Great Barrier Reef Blog #2

Video 1
1. A Polyp is a coral larvae. A colony of them is a coral.
2. Coral cannot survive in cold water, that is why you dont see them anywhere near Illinois.
3. Coral bleaching occurs when the temperature of water is to high for the coral.
4. Scientists think it is happening more than often because of global warming and that warms up the water, therefore bleaching the coral.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  The classic 3 R's of helping the enviroment.

Video 2
1. There are 15,000 fish, 360 hard coral, 22 sea birds, 32 shore birds, and 400 species of coral living in the Great Barrier Reef.
2. Global warming is responsible for heating our oceans.
3. Because the flooding because it can move fish colonies, which would screw up the food source for the birds.  It also pollutes the reef.
4. People can reduce climate change by using the three R's of recycling,  being cautious of what you are throwing away,  and donate to foundations that help prevent destroying of the reefs.

Video 3/4
1. The video can grab the childrens attention by using the cartoons which is good, then shows them that if they keep up their bad habits they could kill their cartoon friends.  But will telling kids really help, the foundation that made the comercials should be targeting adults more than kids.  Kids could also care more about the hermit more than the whole reef itself.
2.  I think this video could focus on foreigners because it shows how the reef could disappear if our bad habits keep up in our country it could hurt the reef, because of global warming.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFKyHSZlJus.   I think this video could focus on adults from Australia because it shows them that not just the Great Barrier Reef is in trouble, that even though they should focus on fixing their problems the world also has problems. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCMmS6AUEDg. This could be used on tourists because it shows them that the fish are in danger and they should not try to touch or harm the fish or their habitats. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbN161yBBGA.

Great Barrier Reef Blog #1

1. The Great Barrier Reef is considered the largest living structure in the world.
2. Coral extracts calcium carbonate.
3. Red Algae is like glue for the parts of the coral, keeping it together.
4. It became a national park in 1975.
5. 33% of the reef is protected from fishing.
6. The reef today is roughly 20,000 years old, and scientists believe that there is a reef under that one that is nearly 500,000 years old.

Technology

          Elliot is concered about too much use of technology on a vacation.  He believes that it will ruin the trip because you will be focused too much on your smartphone not on your vacation.  He wants the reader to think about how too much technology can affect your vacation, and how a little technology can be good for your trip.  My original purpose of going to Australia was just to go to Australia, but now after going to 3 classes I have realized it is more about learning more about other cultures, and understanding our own culture by comparing it with Australias/New Zealand's.  I havent really though about what role technology will play because I thought the teachers would decide, but I think we should not be able to use anything besides our cameras because that is what I had when I went to Europe with my family and it was much better because I didnt have the urge to look at my cell phone.  Therefore I focused much more on the trip and not my life at home.  My thoughts after reading this article have not differed much because I already agreed with the points Elliot was making.  I believe that no technology is good for the trip.  Technology before the trip is great because you can figure out good things to do but if you want to change something on the trip, you should just explore because as Elliot said "vacation meant leaving the world you knew for a world you didnt".  I do not think teachers should set a strict boundry on technology for the trip.  I think they should leave it up for the student to decide what they want to do on the trip.  If the teachers were to set any boundry I believe it should be a very small amount of technology so that the students can focus on the trip itself.