigger over time such as DNA that fails to copy accurately. Now you may be thinking, “Can I make a mutation?” Mutations are random, meaning that you cannot decide when they will occur. Mutations can have positive and negative effects that happen right away or over a long period of time. There are two different kinds of mutations. There are gene mutations and chromosome mutations that have differe...

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/content/dam/kids/photos/animals/Mammals/A-G/cheetah-mom-cubs.jpg.adapt.945.1.jpg Summary: Have you ever seen a cheetah, or are you planning to ever see one? Cheetahs live mainly in grasslands and areas with bushes and trees in some parts of Africa and the middle east, but you may have trouble finding one because they are very close to extinction. Less than 10,000 cheetahs are left in the wild. This is because of loss of habitat, and less prey to eat which threatens the loss of these beautiful creatures. The scientific name for a cheetah is  Acinonyx jubatus. The family name of cheetahs is Felidae. Their lifespan can be from 10 - 12 years, depending on the different conditions of prey, habitat, and weather. They eat carnivores such as  gazelles, impalas, which is a medium-sized antelope, and smaller hoofed animals in their habitat, though they can also eat rabbits, birds, and other small animals. The cheetah is the f...

This is our trifold poster Summary:  This week in school, we have been working on the charity fair. The charity that my group chose is Aim High. Aim High is a non-profit organization that helps middle school students that are either behind in learning or come from low-profit neighborhoods. They help by offering them a free chance to catch up during the summer to be prepared for high school and then later on for college. About 97% of Aim High students are youth of color, 80% live in low-income homes, and 75% speak a language other than English at home . 70% of their teachers are people of color, 60% are multilingual (speak several different languages), and 30% are graduates of Aim High, and come back to help other kids because they have the same experience. Aim high is very cost-effective, and pays the teacher $2,000 per-student for teaching during the whole summer. Aim High does not teach like an ordinary school, and not just a fun summer camp. They combine impo...