If I could fly I would be in shock. First I would tell my parents and ask them if I could go places. Next I would visit my best friend’s house and play. Then I would have to go home. I get pretty hungry so I would ask my mom if she could help me get food. Once I have had dinner I play with my toys or hang out with my family. Soon I have to go to bed but I have a bunk bed so instead of going up my stairs I would fly up. The next day I would wake up early and fly to my city and sit on a tall building to relax. I would go home so I can eat breakfast and start on my school work.
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The Basking Shark
The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world. Basking sharks jump out of the water like whales. They have the largest mouth out of all sharks but they only eat small fish such as plankton. Basking sharks have the throat size of a orange so they are not harmful to human’s. Their dorsal fin looks like a white shark’s dorsal fin so when they are swimming on the top of the surface people panic because it is a looks like white shark.
Sharks
Sharks are a very well known sea animal. There are over 500 shark species. Some are Great White sharks, Bull sharks, Goblin sharks, and Tiger sharks. Something surprising about sharks is they have a softer skeleton than most sea animals. Sharks don’t have noses they only have nostrils. Their nostrils are little holes on the sides of their head.
More Inventions, part II
Here’s another article about more inventions that shaped the world we live in today. The inventions I will be talking about today are spectacles, paper mills, mechanical clocks. I’ll also discuss the life of the prolific medival scholar Robert Grossteste.
Spectacles
Spectacles were first invented in 1268. A big problem before glasses was that amazing scholars’ eye sight wasn’t working very well. Spectacles fixed that problem with lenses cut in a certain way to help people’s vision. Spectacles were used for hundreds of years before they were fully understood to their full extent.
Paper Mills
Paper mills are big factories that make paper. Before paper, parchment/animal skins were often used to write on. These factories smelled terrible and were usually built outside of the castle walls. Before paper, just to make a bible you would need 2-300 animal skins. Paper proved to be more efficient than harvesting that many animals to make a book. Paper is manufactured out of wood pulp.
Mechanical clock
Before the arrival of the mechanical clock, people would measure time with water clocks and sun dials and devices like that. This didn’t really work with the water clock when the water froze during the winter or on overcast days with the sun dial. When you used a mechanical clock all you need to know is how to tell time. It would work much faster and easier than previous ways of telling time.
Robert Grossteste
Robert Grossteste was born in the British isles in 1175. By his fifties he was a influencial and established preacher and church scholar. He formed the basics for the scientific method and was for Aristotle’s notion of an eternal universe. He as inspired by the writing of the islamic scholar, Al-Kindi.
Out of the things I leared about this week, I found the most interesting was how amazing scholars would strain their eyes because they were writing and reading all the time. Spectacles changed that because they corrected bad eye sight.
If I found a Hagfish
Hagfish are long fish like eels with no jaws or scales. Now if I was at the beach and I found one I be surprised and tell my family and show them. Hagfish make a type of slime to protect themselves so if you touch one you would have slime on your hands.My brother and I would play with it and my mom would take pictures. My dad would try to pick it up.
Four More Inventions
I learned about four very interesting inventions this week buttons, oil panting, cannons, and the spinning wheel. All most all of these are still used today.
Buttons
Buttons were invented in 13th century. Before buttons shirts and tops were mostly slide on, like tunics. Because the Little Ice Age people needed to stay warm, so in a change clothing design changed. Buttons could make snug fit warmer clothing. This helped people live through rough winters. We still use buttons today on many different things for decorating and to fasten clothes.
Cannons
Cannons were used to protect castles and destroy enemy walls. Cannons appeared around 1250 AD. They were very powerful and because they had wheels it was easy move. Cannons could be custom made, so they could be used on ships. Because popular use it led to the end of Constantinople, and flourishing of the renaissance. Cannons are still used today in tanks.
The Spinning Wheel
The spinning wheel was used to make cloth out of wool. The spinning wheel made it easier and faster to make thread. Northern Europe had big weaving industry which became highly influential and attracted many different people from all over. It led to cultural vibrancy, such as the invention of oil panting by Jan van Eyck. Guilds reduce quality and still exist in modern government ”licensing”.
Oil Painting
In the 15 century Jan van Eyck invented oil painting. Van Eyck style was popular and imitated throughout Northern Europe. It was transmitted down to Italy and incorporated into the renaissance painting movement. Well known and beloved works by artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael,created in the 1500s remain popular today.
Out of all the things I learned about I most in enjoyed van Eyck because of how when he was painting he mixed two different types of paints and found a whole new type of paint.
My Craziest Dream
I have had many crazy dreams, but I picked out one of the craziest. I was in a grocery store in a big city and brother was there. We were trying to steal a chocolate bar or a bag of chips from the grocery store. We ran away from security and then we found ourselves on the top of skyscraper. We jumped off because we could fly in the dream, so we flew back home. My brother went to his room and I went to the kitchen. My dad was also in the kitchen grabbing a snack. I tried to grab a snack as well but I stared to float. After that I realized that I was in a dream and woke up
How Fish Eat
Fish eat like us but some fish suck their prey in to their mouth. Other fish will grab their prey and hold it while swallowing. The fish will grab their prey from under the water and all the water will flow in to their mouth and out of their gills. When you go fishing be very careful if you catch a fish because most of the time they die from sudden change pressure.
More Inventions
I write about many different inventions and a lot of them we still use today. There are so many other inventions to learn about so here are some more.
The Vertical Windmill
A windmill is a structure that converts wind power in to rotational energy. In Europe before windmills they would use waterwheels as there mane source of energy. The Hero of Alexandria invented a very early vertical windmill. The vertical windmill was used to grind flour starting in the 1180. It took a big impact on history. It was used for many different reasons in many different countries, such as grinding flour, electricity and filtering water.
Distilled Spirits
Distilled spirits are alcoholic beverages that is distilled rather then fermented such as rum, vodka, whiskey and many others. Back then they didn’t have very clean water so they would drink alcohol. Distilled spirits had a significant impact on history and led to the civil war and American slavery.
The Trebuchet
The trebuchet is a catapult like device that hurls projectiles. The trebuchet was inspired by the sling. It is easy to make out of wood. It really just needs a stand, a rod to connect the stand pieces and a stick that has a weigh on one end and a area for a item to go in. The trebuchet was used to destroy enemy buildings or walls.
The Stern-Mounted Rudder
The stern-mounted rudder was a device mounted on the outside or rear of the hull of a ship. They would use a over-sized steering oar to original method of steering ships. Now we use the rudder on modern aircraft. The stern mounted rudder allows large ships to be steered easily, it’s like a wooden fin. With the stern-mounted rudder it is easier to move big loads on ships.
These inventions were very important and most are still used today.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers are in the piciformes order of birds. There are 400 species in this order, half are woodpeckers. The pale-billed woodpecker lives in the wetlands and forests. They have a white stripe on their shoulders and back. They also have a white beak. Woodpeckers are actually really smart and resourceful. Most woodpeckers live 4-12 years.
laura verity 