Research Post

            The topic for my researech roject is shotgun shells and how they have changed and improved since they were first introduced. I am interested in this topic because I love hunting and shooting shotguns and never really knew much informations on how the shells actually work and how they have changed since when they were first invented. So far, I have learned that the first shotgun shells had brass casings. Later, shells with paper casings were made but did not work as well as the brass casings. Shells with plastic casings, which are most common today, were first made by Remington in the 1960s. Today, shells have become more advanced in that there is a wide selection of sizes, brands, and shot velocity that you can choose from.
            The topic that I have focused on for this paper is the history of shotgun shells and how/what improvements have been made for better performnce and quality. I foind interest in this topic because I am and avid hunter and shooter of firearms, particularly shotguns. However, I never really knew exactly how shells work and in what ways they were different, or less advanced, than today's modern shells. Lokng into this topic so far, I have fond that early shell cases were made of brass, not plastic as most are today. About a decade later, shells with paper casngs came available, but were not as reliable and efficient as the brass cases because they would swell up when in contact with water and could not be reloaded nearly as many times as shells with brass cases could. The common modern shotgun shells with plastic cases were introduced by Remington in the 1960s. Today, shells have become more advanced in that there is a wide selection of sizes, brands, and shot velocity that you can choose from.

Reading Times and Research Update

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz:
1/15    p. 73-78    10 min
1/16    p. 78-84    10 min
1/17    p. 84-96    25 min
1/20    p. 96-102    10 min

Research Time:
1/16    1 annotated bibliography    25 min
1/17    4 annotated bibliographies    75 min

Total Time: 155 min


            I have found ten sources for my topic so far. Most of them are useful to me in some way. Some contain modern information, while others contain historical information. This is useful for making comparisons and how shotgun shells have changed since they were invented, which is the focus of my topic.
            I have not had much success at all with the databases. I only could find a couple of useful sources using the online databases. I am confident that my sources are reliable because the information is consistent between them.

Free Post

            I am so glad we have a three day weekend ahead of us. It will be so nice to have one extra night of no omework and one extra morning of sleeping in or doing whatever I want. Also, that means that the next week of school only lasts four days, instead of five.
           We have a couple of fun things planned for this weekend. First we may go skeet shooting. I am disappointed that we don't get to duck hunt this week because of all the rain we've gotten in the past week. Then, we may head down to Grand Isle on Sunday afternoon and fish for redfish Monday morning. I think this will be a fun weekend.

Reading Response

Reading Times for Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
1/7    pp. 1-6    10 min
1/8    6-20    30 min
1/10    20-40    45 min
1/11    40-73    65 min
Total Time: 150 min


            This week, I started Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. It is the second book in the Alex Rider series. I decided to read it because I really liked the first book in the series, Stormbreaker. It is about a young boy who works as a spy for MI6.
            I like these books because they are the appropriate reading level for me and i really like the action and suspense in them. I also like to try to figure out things while reading the book, like who I think commited the crime, or who I don't trust, and other things like that. I enjoy the book so far.

Free Post

            I can't wait for Mardi Gras break. I will be going to Vail, Colorado with my family to snow ski. I have gone skiing a lot when I was little and have gone every year since about 1st grade. It is so much fun going down the mountain. I also like the snow and all the beautiful scenery.
            This will be me 2nd time going to Vail. My family loves to ski there. It is an enormous mountain with tons of slopes ranging from greens to double black diamonds. I love to go fast and try to jump, but I fall a lot doing it. I cannot wait to go skiing with my family.