Benjamin’s Informative Blog

Hello readers,

We got a new assignment in language arts: to write about a different class. I will be talking about science class. Science class is very fun, exciting, and interesting. One of the projects we did recently in science was our heat shield project. In this project, we were supposed to design a heat shield out of the materials provided to prevent an egg from cooking at 3500 degrees Fahrenheit for a duration of 3 minutes. We were assigned in to groups of three. In my group, there was me, David, and Jack. The name of our group was the Raw Eggstronauts because we wanted to be ambitious. We did 4 tests to decide which materials we thought would work best against the 3500 degrees Fahrenheit blow torch. In the end, we decided on a heat shield that included aluminum foil, some sponges, and duct tape to keep everything together. We were the first group to do it in our class. It was kind of disappointing after when ours had 5 millimeters of cooking.

This is a photo of our prototype before we did the test.

This is a photo of our prototype after the test. This was a very fun project and I would love to do more projects like this one!

On Friday, January 27th, 2023, the 6th graders at Durham Academy Middle School visited the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh.

Firstly, I was on Bus 2. There were two large buses that took us to the museum. Our driver’s name was Ms. Serene and she was very kind. Once we got onto the bus, it took us about half an hour to get there. After arriving, we went straight to looking at interesting artifacts and reading informational paragraphs.

There were a lot of levels in the museum. I’m not sure exactly how many there were, but there was at least 6. We visited at least 5 of these levels.

I’m not sure what my favorite section of the museum was it was so interesting! One of my favorite sections was one about huge whale and dinosaur skeletons. I realized how big these creatures actually were and are!

After about two hours at the museum, we stopped for lunch. For lunch, I had a cheese sandwich. It was pretty good. Lunch lasted about 30 minutes and then it was time to go inside the museum again.

The last exhibit we visited was the race exhibit. It was interesting and I felt like I’d learned a lot. Inside of the race exhibit, it had questions that were then answered by a couple paragraphs of writing. This was one of my favorite sections.

I really loved this museum, and would be happy to go again!

Here are my NBA Power Rankings on Monday, January 9th, 2023.

1. Boston Celtics   Current record: 28-12

The Boston Celtics currently have the best record in the NBA. They’re led by Jayson Tatum, who is averaging 30.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. The Boston Celtics are 6-4 in their past ten games, but they don’t appear to be slowing down.

2. Brooklyn Nets Current record: 27-13

The Brooklyn Nets went on a 12 game winning streak before losing to the Chicago Bulls, 112-121 on January 4th. They’re led by Kevin Durant, who is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. The Brooklyn Nets are 9-1 in their past ten games, and they only appear to be getting better.

3. Denver Nuggets Current record: 26-13

The Denver Nuggets have a remarkable 16-3 at home. Although, they are 10-10 away. They’re led by Nikola Jokic, who is averaging 25.3 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists.The Denver Nuggets are 8-2 in their past ten games and they’re continuing to shine.

4. Memphis Grizzlies Current record: 26-13

The Memphis Grizzlies are currently on a 6 game winning streak. We will see if their streak will continue against the San Antonio Spurs on January 9th at 8pm EST. They’re led by Ja Morant, who is averaging 27.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. The Memphis Grizlies are 7-3 in their past ten games. Will they continue their streak or will it come to an end?

5. Milwaukee Bucks Current record: 25-14

The Milwaukee Bucks are on a 1 game losing streak. We will see if they can change this into a winning streak against the New York Knicks on January 9th at 7:30pm EST. They’re led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (nicknamed the Greek Freak) who is averaging 32.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. The Milwaukee Bucks are 4-6 in their past ten games. Will their losing skid continue or can they hold the number 5 spot?

6. Cleveland Cavaliers Current record: 26-15

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on a 1 game winning streak. In their most recent game, the Cleveland Cavaliers won against the Phoenix Suns, 112-98. They’re led by Donovan Mitchell Jr. who is averaging 28.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 6-4 in their past ten games. Will they continue winning or will they drop from the number 6 spot?

7. Philadelphia 76ers Current record: 24-15

The Philadelphia 76ers are on a 1 game winning streak. They most recently beat the Detroit Pistons, 123-111 on January 8th. They’re led by Joel Embiid who is averaging 33.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. The Philadelphia 76ers are 7-3 in their past ten games. Joel Embiid is currently out. Can the Philadelphia 76ers prevail without Joel Embiid?

8. New Orleans Pelicans Current record: 25-16

The New Orleans Pelicans are on a 1 game winning streak. They most recently beat the Washington Wizards, 132-112 on January 9th. They’re led by Zion Williamson who is averaging 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. The New Orleans Pelicans are 6-4 in their past ten games. Zion Williamson is currently out. Can they win without him?

9. Indiana Pacers Current record: 23-18

The Indiana Pacers are on a 2 game winning streak. They most recently beat the Charlotte Hornets, 116-111 on January 8th. They’re led by Tyrese Haliburton, who is averaging 20.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. The Indiana Pacers are 8-2 in their past ten games. Will the Indiana Pacers continue their streak or not?

10. Dallas Mavericks Current record: 23-18

The Dallas Mavericks are on a 1 game losing streak. They most recently played the Oklahoma City Thunder who they lost to, 109-120. The Dallas Mavericks were on a 7 game winning streak before they lost to the Boston Celtics 95-124 on January 5th. They’re led by Luka Doncic who is averaging 34.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. Luka Doncic is currently out day-to-day. Can they win without him?

11. Sacramento Kings Current record: 21-18

The Sacramento Kings are on a 1 game winning streak. They mostly recently beat the Orlando Magic, 136-111. They’re led by De’Aaron Fox who is averaging 23.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. They’re 5-5 in their last ten games. Will they continue winning about half of their games or will something change? Their next game is against the Houston Rockets on January 11th at 10pm EST.

12. New York Knicks Current record: 22-19

The New York Knicks are on a 1 game losing streak. They lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 107-111 on January 9th. They’re led by Julius Randle who is averaging 24.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. They’re 4-6 in their past ten games. Will they hold the number 7 spot in the Eastern Conference or will they fall down the standings?

13. Miami Heat Current record: 22-20

The Miami Heat are on a 1 game winning streak. They won against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 112-111 on January 10th. They’re led by Bam Adebayo, who is averaging 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. The Miami Heat are 6-4 in their past ten games. Bam Adebayo is currently out day-to-day. Can they get the win without him or will they drop down the standings?

14. Los Angeles Clippers Current record: 22-21

The Los Angeles Clippers are on a 1 game winning streak. They most recently beat the Dallas Mavericks, 113-101 on January 10th. They’re led by Norman Powell, who is averaging 15.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. The Los Angeles Clippers are 3-7 in their past ten games. Will they continue to fall or with they hold their number 6 spot in the Western Conference?

15. Golden State Warriors Current record: 20-21

The Golden State Warriors are on a 3 game losing streak. In their most recent game against the Phoenix Suns, they lost, 113-125 on January 10th. Although, that was their first game after their star, Stephen Curry came back after his injury. They’re led by Stephen Curry, who is averaging 29.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 6.7 assists. The Golden State Warriors are 5-5 in their past ten games. Will their losing skid continue or will it come to an end now that Stephen Curry is back?

16. Phoenix Suns Current record: 21-22

The Phoenix Suns were on a 6 game losing streak before they won against the Golden State Warriors, 125-113 on January 10th. In their most recent game, they lost against the Denver Nuggets, 97-126 on January 11th. They’re led by DeAndre Ayton, who is averaging 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. The Phoenix Suns are 2-8 in their past ten games. Will they continue falling down the standings or will something change?

17. Utah Jazz Current record: 21-23

The Utah Jazz are on a 1 game winning streak. They pushed past the Cleveland Cavaliers, 116-114 on January 10th. They’re led by Lauri Markkanen, who is averaging 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. The Utah Jazz are 3-7 in their past ten games. Will their losing skid continue or will they keep ahold of the number 9 spot in the Western Conference?

18. Minnesota Timberwolves Current record: 20-22

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on a 1 game losing streak. They got blown out, against the Detroit Pistons, 118-135 on January 11th. They’re led by Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 23.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. The Minnesota Timberwolves are 4-6 in their past ten games. Will they improve or will they stay about the same?

19. Atlanta Hawks Current record: 24-24

The Atlanta Hawks are on a 2 game losing streak. They most recently lost to the Chicago Bulls, 100-111 on January 23rd. They’re led by Trae Young, who is averaging 27.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. The Atlanta Hawks are 6-4 in their past ten games. Will their 2 game losing streak continue or will something change?

20. Oklahoma City Thunder Current record: 23-24

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on a 1 game winning streak. They pushed past the Denver Nuggets, 101-99 on January 22nd. They’re led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 30.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. The Oklahoma City Thunder are 7-3 in their past ten games. Will they continue climbing up the Western Conference?

21. Washington Wizards  Current record: 24-26

The Washington Wizards are on a 6 game winning streak. They easily past the San Antonio Spurs, 127-106 on January 30th. They’re led by Kristaps Porzingis, who is averaging 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. The Washington Wizards are 7-3 in their past ten games. Will they continue with their 6 game winning streak or will something change?

22. Portland Trail Blazers  Current record: 24-26

The Portland Trail Blazers on a 1 game winning streak. They skidded past the Atlanta Hawks, 129-125 on January 30th. They’re led by Damian Lillard, who is averaging 30.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists. The Portland Trail Blazers are 5-5 in their past ten games. Will they continue almost splitting their winning to losing ratio?

23. Chicago Bulls  Current record: 23-26

The Chicago Bulls are on a 1 game winning streak. They crushed the Orlando Magic, 128-109 on January 28th. They’re led by DeMar DeRozan, who is averaging 26.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. The Chicago Bulls are 5-5 in their past ten games. Can they prove themselves better than what they’ve been doing? Find out on January 31st as they play the Los Angeles Clippers in Chicago at 8:00 PM EST.

24. Los Angeles Lakers  Current record: 24-28

The Los Angeles Lakers are on a 1 game winning streak. They pushed past the New York Knicks, 129-123 (in overtime) on January 31st. LeBron James led the game for the Los Angeles Lakers with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Los Angeles Lakers are 5-5 in their past ten games. Can they climb up the standings into a playoff spot?

25. Toronto Raptors  Current record: 23-29

The Toronto Raptors are on a 1 game losing streak. They lost to the Phoenix Suns, 106-114 on January 30th. They’re led by Pascal Siakam, who is averaging 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. The Toronto Raptors are 4-6 in their past ten games. Will they stay the same or will something change?

26. Orlando Magic  Current record: 20-31

The Orlando Magic are on a 1 game winning streak. They had a nice comeback against the Philadelphia 76ers, 119-109 on January 30th. They’re led by Paolo Banchero, who is averaging 20.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. The Orlando Magic are 5-5 in their past ten games. Can they beat the Philadelphia 76ers on February 1st at 8:00 PM EST?

27. Charlotte Hornets  Current record: 15-37

The Charlotte Hornets are on a 1 game losing streak. They lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 115-124 on January 31st. LaMelo Ball led the game for the Charlotte Hornets with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Charlotte Hornets are 4-6 in their past ten games. Can they get a better record or will they stay about the same?

28. San Antonio Spurs  Current record: 14-37

The San Antonio Spurs are on a 6 game losing streak. They got crushed by the Washington Wizards, 106-127 on January 30th. They’re led by Keldon Johnson, who is averaging 21.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. The San Antonio Spurs are 1-9 in their past ten games. Can they stop their losing streak against the Sacramento Kings on February 1st?

29. Detroit Pistons Current record: 13-39

The Detroit Pistons are on a 2 game losing streak. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 105-111 on January 30th. They’re led by Bojan Bogdanović, who is averaging 21.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. The Detroit Pistons are 2-8 in their past ten games. Can they rise from the 15th spot in the Eastern Conference?

30. Houston Rockets Current record:12-38

The Houston Rockets are on a 1 game winning streak. They managed to push past the Detroit Pistons, 117-114 on January 28th. They’re led by Jalen Green, who is averaging 21.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. The Houston Rockets are 2-8 in their past ten games. Can they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 1st at 8:00 PM EST?

Hello Readers,

In Language Arts we got assigned a new project. Here is mine:

Planet Name: OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b

Planet distance from Earth: 21,526 light-years

What star does OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b orbit? It orbits a star of unknown type. This star is too faint to be seen from Earth with the unaided eye.

There are a lot of different plants, most of them being river plants. The biggest river is 2G942 which is located in F47MRS91 (the capital city of QW7103, the biggest country in the biggest continent, FQ719W2). Even though there are a lot of rivers, the terrain is very different around the continents. There are 3 different continents on OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b. The other two continents are CT5892 and ZM1063. CT5892 and ZM1063 are both much smaller than FQ719W2. If you put CT5892 and ZM1063 it would still be only about half the size of FQ719W2. OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b is mostly water but most humans build their houses on the river using trees. (The concept is very similar to tree houses).

The biodiversity on this planet is much larger than what you would expect.

 Many animals live there but the humans do not eat any other animals. All the humans are vegetarians on OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b. On this planet, they’re all the animals that currently inhabit Earth and more. These creatures are well adapted to many habitats.

There are dragons who also inhabit OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b. Some humans decide to tame the dragons and keep them as pets. Although, most dragons live in the wild and are not tame. There are many different types of dragons including water dragons, fire dragons, sand dragons, ice dragons, leaf dragons, silk dragons, night dragons, sky dragons, silk dragons, rain dragons, etc. Unlike most other animals on this planet, dragons can’t adapt to many different habitats.

Animals (including humans) do not generally speak the same language but they can understand all the animal’s different languages. Sometimes animals and humans work together to make houses. One time, some humans and a family of beavers helped each other make houses. The beavers used their teeth to gnaw down some trees and the humans used an axe to cut them up to use in the beaver’s lodge.

There is no need for money because food comes from the sky. Each day represents a different type of food. For example, Taco Tuesday. The schedule changes every month. For one month, you could have Shallop Sunday, Mac and Cheese Monday, Taco Tuesday, Watermelon Wednesday, Tuna Thursday, Eggy Friday, and Sundae Saturday. Sometimes only the ingredients fall and you have to make the food yourself.

Also, if you want to build something, you can ask for it and there will be directions and all the ingredients you will need to make it. The ingredients will come in packets, including some tools to get other needed ingredients. If you need wood to build something, an axe will come in the package of ingredients. These ingredients are believed to come from the sky, although there is no proof of this because the ingredients can be only seen when they arrive on the ground. This happens so that humans and other animals will not get injured by the ingredients falling from the sky.

OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b is a peaceful planet but once they had a war with the pixies (which live on HEHE-4673-HAHA-249Y). After the war, they signed a treaty that the pixies got to stay on HEHE-4673-HAHA-249Y so the war didn’t really make any difference. Fortunately, the war was very short. The pixies and the animals on OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b have not had any conflict since.

This is my picture of OGLE-2005-BLG-390L b:

Hello Readers,

I’m writing a book called Lost on Planet Pythawn. You now get to read the prologue. I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave a comment.

Prologue

Alicia awoke to the sound of her alarm ringing. She checked her clock. It was 6:45. Alicia moaned, it was already time for her to get ready for the first day of school. She was now starting 5th grade. The beginning of middle school. It sounded terrible to her. She was going to be a new kid. Same for all the new 5th graders. She  dozed off, she could sleep for another 5 minutes. But just as she was falling asleep again, her mother came in.

“Hurry up,” said her mother, “Unless you want to be late to the bus.”

To be completely honest, that sounded pretty good to Alicia. 

She got ready for school, gulped down a bowl of Cheerios, and grabbed her lunch as she hurried out the door. She saw the bus nearing her home. Knowing that it was going to leave soon, she picked up her speed to a fast jog. Just as she was about to slow down at the curb she tripped and fell face-first into a mud puddle. She looked up to see a familiar face sneering down at her. Grey Adams, the school bully. Alicia stood up and sneered back at Grey. He retreated back onto the bus. Alicia smiled to herself, even though she wasn’t feeling like smiling. That smile was a smile of success. She walked all the way to the back of the bus where her friend, Michelle, was waiting for her. 

“Hi Alicia!” said Michelle as soon as she saw Alicia. “What happened?” asked Michelle, concerned, looking down at Alicia’s muddy skirt.

“Grey Adams tripped me right before I got on the bus.” responded Alicia.

“Are you okay?” inquired Michelle. Her expression had turned from confusion and curiosity to anger. 

Alicia shrugged, as she didn’t want to tell a lie (even a white lie), and worry her friend. Alicia didn’t talk anymore during the bus ride. Before she knew it, they had arrived at school. She waited for everyone else to get off the bus. She walked down the three steps that led down to the sidewalk. She was extra careful to make sure that there weren’t any feet sticking out to be tripped on. Just after she was off the bus, even with her precautions, she tumbled over. Everything started getting fuzzy. She could hear people laughing and could imagine Grey Adams sneering over her head. The laughing and sneering stopped.  Everything stopped. And then, everything went black. That was the start, Alicia’s start, of fifth grade. 

I found this on Amazon.

This year, I decided to be Harry Potter for Halloween. I have read all the Harry Potter books and I have loved them all. Also, I have watched a few of the movies. Why did I choose to be Harry Potter for Halloween? It sounded fun and I am a fan of the Harry Potter series. Why not? I got Harry Potter glasses to come with the costume.

Halloween happens every October the 31st. This year it was on Monday, October 31st.The tradition started with the ancient Celtic festival called Samhain, where people would wear costumes to ward off ghosts and light bonfires. In the eighth Century, Pope Gregory III made November 1 a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day took in some Samhain traditions.The night before All Saints Day was called All Hallows Eve which later became what we today call Halloween. Eventually, Halloween became the activities we know and do today like, carving jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, dressing up in costumes, etc.

 Credit to

Every year, my family goes trick-or-treating. We normally stay out a long time a get a lot of treats. Halloween is by far, my favorite holiday. My favorite treat is either 100 Grand, Twix or Reese’s peanut butter cups.

If you wish to donate your candy, you can! Just Tryan It: Extra candy to UNC Cancer Hospital     For kids who can’t Trick-or-Treat this year.

Our school went to Camp Hanes in the NC mountains for an overnight trip. When we returned we wrote thank you notes. Here is mine:

Dear Camp Hanes Staff,

Thank you for making this my favorite sleep away camp ever! One of my favorite activities was the hike because it was difficult but not impossible. On the hike, I really enjoyed climbing up to the peak. That was the most difficult section of the hike for me. Getting to the peak was a great challenge but it was definitely worth the great view! My other favorite activity was archery. On my first five tries, I didn’t get any of my shots on the target. My second five tries I got 3 out of 5. My third five tries, I got 2 out of 5 but I had started getting the hang of it.

Thank you Cammi, Sarah, Bella, Luke, Dem, Kayla, Monica, and to the kitchen staff who cleaned before and after the meal. My favorite food was Macaroni and Cheese. It tasted so good. 

Sincerely,

Benjamin 

Photo by Mrs. W

For Summer Reading, we had to read the book Finding Someplace by Denise Lewis Patrick.

Backpack Description: The book Finding Someplace, written by Denise Lewis Patrick is about somebody named Teresa Arielle Boone who goes by the nicknames Peanut Butter and Reesie. At the beginning of the book, Reesie is excited about turning 13. A teenager, finally!

Reesie has to pack a backpack and leave New Orleans because Category 5 Hurricane Katrina is on the way. Her uncle, (who goes by Parraine) and her aunt, Tee Charmaine are supposed to pick her up and go to Baton Rouge. They can’t get in New Orleans to pick Reesie up because the highway is only going one way: out.

When I imagined what I should pack, I thought primarily about the stuff that me and my family would need. Example, water and food. If I had extra space, I could pack a small pillow and Pokémon cards.

These are the items in that I would have in my backpack:

1. My cash. It would be important if we need to pay for something.

2. Water Bottle. My family would need these to stay hydrated especially if we couldn’t get purified water.

3. Granola/ Protein Bars. These would help if we were hungry or if we needed energy we could get it from the protein bars.

4. First Aid Kit. In case of injuries, this would definitely be needed!

5. Water Purifying straw. If we didn’t have access to clean water, this could come in handy!

6. Passport and other important papers. We would need these if we had to verify that we were citizens of the United States of America.

7. Hurricane Kit. This would contain a gallon of water, non-perishable food, a whistle (to signal for help) and more.

8. An extra pair of clothes. This would help if my other pair of clothes got wet or became too smelly.

9. Small Pillow. This would make sleeping a lot more comfortable.

10. Family pictures. This is very hard to explain but I need family pictures.

11. iPad. This would make communication a whole lot easier. For example, in the case of an emergency, we could call someone.

12. An interesting book. While reading an interesting book, you cannot be bored!

13. Pokémon cards (if they would fit). My brother and I could play Pokémon if we had a flat surface to put the cards on.

Last Friday, Carson Pickett visited our school. She is a professional soccer player who plays for the North Carolina Courage in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League). She currently plays as a defender, number 4. We learned a lot about her childhood and that she played many sports as a kid. She went to college at Florida State University and she played soccer there.

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Recommended reads for this week

The 39 clues series

Authors: assorted

This is a great series about two kids, Dan and Amy who have been living with their Aunt Beatrice ever since their parents died in a fire. Follow them as they try to pass difficult obstacles in their way during the clue hunt. Can Dan and Amy finish the clue hunt alive? If you liked this series, be sure to check out Cahills vs. Vespers series!

Pages: 150-350, most of the books are about 200 pages.

Mr. Lemencello series

Author: Chris Grabenstein

If you like adventure and solving puzzles, you’ll love this series. It is about a gamer named Kyle Keeley. He and his friends solve many puzzles including rebuses while competing against Kyle Keeley’s biggest rival, Charles Chilington. According to Charles, Chilingtons never lose. Read this series to find out who will be famous and will Charles Chilington win like he says he will!