my field trip to Barnes and Noble

Lots of goodies!

Physics for Entertainment by Yakov Perelman

Earth Science SparkChart!^* (Picked up an SAT Math SparkChart, too, just because.)

Algebra 101 (terrific layout with no seductive details)


looks good, remains to be investigated further:

Theory of Almost Everything by Robert Oertner


^* Speaking of earth science, I read an earth science article in the TIMES the other day, and I understood (practically) every word. If this keeps up I'll do great on my Regents Earth Science exam!

liveblogging the lunar eclipse

thank God someone's doing it...

another student taking ownership of his learning

more from Amazon.com:

Barron's Regents Exams and Answers : Earth Science is one of the most valuable tools in studying for the New York state regents exam in Earth Science. It has many of the past regents to practice from, answers explained, and tips for when you take the regents. In the answers explained section it will tell you why the answer is right and even why other answers are wrong! I got a 95 on the regents with the help of this book. If you are taking Earth Science I would highly recommend that you get this book.

Why have teachers at all?

Just buy the kids a bunch of Barron's test prep books and tell them when and where.


a student taking ownership of his learning
another student taking ownership of his learning

a student taking ownership of his learning

from Amazon.com:

I reccomend that the best way for studying for the regents is taking practice tests after practice tests. You soon to being to basically memorize the questions on it. I got a 98 on the regents and tauight myself the whole course.

Sold.


a student taking ownership of his learning
another student taking ownership of his learning

help desk - Earth Science

Wave Refraction

Most waves approach the shoreline at an angle. Yet when a wave reaches shallow water, it tends to swing around until it approaches the shoreline more or less head on. This swinging or bending is called refraction. Refraction occurs because the end of the wave closest to shore scrapes bottom first and slows down. The end that is still in deeper water continues at its normal speed and catches up. Thus, the wave ends up nearly parallel to the shore.

Wave refraction helps explain why an uneven shoreline with shallow water is eventually worn away to a more even shoreline. etc.

Earth Science by Spaulding & Namowitz
McDougal Littell, p. 345

Barron's gives it a go here:

Wave Refraction

Waves that enter shallow water at an angle to the beach are refracted; their direction of travel is changed. This refraction occurs because one part of the wave reaches shallow water and slows down while the rest of the wave is still in deep water and moving faster. Like a rolling log whose one end hits a tree, causing the whole log to swing around, the faster moving end of the wave swings around when the end in shallow water slows down. etc.

on the other hand...

One page later, in Spaulding/Namowitz, we find an explanation of ....


Shoreline Currents

Waves, like the winds that form them, may come from any direction. Thus, many waves approach the shreline at an angle. When such waves break, large amounts of water and sand are pushed up the beach at an angle. etc.

I'm sorry.

There is really no excuse for this kind of thing.