May 1

Great Barrier Reef in Danger

Did you know in the last thirty years half the Great Barrier Reef has died? What really interested me was that the Great Barrier reefs were getting blown up to make room to fit aircraft ship. They would also blow up the Great Barrier Reef to make passageways to get through the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Barrier Reef.

Did you know the Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world? The Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest living structures on the planet is so big in fact you can see it from outer space. It’s about 1429 miles long it provides natural habitats for over 2000 species such as shark rays, sea cows, and fish, and 411 types of hard coral. A lot of people would want to see the Great Barrier Reef before they die.

Did you know that the Great Barrier Reef is in big trouble? Global warming is one of the effects that is causing our Coral to bleach and die! It’s not just a Global warming chemicals are being dumped into the ocean which is causing The Great Barrier Reef to bleach or dies and it’s not just the Great Barrier Reef it’s other reefs to!!!

Did you know that there are things we can do to prevent the Great Barrier Reef from dying? May not know but the gas in your car is creating global warming it’s not just you, a lot of people are. This is one of the reasons why we’re having global warming. We can do something about if we can ride a bike or walk if everyone does this we won’t be having any more trouble!!

We’re saving it for a world beauty for some people it’s not like they can walk right down to the beach and take a boat to go Snorkel diving it is a world treasure for people who can’t just walk down to the beach and snorkeling with their friends no they look forward to taking a long vacation to the beach.

 

Category: Environment, Science & Tech, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Great Barrier Reef in Danger
May 1

Leonardo Da Vinci: Genius & Artist

The Mona Lisa

What does it mean to be a genius?  History tells us that Albert Einstein was a scientific genius, Michelangelo was considered an artistic genius for his paintings and sculptures and Thomas Edison was the genius inventor who brought us the light bulb. Imagine being a genius who is world famous in all of these areas of human knowledge?  Such a person did exist way back in the 15th century, his name is Leonardo da Vinci. Not only did he make a robot that worked, invent a very complex type of math called calculus, he also painted the world’s most famous portrait, the Mona Lisa. For all of the things he accomplished in life, why is it that this painting is what he is known for the most? What made this painting so famous, who was Mona Lisa, and why did Leonardo da Vinci paint her?

As an artist, Leonardo da Vinci was paid by rich merchants, Dukes and even Princes to sculpt, paint or build instruments. One day, a rich silk merchant named Giocondo hired da Vinci to paint a picture of his wife, Lisa. Though Leonardo was getting bored with painting, he took the job anyway, maybe it was for the money or maybe the woman’s face appealed to him, nobody knows for sure why he took the job but he did

Although da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa between 1503-1507, it wasn’t quite finished so he worked on it off and on until finishing it just before his death in 1519. He used wooden handled paint brushes made with animal hair to apply many different oil painting styles with names like  Verdaccio, Sfumato,  and Glazing. What is amazing is that he didn’t paint the Mona Lisa on canvas, not even paper, instead he painted her on a piece of wood that came from a Poplar tree!

In the painting, Mona Lisa has a gentle smile and the expression on her face is what makes the painting so famous. She looks as if she is keeping a secret, and her eyes are full of mystery, too. A very fine veil covers her brown curly hair down to her very simple black dress. She doesn’t wear any fancy jewelry and she sits peacefully with her hands gracefully rested crossed, one on top of the other, on her lap. Behind her, a winding road with a bridge leads up to craggy mountains that slowly disappear into the mist.

It’s well known that Leonardo da Vinci is a genius, a scientist and an inventor but what I like the best about him is his art, especially his painting of the Mona Lisa. Even though Leonardo didn’t like painting anymore, he still painted the portrait for the rich silk merchant, but it took him 16 years to do it.  Maybe it took him that long to create such a mysterious look in her eyes, and that look on her face, just like she is keeping a secret. The Mona Lisa is a great example of the Leonardo da Vinci’s genius. Or maybe it’s just like a lot of things he started, history also tells us that he finished very few works of art that he started, so it’s no surprise that it took him so long to paint her.                    

Category: Art, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Leonardo Da Vinci: Genius & Artist