The Charity Fair Project - (11/5 - 11/9)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/4k9dz0

Summary:

     The Charity Fair project is a project done to help those in need. In order to donate to the charities, students must create their own product to sell and propose a charity worth donating to. The students must have knowledge of the charity including the statistics, the cost and profit of selling your charity, how to make the product, and the product price and info. The charity my partner and I wanted to donate to was the National Alliance to End Homelessness. This charity focuses on tending to 500,000 homeless people in America by creating elaborate policies with congress, rehousing the homeless, and educating others about homelessness in general. So far, they have made much progress in ending homelessness. This year it was reported that this charity decreased the unemployment rate by 16% and because of this charity, 60% of the U.S reported a decrease in the homeless population.

Backward Looking - How much did you know about the subject before we started?:

     Before I started this years charity fair, I knew much about it. However, from 2014-2016 Charity Fair, the rules often change each year. For example, in the 2014 Charity Fair, you were supposed to donate to a charity and give a bit of info about the charity, nothing else. In the 2015 Charity Fair, you were supposed to add the Cost and Profit of your charity, Info & and Statistics of your Charity, Instructions on building your product, and a tri-fold with all this information. Based on the 2015 Charity Fair, I knew that you were supposed to add Cost & Profit, Charity Info, Instructions, etc. However, in the 2016 Charity Fair, the requirement of making an Ignite Presentation for your charity pitch popped up. Since I hadn't done that in previous years, I didn't know about it. 

Inward Looking - How do you feel about this piece of work? What parts of it do you particularly like? Dislike? Why? What did/do you enjoy about this piece or work?

     I personally feel that this is the best Charity Fair that I have done in comparison to Charity Fair 2015. The part that I like the most was the product making. The product that my partner and I made were snow globes, and it took some time to make them, and in the end they looked really nice. The part that I dislike about the charity fair was the Charity Part- more specifically the Ignite Presentation. I don't really like the Ignite Presentation due to the fact that it was limited to 15 seconds only- it could have been longer in order for the slides and the dialogue to match. I also feel as if I didn't gather a lot of information and statistics on my charity and how they ended homelessness. Overall, I feel that the product info and making was my favorite part since people seemed to enjoy the product and how it looked in the end.

Outward Looking: Did you do your work the way other people did theirs? In what ways did you do it differently? In what ways was your work or process similar?:

     When I observed other people's projects, I saw that they had all donated to a charity helping those in need such as animals, the homeless, veterans, etc. When I saw what people were selling, I saw that many people were selling food, drinks, snacks, or anything edible in general. This is different from the products that my partner and I sold, which were not edible. However, some people didn't sell foods. I saw that one group sold slime, while another group sold decorated mason jars. I also observed that many people had sold items based on holidays, especially Christmas. For example, I saw some groups selling Christmas ornaments for their charity. 

Forward Looking - What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again?

     If I were to do Charity Fair 2016 again, I would focus a bit more on the charity part of my project rather than the product part of the project. If I were to do this, I feel like I would have further convinced the audience to donate to our charity if I had more knowledge about it. Also, I would have made the tri-fold cleaner and more organized. I could have worked more neatly on the category titles so they looked more welcoming and rather than using a school tri-fold, I could have brought my own because if you wrap the tri-fold in paper, it often doesn't come out as neat. One last thing I could have done to make my project better was to sell more snow globes since during the Charity Fair, they sold out really quickly, and some people may have not had the chance to buy one of them

Animal Superhero + Genetics (11/28 - 12/2)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/RvemwO

Summary:

      DNA, short for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the basic blueprint for life. It has 4 bases- adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine. Adenine connects with Thymine and Cytosine connects with Guanine. These 4 bases make up most of a strand of DNA. In a strand of DNA, there are also genes. Genes determine the traits and appearance of a living organism such as the hair/eye color, skin, etc. DNA is created from both of your parents. As much as DNA is important, there are abnormalities that can happen when a baby is born. One example of this is called Tay Sachs disease. Tay Sachs happens when a single letter in a DNA strand is missing from both parents when given to a baby. This causes fat to build up in the brain and eventually destroy the host's brain. DNA is essential to life due to the fact that it stores all the instructions for your body and tells each cell what to do.

SP6 - Constructing Explanations:

     I constructed an explanation of how my superhero would blend in with the environment. Since I based my superhero (name is Invisiblend) off of a chameleon, I explained how chameleons blend in with their environment and change color. I found out that chameleons have cells called iridophores that reflect light in a particular way when excited or relaxed to influence the color of it. With this information, I implemented this into my human superhero by also adding iridophores beneath their skin and making their skin color a lot more transparent. Now that I had found a way for my superhero to blend in with the environment that they are in, I added that to my concept sheet in the structure and function section to show how my superhero would blend and change color.

XCC - Patterns:

     A pattern that I identified this week was DNA. DNA is shaped like a continuous spiraling ladder. The rungs of the DNA also stay consistent. Each rung is either A and T connected to each other and C and G connected to each other. With this pattern in mind and with the current technology that can read DNA strands, we could possibly solve the genetic disorders such as Tay Sachs Disease by identifying it when a baby is immediately born by taking a strand of DNA from the baby and then seeing if a letter in that strand of DNA is missing or has an abnormality. If the disorder is found in the DNA, then action can immediately be taken to help stop it.

Human Body 2.0 - Project Blog (11/14 - 11/18)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/QF6ycw

Summary:

     The spinal cord is one of the most important, if not the most important organ. It sends information and instructions to and from the brain and the body. Without it, the entire body and the brain is virtually useless since the brain and body can no longer communicate with each other. If you split or damage a part of the spinal cord, anything below the damaged area will no longer function temporarily or permanently depending on how severe the damage is. Once damaged badly enough, the spinal cord cannot heal itself the right way. The nerves that were damaged do not know where to heal to, so instead of the damaged nerve re-connecting to a nerve that it split off of, it connects to the wrong nerve. Since the spinal cord is the most important organ in the body, it must need more protection and should have the ability to heal itself. 

Backward Looking - Have you done a similar kind of work in the past (earlier in the year or in a previous grade; in school or out of school)?:

     Yes, I have done a similar assignment to this project which I did in 5th grade. In this assignment I was supposed to write in my blog the organs about a particular body system, the function, how to simulate the function of that body system based on activities we did, how to keep it healthy, and 5 interesting facts (or fun facts) about that body system. The body systems that I wrote about were the Nervous, Skeletal, Muscular, Digestive, Urinary, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory System. Doing this assignment gave me prior knowledge to help me with this project by telling me what each body system is composed of and how they work.

Inward Looking - How do you feel about this piece of work? What parts of it do you particularly like? Dislike? Why? What did/do you enjoy about this piece or work?:

     I believe that the Human Body 2.0 Project for me went fairly good. The reason why I think that way is because the I thought that the Written Argument and Design Brief went well since we gave as much information as we could give in detail and the rationale of why we wanted to redesign the spine that way. However I personally can't feel the same way for the presentation. I feel like that the presentation was rushed and unpracticed. It did contain almost all the information for our re-design except for the counter argument and rebuttal, but I still think the presentation could have been better.

Outward Looking - Did you do your work the way other people did theirs? In what ways did you do it differently? In what ways was your work or process similar?:

     When I observed other people's presentations, some were similar and some were different but mostly similar. Similar to my group, many people proposed their re-design of their body system through slide presentations. When I saw other presentations, I noticed that some groups did their presentations in a different way. Some people used animations or videos to show their re-design. One group that was re-designing the digestive system even added skits and a video to their slide to show what the problem with their original design was, their re-design, and the simulation.

Forward Looking - What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again?

     If I were to do this piece over again, there are two things that I would change about this project.  The two things that I would change about this project is the idea of how to heal the spine and the overall presentation (since as said before, i'm not necessarily proud of it). To heal the spine, rather than having axons stretch to protect the nerves as said in our presentation, I would have DNA to contain instructions for each nerve cell. When a spine is damaged, DNA should tell the damaged nerve cells what specific nerve to connect to when healing. Regarding our presentation, I would change the presentation to a video since a video is easily changeable compared to a live presentation and I would add the problem with the re-design of our spine and how we are going to fix that. 

Spinal Cord Redesign (11/7 - 11/10)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/m24s3G

Summary:

     The spinal cord is the organ in your nervous system that is made up of bundles of nerves. It connects with your brain and the rest of your body. The function of the spinal cord is to send information and instructions from the brain to the rest of your body and give information back to the brain. For example, if you wanted to move your hand, your brain will send a signal that goes through the spinal cord and to the hand telling it to move. If you get injured at a certain body part, say the hand, the hand will send a signal to the brain through the spine to tell the brain that it is injured. The spine is extremely important because it sends instructions and information to and from your brain and your body. Without the spinal cord you wouldn't be able to move or feel anything at all. 

SP6 - Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions:

     This week I constructed explanations about the spinal cord through my team's design brief. With my team, I explained the original function of the spinal cord, which was to send info and instructions to and from the brain and body. We then explained the issues with the spinal cord such as the durability of it and how it  couldn't heal the right way once broken. We designed a solution to the fact that the spinal cord isn't durable by saying that we could encase the spinal cord into something really durable and flexible such as carbyne. If the spinal cord wrapped in carbyne does manage to break itself  (which is very unlikely), there could be instructions in the DNA to tell the damaged nerves in the spinal cord what to and what not to do.

XCC - Structure and Function:

     In our redesign of the spine, the carbyne that supports the spinal cord in a few ways. As said before, carbyne is a very durable and flexible material to use. If it were to be encasing the spinal cord, the chances of the spinal cord breaking and the host being paralyzed is very unlikely. Also, since carbyne is very flexible, it acts as the original design of the spine and spinal cord. For example, in the original design, if you jump, the spine kind of coils to fit the structure if your body when you jump. Since carbyne is also flexible but stronger, it could do the same thing. So if you wrap carbine around the spine, the spine will have no problem adapting to it since it is now well protected and is now flexible so it could adapt to almost any position that the human gets in.

     

Is it healthier to be a Vegetarian or Omnivore? - WAC

By Joshua Santos, 2026-7B

     It is much healthier to be an Omnivore, or someone that eats both vegetables and meat. Omnivores eat meat which provide healthy vitamins that improve system. Humans were also designed to eat meat and do not have the same stomachs as herbivores and cannot get the most out of vegetables and plants. Also, myths regarding meat eaters to live shorter lives or have cardiovascular diseases were in the past proven false thoroughly and many times. Omnivores are not excluded to eating vegetables and plants, so Omnivores eat both meat and plants which both in total provide vitamins and fats that improve the health and performance of the body and healthy and many minerals such as iron.

     Omnivores eat meat which provide healthy vitamins to improve body systems. According to the article ¨Is It Healthier To Be A Vegetarian Or Omnivore?" by ProCon.org, it states that meat provides vitamin B12, which makes the digestive and nervous system more healthier. This agrees with Kris Gunnars in the article ¨7 reasons not to avoid meat (unless you want to)¨, which says that meat provides protein and according to this article, it says: ¨Another thing protein is important for is bone health.¨ These two articles show that meat is necessary for skeletal, digestive, and nervous system health. Also, an article called ¨Is It Healthier To Be A Vegetarian Or Omnivore?¨ by the Science Education for New Civic Engagement and Responsibilities or SENCER says that ¨And yet, meat products contain creatine and carnosine, which are beneficial to the brain and muscles¨"and shows that meat is also healthy for the brain and muscles.

     Humans were not designed to live off of only vegetables. In the article by Kris Gunnars titled ¨7 reasons you should not avoid meat (unless you want to)¨, it clearly says ¨Our digestive systems are well equipped to make full use of the fats, proteins and nutrients from animal foods¨ and ¨Humans have much shorter digestive systems than herbivores and don´t have specialized organs to digest cellulose, the main fiber in plants.¨ By reading these two quotes, I learned that humans were specifically built to benefit from meat and cannot live off of plants and vegetables because they cannot digest cellulose, so humans cannot get the most out of eating plants. Kris Gunnars also illustrated the idea of meat benefiting humans by saying ¨Humans also have canines, with big brains, opposing thumbs and the ability to make tools to hunt. Meat was one of the reasons humans were able to evolve such large, elaborate brains." This information clearly shows that humans were able to evolve from meat which shows meat's usefulness to humans.

     There are many things that are beneficial to being omnivorous. One of them is the ability to eat both meat and vegetables/fruits. That means that omnivores can benefit from vegetables and meat. ProCon.org states in the article "Should people become vegetarian?" that "A vegetarian diet provides a more healthful source of iron than a meat-based diet." and "Eating meat provides a better source of iron than a vegetarian diet." From these two quotes alone, I learned that  a vegetarian diet provides healthier iron while meat provides more iron. If you eat both vegetables and meat, you get more iron and healthy iron as well, which is good for your body. Meat also provides vitamins that are necessary to make your nervous, muscular, digestive and skeletal system healthier as said in "7 reasons not to avoid meat" by Kris Gunnars and "Is it healthier to be a vegetarian or omnivore?" by SENCER. Also, ProCon.org shows in the article "Should people become vegetarian?" that "A vegetarian diet delivers complete nutrition and can provide health benefits." If you combine the complete nutrition, health benefits and healthy iron with the helpful vitamins, proteins, fats, and nutrients which make many of your systems such as the nervous, muscular, skeletal, and digestive system healthy from meat, you can with no doubt see that being an omnivore is much healthier than being vegetarian.

     There are some things people think are beneficial to being vegetarian. Some of these things are 'if you are vegetarian you live longer' and 'eating meat can cause cardiovascular diseases.' Both of these facts were proven false many times. According to the article "Should people become vegetarian?" by ProCon.org, they show that this fact is indeed false saying "Vegetarians do not live longer. This myth stems from the fact that vegetarians tend to be more health conscious overall..." Kris Gunnars also says in the article "7 reasons not to avoid meat" that meat does not cause cardiovascular disease saying "The main reason for these claims is that meat is high in saturated fat." and "Studies now show that saturated fat in the diet is not linked to heart disease." This shows that meat does not cause cardiovascular disease so you should not worry about this disease when eating meat. This article also claims that there are no health benefits to avoiding meat. "Despite the claims, there is no strong evidence that avoiding meat leads to health benefits. True... there are observational studies showing that vegetarians have a lower risk of several diseases. However, these results are largely explained by the fact that vegetarians are more health conscious overall and are more likely to exercise, less likely to smoke, etc."

     In conclusion, being omnivorous is more beneficial than being vegetarian for various reasons. These reasons include the fact that eating meat provides proteins, nutrients vitamins (especially vitamin B12), fat, etc. that make your body more healthier and stronger. Omnivores also don't only eat meat, they also eat vegetables which means that they can benefit from plants that provide healthy iron, a diet filled with iron, nutrients, and carbohydrates. Being vegetarian isn't healthier than being omnivorous as said by "7 reasons you should not avoid meat" by Kris Gunnars. In fact, being vegetarian is worse than being omnivorous due to the fact that you´re only limited to vegetables, you have to find another source of protein, and you do not have vitamin B12 which makes your bones, digestive system, brain and central nervous system and muscles not as healthy and strong in comparison to an omnivore.

Immune System

Image Source: https://goo.gl/WccWO1

Immune System:

Function:
The function of the Immune System is to fight bad bacteria, viruses, diseases, chemicals, etc. that end up in the body.

Organs:

     The organs associated with the Immune System are the leukocytes which fight off foreign bacteria in your body, the spleen which filters out blood and helps fight off bacteria and viruses, lymph nodes and tonsils which filter out harmful bacteria and waste in your body (these are found in many places in your body), the bone marrow which produces the leukocytes, and the thymus which teaches the leukocytes how to do their job.

Interactions w/ other Systems:

     The Immune System works with the Integumentary System (skin) because the Integumentary System is the first line of defense when met with a pathogen. The skin blocks off harmful pathogens so the Immune System doesn't have to deal with it. The Immune System is also part of the Lymph System; they are basically one system. The Lymph System removes cell waste and the Immune System removes pathogens.

Analogy:

Image Source: https://goo.gl/6o81wW

Explanation: 

     The analogy for the Immune System is an airport baggage scanner. The function of an airport baggage scanner is to scan people's bags and search for (potentially) harmful items such as water bottles, harmful food/liquids, and weapons to ensure that the airplane flight and the people in the airplane are safe. The Immune Systems job is similar. The function of the Immune System is to wipe out any harmful substances or pathogens that are inside the body. This is to ensure that the organism isn't harmed by any pathogens or substances that may do so.

Structure and Function:

      The organ that I chose for this section was the lymphatic vessels. These organs are tiny tubes that carry lymphs produced by lymph nodes. It is similar to the veins and arteries in the Circulatory System. The lymphatic vessels have tiny open holes which allow lymphs to escape into the body. This allows it to do its function because the lymphs go to the body´s cells to collect their waste, then go back to the lymphatic vessels. These vessels also have valves inside of them, which act as a gate. These valves are there to prevent reverse or irregular flow.

Sources:

"The Immune System - in More Detail." The Immune System - in More Detail. NobelPrize.org, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/immunity/immune-detail.html>.

Nemours. "Your Immune System." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/immune.html>.

"Lymph Node." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Aug. 2016. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymph_node>.

Immune System - BrainPOP. Perf. Tim and Moby. BrainPOP. BrainPOP, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <https://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/immunesystem/>.

Lymphatic System - BrainPOp. Perf. Tim and Moby. BrainPOP. BrainPOP, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016. <https://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/lymphaticsystem/>.

Mitosis (10/10 - 10/13)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/fDKOK7

Summary:

      Cell replication, or also known as Mitosis, is a process in where one cell replicates itself to make another copy of itself. Mitosis is used for things such as healing. When you have a wound, your body closes it off by replicating cells and covering up the wound. There are 6 stages of Mitosis: Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase, and Cytokinesis. The first phase- the interphase, is where the cell grows to its mature and proper size and makes sure that it has the right amount of organelles. The cell also makes a copy of its DNA and Centrioles. The next step is the metaphase. In the metaphase, the nucleus replicates itself and the centrioles go to opposite sides of the cell and create spindle fibers which go across the cell. The spindle fibers stretch and pull therefore having all chromosomes line up at the equator of the cell, each being attached to a spindle fiber. The next phase is the anaphase. In the anaphase, the centrioles pull, splitting the chromosomes into chromatids and pulling them to opposite ends of the cell. Once that is done, the Telophase happens. In the telophase, the centrioles pull away from each other until the cell is nearly split. For each newly replicated cell a nucleus is created. The final step of Mitosis is cytokinesis where the cells pinch inward dividing the cytoplasm into two. The DNA is also replicated in this step.

SP6 - Constructing Explanations:

     This week I evaluated information to explain each process of the Cell Cycle/Mitosis. I also explained how mitosis works through a flip-book. In the flip-book it showed the 6 stages of the Cell Cycle animated (kind of). It showed what happened in each step and how each step leads up to the cell eventually splitting into two. Prior to making the flip book, I did some research about Mitosis using Gizmo to simulate cell division. One part of my research I illustrated each step of cell division, explained what happened in each step, This infornation helped me out when making the flip book later on.

XCC - Stability and Change:

       One system I've noticed was the Cell Cycle. This system occurs normally when the body is physically injured. Once the body is injured, cells split themselves into two and duplicate them selves to cover up the wound. When the wound is fully healed, cells will stop duplicating. This is one of the systems I identified this week. This system is usually stable for everybody. However, it can go unstable. The Cell Cycle is usually monitored and is controlled. butut if it not controlled, the cells will duplicate at a fast rate without ever stopping. This causes many diseases including cancer and is deadly to those who have it. 

The Osmosis Experiment (10/3 - 10/7)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/18VsrL

Summary: 

     Osmosis is the movement of cells from a lower concentration to a higher concentration. For example, if you put an egg into a certain liquid, the egg will grow or shrink depending on the solute-solvent ratio on the outside the egg and inside the egg. If the egg has more solutes in the inside than in the outside, the water or liquid will go in the egg to make the solute-solvent ratio equal to the outside. If the egg has less solutes in the inside than the outside, the water inside the egg will go out of it to make the solvent-solute ratio equal. If the solvents in the inside of the egg is equal to the solvents on the outside, nothing will happen since they are already equal. Another thing kind of related to osmosis is mitosis, which is the splitting of cells. When you get injured, how does your body heal itself? Mitosis is the answer to that. In an injury, cells split and create more of themselves to fill in the cut/injury. If the splitting malfunctions, it non-stop rapidly grows into the body and causes what is known as cancer.

SP3 - Conducting Investigations:

    This week, I conducted investigations when I first identified the question : Is a skinned egg soaking in Gatorade a Hypertonic, Hypotonic, or Isotonic solution. Then my team and I created the hypothesis that the answer to my question was a hypotonic solution where the Gatorade goes inside the egg and the egg gets bigger. After that, we identified the variables. The manipulated variable was the liquid we were soaking the egg in, which was the Gatorade. The responding variable was the size of the egg. The controlled variable is the jar since nothing would happen to it since it is holding everything. After my team and I gathered all this information, we started on the experiment. We first recorded the initial weight of the egg and recorded it. We then put it in a jar and filled the jar with Gatorade. In the past 24 hours, the egg got bigger, just as we predicted.

XCC - Cause and Effect:

      A Cause and Effect relationship I noticed with the Egg Experiment was why the egg got bigger. The reason the egg got bigger was because it had more solutes (salt, sugar, etc.) inside. The Gatorade, however, had only about 30 calories inside it which meant that it had not a lot of solutes. When we put the Gatorade and the Egg inside the jar, the Gatorade went inside the egg to equalize the amount of solvents inside of it. This makes sense because if you add more of a solvent that has very little solutes in it to an egg with more solutes but very little solvents, the solvent-solute ratio will dilute in the poured in solvent. This is how the egg got bigger after being put in the Gatorade.

Respiration, Photosynthesis, Diffusion and Osmosis - (9/26 -9/30)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/s75hvN

Summary:

      Diffusion is the movement of particles moving from a high concentration to a low concentration. For example, if you drop a drop of food coloring into water, the food coloring will stay in one place shortly. That place currently has a high concentration of food coloring. But as time goes by, the food coloring will move around and dissolve in the water until everywhere in the water has an equal amount of food coloring in it. Osmosis is the kind of the opposite of diffusion. Osmosis is when particles move from a low concentration to a high concentration. For example, imagine that you have a bag. That bag is filled with water and a little bit of salt. If you put that bag into a jar of water that has a lot of salt in it, the salt from the bag will move out of the bag into the jar with more salt. The bag with a lower concentration of particles move into a higher concentration of that particle. The opposite happens when there is less salt in the outside and more salt in the inside. 

 

SP6 - Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: 

     This week, I mostly explained things such as the photosynthesis cycle instead of designing solutions. I explained how photosynthesis and respiration work together to function through creating a fold able of the two processes. One half of the fold able said the name of the process, the important information about it such as the function, organelle the process happens in, and the formulas for the products and reactants. Another thing that was added in the fold able was an illustration which explained what starts the process, what the outcome is of the processes, and how both processes work together. I also filled out a worksheet explaining the outcomes of scenarios using Osmosis and Diffusion, such as "If you put a bag of 97% water and 3% salt into a Beaker with 90% water and 10% salt, where will the water move?". I explained how osmosis and diffusion play roles in scenarios such as the example. 

 

XCC - Scale, Proportion, Quantity:

     One thing I noticed this week was that Diffusion and Osmosis depend on the quantity of the concentrations of the solvents and solutes and the size of the item that is hosting the solvents and solutes. Think back to that food coloring and water example in the summary. In that case, the food coloring dissolved until it was equally spread around the jar of water. If it was tried in real life, you could see that after the food coloring was dissolved in the jar of water, the water turned into the color of the food coloring dropped in. Now instead of having a jar of water, what if you added a drop of food coloring into a lake? The food coloring would still be equally spread across the water, but the lake would not even change color because each water molecule holds a very small amount of food coloring. What I am saying here is that the scale of the host (anything that holds the water) determines how much of the solute is spread around each water molecule. The same goes for osmosis. If the cell or the water around it is bigger, it affects which direction the water goes.

 

 

 

 

 

Macromolecules - 9/19 - 9/23

Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Structures_of_macromolecules.png

Summary:

     Macromolecules are organic molecules that are needed to support life. Examples of macromolecules are lipids, proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. Macromolecules can be found in many things that we use everyday. Lipids can be found it waxes, proteins can be found in meat or fish, nucleic acids can be found in DNA and RNA, and carbohydrates can be found in bread, pasta, rice, vegetables, etc. The simplest form of macromolecules are called monomers. The monomer for lipids is fatty acids, protein monomer is called amino acid, carbohydrates monomer is called saccharides, and nucleic acids polymer is called nucleotide. Macromolecules have their own functions as well. Proteins regulate growth and development, lipids store energy in the cell, carbohydrates are essentially energy, and nucleic acids provide instructions for life (DNA and RNA)

SP7 - Arguing From Evidence:

     This week, I used the ACE strategy to answer questions in my work. On one assignment, I was given a set of 4 food items' nutrition facts and I was supposed to fill in the information on table. After that, I was given scenarios and I was supposed to find the food that would be best eaten for that scenario. For example 'If you wanted to heal or build up body mass, which food would you want to eat(from your food set)?" In that part of my work, I answered the food that I thought would best fit the scenario, cite my work by giving out the nutrition facts (carbs, protein, etc.), and explain how the food would help. In the example question above, I explained that my food had the highest in protein and that protein regulates development and growth. This one example of how I ACEd my answers in my work.

XCC - System and System Models:

     One system I noticed this week was a system involving macromolecules and living things. Macromolecules provide the necessary things for life such as Nucleic Acid which creates DNA and RNA for the living things to function. Proteins are needed to regulate growth and development, and Carbohydrates provide energy for the cell. Living organisms such as animals and plants consume or use macromolecules such as carbohydrates and proteins in food such as bread or meat. The two parts of this system- the macromolecules which helps support life and the things that consume the macromolecules- living organisms work together to help the living organism work.

           

Final Cell Wars Blog - Project Reflection

My Website: https://tackk.com/mne5wy

Summary:

     All organelles have different functions to help the cell. The vacuole holds in waste and helps plants grow. The ribosomes create proteins which creates hair. Lysosomes breaks down waste, the golgi body sorts, modifies and delivers components for the cell, and peroxisomes breaks toxins such as hydrogen peroxide. The cell wall protects the cell and keeps the plant together, and the cell membrane is basically another layer of cells and protects everything. The cytoplasm moves materials and information and fills up the nucleus and the endoplasmic reticulum transports proteins to other cells.

Backwards Looking:

     Have you done a similar kind of work in the past (earlier in the year or in a previous grade; in school or out of school)? Yes, I did do a project that covered the topic of cells and organelles. This project was called 'The Organelle Trail'. In this project, you were assigned a partner and an organelle. With your partner, you must make a wanted sign for the organelle. In your wanted sign, you must have the 'Wanted: [Organelle]' text, a picture of the organelle, its function(s), its location in the cell, what it contains inside the organelle, and a brief description of it. In this project, I learned about the Cytoplasm and its properties and functions.

Inwards Looking:

     How do you feel about this piece of work? What parts of it do you particularly like? Dislike? Why? What did/do you enjoy about this piece or work? I thought that this project was pretty fun to do because I got to learn about the organelle that I was studying about (the mitochondria) and apply the information about the mitochondria into my posters, smears and video. The part that I enjoyed most in the project was making my smears and because I got to put my creativity into the smears (especially making the memes for the smears) and research and learn more about each organelle. I also enjoyed making the posters since they looked really nice at the end and gave information about the mitochondria. The part that I didn't really like was the creation of the video and presentation because the work on the video was a bit tedious and repetitive and I feel like I didn't really do a good job at editing it.

Outwards Looking:

     Did you do your work the way other people did theirs? In what ways did you do it differently? In what ways was your work or process similar? For the most part of the project, yes. I did do the project similar to other students. One thing that I did differently was instead of making a video informing people about my organelle, I made a song/video of my organelle. I saw that no one else made a song for their organelle. Another thing that I did that was different from classmates was that I didn't name my organelle. Many teams gave their organelles a name, such as Perry the Peroxisome, Camillo Golgi, etc. My team and I didn't really give our organelle a name. Again, for the most part of the project, we did the same things as other classmates. I made smears with memes and sources, posters with the same format (which was "Vote for [organelle]- [organelle does this and that]").

Forward Looking:

     What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again? If I was to do the Cell Wars project again, I would change a couple of things. One thing that I would like to change is the video type. The type of video that I made was a song, which didn't satisfy me. This is because I am not used to making songs and I feel like I would have done better on the video part of the project if I did not do a song, but instead a news report or skit, since I am pretty good at writing scripts for those. Another thing that I would like to redo for this project is the smears. I would've liked to make more smears, since I feel like I didn't make enough smears (I only made 2).

Vote:

      My vote for the Cell Wars is the Golgi Body. This is because the Golgi Body sorts, modifies, and ships proteins and components for organelles all around the cell. Although Golgi Apparatus causes Androgenesis, it is really rare. Without the Golgi Body, there is no protein packaging. Without protein packaging, organelles such as lysosomes would not have enough enzymes to function, and waste would build up in the cell.      

Cell Wars: Posters & Video - 9/5 - 9/9

Image Source: http://www.lhsc.on.ca/_images/Genetics/mitochondrion_000.jpg

Summary:

     The Mitochondrion is the power house of the cell. It provides energy to all the organelles around it. Without the Mitochondrion, many animals and plants would not exist since they require a lot of energy, and most living creatures would be bacteria. The inner membrane of mitochondria is folded and creates cristae. Cristae increases the surface area of the inner membrane, and allows the matrix, the part that is inside the inner membrane, to work at its most. The outer membrane of the mitochondria acts like skin, protecting the mitochondria.

  

SP7 - Arguing From Evidence: 

     This week, I argued from evidence and attempted to convince the class that mitochondria is the best organelle in the cell. In the video that my team and I were making this week, we said that mitochondria is the power house of the cell and nothing big would survive without them. We also explained the structure of the mitochondrion, and said that the mitochondria has two things: the inner membrane and the outer membrane. The outer membrane acts like the skin and the inner membrane is folded to increase surface area and maximize productivity. We also explained the function of the cell. The mitochondria collects sugar and organic molecules, chemically digests them into energy, and it is given to all organelles.

XCC - System and System Models: 

      This XCC is similar and kind of adds on to what I put in my XCC concepts in my blog two weeks ago. I noticed a similarity to an electronic device and a cell. A cell has its parts and its functions, such as the mitochondria, vacuole, lysosome, nucleus, etc. All these parts work together to achieve one or more things. An electronic device does the same thing. Take a computer for example. A computer has a hard-drive, a battery, screen, a sound card, a motherboard, etc. All these components of a computer work together to accomplish the things a computer does. The parts on a computer are also comparable to those on a cell. The battery is similar to the mitochondria, providing energy for the computer, the CPU is similar to the nucleus, acting like the brain of the cell, etc. In conclusion, cells act similar to electronic devices.

Cell Wars: The Mitochondria - (8/29 - 9/1)

Image Source: http://goo.gl/MbxUlK

Summary:

     Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. It takes sugar and organic molecules, (chemically) breaks them down and produces rich energy for all organelles in a cell. Think of the mitochondria as batteries. Without batteries (in this case mitochondria), no living thing would function. The shape of the mitochondria is meant to make the most out of itself and maximize its productivity. The inner membrane is folded to increase surface area inside the mitochondrion, giving it more space to work with. If a cell is too weak, it can produce more mitochondria to give itself more energy

SP7 - Arguing From Evidence:

     This week, I participated in the Smear Wars on Edmodo. In the Smear Wars, I pointed out the flaws and negative things that some organelles cause, and also defended the organelle I was campaigning for; the mitochondria. In the Smear Wars, I gave an explanation as to why a certain organelle should not be the new ruler of Cell Land, either for that specific organelle causing a severe disease or the vulnerabilities of the organelle. For example, the Cell Wall has holes in it, which allows a lot of water to escape from the plant. After explaining the flaw(s) of the organelle, I provided sources to back up my claim.

XCC - Structure and Function:

    In class, I noticed a Structure and Function with the mitochondria. The structure of the inner membrane of the mitochondria is folded to create more surface area and space. The more space given to the mitochondria, the faster and efficient it works. This is one way the structure works with the function- the structure maximizes productivity of the mitochondria. The outer membrane also provides a lot of space for the inner membrane to work in.

Review of Cells - 8/22 - 8/26

Image Source: http://goo.gl/jBAoWr

Summary: 

     Cells are in all living things and are the basic building blocks of life. There are billions upon billions of cells in each living organisms. Inside cells are tinier cells called organelles. Organelles  are the things that make a cell function, similar to a cell phone. A cell phone has many parts in it, which help it function. Different organelles each have their own function. For example, mitochondria help power the cell and keep it alive, and is responsible for basic cell activities.

 SP6: Constructing Explanations: 

     This week, I reviewed the topic of cells, organelles, and atoms. I also started the "Cell Wars" Project. The first work sheet I had was finding the "odd one out" for two lists. I was given two sets of lists of items, and I was supposed to find the item that did not fit in each list. I found out that list A had items made of cells and list B had items made up of atoms (with no cells). After solving the problem, I had to explain which was bigger; an atom or a cell. I said that a cell was bigger because everything is made of atoms, including cells. Since cells are made of millions upon millions of atoms, a cell is definitely bigger than an atom.

 

XCC: Systems and System Models:

      One thing I noticed when studying cells and organelles, I found out that there was a system with cells and organelles. The system I found was the cell and the system parts were the organelles. I saw that organelles work together to create a functioning cell. For example, the mitochondria provides energy for the cell, and allows other organelles in the cell to function. Also, the nucleus, powered by mitochondria, controls cell activity. This example proves that without one organelle, the cell would die out. Another thing to point out is that this cell system can work with other cell systems to create tissues, organs, and organisms.

    

Multiplier:

      This week, I was a Wanderer (Active Contributor). This is because I was always trying to find information on cells or the topic. Although I wasn't as dedicated as a Creator (Dynamic Contributor), I still always tried to find information on the topic and share it with my team/table.

Weekly Blog 5/9 - 5/15 - Food Systems

Image source: https://goo.gl/oSC74L

Summary (What I learned):

      When taking a bite out of an apple, do you ever ask: "Where did this come from?". You probably might not have even cared or thought about this question, but an apple, or any food product, goes through a long system to get to your house. This is called a Food System. First, the fruit or vegetable is planted in a farm and is taken care of. After that, the fruit or vegetable is harvested and then taken into a factory. When the food is in the factory, it is processed to either make the vegetable look appealing (like the way you see it in supermarkets) or combined with other food products to make one food product. For example, tomatoes are mixed with spices and other ingredients, such as vinegar, to make ketchup. After being processed, the food product is then stored in a cold, hot, or room temperature area depending on how it is preserved. For example, if you are storing meat or milk, you would put it in a cold area. After being stored, the food product is packaged, put it a truck or some other form of transportation, and put into the market, where you buy it. After you buy the food product, you take it home and consume it. Now that you consumed it, what do you do now? Do you compost the food product or throw it away? Food products get wasted in each step in the Food system. For example, during harvesting, not all fruits and vegetables are picked, even though they are still edible, and those unpicked foods are left to die.

SP-8: Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information (What I did):

     This week, I obtained information about the food system by researching about it, doing an activity that showed the food system of an apple, doing another activity about learning the food system of chicken products, and discussing this topic with my table mates. When working on these activities last week, I evaluated the information I found by searching up the facts, and then using background information to support it. For example, I learned online that the first step of obtaining chicken products is raising the chicken. To make sure this was true, I thought to myself, is there any steps before raising a chicken? I already know that you need to raise a chicken before you do anything with it, so this information was correct. I communicated the given information by discussing it with my table and adding it to the 'Food System: Apples/Chicken" Chart.

XCC: System and System Models:

     When studying about food systems, I noticed that there was a System and System Models. The System was the food system, which I explained in the Summary, and there were also System Models. The System Models, which made the Food System work, was the Factory, Transportation, Retailers, and Farmers. The Farmers helped create the food, the Factory helps process the food, the Transportation transports the food to where it is, and the Retailers help sell the food to you, and then you eat it. Without these components, the food system would not work.

Multiplier/Conclusion:

     This week, I gathered data about food products and the process they go through to go to your house. I also learned about how much of that food is wasted during this system, how it could be wasted in each step of the system, and how to not waste it in each step of the system. This week, I was also a Wanderer, exploring the information and sharing it with my team.

     

Project Blog 5/2 - 5-6 - Biome Survival Project

Image Source: https://goo.gl/qAHWTT

Summary: 

     The Tundra Biome is the most coldest biomes in the world. This Biome is so cold that it makes it hard for life to live there. This is why in the Tundra there is very little vegetation or life there. If you were to survive in the Tundra, there would be many things to consider, such as: Food, Water, Shelter, Fire, and knowing all the dangers. Besides the cold weather, the Tundra Biome has almost no resources. Although it is abundant with water, it lacks vegetation, which makes it hard to find food or find trees for wood to make fire. It also has many dangerous animals and plants such as polar bears and monkshood. There are also no trees in the Tundra, which reduces your chance of finding shelter and materials.

Backward Looking:

      In what ways have you gotten better at this kind of work? I believe I have improved on researching information on certain topics and text production. I believe that during the project, I gradually started to find reliable information a bit faster. To find reliable information, I would research on one topic, such as 'Dangerous Animals and Plants in the Tundra". I would find one website, write down the information it has on that topic, and find another information with the same information. If the first website I looked up didn't have any matching information, I wouldn't add it. This is how I found information on this project. During this project, I think I got faster at it.

Inward Looking:

     How do you feel about this piece of work? What parts of it do you particularly like? Dislike? Why? What did/do you enjoy about this piece or work? I feel like the Biome Project was a really fun project to work on. This is because it was satisfying to work on the text product and finish it and learn about the Tundra Biome. The part that I particularly liked was making the text product, mainly because I liked how it looked like at the end and the information it displayed. The part I dislike about this project was the Diorama part. Normally, I would feel happy to work on a Diorama on a project, but I feel like the making of the Diorama didn't go as I thought it would, and I feel like we finished it a bit late(?). Overall, I think I enjoyed most of this project, though.

Outward Looking:

      What grade would you give it? Why? If I were to give a grade on my specific part on the project, I would give myself an A-. This is because I believe I did a really good job contributing to the team and helping them with the project. However, I also believe that I could have done a little better on researching information or doing more work in the Diorama. This is because I believe I could have contributed more into making the figures in the Diorama, since I feel like I didn't my full effort on it. I also think I could have found a little more information on the text-product part.

Forward Looking:

      What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again? If I were to do this project again, I would plan out what I was going to do, the deadlines, what I should get started on, etc. This is because I feel like I didn't plan out as much, which made me feel a bit mad or frustrated at times. I would also like to improve on the Diorama part of the project. This is because I believe things could have gone a little better or I could have improved on that part. The things I could have improved on during the diorama was the materials used or the planning.

Weekly Blog 4/25 - 5/1 - The Tundra Biome

Image Source:

 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Alpine_tundra.jpg

Summary:
      The Tundra biome is a biome with low vegetation with cold, harsh weather. This biome is known to be the coldest biome on earth. The Tundra biome is located northern Eurasia, Alaska, and Northern Canada. To survive in this biome, you would need five things: food, water, shelter, fire, and learn about hazardous animals in this biome. To get food, you can hunt animals or pick plants. To get water, you can go to lakes, rivers, or pick up snow, and boil them. To get shelter, you can dig into a mountain with snow, enough to fit yourself inside. You can also create sparks with rocks and make the sparks fall on grass and twigs to make fire. To survive in the tundra, you may also need to watch out for dangerous animals and plants, such as polar/grizzly bears, mosquitoes, monkshood, labrador tea, and Arctic Poppies. These things are necessary to survive in the tundra.

SP8: Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information:

     This week, I continued on the Biome Survival Project. I gathered information on the hazardous animals in the tundra. I found six dangerous animals in the tundra which were: Grizzly Bears, Polar Bears, Arctic Poppies, Labrador Tea, and Monkshood. These things either harm you or kill you. I also helped find information on how to get fire in the tundra and find shelter in the tundra. To get fire, you simply get two rocks and a pile of twigs (Diamond-Leaf, since they burn easily) and grass. then smash the two rocks against each other, creating sparks. Those sparks will fall onto the pile of grass and twigs, creating a fire. To get shelter, find a mountain with a thick layer of snow on the side. Dig a hole into that layer of snow, enough for you to fit in. Then, block the entrance with a rock, and create a vent so you don't suffocate by poking holes on the ceiling. This will expose the inside of your shelter to the air outside.

XXC Cause and Effect:

      This week, I identified a cause and effect system in the Tundra biome. I saw that the Tundra biome was very cold and could sustain very little life. The effect made certain animals and plants survive in the Tundra and some to die. The animals and plants that survive the tundra are either food or harmful. So the effect of the Tundra being very cold was that it made it hard for many living creatures to survive there. When humans challenge themselves to survive in the tundra, they have to survive only with the things in the tundra. The tundra provides very little vegetation and life, making it hard for humans to get food in the tundra. However, there is plenty of snow and rivers to get water from, so the tundra is full of water. The tundra also provided homes for Grizzly Bears and Polar bears, which are dangerous to humans. Harmful plants such as Monkshood and Labrador Tea also survive in the tundra. So the cause is that the Tundra is cold, and the effect is that it is hard to survive in the tundra, and you are left with harmful animals, harsh weather, and very little food. 

Multiplier/Conclusion:

     This week, I learned about the Tundra biome and its landscape. I also learned how to survive in it. Also, this week, I was a contributor, because I found a lot of information that helped my team and I get to where we are now.

The Epic Journey of Mr. Bottle

  This is the Route I took! I drew this during my journey

April 14th, 1832:

     Hello! My name is Mr. Bottle. I live in the house of the Whitehead Family in Java, Indonesia. It's almost a week before i'm thrown into the [Pacific] ocean. Inside of me is a message that says 'Whoever receives this message receives this fortune'. With this message was a lot of money, enough to buy you anything. Anyways, I'm actually pretty excited to be set adrift. It's been a lifelong dream to explore the ocean and learn everything about it! I really, really hope that I land somewhere or learn at least one thing about it!

April 21st, 1832:

     The Whitehead Family just launched me into the Pacific ocean.  I wonder where I'm going to end up...

May 15th, 1845:

     It's been about over 10 years since I was thrown into the Pacific ocean. I had no idea where I was going, so I asked a fish named Mr. Prey (not exactly the best name someone can get). He told me that I was going south, down the East Australian Current. I asked him how he knew. He told me that he and many other people could tell where they were just by tasting the salt and feeling the temperature of the water and told me to taste it. Being naive, I did. UGH! That was disgusting! Mr. Prey told me that salinity gets low near the equator, since the equator contains warm water, and warm water carries less salt. He also told me that since there is less salt at the equator, it is less dense near the equator.

June 4th, 1878:

      This morning, for some reason, I pondered on an idea. How come the water keeps moving? Even when there is no wind at all. Does it have anything to do with salinity, density, or temperature? Maybe I should taste the ocean water again. BAD IDEA! BAD IDEA! NEVERMIND! AAAAAHHHH! Okay. That was a bad idea. Maybe I should ask this shark and see what he'll say!

      I may have made a big mistake. When I tried to ask the shark a question, he immediately opened his mouth, sucking me inside it. Now I'm trapped inside the stomach of a shark, never to be let out again! Sigh, now I'll never find land! I believe my journey has come to an end.

     (*Mr. Bottle cried in one corner of the shark's stomach, eating ice cream. Mr Bottle then wonders why he has ice cream, since the only thing inside of him is a message with money*)

June 4th, 1887:

      I've been trapped inside this shark's stomach for 10 full years, and there is no sign of escape yet. I really hope that I get out of here, so I can explore the ocean even more and learn more about it!

June 5th 1887:

      I woke up to something rather heavy falling on my head. It's a fish. Hmm... It also has a familiar face. I asked the fish if I knew him. He said "Of course! I'm Mr. Prey!". Oh yea! Mr Prey. I remember him!

      I asked Mr. Prey If he knew any way on how to get out of here. He told me that there was only one way. Mr Prey. then told me that I should go down the shark's stomach, and that there would be an exit door there. When I started to go down the shark's stomach, Mr. Prey followed me.

June 8th, 1887:

      Finally! I found the exit. I have no idea why it took that long, but I did it! When I tried to open the door, Mr. Prey stopped me. I asked what's wrong. Mr. Prey suddenly started to grow in size. Each second, he grew at least 6 inches wider and taller. I opened the exit door and left, fearing Mr. Prey. When I left, I flew out of the shark's body and onto the ocean surface. Yuck! The ocean water was as salty as ever. The water is also cold! I was glad to be back in the ocean! My journey continued! However, when I looked behind me, Mr. Prey was the size of a shark, and the shark I was trapped in for ten years was a small fish.

      "YOU WILL DIE!" Big Mr. Prey said. Wow. I did not really know how Mr. Prey turned into a shark, but I'll accept the fact. Anyways, when I was trying to run away from Mr. Prey, he was twice my speed. I couldn't outrun him. I had to think of a plan. So I immediately came up with a plan! I should trap him in this rock in the shape of an arch. So I swam towards the arched shaped rock, with Mr. Prey behind me. I felt like I was going to be eaten again. I couldn't! I swam as fast as I could towards the rock and then I screamed.

     CRASH!

      I trapped Mr. Prey! I was safe! I then had one question to ask Mr. Prey: Why were you chasing me? He said that he wanted the money inside my bottle, so he could buy almost anything. Mr. Prey then said he already gave up, and wanted me to help him get out of the arch shaped rock. I told him I would on two conditions: He wouldn't hunt me, and he would make my dreams come true on exploring the ocean and learning everything about it. He agreed to it, and we even shook on it.

June 9th, 1887:

      After I let Mr. Prey out, I asked him a lot of questions about the ocean. I asked him why the water on the surface of the ocean moves even though there is no wind. He told me that wind currents and the earth's rotation work together to make the ocean currents move. I then asked why the ocean below the surface moves, since there is no wind there. He told me that it's the great ocean conveyor that moves all around the world below surface currents. It happens because of temperature and the salinity of the water. When new water from precipitation or glaciers it makes cold water. Cold water is more denser than warm water, and since cold water has more salt in them, this makes the cold water a lot more denser than warm water, making the cold water sink below the warm water. This process continues and creates currents, making the great ocean conveyor.

June 10th, 1887:

      Mr. Prey and I talked a lot about the ocean. We talked a lot about it that we didn't even notice that one day passed. After we talked about oceans,  Mr. Prey told me that it's time to finish my journey. he then sprinkled some... shiny glitter(?) on me. Then he swam away. I wonder what that did....

December 25th, 1945:

      It's been about 60 years after my encounter with Mr. Prey and about 113 years since I was set adrift in the Pacific Ocean. After that encounter, I didn't really know where I was, so I asked a fish. And no, the fish didn't eat me this time (YAY!). The fish told me that I was in the Falkland Current, east of South America. I'm guessing that the shark I was trapped in for about 10 YEARS was heading East along the East West Wind Drift, and after my encounter with Mr. Prey, I went up north to the Falkland Current. Another thing I want to talk about is something called Christmas? I don't really know what that is, and I didn't really talk about it earlier in this journal. Every winter, whenever I see land, I many lights. The colors of the lights are mainly green, red, orange, and yellow. Also, people usually come together and celebrate. I found out about this 'Christmas' when seeing ships and land. It seems like a pretty cool concept.

February 8th, 1999:

      It's been almost 170 years since I was set adrift. While floating, I've seen a couple of interesting things floating about in this ocean. I've seen some rubber ducks floating, small plastic bricks which have many colors, and even shoes! I don't even know where they come from! I also found a map and a compass. That might be helpful...

January 16th, 2004:

      It's been 60 years since I was last updated one where I was, so I checked my map and compass to see where I was. It took me a couple of hours, but I found out where I was. I was in the middle of the Benguela Current, which goes up north. Wait. How did I find my location with just a map and a compass? I think Joshua was- wait, no, I don't know who that is.

April 20th, 2016:

       I woke up to the warm breeze and air. I also felt something solid beneath me. When I looked down, I saw land! Yes! I finally made it! Land at last! When I looked ahead of me, I saw I sign that said "Welcome to Ghana, Africa!". I was glad to make it on land. Wait. What was that? I hear footsteps. Uh oh! Run away!

       The source of the footsteps grabbed me, and took me to his house. He grabbed some kind of device and poked it inside my cork. The next thing I knew, my cork was out along with the message and money. The human then put the money in his pocket, and took me upstair on a windowsill. Well, my journey has come to an end, and my new home is on a windowsill!

The End

Weekly Blog 4/4 - 4/10 - Ocean and Wind Currents

Image Source: https://goo.gl/GUDcxe

Summary: 

     Wind Currents help form Ocean Currents. When comparing an ocean current map to a wind current map, I found out that the ocean current map went the same direction as the wind current map, which must mean that the wind currents affect the direction ocean currents go. Also, wind currents form gyres. A gyre is when water moves in a circle. Gyres are formed when wind blows on opposite sides, opposite directions, and one blowing higher (more north) than the other. This makes the water begin to move. What makes the water move in a circle (gyres) are the landmasses. These allow the moving water to kind of bounce off them and create that circle motion. Without the landmasses, the water wouldn't be bouncing off of anything, and wouldn't create that circle motion.

SP8: Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information:

     This week, I obtained data through scientific experiments, reading articles and informational text, and looking at maps of wind and ocean currents and writing down my information. This week, I read about Nike shoes falling into the Pacific Ocean. Then, I plot down where some of the Nike shoes were found. When doing this, I found out that most of the Nike shoes were found at the coast of Western Canada and United States. This made me believe that the Nike sneakers went through 5 Ocean currents to get to the location they were found. When the Nikes were dropped, the North Pacific Current led them to the Alaskan current (which is why most of the Nike shoes found were found along the coast of Western Canada and United States), then down the California Current, across the North Equatorial Current, to the Kuroshio Current. The shoes went along these currents until they were found on land. I evaluated gathered information by discussing it with my team, checking my answers, and seeing if my data was correct. I communicated the information I found with my team.

XCC: Cause and Effect:

     I saw that there was a Cause and Effect system between Ocean Currents and Wind Currents. The cause is Wind Currents. Wind currents form Ocean Currents and gyres. The effect of the cause (Wind Currents) are Ocean Currents and Gyres. I know that this Cause and Effect system exists because if you look at a wind current map and put it right next to an ocean current map, you can see that the wind currents go the same direction as the ocean currents. You can also test this system out and see if wind currents form gyres. You will need a tray, water, parsley leaves, and two straws. Fill the tray with water and sprinkle parsley leaves on the water. Then, grab the two straws and put them on both ends of the tray (lengthy sides). Then, take the two straws and put them on either end of the tray (width sides). You should have a tray filled with water with parsley leaves on the top, with one straw on one side near the top edge, and another straw on the other side, at the bottom edge. Now, take one straw and have another person take the other straw, and blow into the straw into the tray of water lightly. You should see that the parsley leaves move in a circle. This is a simulation of how ocean currents and gyres work. The wind currents blow the water, causing wind currents and gyres to form.

Conclusion/Multiplier:

   This week, I learned that wind currents affect the way ocean currents move and help form them. I also learned about the formation of gyres and why they move in a circle. This week, I was a Wanderer. This is because I searched for information and shared them with my team.

Weekly Blog 3/21 - 3/27 - Ocean Currents

Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Ocean_surface_currents.jpg

Summary: 

     The ocean has many key elements to it that make it function, such as precipitation and salt, which makes waves and ocean currents work. The ocean contains salt since its waves kept splashing and weathering rocks for millions of years, turning them into salt. Salt plays a major role in Ocean Currents because it helps Ocean Currents function. When precipitation (rain, snow, hail, etc.) falls onto the ocean, it gives the ocean new, fresh water. The saltwater is heavier than the freshwater that fell into the ocean, pushing it downwards. This process repeats, giving the ocean movement, creating ocean currents. Waves come from Ocean Currents, or other events, such as natural disasters (meteor, volcano, earthquake, etc.).

SP8: Obtain, Evaluate, and Communicate Information:

     This week, I obtained data in the Humans Vs. Earth poster by reading provided information about both Humans and Earth, finding similarities and differences in the process. For example, the majority of a Human and Earth is made up of water. I then shared the similarities and differences I found with my table mates, and helping them create the poster. I also gathered data on an Ocean Current Worksheet that required a globe to do. The first question asked for me and my partner to draw the longest line on land without backtracking, then count how many latitude and longitude I crossed. I gathered this data by discussing which route was the farthest on land with my partner without backtracking. We eventually agreed on one route and wrote down our answers. I did the same thing for the second question, which asked me and my partner to do the same thing as before, except with the ocean. This week, I evaluated my data by discussing it with my table mates and agreeing on one thing for each question. I communicated my findings to my table mates and my partner whenever I found data.

XCC: System and System Models:

     In class, I found that there was a system in the ocean. There are three parts to this system: The ocean, what makes the ocean work, and other systems (inhabitants of water). The ocean is just a blank canvas. Without the ocean, this system wouldn't exist. The things that make the ocean work is salt, and precipitation. Salt and precipitation create ocean currents, as I said before. Those ocean currents provide transportation, food, and oxygen to other sea creatures (affecting other systems(sea creatures)). This system is the opposite of another system, which was the Environment and the Human system in the Gray Area. The Environment and Human System did not work well in the Gray Area, unlike the Ocean System. The Humans were causing problems to the environment and themselves, making the system not work out well. 

Conclusion and Multiplier: 

     This week, I learned about Ocean Currents, what creates ocean currents, and what is affected by ocean currents. Also, this week, I was a wanderer. This is because I tried to search for information that would help me complete my work.

WAC - The Main Gray Area Suspect 3/14 - 3/18

The Main Culprit of the Fish Kill in the Gray Area:

Dear Editor,

     5 years ago, the Gray Area started to see fish dying rapidly and suddenly, for an unknown reason. People of the Gray Area started to blame the Water Slide (currently located next to the Fo River) for the fish kill. However, over a few weeks, through scientific experiments, finding information, and connecting those information with other events, I have concluded that the majority of the Gray Area is responsible for the Gray Area fish kill, except for places such as the Selectively Cut Forest. However, I am here to tell you the main suspect that is most likely contributing the most in the fish kill in the Gray Area. That suspect is Sandy Trapp.

     The first reason Sandy Trapp is most likely the main suspect is because I tested three drainages near the James Pond River for phosphates: The Golf Course, The Cattle Ranch, and the Gray's Land Town drainage. When testing these drainages for phosphates, I found that only the Golf Course contained phosphates. This information seems suspicious to me, since another test in the James Pond showed that there were only a few small bugs and bacteria in the water, meaning that most of the creatures in the James Pond died of low oxygen. Too much phosphates in water can be bad for fish, as it overgrows plants in the water, causing algal blooms. Algal blooms cause many plants in the water to grow. Those plants in the water provide oxygen, but when they die, they also consume oxygen. When the plants in the water die, bacteria consume a lot of the dissolved oxygen left by the algal blooms to decompose the dead algae. Since all the bacteria consumed most of the dissolved oxygen left by plants, there wouldn't be much dissolved oxygen left for the other fish and marine life to breathe, killing them.

     Another reason Sandy Trapp is a likely suspect in the fish kill is because during a recent fish Autopsy in the Gray Area made to find out what was killing the fish, it showed that 21 in 50 fish died from a lack of oxygen. In addition to that, the Bird Watching rates decreased over the last twenty years. Twenty years ago, the Kingfisher population increased while the Duck and Hawk population stayed balanced. Over the last 5 years, Kingfisher population decreased until there was no more Kingfishers, the Hawk population decreased as well, but did not disappear like the Kingfisher, and the Duck population started to increase. The phosphates may have played a role in this event. Too much phosphates are harmful to marine life, as I explained previously. The phosphates may have killed the fish, which Kingfishers eat. Since there are no fish, there is no food for Kingfishers, so they leave the Pond to find more food. Duck also hunt fish, but they probably don't leave like the Kingfishers, since they also eat plants, grass, seeds, etc.

     In addition to that, a private email between Sandy Trapp and someone named Mo Lawn had been exposed. The email shows Sandy Trapp telling Mo Lawn that their Golf Course grass had turned brown, and told Mo Lawn that they needed to add more fertilizer and water to the plants. Mo Lawn tells Sandy Trapp that they shouldn't add fertilizer, as the grass would turn back to green in a while, but this statement does not convince Sandy Trapp to add more fertilizer. This email is further evidence that Sandy Trapp is the main suspect of the Gray Area fish kill. Although this email may be fake, this email fits in with the rest of the evidence I have shown you. Sandy Trapp added fertilizer to the grass, which goes down in to the Golf Course drainage. The Golf Course drainage showed that there were phosphates (fertilizer) in the drainage, and the drainage led into the James Pond River. The phosphates in the Golf Course drainage went into the James Pond River, overgrowing plants in the river, and causing algal blooms. As we all know, algal blooms consume oxygen that is needed for marine animals, killing them. 

     Despite all this information, Sandy Trapp denied that she was pouring phosphates into the river, in rebuttal to Juan Tuno's accusation. Her comment says: "(sarcastically) Oh wow! Kid with chemistry set catches evil golf course in mass fish murder. That's the craziest thing I've ever heard in my life! The golf course is on the other side of the hill, and our water doesn't even drain into the pond!". The last sentence "The golf course is on the other side of the hill, and our water doesn't even drain into the pond", is false. The Golf Course drainage was found with phosphates, and James Pond is too low in oxygen. I also found that the Gray's Land Town and the Cattle Ranch drainage did not have any phosphates in them. Since the Golf Course was the only drainage near James Pond to have phosphates, and James Pond is low on oxygen in the water, this must mean that the Golf Course drainage actually leads to James Pond.

     In conclusion, Sandy Trapp is (most likely) the main suspect of the fish killing in the Gray Area. This is shown by the phosphates found in the drain, the lack of oxygen that is killing the fish, the fish autopsy and how it connects to the phosphates and the Golf Course, and the exposed private email found that shows more information about the Golf Course. To solve this problem, I highly suggest that the Golf Course (and other places that use phosphates and fertilizer) should monitor the amount of phosphates and fertilizer being used. The Golf Course should not be immediately shut down unless it is absolutely necessary. To the residents of the Gray Area: If you want to help save the fish, please limit the amount of fertilizer you use, since fertilizers contain phosphates, and dispose of trash and waste properly (don't litter in anyway possible!).

                                                           
                                                                 - Name withheld by request