10.20.2008

[Sean Nash]

Post your reflections from tonight's class here. There should be done as soon as possible and are due the Sunday night following class.

Describe major "aha's" from our discussion, outline ways in which your prior assumptions changed as a result of our talk, summarize the main points of our lesson, etc.

Four things to remember for next period:
-tonight's reflection is due before midnight on sunday, october 26th
-blog post connected to chapter 12 of Enchanted Braid
-quiz in two parts: 1. fish ID 2. oceanic zones & trophic levels

[Torin McKinley]

last class was really awesome! i really enjoyed learning about the different levels of the ocean. as we talked about each one the main thing i could think about was, "what fish live in that zone". i also enjoyed talking about the nuclear bomb testings on the bikini atolls. Its funny how the enchanted braid comes to life in everything around us. the way that the bomb testing has helped bikini corals rather then destroy them. the tide pools also interested me. here is a funny little link of so hermit crabs fighting!

[Mike Westfall]

The last class felt much more relaxed than all the other classes. Not that the other classes weren't relaxed, this one just fell really chill. I really liked the discussion about the nuclear testing, which seemed way off the topic of marine biology, but of course it connected. A had never heard of or seen anything like a ring island. Atoll is what I think they were called. Pretty sweet stuff. Each class makes me more excited for the future of the class and the trip especially.

[Lacie Thompson]

I definitely liked this class the best so far! I felt it was very relaxing, maybe it was the different classroom we were in. I felt a lot of schema connections to this topic.It really was nice to see how all the different experiments affected the coral reef and other related topics. The Bikin Atoll site was really, really neat! It amazed me how the people went and were effected by the radiation and then the states went and gave them all that money, it shows the states cared for them.

[Terra Younger]

Last class was AMAZING, I like that classroom soooo much better. It’s set up better and after class my butt didn’t hurt. Weird; but those other chairs kill my behind.
On a lighter note, learning about the atolls and the atomic bombing was really cool. Although, whenever we were discussing the “birth defects” and cancer and what not I could not get images of “The Hills Have Eyes” out of my head; it was very disturbing. I feel bad for all the people that were affected by the radiation I could only imagine how that affected them physically and emotionally. Even though the states helped them out by sending money, nothing could compensate what happened to them.
Learning about the tide pools was really cool too, makes me want to go to the West coast instead of Andros, …well kinda. ;-)

[Nick Straton]

I agree with Terra on the different classroom. It's just set up in a better way for me. Anyway the nuclear bomb testing on the islands that "nobody" cared about was a great connection to the enchanted braid. I still don't know how the reefs are the best in the world there with all that radiation still active where humans can't even stay there for 24 hours. It would be really cool to see what those are like in comparison to andros' reefs. I also didn't realize there was a level lower than the abyssal zone in the ocean. I thought that was as deep as the ocean went. I'm looking forward to next class so hopefully we can learn what exists in each zone as well.

[Chris Puett]

I'm not sure if my brain doesn't catch well or that it's my small attention span that keeps me from having an "aha" moment in the classroom. I still pick up the information we talk on like the atolls and how the nuclear bomb actually helped the coral reefs, in the long run that is. Although i still didnt have an "aha" moment i agree with everybody else on the classroom set up. It was a lot more relaxed and since the tables outline the room it directs the attention more towards you, and i felt that it kept me more interested than being in an open room. I connected easily with the trophic pyramids because Mrs. Nash used them in an environmental science class i took last year.

[Korby Trautman]

yea i have to agree with everyone else on the class setup. I think it was a more professional room, and felt less like a classroom. You could sit back, relax, and learn everything yo u would need about Atolls. I think the biggest "aha" was about the nuclear testings. It shows how terrible the atomic bomb is. In the Bikini Atolls, where you can now scuba and snorkel in the some of the most beautiful and serene reefs in the world, you are limited by a time limit. The radiation can kill you. It, to me, made me truly think about certain events that have happened with atomic energy, and the terrible effects that have occurred. In the two Japan attacks, it makes me think how long the cities were uninhabitable after they were dropped. And Chernobyl, some parts of the city; homes, schools parks... are still inaccessible to the public. It really "boggled" my mind, to see how such an innovation can be a demise to so many....

[Joe Smith]

Well I have to say that I really liked that room we were in last time, there was just something about it I guess. And also how we managed to get off the hook as far as fish ID goes... no pun intended. I had somewhat of an AHA moment when we were talking about why they felt the need to do so many tests on the bikini atoll, and you said that it had to do with minimizing errors. I remember when one of my friends would go on an engineering rant he would talk about it and now I get what he meant. This question might be kind of dumb but is a blue hole kind of like a giant tide pool?

[Taylor Braby]

last class period was a lot more interesting to me because we talked about the nuclear bombs. Learning about the affects they had on not only the reef and islands but on the people. Also when we learned about the different zones I had a flashback of like fourth grade and I remember learning about the abyssal zone. After that I thought the abyssal zone was super cool so it was nice e to have a little refresher.

[Dillon Brewer]

Last class was good, alot information like always. I honestly didn't know about all those levels of the ocean. The only I might of been able to think of was the abyss, from that quote mr.nash said. Its lost to the abyss or something like that. I was really happy we didin't take that quiz last class, I wasn't really prepared for it. Marine biology is getting pretty tough, but It's always good to challenge yourself.

[ricky maddox]

Last class was great, I mean it was the best first class I have had all year. I was pretty surprised to find out that the Americans tested so many bombs on that one area. Also I was shocked to find out that it takes so long for an area to not be active any more. It was cool to learn about the different levels and what you can expect to find there. I can't wait to get some first hand experience on this. The book is really great I mean it seems to fit perfectly with everything we talked about even if it wasn't this chapter, there is one about the bombs, and there harmful nature.