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Monday, November 19, 2012
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Student essay: Dew-coated shoes on the Coates Bluff Trail
Dew-coated shoes on the Coates Bluff Trail
Journeying into the trail began with crisp crunches of dew-coated shoes on ample Sycamore and Cottonwood leaves. The surface of Bayou Pierre glistened at daybreak with a veil of wet mist blanketing the water; the air coming out of students’ mouths resembled the mist on the slow moving creek. The Coates Bluff Trail was encompassed with a cheerful hum of voices synchronizing with the chirps of birds, the trickling of Bayou Pierre, and the falling of tree limbs. About halfway through, there was a large decomposing tree, a safe haven for the indigenous bugs, preparing to morph into fertile soil as the wood splintered into soft moist wood. Red Chinese Tallow leaves dotted the ground as the class made their way to Montessori School of Shreveport. Students eventually walked back on the loamy path of tree roots.
The Coates Bluff Nature Trail is an important resource to the environment. Trees like the willow have acetylsalicylic acid, and are used for the common OVC drug Aspirin. Native Americans would even chew the bark to feel relieve to aches and pains.While the Chinese Tallow is know for its invasive monoculture in eastern Texas, it is crucial for honey foraging. Beekeepers will place their hives in the Tallow trees in the spring because of their nectarous blossoms for the bees. Fauna like armadillos are used to help scientists with the study of leprosy, and flora like the pine are used commercially for timber. The flora and fauna all combine together to keep a balanced web; the acorns of the live oak feed hungry animals. Canopy trees like the Sycamore and Cottonwood provide shade on hot days, and the cooling waters of Bayou Pierre, adjacent to Coates Bluff, provide a soothing climate. While vines are annoying, the Muscadine vine provides tart jams and pies. The trail benefits humans also to help them exercise, and learn to appreciate the value of a nearby recreational walk.
Isabella Van Savage
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Geography / Merrie olde England
Rolls Royce, Land Rover, Jaguar, MG, Mini Cooper, Lotus, Aston Martin: England was once a nation of top engineering and manufacturing. Today most of those auto companies have closed or been bought by non-English companies.
The British economy has been in decline in recent years. There's no easy answer as to why they've slipped.
Notice the circular building in the lower screen above; it is the Globe Theater, home of Wm Shakespeare.
Also, see a sketch of the 17th-18th century London Bridge, the one with structures built on the bridge itself. While it made the passageway narrow, the buildings - retail shops - generated a steady tax revenue for the King.
A promontory called Lands End, UK
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance.
Land's End is the extreme westerly point on the mainland of England.
The climate in Cornwall is mild because the ocean has moderating influence on temperature.
The Isles of Scilly lie approximately 28 miles southwest - in the Atlantic.
The Gulf Stream flows past the Scillies and Cornwall as it flows to the North Atlantic.
Historic London pop-up map: 12 pts
- The Globe Theater, home to Shakespeare.
- The shop-crowded London Bridge of the 18th century.
- The Ancient castle called the Tower of London.
- The tower of Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.
- The Thames River.
- The Roman name for the city: Londinium.
12 pts. Title, labeling, neatness.
Monday, November 12, 2012
The Basics of Rugby: part of an intro to Western Europe and the UK
"What may appear to be total chaos - is a game of rugby."
Selected items from the site http://www.rugby-sidestep-central.com/:
Players in the other team are allowed to tackle, hold, push or grasp the ball carrier but must not tackle or obstruct any other player.
None of your team are allowed to obstruct opposition players, including when they are attempting to to tackle your ball carrier.
Any player may kick the ball any distance in any direction.
Generally speaking team-mates should be behind the kicker when the ball is kicked or they will be "off-side" and may give away a penalty.
From time to time knots of players form spontaneously and become involved in contests for possession of the ball.
If the ball is on the ground it`s called a ruck and players must bind together and attempt to gain possession by pushing and stepping over the ball (rucking).
If the ball is off the ground it`s called a maul. Players must be bound together. They push and grapple , attempting to gain control of the ball (mauling) . A maul must keep moving or play will be stopped.
Even when a player breaks the rules play may continue if that is to the advantage of the opposing team. If there is no advantage a penalty kick is awarded for a serious offence or a scrum is set up for a minor offence.
A scrum is when the 8 forwards from each team pack down, head to head in one mass. The ball is put into the centre of the mass and the players attempt to win control with their feet and legs. No handling in the scrum!
Play also stops when the ball goes out of play over the touch-lines. It is restarted with a lineout where the ball is thrown in beteen the two lines of opposing players who leap to catch it.
Magnet geography: the UK
Learning the map of the UK via symbols
Magnet geography: the UK
Originally uploaded by trudeauSymbols may be effective learning tools, so allow me to suggest images that will connect with regions and the history of the UK.
- Northern Ireland: the HMS Titanic, which was built in the city of Belfast, N. Ireland.
- Ireland: The Guinness Book of World records - and a pint of black Guinness beer.
- Scotland: the green, cup, flag and driver used in a game of golf.
- England: the Rolls Royce, one of the great luxury cars.
- Wales: a British castle - built to control the rebellious Welsh forces.
- France: the helmet-wearing William of Normandy, aka Wm the Conqueror.
- Belgium: french fries; the Belgians and Dutch probably preceded the French in frying potato strips, says Wikipedia.
- Netherlands: a bicycle, because they are so widely used as daily transportation in Holland.
-Germany: the Volkswagen Beetle, a revolutionary little car created by Dr. Ferdinand Porsche at the request of German Chancellor Adolph Hitler.
- Roman Empire: a large building that suggests a Public Bathhouse.
Throughout the empire the Romans built baths as they did amphitheaters and fortresses.
- The Romans called England "Britannia." They called Ireland "Hibernia."
- Anglo-Saxons: for the Germanic tribes who were the first Celtic peoples of England I offer a giant oak tree, which was a typical spot for Druid-led worship of these pre-Christian peoples.
- Latin language: Roman numerals. Also, the quote from Julius Caesar: "Veni, vidi, vici." "I came, I saw, I conquered."
- Roman Catholic Church: a Gothic cathedral.
- William of Normandy: the Tower of London, built by him in 1066.
- British Empire: a globe, because the British controlled lands all across the world. It was said, "The sun never sets on the British Empire."
Riparian fauna: raccoons and opossums inhabit burrows as well as tree hollows
Tree hollows in old oaks or other trees and rock crevices are preferred by raccoons as sleeping, winter and litter dens, says Wikipedia. If such dens are unavailable or inconvenient, raccoons use burrows dug by other mammals, dense undergrowth or tree crotches.
Opossums are usually solitary and nomadic, staying in one area as long as food and water are easily available. Some families will group together in ready-made burrows or even under houses. Though they will temporarily occupy abandoned burrows, they do not dig their own. As nocturnal animals, they favor dark, secure areas. These areas may be below ground or above.
Raccoons are noted for their intelligence, with studies showing that they are able to remember the solution to tasks up to three years later. The diet of the omnivorous raccoon, which is usually nocturnal, consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant foods, and 27% vertebrates.
Mississippi River Delta Marshes are morphing
From the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate
The mouth of the Mississippi River is moving north, and unless preparations are made in advance for those changes, the impact could be devastating, speakers at a recent coastal conference said.
However, the changes also present opportunities for navigation and coastal restoration, said Paul Kemp, vice president of the Louisiana Audubon Society’s Gulf Coast Initiative.
Waiting for the navigation system at the mouth of the river to “break” is not the way to handle the problem, especially when it’s known that it’s going to happen, Kemp said.
As with the levees in New Orleans, it’s clear that it’s more expensive to react to disaster than to prepare for it, he said during the “Answering Fundamental Questions about Mississippi River Delta Restoration” symposium Friday and Saturday at LSU.
“If you know that’s happening, you can actually get in front of it and take advantage of it,” Kemp said. “It’s not all bad.”
Knowing that the river is changing means there are opportunities to not only get more sediment into eroding coastal marshes, but to also make navigation channels in the river more stable in the future.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Bayou Pierre fauna quiz
Bayou Pierre Fauna
1. Riverine tree that is one of the tallest and largest American hardwoods: __ . a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore d) Dogwood.
2. Tall tree with wide, indented leaves and whose bark peels: __ .
a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore d) Dogwood.
3. Fast-growing, tall bottomland oak that is very important to wildlife in North Louisiana: __ oak .
a) Live b) Water c) Pine d) River.
4. This tree has a long history, a medicinal bark and roots are so widespread it is important in bioengineering.
a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore d) Willow.
5. This tree produces woody projections that rise above the water or the ground in the vicinity of the tree. __ . a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore d) Cypress.
6. Wine, jelly and a tart pie filling can be made from the __ grape of North Louisiana. a) Rattan b) Redbud c) Muscadine d) Virginia Creeper.
7. If this hairy vine isn't the three-leafed Poison Ivy it must be the __ . a) Rattan b) Redbud c) Virginia Creeper d) Sycamore.
8. Louisiana is known as a state with a rich bird life because the state lies in the flyway between Canada and the sea known as the __ _ __ .
9. The type of dirt called loam occurs when ____ , sand and silt occur in a mixed soil.
10. Riparian land is the zone along a ___ . a) waterway b) aquifer c) conservation region d) region of ripening fruits.
11. Acetylsalicylic acid: a) Cypress b) Willow c) Sycamore d) Pecan.
12. The highest-reaching trees of the Coates Bluff area include Sycamore and Cottonwood. They are called
__ trees. a) medicinal b) loam c) riverine d) canopy.
13. Which one of these does not typically grow in the riparian zone? a) Water oak b) Willow c) Hickory d) Hackberry.
14. This widespread tree is helpful for many but considered a noxious invader by those who want to avoid a monoculture and insure biodiversity. It is the Chinese __ .
a) Candle b) Fruit c) Tallow d) Redbud.
Friday, November 09, 2012
Chinese tallow leaf in red: Bayou Pierre / Coates Bluff Trail, Shreveport
The Chinese tallow is considered an invasive, noxious species by those concerned with fields and large acreage.
It is considered a fast-growing, attractive shade tree by many homeowners.
Bees get pollen from tallow trees, says Wikipedia. And in Asia the tallow oil is harvested as a biofuel.
Thus we derive a hypothesis from this plant:
that many plants will have both useful and, at the same time, negative qualities.
Thursday, November 08, 2012
Willows, medicines and Coates Bluff Trail / geography
Say it slowly:
a ce tyl sa li cylic acid!
Aspirin.
From the bark of willow trees.
Coates Bluff Trail, Shreveport
Squawk! Caw! Coates Bluff Trail review -
1. Tree whose bark has small growths that resemble tiny volcanic peaks: __ .
a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore d) Dogwood.
2. This tree has a mottled bark and gargantuan leaves: __ . a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore d) Dogwood.
3. Type of oak that is most prevalent in North Louisiana river bottoms: __ oak.
a) Live b) Water c) Pine d) River.
4. This tree produces "knees," a sort of knobby growth that pokes up through the ground in the vicinity of the tree. __ . a) Cottonwood b) Hackberry c) Sycamore
d) Cypress.
5. Tree that produces puce-colored blossoms (purplish-reddish-brown) in the late winter: __ __ . a) Cottonwood b) Redbud c) Sycamore d) Dogwood.
6. If this woods vine isn't the 5-leafed Virginia Creeper it must be __ . a) Cottonwood b) Redbud c) Sycamore d) Poison Ivy.
7. The principal forest grapes of North Louisiana: __ . a) Cottonwood b) Redbud c) Muscadine d) Virginia Creeper.
8. When clay, sand and silt occur in a mixed soil, it is called __ . a) riparian
b) loam c) topsoil d) alluvial.
9. Louisiana is widely-known as a state with unusually rich bird life. T / F
10. The zone along a bayou is __ land. a) riparian b) conservation c) aquifer
d) up.
11. A woody, thick vine: a) pine b) rattan
c) oak d) cypress.
12. Tree used in bioengineering, medicine and for objects made of the soft wood: a) cypress b) willow c) cottonwood d) pecan.
13. Canopy trees - the tallest - of the Coates Bluff area include cottonwood and __ .
Essay on Coates Bluff Trail, Shreveport
Description! "Trees of every size - sycamores, cottonwoods, etc - surrounded the students as they trekked a half mile on Coates Bluff Trail, Shreveport."
Description: "Birds squawked high above the trees on Coates Bluff Trail. Soon they would be landing in the canopy trees, the sycamores and cottonwoods, to begin finding food in the Coates Bluff woods - not far from the Red River.
Make your first paragraph one of description.
Your second and final paragraph must explain the value of the Coates Bluff environment. Be specific as you look at the scientific and medical value of the flora and fauna, the value of a wilderness trek to humans and mundane uses of the flora and fauna.
12 pts.
Thursday, November 01, 2012
Magnet geography: Coates Bluff map
Coates Bluff / riparian flora and fauna (riparian refers to the bank of a stream)
__Sycamore: tall tree; peeling bark and large leaves.
__ Cottonwood: one of the largest N Amer hardwood trees. Riverine (usually grows in river bottoms).
__ Water oak: fast-growing, tall bottomland oak that is very important to wildlife.
__ Willow: medicinal bark, extensive root system, used in wood products industry.
__ Hackberry: medium-sized tree important to the lumber industry and to wildlife. The bark is studded with warts.
__ Dogwood: though a small tree, its leaves (ink, dyes) and wood (mallets, tool handles) have long been useful in small industry.
__ Box elder (a type of maple): medium-sized tree of the bottom land.
__ Virginia creeper: a ground cover that inhibits erosion. Medicinal plant - but the berries are poisonous. Similar to poison ivy but has 5 leaflets instead of 3.
__ Muscadine vine: wine or jam is made from tart muscadine grapes. Anti-cancer properties in the grapes.
__ Poison ivy: a noxious weed of which it is said, "Leaves of three, let it be," "Longer middle stem, stay away from them," and "Hairy vine, no friend of mine." It can grow as a shrub or a vine.
Upland growth
__ Hickory: important source of wildlife food; wood is useful in numerous industries (from lumber to smoked meat).
__ Live oak: an evergreen known for its long life and spreading branches; important to wildlife for its acorns and known for strength of its wood.
__ Pine: commercially important for timber and wood pulp. They are fast-growing softwoods that live in the uplands.
Fauna
__ Armadillos: burrowing mammals with a leathery shell that eat insects. Important to scientists.
__ Hawks or falcons: swift birds of prey.
__ Black snake: non-poisonous and hibernating in the winter. They eat rodents, eggs and other snakes.
Smells
__ Loamy (loam is soil composed of clay, silt and sand.) and sandy soil. Decomposing leaves.
Sounds
__ Crows. Hawks. Mockingbirds. Sparrows.
__ Critters escaping though the leaves.
Non-woodsy materials
__ Litter.
__ Fencing, gravestones, etc.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Mexican celebration that is spreading across the US: Dia de los Muertos
A hybrid of Aztec and Catholic rituals, Dia de los Muertos is based on ancestor worship.
Notes on Dia -
- Celebrated on Nov 1, All Saints Day, Nov 2, All Souls Day in the Catholic Church.
- Partying in the cemeteries. Food, drink and talking with long-time friends.
- Pan de Muertos.
- Tequila: distilled from the Blue Agave cactus.
- Candles and marigolds. Sometimes Monarch butterflies.
- Papel Picado: symmetric and figurative scenes cut in tissue paper.
- Ofrendas (offering); an altar laden with food, drink and mementoes dedicated to a beloved ancestor.
- Calacas: skulls.
- Calaveras: skeletons - often clad in items suggestive of people in all occupations.
- Catrina: female, well-to-do skeleton.
- Pagan: pre-Christian worship.
Anatomy of a skeleton's bones.
- cranium
- mandible
- vertebrae
- clavicle
- sternum
- scapula
- rib cage
- humerus
- radius and ulna
- carpal bones
- metacarpals
- phalanges
- pelvic girdle
- coccyx
- femur
- patella
- fibula and tibia
- tarsal bones
- metatarsals
- phalanges
Sunday, October 28, 2012
German corporation, Benteler Steel Tube, to build Shreveport manufacturing facilities in 2013
By establishing a production site in the U.S.A. Benteler Steel/Tube GmbH will strengthen its presence in one of the most important growth markets for global oil- and gas-exploration, says Benteler.com.
With the growing demand for highquality steel tubes for exploratory drilling in the U.S., and Louisiana’s proximity and access to energy customers, Benteler Steel/Tube’s Louisiana plant is poised to play an important role in meeting U.S. domestic energy needs.
The total investment (in 2 facilities) will be nearly $ 900 million. Both plants will create an estimated 675 full time jobs when at full capacity.
Privately held and family owned in the fourth generation the company is
proud of its more than 135-year history of success. The Benteler Group employs 30,000 employees at 170 locations in 38 countries.
Lap Height More: The Five (5) Themes of Geography
Were you taught the 5 themes of geography? If not, let us dig in.
One sketch, one theme per page in your notebook.
1. Location
Most geographic study begins with learning the location of places.
Location can be
- absolute (2511 Filbert) or
- relative (South Bossier Parish).
Absolute location provides a definite reference to locate a place. Like 32N, 94W. The reference can be latitude and longitude or a street address: 1601 Viking Dr, 71101.
Relative location describes a place with respect to its environment and its connection to other places. "Near the town of Belcher, west of the Red River."
2. Place
Place describes the human and physical characteristics of a location.
Physical characteristics include a description such things as the mountains, rivers, beaches, topography, and animal and plant life of a place.
- For instance, we can say that Shreveport lies in the Muscadine-Raccoon Belt.
- Rolling hills and bayous.
- Iron-ore rich, red clay dirt region.
Human characteristics include the human-designed cultural features of a place, from land use and architecture to forms of livelihood and religion to food and folk ways to transportation and communication networks.
- The Bible Belt.
- The Black-eyed peas and peach cobbler Soul Food region.
- The Shotgun Shack region.
3. Human-Environment Interaction
This theme considers how humans adapt to and modify the environment. Humans shape the landscape through their interaction with the land; this has both positive and negative effects on the environment.
- The intersection of i-20 and i-49.
- The former lands of the Caddo.
4. Movement
Humans move, a lot! In addition, ideas, fads, goods, resources, and communication all travel distances. This theme studies movement and migration across the planet.
- Site of a German steel tube manufacturing plant to be complete in 2013.
- Former site of a GM manufacturing plant.
- Concert site: the Centurylink Center.
- Gateway to Louisiana's Carnival.
5. Region
Region divides the world into manageable units for geographic study. Regions have some sort of characteristic that unifies the area. Regions can be formal, functional, or vernacular.
Formal regions are those that are designated by official boundaries, such as cities, states, counties, and countries. For the most part, they are clearly indicated and publicly known.
- Caddo Parish.
- Shreveport, La.
Functional regions are defined by their connections. For example, the circulation area for a major city area is the functional region of that paper.
- Metropolitan Shreveport includes Bossier City.
- ArkLaTex.
Vernacular regions are perceived regions, such as "The South," "The Midwest," or the "Middle East;" they have no formal boundaries but are understood in our mental maps of the world.
- Ratchet City.
- North Louisiana.
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