'Rockingham County Fair Selected as site for Virginia Cattlemen's Association in 2014; Annual event leaves Roanoke for Harrisonburg'

'Rockingham County Fair Selected as site for Virginia Cattleman's Association in 2014; Annual event leaves Roanoke for Harrisonburg'
http://www.rockinghamcountyfair.com/news_releases.html

What? So big picture-wise, the Rockingham County Fair will now be home to the VACA 2014 Show. Before, the VCIC, VACA, and VCCP shows and conventions were held in Roanoke for 5 years, and for 30 years previously in Bath County at the Homestead Resort. These locations worked logistically for 35 years, but hotels make little sense when you are talking about beef cattle. It is certainly better for the conventions' reputation to be held in a famous agricultural area that is simultaneously one of the top beef producers in Virginia.
So What? This is a big deal because it will attract thousands to the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 2014, and will boost our economy here. Since we are a very rural region, and have only a few major cities, like Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, Staunton and Winchester, much of our economy was centered around agriculture until the Shenandoah National Park was created in 1935; after this it became increasingly centered around tourism. In present times, tourism has skyrocketed. However, as tourism increases, the valley's focus on Agriculture, high as it may be, decreases.
Now What? Some things to keep in mind with this are;

1. Increased Tourism in the Shenandoah Valley in spring 2014
2. Increased interest in Agriculture
3. 1&2 will boost the local economy
4. Rockingham County, already a widely renowned area, due to the Rockingham County Fair, will become recognized as the top show cattle producers in VA.
5. FFA and 4-H chapters in Rockingham County will have amazing opportunities in the spring, and in the future. 

The relocation of VACA is more than just moving a show to a more rural area. VACA is recognizing Rockingham County as the forerunner in the state beef producing game. This may not seem like something to be concerned about for non-farming families and non-showing families. Take my word for it, this is a big change for Rockingham County's educational agricultural programs. This is a big step forward for the Fairgrounds and the Shenandoah Valley. 

I don't want to step on anybody's toes here, but Rockingham County has one of the most successful annual fairs and livestock shows in the entire state, and maybe even on the entire East Coast. But this is big news even for Page, Shenandoah, Augusta and Rockbridge counties, to name a few. Travel and tourism in the Shenandoah valley will skyrocket, and this will affect every single person in the Shenandoah Valley

Response to "Big Agriculture Creating a New Generation of Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs

Antibiotics are often used in farm animals due to the belief that they reduce risk of the animals getting sick and helps to create larger animal. This constant use of antibiotics is believed to now be "accelerating the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or bacteria that is now unaffected by our common antibiotics. However, these antibiotics don't just stay in the animals. They eventually end up in the soil when deposited in manure. According to a recent study, this regular deposit of antibiotics in the soil of farmland is growing these "super bacteria" in the same soil in which we grow a lot of our agricultural products. 

You may be asking yourself how this could possibly apply to you. In reality, this problem could affect all of us. Due to the fact that we are practically training these bacteria to become resistant to our antibiotics, this puts not only the animals at risk, but also ourselves. A common bacteria found in meat is E. Coli. If we keep this up, and the antibiotics we are feeding these animals stop working, it puts us at serious risk of contracting bacterial diseases and infections. An'd it's not just meat either. Like mentioned before, it's affecting the soil and agricultural products we grow as well.

Now you're probably wondering if there's a way to help this problem. This is where it gets tricky. The antibiotics were originally needed to help stop the spread of bacteria such as E. coli, but now it's almost helping it. So it comes down to the question as to whether it's worth it. If we could find another thing, such as a hormone, that could result in larger animals without the negative side effects that an antibiotic brings, we might have a solution. However, if we went with this route, we once again come across the risk of the bacteria still being able to live in the animals. We have to find a healthy balance.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038312_antibiotic_resistance_superbugs_Big_Agriculture.html

"A Jolt to Complacency on Food Supply"

Last year, in 2012,  the American Corn Belt was greatly affected by a harsh heat wave and drought. In the beginning of the year the Agriculture Department even predicted the largest corn harvest in the history of our country, but the unsurprising climate change dashed hopes. Due to this heat wave, many plants withered, prices rose, and the harvest was 27 percent lower then the Agriculture Department predicted. This drastic plunge is still being discussed by United States scientists, but many believe that climate change caused by human interaction, might be the answer.

This may not be an impending problem at the moment, but in the near future the effects of climate change on our food supply can be disastrous. The impact of global warming on the world's food supply could lead to a rise in hunger and even starvation. In years past scientists have hoped the that increase in carbon dioxide, due to global warming, would be more beneficial for plants than the heat was detrimental. Recently though, scientists have discovered that even though the carbon dioxide is good for the plants, the heat counteracts that. It is going to require even more research to determine the full effects of Global Warming on different plants. One thing is sure, if heat waves continue to strike like the one last year, then the food supply will take definite plunges and in order to survive we will have to find solutions.

Researchers have proposed there may be a few things that can be done to protect plants from the possibility of damage from heat waves. In order to be protected from massive heat waves, crops can be planted sooner and new varieties of plants can be developed so that they are more resistant to climate changes. The intergovernmental panel has also proposed a global carbon budget, that limits the carbon output to no more than one trillion tons of carbon. Since 1870, 515 billion tons have been calculated from the human carbon emissions. This means that, if that budget is approved, we have already exceeded half of it, but we will still have many more years to contribute to the apparent climate change.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/science/earth/warning-on-global-food-supply.html?_r=0

Colorado floodwaters menace state's $41 billion agriculture sector

In the summer of 2013, the towns of Lyons and Longmont, Colorado were hit hard by severe flooding, causing at least 8 deaths and $2 billion in damages. While many people are worried about rebuilding homes and community buildings, it is often forgotten how much the state depends on it's agricultural industry. The main cash crop in Colorado is corn, which is mostly put towards feeding cattle. After the flooding, the fields of corn, which bring in a total of $41 billion a year, are covered in mud and debris.

This may not affect us here in Virginia, but as a Coloradan at heart, this really hits home. The economy around the country is strained enough as it is without covering for natural disasters. New Orleans wasn't rebuilt in a day after Katrina. It may take years to restore Colorado's agriculture industry. The state is a top producer of corn, and a decline in product could affect the rest of the country. 

This issue raises the question of whether or not farmers should invest in cleaning up their fields or replanting altogether. Colorado isn't known for its high levels of precipitation; having only 15- 22 in of precipitation on average, the majority of that being snow. This flooding brought 9 inches, just on the first day, which is unheard of. Could this water have been beneficial to the soil? After giving the soil time to adjust to the rain, it may help the next year's corn production. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/20/us-usa-colorado-flooding-farms-idUSBRE98J09I20130920

UN Ditches Climate-Friendly Agriculture Plan

What?: This article discusses the UN's failed attempt to pass climate-friendly agriculture plans that its negotiators had previously supported. Developing nations that vetoed the plans argue that they were an attempt by the rich nations to control the carbon emissions of only the developing nations.

So what?: This severely impacts the number and strictness of individual countries' plans to reduce carbon emissions in their agricultural processes. If their is no pressure from the United Nations to reduce carbon emissions, the nations of the world will not make any extreme (but necessary) cuts to their carbon emissions.

Now what?: This decision is not final and it is not too late for nations to get back on board with the reduction of carbon emissions. The best we can do is lobby for the United States and other developed nations to convince the UN to overturn this veto and that we must stick to climate-friendly agriculture to protect our world from carbom emissions and therefore, climate change.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn24604-un-negotiators-ditch-climatefriendly-agriculture-plan.html#.UozFPHBJMoo

"Organic Farming Can Feed The World, Study Suggests"

   The term organic farming is pretty self explanatory; it relies on ecosystem management and the attempt to completely eliminate the use of pesticides or herbicides. Based on current studies organic farming can also yield up to three times as much as conventional farming. 


   Researchers from the University of Michigan found that yields of organic farming and conventional were almost the same in developed countries and in developing countries the yield from organic production might even be higher than conventionally farming. In addition to equal or greater yields organic farming can be done using the same amount of land as conventional farming. 

   So why is this important to us? While in some aspects this sounds like it may be a lot of work, in developing countries it may be the only way for farmers to feed their country because they have no means of getting expensive herbicides and pesticides. It can also be important to us because the extensive use of mechanized tillage, synthetic fertilizers and biocides is so detrimental to the environment. An example would be the high amounts of fertilizer run-off from farmlands are creating dead-zones (low oxygen levels in our watersheds where marine life cannot live). 
Conventional Farming also causes soil-erosion, lack of biodiversity, also plant and animals becoming resistant to these chemicals. 

    Now more time needs to be put into the research of organic farming finding out how easily it can be done and for what price? Will our crops become expensive? And will there be no profit? Obviously these are all considerations that we have to take into account, but as of now I think that organic farming could be a substantial way to feed our earth for years to come.

MLA Citation: American Institute of Biological Sciences. "More Recycling On The Farm Could Reduce Environmental Problems." ScienceDaily, 3 May 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.

Link to the article

Blog Post - Agriculturally-related Article

Your task: Find an article that pertains to some aspect of agriculture (yes, that's vague on purpose).  The article can be online or in a newspaper, magazine, etc.  Provide a link (or cite the article if it's in print) with your post.  I prefer the article to be recent (from 2013), but if you find an older article that is still relavent today, you can use it.  Follow the "What?", "So what?", "Now what" format for your blog post.

DUE DATE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2013.

Adaptations of Steam Organisms

Jessica Rodriguez
1) For the organism you investigated, what are 5 facts you learned and found interesting?

1. The crayfish eggs stay under the mother's tail (swimmerets) until the eggs become independent juveniles
2. The crayfish was one of the main animals used in discovering plate tectonics because they are located on many continents
3. The female's eggs are not fertilized until they hatch.
4. Crayfish are very tolerant to pollution
5. The time that juveniles depart from their mother's tail depends on temperature, dissolved oxygen, predators, population, and food supply.

2) Choose three other organisms; for each, list two facts that you learned during the presentation.

1. Flat Worm- The flat worm is expected to live for ten years and it can reproduce asexually or sexually.
2. Crane Fly- The crane fly is eaten by birds, bats, and yellow jackets, and it's the bug that looks like a mosquito on steroids.
3. Stone Fly- The stone fly does "pushups" to move oxygen through its gills and is eaten by the crayfish.

3)What did you enjoy about this project?





My favorite part of the project was presentation day, because each group did so well presenting. I was so intrigued by the facts they displayed, and it was awesome how so many groups made their normally bland macroinvertibrate facts colorful and interesting. Also, I got to practice speaking in front of a group of people, and it's always good to get as much practice with that as possible.





4)What was the most challenging aspect of this project? Do you feel you successfully overcame this challenge? If not, how would you overcome this challenge in the future?

My biggest challenge personally was finding time to work on the project, and finding time to come up with a plan with my group. It was hard to balance out working with collaboration during class, and outside of class it's difficult to collaborate. I believe our group overcame this obstacle, because our presentation went smoothly and we were all comfortable with how we did and the work we got done.

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

My group chose to research the totally awesome Riffle Beetle. At first, I didn't think that the Beetle was very interesting, but I was quickly proved wrong. I learned many things. The main thing I learned was that the Riffle Beetle needs a ton of dissolved oxygen and is therefore an indicator of great water quality. I also learned that the beetle has a complete life cycle with egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. One thing I found cool was that the Riffle Beetle can use it's exoskeleton as an air bubble so it can breathe underwater. I also found that the talons that the beetle has help it latch on to rocks in the fast moving water that it requires. Lastly, I found out that there aren't many threats to the Riffle Beetle other than humans. Anything we do that negatively effects the dissolved oxygen of the stream can be detrimental to the Riffle Beetle.

Here's some things I learned...

Black Fly-

• Have a complete metamorphosis cycle
• Prefer riffle areas
• When in need of more oxygen, it uses a small thread to float downstream

Mayfly-

• Only get to live 1 day and use it to reproduce only
• Is the oldest flying insect fossil
• Incomplete metamorphosis cycle

Cranefly-

• Break down dead plant material for food
• Their bodies are completely water-proof
• Thousands of hairs all over them help them float on the water

I really enjoyed the relaxed attitude of the project. In the past, many projects I've worked on have been very specific and I really enjoyed the whole "do whatever you want" aspect. It really let us get creative and I loved that.

One of the challenges my group had to face was finding accurate information on the Riffle Beetle. Due to the fact that there are so many different species of beetles, it was hard to find information that was specific to our species of Beetle. But we did overcome this. We found a specific article that discussed multiple species including ours. Overall, I really enjoyed the project and the people I got to work with.

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

     5 Facts that I found interesting:
1.Crane flies have thousands of tiny hairs that prevent water penetration
2. The main purpose of adult crane flies is to procreate then die.
3. Crane flies have complete life cycle.
4. Crane flies are the largest family of flies. (14000 subspecies)
5. There are 1,400 species in North America.

     Facts about other organisms:
1.-Crayfish have been around since Pangea
   - Female crayfish lay lots of eggs under their tails
2.-Clubtail Dragonflies have an incomplete life cycle
   -Sometimes conceal themselves in the trees to hide from predators
3.-Most Stoneflies craw on the bottom of the river
   -Their gills are located on their abdomen
   
     I enjoyed the freedom you gave us in this project. I liked having to research an organism on my own rather than you telling us all the facts about the organisms. I feel like I learn more when I have to do the research myself. I also liked learning from all my classmates and their presentations.

     The most challenging part of this project to me was finding some of the information about the crane flies. They don't have too many specific adaptations and eating habits. I do think I successfully overcame this challenge by working with my partner to find information about the crane flies.

Response: Adaptations of Stream Organisms

1) For the organism you investigated, what are 5 facts you learned and found interesting?

1. Water Pennies evolve to be Water Beetles. Who knew?

 

2.Water Pennies have their own Family in the world of Taxonomy, which means that scientists just threw all Water Penny Beetles in the same family. There are many genus's and species, but they are all Water Penny Beetles, so they just have a Family.

 

3. Water Pennies are nocturnal. I've never thought of nocturnal bugs, other than fireflies.

 

4. Water Pennies are detritivorus, which means that they eat dead things.

 

5. They are also carnivores- they eat periphyton (or small algae and even smaller organisms on rocks)

 

2)Choose three other organisms; for each, list two facts that you learned during the presentation.

1. Black Fly-

• There are over 250 species of Black Flies
• They are attracted to animals because of the carbon dioxide animals produce

2. Mayfly-

• There are over 200 species of Mayflies
• They use anywhere between 15 and 45 molts to get from the imago stage to the subimago stage

 

3. Crane Fly-

• Larval Crane flies are predatory
• They break down dead plant material

3)What did you enjoy about this project?

I really enjoyed collecting the stream organisms. I also enjoyed the opportunity to research more about the organisms I collected.

 

4)What was the most challenging aspect of this project? Do you feel you successfully overcame this challenge? If not, how would you overcome this challenge in the future?

The most challenging part of this project was presenting. I hate to present. I try to get out of my comfort zone more often and share with the class, but it just makes me nervous. I do not feel that I have successfully overcome this challenge. I stuttered and said 'um' a lot during my portion of the presentation. I think that this presentation went better than others that I have done, but I think I will continue to work on my stage fright and try to become a better public speaker.

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

1) For the organism you investigated, what are 5 facts you learned and found interesting?

1. Turns out crane flies aren't actually giant mosquitoes that are looking to suck every liter of blood out of my body.
2. I thought that is was neat that crane flies are rarely found eating as an adult and this is because their primary purpose is to reproduce.
3. Crane flies are called "Daddy Long Legs" in Europe and this is because their six long legs much like our spider version.
4. Crane flies are the largest family over flies with over 14,000 subspecies. 
5. Crane fly larvae are not only found in river, but also in muddy river banks, ponds, and sometimes even in moist soil in the middle of a forest.

2) Choose 3 other organisms; for each, list 2 facts you learned during the presentations.

1. Dobson Fly
1. It has hooks on it's belly so it can attach itself to the bottom of the river without getting swept away by the current
2. The dobson fly has an incomplete life cycle.
2. Crayfish
1. Female crayfish lay about 700 eggs that stay underneath her tail until hatched.
2. Crayfish have been dated back to  million years ago.
3. Water Penny
1. The water penny can not control it's own body temperature
2. They are very pollution sensitive and need lots of dissolved oxygen.

3) What did you enjoy about this project?
     
I enjoyed this project because we had a lot of freedom to do what we pleased. I liked that instead of learning about every organism before hand you gave us the responsibility to learn all about organism. Then we got to learn from our classmates and we depended on them for our notes and relied on our peers for our education.

4) What was the most challenging aspect of this project? Do you feel you successfully overcame this challenge? If not, how would you overcome this challenge in the future?
     
The most challenging part of this project was the fact that I was working with someone who I don't go to school with, because of this I felt very pressured to finish it all in school. I was worried the first day, but after we got to work the next day and almost finished our project I felt much less pressured and was able to relax the last day. Yes, I do feel like a successfully overcame this challenge with the help of my partner for this project, he was a big help, unlike a lot of the people I'm used to working with back at my home school. 

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

1). Jonathan and myself researched the leech, a creature whose name usually makes most people shudder. However, though leeches in other countries can reach staggering sizes, those found in the Sheandoah are barely the size of a fingernail. They are born with the same physical structure as an adult, only smaller in size.They can live up to several years but their lifecycle only lasts a couple months. Leeches hunt their prey by using their sense of smell and touch because they cannot see of hear, which I thought was fairly interesting. Leeches are feared as being solely bloddsuckers though they eat small invertebrates as well. In order to avoid predators, they swim away quickly, play dead, or curl into a ball and sink to the bottom of the water they accompany.
2). Riffle Beetle- can make an air bubble and keep it in its exoskeleton and molts 6-8 times in order to reach maturity.
    Water Penny- they are nocturnal and lay their eggs in a plant stem to hatch.
     Caddis Fly- its eggs are laid in a gelatanous mass and they mate during flight producing around 800 eggs. 3). I enjoyed getting to work with both Jonanthan as well as Play-Doh, and the fantastic color we created. I also liked the uniqueness of each group's presentation.
4). I tend to stutter and turn red when addressing a group, so getting over the fear of speaking to more person than usual was slightly nerveracking but fortunately it went better than expected.  

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

     Our group investigated Crayfish and I learned a lot of interesting facts about this particular organism. First of all, they are omnivores and they would eat just about any organism that won't eat it first. They have three stages of life, but do not go through metamorphis because they are fish, not insects. I learned that Crayfish were one of the species that inspired Charles Darwin and other scientists to study plate tectonics because different species are found scattered around the world. Crayfish hatch as juvenile crayfish and do not go through larval stage, and they hatch from 2-20 weeks after the eggs are fertilized.
     Blackfly: 255 species and require blood to create eggs
     Gilled Snail: fertilization occurs internally and spend entire life span underwater
     Caddisfly: long body with 2 sets of wings and they help control algae population

     I loved the presentations. When I first found out about spending a day on presentations, I wasn't too excited. But the material was fascinating and the presentations were so interesting. The fact that we didn't know what to expect was the biggest challenge. I already know how to research, but I didn't know exactly what the teachers were looking for. To remedy this, we just did our best to provide as much information for our teachers and audience as we could and tried to cover the topic thouroughly. This project was a good experience for future reference and our hard work set the stage for other projects.
   
   

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

For this project, Grace, Kylie and I researched the water beetle, more commonly known as the water penny. An interesting fact about this bottom dweller is that after fertilization, the female slices open the stem of a plant and injects the egg into the hollow internal tube for protection. Also, the water penny does complete metamorphosis. It grows from egg, to larvae, to pupa, to adult. This bottom dweller needs a lot of dissolved oxygen, so it lives in high-riffle areas with fast moving water. Finally, the water penny is pollution-sensitive—therefore, if you find a lot in your stream, you have good water quality.

Caddis fly:

During the more vulnerable stage of its life, a caddisfly makes a casing out of pebbles, silt, leaves, and other substances to protect its body. Caddisflies are herbivores, and tend to consume algae. Because of this, they help control the algae population. Also, a female caddisfly can lay up to 800 eggs.

Crane fly:

Crane flies are mostly nocturnal, and feed during the night or twilight hours. They can’t be very well observed at this time, so they are believed to eat flower nectar. A crane fly’s body is completely water proof—its legs and wings have tiny hairs that are water repellant.

Flatworm:

Flatworms are bottom feeders, and like caddis flies, help regulate algae. They tend to live in still or stagnant water where algae and other plants can grow, and don’t need much dissolved oxygen. Flatworms can live produce sexually or asexually. In sexual reproduction, the eggs are laid in a gelatin on the lake or river bed.

My favorite part about this project was watching everybody else’s! All of the groups had such interesting things to say about their bottom dwellers, and each group was unique in the way they presented their project. For instance, Rachel and Jill’s—they made a news cast, which was hilarious, engaging and informing.

The most challenging part of this project, for me, was finding an interesting way to present the project. I originally wasn’t aware of what other people were doing in their presentation, but when I saw some of the particularly unique presentations, I started to get nervous because ours wasn’t that original. I felt that we still overcame this, though, because we passed around labeled pictures of the water penny. In the future, I think that I might go a step further and make a model of whatever it is I’m presenting, or even try something different like a prezi.

Maria Leckey

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

I really learned a lot about crayfish during this project. Our group divided the tasks among the three of us and I got the task of researching the adaptations of crayfish.  I learned that crayfish have eyes on movable stalks that allow them to see in different directions. They also can eject chemical signals that allow them to identify one another and signal mating. Crayfish can also change color to blend in with their surroundings. The study of crayfish actually led to the theory of plate tectonics, because crayfish are found virtually everywhere. They originated for a marine ancestor when the earth was the super continent of Pangaea.

Dobsonfly

• They have hooks under their bellies that allow them to  hang on to rocks.
• They have very strong jaws.

The Gilled Snail

• They can live in still or quiet areas.
• Their shell has a trap door that allows them to protect their selves.

Dragonfly

• They grow up to 1.5 to 3 inches in length
• They flap their wings 30 times per second.

I really enjoyed the information that I found out about crayfish. It was really interesting to find out that the study of crayfish actually led to the study of plate tectonics. I never saw crayfish as that big of a deal before, but they are. I also really enjoyed working with my group and enjoyed the information that they found out also.

The most challenging thing about this project was finding enough  information. I found it difficult to find information about how crayfish have changed since they originated. I overcame this by not giving up. I just kept researching and searching websites until I found enough information. By continuing to search I also found some websites that really added to the project. Overall it was a really great and fun project!

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

My group and I researched the Water Penny, which is surprisingly interesting for an organism that literally looks like a penny. Some very neat adaptations include ones for protection. The female lays up to 600 eggs inside the stem of a plant in order to keep her offspring from harm. Also, their shape is part of their adaptation. The fact that they can flatten themselves to hide on the rocks they cling onto keeps the water pennies safe from predators. Though water pennies have some very beneficial adaptations, they are heterothermic, meaning they have little to no control over their body temperatures. This makes them very susceptible to drastic climate change. These are very pollution sensitive creatures so they indicate good water quality. Water pennies always live in areas with lots of dissolved oxygen, like riffle areas.

Black Fly-
Attracted to mammals because of the CO2 and sweat.
Black flies have a silk-like thread to float to more oxygen

Dobsonfly-
They molt 10-12 times throughout their lifetime. 
Dobsonflies don't eat as adults

Crayfish-
Crayfish can emit chemicals for communication.
Some types of crayfish can change color.

I enjoyed thinking of ways to present that would be interesting, regardless of whether or not we could put each idea into effect. Watching other presentations definitely got me thinking about next time and what I could change to make my presentation more compelling. 

As a person with zero artistic talent, I always find it difficult to pull together a visual. After brainstorming something creative, I try it, fail miserably, and end up with a poster. Our poster definitely was not the worst I've ever done, but it could have been better. Next time I hope to find some other way of using a visual without trying something too artistic for my abilities. 

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

I helped to investigate the Riffle Beetle along with the rest of my group. The Riffle Beetle is a pretty complex and very interesting macroinvertebrate that can be found in many rivers, including the Shenandoah River. One aspect of this organism that I found interesting is that it is classified as a Class 1 organism. This means that it needs a habitat of good water quality in order to survive and is therefore a good indicator of a water source with minimal pollution. I also learned that the Riffle Beetle larvae breath by plastron, a group of tightly packed hairs. The females lay an average of nine eggs in small crevices on the bottom of rivers or streams. Some Riffle Beetles have functioning wings, but some have vestigial wings, depending on the species of beetle. Also, the whole life cycle of this organism is relatively long compared to that of many macroinvertebrates at 3 to 4 years.

Mayfly
-The average Mayfly survives as an adult for only one day.
-Mayfly raise their tail up in self-defense when confronted.

Gilled Snail
-Some gilled snails have both sexes.
-The tissue that connects this snail's body to its shell hold oxygen.

Water Penny
-Water Pennies are nocturnal.
-They lay their eggs in plant stems which help to protect them from predators.

I really enjoyed the freedom we were given with this project. I loved how we could choose our partners and mode of presentation. I felt that I learned a lot because I was able to have control over these aspects of the project.

The most challenging aspect of this project was delegating which member of the group would do which job, while keeping these tasks equal to each person. I believe that through good communication and with each person being willing and able to do their job, we overcame this obstacle.

Introduction

Hi everyone, my name is Robert Van Wyck and I attend Luray High School. Luray is a solid 25-30 minutes away from Gov. school but I actually don't mind the ride because Forest Goebel, Trisha Lal and I carpool every morning. I play football, basketball and soccer for Luray which occupies almost all of my time. Basketball in Luray is more of an occupation than a sport and is all year round, every week.  I like to play guitar and piano in my free time. I also like to hang out with my friends and occasionally play video games. As far as learning about and using new technology goes, as embarrassing as it is I honestly don't know how to use Microsoft Excel. Excel is so popular and a necessity in math but I really just can't figure it out. Also, if you're asking about what types of technology I would like to use in school, then I think it would be awesome to use ipads. We use them in our home school and they're very beneficial and fun.

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

I discovered many things that I didn't know about the clubtail dragonfly by doing this project. First, I learned that they have a long, straw-like tail to help them breathe. They go through an incomplete metamorphosis, with only three stages. They usually stay fairly close to their breeding sites as they mature into the adult stage. The female dragonflies can lay up to 5,000 eggs. Lastly, their lifespan can be anywhere from six months to two years.

Dobsonfly

• Stays underwater for most of its life
• Has a lifespan of only three to ten days 

Mayfly

Goes through an incomplete life cycle composed of three stages

Live in rough, running waters because they require a high amount of dissolved oxygen

Damselfly

• Metabolism changes based on environment
• Have claws to help them stay on the rocks in the water

I really enjoyed working with a group on this project! I feel that working with others and talking about what we have discovered allows me to learn and obtain information much more efficiently than working alone. The visual aspects of the project made it a lot more fun as well.

It was challenging to decide what kind of visual aid we were going to use, because there are so many choices and pros and cons to each of them. When we decided on creating a prezi, it was frustrating at times when the computer wasn't working correctly. However, we asked for help and by using Mrs. Bates' computer, we overcame our difficulties. 

Overall, I enjoyed working on this project and hope we can do more group activities like this in the future! 

Introduction- Linnea Stewart

Hey! My name is Linnea Stewart and I'm a junior at Central High School. Running and school basically take up most of my time, along with hanging out with friends, watching Disney movies, and sleeping. I have to admit that I am really not great at using technology due to my acute lack of patience.I don't even fully understand how to navigate through my cell phone, which is kinda sad. Hopefully through Gov. School I'll be able to understand computer programs like Excell, which I think is really important to understand. I absolutely love everyone here and I look forward to having two incredible years!

Adaptations of Stream Organisms

For this blog post, please answer the following questions:

1) For the organism you investigated, what are 5 facts you learned and found interesting?

2) Choose 3 other organisms; for each, list 2 facts you learned during the presenations.

3) What did you enjoy about this project?

4) What was the most challenging aspect of this project? Do you feel you successfully overcame this challenge? If not, how would you overcome this challenge in the future?

Your responses are due by Monday, October 7, 2013.

Hello! My name is Holly Funkhouser and I attend Strasburg High School. I really enjoy running. Last year I ran Track and this year I'm doing Cross Country. I haven't been able to run a ton recently though, because my leg hates me. I enjoy singing and dancing (even though I'm awful at it). You'll learn quickly that I randomly burst into song sometimes. I'm also an officer in my FFA chapter and an officer on the SCA. I have a HUGE family. I have three older sisters and one younger brother. I also have a boat load of cousins, aunts, uncles, and well you get the picture; my family's big. I also really love reading and watching movies... I guess you could say I enjoy escaping the real world sometimes. I am be no means antisocial, though. With a huge family it's like against the law to be antisocial or something. So far I have really enjoyed MRGS and everyone who attends and I can't wait to see what else is in store. As far as technology goes, I guess I would really like some more experience with Excel and maybe some other programs that will be essential in college and the real world. Well okay, that's all I have. I hope you feel like you know me better now! Bye :)

Introduction

Hey, my name's Leila and I go to East Rock. I run track during the winter, play soccer in the spring, do hoodrat things with my friends over the summer, just kidding I mostly work, and during the fall I enjoy hiking and longboarding on golf courses. I love music, more than I should; some of my favorite groups are The Avett Brothers, Modest Mouse, Dave Matthews Band, Odd Future, RHCP, and well I could go on forever about the bands that I love. I have two brothers one older and one younger. My parents are Karen and Dave and I can't complain, they're a couple of good people.

I'd say I want to learn more about Prezi but I really don't like it. Other than that I'm pretty savy with Technology. I'm pretty darn good with the rest of the things having to do with the internet because I'm almost always on tumblr. Anyways, that's a pretty short summary of who I am. Looking forward to getting to work with you guys this year.

Introduce Yourself

For your first blog entry, please introduce yourself; be sure to include what we should know about you as well as your home school.  Also, please answer this: What type(s) of technology would you like to use this year and why?

To begin, click on "New Post" in the upper right corner of the screen - please type "Your Name - Introduction" as the post title (that will help keep things somewhat organized).  If you do not see "New Post," please leave your introduction as a comment to this post.

DUE: Monday, September 30, 2013 by 10:20 a.m.

Introduction to Brianna E. Armentrout

      Hey, y'all! My name is Brianna Armentrout and I am a junior at Broadway High School (though y'all probably already figured that out.) I've been on the debate team since I foolishly accepted my 7th grade English teacher's invitation to do so, way back in 8th grade. I also enjoy Imprompu Speaking in Forensic tournaments. 

      I am really incompetent with technology. I can navigate my own laptop and some of the interweb, but managing that has taken me years and years and years...

      As far as learning about new technology, pretty much anything would be an improvement on what I currently know. I especially want to learn to navigate Excel spreadsheets better because I feel like that will really help me here at Gov school. 

      I look forward to these two incredible years here at MRGS. 

Introduction to Nicole Downey

Hey everyone!
My name is Nicole Downey, and I go to Harrisonburg High School. My two favorite things to do are run long distances and competition cheer. My schedule usually stays pretty filled between school, sports, and hanging out with friends. I am very close with my two older sisters, Meghan and Jenn, and I have a dog named Roxy. When it comes to technology, I'm definitely not an expert by any means, but I can usually figure most simple things out. The technology I use the most currently would be my iphone and computer for school, and that's about it. However, I think this blog will be really cool and a fun way to share ideas!

About Me

Hey everyone, it's Jessica the Jellyfish!

I am involved in many different things. I play clarinet and I take lessons in Winchester. I run cross country (but I'm not very fast at all!), I have played baseball then softball for many years, I'm in several clubs at my home school, and at home I have three honey bee colonies, twelve chickens, and a garden. I've also been in musical pit for three years (musical pit is the band in front of the stage at a play). I have three brothers and I live with my dad (I get to see my mom on weekends sometimes). My favorite week of the summer is Shark Week... I LOVE learning about the ocean!

I want to learn more about Prezi, Excel, and any other technology we will be using here at gov school. I've only been taught how to use Power Point and Word, so I have a limited technological perspective! Aside from technology, I'm also excited to learn how to present well, like the seniors do.

Introductory Post

Hey, people. My name is Graham Rebhun. I go to Harrisonburg High School. It's about 45 minutes away from Gov School, but I enjoy the bus rides. My favorite thing in the world is music. Any kind will do. I like a huge range of music from Mumpford and Sons, to Imagine Dragons, to Macklemore. I also enjoy acting. I do the One Act at our school every year. It's one of my favorite activities next to singing, and being awesome. If you don't already know this about me, I am a very loud person. In fact, I almost never shut up. It's a gift. And a curse. But mostly a curse. I also love being outdoors. Anytime, Anywhere.When it comes to technology, I'm not a super genius. I can work a computer, and understand the basics of the interwebs. However, I would love to learn how to use all of the multiple programs that Google has come up with. I like the idea that everything is connected in 1 account. I like the idea of this blog. I think this will definitely help in the sharing of ideas. I'm very interested in learning about the programs we're gonna use this year. I don't think that it will be too hard, but I don't know. I could be a lot stupider than I think. It would be nice to know how to use all of the new tech out there.

Intro to Irene Hamilton

Hello all! My name is Irene Hamilton. I go to Spotswood High School. Spotswood is about a 45 minute drive from gov school, which I use to catch up on my sleep. Every time. If I made a list of my favorite activites, sleeping would be number one. Along with reading, eating, acting and dancing that is. My extracurricular commitments include one act in the fall, musical in the spring, and acappella and dance all year round. As far as technology is concerned, I am currently trying to teach myself how to use my new laptop. Trying to buy a laptop these days is quite an ordeal, let me assure you. Ever heard of Windows 8? Its awful. I feel like one of my parents, thats how technologically inept it makes me. Computers now look like phones, and phones might as well be computers. I thought I was at least slightly technongically savvy, but sadly I am not. I would like to learn how to use features like SkyDrive and other confusing but supposedly "very nice" features of Windows 8. I would just like to be on top of all the new and changing technology.

Introduction to Emma Lineberry

Well hello all,
My name is Emma Lineberry. I attend Central High School which is about a 20 minute bus ride away from Gov. School. I run cross country, play tennis, and dance in Harrisonburg. I enjoy movies, except horrors, because I find no joy in peeing my pants. I also love people and hugs. Hugs always make me better. I hope to learn to more about technology, because before my brother would fix all of the computer problems. But now he is at college and not able to fix all of my problems. I am using technology as a general term, because I couldn't set up this blog account by myself through all of the steps and emails. I am very technologically impared. But this blog will help me stay informed and updated with class. Plus it now appears very user friendly!

Introduction

Hello! My name is Bethany Neri, and I attend Central High School (Shenandoah County). I am a very active person and am always busy! I am a part of numerous clubs at Central and the cross-country, swimming, and track teams. I also love to go hiking, watch movies, and eat salsa (or anything spicy!). This year I am excited to learn about using all kinds of technology, especially making high-tech spreadsheets and movie presentations. I would definitely consider myself to be technologically challenged; therefore, I feel like I will learn and improve my skills a lot here at Governor's School. 

I am excited to use this blog to stay informed and connected as well as share ideas!

Hiya!  I'm Maria Leckey and I go to Turner Ashby High School.  I'm into acting/theatre and movies and music and SCI-FI (The X-Files, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, everything).  As far as technology goes, I'm struggling just coping with the Gov School calculator, let alone the world of Google and the inter-web.  I'd really like to get more adept with spread sheets so I don't spend half an hour trying to figure out how to get a column/row to perform the same function simultaneously, which I find cool, exciting and time-saving, except for when you're spending time trying to figure it out.  Ain't nobody got time for that.
I'm psyched for this blog--it's a really neat and effective way to share your ideas outside of class.
Bye!
Maria Leckey

Introductory Post

Hola mis amigos. Mi nombre es Juan. Soy alto y atletico. Jugo al golf todos los dias y soy un estudiante excelente.... y soy muy comico... That is about as much Spanish as I can come up with at such a late hour. This is Jonathan Koontz if you are still wondering. I go to Stonewall Jackson. I am a member of our golf team and a Spanish scholar. This year, I would like to explore the evolution of technology and how it can manage to double in speed every 18 months, becoming outdated and incompatible in such a short stretch of time. However, as Grace said, fixing printers could be a useful skill as well.

Thank you for your time and have a wondrous evening.

Jonathan Koontz

Introductory Post

Hello!
My name is Kylie Britt, and I attend Turner Ashby High School. My interests are all over the place, and I always am committed to something- some sport, team, practice, organization, job- anything, I'm just always busy.
This year, I'm looking forward to getting more familiar with all of the Google programs. I didn't really use my Gmail for anything before Governor's School, and just trying to use Google Drive for our lab report proved a difficult task. Thank goodness I figured out how to write a blog post. Google is a great organization that I would like to know more about and be comfortable with using their programs. Since I only recently became aware of something called Google Fiber, so I am including a link for everyone to look at and become envious of the people in Austin, Kansas City, and Provo: https://fiber.google.com/about/
I can't wait to experience learning through different and new technology this year.

Introduction Post

Hi! My name is Grace Monger, and I attend East Rockingham High School. As for what you should know about me, I like to play music and sports; but most of all I love to work on my farm. In have no earthly idea what kinds of technology I want to learn this year.... Or even what that question is really asking. Software-wise, I would like to learn how to create better graphs with spreadsheet information. Hardware-wise, I would like to learn how to fix my home printer because it doesn't work more often than it does work! :-)
I look forward to using this blog, it seems like a good way to effectively communicate outside of class.
Grace Monger

Agro-Ecology Blog - Assignment Description and Rubric

Agro-Ecology I/II Blog - Assignment Description & Rubric

Throughout the year, we will discuss many topics pertaining to Agro-Ecology and Natural Resources/Ecology during class. Learning will be enhanced with critical reflection; as such, we will be using a classroom blog.  The classroom blog is intended to facilitate and capture those reflections.  Each entry should reflect concepts from class as well as any tie-ins with other topics you deem appropriate.

For your first entry, you will need to introduce yourself; be sure to include what we should know about you as well as your home school.  Also, please answer this: What type(s) of technology would you like to learn this year and why?

Subsequent blog entries should follow a "what?", "so what?", "now what?" format.  Usually, I will post a prompt or a link to an article I want you to evaluate.  On occasion, I will ask you to find a relevant article on which to evaluate and reflect.  When appropriate, you should use hyperlinks, photos, graphics, etc. for added depth in your entries.  Typically, you will be given 1 to 2 weeks after the prompt or article is posted to post your entry.  Each blog entry will be scored on completeness and demonstration of critical thinking. The scoring rubric I will use for evaluating blog entries is as follows:

Criteria	Points Possible
What? Discussion (Introduction)	4
So what? Discussion (Interpretation/Importance)	4
Now what? Discussion (Plan)	4
Connection to concepts	4
Overall impression (including writing quality)	4
Total for each entry	20

Here are the URLs for each classroom blog, in case you need them!

J1	mrgsj1.blogspot.com
J2	mrgsj2.blogspot.com
S1	mrgss1.blogspot.com
S2	mrgss2.blogspot.com