linkeeh
Name: Xin Miyamoto
Nickname: N/A
Element: Light
Home: Earth / Place Unknown
Gender: Male
Birthday: 21 December
Age: 17
Hair: Gold
Eyes: Sapphire
Favorite Food: Ebi Tempura Donburi
Favorite Color: Pure White & Silver
Hobbies: Reading, High Jump, Basketball, Sunrise&Sunset
First Appears: Season 3
About: Quiet; Introverted; Somewhat Aloof; and a Loner. Xin likes to keep to himself. He has too much in his own mind to be worrying about anyone else or what they have to say. He dislikes not being informed when situations deal with himself. Of course, if it is a petty reason such as a small crush a girl has on him, or someone who believes themself to be his rival, he couldn't care less about it. Always seeming to be brooding on what reason or another, he barely talks, but manages to pay attention in class. He is an above average student, but doesn't stand out too much when it comes to his grades.
History/Background: Unknown. [His history is just a big Spoiler =P! Rawr.]
Name: Aereon Skye of Seon. [Pronouced Sai-on]
Nickname: Reon, Skye.
Element: None; [Light.. kinda.]
Home: Altheynia
Gender: Male
Birthday: Unknown
Age: Unknown [Spoiler: He was a spirit, yet now back to his former self.. eh, he is pretty old.]
Eyes: Emerald
Favorite Food: Clairise.
Favorite Color: None.
Hobbies: Sex. Drugs. and ROCK`n`ROLL [Just Kidding]
First Appears: Season 3
About: Controlling; Power Hungry; Lustful; Level-Headed; and Flirtatious. This stray soul proves himself to be a worthy adversary.
History/Background: [SPOILER: Surprisingly, in the past, Aereon Skye was one of the nicest people anyone could ever meet in their life. He was loving, caring, sweet, and protective. He could understand people easily and was always willing to help. Aereon also lived happily with Clairise.. until that one day he lost all his pride. ((Very short, ended bluntly, whatever. I spoiled you enough ;P!)) ]
Name: Shintarou Raimei
Nickname: Shin, Shitard [by Lei&Tsubasa]
Element: Lightning
Home: Altheynia
Gender: Male
Birthday: 24 March
Age: 17 [Season 1 & 2] 22 [Season 3]
Hair: Blond
Eyes: Blue
Favorite Food: Anything, especially what Umiko cooks.
Favorite Color: Gold
Hobbies: Eating, Fighting, Training, Spending time with Umiko, Clairise and Ryaine.
First Appears: Season 1
About: Energetic; Short-tempered; Not afraid to speak his mind; Hero-Complex; with a black hole for a stomach. [[ I'll finish it later xD; ]]
History/Background: [ AHH Can you get Shin's history from the other one? O___o ]
Barbra Basiga November 12, 2006
Valley Forge
Valley Forge was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army during the winter of 1777–1778. Although no battles were fought in this camp, as many men would have died if it had any battles. The main reason the camp was established was to train the Continental Army. The troops underwent many hardships during their stay at Valley Forge; but survived with new found inspiration and courage.
In late August 1777 Sir William Howe, commander in chief of British forces in North America, came to America with the intent to capture the patriot capital, Philadelphia. George Washington, the American Commander, moved positioned the Continental Army to defend the city. After errors made by Washington’s army, combined with Howe’s skillful strategies, it eventually forced the Congressmen in Philadelphia to move to Yorktown, Pennsylvania to avoid encountering the British and being killed. It also led to the British’s occupation in Philadelphia. Washington then needed a place for his troops to stay. Several places were proposed, but Washington picked Valley Forge, 10 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The high ground of Mount Joy and Mount Misery, combined with the Schuylkill River to the north, made the area easily defensible. Here, they would be able to spy on the British forces and if need be, prevent them from going to Yorktown to the Congressmen. They would also be safe from surprise attacks in Valley Forge.
George Washington and his troops arrived in Valley Forge on December of 1777. They stayed there until June of the following year. The American Commander was accompanied by 12,000 men. During the winter, the soldiers were suppose to train and spy on the British. Though first, they had to build their own cabin houses with a team of 12 in each cabin. At the end of this long and harsh winter, a total of 6,000 out of 12,000 soldiers perished. 2,000 soldiers died in 30 mile away hospitals after getting diseases. Typhus, typhoid, dysentery, and pneumonia were the most common of the diseases. Many of these men didn’t have the proper attire for the winter; living everyday with a missing shoe, or ragged clothes.
"An army of skeletons appeared before our eyes naked, starved, sick and discouraged," wrote New York's Gouverneur Morris of the Continental Congress.
The Marquis de Lafayette wrote: "The unfortunate soldiers were in want of everything; they had neither coats nor hats, nor shirts, nor shoes. Their feet and their legs froze until they were black, and it was often necessary to amputate them."
They did not have enough supplies or food either, making the whole experience even harder, and slower. 4,000 men were listed unfit for duty. The soldiers were trained, but not uniformly. The task of developing and carrying out an effective training program fell to Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian drill master. Intensive daily training, coupled with von Steuben's forceful manner, renewed confidence in the men and their ability to succeed.
With the coming of spring, also came the coming of a new hope and new allies. The French had finally come with their military support. Many supplies also arrived to the soldiers because of the good weather. On June 19, 1778, six months after their arrival, the army marched away from Valley Forge in pursuit of the British who were moving toward New York. Word of the newly trained, inspired, courageous soldiers and their sacrifices traveled throughout the colonies. Washington and his men had undergone an incredible ordeal, but won a very essential victory – “a victory not of weapons but of will.”
On the 3rd of October, 2006 I had the opportunity to actually visit Valley Forge National Historical Park. The site of the encampment became a Pennsylvania State Park in 1893 and, on the 4th of July, 1976, it became Valley Forge National Historical Park. We visited replicas of the small cabins made by the America soldiers those many years ago. We also visited the very house George Washington stayed in during the long, grueling winter. Visiting the actually place gave me a better idea on how hard the lives of the troops really were in Valley Forge. A realization struck me while walking through the once camp grounds, and imagining the place being a snow filled valley. The men must have believed in freedom with all their hearts and souls to have gone through everything they went through. It really made me so much more grateful for all those who fought for this country; because without them, I wouldn’t be here.
Barbra Basiga November 17, 2006
Waterloo Village: Canal Town
Today on November 17, 2006, our school went to Waterloo Village’s Canal Town. The purpose of this trip was to learn more about the canal built which connects the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. It was also to learn more about those who lived in Waterloo village.
The first place we stopped by in Waterloo village was the gristmill. A man named Dick spoke to us about the gristmill. A gristmill is a type of machine (which is water powered) and separates the corn kernels from the cob. The people who work at gristmills also make these kernels into food for people, food for animals, and even into flour. An average man would earn about a dollar a day in those days [1800’s]. But those who worked in gristmills earned five dollars a day. The made very good money, and it was for a good reason too. When working a gristmill, there is dust everywhere and it can harm a person’s life span after working in the same environment everyday for more than half the year. Because of their ‘sacrifice’ there were many advantages in working in a gristmill. One, it paid good money. Two, you do not have to worry about food because you keep 1/5’s of the loud of corn you sell (which is a lot). And three, your son or daughter (usually the son) would more likely get a better education because they would be going to school with the Boss’ child for free.
We also visited the museum to learn more about the Morris Canal [opened from 1831-1924], and its inclined planes. There are 23 inclined planes; 23 conventional lift locks to overcome the 1,674 feet of vertical change from end to end. The way ‘lift locks’ are used is: when a boat needs to get to higher ground, the boat enters a gate. Water then fills up the now enclosed space, lifting the boat the proper level.
Our trip to Waterloo village was pretty interesting. I learned some things and enjoyed the scenery thoroughly. It was also interesting to learn about these different jobs people had in the 18th century. Over all, I liked our trip, and wouldn’t mind going there again for another tour of another part of Waterloo.
Barbra Basiga November 20, 2006
Picture Prompt
There once was a man named Smith Smith. He was a rather tall, Caucasian male with thinning hair, and worked as an interpreter. His specialty was Asian languages, more specifically, Japanese. When he wasn’t going around the world for work, he called a small town in Illinois his home.
One day, Smith was rummaging through his mail when he found a rather peculiar looking envelope that just didn’t belong. It’s trimming was golden and intricate designs were embedded into the envelope’s paper. “Wow… what could this be?” he asked himself, gazing at the envelope in awe. He opened the envelope and read the Japanese text within it. His wife, Sarah Smith, entered the room and asked him to read it allowed; in English of course.
“To Mr. Smith: We cordially request you to participate in one of the largest activities in the Jirokichi Society. The address, along with the directions to this year’s location, is provided. Thank you, and have fun. -‘Nezumi Kozo’”
‘That name sounds familiar…’ thought Smith. “Oh you should go!” squealed his wife after he read it. “It’s probably some festival. I don’t want to spend the money we’re saving to buy a ticket to Japan in such short notice,” he disagreed. “That’s fine! They specifically invited you! That means you must be important in whatever festival their doing. You never told me you were having fun in Japan without your dear, sweet, wife,” she ranted on, and as she realized that he might’ve had a ‘vacation’ without him, she started to get sad. “No! No!” he quickly assured her he wasn’t doing anything of the sort. And also mentioned how he really had no clue what the ‘Jirokichi Society’ even was. Either way, Mr. Smith was eventually dragged into doing it by his wife. He would also go to Japan alone; therefore saving some money, rather than having the both of them go. Before leaving, he’d promised his wife he would take many pictures.
When he arrived, he found himself before an enormous and beautiful pagoda. And surrounding the large pagoda were several, equally beautiful, Japanese gardens. He took a moment to appreciate its serene beauty before entering the monstrous palace-like place. “Hello..?” his voice echoed through the empty, yet sterile, hallways. Seemingly out of nowhere, a crowd of people gathered around him and started to carry him (and his things) towards his room. “Wow!” Before Smith knew it, he was in a large, well decorated room with geisha surrounding him, entertaining him and giving him delectable treats. Smith met many people throughout the night of partying. Strangely enough, he asked almost every person what the festival was for, but no one gave him a direct answer.
The next day, Smith awoke at the sound of a large bell being rung throughout the monstrous place. Beside his bed, he found a weapon, a few pieces of armor, and a traditional samurai helmet. There was also a note that said: “We believe you brought the rest of what you need.” A bewildered look came upon Smith’s face. ‘Huh? What are they talking about?’ Without a clue of what to do, he simply wore the only kind of clothes he brought with him: a polo and slacks. He then put the armor and helmet on over his clothes; no matter how awkward it felt, he wore it nonetheless, not wanting to disrespect the ones who invited him.
Smith walked around the halls, searching for the arena where a kind woman directed him to go to. Eventually, he found his way, only to find that he had entered a large octagonal shaped arena with hundreds of people sitting round it. They all yelled and screamed words in Japanese, cheering for the competitors enthusiastically. Saying Smith was surprised was an understatement. An official looking man quickly pulled Smith off the center stage and into a smaller room. There, he was put on a sort of horse and given a different type of weapon: a sword. A woman in a kimono came over to him with his camera in her hands and said, “Say cheese!” before taking a picture. He tried his best to ask what was happening, but all he got was a person come up to him and say, “Good luck. I hope you don’t die.” At this point, Smith was beyond scared. He was completely horrified. What was going to happen?
His horse was escorted to the middle of the arena, along with other ‘warriors. By now, Smith was trembling because of how nervous and frightened he was. Silence fell over the arena. A voice from the loud speaker echoed throughout the arena, “For those who are about to ‘die’… you have all our respect.”
Once Smith heard this, he was about to yell ‘what’ in Japanese, but a man suddenly burst through the door. “You!” he yelled in Japanese, and then started to yell: “He has taken my place in the ritual! That man does not belong here!” Everyone’s attention turned to Smith. “I am Shumito! Not this man!” he retorted. And suddenly, it all made sense. In Japanese, Smith, would be pronounced “Shumito” and there was obviously a mix up. Smith was very relieved to hear he wasn’t going to be part of this ‘ritual’ and things were soon sorted out. “Oh, I see…” Smith started off, talking in their native tongue once again. “So this is a kind of secretive society, and you weren’t really going to kill each other,” he paraphrased their long explanation. The officials nodded and apologized again and again. In fact, they were so sorry, they paid for his trip and gave him many gifts.
Smith was soon home; safe and sound. “How was your trip?” came the question from his excited wife. “It was… very interesting!” he answered truthfully. “Take a look at this,” he said, showing her the picture the geisha had taken of him before he was sent out into the arena. “Aww, you looked like you had so much fun!” his wife responded, obviously jealous. “You can say that…”
Barbra Basiga
Freedom Fighters: Glossary
Research Topic #1: The Emancipation Proclamation
Abolitionist: A person who advocated or supported the abolition of slavery in the U.S.
Emancipate: To free from restraint, influence, or the like.
Proclamation: Something that is proclaimed; a public and official announcement.
Research Topic #2: Benjamin Franklin
Apprentice: a person who works for another in order to learn a trade.
Candle maker: A person who makes candles.
Diplomat: a person appointed by a national government to conduct official negotiations and maintain political, economic, and social relations with another country or countries.
Inventor: A person who invents; one who devises some new process, appliance, machine, or article; one who makes inventions.
Philosopher: A person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.
Printer: A person or thing that prints, esp. a person whose occupation is printing.
Pseudonym: A fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name.
Publisher: A person or company whose business is the publishing of books, periodicals, engravings, computer software, etc.
Puritans: A member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries advocated strict religious discipline along with simplification of the ceremonies and creeds of the Church of England.
Scientist: A person having expert knowledge of one or more sciences, especially a natural or physical science.
Research Topic #3: Valley Forge
Attire: clothes or apparel, esp. rich or splendid garments.
Defensible: Capable of being defended against assault or injury.
Grueling: Exhausting; very tiring; arduously severe.
Ordeal: Any extremely severe or trying test, experience, or trial.
Perish: To die or be destroyed through violence, privation, etc.
Replica: Any close or exact copy or reproduction.
Uniformly: to make uniform or standard; constant; unvarying; undeviating.
Barbra Basiga
High Tech
Explaining the talents listed and why I would like to attend.
I’ve gotten honorable mention several times and was included in my county’s science fair.
I have taken after school math classes for a year.
I’ve created several websites along with their layouts. I can read CSS and some HTML. I have also made a few videos which I’ve been recognized for. I take extra classes focused on the computer as well.
I take after school “Dramatic Expression”. Here, we create and perform skits, and do numerous other projects.
I have taken dance classes and preformed in a school play.
I am interested in writing but I would rather read.
I have an interest in instruments, more specifically the piano.
I am part of my school’s paddling team. We were part of a competition in China Town, and I won several medals. I also have an interest in tennis.
My artwork has been published in a New York museum in 2nd grade. I have also been offered, and attended, extra classes in sculpting, painting, drawing, etc. I have also taken after school lessons in art.
After attending High-Tech’s open house, I believe High-Tech has a considerable amount of facilities which will help me greatly in choosing my future career. For one, High-Tech provides Japanese classes. I aspire to become a linguist whom specializes in Asian languages. Although I already take private Japanese lessons, I only talk to one person who is quite of old age. I believe I need to learn how to talk to others, more specifically people my age. My private lessons only teach me how to speak in Japanese. I understand the classes in High-Tech also teach more about the Japanese culture; which I am very interested in knowing about as well. High-Tech, as the name implies, also has a sufficient amount of efficient technology and classes to learn about it. Besides being an interpreter, I want to become some type of engineer: more specifically, a software engineer. I am very interested in web design and web development. I am also interested in TV Production and photography. I have visited the school’s classes for these subjects, and I liked them.
Although I have just started to dance last year, I really enjoy it. I was impressed by the High-Tech’s dance room. It looked just like a dance school’s dance room. Where as other high schools do not have this kind of dance room. After visiting the school’s science rooms and meeting the teachers, I believe I will really benefit from those classes. Even after just having a talk with one of the teachers, I gained an interest in forensic science. I was also impressed by the school’s art room. I love art, and the art of the student’s of High-Tech was very admirable. I believe if I attend High-Tech’s art class, it will allow me to further express myself through art in a more grand way. By this, I mean I feel I will be inspired so easily by all the great artists around me. The art facility also seemed to have plenty of supplies for the students.
High-Tech has such a wide variety of different classes to take; and I think my time in High-Tech would be the perfect time to decide what exactly I want as a career. Having been exposed to so many things, it will be easier to find my perfect career and focus on it. I already have ideas on what I would like to be, but I’m still young; and I would like to make a solid decision on my future as soon as possible.
Barbra Basiga December 8, 2005
This trimester’s thematic unit was “Freedom Fighters”. We learned many things about American history during this trimester. Topics were divided into three: ‘Documents’, ‘Personalities’, and ‘Events’. This project basically summarizes what we have learned in this trimester. In this research project I had to do a web, three research topics, math, geography, art, performing arts, a glossary, bibliography, technology, and a science experiment.
For the web, we had to create a web on what we were going to do for our research project.
In my first research topic for Mr. Ash I wrote about the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was a document written by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. The proclamation greatly helped the Union’s chances in winning the war. Its creation also helped millions of African slaves in America and assisted America in being a “more perfect Union”.
For my second research topic for Mr.Ponticorvo, I wrote about Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin was an amazing man who served his country to the best of his abilities. He was a very successful printer, scientist, philosopher, publisher, inventor, civic activist, diplomat, and so much more. He has done so much for the country he loved and believed in. To many historians, Benjamin Franklin is even considered “the first American”. He has accomplished so much in his life that not many can even compare.
My third research topic for Ms. G was on the. Valley Forge was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army during the winter of 1777–1778. Although no battles were fought in this camp, as many men would have died if it had any battles. The main reason the camp was established was to train the Continental Army. The troops underwent many hardships during their stay at Valley Forge; but survived with new found inspiration and courage.
For the math component of my research project I made a graph on the military participation of America’s major wars; which include: Revolutionary, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.
In my geography, I made a map of today’s Valley Forge National Park. I also listed a few placed on the park, such as monuments.
For my art, I hand drew a picture of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
For the performing arts component I used an army song called “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”.
I also had to do a science experiment. My experiment was a recreation of one of Benjamin Franklin’s experiment and invention. His invention was called the “Franklin Bells.” They were basically these bells and wires (along with other things) which was a lightning detector. One wire would connect to a lightning rod outside, and then to a bell inside, then the other wire would be connected to the other bell and a ground. If lightning were to be present, an electrical current would flow through the wire and to the device inside, making a sort of ball move back and forth between the bells rapidly; therefore warning the people living in the home about the coming storm.
I made a glossary, which is a log of difficult words and their definitions. I also did a bibliography, which consists of the websites and/or books I used to complete this research project. Finally, my technology is a list of electrical appliances I used to complete my project. This concludes what I did for this trimester’s research project.
Barbra Basiga
Bibliography
Research Topic #1 – Documents:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emancipation_proclamation
http://www2.lhric.org/pocantico/civilwar/emancip.htm
Research Topic #2 – Personalities:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/benfranklin/index.html
Research Topic #3 – Events:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Forge
Barbra Basiga November 19, 2006
Science Experiment
Problem: What are the “Lightning Bells”? How do they work? And why was it invented?
Materials:
• 2 Empty soda cans
• 1 Plastic rod such as a ball-point pen
• 5 Inches of sewing thread
• A couple square feet of aluminum foil
• Cellophane tape
• 2 Wires
Observation:
Procedure: To make the “Lightning Bells” I used aluminum soda cans in place of bells. For a rod, I used a plastic pen. The following are the steps I took to make the Lightning Bells:
1. Remove both pull-tops off the cans and place them, upside down, beside each other, about two to three inches apart.
2. Tie one pull-top with the five inch thread and tape the other end of the thread to the plastic pen.
3. Place the plastic rod on top of the two cans, so the pull-tab dangles freely about an inch from the table.
4. Tape the bare end of one wire to the left can, and the free end should be connected to an electrical ground, such as a cold water pipe, the metal frame of a computer, or just hold it.
5. Tape the other wire to the can on the right. It's free end will be connected to the aluminum foil on the television.
Conclusion:
Question #1 & #3-What are the Lightning Bells and why was it invented?
The Lightning Bells, also called “Franklin Bells”, was a device developed by Benjamin Franklin to help him understand electricity.
Question #2- How do they work?
Benjamin Franklin connected one end to his iron lightning rod on top of the house, and the other end to an iron water pump well connected to the ground. When the rod outside is struck by lightning, the electrons travel down the wire and to the device. The wire connecting to the ground absorbs all of the voltage send through the wires. The bells were simply there to notify Benjamin Franklin when the rod was electrified.
How the recreation works: Inside a television, a high voltage is used to send electrons to the screen at high speed, to create the picture. By placing a large conductor on the front of the screen, we can make a capacitor, to tap into some of that high voltage and put it to use outside of the television. The voltage is high, but the current is very small, so that touching the foil or the toy is no more harmful than touching a doorknob after scuffing your feet on the carpet. The can on the right is connected to the high voltage. The can on the left is connected to the ground, which can absorb all of the voltage we can send it, and still be ready for more. The pull-tab and the can on the left starts out without any electrical charge. We say they are at "ground potential". The can on the right is charged with a lot of free electrons, from the foil on the TV screen. These electrons repel the electrons in the pull-tab, and attract the positive nuclei in the pull-tab. The electrons in the pull-tab move to the side farthest from the high voltage can on the right. This leaves the right side of the pull-tab more positive than the left side. The positive side of the pull-tab is attracted to the highly negative can on the right, and the pull-tab jumps over to touch the can on the right. Once it touches the can, the electrons from the can rush onto the pull-tab, until it has the same high voltage charge as the can it is touching. The pull-tab and the can now have the same charge, and like charges repel. The charged pull-tab is now repelled by the can on the right, and moves to the left. The electrons in the can on the left are repelled by the pull-tab, and they move to the left side of the can, leaving the right side somewhat positive. This positive side attracts the negatively charged pull-tab, and draws it up to touch the can. Now the excess electrons on the pull-tab move onto the left can, and into the ground. The pull-tab is now at ground potential again. It swings back towards the can on the right, and the whole process starts over again.
Barbra Basiga, Abdullah Khokhar, Gus Bordenabe
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses: Isis
Isis is the Egyptian goddess known as the mother and protector of the Pharaoh. Isis was the wife and sister of Osiris, the once Pharaoh of Egypt; and the mother of Horus, the sky god. Her sister was Nephthys, and her brothers were Osiris and Set. Isis may be best known for the Legend of Osiris and Isis.
According to the original legend, Osiris was originally king over Egypt and civilized the nation with the assistance of Thoth's inventions of writing, law, the arts, and science. Having improved the Egyptians, Osiris traveled to other lands, placing Isis as his regent. However, Apep, the god of evil, was jealous and killed Osiris, so Isis had a son from Osiris by magic, namely Horus, to avenge him. She achieved her goal of getting magic by tricking the sun god, Ra, into telling her his true name.
One day, when Ra was taking his routine walk, Isis placed a poisonous snake in his path to bite him. If Ra wished to survive, he would need to tell Isis his true name, ans so he did. Isis then became the most important and most powerful magical deity in Egyptian pantheon.
While young, Isis fled from Apep, a dangerous serpent, by hiding with Horus in the marshland of the Nile delta, where the serpents would not follow. When Horus, a sun god, had grown up, he engaged Apep in a great battle, a battle so fierce that it was only ended when the other gods judged in Horus' favor and banished Apep.
THIRD YEAR MATH
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION # 1
Each of the six identical faces of a cube is to be painted either gray or white. How many distinct cubes are possible? The two cubes shown in the sketch are not distinct they are different orientation of the same cube.
[ Insert Cube Pictures Here :P ]
Solve, and explain sufficiently how did you solve the problem? Please be ‘to the point’.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION # 2
The sum of the first N positive integers is 2006. Wait, that is impossible…one of those integers must not have been included! If in fact exactly one of the first N positive integers was not included in the in the sum, which integer must that have been?
Solve, and explain sufficiently how did you solve the problem? Please be ‘to the point’.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION # 3
A patio is made – up of 16 concrete circles, all of radius 1.5 feet, and the region in the middle. What is the total area of the patio to the nearest whole number?
Patio sketch
[ Insert patio sketch here :P ]
Solve, and explain sufficiently how did you solve the problem? Please be ‘to the point’.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION # 4
A band has four trumpets, three trombones, three saxophones, and two drums. If each section has its own seats, in how many ways can the 12 band members be seated?
Solve, and explain sufficiently how did you solve the problem? Please be ‘to the point’.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION # 5
Find the sum of the series ½ + ¼ + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 …+ 1/2048. Provide your answer in fractional form, not in decimals.
Solve, and explain sufficiently how did you solve the problem? Please be ‘to the point’.
OPEN-ENDED QUESTION # 6
Parallelogram ABCD has diagonals that intersect at point E. Suppose that
AB = 6X + 5, BC = 2X, AE = 4X – 3, and EC = 3X + 4. Is angle ABC an acute, right, or obtuse angle?
Solve, and explain sufficiently how did you solve the problem? Please be ‘to the point’.
THIRD YEAR SCIENCE
Use loose sheets to answer these problems.
1) Explain in detail, with sketches, the structure of an atom.
Can we replace the nucleus of an atom of Oxygen with the nucleus of
an atom of Nitrogen. If we can, then explain in your own words how
will it be done. If we cannot do it, Why?
2) Explain the Molecuke arrangements. What is a Chemical Reaction, and what is a balanced or unbalanced Chemical Equation? Give minimum five examples of chemical reactions you are familiar with.
3) What is Density, and what is Buoyancy? Explain these concepts
through simple examples with common substances and
products/processes.
Barbra Basiga January 9, 2007
Roman Gladiators
Gladiators were professional fighters in ancient Rome who fought against each other and wild animals for the entertainment of spectators. Gladiators means “swordsmen” or “one who uses a sword”, and is derived from the Latin word “gladius” which is the name of a particular, short, sword. The gladiatorial games were formerly established by the Etruscans, but were later adopted by the Romans as a means of entertainment. Chariot racing in the circus, hunts of wild animals, public executions, theatrical performances, and gladiator fights took place in amphitheatres, which are public buildings [such as the Roman Colosseum]. These activities were initially organized by rich individuals who were called the editor, munerator, or dominus.
Gladiators were usually prisoners of war, slaves, and sentenced criminals. Criminals were expected to die within a year or might earn their release after three years — if they survived. There are various types of gladiators, and what makes them different is the type of weapons or equipment they used. The following is a list of these gladiators and what they used to fight with:
Andabatae: Fought with a helmet with no eyeholes and on horseback. They fought on horseback, or out of chariots.
Bestiarii: Not really a kind of gladiator, but a specially trained kind of fighter who fought against beasts, usually with spears.
Bustuarii: Fought around the remains of a deceased person, as part of his funeral rites.
They fought with two shorts or daggers.
Equites ("knights"): In early depictions, these lightly-armed gladiators wear scale armour, a medium-sized round cavalry shield, and a brimmed helmet without a crest, and two decorative feathers. In imperial times, they sport an arm-guard on their right arm and sleeveless, belted tunics, in contrast to other gladiators who usually fought bare-chested, and no greaves. At least in Isidore of Seville's times, they started on horseback on white horses, then dismounted and continued to fight on foot with their gladius.
Essedari ("war-chariot fighters"): We do not know anything about their equipment and manner of fighting. But my guess is that they fought on charriots, hence their name.
Hoplomachi: They wore quilted, trouser-like leg wrappings, maybe made from linen, a loincloth, a belt, a pair of long shin-guards or greaves, a manica (arm-guard) on the right arm, and a brimmed helmet with a crescent-shaped crest that could be adorned with a plume of feathers on top and a single feather on each side. Equipped with a gladius and a very small, round shield made of one sheet of thick bronze. They were paired with Murmillones or Thraces.
Laquerarii (“lasso fighters"): These gladiators tried to catch their adversaries with a lasso.
Murmillones: Named after the stylized fish (Greek mormylos) on the crest of his helmet, a murmillo wore a manica (arm-guard), a loincloth and belt, a gaiter on his right leg, thick wrappings covering the tops of his feet, and a very short greave with an indentation for the padding at the top of the feet. Murmillones carried a gladius (40-50 cm long) and a tall, shield. They were paired with Thraces, occasionally also with the similar hoplomachi.
Provocatores: This type of middle-weight fighter wore a loincloth, a belt, a long greave on the left leg, a manica on the lower right arm, and a visored helmet without brim or crest, but with a feather on each side. They were the only gladiators protected by a breastplate which is usually rectangular, later often crescent-shaped. They fought with a tall, rectangular shield and the gladius and were usually paired with another provocator.
Retiarii: Developed in the early Augustan era, the retiarius (net-fighter) carried a trident, a dagger, a net, and no helmet. Except for a loincloth, a manica on his left arm, and a metal shoulder-guard (galerus) above the manica, the retiarius fought naked and was always paired with a secutor.
Sagittarius: A fighter who used a bow and arrow.
Samnites: A Samnis was armed with a long rectangular shield (scutum), a plumed helmet, a short sword, and probably a greave on his left leg.
Secutores: This kind of fighter, specifically developed to fight the retiarius, was a variant of the murmillo and wore the same armor and weapons, including the tall rectangular shield and the gladius. His helmet, however, covered the entire face with the exception of two small eye-holes in order to protect his face from the thin prongs of the trident of his opponent. The helmet was almost round and smooth so that the retiarius' net could not get a grip on it.
Thraces: The Thracians also wore the same protective armor as the hoplomachi and a similar helmet, except that theirs was distinguished by a stylized griffin on the protome or front of the crest. In contrast to the hoplomachi, Thraces were equipped with a small, rectangular (almost square) shield and short sword (ca. 34 cm long) with a curved or bent blade (sica). The Thraces may originally have been prisoners-of-war from Thrace. They commonly fought murmillones or hoplomachi.
Barbra Basiga January 9, 2007
Roman Gladiators
Gladiators were professional fighters in ancient Rome who fought against each other and wild animals for the entertainment of spectators. Gladiators means “swordsmen” or “one who uses a sword”, and is derived from the Latin word “gladius” which is the name of a particular, short, sword. The gladiatorial games were formerly established by the Etruscans, but were later adopted by the Romans as a means of entertainment. Chariot racing in the circus, hunts of wild animals, public executions, theatrical performances, and gladiator fights took place in amphitheatres, which are public buildings [such as the Roman Colosseum]. These activities were initially organized by rich individuals who were called the editor, munerator, or dominus.
Gladiators, who were usually volunteers, were trained in special gladiator schools (ludus). There were four schools in Rome, the largest of which was called the Ludus Magnus. The Ludus Magnus was connected to the Colosseum by an underground tunnel. Gladiators often belonged to a troupe (familia) that travelled from town to town. A trainer of gladiators or the manager of a team of gladiators was known as a lanista, to whom the gladiators often had to swear an oath. The troupe's owner rented gladiators to whoever wanted to stage games. A gladiator would typically fight no more than three times per year. Gladiators brought in so much money for their rich owner, that their training-school would include the best medical care.
Gladiators usually fought in pairs (Ordinarii); that is, one gladiator against another. However, sponsor or audience could request other combinations like several gladiators fighting together (Catervarii), or specific gladiators against each other even from outside the established troupe (Postulaticii). Sometimes a lanista had to rely on substitutes (supposititii) if the requested gladiator was already dead or incapacitated. The Emperor could have his own gladiators (Fiscales). Female gladiators, and dwarf gladiators also existed. Dwarf gladiators were not always paired with women, usually two or more dwarfs working as a team fought one or more regular gladiators. It is also said that Emperors may have entered the arena as gladiators, but not much is known about this. I believe if emperors were in a gladiator fight, the fight would most likely be rigged and/or practiced.
Gladiators were usually prisoners of war, slaves, and sentenced criminals. Criminals were expected to die within a year or might earn their release after three years — if they survived. There are various types of gladiators, and what makes them different is the type of weapons or equipment they used. The following is a list of these gladiators and what they used to fight with:
Andabatae: Fought with a helmet with no eyeholes and on horseback. They fought on horseback, or out of chariots.
Bestiarii: Not really a kind of gladiator, but a specially trained kind of fighter who fought against beasts, usually with spears.
Bustuarii: Fought around the remains of a deceased person, as part of his funeral rites.
They fought with two shorts or daggers.
Equites ("knights"): In early depictions, these lightly-armed gladiators wear scale armour, a medium-sized round cavalry shield, and a brimmed helmet without a crest, and two decorative feathers. In imperial times, they sport an arm-guard on their right arm and sleeveless, belted tunics, in contrast to other gladiators who usually fought bare-chested, and no greaves. At least in Isidore of Seville's times, they started on horseback on white horses, then dismounted and continued to fight on foot with their gladius.
Essedari ("war-chariot fighters"): We do not know anything about their equipment and manner of fighting. But my guess is that they fought on charriots, hence their name.
Hoplomachi: They wore quilted, trouser-like leg wrappings, maybe made from linen, a loincloth, a belt, a pair of long shin-guards or greaves, a manica (arm-guard) on the right arm, and a brimmed helmet with a crescent-shaped crest that could be adorned with a plume of feathers on top and a single feather on each side. Equipped with a gladius and a very small, round shield made of one sheet of thick bronze. They were paired with Murmillones or Thraces.
Laquerarii (“lasso fighters"): These gladiators tried to catch their adversaries with a lasso.
Murmillones: Named after the stylized fish (Greek mormylos) on the crest of his helmet, a murmillo wore a manica (arm-guard), a loincloth and belt, a gaiter on his right leg, thick wrappings covering the tops of his feet, and a very short greave with an indentation for the padding at the top of the feet. Murmillones carried a gladius (40-50 cm long) and a tall, shield. They were paired with Thraces, occasionally also with the similar hoplomachi.
Provocatores: This type of middle-weight fighter wore a loincloth, a belt, a long greave on the left leg, a manica on the lower right arm, and a visored helmet without brim or crest, but with a feather on each side. They were the only gladiators protected by a breastplate which is usually rectangular, later often crescent-shaped. They fought with a tall, rectangular shield and the gladius and were usually paired with another provocator.
Retiarii: Developed in the early Augustan era, the retiarius (net-fighter) carried a trident, a dagger, a net, and no helmet. Except for a loincloth, a manica on his left arm, and a metal shoulder-guard (galerus) above the manica, the retiarius fought naked and was always paired with a secutor.
Sagittarius: A fighter who used a bow and arrow.
Samnites: A Samnis was armed with a long rectangular shield (scutum), a plumed helmet, a short sword, and probably a greave on his left leg.
Secutores: This kind of fighter, specifically developed to fight the retiarius, was a variant of the murmillo and wore the same armor and weapons, including the tall rectangular shield and the gladius. His helmet, however, covered the entire face with the exception of two small eye-holes in order to protect his face from the thin prongs of the trident of his opponent. The helmet was almost round and smooth so that the retiarius' net could not get a grip on it.
Thraces: The Thracians also wore the same protective armor as the hoplomachi and a similar helmet, except that theirs was distinguished by a stylized griffin on the protome or front of the crest. In contrast to the hoplomachi, Thraces were equipped with a small, rectangular (almost square) shield and short sword (ca. 34 cm long) with a curved or bent blade (sica). The Thraces may originally have been prisoners-of-war from Thrace. They commonly fought murmillones or hoplomachi.
The Roman’s view towards the gladiators were questionable: they were still considered to be as low as slaves, but on the other hand, some successful gladiators actually rose to a celebrity status. Gladiators often attracted a lot of women who saw them as sexual objects. But, gladiators it was socially unacceptable for citizen women to have any relations with a gladiator. Many rich women sought intimate contact with gladiators, but the only way they could ever come in contact with one is during the festivity before the fights, where they could meet the gladiators.
The Roman Gladiators were a very brutal group of fighters who fought for the entertainment of many Romans and even the Emperor. The Emperor would actually pay to stage some of these bloody battles to gain popularity with the public. There is even a special school just for gladiators called a ludus. Gladiators could be men, women, and dwarfs; and there were many different types of gladiators. The different gladiators were categorized by how they dressed and what hey used as weapons. The closest form of entertainment in present day United States has to be football. I think they’re very similar because they’re both contact sports in which the players could get wounded or injured very badly, but its still part of the game. But in football, the players aren’t allowed to literally kill each other.
Barbra Basiga January 17, 2007
The Trojan War: Based on the Iliad.
There are many variations as to how the war between Troy and the Mycenaean of Greece, more commonly known as the Trojan War, occurred all those years ago. In fact, it was not until the 19th century that there was proof that there was in fact, a city of Troy. It was generally thought that the Trojan War and the city of Troy were just part of a myth and never existed. In 1871, Heinrich Schliemann, a German archaeologist began excavating an ancient site on the west coast of Turkey. Schliemann had identified Troy's location through clues he found in Homer’s Iliad. In this research topic, I will be basing my information on the Trojan War from the Iliad by Homer; Homer was a legendary early Greek poet and singer.
In about 1200 B.C., Troy was governed by King Priam and his wife, Queen Hecuba. They had many children, the first of which was Hector, their first son. The night before their later son, Paris, was born, Hecuba had terrible dreams. She had dreamed that her new son would bring the destruction of Troy. Afraid that this was no ordinary dream, Hecuba told her husband and the prophets, or wise men of the city. They believed that the dreams were an omen for the future and told the king to have the baby killed at birth to prevent Troy’s destruction. King Priam couldn’t bear to kill his own son, so he gave the job to his chief herdsman, Agelaos.
He was told to bring back Paris’ tongue as proof of the child’s death. Agelaos took Paris’ into the mountains and found that he couldn’t bring himself to kill the beautiful child. So instead, he left Paris in the mountains, certain that he would be killed by the animals. He went back to the mountains the next day, only to find that Paris was still alive! Agelaos saw this as a sign from the gods that Paris should not be killed. So he took Paris in a raised him as his own. To prove to the king that Paris was dead, Agelaos slew a wild dog, took its tongue, and showed it to King Priam. Paris was raised strong, healthy, and became a strikingly handsome, yet humble young man.
Meanwhile, in Greece, King Pelias (or Peleus) was getting married to a sea nymph named Thetis. Both Gods and mortals were invited to the extravagant wedding; all gods but Eris that is. Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, was jealous and angry because she wasn’t invited to the wedding. She appeared only to disappear after tossing a golden apple, with the words “To the fairest” inscribed on it, at Hera (the wife of Zeus and the queen of the gods), Athena (the goddess of wisdom), and Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty). The three each wanted the apple for their own because each wanted to be labeled “the fairest”. To avoid any fights or squabbles during the wedding celebration, Zeus intervened in the decision making and said Paris would be the one to decide. They all agreed, and the party continued.
The next morning, Hermes (Zeus’s messenger) escorted the three goddesses to Paris. He was frightened to make such a bold decision because one goddess was just as fair as the other, and he was just a mere mortal! He was persuaded by Hermes to choose one of the three goddesses, and then the goddesses tried to bribe him into choosing them. Hera offered to give Paris powers greater than any king, and make him lord of all Asian and Greece. Athena offered to give Paris the wisdom to gain power and do much more with the knowledge he would gain. Finally, Aphrodite looked deep into Paris’ soul to find what he truly desired before offering him anything. She offered to him the most beautiful woman on the Earth, Helen of Sparta. Paris, of course, agreed to this, and gave the golden apple to Aphrodite.
Before actually claiming Helen as his own wife, Paris had to prove himself worthy. It just so happens that King Priam was sponsoring a competition inside the walls of Troy. Paris begged his ‘father’, Agelaos, to let him enter the competition. But Agelaos didn’t know what to do. If Paris was to go back to Troy and be reunited with his father, King Priam, Agelaos would lose his son. But eventually, he gave in to Paris’ pleads and Paris entered the competition.
Paris over came all the obstacles set before him and won the competition. Out of jealousy, King Priam’s other sons, Hector and Deiphobus, attempted to slay Paris when he was declared the winner. Agelaos quickly intervened and revealed Paris’ true identity as the son of King Priam, and Prince of Troy. King Priam and Hecuba welcomed him back into their family with open arms. Eventually, his brothers accepted him, but his sister (Cassandra) did not. She was a prophetess and understood the disaster that would follow if Paris was left alive. King Priam did not heed her warnings and simply said with a smile, “Its better that Troy should fall than that I should lose this wonderful new son of mine!”
Eager to claim Helen as his wife, he sailed to Sparta with great tributes, fooling King Menelaus (Helen’s husband) into thinking he was on a goodwill mission from his father. Paris and Helen spent a lot of time together and she fell in love with him. One night, Paris stole Helen away from Sparta and back to Troy.
While Paris was in Sparta trying to win over Helen, King Pelias and Thetis had a son. This son was the only one who didn’t die mysteriously in infancy because his mother, the sea nymph, dipped his body into the River Styx.
Barbra Basiga January 17, 2007
The Trojan War: Based on the Iliad.
There are many variations as to how the war between Troy and the Mycenaean of Greece, more commonly known as the Trojan War, occurred all those years ago. In fact, it was not until the 19th century that there was proof that there was in fact, a city of Troy. It was generally thought that the Trojan War and the city of Troy were just part of a myth and never existed. In 1871, Heinrich Schliemann, a German archaeologist began excavating an ancient site on the west coast of Turkey. Schliemann had identified Troy's location through clues he found in Homer’s Iliad. In this research topic, I will be basing my information on the Trojan War from the Iliad by Homer; Homer was a legendary early Greek poet and singer.
In about 1200 B.C., Troy was governed by King Priam and his wife, Queen Hecuba. They had many children, the first of which was Hector, their first son. The night before their later son, Paris, was born, Hecuba had terrible dreams. She had dreamed that her new son would bring the destruction of Troy. Afraid that this was no ordinary dream, Hecuba told her husband and the prophets, or wise men of the city. They believed that the dreams were an omen for the future and told the king to have the baby killed at birth to prevent Troy’s destruction. King Priam couldn’t bear to kill his own son, so he gave the job to his chief herdsman, Agelaos.
He was told to bring back Paris’ tongue as proof of the child’s death. Agelaos took Paris’ into the mountains and found that he couldn’t bring himself to kill the beautiful child. So instead, he left Paris in the mountains, certain that he would be killed by the animals. He went back to the mountains the next day, only to find that Paris was still alive! Agelaos saw this as a sign from the gods that Paris should not be killed. So he took Paris in a raised him as his own. To prove to the king that Paris was dead, Agelaos slew a wild dog, took its tongue, and showed it to King Priam. Paris was raised strong, healthy, and became a strikingly handsome, yet humble young man.
Meanwhile, in Greece, King Pelias (or Peleus) was getting married to a sea nymph named Thetis. Both Gods and mortals were invited to the extravagant wedding; all gods but Eris that is. Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, was jealous and angry because she wasn’t invited to the wedding. She appeared only to disappear after tossing a golden apple, with the words “To the fairest” inscribed on it, at Hera (the wife of Zeus and the queen of the gods), Athena (the goddess of wisdom), and Aphrodite (the goddess of love and beauty). The three each wanted the apple for their own because each wanted to be labeled “the fairest”. To avoid any fights or squabbles during the wedding celebration, Zeus intervened in the decision making and said Paris would be the one to decide. They all agreed, and the party continued.
The next morning, Hermes (Zeus’s messenger) escorted the three goddesses to Paris. He was frightened to make such a bold decision because one goddess was just as fair as the other, and he was just a mere mortal! He was persuaded by Hermes to choose one of the three goddesses, and then the goddesses tried to bribe him into choosing them. Hera offered to give Paris powers greater than any king, and make him lord of all Asian and Greece. Athena offered to give Paris the wisdom to gain power and do much more with the knowledge he would gain. Finally, Aphrodite looked deep into Paris’ soul to find what he truly desired before offering him anything. She offered to him the most beautiful woman on the Earth, Helen of Sparta. Paris, of course, agreed to this, and gave the golden apple to Aphrodite.
Before actually claiming Helen as his own wife, Paris had to prove himself worthy. It just so happens that King Priam was sponsoring a competition inside the walls of Troy. Paris begged his ‘father’, Agelaos, to let him enter the competition. But Agelaos didn’t know what to do. If Paris was to go back to Troy and be reunited with his father, King Priam, Agelaos would lose his son. But eventually, he gave in to Paris’ pleads and Paris entered the competition.
Paris over came all the obstacles set before him and won the competition. Out of jealousy, King Priam’s other sons, Hector and Deiphobus, attempted to slay Paris when he was declared the winner. Agelaos quickly intervened and revealed Paris’ true identity as the son of King Priam, and Prince of Troy. King Priam and Hecuba welcomed him back into their family with open arms. Eventually, his brothers accepted him, but his sister (Cassandra) did not. She was a prophetess and understood the disaster that would follow if Paris was left alive. King Priam did not heed her warnings and simply said with a smile, “Its better that Troy should fall than that I should lose this wonderful new son of mine!”
Eager to claim Helen as his wife, he sailed to Sparta with great tributes, fooling King Menelaus (Helen’s husband) into thinking he was on a goodwill mission from his father. Paris and Helen spent a lot of time together and she fell in love with him. One night, Paris stole Helen away from Sparta and back to Troy.
While Paris was in Sparta trying to win over Helen, King Pelias and Thetis had a son. This son was the only one who didn’t die mysteriously in infancy because his mother, the sea nymph, dipped his body into the River Styx. This made the small child invulnerable. Thetis soon left her husband and children because she got tired of her life as a queen and wanted to return to the life of being a simple sea nymph. Because of his sorrow, King Pelias brought his son to Mount Pelion to a wise centaur named Chiron (or Cheiron). This centaur was known to raise many rich families’ sons to become heroes. Chiron raised Achilles to be a strong and swift young man.
When King Menelaus found his wife missing, he was furious. He called upon his brother Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae, to help him form an army so strong and so large in order to take revenge on Troy and reclaim his beautiful wife. When Achilles heard of the war, he ventured off to Troy with his favorite cousin, Patroclus, to help fight for King Menelaus. King Agamemnon became the leader of the Greek army while Hector, the son of King Priam, became the leader of the Trojan army.
With the help of the magic spear given to him by Chiron, Achilles won battle after battle. Soon or later, he was the most feared man of both armies. Achilles soon fell in love with a Trojan princess named Briseis. Since she was a Trojan, Achilles could not have any relations with the woman; so instead, he made her his slave. After Agamemnon was forced to give up Chryseis, a woman had captured, he stole Briseis from Achilles. Achilles got into an argument with Agamemnon, offended by what Agamemnon did, then refused to fight. Because of Achilles’ absence, it gave Troy new hope and allowed them to gain the upper hand in the war.
Although his side was loosing, Achilles still refused to fight. In turn, his cousin, Patroclus, took Achilles’ armor and charged into battle. Thinking Patroclus was really Achilles; the Trojan warriors retreated in fear. It was not until Patroclus was killed by Hector that Achilles returned to the battle field, intent on avenging his cousin’s death.
After Achilles’ battle with Hector, he claimed his victory by killing Hector, then rode around Troy, dragging Hector’s corpse behind him. King Priam approached Achilles and pleaded for him to return his son’s body so they may give him an honorable burial. Moved by this, Achilles gave Hector’s body to the Trojan’s and gave them twelve days to give him a proper burial.
Barbra Basiga January 18, 2007
Persuasive Essay
Dear City Council,
I have recently read that you plan to plant mimosa trees around the area I live in. I completely oppose the idea of planting mimosa trees around the boulevard. You see, my first reason to oppose this seemingly harmless idea is that I have terrible allergic reactions when exposed to mimosa pollen. And maybe it isn’t just me who has these allergies around the neighborhood; in this very possible case, you would be getting a lot of complaints. Finally, planting trees and plants shouldn’t be your first concern. I am sure the City Council could use their time organizing, buying, and planting these plants to do something else that would benefit the city more.
As I’ve stated previously, my main reason for opposing the plantation of the mimosa trees is because of my allergies. I live around the area you are planting these trees, and I am 100% sure my springs and summers will be very uncomfortable. Even in my own home, there would most probably be mimosa pollen which will cause me a lot of discomfort. It will be even worse if I decide to hang around outside of my house to enjoy family barbeques and other fun activities of the summer. Staying indoors all day is no way for a youth of my age to spend their summer.
It is not only me that might have these allergies. Others around my neighbor hood may have similar allergies, so the mimosa pollen would also affect their lives for the worse. I believe the City Council would be receiving complaints from citizens that they must purchase additional allergy medicine for the mimosa pollen. If you received enough complaints, I know you would be forced to remove the trees. All that time spent on the trees would be for nothing, and you would also loose money. I would highly appreciate it if you would be more considerate to those who have allergies like me, and not plant these trees.
My final reason for opposing the idea of planting mimosa trees is: I believe the City Council could use the time they might use to organize, buy, and plant these trees to do something more productive. They could use their valuable time to try and help the city in other ways. Planting trees is not that necessary.
If you really insist on planting some greenery in my area, I ask of you to choose another plant where people are less likely to have allergies for. Maybe even a plant which would faster produce oxygen. This way, instead of the plant preventing me from breathing properly, the plant would help clean the air I breathe without giving me allergies.
Again, I would really appreciate you reconsidering the idea of planting mimosa trees. I am allergic to the pollen these trees produce, and my springs and summer just wouldn’t be the same. I would be stuck indoors all day feeling sick; which is no way for a youth to spend his vacation. Many others could also have allergies similar to mine, so they would also be affected. You are most likely going to receive complaints from these people, and would be forced to remove the trees in the end. I believe planting trees should not be in the top priorities of our City Council. The time used on the mimosa trees could be used to do something better for the city. Please reject the idea of planting the mimosa trees and save my summer!
Barbra Basiga January 24, 2007
Literacy and Role of Women in Ancient China
The role of women in China has changed drastically over the years; from one of servitude in ancient China, to one of equality in modern, communist China. For two thousand years, the women of ancient China had to live by the rules set by Confucius in his analects. It was said that women weren’t equal to men because women were unworthy or incapable of a literary education. Other than this, Confucius barely mentions anything else about women.
On the third day of a girl’s birth, the ancient Chinese made her go through three customs: first was to place the baby below the bed; second to give her a potsherd [a piece of broken pottery] with which to play; and third to announce her birth to her ancestors by an offering. These three things basically summarized what was expected of a female in her life. Laying the baby beneath the bed meant that she was lowly and weak, a second-class human, and that her parents would have preferred a boy. It also signified a woman’s duty to respect others, and put others before herself. Giving her a piece of broken pottery signified that she should practice labor and consider it her duty to be productive. She was to retire late to bed and rise early in the morning. She must not refuse to perform domestic duties whether they are easy or difficult. That which must be done must be finished completely, tidily, and systematically. Announcing her birth in front of her ancestors meant that she should continue the observance of worship at home.
Women in ancient china were under servitude from birth till death. Women were considered to be property of men [Heng], and were subject from birth to their fathers and brothers. And if they were to be married, then they would then be subject to their husbands, and also their mother-in-laws. They had to obey these men in their lives without question. Fathers often despised their daughters so much, that they didn’t even bother to give them names. They were merely called daughter number one, daughter number two, and so on. It was said by Confucius that: "A husband may marry twice, but his wife must never remarry." Men often had two or three wives. But a woman was not allowed to remarry, even if her husband his dead, out of loyalty to him. If a woman was caught remarrying, as punishment, her skin would have been peeled off her bones. Some women even committed suicide if their husbands died. The reason for this was it was very difficult for women to get jobs and support themselves without a husband.
Different people and cultures perceive beauty in different ways. In ancient China, the Chinese women with the tiniest feet were considered very, very beautiful. The Chinese loved small feet so much that the men made women actually broke the bones in their feet to make them deformed, yet smaller. When a girl was between age three to eleven, her toes were turned under and pressed against the bottom of her foot. The arches were broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg, a long narrow cotton bandage would then be tightly wound around the foot from toes to ankle to hold the toes in place. After two or thee years, the girl’s feet would shrink to about three inches long. Her feet were now called lily feet. Women who had lily feet could not move on their own because it would be very painful to walk on. They could not even walk short distances without it being so painful, they had to walk with very short steps, and it was very difficult to stand. Sometimes, their toes even fell off because the blood could not circulate down in their toes. If the woman wished to get around, she would need to be assisted by getting carried around.
From birth till death, women of ancient China were subject to servitude to men. This was because the Chinese based their society off the rules of Confucius; and he believed women were beneath men and unworthy or incapable of a literary education. There were three customs a female child underwent at 3 days old which outlined their life, explaining what was expected of them. There was also a rather disturbing practice done by the Chinese called foot binding. They would deform a female’s foot at a young age so it would shrink to a small size, which was thought to be very attractive. It was not until the twentieth century that women started to gain rights and gain equality with men.
Amyloplast - an organelle in some plant cells that stores starch. Amyloplasts are found in starchy plants like tubers and fruits.
ATP - ATP is short for adenosine triphosphate; it is a high-energy molecule used for energy storage by organisms. In plant cells, ATP is produced in the cristae of mitochondria and chloroplasts.
Cell membrane - the thin layer of protein and fat that surrounds the cell, but is inside the cell wall. The cell membrane is semipermeable, allowing some substances to pass into the cell and blocking others.
Cell wall - a thick, rigid membrane that surrounds a plant cell. This layer of cellulose fiber gives the cell most of its support and structure. The cell wall also bonds with other cell walls to form the structure of the plant.
Centrosome - (also called the "microtubule organizing center") a small body located near the nucleus - it has a dense center and radiating tubules. The centrosomes is where microtubules are made. During cell division (mitosis), the centrosome divides and the two parts move to opposite sides of the dividing cell.
Chlorophyll - chlorophyll is a molecule that can use light energy from sunlight to turn water and carbon dioxide gas into sugar and oxygen (this process is called photosynthesis). Chlorophyll is magnesium based and is usually green.
Chloroplast - an elongated or disc-shaped organelle containing chlorophyll. Photosynthesis (in which energy from sunlight is converted into chemical energy - food) takes place in the chloroplasts.
Christae - (singular crista) the multiply-folded inner membrane of a cell's mitochondrion that are finger-like projections. The walls of the cristae are the site of the cell's energy production (it is where ATP is generated).
Cytoplasm - the jellylike material outside the cell nucleus in which the organelles are located.
Golgi body - (also called the golgi apparatus or golgi complex) a flattened, layered, sac-like organelle that looks like a stack of pancakes and is located near the nucleus. The golgi body packages proteins and carbohydrates into membrane-bound vesicles for "export" from the cell.
Granum - (plural grana) A stack of thylakoid disks within the chloroplast is called a granum.
Mitochondrion - spherical to rod-shaped organelles with a double membrane. The inner membrane is infolded many times, forming a series of projections (called cristae). The mitochondrion converts the energy stored in glucose into ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for the cell.
Nuclear membrane - the membrane that surrounds the nucleus.
Nucleolus - an organelle within the nucleus - it is where ribosomal RNA is produced.
Nucleus - spherical body containing many organelles, including the nucleolus. The nucleus controls many of the functions of the cell (by controlling protein synthesis) and contains DNA (in chromosomes). The nucleus is surrounded by the nuclear membrane
Photosynthesis - a process in which plants convert sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into food energy (sugars and starches), oxygen and water. Chlorophyll or closely-related pigments (substances that color the plant) are essential to the photosynthetic process.
Ribosome - small organelles composed of RNA-rich cytoplasmic granules that are sites of protein synthesis.
Rough endoplasmic reticulum - (rough ER) a vast system of interconnected, membranous, infolded and convoluted sacks that are located in the cell's cytoplasm (the ER is continuous with the outer nuclear membrane). Rough ER is covered with ribosomes that give it a rough appearance. Rough ER transport materials through the cell and produces proteins in sacks called cisternae (which are sent to the Golgi body, or inserted into the cell membrane).
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum - (smooth ER) a vast system of interconnected, membranous, infolded and convoluted tubes that are located in the cell's cytoplasm (the ER is continuous with the outer nuclear membrane). The space within the ER is called the ER lumen. Smooth ER transport materials through the cell. It contains enzymes and produces and digests lipids (fats) and membrane proteins; smooth ER buds off from rough ER, moving the newly-made proteins and lipids to the Golgi body and membranes
Stroma - part of the chloroplasts in plant cells, located within the inner membrane of chloroplasts, between the grana.
Thylakoid disk - thylakoid disks are disk-shaped membrane structures in chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll. Chloroplasts are made up of stacks of thylakoid disks; a stack of Thylakoid disks is called a granum. Photosynthesis (the production of ATP molecules from sunlight) takes place on thylakoid disks.
Vacuole - a large, membrane-bound space within a plant cell that is filled with fluid. Most plant cells have a single vacuole that takes up much of the cell. It helps maintain the shape of the cell.
Bacterial cells include the following:
basal body - A structure that anchors the base of the flagellum and allows it to rotate.
capsule - A layer on the outside of the cell wall. Most but not all bacteria have a capsule.
cell wall - A thin membrane located outside the plasma membrane and within the capsule.
DNA - The genetic material of the bacterium; it is located within the cytoplasm.
cytoplasm - The jellylike material inside the plasma membrane in which the genetic material and ribosomes are located.
flagellum - A long whip-like structure used for locomotion (movement). Some bacteria have more than one flagellum.
pili - (singular is pilus) Hair-like projections that allow bacterial cells to stick to surfaces and transfer DNA to one another.
plasma membrane - A permeable membrane located within the cell wall. It serves many functions for the cell, including energy generation and transport of chemicals .
ribosomes - Small organelles composed of RNA-rich granules that are sites of protein synthesis. The ribosomes are located within the cytoplasm.
Barbra Basiga February 10, 2007
Satan
Religious belief systems other than Judaism relate this term to a demon, a rebellious fallen angel, devil, minor god and idolatry, or as an allegory for evil. He is the traditional opponent of God and humanity in Judaism and Christianity.
"The Devil and the other demons were created by God good in their nature but they by themselves have made themselves evil."
There are many variations of “Satan” and where he came from. As a child, I was told that Satan was once an angel who lived in heaven with God. Not only was he an angel, but he was God’s favorite angel; a ‘model angel’ so to speak. But then the angel committed such a terrible crime, that the Lord God was forced to banished him into another world we know as “Hell”. Hell is the place where the souls of humans who have committed terrible sins are also banished to. It is said to be a dreadful, scorching, horrifyingly dark place.
I’m not sure if I believe this exactly, but I do believe that Satan does exist. I believe this to be true because the world needs balance. Without hatred and evil, there can not be purity or good. There would be nothing.
Barbra Basiga
Science Experiment
Problem: What is turbidity? How can you measure turbidity? How does it affect aquatic life?
Hypothesis: I hypothesize that if water were too turbid, it would affect aquatic life for the worse. First of all, plants that are underwater still need sunlight; and if the water were too turbid, the sunlight would not be able to reach to the plants, killing them. I also think the sediment in turbid water could choke the fish living in the water by clogging up their gills.
Materials:
1. 2 sheets of black construction paper
2. 1 sheet of white paper
3. Tape
4. Large, clear glass jar
5. Measuring Cup
6. Something circular which you can trace
7. Flashlight
8. Dirt
9. Water
Procedure:
1) Line up two pieces of black construction paper and trace a circle in the center.
2) Cut out the circles.
3) Tape the two pieces of construction paper around the glass jar so that the two holes are opposite each other. Trim the construction paper so the pieces fit the jar. There must be no gaps between the pieces that will let light through. And the second circle must be is on the opposite side of the jar from the first circle.
4) Fill the jar three-quarters full with tap water.
5) Using the flashlight, shine the beam of light through the holes in the side of the jar. On the opposite side of the jar, hold up a sheet of white paper about one inch from the holes.
6) Record the level of light intensity (low, medium, high).
7) Slowly add measured amounts of dirt to the water and monitor the change in light intensity.
Conclusion: I found that as I added more and more dirt, the water grew to be more and more turbid. Turbidity is the measure of how clear water is, it refers to the amount of suspended particles there are in water. These small particles include: soil, algae, or other materials that generally range in size from the microscopic level to about one millimeter. The higher the turbidity, the murkier the water. As I continued to add more soil, I noticed that I was correct when I thought not as much light would pass through. After further research, I found that I was indeed correct in my belief that the plants would not be able to survive as long as they could with the lack of sunlight. But I also found out that I was correct about the suspended solids in turbid water getting into the gills of the animals and killing them. The suspended solids can also absorb heat from sunlight, raising the temperature of the water. As the water warms, it loses its ability to hold oxygen. This causes dissolved oxygen levels to drop, further reducing the number of plants and animals that can live in the water.
Some sources of turbidity include:
• Erosion from fields, construction sites
• Urban runoff from rainstorms and melting snow
• Eroding steam banks
• Large number of bottom feeders which stir up bottom sediments
• Excessive algae or algal growth
Barbra Basiga January 24, 2007
Literacy and Role of Women in Ancient China
The role of women in China has changed drastically over the years; from one of servitude in ancient China, to one of equality in modern, socialist China. For two thousand years, the women of ancient China had to live by the rules set by Confucius in his analects. It was said that women weren’t equal to men because women were unworthy or incapable of a literary education. Other than this, Confucius barely mentions anything else about women.
On the third day of a girl’s birth, the ancient Chinese made her go through three customs: first was to place the baby below the bed; second to give her a potsherd [a piece of broken pottery] with which to play; and third to announce her birth to her ancestors by an offering. These three things basically summarized what was expected of a female in her life. Laying the baby beneath the bed meant that she was lowly and weak, a second-class human, and that her parents would have preferred a boy. It also signified a woman’s duty to respect others, and put others before herself. Giving her a piece of broken pottery signified that she should practice labor and consider it her duty to be productive. She was to retire late to bed and rise early in the morning. She must not refuse to perform domestic duties whether they are easy or difficult. That which must be done must be finished completely, tidily, and systematically. Announcing her birth in front of her ancestors meant that she should continue the observance of worship at home.
Women in ancient china were under servitude from birth till death. Women were considered to be property of men [Heng], and were subject from birth to their fathers and brothers. And if they were to be married, then they would then be subject to their husbands, and also their mother-in-laws. They had to obey these men in their lives without question. Fathers often despised their daughters so much, that they didn’t even bother to give them names. They were merely called daughter number one, daughter number two, and so on. It was said by Confucius that: "A husband may marry twice, but his wife must never remarry." Men often had two or three wives. Out of loyalty to her husband, a woman was not allowed to remarry, even if her husband his dead. If a woman was caught remarrying, as punishment, her skin would have been peeled off her bones. Some women even committed suicide if their husbands died. The reason for this was it was very difficult for women to get jobs and support themselves without a husband.
Different people and cultures perceive beauty in different ways. In ancient China, the Chinese women with the tiniest feet were considered very, very beautiful. The Chinese loved small feet so much that the men made women actually broke the bones in their feet to make them deformed, yet smaller. When a girl was between age three to eleven, her toes were turned under and pressed against the bottom of her foot. The arches were broken as the foot was pulled straight with the leg, a long narrow cotton bandage would then be tightly wound around the foot from toes to ankle to hold the toes in place. After two or thee years, the girl’s feet would shrink to about three inches long. Her feet were now called lily feet. Women who had lily feet could not move on their own because it would be very painful to walk on. They could not even walk short distances without it being so painful, they had to walk with very short steps, and it was very difficult to stand. Sometimes, their toes even fell off because the blood could not circulate down in their toes. If the woman wished to get around, she would need to be assisted by getting carried around.
From birth till death, women of ancient China were subject to servitude to men. This was because the Chinese based their society off the rules of Confucius; and he believed women were beneath men and unworthy or incapable of a literary education. There were three customs female children underwent at 3 days old which outlined their life, explaining what was expected of them. There was also a rather disturbing practice done by the Chinese called foot binding. They would deform a female’s foot at a young age so it would shrink to a small size, which was thought to be very attractive. It was not until the twentieth century that women started to gain rights and gain equality with men.
Barbra Basiga February 12, 2007
This trimester’s thematic unit was “Ancient Civilizations”. We learned many things about the great civilizations of the past during this trimester. Topics were divided into three: ‘Rome’, ‘Greece’, and ‘Egypt, Asian, and India’. This project basically summarizes what we have learned in this trimester. In this research project I had to do a web, three research topics, math, geography, art, performing arts, a glossary, bibliography, technology, and a science experiment.
For the web, we had to create a web on what we were going to do for our research project.
In my first research topic for Mr. Ponticorvo I wrote about the Gladiators of Rome. The Roman Gladiators were a very brutal group of fighters who fought for the entertainment of many Romans and even the Emperor. The Emperor would actually pay to stage some of these bloody battles to gain popularity with the public. There is even a special school just for gladiators called a ludus. Gladiators could be men, women, and dwarfs; and there were many different types of gladiators. The different gladiators were categorized by how they dressed and what they used as weapons.
For my second research topic for Ms. G, I wrote about the Trojan War. The Trojan War was a mythical war which was said to be a war between the Trojans and the Greeks. It is said that the whole war started because the prince of Troy, Paris, fell in love with the queen of Greece, Helen. He kidnapped Helen, who was said to be the most beautiful woman in the world, which angered her husband. Her husband, King Menelaus, gathered up an army with the help of his brother to attack Troy and regain his wife. After a long, grueling war, Troy finally lost and was burned to the ground.
My third research topic for Mr. Ash was on the literacy and role of women in ancient China. From birth till death, women of ancient China were subject to servitude to men. This was because the Chinese based their society off the rules of Confucius; and he believed women were beneath men and unworthy or incapable of a literary education. There were three customs female children underwent at 3 days old which outlined their life, explaining what was expected of them. There was also a rather disturbing practice done by the Chinese called foot binding. They would deform a female’s foot at a young age so it would shrink to a small size, which was thought to be very attractive. It was not until the twentieth century that women started to gain rights and gain equality with men.
For the math component of my research project I wrote a small paragraph about math in ancient China. People in China were using written numbers by about 1500 BC. This is about two thousand years later than people began to write numbers in West Asia, and more than a thousand years later than people began to write numbers in India. We don't know whether people in China thought of the idea to write numbers for themselves or learned it from people in West Asia or India. Chinese people counted in base ten, like people in India. But the Chinese system was more efficient. Sometime before 190 AD, people in Han Dynasty China began to use the abacus. The earliest Chinese mathematical textbook is called the Nine Chapters.
In my geography, I made a map of Egypt and its life line, the Nile River.
For my art, I worked in a team of three with Abdullah Khokar and Gustavo Bordenabe. Our task was to create models of five ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddess and research about them. The Gods and Goddess we chose were: Ra Osiris, Isis, Anubis, and Thoth. Ra is the sun god and the god of the gods. Osiris is the god of the dead. Isis is the wife and sister of Osiris and the goddess of motherhood and is said to be the most powerful sorceress after taking some of Ra’s powers. Anubis is the guardian of the underworld and the god of embalming. Thoth was the scribe. I had to make models and research Isis and Anubis. Abdullah did both Ra and Thoth, while Gus did Osiris.
For the performing arts component I, along with Nathali, Leidy, Amir, Anthony, Laurie, Lauren, Roshni, and Joseph, did a small skit/movie. The storyline is basically about a ninja school of the future taking a trip back in time by using a ninja technique. The teacher [played by me], along with her four students, first traveled to back to the times when the Roman Empire. They found themselves in the Roman Colosseum right when a battle between gladiators was taking place. They learn as they watch the battle between the gladiators intently. Out of nowhere, Egyptians arrive to have revenge on the Romans who conquered their land. And who else do they find with the Egyptians but one of the students who got lost on the way back in time. He explained how he lived with the Egyptians and how life was like with them. The teacher, concluding that they had messed around with the time stream too much, performed a ninja technique to go back in time before they even arrived.
I also had to do a science experiment. My experiment had to do with turbidity and its affect on marine life. Turbidity is the measure of clarity in water and the amount of suspended particles in the water. Turbidity affects both plant and animal life for the worse.
I made a glossary, which is a log of difficult words and their definitions. I also did a bibliography, which consists of the websites and/or books I used to complete this research project. Finally, my technology is a list of electrical appliances I used to complete my project. This concludes what I did for this trimester’s research project.
Barbra Basiga
Bibliography
Research Topic #1 – Gladiators:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator
Research Topic #2 –Trojan War:
Sheet given by Ms. G
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_war
Research Topic #3 – Literacy and Role of Women in Ancient China:
http://www.planetpapers.com/Assets/4637.php
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/banzhao.html
Barbra Basiga
Ancient Civilizations: Glossary
Research Topic #1: Gladiators
Chariot: A light, two-wheeled vehicle for one person, usually drawn by two horses and driven from a standing position, used in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc., in warfare, racing, hunting, etc.
Colosseum: An ancient amphitheater in Rome, begun A.D. c70 by Vespasian, having the form of an oval 617 by 512 ft. (188 by 156 m).
Greave: A piece of plate armor for the leg between the knee and the ankle usually composed of front and back pieces.
Manica: An arm guard.
Tunics: A loose-fitting garment, sleeved or sleeveless, extending to the knees and worn by men and women especially in ancient Greece and Rome.
Research Topic #2: Trojan War
Infancy: The state or period of being an infant; very early childhood, usually the period.
Invulnerable: Incapable of being wounded, hurt, or damaged.
Research Topic #3: Literacy and Role of Women in Ancient China
Analects: Selected passages from the writings of an author or of different authors.
Domestic: Of or pertaining to the home, the household, household affairs, or the family.
Potsherd: A broken pottery fragment.
Our visit to High Point State Park
On April 18, 2007 the Explore 2000 program visited High Point State Park. High Point State Park is the location of the highest point in all of New Jersey. At a towering 1,803 feet high (even higher than the Empire State Building of New York City), both Pennsylvania and New York is visible from the peak of the Kittatinny Mountains.
Before making our way to the peak of the mountain, our class first took a tour of an area of the state park. Our tour guide, Ms. Kate brought led us on a trail to get to know more about High Point.
Several of the trees here are about 200 years old, and the ones which reached 300 years old are currently dying. We didn’t see many animals around the area, and Ms. Kate said it was because they were hiding from us. She also mentioned that bears thrive in High Point, and coyotes also live in the area.
There was a point in our tour when we walked down the path and noticed that one side of the forest looked didn’t from the other.
One side of the trail appeared to be very luscious, green, darker, and wetter. Above are two photographs I have taken of that one side of the trail.
While the other side of the trail looked like what you see in the picture above. It was a lot drier, less green, and bright on the other side.
The reason for this is because a certain kind of tree was growing on the greener side, which could grow more easily in the drier soil High Point has, than the oaks which currently dominate the state park. That tree could live off of drier soil, and doesn’t need as much sunlight as oaks do, so they can grow under each other. Oaks need to be spread out so they can get enough sunlight to survive. Rhododendrons were also growing on the greener side because they like shadier, wetter areas. During our hike a classmate of mine spotted a blooming flower called skunk cabbage, which bears enjoy eating.
On our tour, we also visited a vernal lake. A vernal lake is also called a spring lake. These lakes are called spring lakes because they’re only there in the spring. It is a very shallow lake where no fish can live in because the water doesn’t stay year round. Instead, many of a fish’s favorite meals hang around a vernal lake because of the lack of predators. Bugs, frogs, and insects can be found in vernal lakes during the spring.
During our guided tour, we crossed a very interestingly designed bridge which zigzagged down a bog.
Our final stop at High Point was the highest point itself.
This is a photograph I took of the view of Pennsylvania from the peak of the Kittatinny Mountains.
Albeit the constantly fluctuating altitude changes pressuring our ears were quite bothersome, it was a very nice and enjoyable visit to the highest point in New Jersey.
Picture URLS:
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Our visit to Franklin Mineral Museum
On the second of April, Explore 2000’s class, including myself, went to the Franklin Mineral Museum in Franklin, New Jersey. Here, we learned a lot about the Franklin Sterling Hill Mines, the life of a miner, minerals, and much more.
Franklin minerals are the minerals found in the Franklin and Sterling Hill mining district. There is one on Mining Hill in the town of Franklin, and the other on Sterling Hill on the town of Ogdensburg; both of which have been worked for over 150 years. The Sterling Mine is named for William Alexander, Lord Sterling, who owned the property from 1761 to 1776. The Franklin Mines were named after the town it resided in: Franklin, New Jersey. The mines opened in the 1800s and went out of business in September 30, 1954. Franklin Mine Hill produced a half billion dollars worth of zinc over a period of 106 years.
The Franklin Sterling Hill Mines are known to have the most individual minerals. 31 minerals out of 365 found at the mines can only be found at the Franklin Sterling Hill Mines. The ore mined in the district was primarily zinc ore. Ore is a rock made of different minerals that contain useful metals (or non-metals), such as gold, iron, zinc, aluminum, sulfur, or silver. If there are useful metals in the rock, it is crushed and the metals are taken out using heat, electricity or chemicals. Zinc is a dull silvery metal and a a chemical element; its symbol is Zn. The Franklin Sterling Hill Mines were known for mainly escavading three types of zinc ore: Zincite, a zinc oxide; Willemite, a zinc silicate; Franklinite, a zinc iron manganese oxide. There are several ways that minerals can emit light, besides from being exposed to daylight or the light from normal light bulbs. Ultraviolet (UV) rays cause a reaction within the chemicals of a mineral and cause the mineral to glow; this is called fluorescence.
Our trip to the Franklin Mineral Mine Museum was very interesting, and we even got to take home some minerals/rocks from outside of the museum!
Our visit to the Paterson Falls
The Great Falls of the Passaic River, also called the Paterson Falls, is 77 ft. high, on the Passaic River in the city of Paterson, New Jersey. Behind the Niagara Falls, it is the second tallest waterfall on the East Coast of the United States. It played a very significant role in early the industrilization of the country because it supplied the town of Paterson with so much needed energy. It powered the industrilizied city which was once known as Silk City.
The structure to the left of the picture above is the hydroelectic plant which opened in 1914, and stopped operation in 1969. In 1986 the plant was restarted and now generates 11,000 kilowatts per hour, enough electricity for 11,000 homes.
Our visit to the Liberty State Park [The Interpretive Center]
The Interpretive Center at Liberty State Park is an environmental and historical education facility. It has various exhibits which show early immigration in New Jersey, to exhibits which show the food chain in the surrounding marsh land-type areas.
Our visit to Cheesequake State Park
On the 26th of April, Explore 2000’s class, including myself, went to Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey. Cheesequake got its name from the tribe of the Lenni Lenape who used to live in that area. Cheesequake State Park opened in 1940. In the 1,485 acres of park land are three different ecosystems: the salt marsh, upland forest, and freshwater wetland.
The first ecosystem we visited was the salt marsh ecosystem. When we arrived, we had the opportunity to witness two different birds: a snowy egret, and an osprey. The snowy egret was basically just standing there, while the female osprey was brooding. Ospreys only come north to reproduce. There are over 200 species of birds which live within Cheesequake State Park, most of which are migratory birds. Crabs also like to live in the salt marshes.
The next ecosystem we visited was the freshwater wetland which was actually a large lake. Around this time of the year, the larvae of the American eels finally make their way back from Bermuda. American eels actually live in fresh water, then migrate to Bermuda to lay their eggs, and then their offspring have to make the journey back from salt water to fresh water. Our tour guide, Jim, actually caught some of the American eels today so we could see them. By now, the eels were no longer called larvae, but glass eels. They were very small and no longer than three inches. Blue fish is another animal which lives in this ecosystem.
The last ecosystem we visited was the upland forest. It is called the upland forest because it is at a higher elevation than both the salt marsh and freshwater wetland. A variety of animals live in the forest.
Barbra Basiga April 13, 2007
Franklin Sterling Miles & Museum
On the second of April, Explore 2000’s class, including myself, went to the Franklin Mineral Museum in Franklin, New Jersey. Here, we learned a lot about the Franklin Sterling Hill Mines, the life of a miner, minerals, and much more. In this research topic, I will be explaining what I’ve learned, but in greater detail as I include what I’ve learned through further research.
Let me start off by explaining what exactly a mine, and mining is. Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth. A mine is simply where these valuable minerals are extracted from. Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes. Minerals are inorganic, crystalline solids, and must occur naturally, which means anything man-made can not be considered a mineral. There are five properties considered when classifying minerals: hardness, cleavage, luster, color, and streak. The hardness of a mineral is its ability to resist scratching (diamonds are the hardest minerals). Cleavage is the ability of a mineral to break along preferred planes. Luster refers to how light is reflected from the surface of a mineral. Color, is simply the color of the mineral (minerals come in many different colors). The streak of a mineral is the color of the powder left on a streak plate (piece of unglazed porcelain) when the mineral is scraped across it. Materials recovered by mining include: bauxite, coal, copper, zinc, gold, silver, diamonds, iron, precious metals, lead, limestone, oil shale, rock salt, rin, uranium, etc.
There are several ways that minerals can emit light, besides from being exposed to daylight or the light from normal light bulbs. Ultraviolet (UV) rays cause a reaction within the chemicals of a mineral and cause the mineral to glow; this is called fluorescence. If the mineral continues to glow after the light has been removed, this is called phosphorescence. Some minerals will glow when heated; this is called thermo luminescence. And there are some minerals that will glow when they are stuck or crushed; this is called triboluminescence. When a mineral fluoresces, certain electrons in the mineral absorb the energy from the UV light and jump to a higher energy state. The fluorescent light is emitted when those electrons jump down to a lower energy state and emit a light of their own.
The lives of miners were very difficult ones, to say the least. Of course, they would get a lot of money back in the day for risking their lives to mine. But there could be no price placed to heal the worry of a miner’s family whom constantly worried for them. Women and children often waited outside of the mines to wait for their husband/father’s return everyday. Miners were at a very high risk of dying because mines could cave in at any time. Years after working in a mine, miners could also die from inhaling all that dust and dirt in mines.
Franklin minerals are the minerals found in the Franklin and Sterling Hill mining district. There is one on Mining Hill in the town of Franklin, and the other on Sterling Hill on the town of Ogdensburg; both of which have been worked for over 150 years. The Sterling Mine is named for William Alexander, Lord Sterling, who owned the property from 1761 to 1776. The Franklin Mines were named after the town it resided in: Franklin, New Jersey. The mines opened in the 1800s and went out of business in September 30, 1954. Franklin Mine Hill produced a half billion dollars worth of zinc over a period of 106 years.
The Franklin Sterling Hill Mines are known to have the most individual minerals. 31 minerals out of 365 found at the mines can only be found at the Franklin Sterling Hill Mines. The ore mined in the district was primarily zinc ore. Ore is a rock made of different minerals that contain useful metals (or non-metals), such as gold, iron, zinc, aluminum, sulfur, or silver. If there are useful metals in the rock, it is crushed and the metals are taken out using heat, electricity or chemicals. Zinc is a dull silvery metal and a a chemical element; its symbol is Zn. Zinc ore is the mineral from which zinc is extracted, particularly sphalerite (Zn,Fe)S, but also zincite, ZnO2, and smithsonite, ZnCO3. The Franklin Sterling Hill Mines were known for mainly escavading three types of zinc ore: Zincite, a zinc oxide; Willemite, a zinc silicate; Franklinite, a zinc iron manganese oxide.
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, and a mine is where these minerals are excavated. . Minerals are natural compounds formed through geological processes, and classified by five factors: hardness, cleavage, luster, color, and streak. In the dark, and under a UV light, certain minerals emit certain colors because of the movement of electrons. A miner’s life was very difficult because mining was a lot of work, and very dangerous, though it paid well. The Franklin and Sterling Mines are mines in New Jersey which have been closed down. 365 different minerals were found at these mines, and out of those 365, 31 are unique to the Franklin and Sterling Mines.
