Learning About Starfish

Learning About Starfish Starfish are fascinating creatures. With their   bumpy, five-armed bodies, its easy to see how they got their  name, but did you know that starfish arent really fish at all? Scientists dont call these ocean-dwelling  creatures starfish. They call them sea stars because they arent fish. They dont have gills, scales, or backbones like fish do. Instead, starfish are invertebrate  marine organisms tbhat  are part of the family known as  echinoderms. One feature that all echinoderms have in common is that their body parts are arranged symmetrically around a center point. For starfish, those body  parts are their arms. Each arm has suckers that help starfish, who dont swim, move along and capture prey. Most of the 2,000 species of starfish have the five arms that inspired their name, but some have as many as 40 arms! Starfish can regrow an arm if they lose one. Thats because their vital organs are located in their arms. In fact, as long as an arm has part of the starfishs central disc, it can regenerate an entire starfish. At the end of each of a starfishs five to forty arms is  an eye that helps them locate food. Starfish eat things like clams, snails, and small fish. Their stomachs are located on the underside of their central body part. Did you know that a starfishs stomach can come out of its body to envelop its prey? Another striking fact about starfish is that they dont have brains or blood! Instead of blood, they have a water vascular system that helps them breathe, move, and expel waste. Instead of a brain, they have a complex system of light - and temperature-sensitive nerves. Starfish  live only in saltwater habitats but are found in all Earths oceans. They vary in sized based on the species but are usually between 4 and 11 inches in diameter and can weigh up to 11 pounds. The lifespan of a starfish also varies by species, but many live up to 35 years. They can be found in a variety of colors such as brown, red, purple, yellow, or pink. If you are fortunate enough to find a starfish in a  tide pool or the ocean, you can safely pick it  up. Just be very careful not to harm the starfish and make sure to return it to its home. Learning About Starfish To learn more about sea stars, try some of these excellent books: Starfish by Edith Thacher Hurd is a Lets-Read-and-Find-Out About story about starfish  and how they live in the deep blue sea. One Shining Starfish by Lori Flying Fish is a colorful counting book featuring starfish and other ocean-dwelling creatures.   Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish by  Janet Halfmann is a beautifully-illustrated book that weaves facts about starfish into a delightfully captivating tale. Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars: Take-Along Guide by Christiane Kump Tibbitts introduces a variety of marine life, including starfish. It includes tips for identifying several marine-dwelling creatures and features fun activities to try. Spiny Sea Star: A Tale of Seeing Stars by Suzanne Tate provides easily-accessible facts about starfish with adorable illustrations. Sea Star Wishes: Poems from the Coast by Eric Ode is a collection of  ocean-themed poems, including those about starfish. Memorize a starfish poem or two as you study sea stars. Resources and Activities for Learning About Starfish Spend some time researching and learning about starfish using your library, the Internet, or local resources. Try some of these ideas: Learn more about how starfish see with the eyes at the end of each of their arms.Research starfish anatomy. Learn how they eat, breathe, and move.Visit an aquarium or a fish store to see live starfish up close.If you live near a beach, look for starfish in the tide pools.Make a diorama featuring starfish, their habitat, and their prey.Create an ABC book about starfish.Do some research to find out what creatures other than starfish are members of the  echinoderm family.Learn about the dangers,  such as predators and pollution, that starfish face. Starfish, or sea stars, are enchanting creatures who play an important role in their environment. Have fun learning more about them! Updated by Kris Bales

How to Answer the 5 Most Common Interview Questions

How to Answer the 5 Most Common Interview Questions In a 1981 interview, TV journalist Barbara Walters famously asked actress Katharine Hepburn, â€Å"What kind of tree are you?† Ever since then, the tree question has been a byword for out-there interview questions. And while you probably won’t get any tree-based questions in your next job interview, you should be prepared for open-ended questions designed to test your readiness for a job. Here are some answers and strategies you should have in your pocket for when an interviewer asks you a question slightly outside of your resume.1. What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?Relax. The interviewer isn’t expecting a full audit of your personal failures or a speech about how you remind yourself of Mother Theresa and Mark Zuckerberg. When you’re asked about your strengths, make sure your answer is directly relevant to the job you’re interviewing for. If you’re interviewing for a sales position, mention your knack for turning a slammed door i nto a promising lead. Or if you’re under consideration for a management position, talk about how your leadership led your former group to its best year ever.For your weaknesses, don’t answer with something that will likely make the interviewer roll their eyes, like â€Å"I work too hard† or â€Å"I love my job too much.† Instead, be honest- but again, make sure it can be spun as a positive for the specific role you’re seeking. For example, instead of saying that you work too hard, say that you have a tendency to try to solve every problem that comes along.The key is to  make sure the interviewer knows you’re aware of your limitations. In this case, you could say that you tend to take on a lot, but that you’re aware of the need to work with the team to find solutions together instead of putting it all on one person. A little self-awareness goes a long way.2.  What was your reason for leaving your previous  job?Chances are, the in terviewer will ask you why you’re looking to leave your current job- or if you’re currently unemployed, why you left your last job. If it’s the former, stress that you’re seeking to grow by taking your skills and experience to the next level with this job. If it’s the latter, and you left your last job under less-than-ideal circumstances (like being fired), don’t panic. Emphasize that the job wasn’t a good fit for you, and you’re seeking a job that fits with your long-term goals (with a bit of explanation of what those are and how they relate to the job you’re trying to get).3. What are your salary expectations for this position?Asking what kind of salary you’re expecting may just be the interviewer’s way to determine what you expect from the job. It’s a risky question to answer- too high a salary, and they might think you’ll jump ship for the next high-paying opportunity that comes along. Too low, and that could impact the salary and benefits they propose to you as part of a job offer. It’s okay to punt this one a little- explain that you’re flexible on salary depending on the role and benefits package and would be happy to discuss that further in the future.4.  Tell me about yourself .When an interviewer asks you about yourself, this is not the time to talk about your hometown, your elementary school spelling bee trophies, or your allergies. They want you to cherry-pick your bio to show whether you’ll fit at their company, in their open  position. Here’s where a quick summary of your relevant education would come in handy, along with  an overview of jobs you’ve had in the field or other experiences appropriate to the job itself. This is something you can prepare ahead of time- just a few sentences outlining who you are as a professional and what makes you a strong candidate for the position.5. Tell me about a time you solved a d ifficult problem.Another popular interview tactic is to have the candidate tell a story about a time they demonstrated a particular skill, like problem solving. Before you go into the interview, think about the skills you’d like to emphasize and come up with a few (honest!) anecdotes about how you applied those in real life. Write them down, or at least jot down notes; that will help them stick in your head and make them easier for your brain to â€Å"grab† when you’re on the spot.If you do know what kind of tree you would be, great! You’re all set if that somehow comes up. Much more likely, you’ll see questions like these. The more you think about them beforehand, the more ready you’ll be to answer them like a pro.