On March 23 and 24, 2015, the Living Environment students dissected two adult deer hearts. The purpose was to get a better understanding of the various parts of the heart, their arrangement in space and their function.It was a time of discovery and wonder. One student handled the dissecting tools with the care and precision of a surgeon. Another student, upon manually exploring the inner chambers of the heart by way of the large vessels discovered a bone fragment in the heart and two deep lacerations in the exterior heart muscle. This allowed us all to participate in an impromptu forensics study as to the possible cause of death of the animal.

Pictures have been posted on the "science photos page".

A discussion of the heart would not be complete without mentioning how important it is that we know how to treat our hearts. So, in that spirit, below are a list of some heart healthy tips and advice. After all, if your heart is not healthy, it most likely will shorten your life span if the problem is not effectively addressed.

 

Exercise

Consume less salt

Lower your stress levels

Eat foods low in saturated fat

Eat "superfoods" like blueberries, oatmeal, garlic, olive oil and whole grains

Quit smoking

Do not abuse drugs or alcohol

Get regular checkups from your doctor

 

for  more complete information  go to:   www.heart.org 

 

 

Many people think that the North Star is famous for being the brightest star in the sky.

Actually it's the 46th brightest star! So, why is it famous? It is the only star that does not move when the stars rise and set as a result of our Earth turning on its axis. It does not move because it's almost exactly lined up with that axis. So, the North star is a point around which the rest of the sky rotates. No other star does this. And also, since Earth's North pole axis is pointing at the North Star, if you can locate the North Star on the sky, then North is in that direction along the Earth's surface. That's why for thousands of years, Humans have used the North star to help them tell in what direction they are traveling.

So, how do you find the north star?

1. First, you need a clear night.

2. Then  find the big dipper (pictured below...it's not easy to miss)

 

3. Locate the upper star on the right edge of the Dipper

4. Move your eyes along a straight line from that star up until you come to the

next brightest star (just like the picture shows)

5. That last star in the big dipper is called the "Pointer star" because it points its way to the North Star

6. In New York, the North Star is about 42 degrees above the Northern horizon

SO....It's not the brightest and it's not directly overhead, but it is very important.

And, by the way, it's over 400 light years away, so we are not seeing it as it is today, we are seeing it as it was around the year 1610! 

Science Photos!

Click the Science Photos link to view recent photos of student work. The Astronomy Block class made clay models of Galaxies and arranged them on the classroom floor to show how galaxies are arranged and distributed throughout the Universe. Fun fact: Scientists estimate that there are about 100 - 200 billion galaxies in the observable universe, and that each galaxy had about 100- 200 billion stars...and...most stars have planets around them! 

Congratulations to Ashley, Tom, Kai, Kody and Will for correctly solving the riddle!

Possible answers: Saturn, The Solar System   (honorary mention to the non-space related student answers: Octopus, school bell, a fingerless ring collector...) 

As the 3rd quarter begins, I will be teaching a new Astronomy section here at OV. It is a block class and will meet twice a day until school ends in June. So let's blast off! But, here's a riddle to get us started: "What has a lot of rings but no fingers?"email me the answer for 5 extra points on your first test!