Post No. 4 – Nuclear Energy: Using Science Soundly or Unsoundly?

Nuclear power is any nuclear technology designed to extract usable energy from atomic nuclei via controlled nuclear reactions. The most common method in use today is through nuclear fission, though other methods might one day include nuclear fusion and radioactive decay.

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Your fourth post aims to give an empirical scientific background on the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy. Both sides of the coin should be presented to enable your readers to think critically and decide for themselves what should be their personal stance about this perplexed issue.

Open your discussion by answering the following guide questions:

• What is nuclear energy?
• What are the advantages of nuclear energy?
• What are the disadvantages of nuclear energy?
• Are you in favor of harnessing energy from nuclear power plants? Why or why not?

Finally, talk about the second site of your field trip – the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

• What did you expect to learn from the BNPP?
• What did you learn from the BNPP?
• Which part of the power plant is the most interesting for you? Why?

Deadline of Posting: March 2, 2012 (Friday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 4
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 1
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 2
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 3
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 1
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 3

Deadline of Evaluating: March 5, 2012 (Monday)

Post No. 2 – Pawikan on the run!

Now that you are done making your own blogs, how about talking about your recent field trip?! In the subsequent posts, you will be discussing your field trip to Bataan and we will allocate two posts for each site.

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So, gear up and use these guide questions for your Post No. 2:

• Why did you have a field trip?
• Why did you join the field trip?
• What did you expect from it?
• How did it feel before the actual field trip?

Now, let’s talk about the first site – the Pawikan Conservation Center (PCC).

• What did you expect to learn from the PCC?
• Give a brief description of what is the PCC.
• What did you learn from the PCC?

In this post, you have to discuss also the pawikan (marine turtle) species that you met in this site. Here are the details that you should include about your chosen species:

1. Name of organism

• Common name
• Scientific name
• Taxonomic classification

2. Characteristics

• What’s interesting about this organism?
• Why did you choose it?
• Sketch or picture of the organism

3. Ecological relationship

• Ecological role (e.g. producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger, etc.)
• Discuss the ecological relationship/s with other organism/s

4. Were you able to release a marine turtle hatchling? If yes, identify the species of the hatchling that you released. If no, why not?

Deadline of Posting: February 24, 2012 (Friday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 2
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 3
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 4
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 1
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 3
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 1

Deadline of Evaluating: February 27, 2012 (Monday)

Post No. 8 – A not-so-secret garden.

How did it feel to rush down the slippery trail of the Makiling Botanical Garden?

The Makiling Botanical Garden (MBG), or the Makiling Botanic Garden according to this site, is a large tract of tropical forest where endemic and exotic floras are found.

Despite the short time we spent in exploring this site, I’m sure that you were able to spot several species of plants that you may have never seen before.

• What did you expect to learn from the MBG?
• What did you learn from the MBG?
• Details about the organism/s you saw in this site.

And since this is the last site that we visited during our field trip, here are additional guide questions that you have to reflect on in this second to the last post:

• How did it feel right after you went home from the field trip?
• Were your expectations met?
• What was the greatest lesson you’ve learned from this experience?
• Complete this statement: I/We will never forget this learning experience because…

Deadline of Posting: March 11, 2011 (Friday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 1
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 3
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 4
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 1
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 2
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 3

Deadline of Evaluating: March 15, 2011 (Tuesday)

Post No. 7 – Rice all you can!

“One grain of rice equals one bead of sweat.”

–That is how we, Filipinos, value rice as the most staple food in our dinner tables.

Sinangag, suman, biko, kutsinta, bibingka, puto, palitaw, sapin-sapin, champorado, pinipig, paella, rice noodles, unlimited rice, and bottomless rice – no matter how you call it, rice will incessantly be a part of the Filipino diet!

At the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), scientists sees to it that rice farmers in rice-growing countries would be able to grow more rice of good quality, in an environmentally sustainable way.

Being the largest non-profit independent agricultural research center in Asia, IRRI aims to find sustainable ways to improve the well being of rice farmers and consumers, while at the same time ensuring environmental sustainability through collaborative research, partnerships, and the strengthening of national agricultural research and extension systems.

• What did you expect to learn from IRRI?
• What did you learn from IRRI?
• Details about the organism/s you saw in IRRI.

Deadline of Posting: March 11, 2011 (Friday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 3
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 1
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 3
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 4
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 1
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 2

Deadline of Evaluating: March 15, 2011 (Tuesday)

Post No. 6 – Lunch at the Museum.

I bet you’ve been singing in your heads, “rain, rain go away, come again another day” while we were parked outside the Botanical Garden.

What a fun way to have lunch, ayt?!

Add to it the Ecodama game no. 3 inside the jam-packed bus!

How romantic, isn't it?! Hahahahaha!

Well anyway, let’s celebrate life here at the Museum of Natural History while we walk thru its halls as it showcase the country’s teeming biodiversity!

• What did you expect to learn from the Museum of Natural History?
• What did you learn from the Museum of Natural History?

Do not forget to discuss in this post the organisms that you've met at the Museum. And again, refer to Post No. 4 for the details you have to include about the said organisms.

Deadline of Posting: March 11, 2011 (Friday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 3
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 1
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 2
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 3
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 4
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 1

Deadline of Evaluating: March 15, 2011 (Tuesday)

Post No. 5 – Plant Power.

Ready for site number two?

This time we have to talk about our second pit stop – the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB).

• What did you expect to learn from the IPB?
• What did you learn from the IPB?

Remember, you have to discuss in this post the organisms that you met at the IPB. Refer to Post No. 4 for the details you have to include about the organisms you’ve met here.

Deadline of Posting: March 11, 2011 (Friday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 1
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 3
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 1
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 2
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 3
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 4

Deadline of Evaluating: March 15, 2011 (Tuesday)

Post No. 4 – Finally. The Field Trip.

Finally, now you have the chance to talk about the field trip! In the subsequent posts, you will be discussing about your field trip to UPLB and we will allocate one site for each post.

So, gear up and use these guide questions for your Post No. 4:

• Why did you have a field trip?
• Why did you join the field trip?
• What did you expect from it?
• How did it feel before the actual field trip?

Now, let’s talk about the first site – the Dairy Training and Research Institute (DTRI).

• What did you expect to learn from the DTRI?
• What did you learn from the DTRI?

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In this post, you have to discuss already the organisms that you met in this site. Here are the details that you should include about the organism:

1. Name of organism

• Common name
• Scientific name
• Taxonomic classification

2. Characteristics

• What’s interesting about this organism?
• Why did you choose it?

3. Ecological relationship

• Ecological role (e.g. producer, consumer, decomposer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, scavenger, etc.)
• Ecological relationship/s with other organism/s
• Describe the ecological relationship/s

4. Picture/sketch of the organism

Deadline of Posting: March 3, 2011 (Thursday)

Evaluation Assignments:

• Lauan Group 1 will comment on Lauan Group 4
• Lauan Group 2 will comment on Lauan Group 1
• Lauan Group 3 will comment on Lauan Group 2
• Lauan Group 4 will comment on Lauan Group 3
• Almaciga Group 1 will comment on Almaciga Group 4
• Almaciga Group 2 will comment on Almaciga Group 1
• Almaciga Group 3 will comment on Almaciga Group 2
• Almaciga Group 4 will comment on Almaciga Group 3

Deadline of Evaluating: March 6, 2011 (Sunday)