This year we will be integrating many of the National Educational Technology Standards with our Indiana State Science Curriculum. To help students become more aware of current scientific discoveries and to improve their technological skills, each student maintains an online blog at My Big Campus about “Science in the News.” Below are some of the exceptional blog entries written by my seventh and eighth grade students:
Science News #1 by by Garrett C.
The Future Of Brain Transplants
Author: Peter Tyson
08.26.10 Nova Beta
Brain transplants! You might lose your personality but your still alive!
This is a really strange but amazing article about how scientists can grow artificial tissue(s) now that can be transplanted onto living people.
Already full organs have been grown in a tray and transplanted, just ask Dorris Taylor who has grown over 70 livers and transplanted them.
But the idea of having a full brain transplant, or even a full body transplant! Science-fiction or near future facts?
Dr. Robert White got plenty of attention after having the idea of a full body transplant (Full brain transplant)
If a quadriplegic had the money to get a full body transplant they could undergo an entire brain transplant into an artificially grown body that was fully functional and carry on in life normally.
That leads us to the next question, could we grow entire human brains? Read more about it in the link at the top of the page!
The topic interests me because of all the ideas I could use it for in writing. I thought it would be cool to write a story about someone who undergoes the surgery and loses all of his memories. That's as far as I've gotten but hey It is a WIP!
Tagged with brain, transplant, body
Science news blog #1 by Rachel W.
Title: Pachyderm Problem Solver
Author: Tim Wall, Fri Aug 19, 2011 01:20 PM
Source: Discovery News
Website: http://news.discovery.com/animals/pachyderm-problem-solver-110819.html
Main topic: Scientists have found sensors in elephant trunks that help them solve problems.
Summary: In earlier studies elephants were known to be very intelligent animals but no study could prove that they could solve problems like apes & other monkeys do. But in recent studies a sensory in the elephant’s trunk proves to help them solve problems but they elephant must have something in their trunks to trigger the sensors. In one study the elephant was given a stick & a movable cube. Delicious fruit was hung on the trees on the top of the elephant enclosure. Once the tool was in the elephant’s trunk he knew to move the cube under the trees and reach for the fruit.
Why this topic is important to you?? This topic is important to me because I love animals and I think its cool to see how smart animals actually are.
Science News #1 By Taylor S.
Title of the Article: Microbes in the Music
Author: Stephen Ornes
Source: Science News for Kids, June 7, 2011
What is the main topic of the article? A new discovery found that little-tiny organisms- that will cause diseases- can and will most possible live on your instrument a long time after you play.
Summary: Biologists from Tufts University took a close look at 20 various instruments and found a new germ that will cause health issues. This study shown that this germ can live up to three days in saxophones and clarinets. If this germ were to live in a flute it wouldn't live as long. As research continued they found that playing someone else’s instrument you won’t become sick instantly.
Why is this topic important to you? I find this topic interesting only because I enjoy listening to and playing music.
