<![CDATA[Mr. Mackey's Science Class - Mr. M's Science Class Weblog]]>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:08:05 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Tsunamis and Earthquakes!]]>Sat, 12 Mar 2011 09:42:55 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2011/03/tsunamis-and-earthquakes.htmlSixth graders have been studying plate tectonics, so you know all about what caused the earthquake in Japan, where the acific and North American tectonic plates meet!
]]><![CDATA[Dissecting a frog...]]>Wed, 08 Dec 2010 17:52:13 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/12/dissecting-a-frog.htmlWhen you dissect a frog, you can really see how the organs in an animal are put together. Can you identify the structures and functions?
]]><![CDATA[New links and activities on the home page]]>Sat, 09 Oct 2010 06:52:29 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/10/new-links-and-activities-on-the-home-page.htmlThere's plenty of new things to check out on our website!
Want to know what an element looks like? There's a PHOTOGRAPHIC PERIODIC TABLE that shows pictures and information about every element.
7th graders: We're starting to learn about GENETICS. There's a link to a cool website on your 7th grade page.
All About Algae: Find out more about that green slimy stuff that grows in the school pond!

Explore all the website pages to see what else is new!
]]><![CDATA[New pages!]]>Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:06:35 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/10/new-pages.html6th and 7th grade classes have their own pages! Look there for information about your class!
]]><![CDATA[7th Grade: Is There Life on Mars?]]>Sat, 11 Sep 2010 06:36:25 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/09/7th-grade-is-there-life-on-mars.htmlYou might be wondering about life on Mars after our Performance Assessment (Three-Week Test). In the test, you had to make models of 4 compounds. Yes, all four of those compounds have been found on Mars. Only methane is organic, and it's only found in the atmosphere. It was probably not made by living organisms.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FOUND ON MARS! So, there's still no direct, solid evidence of life there. Scientist still keep looking.
]]><![CDATA[Have a great summer!]]>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:23:33 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/06/have-a-great-summer.htmlSummer is finally here, and it's welcomed by both students and teachers. Enjoy the break, and come back to visit when you return to Bedichek in August. If you're a former student, come by and visit. If you're a possible future student, I look forward to meeting you!
]]><![CDATA[The Police Station]]>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:31:20 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/03/the-police-station.htmlThe police station in Osmosis Jones was a lymph node, an important part of your immune system. There are hundreds of these all over the body. They are filled with a variety of white blood cells, including B-Cells, T-Cells, and others (like Jones). They serve as traps or filters for foreign particles that are removed from the body in the lymph fluid.]]><![CDATA[Who was Osmosis Jones?]]>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 07:07:34 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2010/03/who-was-osmosis-jones.htmlPicture
In the movie, Osmosis Jones was a white blood cell. They are also called leukocytes and they are a key part of the body's immune system. There are several kinds of white blood cells, and each has a specific role in fighting disease-causing agents. Some destroy bacteria and fungi and others fight allergens. Still others destroy virus-infected cells or cells that are becoming cancerous. Jones was a combination of all of those.

Photo: Real white blood cells
]]><![CDATA[Red Bugs & Aztecs]]>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:23:04 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2009/10/red-bugs-aztecs.htmlPicture
When I was a kid, I knew that if you picked that little bug out of the white stuff on a prickly pear, and squished it in your fingers, it made a red stain. I probably thought it was blood. Nope.

That little bug is a "Cochineal bug", one of several species related to a scale insect, Dactylopius coccus. Aztecs and Mayas used it to dye cloth, and it's still used to produce the dye carmine. It changes color in basic and acidic solutions, so we experimented with the effect of acidity on the dye's color.

]]><![CDATA[If You Have the Stomach for it...]]>Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:13:53 -0800http://mrmackeyscience.weebly.com/1/post/2009/09/if-you-have-the-stomach-for-it.htmlChemical reactions are everywhere - even inside you. In fact, chemical reactions in your cells keep them alive, and they have to stay alive for you to stay that way. Chemical reactions between your food and acids in your stomach digest your food. Think about that after lunch!

Here's an opportunity for extra credit:
Find out about the man and scientist we talked about during class that had a hole in his stomach. Write a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) describing what happened.
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