Monday, January 26, 2009

The Scientifically Sounding Report

mealworm

There are many mysteries of life, but I've taken the liberty to study one in particular - the key to survival.

Scientists wonder what is life and how to make it.  But, I've studied how to keep it.  Different species have different needs.  For example, humans need food, water, and shelter.  But, mealworms need food, moisture, and darkness.

Based on Mealworm and Earthworm Science Studies.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Review

wimpy3 The latest book in Jeff Kinney's series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, just came out.  It's called, Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Last Straw.

This is the best book ever!  I recommend it for everybody.

 

Kayla and Alex's Interview Show - Diary of a Wimpy Kid

In this video, my sister interviewed me to find out why I love this series.  I also wrote a blog post where I reviewed the first book in the series.

The second book was awesome too!  From my LibraryThing Review:

In this book, Greg's friendship with Rowley is in jeopardy. You have to read the book to find out more. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh.

These books are so popular that they're going to make a movie soon.

Friday, January 16, 2009

E.O. Wilson: The Ant Whisperer

PULITZER WILSON E.O. Wilson is a naturalist who has greatly expanded our knowledge of ants. As a kid he was a geek who liked to look at nature’s creations. His first interest in nature sprouted when he was on a beach and found a Sea Nettle Jellyfish. He observed it for hours. Over time, as he matured, his interest turned to ants. He overcame several disabilities to make his award-winning discoveries about ants.

As a young man, E.O. Wilson, or as I like to call him, the Ant Whisperer, fought many obstacles. One of his disabilities was that he became partially deaf. Another disability is that he had dyslexia; this might make it hard to focus. The biggest obstacle to becoming a naturalist, someone who observes nature, is that he lost sight in one eye in a fishing accident. This destroyed his ability to see in 3D. After the fishing incident, he found out that he could see small things such as ants really well. It seems that he was destined to study ants.

In his studies, E. O. Wilson found out how ants communicate. They leave a trail of a chemical pheromone that the other ants follow. He also learned that the ants figure out if the other ants are alive or dead by detecting the Carbon Dioxide that the live ants respire. The dead ants emit Oleic Acid from their decomposing bodies instead of Carbon Dioxide. He also figured out that ants go crazy when invaders attack because they bring a mix of chemicals called propaganda pheromones. He shared all this information and more in the Pulitzer Prize winning book, The Ants.

E. O. Wilson overcame many obstacles, defeated many challenges to teach us about ants. He became world-famous for his discoveries that are important to understanding ants and the diversity of life. All in all, E. O. Wilson is an inspiring person and naturalist.

Source: E.O. Wilson - Ant ManOdyssey: Adventures In Science.  A Cobblestone Publication, April 2007.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Still Life That My Mom Forced Me To Do

artist

We read I Am an Artist by Pat Lowery Collins and illustrated by Robin Brickman.

Alex, “I am NOT an artist and my mom made me read this book. I hated it, but if you're an artist you should read it.”

Mom's Note - The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. This is an inspiring book for almost any child (and parent!)