What is DNA All About?

DNA is molecules called nucleic acids.

Nucleic acids were originally found in 1868 by Friedrich Meischer. DNA works by four different parts called nucleotides.

The four bases in DNA’s alphabet are:

Adenine (A) a purine                        Purine- double ringed structures

Cytosine (C) a pyrimidine                 Pyrimidine- single ringed structure

Guanine (G) a purine

Thymine (T) a pyrimidine

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/dna1.htm

What DNA does?

DNA carries info for your physical characteristics determined by proteins. 

In DNA each protein is encoded by a gene. A protein is made of a long chain of chemicals called amino acids. DNA is the master molecule of every cell. It gives information that gets passed to each successful generation.

DNA molecules are so long that they can’t fit in a cell unless you tightly form structures called chromosome. We have 23 pairs of chromosomes, found inside the cell’s nucleus.

DNA replication is the process of producing two identical replicas from one original DNA molecule. DNA replication is the process of having twins and forming genes, so some genes go to one twin and some genes go to the other.

By: Dora, Stewart, Aiden, Cody

Colonel Sam McLaughlin

By Abi, Alisha, Mia and Kaydn

    R.S. McLaughlin was born on September 8^th 1871. He died January 6^th 1972. He died in Oshawa Ontario and he died at age 100. He was a businessman and philanthropist. His full name was Robert Samuel McLaughlin. He lived in a big mansion. He was very rich. He had an indoor swimming pool in his house. He had a one lane bowling alley and an indoor tennis court and indoor pong table. And his own indoor library. His brother chemist J.J McLaughlin founded the Canada dry company. After his father's death in 1912 Sam became President of the Company until the company was joined as part of General Motors in about 1917. He has 5 daughters Eileen 1898, Mildred 1900, Isabelle 1903, Hilda 1905, and Eleanor 1908. He has a high school and an elementary school named after him.  He was appointed the honorary lieutenant-colonel of the 34^th Ontario regiment. In 1967 Sam McLaughlin was appointed a companion of the Order of Canada. His love of horses lead to the establishing of Parkwood stables, a thoroughbred horse racing and breeding farm located a few miles north of Oshawa. In 1898 Sam married Adelaide Louise Mowbray. Adelaide was born on February 9^th 1875. One Sunday Sam spotted Adelaide while attending church. Adelaide only had 2 dates with Sam before he proposed (it was love at first sight). After the honeymoon Sam and his Bride set up housekeeping in a home on King Street in Oshawa. Adelaide giving up her teaching career. At the time of the marriage Sam was a prosperous young man working in his father’s company the McLaughlin Carriage company. About 10 years later with his brother George, he started talking to his father into building automobiles. Women like Adelaide were not satisfied to just stay at home. She used skills to benefit society through charitable work. One of the charities that was most important to Adelaide was the Oshawa General hospital. They had a big family and a big mansion. Parkwood was home to the McLaughlin’s from 1917 until 1972. It is now used as a museum. The 55 room mansion has 15,000 square feet. They had a huge backyard. They have a soccer field in their backyard. They produce lots of movies there today. They have a big fountain in their backyard. In their basement they have a huge safe. When they produce movies they have to remove all the artifacts. Most go into the safe. Back then Sam and Adelaide did not sleep in the same bed because they think they would get sick; they had many working maids at their house. Thee is more information but we ran out of time to research and record it all

Why Are Planets Round?

By Caoimhe, Caden, Cameron B., Andrew

 Planets are round because of the gravitational pull.The gravity from the planet pulls everything towards it.  The gravity comes from the middle of the planet. It is round because all of the gravity is pulling in all the rocks and pulling it into the planet. If the planet was to be in the shape of a cube the corners will be higher than the rest of the planet. It would be uneven. The planets are the same as stars because there formed the same way. Solar systems are formed by nebula. Nebula is a cloud gas and dust in outer space. The larger the planet is the stronger the gravitational pull. Even solid rocks will flow like liquid toward the gravitational pull. The gases and dust spread through space and when there is enough dust gathered up and builds a pull called gravity.

Why did the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Not work?

By: Cameron C, Hunty, Zach and Keeshan

Because of the bridges behaviour, they named the bridge “Galloping Gertie.” The length of the bridge was 5,939 feet (1,980 meters). It was open for traffic on July 1^st 1940, linking Tacoma and Gig Harbor by road. The bridge was a very light weight design, and the engineers found out the bridge was very sensitive to high winds. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was a suspension bridge in Tacoma, Washington, U.S.A. The bridge swayed back and forth, left and right, the cars that were crossing it couldn’t see the cars in front of them from time to time. When the bridge collapsed, no people were killed, only 1 dog died. The cords of the suspension bridge snapped, and the bridge collapsed. When the winds were the highest, the right footpath was 9 m higher than the left footpath. The main engineer, Leon Moisseiff, never tested the bridge and he used a solid steel girder for strength instead of the stiffening trusses.  The bridge lacked the stiffness to resist the winds and because of that it collapsed.  The bridge collapsed on November 7 ^th 1940 around 11:00 am. 

Why Do Engineers Wear Rings?

By Olivia, Jaylah, Jaycee and Rheya

Engineers wear rings because the Iron Ring is a symbol of professional duty, and obligation. The tradition started in 1922, when a group of Montreal engineers met to consider the solidarity of the profession, to show that they are engineers.  They proposed that 7 of Canada’s most prominent engineers to be known as a Corporation of 7 Wardens. The ring is also presented to graduates of Engineering programs in a closed ceremony known as the ritual of a Calling of an  Engineer. Accepting of the professional ring is not allowed if you have not done the courses to deserve it.

SOLE Part 2

How I use SOLE in My Classroom Part 2

How To Set Up A SOLE

Here is a video that explains how to set up a SOLE in your classroom.

Wonder Buddies in February and March

One of the projects my class works on is Wonder Buddies. Wonder Buddies is an extension of the Kindergarten program which is based on the wonder Kindergarten students have of their world. The kindergarten students had some wonders about animals in the world. My Grade 5 students worked with them on research. Both recorded their information. The Kindergarten recorded their's in their own writing on sheets of paper. The Grade 5's in Microsoft Word. The Grade 5's are in the process of creating A movie using Moviemaker. The kindergarten students will be providing voice narration.

Tiger’s

By Jaylah and Peyton

Tigers are a wild cat. In fact, they are one of the biggest cats in the world. Tigers are mammals. This means that they do not lay eggs, or have feathers, or shed skin. But mammals do give birth not by egg, the baby comes alive. Also means that they have fur, even just the tiniest bit. Last but not least, they are warm blooded.

A tiger’s whole diet is one of the main food groups, meat. They will eat almost anything that lives. The tiger’s favorite animals to eat are the elephant calf, deer species, pigs, buffalo and goats.

Tigers can be all different colors and sizes. Some tigers are white and black, and they are called, Bengal tigers. A  Siberian tiger is orange and black. Some tigers are really big, and they are usually males. In the animal kingdom, a lot of animals are different colors, depending on their gender. A lot of the time, males are the ones with more colors to attract the female. The females are almost always dull in color. Tigers are different. Male and female tigers are the same in color, unless they are two different species of tiger. You have noticed tigers have stripes. It’s because when hunting, they blend in to their surroundings, such as long grass. Almost all animals are color blind, so that also helps blend them in with tall grass in the jungle. Tigers can be found in Africa and Asia.

Sharks

By Aidan

Sharks eat fish and sometimes eat seals, mostly fish though.

Sharks live in salt water they basically close to the bottom and some are in the middle of the ocean not very many sharks are on the top but some can be right near the top.

Sharks can be very dangerous if you are in salt water and bleeding. Sharks attack when they smell blood and when they are hungry. Sharks think humans are seals so they attack and then they realize that humans are not seals and they let go. Sharks have 350 teeth.

Wolves

By: Adrian and Josephine

Classification: mammal

Habitat: North America, Eurasia, North Africa, Canada, Mexico

Diet: Wolves are carnivores that mean they eat meat like deer, elk, moose, earthworms and grasshoppers they also eat other stuff like berries, for the easier prey they eat sick animals, mice birds and fish and also carrion.

Adaptation: Their thick coat, other animals for meat, shelter like caves, woods, etc. 

Fun facts about wolves

They hunt in packs and they are also wild dogs that come in the same group as dingo’s and coyotes. Their speed is 65 km/h

Bald Eagle

by: Andrew and William

The name of my animal is the bald eagle. The species of my animal is a bird. A bald eagles habitat is near the ocean. It is also found in North America. The nest is also found in big trees. Its eyes are great for seeing their prey from far distances. It uses its beak for ripping the food that it eats. They use talons to rip there food too. The tail feathers work for maneuvering itself where it wants to go.  It also has wide wings to come to a stop at high speeds. It eats lots of things like fish that it gets from in the water and it will also eat food that is dead and decaying. Bald eagles don’t have any predators because they are a big type of bird. A bald eagles nest looks like a big clump of leafs and sticks at the top of a tree. Bald eagles nest are the biggest in North America, (about 4 ft. deep 6 ft. wide and can weigh around 1 ton or more).

BROWN BEARS

By Brianna and Alisha

Brown bears are mostly found in the forest and in Europe. Most of the bears live in the mountain. Adult bears are usually 100 and 635 kg. They eat grass leaves and grass and wild berries, nut, seeds, fruit, beetles, termite nests, worms, ants, and other insects. The brown bear is one of the largest bear species. The colour of the brown bear starts from dark then to a reddish colour then a brown cream tone. The black bear has smaller claws than the brown bear. Brown bears go in the morning to get their food so in the day time they can avoid the heat. They would eat all summer to gain weight and in the winter they lose most of the weight. They male brown bears height is 6-9 feet and the females is 5-8 feet. In the forest they can live up to 25 years but in captivity they can live longer. Brown bears to climb trees because they have to escape from their predators but only when they are cubs. When they are adults they are too heavy to climb trees. An adult bear is at the top of the food chain because they have no predators. Brown bears will eat almost anything. Plants and meat are in their main diet. What they eat it depends on what food is available.  They would use their claws to scrape dirt. If available they would get any of their predators. They will eat rodents, squirrels, foxes, and other small animals. They are also known for attacking young deer and sheep. They love fish and salmon. They are great at swimming. Brown bears are mammals.

Butterflies   

By: Abigail and Cecilia

A butterfly is an insect. They live in trees, plants, and flowers. Butterflies eat leaves, nectar of various flowers, sap, and milk weed and take the liquid from the fruits we eat like a piece of mushy banana and eat it.

First, the patterns on butterflies have changed over time to make them less noticeable by their predators. The wing sizes on butterflies have increased in size, so they can fly faster away from their predators. The butterflies’ predators are frogs, birds, and spiders, rats, toads, lizards, toads, praying mantises, monkeys, and snakes.

Butterflies see red green and yellow. Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees. There are about 24,000 species of butterflies all over the world. In Ontario we have 142 species of butterflies. Butterflies are the second largest pollinators next to bees. Some butterflies will fly at night. Butterflies don’t have lungs. Butterflies taste with their feet. Monarchs can fly a 1000 km without stopping. The Giant Swallowtail is the largest butterfly found in Canada. Its wingspan can reach up to 5". The largest threat to butterflies is loss of habitat. Butterflies smell with their antennae. Butterflies wings are transparent. Butterflies live on an all liquid diet. Butterflies only live 2-4 weeks.  

Gorilla

Cameron B.

Gorilla can be Black back and Silver back

Gorilla’s live in Africa and in the forests. They are about  9.5 ft long.  They will eat bug. They live groups that are called troops. They break up with their mother when they are about 12 months old. They make a nest out of leaves and branches. They can live for 50 years or longer. They are really fat and smart. They are hairy and they are big and they weight 125 to 180 kg. 

Their diet is fruit. They are herbivorous means that they are plant eating.

A Gorilla’s predators are a type of wild cats.

Dolphins

Zach, James and Kale

 

A dolphin’s habitat is a place that the waters are rich with food and warm in temperature

A dolphin diet is a large amount of fish, squids and stuff like shrimp. The foods that are available depends on the location of the dolphin

A dolphin’s adaptations are their tail goes up and down so they can get air. The shape of their fin propels them. To save oxygen their heart starts to beat slower while they are diving. A dolphin has blubber or fat to keep them warm when the water gets colder. A dolphin has a hard nose that helps kill sharks and teeth help kill and eat fish. Dolphins have large brains.

Dolphin’s predators are mostly sharks but even sharks hesitate because dolphins come in packs and they are really tough.  People have found parts in a killer whale but they are mostly friends sometimes they even hunt together.

Some interesting things about dolphins are a long time ago people thought dolphins were unique to humans and now they think they are a different species.  Dolphins communicate by a signature whistle.  Dolphins are known to stay and help each other when needed. They even know to help another Dolphin to get up to get some oxygen.  Dolphins also save humans and sometimes whiles

There is something extremely bad that is happening to not only the dolphins it is happening to whales and sharks, people are killing them for their fins.  It is so bad. They save us and we kill them          

Facts about Reindeer

By: Cameron and Isaac

Classification: Mammal

A reindeer’s habitat is in the forest

In the winter, the usually eat Lichens. They also eat small rodents called Lemmings. They even eat leaves off of willow and birch.

The have nice fur that grows to keep them warm in the winter, and they have big antlers to protect themselves from predators.

A reindeer has lots of predators, they are:

-Golden Eagles

-Polar Bears

-Grizzly Bears

-Wolverines

-Gray Wolves

-Foxes

-Hawks

-Ravens

Blood sucking insects such as:

-Mosquitoes

-Black Flies

Extra Facts:                                                                                                                                    Another name for a reindeer is a caribou. A reindeer’s eye colour changes during the cycle of the four seasons. Caribou and reindeer are basically the same thing. You may not be able to tell the gender of a reindeer. Reindeer used to live a lot farther south. Both male and female reindeer have antlers 

Sharks

By Katelynne and Chico

They live in fairly temperate waters, sometimes tropical waters, or close to the bottom of the ocean. They will feed on fish other sharks, whales and dolphins. What eats a shark? Sometimes a whale will eat a shark but mostly we eat sharks. A sharks tooth never stops growing. The shark is a fish. Sharks whip there pray around to rip of chunks of meat. Shark can smell blood from 8 miles away. In the 16 century sharks were called sea dogs.

Kittens Information

by: Denyce and Charlene

Kittens eat tuna and kitten food

Kittens live around humans in the human’s home

A kitten does not have a predator that it attacks

Kittens need the care of their mother for the first several weeks of their life or they will not get used to their mother. Kittens cannot control body temperature for the first three weeks. Kittens are born in temperatures less than 27 degrees. Kittens can die if they are not kept warm by their mother. Kittens require cat milk every two to four hours. The mother's milk is very important for the kittens' nutrition and proper growth. Kittens lose their baby teeth around 3 months of age. Play with other kittens peaks in the third or fourth month after birth. At 5 months Kittens are not to harm because they like to find dark places to hide. Kittens have claws so when they get older they can hunt. Kittens are mammals

Megalodon

By: Hunter and Jaycii

Megalodon’s are the biggest shark ever lived. They are cousins to the Great White Shark. Megalodon means big tooth. The Megalodon was one of the most fearsome animals in all of history. Most people think that Megalodon’s are all extinct, but they need all proof that there are still Megalodon’s swimming in certain oceans. People that think the T-Rex were the biggest predator; well they are wrong the Megalodon was more of a predator. A Megalodon’s classification is an amphibian.

Its habitat is 3 parts of the water, 1 is near the top, 2 is near the bottom, and 3 is the midnight zone.

The Megalodon’s diet is any type of sea creature besides the Liopleuradon. The Megalodon can eat a blue whale in 3 bites.

The Megalodon’s predator is the Liopleuradon, and the Sarcharous Imperator

Megalodon adaptation is its jaws which can bite through almost anything.

Jaycii knows that Megalodon’s don’t like to be rode on.

Polar Bears

Mia and Reece 

 

Polar bears live in the Arctic Circle including the North Pole. Polar bears are mammals. Polar bears are omnivores so they eat walrus, whales and fish. Their adaptations are their fat under their skin which keeps them warm. Their fur is white  so they can blend in to the snow. Their predators are humans. People hunt polar bears because they have lots of fats and meat on them. They can live up to 25 to 30 years. They weigh 900 to 1,600 lbs. They are the largest land predators.

Monkeys (Wild)

Beatrice and Dora

What is a monkey’s diet?

·        Fruits

·        Leaves

·        Insects

·        Omnivore

What are a monkey’s adaptations?

·        Long tail to hang branches

·        Pointed nails to protect from predators

·        Camouflage

Predators?

·        Big snakes (pythons, boa constructor)

·        species of eagle

·        chimps (apes)

·        leopards

·        jaguars

·        cougars

Monkeys are a mammal.

What do monkey’s look like?

Monkeys have flexible arms, legs and thumbs. Their bodies are covered up in fur. They also have a long tail to hang from trees and sometimes swing from branch to branch. They weigh 22-60 lbs.

Fun facts

·        scientific name- Macaca Fascicularis

·        life span -10-30 years

·        260 species of monkeys

·        They make many noises, facial expressions, and body language to communicate

Beavers

By Aaliyah and Izzy

·        Where do beavers live? (Beavers live in wetlands and canals)

·        What are canals? (Canals is a water front where the beavers stay)

·        What do beavers eat (beavers eat small twigs, water plants and bark.

·        What are the beaver’s adaptations? (There lips can close behind their front teeth so they can keep splinters and water out of their mouth. 

·        What are the beaver’s predators? (The beaver’s predators are gray wolves, coyotes, and mountain lions (I think that they are there predators because they are larger animals)

·        Interesting facts…

·        Any type of beaver can stay underwater for 15 min

·        Beavers can weigh up to 30 to 70 lbs.

·        Beavers teeth keep growing through their life time

·        Beavers cut trees down with their sharp teeth to build dams

·        A baby beaver is called a kit

·        Beavers can close their ears and noses so water does not get inside

Snow Leopard

By Olivia

Classification; Mammal

Interesting Facts;

When fully grown, the Snow Leopard can reach the size of a fully grown man. Also when a snow leopard is born it just has spots, but when they get older, the spots turn in to rosettes. They also can jump up to 6 meters high and 5 meters long.

Habitat;

They live in caves or dens in mountains of central and middle-east Asia and go hunting in the valley below.

 Diet

A baby Snow Leopard can eat can eat about 3 pounds of meat a day, and they eat many types of food like small birds like ibises, and also they steal from the farmers and eat the sheep and sometimes find deer in the forests beside the mountains.

Adaptions;

Snow leopards have large paws so it’s easier to walk in thick snow, and they also have a long tail to balance themselves when they jump and they have a thick coat of fur to keep them warm in the cold.

Predators;

Snow leopards are not hunted by another animal, but are hunted by man. (This is why they are endangered) They are hunted for their whole body: their fur for coats, their bodies are used to feed the animals, if not for food, and even the bones are ground up. Also, wolfs eat the same-thing so they don’t get along.

Sea Turtles

By: Cody and Taylor

Sea turtles are born on or in the sand. They are born on the sand because it is close to the sea and when the eggs hatch the sea turtles can find their way home. Sea turtles may have a shell but is at the bottom of the food chain. You see the sea turtle has lots of predators, like whales, sharks, gulls 

 Cheetah

Ria and Dora

Habitat: Cheetahs live in grasslands and savannas, such as south-eastern and eastern Africa.

Diet:  Cheetahs are carnivorous. A carnivorous is a meat eater. Cheetahs also don’t eat something they haven’t killed.

Adaptions: The goldish yellow fur and black spots help camouflage to the grass and fields when hiding from predators. The cheetah’s spine is very flexible, which makes it easy for them to turn when running. Their claws aren’t really killing tools, but more like an athlete’s cleats so that the cheetah will run easily. The cheetah also has a long tail for balance. The “tears” or lines that run down its face help glare out the sun. Cheetahs cannot roar, but they use body language or chirps to communicate.

Predators: A cheetah’s predator is the human, lion, and eagle.

Classification: A cheetah’s scientific name is Acinonyx jubatus. A cheetah is a mammal.

Interesting Facts: A cheetah is the fastest land mammal in the world. The cheetah weighs 88 lbs- 140 lbs. Its top speed is 113 km per hour. They go from 0-100 km per hour in just 3 seconds.  To kill their “food” they knock them over and give them a hard bite in the neck. But they have to eat quickly; otherwise other hungry carnivores will come and take their food.

Pandas

·        Pandas live in the mountains of China.

·        Pandas eat bamboo, flowers, vines, and grass.

·        Pandas have black and white fur and that helps them blend in and hide from predators.

·        Pandas do not have predators but baby pandas are hunted by leopards and jaguars.

·        Pandas do not have permanent homes they just sleep at the bottom of trees and rock ledges.  Pandas weigh about   220 – 330 depending on if it’s a male or female. The lifespan of a panda is between 25 – 30 years. The eyespot of a baby panda is originally a circle but over time it begins to look like a teardrop. The Giant Panda species has been on the animal endangered list since 1990, scientists are hoping to increase the population by 5,000 and there are approximately just over 1,000. Pandas have been the sign of peace in China, for example people hundreds of years ago would raise a flag of a picture of a panda on it and that meant that they were surrendering in wars or calling truce. Pandas were bred between 2– 3million years ago.

·        Panda facts

·        Classification: The panda is part of the mammal family.

·        Habitat: a Panda’s habitat is in broadleaf and coniferous forests with dense bamboo shoots.

·        Diet: Pandas are herbivores which mean they eat plants like leaves from bushes, and sometimes they just eat tiny twigs on the ground, but they mainly eat bamboo, which is a type of grass.

·        Adaptions: Pandas have to adapt with their warm fur because unlike other bears in temperate climates the pandas do not hibernate.

·        Predators: Two of the panda’s predators are leopards and jackals.

·        Other interesting facts: The panda’s colours help them stay cool in summer and warm in winter. Their colours are also used for letting other pandas see that it is in the area. A pandas call sounds like a bleep. Pandas aren’t like normal bears where they attack you. A panda just runs away.

Tigers

Tia and Kaydn

The tiger is a cat, a big one in fact. It’s very strong and it uses its size to its advantage. The tiger eats meat that means that the tiger is a carnivore like a Trex. Tigers live in Africa, Asia and Europe they either live in a forest or a dry land and they always live near other animals and water just like us they need water. Some of the threats to the tigers are larger animals and sadly us, humans hunt tigers and that’s bad because tigers are almost endangered and some kinds are extinct. Some of the adaptions of the tiger are:

Tigers can hear really well. 

Its teeth are very large so then the tiger can eat tough meat.

The tiger uses its fur to camouflage itself in the tall grass when hunting

Fun facts:

Tigers are the heaviest cats in the wild. Tigers live ten to fifteen years in the wild and twenty years in captivity. Tigers are very fast reaching speeds of up to 40 mph. They are very good swimmers. They can jump 5 meters.