Science Is Cool: Ransom Students Take The Straw Structure Challenge
September 24, 2018
Last week, science students at Ransom Middle School took part in the Straw Structure Challenge – build a freestanding structure at least 30 centimeters (about a foot) tall made only of straws and paper clips to support as many common nails as possible.
The strongest straw structure supported 122 nails — about two pounds.
Ransom science teacher Louis O’Rear explains the Straw Structure Challenge. and in he explains why “Science Is Cool”, in his own words:
These days my Straw Structure Challenge project would be labeled a STEM project. Education is all about combining and applying skills and subjects. This is a perfect example of project-based learning that combines science, technology, engineering, and math. It’s a beautiful thing when we can pull multiple subjects together, and let the students actually design, create, and build something with their own hands. Although I encourage them to do research on their own time, this is about getting back to the basics of using their hands, their imaginations, and a few basic tools to create something out of nothing. This is my 26th year in the classroom, and there is a definite trend in the students’ abilities (or the decline of their abilities) to create something from scratch, using their hands. The bulk of these kids don’t play outside and “do things” as we did. But they are slowly discovering my motto… If the hands do it, the mind will not forget it.
Kids today are excellent at tapping the screen of their phones with their two thumbs. I challenge anyone to out-text these kids today. When I was a kid it was an insult to tell someone they were all thumbs, but that is what so many of our kids are slowly becoming. It helps that so many of our Ransom parents know how important it is to limit their child’s screen time. Each student has a Chromebook laptop provided by the school district, and most have a smartphone. They are surrounded by technology, and they know how to utilize it, but that is just the “T” in STEM. It is important for them to experience other aspects of this project, of science in general, and not just read about it, or see videos about it.
My goal is for them to glean some important information from this hands-on project. FIRST: When constructing with straight members (straws, or toothpicks, or popsicle sticks, or two by fours in their attic at home, or giant iron bridge girders, or sections of the cell phone tower in their neighborhood), the triangle is their best friend. Barring the ability to build an arch shape, like the top of an egg, the triangle is the strongest shape they can use for building. SECOND: the way to accomplish this is to design a structure while taking into consideration the forces of compression and tension. THIRD: I give a few bonus points for the group with the best ratio of nails to straws. Having already thoroughly learned about ratios from our math teachers at here at Ransom, it’s easy to teach them how to apply ratios to real situations.
This is our first group project of the year in science, and being able to work with others is paramount. With so much screen time in their lives, some of the students struggle with true “FaceTime”…communicating with others in person. As teachers, we talk to each other a lot about this issue and what we can do about it. We can’t do much about the phones and other screens in their lives, but we can help them learn how to communicate better and more effectively in person. It helps tremendously that we have a very strong group of teachers in our Language Arts department who incorporate good communication skills in their classrooms.
As much as we try to incorporate some technology (where appropriate) in our teaching, technology isn’t always the solution, just as much as technology isn’t always the problem. It helps to remember that some kids are just innately quiet and shy, this having nothing to do with today’s ubiquitous connected devices. So, as educators, we are constantly seeking a good balance, for all of our students.
Our administration here at Ransom is all about making students the priority. In doing that, they support us, the teachers, because we are the forces on the ground making it possible. We all agree, administrators and teachers alike, that the students are why we are here. And they are why our main school improvement goal is, of course, increasing academic achievement in all content areas.
There is a saying: “If the kids are not learning the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” Sometimes this rings true. One way is to teach them, and then have them apply what they have learned through project-based learning. Hence, the Straw Structure Challenge. And because they are learning with their hands, the knowledge is much more likely to stick. We all have a great time! After all, this is science, the best subject of all, right? What better place to build cool STEM projects than in science! #ScienceIsCool
Stolen Backhoe Recovered After Reader Tip
September 24, 2018
A stolen backhoe was recovered Sunday after a tip from a NorthEscambia.com reader.
Sunday morning, we published a story about a backhoe stolen Thursday night or early Friday morning from a worksite near Lowes on Nine Mile Road. By Sunday afternoon, someone who saw the story contacted the construction company and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office after spotting the backhoe on Kenmore Road off Highway 29.
Someone had apparently started painting the backhoe black instead of its original orange color.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.
Pictured above: A stolen backhoe after is was recovered Sunday with black paint on the wheels. Pictured below: The backhoe before the theft. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Lipscomb Art Teacher Receives Visual Arts Association Classroom Grant
September 23, 2018
Sally Miller of Lipscomb Elementary School has been been name the 2018 Visual Arts Association of Northwest Florida Classroom Grant winner. The grant will provide the opportunity to incorporate “STEAM” (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) into her art room curriculum.
Art has always been tied in with other curriculum, but unique supplies for specific lessons on creative higher order thinking will be used to engage students.
Pictured: Lipscomb Elementary teacher Sally Miller (left) and VAA President Pat Page. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Deer Dog Hunting Dispute Goes To Florida Supreme Court
September 23, 2018
Some Northwest Florida residents have gone to the state Supreme Court in a legal battle aimed at reining in “deer dog” hunting on property around the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area.
The residents, who contend that “deer dog” hunting has infringed on their property rights and created a nuisance, filed a notice as a first step in asking the Supreme Court to take up the case, according to documents posted on the Supreme Court website.
The notice came after the 1st District Court of Appeal sided with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and overturned a ruling by a Leon County circuit judge. The notice, as is common, does not detail the arguments that the residents will make at the Supreme Court.
“Deer dog” hunting, as the name implies, involves hunters using dogs to flush out deer and has long been allowed in the state’s Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. But the legal battle stems from hunters and dogs trespassing on adjoining private land. Property owners filed a lawsuit in 2016, seeking to prevent deer-dog hunting in the wildlife-management area.
The lawsuit included what is known as a “takings claim” — essentially arguing that the deer-dog problems were so serious that they were depriving the owners from enjoying their property. Also, the lawsuit sought an injunction to require the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to “abate” the nuisance on the private property.
Leon County Circuit Judge Karen Gievers issued an injunction requiring the commission to abate the problem. But the commission took the dispute to the 1st District Court of Appeal, where a majority of a three-judge panel rejected the injunction and sent the case back for entry of summary judgment in favor of the commission on the takings and nuisance claims. Among other things, the appeals court said the injunction was overbroad and violated separation of powers.
“Here, the injunction is impossible for FWC (the commission) to comply with because it holds the FWC accountable for the actions of third parties over which the FWC has no control,” the appeals court ruled.
by The News Service of Florida
Photo Gallery: Flomaton Celebrates Railroad Junction Day
September 23, 2018
Flomaton celebrated the town’s heritage Saturday with Railroad Junction Day. The day featured a variety of free activities, demonstrations, entertainment, food and vendors as friends and neighbors gathered for the event.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery click here.
Gallery includes Railroad Junction Festival photos and car show photos.
NorthEcambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: NWE At Flomaton
September 23, 2018
The NWE Chiefs traveled to Flomaton Saturday to take on the Hurricanes.
NWE’s Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors shut out Flomaton, and the Flomaton Seniors defeated NWE.
· NWE Freshmen 26, Flomaton 0
· NWE Sophomores 41, Flomaton 0
· NWE Junior s 48, Flomaton 0
· Flomaton Seniors 46, NWE 13
For a photo gallery from the Juniors and Seniors games, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: High Stakes For High Courts
September 23, 2018
Elected officials, political pundits and armchair quarterbacks are fanning the flames of a firestorm over President Donald Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh, a federal judge who’s been accused of sexual assault at a drunken high-school bash more than three decades ago.
Kavanaugh has vehemently denied the accusations lodged recently by Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist at Palo Alto University. If, when and how Ford will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee has turned into a partisan skirmish of epic proportions. Democrats hope to postpone Kavanaugh’s confirmation until after the November elections, in the hope that they might retake a majority in the Senate and ultimately put the kibosh on Trump’s selection.
Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who leaves office in January and is trying to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, came out this week with a statement about the Kavanaugh nomination that was ostensibly aimed at keeping everybody happy.
The Republican candidate defended “the truth” — which he said “is not partisan” and “is more important than politics” — and called Ford’s accusations “serious.” At the same time, Scott maintained that Kavanaugh “deserves to have a chance to clear his name.”
A frustrated Nelson, meanwhile, said he’s tried five times to meet with Kavanaugh, to no avail.
Meanwhile, all but two of Florida’s Republican state House members chimed in on the U.S. Supreme Court nomination this week.
Citing a “host of reasons” to support Kavanaugh, the GOP lawmakers used a letter to U.S. Senate leaders to urge Nelson to “transcend party politics” and “look at the nominee … as his own man.”
The missive, dated Wednesday, makes no mention of Ford or her allegations, which first surfaced more than a week ago.
MAYBE ALEXANDER HAIG WILL DECIDE
The clash about whether Kavanaugh will make it onto the nation’s high court is mirrored in some respects by a legal battle brewing in the Sunshine State over who will appoint replacements for three Florida Supreme Court justices who will be forced to retire in January. The battle is over whether Scott, his successor, or a combination of the two, will make the appointments.
In a lawsuit filed last year that argued Scott should not have the appointment power, the Florida Supreme Court said the issue wasn’t “ripe” for a decision. But that’s changed now that Scott has started the process to choose replacements for retiring justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis and Peggy Quince.
The League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause filed a renewed lawsuit Thursday contending again that Scott shouldn’t have the power. The lawsuit came after Scott directed the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission to begin the process of receiving and reviewing applications.
Saying that Scott “has now acted on his stated intention” to appoint the three justices and has set the process in motion, the groups asked the high court for a “writ of quo warranto,” which is used to determine whether a state officer or agency has improperly exercised power.
The outcome of the case could shape the makeup of the Supreme Court for years, if not decades. Pariente, Lewis and Quince are part of a liberal bloc, which now holds a slim 4-3 majority, that has thwarted Scott and the Republican-dominated Legislature on numerous occasions since the governor took office in 2011.
Scott and the three longtime justices will all leave office in January, which has created the legal debate about which governor will have the appointment power.
In announcing that Scott had initiated the nominating process on Sept. 11, his office said Scott would invite the governor-elect to interview the court nominees after the Nov. 6 general election. The governor’s office pointed to an “expectation” that Scott and his successor would be able to agree on appointments.
If that happens, it would follow the lead of outgoing Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles and Republican Gov.-elect Jeb Bush in late 1998 agreeing to appoint Quince to the Supreme Court.
But the chances of reaching agreement could hinge heavily on the outcome of the gubernatorial election between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis. Gillum is running as a progressive Democrat and, if elected, might have a hard time reaching agreement with the conservative Scott. The new governor will take office Jan. 8.
“In our understanding of the Constitution, the next governor will appoint the next three Supreme Court justices,” Gillum’s campaign said in a statement after Scott initiated the Judicial Nominating Commission proceedings.
One of the key arguments in the case surrounds exactly when the terms of Scott and the justices end.
The League of Women Voters and Common Cause maintain that the judicial vacancies do not occur until after the outgoing justices’ terms expire at the end of the day on Tuesday, Jan. 8. That is also the day Scott’s successor will take office.
Even if the justices’ terms run out earlier in the day, Scott still doesn’t have the authority to appoint the judicial replacements, John Mills, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, argued last year. That would be up to the new governor, who will almost certainly be sworn in immediately after midnight on inauguration day, the plaintiffs argued, pointing to what happened when the last three governors assumed office.
In a statement issued in response to Thursday’s lawsuit, Scott reiterated he wants to work with the incoming governor to fill the appointments.
“It’s disappointing that these partisan groups filed a politically-motivated lawsuit that would create three prolonged vacancies on the Florida Supreme Court, contrary to all historical practice. The governor is following precedent set by Governor Chiles and has said in good faith that his expectation is that he and the governor-elect will agree on the selection of three new justices,” Scott spokesman John Tupps said in an email.
GILLUM, DESANTIS SPLIT ON SCHOOLS
While the battle about the Supreme Court appointments heated up this week, Gillum and DeSantis also launched plans that show they are far apart on how to improve Florida schools.
Gillum is floating a proposal that would provide a minimum $50,000 starting salary for teachers by increasing the state corporate-income tax by $1 billion.
DeSantis, meanwhile, released a plan that includes requiring 80 percent of school funding to be spent in classrooms and not on administration. He said the plan could help boost teacher pay.
Republicans have criticized Gillum’s proposal to increase the corporate-income tax rate from 5.5 percent to 7.75 percent to raise $1 billion for schools.
Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor, said only the largest corporations pay the tax because of exemptions. He estimates his proposal would impact about 3 percent of the companies doing business in the state. The tax increase would be offset by more than $6 billion in reduced taxes the corporations are paying because of the recent cut in the federal corporate tax, according to Gillum.
“I will not allow them to get away with miss-describing what it is that we are proposing. We are simply saying that we’ve got to invest in our next generation,” Gillum said at a press conference Tuesday.
Meanwhile, DeSantis, a former congressman from Ponte Vedra Beach, is touting the plan to require spending 80 percent of education funding in classrooms. His campaign policy statement said it would “cut bureaucratic waste and administrative inefficiency and ensure that money is being spent where it matters most.”
After touring the Okaloosa STEMM Academy in Valparaiso on Tuesday, DeSantis said his plan could boost pay for teachers.
“As we’re moving away from bureaucracy and putting more of the percentage of money we spend into the classroom, to me, the primary beneficiary is going to be the teachers,” he told reporters.
STORY OF THE WEEK: The League of Women Voters of Florida and Common Cause filed a lawsuit seeking to block an attempt by Gov. Rick Scott to appoint replacements for three justices whose terms will end as the governor’s tenure comes to a close in January.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I want to make it very clear. The death of U.S. citizens is not a Republican or Democrat issue. It is a human tragedy.” State Rep. Robert Asencio, a Miami Democrat, speaking to reporters a year after Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico in tatters.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Body Found In Nine Mile Road Ditch
September 22, 2018
A body believed to be that of a homeless man was discovered Friday night in a ditch in front of the Winn Dixie parking lot in the 300 block of Nine Mile Road.
It appeared that the adult male died of natural causes, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The ECSO is continuing their investigation. The man’s name has not been released.
Pictured: A body was found in a Nine Mile Road ditch Friday night. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: It’s Easy To Attract Hummingbirds
September 22, 2018
by UF/IFAS Extension
Few sights are more thrilling in the garden than rapidly moving hummingbirds darting among colorful flowers. Hummingbirds, also known as hummers, are always a wonder to see, and it’s easy to attract them to your garden.
In Florida, we see three different types of hummingbirds, but the most common is the ruby-throated. This feathered jewel is only about three inches long and weighs as little as a single penny.
For their size, hummingbirds have among the largest appetites in the bird world. They feed every 10 or 15 minutes from dawn until dusk. During this period, they eat more than half their weight in food and 8 times their weight in water.
If you’re fascinated by hummingbirds, you probably hang out a feeder or two in the summer to provide them with sugar water. Artificial feeders will attract hummingbirds.
However, feeders should not be the sole source of food provided. The sugar solution may appeal to the hummingbirds’ sweet tooth, but it provides little nourishment. Nectar is much more vital to the hummingbird than just water and sugar. By planting certain flowers and shrubs, home gardeners can provide food and habitat for hummingbirds.
Typical hummingbird flowers are red, have a tubular shape and have no strong scent. But there are several notable exceptions to this general rule. Many plants with red flowers don’t contain very much nectar. Roses, petunias, geraniums and zinnias have brilliant colors but little nectar.
Plants that produce an abundance of flowers over an extended period of time and those that require little care are good choices. Native plants can “fill the bill” where nectar-seekers are concerned and should be used whenever possible.
Perennials that are recommended as nectar sources include butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), red basil (Calamintha coccinea), shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana), cigar plant (Cuphea ignea), firespike (Odontonema stricta), red star hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus), and obedient plant (Physostegia spp.).
It’s also important to plant a mixture of nectar producing trees, vines and shrubs that have overlapping blooming seasons. This will insure that a continuous source of nectar will be available to hummingbirds throughout the growing season. Some of the species recommended include red buckeye, bottlebrush, firebush (Hamelia patens), wild azalea, trumpet vine, and coral honeysuckle.
Contrary to popular belief, hummingbirds are not strictly nectar feeders. Insects and other invertebrates are the primary source of protein for adult hummingbirds and their young. An adult female can consume up to 2,000 insects per day. Small invertebrates including mosquitoes, gnats, small bees, fruit flies, spiders, caterpillars, aphids, and insects eggs make up the hummingbirds diet. So keep your plants free of pesticides. Pesticides destroy the insect food base vital to hummingbirds and their offspring, and may also contaminate the nectar they drink.
And if you do use artificial feeders, remember that the sugar solutions must be kept fresh. Florida’s hot weather can cause rapid bacterial growth in these feeders and birds that drink contaminated water could die. To avoid this, change the solution every 3 to 5 days. Clean the feeders with hot water and white vinegar. Do not use soap or chlorine bleach.
Local Unemployment Rate Drops
September 22, 2018
The latest job numbers released Friday show the employment rate decreasing in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Escambia County’s seasonably adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 3.9 percent in July to 3.6 percent in August. There were 5,347 people reported unemployed during the period. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 4. 2percent.
Santa Rosa County’s unemployment rate fell from 3.8 percent in July to 3.4 percent in August. Santa Rosa County had a total of 2,734 persons still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 4 percent.
Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was3.7 percent in August, unchanged from the July rate,and down 0.3 percentage points from a year ago.
The jobless numbers released by the state do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.