The Truth (about the oil spill) is Out There

"The truth is out there" is a common phrase used in movies, books, previews, and news articles to encourage people to look for the information that they seek to find. That is what I am hoping you will do on this Gulf Oil Spill newsletter, and the links below will help you, probably even better than just doing a simple Google search.

I challenge you to actually READ and UNDERSTAND what a few articles are saying. Learn something new. Don't just get the assignment done. Someday your brain will thank you.

Some Good Search Links to Find Your Articles

Science News

Wall Street Journal

New York Times

USA Today

Houston Chronicle

New Scientist

The Summer of Oil Spill

Hey Fonville! If you haven't heard anything about the BP oil spill that happened this past April, then you need to stop watching cartoons and playing video games long enough to catch a little news! :-)

This week, we'll be working on creating a pretty snazzy newsletter that informs people about different things related to the BP Gulf Oil Spill that occurred on April 20, 2010 and its aftermath. I want to be impressed by the quality of information you can find and the effectiveness of your presentation. There are two things that may help you below. One is the links to the articles online that I used for my EXAMPLE newsletter that you'll be receiving a copy of. Be sure to follow this format so that you can maximize your grade. The second thing given here is a list of topics that you can use for your newsletter. Remember that you only have to have three topics and and three sources at a minimum, though you can have more sources if you need it. I'll be checking your sources to make sure that (1) the information is actually there and (2) that you did NOT just copy and paste from the article. If you copy and paste, it is an automatic F.

What you see here is an early image of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s tracking of the spill. This was a large spill!

Four online articles that I used

1) Oil Spills into Gulf After Rig Disaster
2) Gulf Oil Spill: Experts disagree on kindest way to deal with oiled-up birds
3) US Says BP Well is Finally 'Dead'
4) New Study Sees Dissipating Oil Spill

List of Topics that You Could Choose From

What caused the spill?

Whose fault is the spill?

What will or has happened happen to the marine life? (examples: birds, fish, shrimp, sea turtles)

Can we eat fish from the Gulf of Mexico anymore?

What happened to the beaches nearby?

How can we clean up the animals?

Will there be wetlands that are damaged? Why do we need wetlands anyway?

How much money did it and will it cost to clean everything up?

The leak is stopped, but is everything ok?

Is deepwater drilling a safe thing for people?

Is deepwater drilling a safe thing for the environment?

Should the average American feel somewhat at fault because of our need for oil?

Are bacteria eating the oil?

Where is the oil going?

What happened to the fisherman near the spill?

What are “dispersants”, and how were they used to help in the spill?

Are the “dispersants” safe for the environment?

Is there any air pollution from the oil spill?

What were different ways that were used to capture the oil?

Why are oil spills bad for animal life? What actually happens to them when they get oil on them?

How was the oil leak finally stopped? What ways were tried to stop the leak that didn’t work?

How much oil actually was leaked? Is it too much?

Why was it so hard to stop the leak?

How were robots used to study and observe the leak?

Why do people drill for oil thousands of feet underwater when it can also be found on land?

Why was the oil floating on top of the water if the leak was way down at the bottom?

Ice Island? What's the big deal?

Hey Fonville Tech Apps!

Have you guys ever heard of "Global Warming" or "Climate Change" before? I wanted to pass along this video I saw the other day about a new "ice island" in Greenland that was just formed.

After you watch the video, answer the following questions to me, Mr. Howell (nlhowell@uh.edu), by email (please put "TechApps" in the email subject line), and I will give good answers a pack of gum. I will give really good answers 2 or 3 packs of gum.

1) Why are some people worried that the ice island is being formed?
2) The ice island is 260 square kilometers. How big is that in square miles, and the video says that it is 4 times bigger than another well known island. What island is that? (2 questions, the size of the ice chunk and what well known island is it 4 times bigger than?)

This is your mission should you choose to accept it.