The Amazon

In Geography we have been talking a little about rainforests. After we watched the National Geographic on rainforests I figured out how amazing they really are. There are very little places in the world like it. The Amazon is unique because it replenishes almost all of the earth oxygen. It is the home to many unique plants and animals that are only found in the rain forest. The Amazon is being cleared at an alarming rate: Well over one square mile in an hour. We have to save the rain forest before it is to late. Did you know that all the sickness that kill the most people in the earth most likely had cures. Such as AIDS various types of Cancers and many others. Do you know why people are still dying of theses diseases if there is a cure? Because of the destruction of the Amazon. There are so many different species of plants and animals in the rain forest most likely among them there is some sort of a cure to illnesses. But since the forest is being cleared at such a fast rate, theses species are not being discovered therefore never being tested as an effective drug. Many drugs used today are only found from sources in the Amazon. The rainforests of the world are disappearing at a rate of 80 acres per minute, day and night major climatic and other environmental changes will occur if this continues. The destruction of the rainforests cause carbon dioxide to be released, which in turn allows the greenhouse effect to occur. The greenhouse effect raises the temperatures all around the world, and can cause ice caps to melt. When ice caps melt, the sea level rises, causing major flooding around the world. There are three major causes of destruction to the rainforest: farming, ranching, and logging. Worldwide boycotts are the most effective ways of stopping rainforest destruction. Boycotting fast food restaurants that serve hamburgers that came from cattle raised on rainforest land. Also another way that could help is to not buy furniture products made from rosewood, mahogany, ebony, and teakwood, because they come from the rainforests. It is believed by many ecologists that some tropical rainforests can be harvested without causing damage to the great variety of plants and animals that live there. I hope that people will understand the importance of the Amazon Rainforest and respect it like it should be. At the very fast destruction rate anything could happen because somehow everything can be traced back to the Amazon. I am worried that people will finally realize that when it is too late and everything is already gone.

Summer

Spring is here and summer is getting closer by the day. Im so excited, its going to be a fun one. We will be done with ninth grade, done with Jr. High, done with summer and before we know it in high school. Then after that we will be graduated and gone away before we know it too. College in less then four years, it is all just coming and going so so fast. Not a day goes by in my life when I don’t think about the future and where I will be in one year from now, then two years from now and just so on until I get bored thinking. I remember when I was really little, you know like those vacations to Disneyland, first day of school, fun times you had in kindergarten and things like that. It all just seems like yesterday. Well I am really really looking for summer. I think it is going to be a fun one. I just signed up to go to EFY at Weber State. Then only thing is that I don’t get to stay overnight. I will have to drive back and forth morning and night because all the rooms were filled up. But still it will be really fun. Last year I heard how much fun everybody had at EFY when I was an officer last year and got a chance to hang out with the older kids. So in my ward when the young men’s leader said. “Hey everybody we are going to EFY” I was excited cause I had heard so many good things. But I turned out that we were going to this four-hour talk with some churchy guy. It really wasn’t fun at all. So this summer I just decided to sign up with some friends and go with them for the weeklong thing. It should be really fun. Then after that along time into summer I think I will be going to scout camp. This will be well I guess my fifth summer camp. This one is going to be different though. My scout troop is going to go down to Zion National Park and camp for two days. We are going to hike around the park and do the Narrows, which is really fun. Then we will drive down to St. George to play some golf. Then we will stay the night in a hotel and the next mornings go to the St. George temple. It is going to be really fun. Then today my mom and I were talking about jobs over the summer. I think im going to try and find one that I can do before I turn sixteen in September. I am already a soccer referee and that makes really really good money. But the only problem is it is only for four or five weeks in the spring and fall. So I make a lot of money in a short period to last a whole year. We decided that my family is going to go to Europe next summer (Not this summer but summer 2009) So I will keep reffing and hopefully find more of a full time job during the day so I have enough money to go. Its going to be fun im so excited. Five more Mondays after today and school gets out Five weeks from Friday! I cant wait!

Why Read?

Children are always being told that books and reading are good for them. Have we ever really thought about why that's true? Exactly what do older children get out of reading novels? What are the benefits of reading to younger children? Does reading really matter? Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children. Not only is it necessary in schools, but in adult life as well. The ability to learn about new subjects and find information on anything depends on the ability to read. Internet has made reading more and more a part of people's daily lives. Internet itself is a huge new source of information and fun for all ages. Not being able to read makes a computer completely useless. At any given day 24 million kids are logged on the Internet at a time. I like to be on the Internet and I always find things to read about and research. We all have interests and spend lots of time reading about them. The more children read, the better they will become at reading. It's as simple as that. If they enjoy reading about something they are interested in they are more likely to finish it and develop their reading skills. This year in Honors English I have had a very hard time getting all my reading done for the term. I feel it is because I have been assigned to read certain books that are not my type. I really do love to read but things that are entertaining and interesting to me. My mom used to read my favorite books to me. Even to this day I love it when teachers read books to us for class. I have always loved that. It gives me a little more time to think and imagine what is happening. Studies have proven that the more young children are read to, the greater their interest in reading, and the better readers they will be. Reading out loud, helps people to better use proper grammar and phrasing, helps with their language skills and their ability to express themselves verbally. Reading can provide kids and adults with endless hours of fun and entertainment, and the best part is it’s free! It is so easy to go to a public library and borrow free books. Reading also helps the brain in all ages. There is so much learned by reading. Reading books, magazines or surfing websites, exposes kids to new vocabulary. Even when they don't understand every new word, they absorb something from the context that may deepen their understanding of it the next time the word is heard. When parents read aloud to children, the children also hear correct pronunciation as they see the words on the page, even if they can't yet read the words on their own. Did you know that in one week the average American parent and their children spend only 3 ½ minutes in meaningful conversation? A parent reading a story aloud, whether from a book can be a great opportunity for adults and children to share some quiet, relaxed quality time together away from everyday stress. Reading is a crucial skill for children and adults to master. It is an important source of knowledge and pleasure and relaxation that can last a lifetime.

State Science Olympiad Competition

I didn’t write about the state Science Olympiad competition last week I will write about it this week. So last Saturday was the state competition at Weber State University. I had three events to compete in: Electric Vehicle, Food Chemistry, and Chemistry Lab. First for Electric Vehicle I had to build a car that I could adjust to run between five and ten meters. It had to start with the push of a button and stop by itself at the target distance. I spent about five hours every Saturday morning for six or so weeks building it, and forever trying to figure out how to work it. Next is Food Chemistry. I had to prepare and study for testing certain foods for certain elements or ingredients. I have competed on this event for the past two years and this was my third. This year I had to determine the amount of energy in two different kinds of nuts. You do that by burning the nut and weighing it before and after and finding the difference. It’s kind of easy if you know what you are doing. Then second was my hardest event. It was Chemistry lab. For this even I got thrown on it a little while before the competition. Mr. E called my house and asked if I would do it. I told him no and he said “Too bad” so I got stuck doing it anyway. I went to one practice and it was really really hard. Luckily my partner was able to make it to most practices and knew what he was doing. For the event we had to do a bunch of experiments on a bunch of different things. I don’t know anymore about it. I just did what my partner told me to do. So those were all my events. After I competed we had a little bit of waiting to do before the awards ceremony that night. My family went to The Pie for lunch and then went ice-skating ate the Ogden Ice Sheet. We saw this poor old um… rather large lady skating. As she seemed like she was finally getting used to the ice and stuff she fell down and hit her head on the ice. She just laid there for a long not moving before a bunch of people came over and helped her up and off the ice skating rink. She didn’t look so good. After she got back to the lobby she just sat and laid on a bench for a long time moaning and holding and ice back to the back of her head. When we got tired of skating we went over to the hospital café and got milkshakes. Now that may sound weird that we would go to the hospital for ice cream but we do it all the time. First of all the shakes are really big, really cheap, and the ice cream is from Farr’s. I got a peanut butter shake. It was the best. After my family polished of our shakes we went back over to Weber State for the awards ceremony. I ended up taking 3rd in the state out of all the High Schoolers in Utah for the Electric Vehicle. I won $25 and a $200 scholarship. It was a fun day. It will be my last for Jr. High and most likely my last forever. It’s been fun though. Thanks to everyone who helped my in my three years of competing!