Semester 1 - Edition 4
Post date: Nov 17, 2017 3:03:31 PM
History of Thanksgiving
By Brook S. & Charles L.
Thanksgiving all started on November 16th, 1621; Thanksgiving is now the fourth week of November. The Pilgrims ate many things because of Squanto because he taught the Pilgrims many things to eat. The festival of Thanksgiving lasted three days, and Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1789 by George Washington.
Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish in the rivers, and avoid poisonous plants. Some of the things they ate were deer, turkey, corn, lobsters, seal, swans, and fish. Squanto helped settlers forge an alliance with the Wampanoag tribe, which endured for over 50 years. This remains one of the sole examples of harmony between the European colonist and Native Americans.
During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress designated one or more days of Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the U.S. In this proclamation, the Continental Congress called upon Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country’s war of independance and the successful ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
New York became the first state to adopt the Thanksgiving holiday. Today Thanksgiving has lost most of its origin. Nowadays, it is mostly a day where people just cook a very large meal and eat it with friends and family.
In conclusion, Squanto helped with the food, and because of George Washington, Thanksgiving is now a holiday. Now Thanksgiving is known for the day that everyone can have a gigantic feast!
The Purrfect Hangout! 🐱
By Aniah D. & Matthew I.
In 1998, the first ever cat cafe was opened in Taipei, Taiwan. Some people have the idea that Japan developed them because some Japanese people saw the cafes in Taiwan and decided to bring them over to Japan. Cat cafes are so popular because some people can’t get enough of the adorable felines. Cats can be seen on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and every other social media.
One of the main reasons people go to these cafes is because in places like Japan and New York, most people live in apartments that sometimes don’t allow animals. Also, most people who have anxiety can relax at the cafes because of the calming atmosphere and the company of the cats. When people were asked why they visited the cafe, most of them said it was because of their cat. When they refer to a cat as ‘theirs,’ it usually means the cat who approached that person first. Men or women who have been in a scarring incident and have PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, can be calmed by the cats. Plus, some cat lovers go to this cafe just to hang out with cats and drink their tea or coffee.
Though the cat cafe doesn’t just benefit the people, it also benefits the cats. Most the cats are rescued from the street, humane society, or from abusive homes. One of the main goals at the cafes is to provide a home for the cats until they get adopted. If a cat and a person really start getting along and the person likes the cat, the person could potentially adopt the cat. Most cats at the cafe are usually adoptable but some cats are there to stay because they aren’t suitable to adopt.
Although cat cafes look cute, they do have some dangers. One of the dangers for the workers specifically is that they were overworking themselves to take care of the animals, which is causing lack of sleep. Also, one cat cafe in Vancouver, Canada let people buy the cats for a very low price, and they soon ran out of cats completely! Most people won’t go to cat cafes because they are concerned about the sanitary conditions the cats face.
In conclusion, cat cafes help people who have stress or problems in their life calm down. The cats in the cafes can be rescued from pounds, or from other people who don’t want the cat or cats. The dangers of cat cafes aren’t rare and there are plenty dangers about the cafes.
Let's Go Mountain Biking!
By Zachary C. & Connor B.
When people go mountain biking, there are many different types of bikes that people can use on different types of trails. Some bikes are cross-country bikes and enduro bikes. According to surveys and ratings on websites and purchases reviews, the best bike brand is Yeti because it is the most durable, best quality, and lightweight bike. They can cost from $4,000 to $10,000.
Some trails in Ohio that people can ride on are Vultures Knob, located in Wooster Ohio, and Mohican State Park. The different types of trails are uphill trails, downhill trails, freeride trails, and dirt jump trails. When a person is out riding on trails, they want to use certain types of bikes depending on what kind of trail it is. For example, if the rider is riding downhill they would use a downhill bike. People always want to use a good bike, for example, a Yeti bike, people could do very well on. This varies from how the bike is made like it’s type and size of tires, size, weight, and speed.
Another thing that makes mountain biking a great sport to some people are the tricks people can do that help someone become more stable and perform better. One trick riders could learn is how to do a drop off. A drop off is performed when there's a spot on the trail where people drop from a ramp or other high things. To do a drop off, riders need to move most of their weight behind the seat. Then push down with their feet on the pedals and lift with their hands on the handles. Once they get this motion right, try it on a curb or small ramp. When riders get their bike to land slightly on the back wheel and get better balanced, riders are ready to try it on something a bit taller, but if they don't do it right, people can land wrong and crash or even break their bike completely.
As you can see, when riders go mountain biking they need to have special bikes for special trails, and need to know certain tricks to go on the fun trails.
Traditional Thanksgiving Foods!
By Madi C. & McKenna D.
There are many different foods people eat on Thanksgiving.
Some of the main dishes that can be seen on Thanksgiving are turkey and ham. Some desserts may consist of pumpkin, apple, and pecan pie. Appetizers may include hot artichoke, spinach dip, and stuffed mushrooms. Lastly, some side dishes may be mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, green bean, and corn casserole.
Thanksgiving foods may be prepared many different ways. One recipe for turkey is, preheat the oven to 325. Then in a bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, dried basil, ground sage, salt, and black pepper, then brush it on the turkey. Pour the water and put the turkey into the bottom of the roasting pan and cover it. Lastly, bake the turkey for three to three and a half hours. Then enjoy the turkey.
Cranberry sauce is a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. It normally comes in a can, just take it out of the can and put it on a plate then it is ready to eat.
Green bean casserole is another well known Thanksgiving side dish. To make it, first heat oven to 350 degrees, combine green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and half of the bag of fresh gourmet crispy onions, then mix well. Bake for 20-25 minutes, top with remaining half of onions. Then enjoy!
One Thanksgiving appetizer is hot spinach and artichoke dip. First, the spinach and artichokes need to be boiled until tender. Then mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder, spinach, and artichokes.
Lastly, one dessert is pecan pie with vanilla ice cream. Go to any grocery store, buy a pecan pie, and vanilla ice cream, take it home, and enjoy.
In conclusion, there are so many foods that people can enjoy on Thanksgiving.
History of Daylight Savings!
By Nathan D. & Davin R.
Daylight Savings was created to make better use of daylight. Benjamin Franklin suggested the idea in 1784. Some people say that this is what started Daylight Savings, but other people think that he wasn’t fundamental in the development of Daylight Saving Time. Daylight Savings was first used in Canada in 1908 and Germany popularized it when they started using the idea in 1916. Once Germany started using it, many other countries caught on. Daylight Savings was amended in 1986 and originally started on the first of April. It was amended to change the original date it started, but it didn’t change the end date.
During Daylight Savings, people that live near the equator might have the same amount of time, but have more daylight in summer than the winter. The closer people live to the North and South Pole, the longer period of daylight in the summer. If people live near the equator, they might not have to change their clock. The U.S. Department of Transportation conducted a poll and most Americans like Daylight Savings. The reason being is because people say “There is more light in the evenings.” The primary reason to have Daylight Savings is because people enjoy the longer daylight in the summer and get a better use of light.
Daylight Savings is said to help with use of electricity, but for some countries like the United States, it only helps with one percent. In New Zealand, it is decreased by three and a half percent when Daylight Savings starts in New Zealand. The peak for the decrease of electricity in New Zealand for the first week was five percent. A good amount of electricity is used in people's homes but with Daylight Savings it does decrease because they don’t turn on the lights. The summer Daylight Savings doesn’t even affect the people that wake up before the sun rises.
To sum things up, Daylight Savings was first used by Canada in 1908, but was later popularized by Germany in 1916. Daylight Savings may not even affect people that live near the equator. The closer people live to the North or South Pole the more daylight they will have. Daylight Savings main reason to be used is to save electricity, but some countries barely save any electricity. Daylight Savings can be useful, but at the same time it can be troublesome.
Many Gorillas are Alike
By Jacob H. & Josh B.
Many people find gorillas interesting! Two types of gorillas are the mountain gorilla and the western gorilla.
There are many similarities between the mountain gorilla and the western gorilla. The males of both species weigh between 150 and 400 pounds. Females weigh half of that at around 200 pounds. Also, they are between four and six feet tall. Both types of gorillas are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and meat. Mountain gorillas and western gorillas live up to around 30 years old. Most gorillas build nests to sleep in. They build it out of leaves and branches. Western lowland Gorillas can swim. Gorillas rarely use tools; however, they will use sticks to find out how deep water is. Gorillas share human DNA. These gorillas are alike in many ways.
Mountain gorillas are really amazing. They have a population of 880 left in the wild, and there are no mountain gorillas left in zoos because they can’t survive in captivity. Mountain gorillas population increased from 620 individuals in 1989 to 880 individuals today. Female mountain gorillas can start reproducing from the age of ten. Another interesting fact is that newborn babies weigh about four pounds when they are born. Their hair keeps them warm in the cold weather. One problem for the mountain gorillas is that more than 100,000 people live in the remote areas where mountain gorillas are found. Their need for land to cultivate has reduced gorillas habitat due to expanding human settlers. In conclusion, mountain gorillas are interesting in many different ways.
There are many interesting facts about western gorillas. One is that they live in groups that vary in size from two to twenty. Western lowland gorillas eat over 100 different types of fruits, but when fruits are scarce, gorillas supplement their diet with leaves, pith, shots, and bark. They have also been know to eat termites and weaver ants. These gorillas live in heavy rain forests, and it is difficult for scientists to accurately estimate how many live in Cameroon, Central Africa, Republic Congo, Equatorial, and Ganbo. There are about 100,000 gorillas left. Western lowland Gorillas can swim. There are many people think western lowland gorillas are interesting.
In conclusion, many people find gorillas fascinating!
Have you ever heard of an oven inside of a car?
By Brooke S. & Camden B.
In 2014, the Domino’s DXP was invented; DXP is short for delivery expert. They made sure the car includes a warming oven space for 80 pizzas, dipping sauces, and two liter bottles of soda. The only seat in the car is the driver's seat. There's even a puddle light that projects the Domino´s logo onto the ground.
Local motors, which once built a 3D printed car, held a crowdsourced competition to collect perfect design elements. While Roush Enterprises, developer of Google's self- driving car platform, put the DXP together. The brand's lead agency, Crispin Porter-Bogusky; the shop behind Domino's tracker and other high-profile promotions worked on the DXP´s flashy exterior design and bespoke car topper. There are 100 vehicles in production and by the end of the year, they’ll serve as mobile advertisements while speeding pies to customers in cities like Boston, Detroit, Houston, New Orleans, San Diego, and Seattle.
People want their pizza to be as hot and fresh out of the oven as possible. The DXP, with its built in warming oven, can deliver better than any car before it. The other compartments in the vehicle also mean that any drinks, sides, and dipping sauces will make it to the door safely.
Overall, some people might like this new project because it gets to their house fast and hot.
Turkey Time!
By Lexi B. & Mallory R.
For 154 years, people have asked the same question, why is turkey eaten on Thanksgiving? The tradition of eating turkey ties back to 1621 when the pilgrims arrived in America. When the pilgrims arrived in the Plymouth area, William Bradford, the governor, wrote in his journal that there were many wild turkeys in the area. He also noted that some of the colonists hunted turkeys in the autumn of 1621, the year that the First Thanksgiving was celebrated. Bradford also mentioned how the turkey was “uniquely American.”
Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a holiday in 1863. After this, the turkey gained traction as the meal we eat every Thanksgiving. The first dinner lasted three days, unlike our dinners that last a few hours.
However, turkey was not on the menu for the First Thanksgiving. Instead, there were foods like duck or goose, deer, onions, beans, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, corn, blueberries, plums, grapes, gooseberries, raspberries, cranberries, mussels, lobster, bass, clam, oyster, and pumpkins.
Two hundred-fifty years after the original Thanksgiving dinner, cookbooks were made. The books were some of the most famous cookbooks in America. The books were made by Sarah Josepha Hale. Her books had a bunch of recipes for foods to make and eat on Thanksgiving.
Another reason they started to eat turkey on Thanksgiving was because it was fresh, affordable, and big enough to feed a big crowd. Turkey used to be on the cheaper side, but that is not so true now. A turkey now is pretty expensive, especially around Thanksgiving. In and around spring, they start to feed the turkeys more to fatten them up, so that they can sell them by the time Thanksgiving comes.
To sum things up, eating turkey on Thanksgiving has been a tradition for a long time and is still a tradition today.