Blog Rubric Criteria

             Our class was recently challenged with the topic of rubrics. We were asked to create a rubric for our own blog criteria. Here is what we made.

Blog Rubric Criteria

1. Readability
1. The Physical words
1. Make sure that actual words are being used.
2. Content
1. The Meaning of the Words
1. Are the words relevant to the given topic, is it engaging language
3. Organization
1. Usage of Words
1. Proves that the writer understands the usage and mechanics of the english language, ie. CAN YOU GRAMMeR
4. Communication
1. Does the writing make sense to someone other than the writer/Giving and receiving constructive criticism on the blog
1. Could anyone with a basic understanding of the english language read it and give helpful criticism
5. Tech integration
1. Do you understand how to effectively use and incorporate technology
6. Layout
1. Is the Blog easily navigable
1. Can it be navigated by someone with a basic knowledge of computers?

Criteria for Accomplished

1. A varied vocabulary with unobtrusive colors and fonts

2. Shows understanding of a given topic

3. The blog flows and is easily understandable

4. Writer takes and gives feedback well

5. Writer demonstrates a basic understanding of computers

6. Blog is easy to navigate and shows the main focus as the writing.

	Exemplary	Accomplished	Basic Understanding	Needs Help
Readability	Blog is easily understood while also containing complex and relevant word choice	Blog demonstrates an insightful and varied word choice	Blog contains simple constructive vocabulary	Blog contains unhelpful and/or inappropriate vocabulary that detracts from the post.
Content	Blog goes beyond given work, and demonstrates that research was done outside of the given assignment	Blog demonstrates an in depth knowledge of a given subject.	Blog shows a minimal amount of effort to show full understanding of the topic.	Blog is irrelevant and/or off topic
Organization	Blog is linearly arranged and can be easily followed, no grammatical mistakes.	Blog thought process can be followed , one or two grammatical mistakes	Blog is simply organized and the train of thought can be traced with some effort, a few grammatical mistake	Blog is hard to follow and contains little to no linear train of thought, multiple grammatical mistakes
Communication	Blogs point is easily identified, takes feedback and gives constructive feedback to other users to help improve their blogs.	Blog’s point recognizable, uses constructive criticism to improve.	Blog gets their point across with a bare minimum effort and gives and takes a small amount of feedback.	Blog does not reach out to the reader and/or gives and takes little to no feedback.
Tech Integration	Student(s) use tools to their advantage actively and apply them appropriately and correctly, the gadgets are used effectively to enhance the learning experience	Student(s) use the tools given appropriately and uses useful gadgets.	Student(s) use tools to their advantage occasionally and apply them in mediocre fashion.	Student(s) lack the ability to use tools to their advantage and/or applying them.
Layout	The blog is extremely easy to navigate, and is aesthetically pleasing	The blog is easily navigable and layout is appealing to the eye.	The blog is navigable and has a basic layout.	The blog is difficult to navigate and aesthetically unpleasing.

 

The Fist of Science

 

Bids you Adieu

A Summary and our Opinion of ITER and Fusion Based Energy

SUMMARY

Recently the cause of world concern has been the decreasing amount of available world resources, and with that the increasing need for power. However, within the past few decades there has been a group of scientists have begun work on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor or ITER for short.

ITER when built will be over 100 feet tall and weigh nearly two times as much as the Eiffel tower. The structure, which sports an massive amount of magnets, holds a "magnetic bottle" in the center of the vacuum chamber. This Magnetic bottle is the only way thus devised to contain the nuclear fusion and the energy produced. no other material can withstand the heat.

Nuclear fusion is the process in which two atoms are forced together and then expel unnecessary particles producing massive amounts of energy. In the case of ITER, it will be using two isotopes of Hydrogen: Deuterium and Tritium.

The Energy released is non-polluting, and the atoms necessary for creating Tritium(lithium) is abundantly found in the ocean, we have a supply  that will last for close to  thirty million years. Though building the ITER is not cheap, it could eventually save the energy crisis by giving mass amounts of clean energy to the world.

Our Thoughts

The entirety of The First of Science lab team, namely two people, agree that the ITER should not only receive more funding, but also support from more countries. The ITER should be able to produce energy with little to no pollution. Not to mention the ITER can contain heat that is hotter than the sun. Fusion is the future of energy, and honestly what needs to happen is support on a global level, and together as a united world, we can solve the energy crisis.

Citation

Nuclear Fusion. N.d. Electropedia. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. <http://www.mpoweruk.com/nuclear_theory.htm>.

The Fist of Science

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The Fist of Science Labs: Working with mini-ITER

The Fist of Science, being the thorough workers we are, put the whole the ‘ITER is hotter than the sun’ theory to the test. After about 2 weeks of vigorous study, the entire lab team here at The Fist of Science agree that is very, very hot. In fact, we bought a mini-ITER, which is very useful for cooking frozen pizzas and TV dinners. Despite numerous attempts by secret spies from the government saying this was a ‘Microwave’ and ‘Not a new advance in science at all’ we were able to create numerous midnight snacks for the whole team here at The Fist of Science Labs.

The Fist of Science’s very own mini-ITER

No one here can contain their excitement for such a great advancement in science. We’ve reached the consensus that this should be a very, very good thing for everyone. And with full stomachs and nuclear radiation in our breath, we all cheer, “YAY ITER!”

EDIT: We here at The Fist of Science, possibly after trying to nuke 15 Hot Pockets® agree that the world not be ready for nuclear fusion just yet.

The aftermath of nuclear fusion the The Fist of Science breakroom.

Citation:

Alpine Ridge Drive Duplex Fire Devastates Trio of MU Students. N.d. The Maneater. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. <http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2009/8/28/alpine-ridge-drive-duplex-fire-devastates-trio-mu-/>.

A Dirty Microwave Oven. N.d. LookingForAdventure. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. <http://www.lookingforadventure.com/photopages/microwave.htm>.

The Fist of Science

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POLICE LOG #455

The top class Forensics Inspector Pestry entered the crime scene. The stench of death hung about the air, with the hint of Mike’s Awesome Bakery’s famous cream puffs. ‘God, I love those cream puffs.’ the Inspector thought to himself. Pestry shook off the thought of such pastries, and focused at the problem at hand.

“Fillipo,” the Inspector snapped. “Show me to the body.”

Fillipo, the amazingly annoying investigation firm intern, obediently, showed the Inspector to the back room, where the body has been discovered.

Although blood seemingly covered the room and there was fake fingerpaints all over the shelving, Pestry knew what he should be truly looking for.

“There’s some white powder on the body… And the rest of the room. It seems to be coming from that bag.” Pestry examined.

“Sir, I highly doubt that will help us conclude who did this.” Fillipo rudely interrupted.

“Fillipo!” Pestry shouted, “I know what I’m doing!” Pestry took a moment to compose himself, as his therapist had told him. 10 deep breathes, in and out.

“Alright, sir. If you insist, the source of the white powder is from one of those bags on the shelf.” Fillipo stated. “Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch….  Well, the only open bag is the baking pow--”

“Mediocre work, Fillipo! Now, we have to figure what this powder all over the room is.” Pestry thought aloud.

“Sir, I just said that it is clearly the baking powder. There’s even a knife right over there! We should be investigating t--” Fillipo began to rudely rant.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself yet, kid. Now, ring in to the chief and tell him I’ll need at least 10 days for this investigation.” Pestry demanded, in his very confident and smooth voice.

For the next 10 days, Pestry worked without break. By way of testing the substances with assorted liquids, he was finally able to conclude that it was indeed baking powder. Seemingly irrelevant, but however noteworthy; Fillipo was no help at all. The next morning, Pestry met with the chief inside the bakery.

“Chief,” Pestry said, confidently. “I have concluded that the murderer was every baker of Mike’s Awesome Bakery. They all had traces of the substances found in the crime scene on their clothing.”

“Even the blood?” the Chief questioned.

“Um,... Yeah. Yes, yes. Blood was found on their hands. Yeah. Oh, except Mike. Unless he stopped making cream puffs.” Pestry assured him. And so concluded the murder of Mike’s Awesome Bakery.

--POLICE LOG #445, WRITTEN BY FORENSICS INSPECTOR PESTRY DONIT.

The Fist of Science

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Official Forensics Lab report

Hello there. This is our MURDER LAB REPORT; the full story will be released sooner than later, but we figured that we would give the OFFICIAL lab report, so here we are.

Who did it?

A forensics lab

Yesterday at 3 AM, at Mike's Awesome Bakery in Francestown, NH the baker arrived to find his assistant baker dead: lying in a pool of blood.  The victim's body was covered in a white powder.  

In an attempt to find the source of the white powder, investigators collect multiple samples from the bakery (baking soda, flour, baking powder, powdered milk, cornstarch).

Investigators are in the process of interviewing employees of the bakery to narrow their field of suspects.  They are also gathering clothing samples from employees to find a match for the white powder.

The investigators need your help.  They need you to write a lab procedure to help them identify the powder covering the body.

MATERIALS AT YOUR DISPOSAL

- baking soda

- baking powder

- flour

- cornstarch

- vinegar

- iodine solution

- universal indicator

- water

- lab materials (beakers, stirrers, pipettes, etc.)

Objective: To identify the mystery substance.

Procedure

1. Collect resources(see materials list)
2. Test reactive properties of baking soda with each of the three liquids and record results
3. Test reactive properties of baking powder with each of the three liquids and record results
4. Test reactive properties of flour with each of three liquids and record results
5. Test cornstarch with each of the three liquids and record results
6. Test mystery substance with each of three liquids and record results
7. Compare mystery substance reactions with the other four substances
8. based on how similar the data is shown, make an inference that the substance that shares reactive properties with the mystery substance is in fact the same substance.
9. Interview suspects, if it is a round building, the suspect who says they were dusting corners is the murderer, if no such case happens, ask them what kind of things they make and work off of that.

Analysis:

Test Solutions	Baking Soda	Baking Powder	Flour	Cornstarch	Unknown
Water	Absorbed Immediately; no reaction	Fizzed Lightly	No reaction; water stayed on top	absorbed	fizzed slightly
Vinegar	fizzed	fizzed	no reaction; Vin. stayed on top	slowly absorbed	fizzed
Iodine	became gelatinous	fizzy and purple	Turned purple; absorbed immediately	turned purple; stayed on top	Fizzed and turned purple
Indicator	turned blue	turned orange	turned orange; gelatinous	slowly absorbed, turned orange	turned orange

Conclusion:

What powder should the investigators be looking for when they examine the suspects clothing.  How do you know?  How confident are you in your results and why?

Well other than looking for the obvious signs, like BLOOD *coughs the forensic specialists should look for trace amounts of baking powder on the suspects skin, assuming that the murderer changed clothes and or showered, also look for traces of smoke as the suspect may have burned the bloody clothing. also the butcher might be a good suspect as his business has recently dwindled after the bakery opened.