Josh

                Shih Tzus were first raised in Tibet, which is now controlled by China.  Shih Tzu comes from the name lion dog.  Once Shih Tzus were called Lhasa lion dogs or fo dogs.  They were once called Lhasa dogs because Lhasa is the capitol of Tibet.  For many centuries, Shih Tzus were gifts to the leaders of China.  For a lot of years Shih Tzu only lived with rich powerful families.  Shih Tzus were brought to the the U.S.  in the 1930’s and 1990’s.  Today Shih Tzus are in tons of U.S. homes.

                Shih Tzus are really tiny.  They are called toy dogs because there so small!  Shih Tzus are very affectionate and love to play.  Even though Shih Tzus are small, they are still tough and bark a lot.  Shih Tzus are very good lap dogs.  They like being petted and being around you.

Shih Tzus are really small.  They weigh 4 to 8 ounces at birth which is about as heavy as a bar of soap.  There are usually four to five puppies nurse for at least six weeks.  After that it can have puppy food.

Before you choose a Shih Tzu, look at all the puppies.  Choose one with bright eyes.  Get a pure breed Shih Tzu, mixed breed Shih Tzus can have health problems.  Male Shih Tzus have more energy than females.  The males also are easier to house train than females.

Shih Tzus are really small.  Adult Shih Tzus stand between 8 to 11 inches tall.  They weigh 9 to 16 pounds.  Even though they’re small they’re still sturdy.

You should groom and carefully brush your Shih Tzu every day.  You should start while it’s a puppy, so it can get used to it.  Bathe your Shih Tzu once a week.  This is so you’re Shih Tzu can stay clean.  When you are bathing your Shih Tzu you must do it gently.  Shih Tzus don’t like getting wet.

Shih Tzus are very affectionate.  They show there love by their bright eyes and by barking.  Shih Tzus are goof pets for people with allergies.  Even though they have long hair they don’t shed much due to daily brushing.

Shih Tzus don’t need much room.  They’re good in a small house.  Shih Tzus like to go on walks every day.  Shih Tzus have small legs, so four blocks is enough for them.

Shih Tzus are very loyal to their owners.  They are very smart dogs.  Shih Tzus are very curious.  So you should keep them on a leash when you go on walks.

Shih Tzus bark at anything new.  They bark when someone knocks.  Shih Tzus also bark when they play or hear a strange noise.

Shih Tzus were once herding dogs.  Now, they are good pets.  Shih Tzus are great therapy dogs.  They love visiting sick people.

Josh

"Tell me a story,"

says the bat's child,

About the lion,

so fierce and wild,

About a Tiger,

who roars and moans,

About a snake,

that's all alone,

About a Big Foot,

he's so freaky.

Something nice,

to make me sleepy!

Josh

I am an expert on Minecraft. Minecraft is a video game. It was released May 17, 2009. Minecraft is available on Playstation, X-Box, computers and mobile devices.

            The goal of the game is to kill the Ender Dragon and build whatever you want. The Ender Dragon is only found in the Ender World. To go to the Ender World you have to build a portal. A helpful tip to killing the Ender Dragon is to enchant your bow to fire aspect and drink night vision potion; this can be done in each of the modes.

            In creative mode you can only die by digging past bed rock. Creative mode automatically gives you all of the resources. When you fight the Ender Dragon, I highly recommend doing it in creative mode. One reason I like creative mode is because you won't die from monsters or mad wolves. Creative mode is my favorite mode to play in.

            In survival mode is to collect items from creative mode and then switch back to survival mode then you have all of those items in your inventory. In survival mode mobs can kill you. You cannot break through bedrock in survival mode, survival mode is my least favorite mode to play in.

            Are you wondering what a mob is? A mob is a monster, animal or human. The most popular mob is a creeper. When a creeper gets close to you, it explodes. My favorite mob is the Ender man. It's my favorite because it teleports.

Next I'd like to talk about multi-player online games. The most popular online game mode is The Hunger Games. It is my favorite online game mode as well. My favorite game is The Hunger Games mode is "hide and sick".

            Do you know what a mod is? A mod is like a free upgrade. Some mods are like a cheat. For example, the army mods comes with tanks. Other mods, like The Walled City, aren't as powerful.

            The most rare block is Emerald. The most rare villager is green and is only found in caves. Once I found one block of Emerald.

            Minecraft was first created by Markus Peterson, who you may know as "Jeb" took over creative mode. That made is so that Notch could concentrate on new things, like updates. Minecraft was first run by a software company called "Java". Since Minecraft became so popular, Notch created his own company called "Mojang".

            In conclusion, I am an expert on Minecraft because I know everything to craft, such as iron, diamonds, leather, gold and other items. I also know all of the commands. One thing I think is cool is that you can switch from one mode to the next. I highly recommend getting this great game.

Josh

"Spring Break"

            This Spring break I'm going to Sacramento, CA. To see my Nana. I'm really excited because I also get to see my Nana's new house and her new dog. My Nana said that my room has a TV in it. My brothers excited because he gets to see his stepbrother and step dad.

            When we get there we are going laser tagging. We will probably beat everyone because my brothers step brother and my brother are really good at laser tag. When we laser tag my brother calls himself "Big Poppy." After we beat everyone we'll go eat at "Ihop."

            My sister Addy I can't wait to see our Nana's dog. His name is Roscoe. We have never seen Roscoe but my mother has. Roscoe is a yorkshire terrier.He is 8 years old.Even though he is old, he has a lot of energy.

Josh

The bats of North America are currently endangered species. These bats are being killed in the millions by a disease called White Nose Syndrome (WNS). WNS is a deadly disease that has killed over 6.7 million North American bats in the last year. The disease was discovered in 2007 and is found on cave walls. The U.S. government has spent over 33 million dollars battling WNS.

White Nose Syndrome is spreading rapidly in the United States. In 2012 the disease reached Ohio and Acadia National Park. By 2013 it has spread to Georgia, South Carolina and Illinois. It is confirmed that 5 Canadian provinces and 22 states and are infected with WNS. Scientists predict that the 6 species of bats in the United States could be regionally extinct within the next few years due to WNS.

The fungal growth harms bats is by spreading all over their bodies, wings, and muzzles. This causes the irritated bats to wake up during hibernation, which leads them to dehydrate or starve to death. The fat reserve that the bats have stored up for their hibernation period are used when it is not supposed be. The bats become sick and weak and eventually fall to their deaths on the cave floor.

Bats are a big help to our environment. Scientist do not know what is causing White Nose Syndrome. My action plan is to raise money to fund research to learn more about the disease and help fight White Nose Syndrome.

Josh

“How to make a coin”

            Have you ever wondered how to make a coin? Well here is how you do it. First all coins start as a sheet of metal. The metal strips are 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long. Next the strips are wound into big coils that are easier to move. Each of the coils is fed through a blanking press. The blanking press punches out round discs. The round discs are called blanks. The strip of left over metal is called webbing. It’s shredded and recycled, usually into another sheet of metal.

            The Mint doesn't create ordinary blanks for pennies it buys them. However the Mint has fabricators with Zinc and Copper that are used to create penny blanks. Since nickels, dimes quarters and half dollars and dollar coins are all different sizes so are their blanks. They’re even a mix of different metals, but blanks needs to be prepared before they can mint them.

            First the blanks are heated in an annealing furnace to soften the metal. Then they go through the washer and dryer. This makes the blanks nice and shiny. It’s not the bad blanks but the good that are upset.

            Why is that? Upsetting is the next step in the process. A machine called upsetting mill, raises a rime around the edge of the blank. If you run your fingers around a coin, you can feel its raised edge.

            At this point the round piece of metal is still a blank. This makes sense – it doesn’t yet have the designs and lettering that make it a coin. The process of adding these items is called striking. The upset blanks to go through the coining press. All at once, this machine strikes the pictures, amount, and wording on both sides of the blank. Now it’s a genuine United States coin.

            Not all coins are ready to circulate. Some need to be remade. That’s why after they are struck; coins must be inspected before they can leave the Mint. First the press operator uses a magnifying glass to spot-check a new batch, making sure that the designs and inscriptions came out correctly. Then the coins are put through a coin sizer, this machine screens out any misshapen coins or coins that are dented. And that is how you make a coin!