June 15

Bum the Dog: San Diego’s Famous Town Dog

By Jake

Bum, San Diego’s Town Dog.

Did you know that one of San Diego’s MOST famous “celebrities” had four legs and a tail?! I had no idea that San Diego even had a town dog until my Grandma and my Mom told me about “Bum the Dog”!

When I heard that San Diego had a famous town dog, I wanted to find out more about “Bum” and what made this Half-St. Bernard/Half-Spaniel dog an important historical figure in San Diego’s history!

I wondered…how did Bum get to San Diego? How did he get the name “Bum” & what made him become so famous? Is there a memorial to Bum in San Diego? I had SO many questions that I decided I needed to do some investigative research to find out all the answers… and share them with… Y-o-u!

I was surprised to discover that Bum arrived in San Diego as a…stowaway! Bum was a stowaway aboard a steamship called the Santa Rosa. He traveled on this steamship all the way from San Francisco to San Diego way back in 1886! I couldn’t believe it! This was proof that Bum was a very adventurous, independent, and brave dog.

I also found out that Bum even had a couple books written about him! In the book: The Dog That Belonged to No One, the author Gerald A. Schiller wrote about how Bum got his name. I read about how Bum liked to hang out with the local “newsboys” (the town boys who sold newspapers on the streets of downtown San Diego).

In this story about Bum, the author wrote that one of these newsboys said:

“Well, I’ll be darned. You don’t seem to need my help in bummin’ some food – or maybe stealin’ it. Hey, there’s a name I can call ya. Bum. You’re just a bum, with no home or owner. But ya sure can bum food if ya need it, I guess. Then I think I’ll call you Bum!”

Also according to the journalist Richard Schulte, “His name suited him because he arrived as a town stowaway, befriended everyone and “bummed” quality food from the local eateries.” (Can you believe that some restaurants even put up signs in their windows that said: “Bum Eats Here”!?)

So, that was how Bum got his name, and it stuck with him his whole life! From that moment, he was forever “Bum”.

The townspeople of San Diego adopted Bum and he became San Diego’s first (and only!) town dog!  Bum enjoyed many adventures during his life in San Diego. Some of his adventures included racing along with the horse drawn fire engines on the way to a fire, traveling by himself to Los Angeles and back to San Diego by train, officiating at town parades, and even greeting visiting dignitaries, such as U.S. President Benjamin Harrison! Bum even survived being hit by a train while he was fighting another dog on the train tracks! (Sadly though, Bum lost his right forepaw and part of his tail in this fight.)

Bum also survived a serious injury, after he was kicked by a horse!

When I visited the Gaslamp Museum at the Davis-Horton House, I found the special memorial to Bum, and also a lot of interesting facts about Bum!

I found out that Bum was so beloved by the citizens of San Diego that the city gave him a lifetime dog tag…Bum didn’t ever have to pay a dog license tax!

Bum was also declared “San Diego’s Official Town Dog”, and they even put his picture on “Dog Tax Receipts” of 1891.

When I was reading the plaque about Bum that is located next to the statue of Bum in the pocket park next to the museum, I noticed that pennies were left on the plaque and I wondered why. The lady at the museum told me that the pennies were symbolic of when Bum died on November 10, 1898, and the children of San Diego collected pennies for a proper funeral for Bum.

(I also left my own pennies for Bum on the lower left corner of the plaque!)

She told me that although Bum’s actual grave is not really known, this memorial statue of him is the first memorial to a historic animal in the State of California!

Bum was a remarkable street dog who won the heart of San Diego. Bum’s personality, survival skills, and independence brought San Diego together.

It’s no wonder that Bum the dog became San Diego’s famous first (and only!) town dog!  Make sure to visit the memorial to “Bum the Dog” the next time you visit the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego…and remember to leave a penny for Bum!

Category: Animals, Community, History, Student Posts | 5 Comments on Bum the Dog: San Diego’s Famous Town Dog
June 8

Top 3 Ugliest Animals

Blobfish

The ugly blobfish.

Did you know that more people have been to space than to the deep sea? The deep sea is the lowest level of the ocean and some parts are about 7 miles below the ocean’s surface. It has been largely unexplored because of its harsh environment. There is little oxygen, light, and nutrients, and the water temperature is slightly above freezing. The animals came up with creative adaptations in order to survive in these environments. For example, they can not have air pockets or they would be crushed because of the underwater pressure, some have large eyes to help see in the dark, and some even have no eyes at all so they rely on their other senses.

I’ve picked my top three choices for the ugliest deep sea creatures, and in third place is the Blobfish. In my opinion, the Blobfish looks like a mad, old lady. The Blobfish has a big head and it’s about 1 foot long, pinkish in color, and has eyes that bulge out of its head. It lives near New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia at depths of about 3900 feet under the sea. An interesting fact about the Blobfish is that out of the water it looks like a blob because it has no muscles or skeleton, but at home, in the deep sea, it looks like a normal fish.

Cthulhu Larva (A.K.A. Abyssal Sea Cucumber)

Abyssal sea cucumber.

My pick for second place is the abyssal sea cucumber, also known as the sea pig. It has no face, no eyes, and it eats mud. They live at the bottom of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. It lives more than 3000 feet under the sea in the Abyssal zone. The abyssal sea cucumber is so ugly that a predator wouldn’t want to eat it. 

dumbo octopus round

Dumbo octopus.

My pick for the number 1 ugliest deep sea creature is the dumbo octopus, because it’s so ugly it’s cute. One of its interesting features are the big eyes it has, however it can barely see. The dumbo octopus lives between 9800 and 2300 feet deep in the Pacific Ocean. The dumbo octopus gets its name from its big ears. Strangely these ears aren’t actually ears at all, they are fins. These fins allow it to save energy and change direction while swimming in the deep ocean.

The Blobfish, abyssal sea cucumber and the dumbo octopus are my top 3 picks for the ugliest sea creature. There are many other ugly deep sea animals out there so you could even come up with your own top 3. Just remember, the things that make these animals ugly are also what makes them amazing because these features help these animals survive in the deep, dark, and harsh ocean environment.

For more information check out these references:

The Deep Sea: http://marinebio.org/oceans/deep

Life in the Deep: http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3748096

Weird Animals: http://www.allanimalsfacts.com/weird-animals-2/

Deep Sea Creatures: http://ipfactly.com/category/amazing-animals/deep-sea-creatures-amazing-animals/

 

Category: Animals | 7 Comments on Top 3 Ugliest Animals
May 16

Endangered Elephants!

Asian Elephant - Luke

Elephants are endangered because poachers kill them for their ivory tusks.

AmberBrooke. via Compfight

Did you know that about 100,000 African elephants are killed in just 3 years by ivory-seeking poachers? If the poachers keep hunting and killing the elephants just for their ivory tusks, the number will go down and the African elephants will be endangered of becoming extinct.

The reason the poachers are killing the elephants for their ivory is to make it into jewelry, ornaments, statues, and chopsticks. Ivory is seen as a symbol of wealth in countries in Asia.  The most demand for the ivory is in China and Asia countries.  The U.S also buy ivory from outside the country.

Many countries have laws against poaching and ivory trade.  But why don’t the poachers follow the law?  The poachers don’t follow the law because it is a weak law and the poachers always find a way to get out of it and there are a lot of corruption in most of these countries. Another reason people still want to buy ivory is because they are willing to spend a lot of money.

We can help save the elephants by spreading the words or to take action to stop the illegal ivory trade. We should stop buying ivory and new ivory is strictly banned. We can make a stronger law to protect the African elephants in the wild.  We can also help by donating to world wildlife foundation or any other wildlife protection.

DSC_9117

Elephants must be saved!

Arno Meintjes via Compfight

Ivory might be beautiful and valuable to all of us but it comes from dead elephants we would all rather have African elephants instead of ivory chopsticks or jewelry. We should stop the poachers from killing the elephants so we can make them go back into the millions like they used to be.

 

 

Links:

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/elephants/african_elephants/afelephants_threats/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/08/140818-elephants-africa-poaching-cites-census/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140425-hong-kong-ivory-trafficking-elephants-china-world/

Category: Animals, Current Events & News, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Endangered Elephants!
May 15

The Giant Dipper at Belmont Park!

The Giant Dipper was built in 1925 and still runs today.

Have you ever been to Belmont Park? Well if you haven’t I’m about to tell you about the most dangerous ride there. It’s called the Giant Dipper. The Giant Dipper, also known as the Mission Beach Roller Coaster, is a historical wooden Roller Coaster located in Belmont Park, a small amusement park in mission beach, in San Diego, California.

The Giant Dipper was built in 1925 and opened on July 3rd, 1925. It took 47 days to build it with the cost of $50,000!!!! I think the Giant Dipper is a really fun ride I just wish it wasn’t made out of wood because it is safer and could be more stable.      

Well, I’ve experienced this moment one time in my life when I was going to Belmont park with my friend. I nearly died when I went on this ride because the seat belts were not tight enough. I almost fell out of the seat of this ride. This is why I think the Giant Dipper is not safe. A scary/fun fact about Belmont park is that it is one of the top 10 most dangerous roller Coasters ever!!!

Well if you are going to Belmont Park you better be careful and make sure you hold on tight to your seat and have a tight seat belt. Imagine all the bad things that can happen to you if you don’t hold on tight and be safe. Well, that is why I never go on the Ride The Giant Dipper.

Category: Community, Current Events & News, Student Posts | 5 Comments on The Giant Dipper at Belmont Park!
May 15

Dogs and Other Cool Facts

TouristCreative Commons License Eric.Ray via Compfight

by Allie

Did you know that basset hounds have long floppy ears help them smell better? Or that poodle means puddle in french?  First that poodles love water and in french poodle means “puddle.” And dogs whiskers are much like our fingers.

Basset hounds have the longest ears and their ears fan the scents toward their nose. And the basset hound has an extra sharp nose. Basset hounds are also really good to watch dogs they have a deep bark which alarms them to stay away from who they are protecting. They were originally used for hunting and trailing. But they do have a lot of energy so they might need a daily walk.

Border collies are very curious and they live 12-15 years. Border collies are so curious that a border collie named Laika was so curious that she the was the first mammal ever to go into outer space! Border collies are very intelligent they were originally used to herd sheep or cows. They are so intelligent they can do many tricks such as flips and they take orders.

Beagles are very loyal and there are different breeds like the pocket beagle they are smaller than the normal beagle

Category: Animals, Student Posts | 3 Comments on Dogs and Other Cool Facts
May 15

Alexander Hamilton

 

Alexander Hamilton Statue in Central Park (New York City) - February 18, 2017 Corey Seeman via Compfight

by Ellie

How would you feel if feel your father ran away and your mother died? Do you think you would grow up to be a famous American founding father? Well, that is exactly what Hamilton did.

Alexander Hamilton had a very hard early life. He was born in Nevis. His father ran away because he was married to two girls. Then his mother died from an illness so he had to live with his cousin. But his cousin committed suicide. Then a hurricane destroyed his land so he had to move to New York.  

Hamilton played an important role in founding our country. For example, he was in the army and he led the soldiers to victory in Yorktown. He helped write our country’s constitution. He was also the first treasury secretary of the United States.

Alexander did not live a long life. For many years he was in a feud with Aaron Burr. They disagreed about many things. Then after a long time, Aaron Burr decided to have a duel. A duel is where two people bring guns and walk 10 paces away and fire. Alexander got hit and died the next day.

Hamilton’s life was short but very important.  He lived 49 years.  You can see his face on the ten dollar bill.  Also, there is now a very famous musical about his life.  It is called “Alexander Hamilton.”  

Category: History, Student Posts | 2 Comments on Alexander Hamilton
May 15

Littering should be stopped    

Stop Trashing My Ocean ...Creative Commons License Ingrid Taylar via Compfight

Littering is damaging the environment. The problem with littering is that it’s poisoning the environment. Garbage is making its way into rivers and oceans, which is hurting animals like sea life birds and more. It seems like trash is thrown everywhere but a trashcan! Do you know how big the problem is? Have you ever seen pictures of the Pacific Garbage Patch? It is literally a floating island of plastic trash. It swirls around the sea, and surprisingly, it’s 2 times the size of Texas!

Animals are choking, getting trapped in trash and eating plastic and other garbage. Populations of fish are dying because of trash harming them, which is affecting the food chain. If the little fish dies, the big fish can’t eat it, and it ends up not finding food, and passing away. Some trash can be wrapped around an animal, and the animal chokes and dies

Carelessness of trash getting into bad places is NOT okay. Just by letting a small piece of trash, you could cause the death of a sea animal. It sounds like that’s crazy, but it could happen. Sea animals are so innocent, you don’t want to let a turtle die? Do you?

I think littering shouldn’t be done at all no matter what. Trash you throw on the ground could be blown into the sea where a bird or an animal could choke on it, So it should be stopped. It’s already illegal to do it, so don’t! It’s meaningless to drop trash on the ground when there’s literally a trash can 15 feet away! And that’s why you should never litter… EVER.

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May 15

Carnivorous Plants

Red and White

A sundew plant.

Creative Commons License incidencematrix via Compfight

Imagine you are an explorer that is in a tropical place until you find these plants you have never seen !!!. I am here to talk about carnivorous plants. Today you would be learning about strange plants like that Bladderwort, Sundew and Pitcher plant.

Bladderwort

Bladderwort is carnivorous plants belonging to the Lentibulariaceae family consisting of approximately 223 species. They capture small organisms by means of bladder-like traps. They live in freshwater or wet soil across every continent except Antarctica.

Sundews

Sundews belong to Droseraceae family and they are one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants. Sundew leaves utilize hairy tentacles and gluey liquid to trap their prey. They grow in moist and acidic soils with a lot of sunlight.

Pitcher Plants

Another Pitcher plants

A pitcher plant.

Creative Commons License Percita via Compfight

Pitcher plants are carnivores whose leaves are known as pitfall traps. Their prey catching mechanism consists of a deep cavity containing digestive fluids. They live in acidic soils poor in minerals.


“Most of the time, plants are the ones that get eaten, but sometimes they get their revenge.” Carnivorous plants are often very colorful and attractive, have a beautiful smell and produce large quantities of nectar. The main idea of this blog post is to inform readers about carnivorous plants. Where they live and how they trap their prey. Are you aware that carnivorous plants can capture prey other than insects like mice, frogs, and other rodents?

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May 15

Penguins

What’s blaKing Penguinck and white and waddles around… it’s a penguin! You are probably thinking of lots of questions. You might think of why are penguins black and white? Or why don’t penguins fly? They are birds right?! And What penguins eat rather than fish? Well, I am going to answer all of those questions!

Why are penguins black and white? Because when they are cold they face their back black side to get warm and when hot face their white up to reflect the sun. And another reason is when they are swimming their white side up and black side down they are camouflaged and hard for their predators to see them.

Why can’t penguins fly? They are birds right?! Because Along time ago the penguins could fly (we think that they did fly long ago cause they are birds) but they started to do more swimming than flying so now they can’t fly. Did you know that the emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest penguin ever?

What food do penguins eat rather than fish? The diet of a king penguin is mainly fish and squid and a small amount of krill and other crustaceans. Fish is 80-100% of their diet, except in the winter it is 30-100%. Lantern fish is the main fish they eat.

It’s practically impossible to look at a penguin and feel angry. – Joe Moore. Did you know that Emperor penguins are endangered?! Penguins face his black side towards the sun to get warm, and when hot faces its white side to reflect the sun. Penguins don’t fly because they swim more than fly a long time ago. Penguins eat mainly fish and squid and krill. Imagine that you are in Antarctica and a shiver goes down your spine, and you see a little thing waddling towards you, IT IS A PENGUIN!

Penguin Cam | San Diego Zoo  Creative Commons License laikolosse via Compfight

Category: Animals, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Penguins
May 15

Let’s Save Elephants

SLarge bull elephanto you’re at zoo and you’ve just finished looking at the fearsome polar bears, you proceed past the baboons, the porcupines, and lions, and you stop where the elephants always are with their pride in their trunks and ears flopping super cute in the air. But guess what? There not there.

Imagine that. Here’s some 🔣 math about elephants. If every 11 hours 50 elephants get poached then about how many will be left in the next 2 years or 730 days? 73,000. If there are about 100,000 then in 2 yrs it’d be 27,000 and in the next three… none!

If an elephant had no tusks would you really call that an elephant?  Think you would call an elephant this, “The largest land animal in the world, with big tusks and floppy ears.” But if you take away the tusk part of it here’s all that is left.” The largest animal in the world with floppy ears.” That’s basically just describing a really big dog. Plus that’s pretty boring. Would you like to see a really, really big dog instead of the elephant that’s been around for generations? We should protect animals.

Did you know that even elephants go through the awkward age? Well only Male ones, and it’s a bit different. When the male reaches a certain age they leave their family and go live alone or with others. Another fun fact about the life stages and ages of elephants is that when one is fully grown the elephant usually only familiar groups while it’s looking for a mate.It also is more aggressive to more animals which increase its power and success.

 

Let’s talk about the necessities of the elephant and all of it’s regular and well-known facts.

Its family is the Elephantine. In Spanish elephant means elephants and African elephants spread their ears out as a threat or (rarely) if they’re rarely interested n something. 

Creative Commons License flowcomm via Compfight Elephant scurry free!

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May 9

Jellyfish

Sea Nettle Wayne Hsieh via Compfight

Imagine you are a jellyfish. You are drifting along in the current when suddenly, you are captured in a net, you start to shrivel up. What do you do? Stop imagining. I’m Donovan, and I’m going to tell you about jellyfish.

What are jellyfish?

Actually, in spite of the name “jellyfish” They aren’t even fish, but cnidarians. They are also invertebrates. This means they have no bones or shells. They are related to coral and sea anemones. The weird substance that builds the jellyfish isn’t jelly. It’s called mesoglea a.k.a ectoplasm.

What are some kinds of jellyfish?

The Atolla jellyfish, also called Coronate medusa, is a deep-sea jelly found around the world. Like many species of animals dwelling in the deep, it has bioluminescent abilities. But unlike many species that use bioluminescence to attract prey, this species uses it to keep from becoming prey.   When an Atolla jellyfish is attacked, it will create a series of flashes that spin like the lights of a police siren. This draws in more predators that will hopefully be interested in the original attacker more than the jellyfish, giving the jellyfish opportunity to escape.

This strategy has given the species the nickname the “alarm jellyfish.”

It’s Darth Vader! Oh, wait… That’s just a Narcomedusae. This unusual looking species of jellyfish has not one but two stomach pouches. To fill those pouches with plenty of prey, it will hold its long tentacles out in front of it while it swims. Researchers think this makes them a more effective ambush predator.

According to Creature Cast, “Some species of Narcomedusae (affectionately called narcos by the people that study them) can grow inside their own mother, who provides nourishment and a safe environment for her. The narco babies can then leave their mother, find another jellyfish of an entirely different species, attach to its flesh, and thrive on the nourishment and safe environment it provides.”

The lion’s mane jellyfish is not only the largest jelly species in the world, but it also harbors a powerful sting that it uses to catch its prey. Most humans have little to fear from this ferocious jelly, but its poison is more than enough to scare away enemies, thus creating a safe space for both the jelly and other species that are lucky enough to be immune to the toxin.

If I saw a jellyfish at the beach or bay, what species is it?

I’ve seen jellyfish at the bay, and I poked them with a stick let me tell you, there were a lot of them.They are moon jellies. Also, sometimes you can find sailor jellyfish at la jolla shores. I wouln’t be surprised if they were planning an invasion.

 

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May 8

Invasive Species Take Over

Turtle

A red eared slider are invading rivers and lakes.

Creative Commons License Nicholas LabyrinthX via Compfight

Imagine having a new roommate move in with you, that you knew nothing about and just starts invading your home. How would that make you feel? Would that make you feel uncomfortable? Well, that is what an invasive species can be like. Invasive species are animals or plants from another region of the world, that don’t belong in their new environment. They can be introduced to an area by ship ballast water, accidental release, and most often by people. Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals; destroy ecosystems and permanently change habitats. Three invasive species that have invaded other habitats are known to be the European Starling, Red-Eared Slider, and the Feral Pig.

Starling on the lough shore. Caroline Johnston via Compfight

The European Starling, invited or not? The European Starling is a bird that invaded North America in the late 1800s. A man known as Eugene Scheiffelin released sixty European starlings into New York’s Central Park because he hoped to beautify the city. Also, many European settlers freed starlings from birdcages to fill their new gardens with birdsong from home. The Starlings homeland is Eurasia, North Africa. Starlings are known as alien invaders because they come from another region, and invaders because they are taking over. In cities, starlings spread diseases by fouling on cars, balconies, handrails, and playground equipment with their droppings. In spring, they chase away shyer birds like; bluebirds and swallows out of their nesting holes. They eat the eggs and then lay their own.  In Autumn, starlings fly in huge flocks and swarm farmlands, eating up all the grains, corn, and ripe fruits. Today starlings are called dirty, noisy, and disease-spreading pests.

young wild boar

A wild pig.

Cloudtail the Snow Leopard via Compfight

The Red-Eared slider is a cute little water turtle but is also known to be a bully. Their home waters are in the Mississippi River in the United States.  In the 1970s, turtle farmers have raised red-eared sliders for international pet sales. These turtles have invaded areas like Southeast Asia, Islands in the Caribbean Sea, France, and Israel. Softhearted owners release their sliders into the wild when they outgrow their tanks. When released into nature, these turtles gobble up water plants, dragonfly larvae, crayfish, frogs, toads, salamanders, and small fish.  They bully water-birds off egg-filled nests and then spread out their reptile legs, neck, and tail to absorb the warm rays of the sun. Sliders weigh more than adult waterbirds, so they press the bird eggs underwater and drown them. In France and California, red-eared sliders threaten endangered native turtles by outcompeting them for food and by staking out the best basking spots.  

Hawaii, can it be the paradise lost land for the Feral pig? The first pigs trotted off Polynesian ships onto the Hawaiian Islands in about 400 A.D. In 1778, Captain James Cook released a pair of European pigs onto the Islands. Now large hybrid wild pigs are the most serious invasive species on the Hawaiian Islands. The homeland for the feral pigs is Eurasia, North Africa. Invading feral pigs, along with other mosquitoes, and parasites show no respect for glorious Hawaii. Feral pigs scarf down anything from snails, grain, nesting seabirds and their eggs. They eat fruiting or flowering plants and spread seeds in their poop. The pigs make a hole by digging entire trees but eat only the roots. These pigs have definitely made themselves at home in the Hawaiian Islands.

In conclusion, are all invasive species bad? No one can really confirm that invasive species are all good or all bad. Some species are clearly harmful, while others may have benefits. For example, the feral pig might eat anything and everything in sight but can also spread seeds in their poop. By the feral pig doing this, it can help the habitat with growing more vegetation. Another example is the European starling which can be a little harmful to its habitat because it can easily spread diseases. So the next time, you see an animal nearby;  you should ask yourself where did it really come from.

                 

Category: Animals, Environment, Student Posts | LEAVE A COMMENT
May 8

The Last Show at SeaWorld

Killer Whales Jumping 09

The Shamu Show at Seaworld. Amaury Laporte via Compfight

You are sitting in the splash zone waiting to get wet, he is over there not too far away. He finally comes over and… SPLASH! In an instant you’re soaked! Watching the Shamu show at SeaWorld is always really exciting! There are only 3 SeaWorlds in America, and San Diego is one of them. What if i told you that the show at SeaWorld San Diego is coming to an end? Sadly it’s true, the last show was on a Sunday in April 2017.

7 years ago there was an incident where killer whale, Tilikum killed trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Since then there has been less comfort and more worry. The whale Tilikum died very soon before the show ended and it shouldn’t be her fault the trainer died. It was mainly under the stress the whale has been through and being forced to perform.The whales are killer and that’s probably how it got its name. No animal can ever kill these underwater mammals. The animals get stressed out and put under pressure from not being able to do their thing and roam with no worries.

There is no need to worry about shamus completely vanishing from SeaWorld, because they will still be in the exhibits and the only thing ending is the show. There will still likely be a Shamu Store. There will still be a place where you can get Shamu souvenirs and take them home. It wouldn’t make sense to get rid of everything Shamu related since SeaWorld is mostly known for Shamus. It just wouldn’t be right!  

The main reason this show is ending is because of the incident and the stress over the Shamus. I think we all learned that we should let animals do what they want to do, especially when the word “killer” is a part of their name. Another reason is also that the show was teaching children all animals were friendly when they really aren’t.

I think all of us are sad about the show ending but it was for the best. If it didn’t end quickly enough more trainers could have been killed or Shamus could have gotten an illness from all the pressure and stress they are put under every day from training too hard and performing too hard.  I’m upset too but we should all learn to accept it. You could still catch the dolphin show, but sadly, it will end soon too.

 

Category: Animals, Current Events & News, Student Posts | 1 Comment on The Last Show at SeaWorld
May 8

Child Labor

Selling popcorn, children's lives in Bangladesh jankie via Compfight

Can you imagine a kid that is only 6 years old and that is forced to do work like mining gold in a deep cave?  Some kids are unlucky and are forced to do child labor. Child labor means that children have to be put to work in order to help support their families.

There are many different jobs that children do.  The majority of them are harvesting crops like tobacco, cotton, bananas, sugar cane and much more.  One of the most difficult and dangerous jobs is mining gold. Almost all of these jobs are very dangerous and many times result in accidents and even death.  For an example mining gold is super dangerous because kids can die from explosions or even from the air. Also, tobacco can poison them or be cutting sugar cane with a machete can hurt someone seriously.

There are different regions of the world where child labor exists. The jobs children do depend on the local economy. For example, Peru has gold so many kids work in gold mines.  In Mexico, they have a lot of farms so children will often work in fields. Many times in large cities children work in large, dirty and unsafe factories.

There is a big population of child labor. The total number of estimated participating in child labor is 148 million, 100 million of them are boys and 48 million of them are girls. The region that has the most child workers is South America. The two countries in South America with the most child workers are Peru and Brazil. The second largest is Mexico followed by Africa, India and last but not least the Philippines.

Most people agree that “Child labor can be dangerous and harmful.” Also, it keeps kids away from school because kids are working during the years they should be learning in school.  As they become adults they are left with no education.  This makes being successful in life much harder and many times leaves little hope of escaping poverty.   Child labor is still happening right now.  People are fighting to stop child labor because it is dangerous and affects their chance of success in life.

 

 

Category: Current Events & News, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Child Labor
May 8

Precious Pandas

Good Morning! ./tg11.png

heights.18145 via Compfight 

They are about 2,000 pandas left in the world which is not many.Pandas are mostly found in China on high mounts like black bears they are apart of the bear family. Panda can be black and white and brown and white. The brown and white pandas are rare to find in china.In 1972 the United States president Richard Nixon visited China’s president to ask if they can send 2 pandas to the US and they did. In the next 10 years, an estimated number of 75 million people came to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park to see the pandas because they were the first 2 pandas in the US   

The pandas have to live in a habitat with grass, bamboo, trees and water to life. The pandas eat bamboo and leave from trees all day besides having fun. The panda spends up to 10 to 16 hours eating bamboo and leaves to stay strong. Have you ever wondered how many pounds a panda a panda gains a day well the panda eats about 27 pounds each day? The panda grabs the bamboo by its claw and puts its thumb on top to grip it.They can be 5 to 6 foot long which is about 1.5 meters long.

The giant pandas are endangered because the people in China people are taking their habitat away and they have been being killed by the people in china or getting sick. Also, they have predators which are weasels, leopards, and wild dogs. Poachers also illegally hunt the pandas. Humans also cut down the bamboo so they will starve.

If pandas were not endangered how many do you think there would be? Also, about 18,000 pandas died.Know you learned the habitat of pandas what they eat how they are becoming an endangered species. Hopefully, you learned a lot about pandas.If you think that pandas try to bite you when you try to pet them because they are apart of the bear family well you are wrong they are calm. Here is a panda quote ”Keep Calm and Love Pandas”             

Watch the pandas live at the San Diego Zoo: >Panda Cam | San Diego Zoo.

  

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May 8

Inventions and Technology

You are working hard to create a machine that could bring messages across the world using electricity. You take a metal wire and insert it into a rumbling machine that is connected through the wall into another room. All of a sudden you realize that you can hear things from when your helper clicks into the machine! You just invented the telephone! Who invented the typewriter? Who invented the iPad? I am going to address inventions, jobs, pollution, and more detail about history’s greatest inventions.

Inventions

Remington Rand Molly Sauter via Compfight

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, with the help of Antonio Meucci, Charles Bourseul, and Elisha Grey. it was designed by using a straight string to carry messages long distances. You’re probably wondering, who invented the tablet? Bill Gates, the leader of Microsoft, developed the tablet a decade before Steve Jobs developed it. Last, the typewriter was invented by Christopher Latham Soles, in 1819. He had the help of John Pratt, Samuel Soule, and Carlos Gladden. It worked by stamping ink onto the keys, and then when you pressed a letter, it pushed down on the paper.

JobsABB IRB RobotCreative Commons License Kitmondo Marketplace via Compfight

Now, as technology evolves machines get more and more sophisticated. Now machines are taking over labor and jobs. Here are a few examples of what they do. If there are many people doing similar jobs, the owner can produce a programmed production line, (PPL) to automate their jobs. That way, the company pays less money to workers. Also, if someone got a letter saying “Urgent. What character do I do for my biography report?” Instead of making another letter that might take weeks to reach them, you could just e-mail them the answer. And, sometimes people have to get together in one location. Instead of doing that, you could just turn on your computer and video conference whoever you need to talk with. Then, if you feel like you don’t have enough friends, or aren’t social enough, you could go online and visit a website like Facebook or Twitter. Last but not least, teachers are using technology to educate students. A Promethean board in your classroom is a good example. Now, technology is looking for more ways to stop pollution.

Pollution

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Now technology has its good side, but it also has its bad side. As we create electricity, the power plants let out all the exhaust that was created. This is creating too much pollution. If you look at the big picture, of how many power plants and other pollution makers there are in the world, you MIGHT start to see the bad side. Also, when companies dump their waste into the river, it not only causes water pollution, it wastes drinking water. Just imagine what you swim in when you go to the beach! A few example of smog disasters is the Great Stink, in London, and the Great Smog. Did you know the most polluted place in the world is Chelyabinsk, Russia?

Now you see, technology is making people lose jobs. We have to teach the people whose job was eliminated to do other jobs.

Category: Science & Tech, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Inventions and Technology
May 8

The Last Great Race

Iditarod 2017 frostnip907 via Compfight

There are few things harder than scaling Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain1. One of these things is completing the Iditarod. Read on to find out more about this daring sport.

You’re probably asking, “What is Iditarod?” It’s known as the Last Great Race on Earth2 and unlike other sports, it goes on for several days instead of a few hours. The team is made up of a driver called musher who gives commands to a group of 10-18 sled dogs.  Teams must travel 1,049 miles with checkpoints along the way from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. In addition to the length of the race, the weather is rough over the challenging terrain which includes snow, mountains and narrow gorges. Even with all these obstacles, people still want to win the race for the top prize: up to $70,000 and a new pickup truck.

Next, let’s go into how the sport originated. Joe Redington founded the Iditarod race in 1973. Because of this, he was nicknamed The Founding Father of Iditarod. Joe Redington founded the race to remind people about the importance of sled dogs in Alaska3. Sled dogs were used for transportation, daily work, and they helped Eskimo Scouts patrol the state. When snowmachines and snowmobiles were invented, people used sled dogs less and less.  Joe Redington hoped the race would bring attention to the sled dogs and reminds people that they are strong, intelligent and can hold many occupations.

Now, let’s go through some fun facts about Iditarod. Iditarod comes from an Ingalik word for a local river, Haiditarod, which means distant place. In the history of the race, the longest one took more than 32 straight days by John Shultz. If the snow melts, the race can have a different starting line or trails. The only dogs allowed to participate are Huskies and malamutes. This rule was created after John Suter allowed his poodles to participate in the competition. Not all dogs are allowed to race because their fur or hair may not be able to handle the cold weather.  Besides the cold weather, another danger for the teams is moose. They have attacked some of the teams in previous races.4

Now that you know more about Iditarod, are you ready to give it a try? Over 1,000 miles, extremely cold weather and long days are not good enough? I bet $70,000, a new pickup truck and twelve super cute huskies as part of your team will change your mind.

References

1The Great Alone. Greg Kohs, Alkemy-X, 2015, documentary.

2 Iditarod Trail Committee, www.Iditarod.com, 2017.

3 Freedman, Lew, www.alaskasportshall.org/inductee/joe-redington-sr/ 2017.

4 Mcpherson, Angie, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140308-iditarod-dogs-sled-race-alaska-willow-science/ , 2014.

Category: Games, Special Events, Sports, Student Posts | 1 Comment on The Last Great Race
May 8

Tips On How To Save Water

Thirst for water

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Drought Preparedness is about being prepared for when another drought comes. If  you don’t know what drought means this is the definition. The definition for drought is a period of dry weather.period of dry weather. I am also going to tell you about how to save water. Water saving is about  some weird ways you can save water.

First, we are going to talk about drought preparedness. To be drought prepared, you need to not waste water. If you waste water southern California will become a drought again. Here are some tips: You can install a rain catch system. This system can help you catch rainfall in a can from your downspout. Another is that you can have stored water. This helps you so you don’t have to use water from the spigot. You can water your lawn and flowers with the water stored from rainfall.

Next is on how to save water. Here are some ways to save water: you can use your watering can instead of the hose. You can also put in the biggest load of clothes into your washing machine so you can save time and water. You should not run water when brushing your teeth. You should take shorter showers.

Now you know how to be prepared for when another drought comes.  You also know how to save water from the above-mentioned tips. These tips should be used at all times, not just to be prepared for a drought, but also as a concerned citizen to be sure we have the water we need to survive. 

Category: Environment, Student Posts | LEAVE A COMMENT
May 8

Man’s Best Friend

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One Hundred Ninety. Why is that number important? That is the estimated amount of the different breeds of dogs in the world. Dogs are also known as “Man’s Best Friend” because dogs are the most energetic, loving, and interactive animals. Dogs come in many different shapes and sizes. Chihuahuas can fit in a small bag. The Great Dane is the tallest dog breed in the world, with a height up to forty-four inches when they are standing up.

The Origin Of Dogs

A long time ago, dogs hunted for their own food, made their own houses, and fought for territory. They didn’t they know that in the next 32,000 years they would evolve to a domestic creature and live with humans. They would get fed, and live with a family that loved them. That is because, over many centuries, some wolves evolved and became domestic animals. Domestic describes any animal that is not hunting and is living with humans. Dogs evolved from a wolf that is now extinct. The wolves that dogs evolved from are called European Wolves. Dogs have gone hunting in the wild to being fed by humans over thousands of years. Dogs were supposedly domesticated in England, around 18,800 – 32,500 years ago. They were domesticated from people in hunter-gatherer cultures, to hunt for food, and guard homes. Now dogs are mostly everyone’s favorite animal. They play, they sleep, and you can teach them almost anything.

Dog Jobs

You wouldn’t think of a dog going to work and helping people right? Well, some specially trained dogs do. Dogs go to sick people in hospitals and give some joy by licking them and letting people pet them. Dogs can also help firefighters and police officers. They help the firefighters by sniffing and leading them to a victim in the fire. Other dogs are used for the police. They help them by sniffing out drugs and lost items. Imagine you lost your phone, they sent a dog out to find it and found it! You would be pretty satisfied when the dog did. Another thing dogs do is guide people with blindness around the house or city. The dog will know when to cross the street and when to not, this can really save somebody’s life. Lastly, dogs can sniff out low blood sugar, they can help anyone in the condition and alert his or her parents. This saves a lot of time because you don’t have to watch your child every second of every day. Overall, dogs are a very important part of this world and making humans happy.

Keeping Your Dog Healthy

Dogs need people to help them stay healthy and live happily. The disease rabies is deadly, and lots of other diseases are too. Even colds and fevers can be serious when talking about dogs. That is why all house dogs are treated with a number of different shots to prevent disease before exploring the world. There are 7 different vaccinations that dogs have to take and are spread out through the age of 5-15 weeks old. The list of vaccinations is, 5 weeks Parvovirus, 6-9 weeks combination vaccine and Coronavirus, 12 weeks Rabies, 12-15 weeks Leptospirosis another Coronavirus, and Lyme. Once your dog has had all of the listed shots, they are ready to explore the outdoors. Your dog also needs to be feed on a daily basis. You should also walk your dog at least once a day, and not put your dog in a cage for more than 4 hours a day. Puppies would be more energetic that adult dogs.

Conclusion

Dogs are very intelligent, and energetic animals that can run, swim and be taught almost anything. You need to know how to take care of your dog, what breed to get, and where dogs originally came from. You can help your dog by following feeding schedules and playing with your dog for most of your day. If your dog gets sick you can call a veterinarian to see what’s wrong. Look at the links down below to find out more about dogs, their origin, how to take care of them, and what breed to pick. There are many choices, start looking today at your local animal shelters if you want one, remember, dogs come in different shapes and sizes. Find the one that is right for you.

Links for More Information

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/14/health/dogs-domesticated-europe/

http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Origin_of_the_domestic_dog

http://discovermagazine.com/2016/dec/the-origins-of-dogs

http://www.neshaminy.org/cms/lib6/PA01000466/Centricity/Domain/439/Cp6%20-%20HANDOUT%20CNN%20Types%20of%20lead-ins.pdf

 

Category: Animals, Student Posts | 1 Comment on Man’s Best Friend
May 8

All About Math!

Malaysian Chinese abacus

An abacus is an ancient counting tool.

Creative Commons License Thomas Quine via Compfight

Did you know that people have been using mathematics for over 4,500 years? Mathematics is a subject at our schools online and in the outside world. Mathematics was made from a board and a stick, because that is all they had back in 300 to 600 BC. Mathematics was made to help people with everyday things and to make us smarter. So, with that being said I am here to tell you everything you need to know about math.

Mathematics started from 600 to 300 BC (before Christ). The Ancient Greek people invented it by using a system of Mathematics that they used from their own Mathematics. This so they could grow a larger amount of people to use to do everyday things. Like counting money or whatever currency you have. Maybe to count animals, but most importantly what were we going to count the with? Roman Numerals! they were lines and letters. I=1, V=5, X=10, L=50, C=100, D=500, and finally, M=1,000.

 

From 4,500 years ago we still have a tool that Romans used. This tool is called an abacus, it was used to count everyday things. The abacus is also called a counting frame, it is a collector’s item it would be worth definitely over $1 million, obviously because it was made 4,500 years ago.

The Ancient Egyptians from about 3,000 BC used algebra, arithmetic, and geometry to find the approximate the area of a circle. There was a number system that Hindu-Arabic started developing in the 1st century and then came to be in the 9th century. A welsh mathematician named Robert Recorde invented the equal sign (=). The symbols + and – addition and subtraction have been around for thousands of years but it wasn’t until the 16th century that most mathematical symbols were invented.

I hope I have informed you all you need to know about math it really informed me. Well, that is Brandon signing off for now. Thank you for listening to my informational text on Mathematics. Here are some helpful Links:

http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/facts/history.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mathematics

Category: History, Science & Tech, Student Posts | LEAVE A COMMENT