Road Warriors

IN THE HOOD: It's definitely getting colder now, and today the kids both had hooded sweatshirts on while they were doing their math and language arts work here at home. What I didn't understand was why they both had their hoods ON while doing their work. Not like it was raining or even frigid in the house.

Maybe the hoods represented their thinking caps. ;)

MOTORING: We spent more time in the car today than I would have liked. Today then have two classes in Shoreline (about a half hour to the north), and rather than stay up there and kill time between them (10:30 to 2 p.m.), we came home.

We did manage to get some books read during the commute, which was good. The kids both read "The Seven Sneezes," a silly story and a classic Golden Book recently reprinted. They also read  "My Mommy Hung the Moon," which CJ felt was a bit over the top. "Does the kid think his mom is a goddess? That's ridiculous!" he declared. The best book of the bunch was, without a doubt, "A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass."

As you might expect, the book is a biography of the man who became an orator, writer, publisher, and leader in the abolitionist movement in the 19th century after escaping the bonds of slavery. We had a read-along CD and the well researched and written book took about 20 minutes to listen to - definitely not your average children's picture book.

I've learned author David A. Adler has written a number of "Picture Book Biographies." I hope we're able to find more of them at the library.  

While at school today, the kids each took Accelerated Reader comprehension tests on the three books they read in the car. They aced them all.

MS. BOSSY COW: In LEGO class today, the kids each busily worked on their kits. When I came into the room at the end of class, CJ had just put finishing touches on a helicopter. I pointed out to him that it was yellow, just like the one he rode on several months ago. 

Annabelle had just finished up a dog and some kind of boxy looking shrub. During the quarter, each student has a photo of each of their finished builds taken. I am mortified to report that while I was standing there, Annabelle belted out (repeatedly), "I need a picture of this! I need a picture of this! I need a picture of this!" Loudly and, frankly, rudely. It was a demand, not a request. And then when the instructor came over with the camera Annabelle said, "Oh wait, I think I already had a picture taken."

Annabelle's bossiness had me steaming and it cost her some computer time this afternoon and evening. Believe you me, we went over classroom etiquette and I reminded them both that teachers do help students, but they're certainly not their servants and they should never be ordered around. Egad, I cringe just thinking about Annabelle's behavior today. 

POWERED UP: We're still studying up on the Mars Curiosity rover. Today, we watched a video that explained how the rover will be powered during its travels around the Red Planet.

Before watching the video, I asked CJ and Annabelle if they though that the rocket was carrying a bunch of gasoline for the rover to use on Mars. They both laughed and said "no." Then I asked them how they thought the rover would get its power. They were both quick to guess solar panels. It was a good guess, as that's how NASA's last two Martian rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, were powered. However, as the video's narrator Ashwin Vasavada, deputy project scientist for the Mars Science Laboratory, explained, solar panels weren't quite up to snuff for Curiosity. The panels used on the last two missions provided just barely enough power for those relatively small rovers. Curiosity is several times larger and significantly heavier, requiring more power. Also, scientists have learned that the solar panels have a tendency to become covered in Martian dust, which decreases their efficiency, and that the Martian winter is long and not sunny enough to provide a good charge. That being the case, Curiosity will be using MMRT - a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric generator.  It's not new technology - MMRT has been used before by NASA for space traveling probes, as well as on the moon during the Apollo missions.

The MMRT contains a specially produced form of plutonium dioxide. The decay of the radio isotope gives off heat which is turned into energy by the generator's thermocouples. If you want to learn more from someone who does a MUCH better job describing it, check this video out: 
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/video/index.cfm?id=1028