Scaredy Dog - Part I

Mocha is scared of crossing imaginary boundaries. The place she gets stuck the most is in the hallway. Here is my first directed video.

Actors: Mocha - Mocha
Jules - Jules
Max - Max

Voices:
Mocha - Isa
Narrator - Mom
Max - Isa

Director: Isa
Camera Lady: Mom

My Ninja Gecko

I asked my dad for a new pet. He said, "We'll have to talk to mom." Mom said, "You'll have to show me you can take care of it. You can change the litter box for the next three weeks." Week one: Changed Max's litter. Week two: Changed Max's litter. Week three: Changed Max's litter--Yay!! Let's go!!

Step One: We researched the pros and cons of popular kids pets.

Step Two: We decided on a Leopard Gecko (I almost chose the Corn Snake).

Step Three: Pet Store

Step Four: Set up habitat.

Step Five: Get Ninja Gecko used to his new home.

Watch the video to see why I named him that:

Fatty Animals!

Yesterday we did an experiment to see if fat helps animals stay warm. View my lesson below:

Draw, Write, Film!

I drew pictures of Angry Birds Characters. Then I wrote two sentences about them. Next, I created this video. Hope you like it!

Extreme Weather

Picture courtesy of Storm Chaser, Mike Holingshead

I have been studying weather.
Tornadoes are one of the most dangerous types of weather, so listen for tornado warnings. Tornadoes form from thunderstorm clouds called "super cells." They sound like ten or twenty trains going by all at once! The inside of a tornado is like a huge vacuum cleaner. It sucks up anything that gets in its way.

Hurricanes are another one of the most dangerous types of weather, so again it is important to listen for warnings. Hurricanes are bigger than tornadoes, but the wind speeds are weaker. Hurricanes form over water while tornadoes form over land. 

Picture courtesy of Storm Chaser, Mike Hollingshead

During the spring, lots of thunderstorms happen. With thunder comes lightening. It can brighten the sky, and thunder can make very loud sounds. Lightening can strike people, houses, or even trees. Thanks to Benjamin Franklin, most buildings are safe because he invented the lightening rod. The lightening rod is placed on the top of the house or building, and a wire is attached from the rod to a metal piece on the ground. It leads the electricity to the ground and away from the building. 

Picture courtesy of Storm Chaser, Mike Hollingshead

When there is a lot of rainfall during a storm, it can cause flooding. Again it is important to listen for flash flood warnings and go to higher ground. Some traffic signs will flash a warning saying, "Turn Around--Don't Drown!"

Picture courtesy of Mike Hollingshead

Who puts out these warnings? The National Weather Service. Meteorologists are scientists who work for the weather station and for news stations. They are very important, so people can evacuate and stay safe.

Here is a storm chasing video of a F5 that touched down in Joplin, Missouri. Storm chasers are kind of crazy. It is very dangerous work, and they have lots of weather tools that help them predict where and when a super cell is likely to form a tornado, but people without equipment should not try to be storm chasers because a tornado can change directions and grow very quickly:

References

If you'd like to see more videos and images by Storm Chaser, Mike Hollingshead, you can visit his web site:  Extreme Instibility

Max the Cat

To see a larger view: Click Here

Saving a Snake

Look Closely!

I found a garter snake in my yard. It was hurt! I took it into my house, and I kept it overnight. In the morning, we were going to let it go, but we decided it needed some more time to heal. Look at the pictures. You can see it was injured after eating a mouse. The mouse's leg is sticking out of the snake's body!

Slimy Snake Secrets

Lots of people think snakes are slimy, but they are not. They are smooth. 

Some snakes are venomous and harmful to humans, but garter snakes are not.

Many people call these garden snakes, but they are actually garter snakes. The full name is Western Terrestrial Garter Snake. Watch the short clip below of another family finding some of these snakes while hiking.