Let's Get Personal

Nothing About My Science Class
Well, I shoveled snow, this morning. I so wanted to zip to school to retrieve my digital camera. You would have loved seeing a photograph of my dog, Missy, a black chow/spaniel mix, covered in snow and romping around the yard, while I shoveled the driveway. Then, the neighbor's black Lab came over and the two pups kept running at me, sliding down the driveway and plowing into me to get me to play. Arrggghhhh. I hate snow.

Krysia's Journey Begins
My daughter is in Houston, today. Students at Texas A&M, Galveston, were required to vacate the campus by noon, today. Her roommate invited her to stay at her parents house in Houston, today, and they would take her to the airport, tomorrow morning. She leaves at 9 a.m. Central Time, and arrives in Philadelphia, before boarding a puddle-jumper for State College airport. She is due to arrive at 3:37 p.m.

Thanks Richard's Boss
My son, Richard, made arrangements with his boss --- thanks, boss -- to give Richard the day-off, tomorrow, so he can go with me to pickup Krysia. Wifey has to work, tomorrow, and she did not feel comfortable with me driving the State College, alone.

Wifey
Wifey is one of the salad bar ladies at the Lycoming College cafeteria. Every night, she talks about how polite the students are at that college. She is always amazed that children today know how to say, "Excuse, me" or "Thank you."

Cats Love This Weather
As I type this blog, one of my cats, the baby, Daisy, is curled-up inside a box by my feet. Tight fit, she has one paw hanging over the edge of the box. Another cat, Snowball, is sleeping on the stair landing, curled-up under the staircase window. A third cat, Wheezie, is sleeping on the radiator in the kitchen. The radiator is encased in a wooden frame with a glass-topped shelf on top. Fluffy and Skunk opted to come in and eat and then go back outside. Fluffy retreated to the garage, while Skunk is curled-up in a wicker basket we keep on the front porch.

At The Mall
Weather is too nasty to have school, today, Richard works at the mall and called, he said the place is inundated with school children. I'm glad Loyalsock opted to cancel school rather than chance having a kid get hurt going to or from school. If parents want to permit their kids to go to the mall, well, it's their conscience -- our's are free.

Pappa Z's Christmas Wishlist
A class III trailer hitch for my '99 GMC Jimmy 4dr/4wd. Installed with tongue, ball, and wiring, $260. I remember the last time I had a hitch put on one of my vehicles $79 total, and that was just 10 years ago.

Play Safe, My Charges
I want all my monkeys to remember safety while playing in the snow, today. I want you back, tomorrow, healthy and in one piece. Sorry, Cole, I'm too late for you. However, take care of that knee and it will heal quickly.

Uh, coffee maker beeped. Ah, another pot of coffee is ready for consumption. Have a great snow day.

Wow! Did I Trick My Munchkins

Okay, so the assignment was to bring in a sample of water from home. From what I could see, today, most everyone gets their water from the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority. What that means is, if we measure out 3-mL of water into a plastic test tube, add a drop of soap, and use a stopwatch to shake the test tube for 5-seconds, then, the height of the suds should be approximately, the same.
Guess what?
It wasn't. In fact, comparing the home water with water from my spigot at school, which, by the way, is also courtesy of the Williamsport Municipal Water Authority, most of my kiddoes recorded the water at school is being hard water, while their home water was soft. Hmmm, the same water, different results. Why?

4-Sight Testing
To accommodate the math and language arts teachers, giving this test, we had double-periods, today. That means, I met with Section 62 for two class periods and Section 63 for two class periods. Tomorrow, I get the other two sections.

Remember the Ions in Salt Water?
Children still did not understand why the sample of salt water was softer than distilled water. Even after reading the article on how a water softener works, and placing the order of events on softening water with salt, students still did not understand the relationship between the ionization in a water softener and the ionization of salt water in the classroom. I hope the light bulb comes on soon.

Joined the Archeology Society
With only five members in attendance, I joined the North-Central Chapter 8 of the Pennsylvania Archeology society, last night. This is the group that assisted with archeological digs at Canfield Island and at Muncy. We met at the Lycoming County Historical (Taber) Museum on West Fourth Street. Although unable to attend meetings, James Bressler, past president of the local society, was the topic of discussion as we were treated to a glimpse of paleo-indians exhibit. That's the first humans in our area over 10,000 years ago, when this valley was semi-tundra (without many trees and covered in permafrost). I was mesmerized as we talked about Bressler, who happens to be #2 in my hero worship, list -- preceded only by Benjamin Franklin. Take a look at the society website -- maintained by Robin Van Auken.

Will It Snow?
Arrrggghh, I hope not. It looks like we may be getting out early due to snow and sleet. Although I like the prospect of getting out early, I really need to get some old-fashioned teaching in. Worst, yet, I have to take off a half-day on Friday to drive to State College to pick up my daughter at the airport. YES!!! She is coming home for Christmas. I have not seen my baby daughter since the middle of August. Talk about separation anxiety -- daddy's got it.

Have a nice night and get your kids ready to shovel snow, tomorrow. I have the snow blower gassed-up and right next to the garage door.

Saltwater is the softest

Hey!?! Saltwater is the softest? You mean it outdoes distilled, bottled and tap water? But, it has so many minerals in it!?! Yep, you kids tested it and all seem to agree, saltwater provided the most suds in testing.

Is There A Secret?
Yup. The ions in salt actually attract minerals in water and sort of neutralizes the minerals, making the water soft. If you really wanna know. That water softener some of you have for your wells, uses rock salt to soften the water. When we get to Activity 5, you will learn all about it.

Don't Forget
Those of you working on your bar graph have to remember the "Y" axis has to be identified. You just can write 1mm, 2mm, 3mm. . . Those numbers have to be labeled as "Measured Height of Suds," or something like that. And the "X" axis is not just distilled water, tap water. . . These are water samples used.

Joining Tonight
I have been invited to join the Northcentral Chapter 8 of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology. They meet tonight at the Taber Museum on West Fourth Street. I am excited about this organization since I have a severe love of the history of our valley. I'll let you know, tomorrow, how the meeting went.

Have a great night.

Softest Water Means More Lather

Today, we compared distilled water, tap water, salt water and bottled water, to see which one offers up the most lather. My students were secretive about the results. Perhaps, fearing they did something wrong and are waiting for all the groups in their class to complete the experiment to see if everyone agrees. Hee hee.

Civil Rights
We are taking a look at civil rights in my social studies class. I gave the class several scenerios; one is an African-American person in the deep-South, another is a woman in 1900, a third is an American Indian trying to register to vote for a senator, and finally, an 18-year-old military draftee wanting the right to vote before being shipped off to fight in the Korean (War) Conflict. I gave them a set of questions to answer as they decide on whether to write a letter to loved ones, a diary, or a quiet protest with posted signs and banners. It will be interesting to see this lesson develop.

No Picture
Sorry gang, I eliminated the sixth grade team picture from our department home-page. The camera added 130-pounds to me, while the womenfolk look fabulous. Must be descrimination on the filmmaker's part.

Holiday Door Decorations
Have you decided on the best sixth grade door decoration? My homeroom even put up a "Pappa Z" stocking filled with miniature candy canes.

Have a great night.