Food Inc.: How The Food Gets Inside of Us

Happy Meal toys from McDonald's drive kids to their restaurants

When I was in 4th grade, McDonald's Happy Meals were my life. The food was good, but the reason why my mom was dragged to the restaurant was because of the special toys hidden deep down within those bright-red boxes. Throughout my childhood years I failed to realize the main purpose of the excitement that waited for me inside those boxes.

In the documentary film Food Inc., viewers were taken on a field trip, showing us the truth on how our Happy Meals are made and how McDonald's' food eventually get inside of us.

When McDonald's first began, it was a regular restaurant. In the 1950's, restaurants were pretty much all the same. McDonald's workers on roller skates delivering food. One day the owners decided to cut costs and they created a new process. Their new process created a whole new idea on how restaurants of the future were going to work. In their new process, the McDonald brothers introduced the "factory way" of making food.

The factory way had less workers with lower pay. This new way helped McDonald's to make a lot of money. McDonald's became the very rich company it is today because of these changes. So rich was McDonald's, their meat suppliers changed, too. Four companies now provide 8 out of every 10 burger patties in the U.S.

Has the U.S. Moved On From Racism?

I believe the U.S. is (not) colorblind due to the fact that in airports people are racially categorized

• Jocelyne - Republicans/Congress are against undocumented immigrants; people often times are incarcerated for minor offenses (i.e. vagrancy or homelessness)
• Princess: very few families discuss racism. As a matter of fact only 37% of families talk openly about race, which makes racial discussions uncomfortable to millennials. 
• Ruben: racism still exists in the U.S. today because only 44% of African-American families own homes versus 73% of white families. In other words, if the U.S. was truly a colorblind society those percentages would be more equal.
• African-Americans die four years earlier than whites; neighborhoods/homes; lower income, healthcare; income security; low-income housing and gang violence; healthy vs unhealthy foods depending on where one lives; 
• Mariela: stress because of income security
• Sahara; stress emotions; stressed-out; suicidal 

Example Tech Reading

Ffhfghghghfhgdhtrhyfhy

--

Danny B. Blas, M.Ed.

Teacher

San Diego Unified School District

http://www.dannyblas.com/

Example Image Post

The text goes here

--

Danny B. Blas, M.Ed.

Teacher

San Diego Unified School District

http://www.dannyblas.com/

Unions in America; Industrial Revolution & Today

A fast food worker smiling as she earns $9/hour
Source: http://goo.gl/yUA45f

Fast Food Worker's Lament

My Struggle is so real
My Smile is so not
Here's the food that will kill you
Nine dollars an hour is all I got

They sit at their desks in that big city
The CEO out on his yacht
I'm like a slave
This is all I got

The SD news said I was dumb
Poverty should be my lot
Them newspaper folks with their big checks,
and Houses, but this is all I got


If I had my chance, I would make them all feel
What it's like to take a financial shot
They wouldn't like bleeding
Everything they got

The Industrial Revolution in the U.S. (The Movie)

“The Collier”. First painting of a locomotive.
Watercolour of George Walker representing
the Blenkinsop's locomotive hauling coal
wagons at the Middleton Colliery in 1814
Source: wikipedia

The GoAnimate Video - Part One is here

Part Two is here.

iMovie Tutorial

The Industrial Revolution

The Erie Canal was a man-made waterway, which help to transport products and people from one place to another. The canal was significant because no longer did American need a natural river to move important resources; men and women just made waterways.

Free enterprise and entrepreneurs were significant during the Industrial Revolution because...

Journal Entry #1 - Columbus Comes to My Village

Oct. 12, 1492

amazing-trinidad-vacations.com/caribs.html

Journal Entry #1:

My name is Son of Stars, and I am an Arawak teenager, living on the island of Jamaica.

I am 16 years old, and my main goal in life is to find a wife, start a family, and support my family by farming, hunting and making tools for both hunting and farming.

About a year ago, my dad took me hunting and fishing for the very first time, and we were very successful. During the three days we were out in the wilderness, we camped and harvested three deer and caught 45 trouts. Since that time, I have become a very good hunter and fisherman. My dad trusts me and I can now go out hunting and fishing on my own. Like most young men my age, I must first do my chores before I can hunt.

My day-to-day has been pretty regular for the past two years. I have to wake my younger brother and sister, feed them breakfast, and play with them until my mom returns from finishing her chores, which is around lunch time.

I love my family. If it were not for mom, dad, and my siblings, I would be very unhappy. We always eat dinner together, and I hear all the stories of mom and dad's day. It's so very exciting to be them! I can't wait to grow up and be like them.

Today was a very interesting day. While I was hunting, I saw the most humongous, biggest, gigantic wooden floating village out in the harbor. I was in awe. I had never seen, much less imagined, anything like that. It was amazing. I must have been the first to see it because I was the first one on the beach. Ten minutes later my whole village brought out all the canoes and they began paddling to the village on the harbor. I saw my dad and we began loading our canoe with birds, cotton and the spears we had made together. We wanted to meet these new people, and we wanted to give them gifts because we don't often get visitors.

When we arrived to the floating village, the very pale men helped us climb up onto it. They told us their village was called a "ship," which they described as a vessel that sails on the water. They told us they came from far away, and that they were looking for us. They called us "Indians," and they said we lived in a place called "India." That's interesting because mom and dad always told me that we were Arawak, and sometime we were called Taino. These men must know what they are talking about. After all, they did get their village to float on the water. Very interesting that these men did NOT have gifts for us??????? They did have the big knives that they called swords, but they would not give it to us as gifts. They also were very interested in my mom's ear rings. These men are a bit strange, but since we all came from the creator, they must be good.

I asked their leader, a man who is named Columbus, why he liked my mom's earrings so much, and he responded by saying where he's from, a place called Europe, "gold" is the sign of "wealth," which describes a person that has more than what they use. It's interesting that these men are so aware of what other people have. I don't get it, but that's okay because my dad has always told me to never hate others just because they have different ways.

Anyway, it was a very different day, more different than any day I have ever had. Tomorrow, when I wake up, my dad said I had to go out and find the yellow rock we used to make mom's earrings. I won't be able to hunt or fish until I find the yellow rock. So tonight I better get to bed early to I can go out and do what my dad asked.

Forms of Governments

Images for Plate Tectonics Unit Exam - Earth Science

Example Embedded Video

Here is a link to the video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B71Iow1yk_rpSHg2bmRURU9mR0k/edit?usp=sharing

Example Embed

Example Group Video Project

Here is my first video for essential question #1:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B71Iow1yk_rpeXJieDZIYS1ZeTQ/edit?usp=sharing

Or you can embed video here with an embed code.

  

Insert your video and add text to your blog post describing the essential question your video addresses.

“Re-enact” AND explain ALL essential questions in a handheld video production 

• Video no longer than 3 minutes length
• Video uploaded to each student’s blog
• Include a written response to each EQs
• 40-point blog post

Imperialism in India

http://goo.gl/I947tG

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, or Gandhi as many know him, was the spiritual leader of India during the time Great Britain ruled India as an imperialist power. Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Vinayak Godse on January 30, 1948 in the Indian city of New Delhi. Godse, a Hindu who wanted an independent Hindu country, believed Gandhi was advocating for more Muslim power in the country.

Mesopelagic Research Cruise Plan

[introduction - paragraph 1] The mesopelagic zone is described as .... (be specific, use your notes)

[introduce what you want to study - paragraph 2]


[introduce the tools you will use - paragraph 3]

Pacific Garbage Patch - SEAPLEX [BP 11]

(1) In Earth Science today we studied findings from the SEAPLEX Expedition, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography science research project created to study plastics in the Pacific Ocean.

(2 - EQ 1) Gyres accumulate plastic debris because:

(3 - EQ 2) Plastics found in the oceans are so small because:

(4 - EQ 3) Impacts that plastics have on animals living in the open ocean include:

(5 - EQ 4) To reduce the problem of plastics in the ocean we can: 

The following is a summary of the findings based upon a presentation and questions from a guide based upon the SEAPLEX expedition, which are here: http://goo.gl/TJvgiy

(6) Between the years 1972-1987, the highest concentration of plastics in the North Pacific Garbage Patch was [your answer in bold].

(7) Between the years 1999-2010, the highest concentration of plastics in the North Pacific Garbage Patch was [your answer in bold].

(8) The percent change from the highest concentration of plastics in the North Pacific Garbage Patch from the earlier time period to the most recent time period [your answer in bold].

(9)  In Fish, the biological impact on fish included [your % answer in bold].

Global Warming & Bangladesh [BP 10]

Courtesy of Bangladesh High Commission

(1) Bangladesh is experiencing one consequence of global warming: sea level rise. According to a New York Times article, Borrowed Time on Disappearing Land, a very poor woman lost her home to rising waters and more intense storms, which have been predicted for years by climate scientists.Bangladesh is situated near India, on the Bay of Bengal.

(2) These issue related to global warming are affecting the economically poor people of Bangladesh, who lack the resources and money to counter the consequences of sea level rise to their coastal villages.

(3) According to the Bangladesh High Commission, the country

as a vacation land has many facets. Her tourist attractions include archaeological sites, historic mosques and monuments, resorts, beaches, picnic spots, forest and wildlife. Bangladesh offers opportunities for angling, water-skiing, river cruising, hiking, rowing, surfing, yachting and sea bathing as well as bringing one in close touch with Mother Nature.  She is also rich in wildlife and game birds.

(4) According to the Gardner Harris, the author of the article, the reason why Bangladesh is experiencing sea level rise is because

"widespread burning of fossil fuels is releasing heat-trapping gases that are warming the planet. While this will produce a host of effects, the most worrisome may be the melting of much of the earth’s ice, which is likely to raise sea levels and flood coastal regions."

 (5) Bangladeshis have started to leave the coastal areas being affected by sea level rise. According to a climate scientist quoted in the article, "rising sea levels will inundate some 17 percent of the land and displace about 18 million people."

(6)  The issues related to global warming and its consequences are significant in this situation because it's an issue of fairness and justice. Bangladeshis have contributed little of the CO2 that has caused the Earth's climate to warm; however, their lives, their land, and their customs are being negatively affected by the warming, caused most entirely by rich countries like the United States, China, and Europe. What Bangladeshis can expect? "rising seas are increasingly intruding into rivers, turning fresh water brackish. Even routine flooding then leaves behind salt deposits that can render land barren," meaning the citizens won't have fresh, clean drinking water nor will they have land on which to grow their own food.

(7) The solutions to this issue will not be easy. One solution is for all the rich countries who have contributed to global warming to kick-in hundred billions of dollars into a fund that will allow people like Bangladeshis to fund solutions to sea level rise. Another solution is to allow those affected by global warming to immigrate to countries like the U.S., U.K., and other European countries. These solutions, as I said, won't be easy because it deals with a lot of money to implement. Climate change, however, is real and so are its consequence. If we do nothing, the problems will get worse.

Socialism vs. Capitalism

City Council Report - Climate Change Impact in San Diego [BP 9]

[introduction] This report was created for the City Council of San Diego by Amanda Netburn, student at Kearny High School, to provide information on potential consequences and the economic impacts of climate change on the City of San Diego.




[summary] San Diego may expect the following:

1. Warming
2. Sea level rise
3. Ocean acidification
4. Ocean deoxygenation

[impact #1] Surface ocean temperatures and air temperatures have increased across the entire globe, and we can expect the same to happen in San Diego.This will have impacts on animals and humans [how?}

[impact #2] Glaciers and icebergs are melting, causing the oceans to fill with more water. San Diego can expect to experience the same, and the impact on animals and humans will be [what?]

[impact #3] Carbon dioxide dissolving in the oceans will cause it to become more acidic, which will affect animals and human [because?]


[impact #4] Ocean begins to lose it oxygen. Warmer water does not hold as much gas as cold water
 [because?]

[conclusion] Because of these impacts and consequences, the City Council can begin planning for a future San Diego.

 

Threats to Capitalism

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/02/travel/london-city-airport-internet-of-things/

1.) Jeremy Rifkin wrote an opinion piece in the March 15, 2014 edition of the New York Times in which he described a new threat to capitalism: the constant lowering of a product's marginal cost, which is the dollar amount associated with producing one additional item of a particular product.

2.) The lowering of marginal costs to "near zero" is what Rifkin thinks will be a threat to capitalism's future. He said this lowering is "a paradox at the heart of capitalism," because the products that are made have costs and prices that are close to free, and that makes the product "no longer subject to market forces," according to Rifkin.

3.) The first example Rifkin offered for a threat to capitalism is Napster, a peer-to-peer application that allowed users to download music for free. He said this application totally changed the music business, and now artists can rarely make money on the recordings they make.

Another example Rifkin used to prove there is a threat to capitalism is how green energy, like solar panels, are making the cost of electricity cheap or free.

4.) Adding information into the mix causes more threats to capitalism, according to Rifkin. In his piece, Rifkin described this concept called "The Internet of Things" in which all kinds of different devices are connected to the Internet, uploading a bunch of data onto the Internet, which allows consumers to make even more educated purchasing decisions, thus more lowering of marginal costs, increasing the threat to capitalism as we know it.

5.) I agree with Rifkin's analysis; however, I also don't agree. I agree that the lowering of marginal costs are a threat to capitalism because it's difficult to make a profit when stuff is free. But I also think that when dealing with capitalist, people wanting to make a profit, they will always find a way to do so, and as a result capitalism won't ever die in the way Rifkin described.

Our Warming Planet: We need to do something now [BP 8]

image © 2014 Minnesotans For Global Warming is a
group that does not support efforts to reduce
human-caused global warming.There are many
groups like these, who are causing confusion
in the minds of many people. http://m4gw.com/

1.) Arctic Tale is a 2007 movie by National Geographic about the lives of different animals living around the Arctic Ocean. Two animals, a polar bear and a walrus, were featured, and stories about how their lives were changing due to disappearing ice made me take notice. The lives of many animals are being negatively affected by the disappearing ice. It's alarming to me.

2.) The reasons why the ice in the North Pole is disappearing is because the planet and its oceans are warming. This warming is caused mainly by humans. CO2 output, with the main source coming from human activities, is leading to more greenhouse effect, which is like a blanket around the planet, causing Earth to retain more of its heat, making the planet warmer.

3.) Teenagers can do a lot to help decrease the speed of global warming. One thing to do is to use less electricity. One easy example is to replace typical light bulbs with compact florescent or the even more efficient LED light bulbs. Even better is to drive in a car less, and use a bicycle, skateboard, or use more clean energy forms of transportation like the bus or trolley.

The new LED light bulbs lasts a long time,
but they are expensive

4.) If teenagers can do their part to reduce their greenhouse gas output, we can see more polar bears living happily in their natural habitats, otherwise they would become extinct.

Some global warming deniers would want us to believe that humans are not causing the planet to warm, but 97% of climate scientists agree: humans are the main cause of the current warming trend. With the increase in CO2 gases, caused mainly by power plants and cars, greenhouse gases are accumulating in the atmosphere, causing more of the earth to heat up due the greenhouse effect. Go here to learn more: http://goo.gl/BpojCd

Venezuela and The Enlightenment [BP 8]

(1) Venezuela is experiencing mass demonstrations to protest high unemployment, a failing economy, and increasingly high murder rates. The citizens are marching on the streets, and have been doing so since February 12, 2014. The country has just over 29 million people and its new president is Nicolas Maduro

(2) The Venezuelans are unhappy because many are unable to find jobs to support their families, and for those with jobs, they are unable to get the things they need because store shelves lack products for them to purchase. In addition, the murder rate has been on the rise, and people are taking to the street to show their displeasure with the current government, led by President Nicolas Maduro. (source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/24/world/americas/venezuela-protests/)

(3) President Maduro has been for 10 months, after the death of President Hugo Chavez... Hugo Chavez was ... (source: http://goo.gl/BcFzu6)

(4) The opposition in Venezuela is led by ...

(5) This demonstration is similar to the French Revolution because...

(6) Venezuela will protest more and more citizens will be killed. More violence will lead to the current administration to leave power, and a revolution will occur. 

How the earth's oceans were formed (two theories)

Illustration by Danny Blas 2014

Essential Questions

1. Why didn't early Earth have an ocean?
2. What are, and describe, the two theories for how the oceans formed?
3. Where on earth did life begin?

Early Earth? Oh, Hell No!

Early earth by Danny Blas

Early earth was hellish. The place had no life, no cool malls to go shopping, and definitely no Mexican food. Hellish.

The lighter elements on early earth came to the surface; whereas the heavier elements sank towards the middle of the planet.

[Here is where I will describe how the moon formed]

[Here is where I will describe the composition of early earth's atmosphere]

[Here is where I will describe what happened after the hellish conditions subsided]

[Here is where I will tell the age of earth] 

Enlightenment and The Arab Spring

The Enlightenment was basically about the individual. Back in the early days before the American Revolution, scientists, using telescopes, discovered the earth was not the center of the universe. This new discovery led to people questioning the authority of the Church, and the Bible.

Looking through a telescope caused a lot of problems

The Jasmine Revolution was the revolution that took place in Tunisia. This revolution shared similarities with The American Revolution in that both wanted freedoms from the oppressive and corrupt leaders that had rule over the citizens.

The Jasmine Revolution in 2010

Galaxies in Five

Galaxies make up most of the visible matter we can see in the universe. There are billions and billions of galaxies in the universe. Galaxies are defined as a collection of stars, gas, dust, and planets, and they come in three versions.

Spiral Galaxy

The first type is a spiral galaxy. This type of galaxy has three visible components: a bulge, a disk, and a halo. This type is what the Milky Way is, the galaxy earth is in.

Elliptical Galaxy

An elliptical galaxy is...

Irregular Galaxy

An irregular galaxy is ....

The earth is located in a galaxy called ...

Your First Blog Post - BP1

1. All blog posts require high-quality writing and at least one image

2. Create a new blog post by clicking on the orange button (see image below):

3. Open a new tab, and go to images.google.com and search for an appropriate image for your blog post. Click on the View Image button to see the image in full size

4. Copy and paste the image URL

5. Go back to the first tab and Click Insert Image

6. Select From a URL and paste the image URL in the top box, and click Add Selected

7. Give your blog post a Post Title (same title as on your bellwork inventory) and begin blogging your Page 4 homework

8. At the end of the day, always click Publish to save your work.

Why Blackfish? My Critique on Blackfish

Add a link to the page where you found your image
http://goo.gl/njWoyO

Blackfish is a documentary movie on killer whales, SeaWorld, and killer whales in captivity.

I recently read an article written by Tim Zimmerman, who co-wrote and helped produce the movie, and in the article (http://goo.gl/oJ7pP3) he discussed his surprise with the success of the movie at getting people to see the movie makers' point of view.

1.    Who is Tim Zimmerman, and are his opinions credible?

2.    What are the reasons for the making of Blackfish?

3.    Describe the "Blackfish effect".

4.    What do you think the author wants from SeaWorld?

5.    Do you think SeaWorld will comply? Why?

6.    Do you think SeaWorld has been treated fairly? Why?

Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems - Blackfish Critique

from Electric Shadows

[intro] The movie Blackfish is a documentary movie about killer whales and their quality of life, living in captivity in places like SeaWorld.

[essential question #1] My opinion of SeaWorld changed after watching the movie. At first, I did not have good or bad opinions about SeaWorld. I was indifferent.

After watching the movie however, I now have a negative opinion about SeaWorld. I feel the company cares more about making a profit over anything--the animals' welfare or their employees' welfare.

[essential question #2] In the movie SeaWorld began capturing killer whales about 40 years ago off the coast of Washington state. The capture methods that were used were disturbing to me because they targeted the baby whales, and when one was captured the entire pod of whales chose not to scatter and leave their young ones to be taken. This was emotional and sad for me.