Back at It

MUTANTS: We have been neglecting our genetics class this week, as we'd been focused on getting the kids ready for their musical performance last night. Now that that's out of the way, today we refocused our efforts, watching the final video for Week 2 of "Introduction to Genetics and Evolution,"

Above, Annabelle depicts a genetic mutation in a fruit fly, resulting in one with tiny eyes.  Below, again, we're dealing with a mutation. In this case, there's a recombinant - an offspring with a different combination of alleles from either of its parents.

Here we have a disease that attached itself to the G gene.

And here, Annabelle uses some memes to illustrate what the professor was talking about. "All your genome base are belong to us" is a take on the video game nerd meme "All your base are belong to us," a terrible translation in the 16-bit game "Zero Wing,"  a 1989 game. 

Her "1 million markers" doodle has to be said a la Dr. Evil, from "Austin Powers." 

In the bottom half of the doodle (above), a choir of angels (both made from lower case letter "c"s) sings while the upper case Cs proclaim their innocence (even though they were the disease carrying component).

And this is depicting a G linked to a disease.

And, finally, here is a sketch depicting the fact that when pink and white blossomed pea plants reproduce, the division of the offspring will be a ratio of 9 pink and 7 white. 

My notes and CJs are a LOT less picturesque. In fact, they're picture free - but full of facts!

PENNED: CJ does lots of self-directed learning, and for the past couple of weeks, he has been working his way through the whole BrainPOP catalog. Today, he started watching their videos about English (writing and famous authors and books). While he was watching a video about poetry, I decided to have the kids write a poem about the Seahawks, using T-W-E-L-V-E as the first letter to each line. I jotted one down, as well. Can you guess who wrote which one?

To get to the Super Bowl
We had to work hard
Even against the 49ers
Leaving and winning the NFC Championship
Very hard
Even then, we must beat the Broncos

Together
We win
Everyone doing their part
Legion of Boom bucking Broncos
Victory shall be sweet
Excellence exemplified

Touchdowns, passes, and stuff of the like
Whether it be day or night
Eleven may not be enough
Louder, bigger, faster, stronger
Valor on-field and off
Enter the 12th Man

BETCHA: This afternoon Annabelle asked CJ if he thought she could balance a cup atop a dollar bill. He was skeptical, naturally. Within seconds, she'd set this up.

Interesting!

So how is it done? Any guesses out there?

If you want to know the answer right now, check out this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXfIRHoJu-o  It's one in a series of videos by a YouTube user "Quirkology," posted by psychologist and author Richard Wiseman.

BREEZY: A Facebook friend posted a link to a neat-o animated map showing the wind speed all across the U.S. Check it out here: http://hint.fm/wind/