Computer Lab 5-3

               Is it possible to be stuck in a situation where the states of matter, writing explanations, and inferring ideas are needed for survival?  If it is, then computer lab was certainly very useful today.  Using the online website Bitesize again, our class learned and reviewed Language Arts and Science.  This time, we got to pick our own topics from the previously mentioned sections.  First, I went to the Reading section under Language Arts where I learned about inference and deduction using a "creepy" activity.  Next, under the Science section, I did the activity about changing states.  Here I reviewed the three different states of  matter (gas, liquid, solid), and the needed temperatures for water to change states.  Finally, I learned about writing thorough explanations using an activity dedicated to that purpose under the Language Arts section.  The activities I performed using Bitesize today will help me while I write, and make me think about reading materials more.

Computer Lab 4-26

               Imagine being an architect who has no idea about geometrical shapes (2-d and 3-d), and doesn't have a clue about angles.  To stop that incident from ever occurring, today in computer lab, we used Bitesize Math to learn about geometry.  Using the first activity on Bitesize, I was able to review the difference between numerous 2-d figures.  Additionally, the exercise (aka game) helped me relearn the classification of 3-d shapes while helping me understand nets of 3-d shapes more.  Finally, using the last activity we did using Bitesize Math, I was able to get a good review on angles and their classification.  This will help me in the upcoming CST testing.  Also, if I am ever designing an architectural piece, this information from Bitesize Math will definitely prove to be useful.  Bitesize Math's different geometry activities will help me throughout my life.

Computer Lab 4-19

                Imagine having a huge group of numbers which need to be handled properly.  How can that issue be solved?  To solve that problem, today in computer lab, we learned how to handle data using Bitesize Math.  On the first exercise, the activity taught us about different kinds of graphs, including tally charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and circle graphs.  The second exercise creatively helped our class revise mean, median, mode, and range which are the measures of central tendencies.  Finally, the third video taught us about probability.  Using the skills I learned today, I will always be able to make sure that my data sets are evaluated correctly.  

Artemis Fowl; The Atlantis Complex

This was a great novel, but I think I like the other Artemis Fowl novels more.

Artemis Fowl; The Atlantis Complex, by Eoin Colfer, 357 pages

                

               Is it possible that Artemis Fowl in Eoin Colfer's novel, Artemis Fowl; The Atlantis Complex is losing his  mind?  Artemis Fowl, probably qualified as the smartest human being ever, is ill with the Atlantis Complex.  Just in time too; Captain Holly Short, an elf's, old enemy is trying to destroy the major fairy city of Atlantis.  Artemis must be cured or at least be able to use his brain in order for Atlantis to be saved.  Bravery is presented by Holly throughout this novel.
               I know as a fact that I liked to read about Artemis in his intellectual self, but hopefully that will happen in the next novel that's about to come out!

Science Lab 3-29

I did a silly fantasy conversation with a remote controlled "talking" car.  It is kind of long, but I hope you enjoy!

or visit this

Superhero

Here I am as a superhero!  I think I look foolish though, but there isn't anything I can do about it now!

Artemis Fowl; The Time Paradox

This was also an amazing novel full of science fiction, or science?  The future will tell.

Artemis Fowl; The Time Paradox, by Eoin Colfer

                In this book, Artemis is being nice again.  His mother is sick, and the illness she has requires a silky sifaka lemur's brain fluid, but Artemis himself sold the lemur to the Extinctionists with Butler when he was 10, to fund rescues for his father.  Kindly, Holly and No. 1 came to Artemis's help when he called for it.  Now, the 18 or 15 year old Artemis will go to the past and hope to conquer his younger self with Holly to get the lemur to his mother.  It is very nice of Artemis to go through so much pain for his mother!  In the past, everything is not like he remembered, and he asks the younger Mulch Diggums for help in exchange for money.  After a lot of painstaking work, Artemis gets his hands on the lemur and rescues Holly who had been kidnapped.  However, that isn't all.  The younger Opal Koboi was behind a lot of this adventure; she wanted the lemur, for if she did, she would be the most most powerful person in existence.  This is just what Opal would be expected to do.  When the older Artemis and Holly travel to the future, they realize that there are 2 Kobois in the present; one's from the past.  Therefore, Artemis brings his younger self along too.  Eventually, Artemis's mother is cured and the Opal Kobois are put in fairy prison.  Artemis the younger is also sent into the past and mindwiped.  This was an exciting book full of science fiction.

Artemis Fowl; The Lost Colony

Although all of them were extremely good, this one was my favorite in the Artemis Fowl series.

Artemis Fowl; The Lost Colony, by Eoin Colfer, 385 pages

               The Lost Colony was one of the best fiction novels I've read.  For a change, Artemis Fowl surprisingly is trying to save the demon's  colony in a different space time dimension and nothing will come to his benefit other than adventure; Artemis's wish most certainly comes true!  The demon's island, Hybras, was put in a  space-time spell and was pushed off to a different space time dimension.   Now, that spell is wearing off, and it is again up to Artemis and his friends [Holly, Butler (Artemis's bodygaurd), Mulch, and Foaly] to save the demons.  Demons would end up in random dimensions causing demons to die if support was not provided.  At this point though, the demons are directly attractd to the Earthen space- time dimension, and energy is needed for travel through the space-time channel.  Demon Warlok No.1 uses a volcano's energy and is here in our dimensions as Artemis expected.  It would of course be normal for Artemis to find out about this kind of things!  However, a girl called Minerva turns out to be just as smart as Artemis, but not as kind and thoughtful.  She kidnapped No. 1 so that she could win the nobel prize.  This really seems like Artemis in the previous books.  After a lot of work, Artemis and his friends conquer Minerva's allies.  Eventually, Minerva is on Artemis's side and the whole group arouse another powerful in magic warlock called Qwan.  Through some tricky science, the nearly dead group of Holly, Artemis, No. 1, and Qwan go to Hybras and use magic and bombs as energy to take the demon island of Hybras in to our present space-time dimension.  However, since Artemis was a little off, the group ended up three years in the future; Artemis has twin brothers!  This novel's science is really amazing and sensible, but that doesn't stop adventure!

Artemis Fowl; The Opal Deception

Artemis Fowl; The Opal Deception,by Eoin Colfer, 497

               It is not easy to imagine a 13 or 14 year old boy saving the world three times, yet Artemis Fowl performed that unimaginable task.  In Eoin Colfer's fourth novel in the Artemis Fowl series, The Opal Deception, Artemis saves the world yet again.  Opal Koboi, who was supposedly in prison, had actually escaped and was making new plans of taking over the world; after revenge!!!!  Opal murdered Julius Root while making the LEP that Holly was the one who performed the crime.  Next, Koboi tried murdering Artemis, but before that could happen, Holly saved Artemis.  With the help of Mulch Diggums and Foaly, Artemis and Holly save the world once again.  A main theme of this novel is good versus evil.  I was really amazed by how much struggle the good people went through to save the world (Artemis has turned into a nice person, so now he counts as good).

Computer Lab 3-22

               Computer Lab was full of fun and learning this week.  We watched an amazing video about the new computer that raspberry pi made; it is completely stupefying to me!  I can't imagine how much advanced technology is to allow so many different activities to be performed in such a tiny object!  The interesting thing is how cheap that computer is; it is only a little bit more costly than my remote control helicopter!  Anyway, we worked with another autodidactism site today called "Bitsize," by BBC.  Mr. Jost told us to start out on math, and I went to the algebra section.  There, I learned some simple Algebra formulas.  After a while, when we were told that we could go to Language Arts or Science, I learned a little bit about forces such as gravity and how they work.  Finally, Mr. Jost asked us to do him a "favor" by visiting a site with math games.  During this time, I played a game in which we saved the world by plotting on a graph by finding the x and y relationship between the Earth and the meteor.  At first I didn't understand it and failed, but later I re-figured it out (I had done this on Khan Academy during winter vacation).  I have learned many important skills in computer lab today that will help me in the future.

Artemis Fowl; The Arctic Incident

Oops!  I read the whole series of seven books but didn't blog!  Blogging time!

Artemis Fowl; The Arctic Incident, by Eoin Colfer, 277 pages

               Is it likely that a 12 or 13 year old will trade the task of saving the world, if the other side (fairies) save the child's father?  Well, it turns out that that does happen.  The moment Captain Holly Short, Julius Root, and Foaly discover the attempt of goblins trying to take over the fairy world and secure information that a human's helping, of course they suspect Artemis Fowl.  It is only expected for this to be the case after the kidnapping of fairies and stealing of gold!  Everyone in the world would suspect him!  Well, it turns out that Artemis is not behind this all.  Since Artemis was there anyway, Root decided to take Artemis's help to figure out what really was going on.  If I were the fairies, I certainly would not have made that decision.   Artemis was a cruel, and greedy person.  Saying that, Artemis used this opportunity to help himself; he tried rescuing his father with the fairies' help after helping them get to the bottom of their own mystery.  It turned out that a horrible fairy pixie, Opal Koboi, was using her intelligent brains to try and overthrow the LEP.  She mesmerized a human to help the goblins.  Opal certainly proved that Artemis Fowl isn't the worst person in the world!  She wants to rule the world, fairy and human, by revealing the fairies to humans and making them fight.  With the help of Mulch Diggums, a criminal dwarf, Artemis, Holly, Root, and Foaly stop Koboi and her ally, Cudgeon from seizing the fairy world.  Now, they went to the Arctic, but will Artemis's father be saved?

Computer Lab 3-15

               This week, we learned a lot about autodidacticism, and sites that help teach oneself.  Of course, although we already know about it, I learned about Khan Academy.  I finally know what Mr. Salman Khan is like, and the history of his broadly used site.  It was amazing how much help Salman received from Bill Gates! To me, "Wonderopolis" wasn't too helpful since it was full of uninformative videos.  "E Learning for Kids was a good site, but to me it seemed like that site would be great for first through third grade, not sixth grade.  I found the "Everyday Mysteries" site extremely interesting though.  During my visit to this site, I learned about physics, science, biology, etc. through amazing facts and stories.  One such example that helped me was understanding the expanding of our universe and the Big Bang theory.  Lately, I've been using Finding Dulcenia occasionally, and although it is good, it doesn't help me learn too much since I find it harder to navigate that site.  Computer Lab taught me a lot today,  and these autodidacticism sites will really help me in the future and the present.

Asian Art Museum

Asian Art Museum

Artemis Fowl (First Book)

Now that I have actually read the first Artemis Fowl, the third one makes much more sense.  Thanks to JJ for letting me borrow his first and second Artemis Fowl books.

Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer, 288 pages

               Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer was a great book with many unexpected and different kinds of things. To begin with, Artemis, such an intelligent boy, shouldn't waste all his mind power in criminal activities!  Anyway, it is hard to imagine how smart he is!  He has no feelings and is very shallow, and that helps us understand his kidnapping of Captain Holly Short.  All Artemis cares about is money.  If  I were Artemis, I would have spent my intelligence on things like coming up with good computer programs and such other activities and maybe gotten the same amount of money!  The fairies should have been more prudent, but since they weren't a lot of harm came to them.  This was an extremely good book, and although in real life I would support the fairies, in the book I wanted Artemis to succeed.   

Artemis Fowl; The Eternity Code

This was a great book although I didn't read the books earlier in the sequal

Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code; by Eoin Colfer, 309 pages

                Artemis Fowl creates a magical computer using technology created by fairies he had earlier met, and the fairies can't be discovered by humans.  Artemis's computer, the C Cube, is stolen by Jon Spiro who is up to nothing good.   Some fairies have been sent to help Artemis to retrieve the C Cube since Jon Spiro and his team can discover the fairies, and that can lead the fairy world and the normal world to clash.

The Last Battle

This book was kind of sad since the shallow Narnia (you'll see what I mean) ended and because I wouldn't get to read another Narnian adventure.

The Last Battle, by C.S. Lewis, 184 (times 2) pages

              A lion, the creator of a world, destroys his own world in The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis.  Shift, an ape, forced Puzzle, a donkey, to put on a lion skin and pretend to be Aslan, but Puzzle wouldn't speak; Shift would speak for him (Shift was afraid that Puzzle might say foolish words).  Colormenes arrived and Narnians were convinced that Aslan really was here and that he was telling them to do bad things (Shift made these up of course).  Few Narnians, Eustace, and Jill fought the rest of the Narnians and Caloremenes, but the good Narnians lost and were thrown into a stable which lead to the deep Narnia where only good things from the past and present are there.  Then the real Aslan showed up, killed the bad Narnians, and destroyed the shallow Narnia.  In this book, Narinia changes from a peaceful place to a battle scene so intense that Narnia itself is destroyed.  I would be terrified if I were Digory (he reappears in this book) to see the world that I saw being created being destroyed before my eyes.

The Silver Chair

I had a lot of fun and excitement while reading this Narnian adventure!

The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis, 172 (times 2) pages

               Imagine being in a horrible place way below the ground to find a lost prince.  Jill and Eustace are in this situation in C.S. Lewis's The Sliver Chair.  Aslan needs the help of Earthen children to trace and rescue Prince Rilian, King Caspian's son, who is believed to be in the power of a green serpent lady.  Jill, Eustace, and a Marsh - Wiggle named Puddlegum go through many adventures before they reach the the underworld, which is where Prince Rilian is according to Aslan's signs.  After rescuing Prince Rilian who was under an enchantment of an evil witch using a silver chair, the group barely get out of the underworld in time to not be killed.  When Prince Rilian was released from his enchantment, he became a kind and thoughtful person.  I can't imagine how Prince Rilian could have been in the underworld for over ten years, but never even remember about his Narnian life.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This book was full of adventure and excellent!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis, 172 (times 2) pages

               Eustace, Edmund and Lucy's cousin, had just turned into a dragon by sleeping in a dead dragon's cave!  That is one scene from C.S. Lewis's The Voyage of the Dawn Treader where  Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace are drawn to Prince Caspian's Narnian ship called the Dawn Treader.  The Dawn Treader and its crew are searching for seven lords that Caspian's evil uncle sent away while he was ruling Narnia. They are also trying to find Aslan's country, which is in the direction they are sailing.  The group go through many weird and dangerous events while rescuing the seven lords that they are seeking.  In the beginning of this adventure Eustace was a selfish bully, but at the end, he becomes a helping and nice boy.  If I were Eustace when he turned into a dragon, I would be very scared.

The Titan's Curse

This was a great book that I read.  It is the third Percy Jackson book in the series, and I wished that it never ended.  Read my other Percy Jackson blog entries first.

The Titan's Curse, by Rick Riordan, 312 pages

              Would you rather save the Greek gods, or your best friend?  That is the situation Percy Jackson is in The Titan's Curse, a novel by Rick Riordan.  The evil Lord Kronos is trying to overpower the gods, and Percy and his friends are trying to help.  Annabeth, Percy's friend, was kidnapped by a follower of Lord Kronos.  In the end, Percy and his friends rescue Annabeth and partially the gods.  Percy is very brave and sympathetic throughout his adventure. I would have been killed  very early in the book if I were Percy.