Charity Fair (Project Blog 12/11 - 12/15)

Summary:

     The Clean Clothes Campaign in the largest global charity dedicated to stopping sweatshops in the garment and sportswear industry. They improve working conditions in sweatshops by pressuring both the manufacturer and retailer to raise worker wages rather than boycotting them and potentially leaving hundreds of workers unemployed. In addition to that, they support struggling workers in sweatshops by creating networks with them alongside Labor Unions and Non Governmental Organizations. A couple of events that demonstrate the Clean Clothes Campaign's their participation in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza Collapse and the burning of an H&M sweatshop, both of which happened in 2013. During both of these events, the CCC supported the victims of these two events and constantly pressured the owners of the sweatshops to improve working conditions. Looking at this charity and what is has done so far, my partner and I decided to choose this charity since it solves what we feel strongly about and works effectively to stop the issue at hand.

Backwards Looking: 

     What process did you go through to produce this piece? To produce a tri-fold that both advertises me and my partner's charity and product, we first had to research what the Clean Clothes Campaign was, what it did and how it did it, which is explained in the summary. The next step was to figure out what we were going to make that relates to our charity. We decided to make Kanzashi Christmas trees in order to support the Clean Clothes Campaign. What followed next was another series of research in where we were trying to find the cost and profit of making our item and how much our charity made in a year and how it distributed the money. Delving more into our product, we made a step-by-step tutorial in order to show the process of how a Kanzashi Christmas Tree was made. The final step was to compress all that information into a tri-fold. 

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 felt that this year's charity fair could have been far more better than it was. However, it isn't due to any of the components assigned by teachers that made this charity fair unsatisfactory. The part that made this year unsatisfactory was the product. My partner and I planned to make 5 Kanzashi Christmas Trees each so that we would make a total of 10 which was the minimum requirement for quantity of items. However, during the night of the charity fair, I brought the 5 that I was supposed to make while my partner only brought in one Kanzashi Christmas tree which made me feel a bit disappointed due to the fact that we could have done more to support our charity. Despite that, I feel like all of the other components that we worked on far surpassed my expectations and of what I did in my previous years due to how insightful all the information was on what the charity was and our product.

Outwards Looking:

In what ways did your work meet the standards for this assignment? In what ways did it not meet those standards? I believe our work in this year's charity met most of the standards for this assignment. As I have stated before, our main resource was our charity's website which provided many information about themselves and was proven to be a main asset in this project. The charity research, statistics and presentations all elaborated on the Clean Clothes Campaign as a whole and even goes into depth on why sweatshops exist in the first place and how this charity is effectively improving worker wages. I think that the product that we made this year was also met the standards in regards to quality, as it took a long time to make and had a pleasant appearance once it was done in the making. I think that my partner and I's final product met all of the standards except for the quantity of products, since we made only a total of 6 out of 10.

Forward Looking:

As you look at this piece, what's one thing that you would like to try to improve upon? Looking back at how I did overall, I feel like I could have managed my time more wisely. I feel like the week making the instructables was a waste. It only took one and a half class periods to finish it, yet I spent most of the rest of the week doing nothing due to the fact that I didn't have the printouts for the project yet. I also felt like the product that I made could have been better as well, although this may be slightly nitpicky. I did five of the Kanzashi Christmas tree over the break but two of them had some gaps in between the leaves. I could have filled them in but I spent the break doing other things and I ended up fixing them before the day of Charity Fair. Overall, I think the weakest point in this project was my management with time.

Distance and Displacement (12/4 - 12/8)

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

Summary:

     In physics, two out of the many important measurements are distance and displacement. These two factors measure how far an object moved from its starting point to its end point. Distance is a scalar quantity, which measures magnitude. It measures the original path that an object took in its time of motion. Displacement is a vector quantity which measures both the magnitude and direction. Displacement measures how far out an object is from its original starting point. In other words, displacement is the shortest possible distance from point A to point B. 

SP3 - Launching Investigations:

     This week I began in investigation when studying distance and displacement. With my partner, we were to investigate if and how displacement and distance affect each other. To do this, we found a specific location to test our hypothesis on, which was that the distance affects displacement of an object by increasing it. Our first step was to place down a piece of tape on the location we decided on. Next, we were to follow the directions on taking steps. The final step was to measure and record both the displacement and distance of our travel. We did these three steps three times and noticed that the displacement was always greater than the displacement unless the path is a straight line because displacement shows the shortest possible route from the starting point and end point. 

Carbon Footprint (11/27 - 12/1)

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

Summary:

     Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere after an event, activity or movement. All the emissions sent into the atmosphere is combined and calculated as an equivalent to a quantity of Carbon Dioxide, given the name carbon footprint. It is important to plan out an event keeping carbon footprint in mind and tracking how much has been emitted from that activity since if kept neglected, more emissions would be sent into the atmosphere which would take a toll on the environment. Carbon footprint is usually tracked when importing and exporting products and goods because the modes of transportation most commonly use gas which emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

SP8 - Obtain, Evaluate, Communicate:

     This week my partner and I calculated and displayed the carbon footprint produced when making our product, the Kanzashi Christmas Tree. The first step was to obtain the basic data in order to find out how much carbon footprint was used to make one. To do that, we had to find out the distance between the retailer and the manufacturer. We had to multiply the distance in miles by 0.8g if the product was sent via plane, 0.17g if sent via truck, 0.1g if sent via train and by 0.41g if sent via car. Our products were either sent overseas or by the same state from manufacturer to retailer and the last part of the carbon footprint was calculating the distance between the retailer to AdVENTURE STEM. Calculating all of this, we had a total of 22045.206g of CO2 used to make our products.

Biological Classification (10/6 - 10/9)

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

Summary: 

     Earth is full of life. The life on earth come in different categories, known as species, which is a group of organisms that share very similar traits and appearances to each other. Today, there are approximately 8.7 million species living on earth, according to the New York Times. That is a lot of species to account for. Because of this, there has been a way to classify these organisms. It is known as biological classification, first done by Linnaeus. Biologists classify organisms in a diagram known as a cladogram to show which species have similar traits and which ones do not. The higher the cladogram goes, the less traits species have in common. 

SP6 - Constructing Explanations: 

     This week I constructed explanations through my work in understanding biological classification. In order to understand it, I looked at how species had diversified over the years through the cladogram. All organisms began with DNA. Eventually, some organisms began to have complex cells with organelles inside of them. These organisms were known as eukaryotes while the organisms that didn't have complex cells were either prokaryotic or archae, single cell organisms. Eventually, animals had vertebrae then evolving into tetrapods while some didn't like the shark which only remained having a vertebrae. Soon, some animals begun being bilateral and symmetrical, while some begun to have diapsids. Through the worksheet and the website I was supposed to investigate, I explained how animals diversified through the years. 

Tree of Life (10/30 - 11/3)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/6iKSjS

Summary: 

     All organisms that are alive and currently extinct all have a common ancestor. Although we don't know who or what the specific species is, there is sufficient evidence to make that claim. The first form of evidence is comparing fossils and bones together to see which ones are similar. Humans, bats, cats, lizards, whales and birds have a humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. Although these parts vary depending on the species, this proves that species once had a common ancestor that eventually diversified through the process of evolution. Another form of evidence is by comparing the traits between species. Using a cladogram, we can tell where a species split into two sections. Looking at a caiman, bird and T-Rex from a cladogram, it shows that they all have common traits such as having vertebrae, a bony skeleton and four limbs which proves that they have a common ancestor. 

SP4 - Analyzing and Interpreting Data: 

     This week I analyzed and Interpreted data when trying to investigate how all organisms have a common ancestor. The first piece of evidence that I analyzed were homologous structures. Many species (mammals in particular) have the same forearm skeletal structure, having a humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals and phalanges. This proves that there ha been a common ancestor and has diversified and evolved into these organisms. The second piece of evidence is embryology images of animals in their embryo state. From the images alone, we can see that many of the organism's in their embryonic state are similar, which shows once again that organisms once had a common ancestor.  

The Peppered Moth (10/23 - 10/27)

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

Summary: 

               The peppered moth is a great example of survival of the fittest at its finest. The time where natural selection is demonstrated with these species of moths dates back to the pre to post Industrial revolution. During the pre-industrial revolution, there were two types of peppered moths, white peppered moths and dark peppered moths. However, due to the fact that the trees that they inhabited were white, the white moths were able to blend from predators which meant that they were able to survive long enough to mate and pass on the white body trait to future generations. However, during the Industrial revolutions, coal emissions became much more common, making the once white trees now dark. This allowed the dark moths that used to be less prevalent than the white moths blend in with the environment more and hide more effectively from predators. This change made white moths less prevalent while making dark moths more prevalent. By the end of the Industrial Revolution, the rate of coal consumed died down making the trees turn back to white and making the white moth population recover.

SP4 - Analyzing and Interpreting Data:

               This week I graphed out the populations of both white and dark moths in the span of 10 years twice. Each data set was a representation of a time before, during, or after the Industrial Revolution. The first data set showed the population of dark and light moths in the span of 10 years during the pre and mid Industrial Revolution. While graphing the data, I noticed that the once prevalent white moths slowly declined in population while the black moths thrived and increased in population. From this, I inferred that this must've taken place before to during the Industrial Revolution since this was before any of the pollution started. The second set of data showed a clear contrast to the first one. I saw that the thriving dark moth population slowly started to decrease just as the white moths did and the white moths slowly recovering. Since the dark moths were once thriving in the first data set, I concluded that this takes place during and after the Industrial Revolution since the population of dark moths was initially at its peak at that time and decreased over time, which alludes to when coal emissions decreased and the trees became whiter which gave the white moths opportunity to recover in population. 

               

Natural Selection (10/16 - 10/20)

https://goo.gl/PdhSo1

Summary: 

          Natural selection is the process of elimination for traits in nature. Any negative trait for a species is discarded due to the fact that the species with that specific trait cannot maintain a long enough life to reproduce and allow their offspring to evolve. The traits that allow animals to thrive in their environment are kept and the animals with that trait continue to evolve. For example, there are a species of frogs. Due to mutation, the species is split into two traits; type A which has poisonous skin, and type B which has non-poisonous skin. Both types have a common predator. However, since type A is poisonous to predators, the predators can no longer eat that type. This focuses all the predator's' attention towards type B, the non-poisonous animal. Type B eventually goes extinct due to simply not being able to live long enough to reproduce while type A is allowed to reproduce, evolve and progress.

SP3: Planning/Carrying out Investigations: 

          This week I investigated, along with my table, how natural selection works. The first part of investigation was to have three different variants of predators. Due to the fact that live predators are rather dangerous in a school environment, we substituted them with a spoon, fork and a knife and for prey, we substituted them for an assortment of beans and buttons. In our table, each table mate had a utensil and for 20 seconds, we were allowed to scoop as many beans and buttons as we could. At the end of each hunting period, we had to count how much beans and buttons we collected and anyone that had a utensil that collected less than 20 beans collected had their utensil eliminated. By the end of four rounds, only the spoons remained. This is mainly because spoons were fit to survive in that environment. Forks had gaps in between each blade and knives are too thin to scoop things up. This activity/investigation helped me understand how natural selection works by discarding the negative traits and keeping the positive ones. 

Mutation (10/9 - 10/13)

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

Summary:

          Evolution is the process of change and diversity in organisms over a span of thousands to millions of years. This process is due to a slight change in genes of organisms known as mutations. Mutations occur from an imperfect copies of gene heritage from parent to offspring. Although mutations are rare and usually do nothing, over the span of millions of years, many insignificant mutations can contribute to creating a brand new trait that changes the organism in a major way. Mutations aren't the only way that organisms change. Natural selection is when animals are, from the name, naturally selected to survive based on environment. It ties in with survival of the fittest in that the organisms that can't live long enough to reproduce eventually die off while the organisms that do survive will be able to live on and evolve.

SP8 - Obtain and Communicate Information: 

          This week I gathered information in order to gain a  better understanding of how evolution works and the main factors that go into it's never ending factor. There were 4 factors that me and my table of 5 had to split the research on: Mutation, Natural Selection, Gene Flow and Genetic Mutation. In this activity, I assigned myself the duty to research about Natural Selection through given resources. While I was researching about my given topic, I took some notes, including what natural selection was and an example of it. I then communicated this information with my team and obtained other information about their topics of mutation, gene flow or genetic drift.

The Geological Time Scale - Project Blog | (10/2 - 10/6)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/Y2rup2

Backwards Looking: 

     What process did you go through to produce this piece? To produce the Geological Time Scale book, my team and I gathered information on our specific eras. We focused on information that contained the periods, major climate, geological events, and life. Following our research and the era report which lasted in its entirety a week, we spent the day planning out the format of the piece of the project we were soon going to present. In this part, I must admit that my team was rather creative in planning the concept of what we were going to present. We decided to present the information that we researched through a book. In the remainder of the week and the first half of the other, we worked on our eras and actively trying to finish the final product.

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 that this project is one that I put more effort in than my other projects. In projects where I have to present a visual product, the inevitable deadline that is to come hangs over me, thus putting pressure on me and me rushing the project, which makes the project look unattractive or unorganized. However, during this project, I was granted the opportunity to work on it over the weekend, which gave me time to put all my effort into adding color into my piece, the Paleozoic era. During this project I also feel that my team put their effort in, despite them not having the time to add any color into it. 

  

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? I think that the most common work process among everyone was to split the eras among each of the four members of the group and then each team member would individually work on their era. At the end of the project, everyone would put together what they worked on to create the final product. That is exactly what my team and many others did during this project. Each of the concepts for the project and the way it was done, however, was different. Some teams decided to present their work on a tri-fold or poster board, while one made a book shelves with each era having their own one. Nonetheless, the one common thing that I saw in all the teams was creativity, whether it was the art displayed, the interactives, or the concept of the project.

 

Forward Looking:

     What would you change if you had a chance to do this piece over again? Something that I learned from this project and would apply if I were to do this all over again is to have better communication with my team. During this project, I feel that the communication between each teammate was limited, thus any ability to share ideas with each other. This lead to the format for each specific page being different, due to our differing ideas on how to tackle it. As a result, some eras might have had some missing or excessive elaboration on specific parts of that era. From that experience, I now know how much communication is important in order to coordinate and complete a project.

Era Report WAC (9/18 - 9/22)

          The Paleozoic Era was the era of evolution which lasted from 544 million years ago to 245 million years ago. Following the Pre-Cambrian Eon, the Paleozoic period started the biggest biological change for all organisms on earth and for many millions of years to follow. The Paleozoic Era saw the formation of the supercontinent Gondwana. The supercontinent had South America and Africa with Antarctica, Australia, India at the bottom right of the South America-Africa combination. This supercontinent was located at the southern hemisphere of earth. In addition to Gondwana, there was also the supercontinent Laurasia which was North America with Eurasia at the northern hemisphere. By the end of the era, Gondwana and Laurasia began to separate and form the continents in the Mesozoic era.

          As I have stated previously, the Paleozoic Era had the biggest biological change. The Carboniferous period produced a lot of carbon which in turn, made many plants. Progymnosperms look very similar to gymnosperms and conifers, except that the progymnosperms create spores to reproduce. There were also glossopteris which lived from 300 MYA to 200 MYA. These were plants that contained wood and had tongue shaped leaves. Cycads are plants with a crown of large leaves with a thick trunk and fairly resemble small palm trees. They are very scarce and are not as common than they were in the Paleozoic-Mesozoic era.

         Along with plants, there were animals. However, they were aquatic because the Paleozoic Era was a major biological change mostly for aquatic organisms and was only the beginning for evolution for them. The most common one was the trilobite which was the most earliest anthropod you could find in earth's history and looked like a very fat centipede. It first appeared during the early Paleozoic and went extinct during the mid Paleozoic era. There was also the blastoid echinoderms which resembled starfish and like the starfish, lived underwater. They went extinct during the late Paleozoic era (Permian Period) due to the Triassic extinction which saw the largest mass extinction in the world. Branchiopods were the earliest versions of plankton and as such were like plankton. However, along with the blastoid echinoderms, they went extinct during the Triassic extinction.

          During the Paleozoic Era, the climate was rather warm. Throughout the early to late Paleozoic Era, it was warm due to the fact that many glaciers had melted from the late Pre-Cambrian era. However, there was a small bump in climate during the Devonian period which may have occurred due to the fast evaporation rates, but went back down as the Carboniferous period took over. The last period, the Permian, saw a massive spike in temperature. This happened because of the formation of Pangea. When landmasses stuck together, it created mountains, but gave opportunity for volcanoes to form as well, which may have led to the Triassic extinction. The noticeable geological changes were first seen during the Ordovician period during the formation of Gondwana and Laurasia which created the Paleo-Tethys, Pathalassic and Iapetus Ocean. During the late Ordovician period, rapid sea-floor spreading occurred which created the Rheic Ocean between Laurasia and Gondwana. The Permian period saw the beginning of the formation of Pangea which meant that landmasses came together to form mountains and volcanoes.

          The Paleozoic Era was the era that began life. It was warm which made it suitable for basic life. The formation of Gondwana and Laurasia helped that happen. During the Paleozoic Era, plants such as progymnosperms, glossopteris and cycads along with the many marine animals such as trilobytes, blastoid echinoderms and branchipods had the chance to evolve and some even became some of the animals we know today. The era saw the beginning of Pangea, which meant that landmasses came together. This formed mountains and began forming volcanoes. Although the era ended with mass extinction, it made way for the Mesozoic Era, where the spotlight shined on the dinosaurs.
         

The Geological Time Scale - (9/11 - 9/17)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/G6icTZ

Summary: 

     The Geological Time Scale is a calendar for all the major events that happened on earth. The time scale has eons, which are the biggest unit of time. Eons are incredibly long- so far there are only two in the Earth's life of 4.5 billion years. The first eon is the Pre-Cambrian eon, which was the eon before life on earth and was the setup for the Phanerozoic Eon, which is the eon in which life begun. We are still currently in the Phanerozoic Eon. Eons on the geological time scale are then split into eras. The Pre-Cambrian Eon is split into the Hadean, Archean and Proterozoic Era. The Phanerozoic Eon is split into the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. The Paleozoic era was the beginning of life on earth, especially for aquatic life. The Mesozoic era was the era of the dinosaurs, and the Cenozoic era saw the rise in mammals being the dominant species.

SP6 - Constructing Explanations: 

     This week I constructed explanations through the work of my research of the Geological Time Scale. Currently, I am studying the Paleozoic Era. So far, I have found out that the Paleozoic Era was the beginning of life on earth and was a step forward in evolution, especially for aquatic life and plants. Arthropods who are the ancestors of spiders and Trilobites are some prime examples. The super-continent of Gondwana also formed during that era. As I found more and more information about the Paleozoic Era, I constructed explanations about the major events in that era through my notes and shared a bit of information with my team. 

History of Rocks (9/5 - 9/10)

https://goo.gl/VHHwCo

Summary: 

     Rocks are everywhere on earth. They may seem inexpensive and invaluable since there is a lot of them, but some rocks can tell a lot about the earth. Fossils are rocks that preserve the remains of deceased organisms. There are resin fossils which preserve insects through the sap of a tree, trace fossils which document activity from deceased organisms from bite marks, footprints, etc, and body fossils that preserve the bones of dinosaurs when they were near a body of water. It is impossible to find the absolute age of the rocks, or the number of years since it formed, since the rock doesn't specify such information. Instead, you have to find its relative age based on the location and circumstances of where you found the fossil. The deeper the rock is, the older it is, unless it is a fault or a cut through the layers of rock.

SP2 - Using models: 

     This week I used models to help illustrate what the rock cycle looks like. The first step was to get four starbursts, and cut them into strips, then into bits. Scramble the bits and then evenly divide them into four. Next, grab one fourth of the starburst bits and crush them into your hands, molding them together to simulate how sedimentary rocks form. Then, apply heat and pressure onto the molded bits by putting the fused bits into a Ziploc bag and pressing down on it with a text book. This will simulate the formation of metamorphic rocks. The final step is to microwave the metamorphic rock for two minutes and observe the changes. This will simulate the formation of magma when the metamorphic rock melts and then the formation of igneous rocks when the melted starbursts cool down and harden. This activity helped me when finding out the age of rocks since it helped me visualize how igneous rocks are usually younger than the rocks beneath it. 

The Rock Cycle (8/28 - 9/3)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/qf3FgR

Summary: 

     The rock cycle is an indefinite cycle which changes the type of rock constantly. The rock cycle starts off as magma but when it is cooled down, it turns into igneous rock. When the igneous rock is exposed to weather, it is turned into soil. Through erosion and deposition, the soil is turned into sediments. From here, the sediments are lithified, or compacted and turned into sedimentary rock, which are somewhat like fossils but with sediments. After a sedimentary rock is formed, it can be melted back into magma, exposed to weather and turn back into soil, or continue on by being exposed to increased temperature and pressure from folding and faulting. If it does increase temperature and pressure, it is turned into metamorphic rock, where it can either be melted into magma or reduced to soil through exposure to weather.

SP4 - Analyzing Data:

     This week I analyzed data of the rock cycle by creating a drawing of the rock cycle from the results of a rock cycle simulation. In the drawing, there was all the steps of the rock cycle in a circle. I then connected each step of the cycle together then explained how a rock got to that step of the cycle. For example, magma, when cooled down, turns into intrusive/extrusive igneous rock depending on where the magma cooled. With that information, I made an arrow between magma and the extrusive and intrusive parts of the cycle and explained how magma became either of those rocks. Due to weathering and exposure, the igneous rocks turned into soil, and from erosion, the soil turned into sediments. The sediments turned into sedimentary rock through compacting, and from the increased temperature and pressure, the sedimentary rock turned into metamorphic rocks. When the metamorphic rocks melted, it turned back into lava. These steps are only the full rock cycle. During the cycle, certain rocks can go back or skip a few stages. For instance, most rocks can go back to soil when exposed to weather and sedimentary can skip the metamorphic stage by immediately melting to lava.   

Urban Environmental Accords - (5/15 - 5/19)

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

Summary:

     The urban environmental accords are a set of twenty-one rules that aim to protect the environment, public space, and the health of an urban civilization. The first set of accords lists a set of rules that are intended to reduce energy consumption and introduce renewable energy as an energy source. By reducing the amount of energy being used and having a bit of renewable energy, this reduces air pollution. The next set of rules requires that there must be zero waste in landfills and no harmful substances/products, which reduces the amount of methane going into the atmosphere, decreasing the rate of global warming and making the air quality better. The third, fourth and sixth set of rules ensures that all residents of/and an urban space are healthy. The fifth set reduces the amount of individual vehicles being used, thus reducing the amount of emissions being sent into the air. The final set of rules guarantees accessible water for everyone in the urban space. All these rules ensure that the environment is preserved and the people are healthy and productive.

SP8 - Communicating Information:

     This week I communicated information through the form of a ThingLink, which is an interactive image. The subject that I publicly communicated is how my urban village complies with three environmental accords. I persuasively showed how my urban village complied with the three urban village accords by referencing the furnishings report often and then explaining how the furniture is environmentally friendly (furniture such as solar panels, drinking fountains, etc.). Along with the explanation, I added a brief description of what the accord was, to make sure that people knew what I was talking about. The final thing (unimportant yet relevant) I added was an image to support the rule and my claim.

XCC - Stability and Change:

     The subject that relates to stability and change this week is the environment. The environment has been changing constantly but has changed more frequently since the industrial revolution due to the fact that many sources of energy had emerged and polluted the air and the increase of demand of resources has caused forests to disappear. So the environment is constantly changing due to human activity. It is impossible to make it completely stable, because there will always be a need to resources and buildings to pollute the air. However, it is possible to make the constant changing of the environment close to stable by recycling resources. That would mean that there would be a less demand of resources, which means that sources of resources could remain. Renewable energy is also a way of helping the environment, as it reduces pollution in general.

The Environment - (5/8 - 5/12)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/05UH5V

Summary:

     The environment is home to billions upon billions of species on earth. There are many parts of the environment. The atmosphere is the layer of gases that protect earth from harmful things such as radiation. The biosphere is the region that is occupied by organisms (land, ocean, sky, etc.). Finally, the hydrosphere are the sources of water on earth. These parts of the environment are rendered useful to us since the hydrosphere is necessary for life, the biosphere provides home for all living organisms, and the atmosphere provides oxygen, protects earth from harmful rays from the sun, and traps heat which makes the earth a good place for life. 

Constructing Explanations: 

    This week, I constructed explanations through the 21 Environmental Accords  sheet. the 21 Environmental Accords is a list of agreements of actions that cities that follow these accords must take in order to maintain a healthy environment. In summary, the 21 accords say, "Reduce the use of energy, reduce waste, ensure cities are safe and environmentally friendly, protect the environment (especially in urban areas), ensure public transportation that is accessible within walking distance in the city that does not affect the environment, and ensure everyone is healthy and has access to safe drinking water. In this sheet, I worked with the person sitting next to me to construct explanations essentially translating the 21 Environmental Accords into our own words. After that, we asked, "what is the purpose of this environmental accord existing?" and wrote down the purpose(s) of why that environmental accord existed and its (positive) impact on the environment.

XCC - Cause and Effect:

     One cause and effect relationship I noticed this week was regarding the environment and the sources of pollution. Since there are more emissions being put into the air and there are more forests being deforested, the global climate is increasing at a rather fast rate. Another effect that comes from pollution is that the biosphere is being affected. Since there is also waste being put out in the ocean, it is harming, if not killing the sea creatures that inhabit the source of water which not only can affect the food chain, but is also harming the hydrosphere which is our only source of water, which can eventually kill us. These are the cause and effect relationships I noticed that come from pollution and effect the environment

Steady heartbeats may depend on white blood cells (5/1 - 5/5) Article Blog

Article Source: Eaton, Elizabeth. "Steady Heartbeats May Depend on White Blood Cells." Science News for Students. ScienceNewsforStudents, 05 May 2017. Web. 07 May 2017. <https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/steady-heartbeats-may-depend-white-blood-cells>.

Summary: 

     According to a recent study made by Matthias Nahrendorf and his cell biologist team in Harvard Medical School, macrophages (immune cells) may most likely be linked to the constant beat of the heart. The macrophages lie between heart muscle cells and helps the heart muscle cells receive electrical signals in order to pump the heart in a consistent pattern. Researchers have known about macrophages in the heart but didn't really know much else. Nahrendorf found that a mouse that had very little macrophages in its heart didn't have a consistent beat through the MRI scan, which lead him to discover macrophages are linked to the heart.

SP8 - Communicating Information:

     In the article, the author communicated information by sharing the study made by Nahrendorf. What the author did was include what the discovery was, who did it, and how the study was made. By making this article, the author has shared new information that no one has known before. This is taking a step forward in the understandings of nature since it gives us more information about how the heart works. Researchers/Scientists can use this information to their advantage and perhaps treat heart diseases related to the rhythm of the beat of the heart. 

A Slice of Pi | TIME for Kids (4/24 - 4/28) Article Blog

Article Source: Katzman, Rebecca. "News." A Slice of Pi | TIME For Kids. Time Inc., 14 Mar. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Summary: 

     Circles are an important part of life, and are pretty much everywhere you go. From earth being a 3D circle, to tunnels and pipes and from the shape of clocks.. Circles are an important part of life. To measure a circle, you must divide the circumference (perimeter of a circle) by the diameter of a circle. What you get as the product is pi. Or an infinite irrational number (a number that cannot be written as a fraction) that when rounded, is 3.14. Since circles and Pi are a significant part of our everyday lives in (measuring) circles, Pi Day is a day to recognize the shape and the irrational number. it is celebrated on March 14th in the U.S since they follow the mm/dd/yy format and when March 14th is plugged into that format, it makes the date 3/14 which are the rounded numbers of Pi. Countries that follow the dd/yy format celebrate Pi Day on July 22nd since it dates 22/7 which is very close to the number Pi.

[Author's] SP8 - Communicating Information: 

     In the article, the author uses communication to take a step forward in our understandings of the natural world. The author uses many examples of how circles are used in the natural world through communication in the article. These examples include the earth, which is essentially a 3D version of a circle, a tree which when cut, shows many rings, or circles on it, and shows that the eye's pupil is also a circle. These examples show the significance of circles. The author also shows that circles can be measured through the number Pi which is circumference/diameter. With this, the author also mentions that due to the importance of circles, Pi Day exists as a recognition to the shapes. The author basically communicates the importance of circles through the article. 

Chemical Equations - (4/10 - 4/14)

Laws and Bonds of Chemical Reactions - (4/3 - 4/7)

Source: https://goo.gl/vQx81a

Summary: 

      When one or molecules mix together as reactants, a chemical reaction sometimes occurs, making a product. There are some rules that happen in every chemical reaction. The Octet Rule states that atoms will gain or lose electrons in order to obtain 8 electrons in its outer shell so it. This is so it can act similar to a noble gas. The Law of Conservation of Mass states that atoms cannot be destroyed nor created during a chemical reaction.  The product is simply a rearrangement of the reactants and the chemical equations are balanced. When a chemical reaction occurs, there are bonds that happen. A covalent bond is when atoms share electrons in order to gain 8 electrons in its outer shell. An ionic bond occurs when one atom takes an electron from another atom, making one atom a positive ion and another a negative ion, which means that they attract each other. Ionic bonds can create ionic crystals which means that an ionic bond attracts similar ionic bond pairs until there are no more nearby. 

SP5 - Using Mathematics:

     This week I used mathematics to count how many atoms were in a formula. I used the subscript next to an element to find how many of that element was in the formula. If the subscript was to the right of elements enclosed in parenthesis, that meant that you had to multiply the subscript by how many of each element you had in the parenthesis. For example, if I had (H2 + O)2, there would be 4 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms since you distribute the 2 among both elements in the parenthesis. In addition to having a subscript, there was a co-efficient which showed how much of each element there was to the right of that subscript. The equation 2H + Cl meant that there were 2 hydrogen atoms and 2 Chlorine atoms since you are supposed to multiply 2 by anything to the right of it. If there was a parenthesis with a subscript and a co-efficient, you would first remove the parenthesis is then remove the co-efficient

XCC - Scale, Proportion and Quantity:

     Something that is affected by scale is ionic bonds and chemical reactions. When an ionic bond forms, it can attract other similar pairs of ionic bonds in order to create ionic crystals, such as salt. It is affected by scale due to the fact that when the bond is created, it can attract other bonds to become bigger. Chemical reactions are also something that are affected by scale. Take the reaction of vinegar and baking soda. When you mix vinegar and baking soda together, it foams and expands, also creating carbon dioxide. If you add more vinegar and/or baking soda,  it can create more carbon dioxide and expand more and is thus affected by scale.

The Many Different Arrangements of Elements (feat. Chemistry) - (3/27 - 3/30)

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

Summary:

     Atoms can be arranged in different ways which change how they act with other arrangements of atoms. An element is a type of atom. A pure substance has a definite (all the same) physical and chemical properties. A compound is a pure substance- it has a definite composition of atoms, but in addition to that, it can also not be separable and must be chemically bonded. However, a mixture is the opposite of a compound; it has various compositions, is easily separable, and is not chemically bonded. There are two types of mixtures: homogeneous mixtures and heterogeneous mixtures. A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture that is not the same throughout and is considered the least mixed. If it is uniform throughout, it is a homogeneous mixture, as long as it can still be separated by physical means. Two other different types of arrangements of atoms are colloids and solutions. Solutions are a homogeneous mixture that is created when a substance dissolves in another. A colloid has particles that are mixed together, but are not dissolved and has its particles permanently suspended.

SP3 - Conducting Investigations: 

     This week I conducted investigations on which compounds and elements to mix as reactants in order to create a product which was usually salt, heat, fire or a different element. I identified my variables and controls. My variables were the three or less reactants that had to be in the mixing chamber and my controls were only to add/remove heat. I designed and performed experiments to test my hypotheses. I usually thought that to make the product, you would need elements and compounds as reactants that had the components of the product and this usually the case. If my hypotheses did not work, I used other elements as reactants that had the same components as the required product or tried mixing elements to yield new products that could be used as reactants. I decided to collect data. The data contained what product I needed to create, the reactants that I had, and the formula needed to create the product. 

XCC - Cause and Effect:

     One cause and effect relationship that I have identified in the past is about chemical reactions. Many everyday events happen due to chemical reactions. Due to chemical reactions simultaneously happening in the body, digestion can happen which is necessary for energy. Chemical reactions also cause the result of medicines and vaccines being made  which have increased humanity's lifespan. On the flip-side, chemical reactions also cause fires which produce harmful gases. These are a few examples of how chemical reactions cause everyday occurrences. 

The Periodic Table - (3/20 - 3/24)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/r2miTF

Summary:
     The periodic table is a table that organizes all 118 elements on earth from left to right. based on their atomic number. Each column is called a family and each row is called a period. Each element in a period has the same energy levels, and as you go down, there is an extra energy level added. An energy level is an imaginary circle around the nucleus of an atom. The first energy level contains a maximum of two atoms and the second energy level contains a maximum of 8 atoms. The further the energy level, the higher the electron capacity in that energy level. In the periodic table, there are five families: The alkaline metals, the Alkaline Earth Metals, the Transition Metals, the Boron Family, Carbon Family, Nitrogen Family, Oxygen Family, Halogens, and Noble Gases. Noble Gases don't react at all while Halogens and Alkaline Metals are very reactive. Transition Metals and Alkaline Earth Metals mold and bond with another atom. 

SP5 - Using Mathematics:

     This week, I performed mathematics to find how many protons, electrons, and neutrons were in the first 20 elements of the periodic table. The only thing provided was the element name, number and mass. To find the amount of protons and electrons, I simply looked at the atomic number since the the atomic number shows the amount of protons and a balanced atom would have the same number of atoms and electrons. To find the amount of neutrons, I subtracted the atomic mass by the amount of protons, since the atomic mass is the sum of protons and neutrons. Then I rounded to make the amount of neutrons a whole number, since you cannot have a part of a neutron.

XCC - System and System Models:

     One system (not necessarily a system) was the atom. The atom is the most basic building block of matter. There are three parts that make up an atom- the electron (negative charge), the proton (positive charge) and the neutron (neutral charge). The electrons and the protons determine the charge of the atom. If there as an unstable charge (an uneven amount of protons and electrons), the atom won't be able to function. The neutron determines the stability of the atom. There can be an extra amount of protons and these are called isotopes. However, if there are too many protons, the atom may become unstable and not work. This system of atoms can be connected to another system of atoms to create bigger things such as cells which can create organisms.

Matter - (3/13 - 3/17)

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

Summary:

     Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. Matter is made up of atoms, which are made up of three particles. These particles are known as protons, electrons and neutrons. Protons and neutrons make up the nucleus (center) of the atom while the electron orbits it. The amount of protons in an atom decides what type or element the atom is. for example, if there is only one proton in an atom, it is a hydrogen atom. The atomic number of an element is how many protons are in the atom and the atomic mass is the sum of protons and neutrons. The amount of neutrons and electrons are usually the same as the protons. If there are electrons taken away, it is called a Cation, which makes the atom charge positive, and if there are electrons added, it is called an Anion which makes the atom charge negative since electrons have a negative charge. A combination of more than one atom is called a molecule, and a compound is made up of two or more different elements.

SP5 - Using Mathematics:

     I used mathematics to calculate out of the 5 identical crowns, the one that was made of pure gold. I was given a situations where King Arthur's crown was missing. His knights gave him 5 identical crowns and I had to find the one that was his. Each crown provided the information of its mass and who retrieved it. All crowns had a volume of 180cm^3. Below crowns provided the densities for common minerals such as gold, which had a density of 18.3. To calculate which crown had that density, I divided the volume by mass and found out which crown had that density. I also used math when calculating the volume of a stack of pennies by using the formula pi x r^2 x h. I also used the water displacement method. I placed the pennies in a 50 millimeter test tube and observed how far the water rose. I subtracted the new level of water by the original level of water to see how much mm the stack of pennies took. 

XCC - Cause and Effect:

     One cause and effect relationship I identified that relates to matter is rain. Rain occurs because the atoms that make liquid separate due to heat and rise into the air. When there is too much of the evaporated liquid in the air, it starts to rain as the liquid it once was. You can test out this relationship by having a pot of water, a boiler or something to heat it up at the bottom, and a plate hovering over the pot. When boiling the pot of water, the water turns into steam and sticks to the plate. After a while/when the water is cooled, the steam turns into water and falls from the plate. This is a good model to test and represent rain in real life. 

     

Ecosystems Closure: Project Blog - (3/6 - 3/9)

Summary: 

     An Ecosystem is the interaction of living and non-living organisms, known as biotic and abiotic things. Normally, an ecosystem can stay stable since there is an equal amount of everything. However, it can go unstable (sometimes permanently) for several reasons. One can be that there is a lack of one or more organisms. For example, if the fox population in a fox-rabbit-grass ecosystem disappeared decreased significantly, the rabbit population would increase since there is no fox eating the rabbits, making the grass population decrease since all the rabbits are eating it. Another way that an ecosystem can go unstable is if an invasive species (a non-native species) is introduced into the ecosystems. It can eat the prey faster making the predator population decrease, or can make the producer population go extinct, killing the energy pyramid. 

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

     I knew most of the things learned in this unit. I knew that an ecosystem had an energy pyramid with the apex predators at the top, the primary, secondary and tertiary consumers in the middle, and the producers (plants) at the bottom of the pyramid. At the very bottom of the pyramid had decomposers which turned the dead organisms into nutrients which went into the soil for the plants to use. I also knew the effects of an unbalanced ecosystem if a certain population increased or decreased. For example, I knew that if the primary consumer population increased, then the producer population would decrease. Before I started on the ecosystems unit, I also knew a little bit about invasive species and how they would affect the non-native ecosystem it entered. 

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 thought that this project could have been a lot better than it was. The main thing that I thought could have been better was the execution of the information I had gathered. The part of this project I personally liked was the brainstorming and research since I could explore which invasive species I could present. The part that I dislike the most was making the actual poster, since although the information I gathered sufficed, I thought that I could have added more graphics and made the poster much more neater. I also thought that the presentation could have been better since I was unprepared for it and had no script.

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?

     Many of the presentations I saw had work that was online/on a device. However, the work that I presented was a physical poster talking about my invasive species. Also, some groups didn't do the invasive species project. Some groups talked about an endangered species. What all groups had in common, I believe, was the work process. The first thing that all of us did was that each member in a group gathered information on three invasive/endangered species and then all members in the team agreed on one organism to focus on. Then each group worked on specialist sheets that when filled out, would contain certain information about an endangered species. For example, the ecologist sheet showed information about the origins of the invasive species and the impact, while the biologist sheet showed the basic information and the characteristics of the invasive species. Once the specialist sheets were filled out, it was essentially a checklist of the information that needed to be presented.

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

     If I were to do the invasive species project all over again, I would change a few things. The first change is to change the invasive species I was researching, since the one that I initially researched (Asiatic Citrus Canker) had some information that was difficult to find such as the organizations working to stop it. I would also change the presentation from being a physical poster to a virtual poster online, since it is easier to organize online. The final thing that I would change is the presentation. Next time, I would prepare a script on what I was going to say since in this project I didn't have one. These changes that I would make if there was a revision would make the project much better.

      

Invasive Species - (2/27 - 3/3)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/5MjIZj

Summary:

     An invasive species is a living organism that is not native to an ecosystem. Many invasive species get to an ecosystem they don't belong to through humans traveling/trading. Humans have introduced many species to ecosystems they don't belong to. An invasive species is usually harmful to the environment since it can disrupt the food chain. If there was an additional predator added to an ecosystem, the prey might be eaten faster killing both predators or the invasive predator might eat the prey faster than the original predator, leaving the original predator with nothing to eat. 

SP6 - Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions:

     This week, I constructed explanation about the invasive species I was studying which was the Asiatic Citrus Canker and I designed solutions by suggesting ideas on how to stop the disease from spreading/getting worse. I constructed an explanation of the basic information of the Asiatic Citrus Canker (where it was originally from, what type of species it is, what it does, the impact, etc.). I also found out all actions that were/are taken to attempt to eradicate the disease. That helped me construct the solution to the problem that the Asiatic Citrus Canker was causing. I suggested that we should continue disposing of plants with the Citrus Canker to stop and prevent its spread. Also, farming tools/equipment should be sanitized to prevent the disease from infecting the plant.

XCC - Stability and Change: 

     The system that by default stays the same/stable is an ecosystem. The primary consumers eat the producers (plants), the secondary consumers eat the primary consumers, and the tertiary consumers eat the secondary consumers. An ecosystem usually remains stable since there are always producers growing and providing food for the primary consumers. However, if there is a new species introduced into the ecosystem, then the ecosystem will most likely collapse/become unstable. The invasive species could speed up the amount of prey (specifically primary consumers & producers) being eaten which kills off the animals that eat that prey and eventually kills/significantly decreases the top of the energy pyramid. The invasive species could also introduce a new virus/disease that its native ecosystem is immune to, but not the non-native ecosystem it is in. 

Intro to Ecosystems - (2/13 - 2/17)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/85gC2e

Summary: 

     An ecosystem is the interaction of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) things. For example, many animals which are biotic require water which is a non-living thing to survive. This is one example of how biotic and abiotic things interact. There are also systems in an ecosystem. The Carbon Cycle is how carbon is used and recycled. Carbon comes from the atmosphere. It goes to the plants for photosynthesis and then to the animals that eat the plants. It eventually returns to the atmosphere through cellular respiration/photosynthesis. The Nitrogen Cycle is how nitrogen is used and recycled. Like carbon, it comes from the atmosphere but instead of going directly to the plants, it is first turned into nitrates by bacteria in order to be usable. It is then passed on to the animals that eat the plants. When the animals die, it goes to the decomposers. From that point on, it either goes back to the plants or it goes through denitrifying bacteria which turns the nitrates back into nitrogen which returns to the atmosphere.

SP3 - Conducting Investigations:

     This week I conducted many investigations to see what would happen if a certain organism disappeared, underpopulated, or overpopulated in an ecosystem. I identified my variables and controls, which was the population of the organisms and whether they were diseased or not. I designed and performed experiments to test my hypotheses. One of my hypotheses was that removing approximately 3/4 the hawk population would make the ecosystem of hawks, snakes, rabbits, and grass nearly collapse, but then recover back to normal. When I tested this out, I saw on the graph that the snake population increased which made the rabbit population decrease which made the grass population increase. It then reversed to the snake population lowering to the rabbit population increasing then to the grass population decreasing. Eventually, everything balanced out since there was an eventual increase in snakes which gave the hawks the opportunity to grow.  

XCC -  Stability and Change:

     The system I will be identifying is the energy pyramid of the ecosystems. This system involves producers which are plants, primary consumers which are the animals that eat the plants, the secondary consumers which consume the primary consumers, and the third level consumers which eat the secondary consumers. For this system, I will ignore the apex consumers. The energy pyramid system is normally stable by default. However, it can turn unstable if there is a lack of any of these consumers. For example, if there was very little producers, that would mean the primary consumers that eat the plants would die off, which means that the secondary consumers would also die off, meaning the third level consumers would as well, die off. But since there is a lack of primary consumers to eat the producers, that means that the producers would have a chance to grow, which means that the primary consumers would grow in population and so on. If there is ever a lack of a consumer/producer in an ecosystem, the ecosystem will go unstable, but has a good chance of re-stabilizinghj as seen in this example as long as the consumer/producer doesn't go fully extinct in the area. If that were to happen, everything would die off.

Genetics Unit Closure - Project Blog - (2/6 - 2/10)

Summary: 

     Genetics is how traits are passed on from parent to offspring. For every trait that someone has, there are two variants of that trait known as alleles. A set of two alleles for one trait is known as a genotype. The trait that is visible is called a phenotype and is based off of the genotype. An allele can be either dominant or recessive. A dominant allele is the allele that shadows the recessive (weaker) allele. If you have at least one dominant allele in your genotype for a trait, you will get that dominant trait as a phenotype. If you have no dominant alleles and both alleles in the genotype are recessive, you get the recessive allele as a phenotype. The contents of the genotypes can be either two things- heterozygous and homozygous. Homozygous genotypes have two dominant or recessive genotypes. Heterozygous genotypes have one dominant and one recessive trait. To determine an offspring's trait from two parents, use a Punnett Square. To use a Punnett Square, take the genotypes of a specific trait from each parent. Both genotypes should go on two different sides of the square that are not parallel to each other. Next, align the letters of the genotype with each outer edge of each grid square. Once you align the genotypes with a square edge, fill in the middle of the square by taking both letters that align with it and putting it in that specific square. Once you fill the Punnett square, you know have a chart showing the probability of a child having a specific trait. For example, if the square has all dominant traits, the child will have a 100% chance of getting that dominant trait. 

Backward Looking - What process did you go through to produce this piece?:

     To produce the Genetics Project, I first had to get information on genetics. Information such as 'how are offspring traits determined?' or terms such as homozygous, heterozygous, alleles, etc. After I had a full understanding on genetics, I started on my superhero project. I first made the concept document and artwork of my superhero, Invisi-Blend showing the basic information such as his superpowers, name, how the superpowers work, etc. Once I had established what my superhero was, I chose a random, female supervillain (I chose Black widow). This is so I can determine what the offspring of Invisi-blend and the villain would look like. I then determined the genotypes of the traits they had, put them into a Punnett square, and found out what my offspring would look like. After I determined the traits of the offspring, I determined his Epi-Genetics, which are the events that occur in the offspring's future depending on what the offspring's mother did while she was pregnant with him/her. If the mother made unhealthy choices and/or had stress, the offspring will too have an unhealthy life. The opposite goes if the mother made healthy choices. Since my offspring's mother had an unhealthy diet and didn't exercise, the offspring would have heart disease and depression in the future. Once I completed the offspring info, I moved on to the superhero origin story. Invisi-Blend was genetically modified as an experiment which made him have traits of a chameleon. Finally, I created the villain. He had both a nefarious and normal mode and I drew and explained four of his normal/nefarious organs. After all this information was gathered, I put it onto a tri-fold as the final piece of my superhero portfolio. 

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 think that this was a really fun project to do with a good outcome. I personally like working on the villain since I had the chance to be creative with the organs and how they turned from normal organs from nefarious organs. I dislike working on the superhero origin story. Although it came out good, it was kind of stressing to work on since I found it hard to get information on how to genetically modify something. I also liked working on the animation box since it was a hands on/arts and crafts activity. Overall, I liked the majority of this project.

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 viewed other people's project's I saw that the content was very similar. People had the superhero, offspring, and villain portfolio with the two QR Codes. However, there were some ways that made their projects differ from mine. For example, most people used chart paper/poster paper to put their papers on. However, I used a tri-fold to present my project since it was stable when standing. Also, many people didn't have a background for their animation boxes. Other than those two examples, many of the content that was on their work was similar to mine.

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

     If I were to revise on this project, I would mainly work on the quality/neatness of the product. One of the things I would like to improve on is the presentation. On exhibition night, I feel as if I had rushed what I was going to say and I also kind of stuttered a bit, so I would like to revise on this part and make the script better. Although small, I would also like to change the titles on my tri-fold. I think these were also rushed and had very low quality, so if I had a chance, I would like to improve upon it and make it much more neater. One more thing I would like to change is the animation box. When looking at it, the cam/cam follower and frame look very sloppy and I would also improve the quality of the animation box.

     

Superhero Genetics - (1/30 - 2/3)

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

Summary:

     Genetics is the study of how traits, phenotypes, genotypes are passed on from parent to offspring. Genes are made up from DNA and determine the traits of an organism. The gene can come in multiple forms. A variation/form of a gene is called an allele. For each trait that someone has, there are two alleles. A combination of two alleles that show the same variation for the trait is known as a genotype. A phenotype what is actually seen based on the genotype. Alleles can be one of two things: recessive or dominant. If the offspring has at least one dominant alllele in the genotype, it will have that trait. If there is two recessive alleles in the genotype, the offspring will receive that recessive trait. For example, if you had a genotype consisting of the black eyes allele which was dominant and the brown eyes allele which was recessive and if the offspring has at least one black eyes allele in their genotype, they will have black eyes since it is the dominant trait. However, if they have two brown eyes allele in their genotype, the phenotype will be brown eyes since there is only recessive traits and no dominant traits.    

SP8 - Communicating Information:

      I communicated findings clearly and persuasively when I presented my Superhero Genetics Project Portfolio on a tri-fold. On that tri-fold, I presented my superhero, his superpowers, and how he got them through being genetically modified. I also showed my superhero's offspring and how his traits were determined through many Punnett Squares. I then showed the Epi-Genetics of the offspring, which determined the events he may encounter when he gets older (heart disease, depression, etc.). The events happening depend on what the offspring's mother did when she was pregnant with him/her. My superhero's offspring's mother had a lack of exercise so the offspring will encounter depression and heart disease later in the future. I also added my super villain, his normal organs and his nefarious organs and explained how his organs turned nefarious. 

XCC - Stability and Change:

     This week I found something that relates to genetics and how the genes of an organism can change so it has a brand new trait. When two of the same organism creates an offspring, it usually has the same genes as its parents, and these genes are usually passed on from generation to generation. This usually remains stable, but mutations can occur which can lead to the offspring having different traits that its previous generation. For example, humans (may) have had tails and walked on all four, but eventually have evolved out of this and now have no tail and walk on two feet. This is one example of how genes can change overtime when passed on from generation to generation. 

Organ Systems Revisit - (1/23 - 1/27)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/Les1jl

Summary:

     Humans have several organ systems that help them function. Some organ systems humans have that help them function are: the Skeletal, Muscular, Digestive, Respiratory, Nervous, Circulatory, Urinary, and Immune System. Many animals have these organ systems, often modified to fit their environment/needs. One example of an animal that has organ systems similar to a human is a bird. A bird's respiratory system is similar to a human, but modified a little bit to fit the bird's needs. Since birds are doing many activities such as flying, they a lot of oxygen. Air sacs are sacks that are connected to the lungs that provide more oxygen to the bird. Other than the air sacs, the bird's respiratory system is very similar to a human's respiratory system. This is an example of how an animal's organ system is similar to that of a human but modified..

SP6 - Constructing Explanations:

     This week I constructed an explanation of how some of my super villain's organ systems had similar features of a bird's organ systems. I did this for four types of organ systems which were the Respiratory, Circulatory, Skeletal, and Integumentary (skin) system. Mainly, I explained that my super villain's organs had split apart or merged together to create organs similar to a bird. Case in point: the Respiratory System. I explained that the cells making the human lungs split apart into air sacs to provide the villain with more air for flight. The remnants of the original lungs are now smaller, similar to a bird's lungs. With the Integumentary System, I explained that there was a lot of blood flowing to the skin. Due to this event occurring, oil glands produce more oil and hair grows a lot faster. Groups of hair are then glued together by the oil, making something that is similar to feathers. These are two examples of what I did to explain how my villain's organ systems turned to nefarious mode.

XCC - Structure and Function:

     One structure and function relationship was in the skeletal system of the bird I was studying this week. The bones of the bird are nearly hollow, which makes them very light. Since these bones are light, the bird is significantly lighter in comparison to a bird with no hollow bones, allowing it to fly in the air. Another structure and function relationship within the organs of the bird that give it the ability to fly is the respiratory system. The respiratory system is made up of several air sacs connected to the lungs. This allows a higher oxygen supply to the bird, which also helps give it the ability to fly. 

GMOs and Mutations - (1/9 - 1/13)

Image Source: https://goo.gl/YanBPI

Summary:

     Mutations and GMOs are the two main ways that DNA can change. Mutations are accidental changes in DNA. Mutations can come from internal factors such as errors when copying DNA or external factors such as radiation. Mutations can be helpful meaning that it benefits you, neutral meaning that it doesn't really do anything, and harmful, meaning that the mutation can possibly harm or kill you. Mutations are one way that you can change DNA. Another way people change DNA is through GMOs. GMO stands for genetically modified organism. It is when an organism, typically a plant or animal has modified DNA so it is immune to a certain type of disease, durable against weather, etc. There are many methods as to changing an organism's DNA. The Gene Gun is a type of gun that shoots the DNA into the organism's tissue using gold particles. Another method is using vectors. Vectors are viruses with modified DNA in them. When the virus is injected into the body, it will put the modified DNA into yours to give the body new instructions.

SP6 - Constructing Explanations: 

     This week I constructed an explanation of how my superhero got his powers through explaining how GMOs work. My superhero was genetically modified to have similar traits to a chameleon (blending, tail, etc.) when scientists were experimenting with genetically modified humans. My superhero had restriction enzymes put in him which cut out a part of his DNA. He was then injected with the DNA of a chameleon that gives the chameleon its blending, tail, 360 eyes, etc. to replace the cropped out DNA. Once the new DNA replaced the old, cropped out one, it was stitched with an enzyme called DNA ligase. Once the procedure was done, he was going to have similar traits to a chameleon. This is what I explained to show how my superhero was genetically modified to have the similar traits of a chameleon. 

XCC - Stability and Change:   

     One system that I identified that relates to Stability and Change is with DNA and cells. The DNA is the basic blueprints for life. It works with the cell to make an organism function. Some parts of the DNA can turn on and off to make different kinds of cells which do different jobs. Despite mutations happening all the time, it is usually unnoticed and stable, but can go unstable. In both an internal and external mutation, the DNA is changed to function differently. This can be harmful, helpful, or neutral. Mutations occur when there is a wrong base pairing (substitution), an extra letter appears in a DNA base pair (insertion) or when one letter in a DNA base pair goes away (deletion). The chromosomes which store the DNA can also duplicate in amount (duplication). Part of the DNA code can also be deleted (deletion), reversed (inversion), or be in a different area in the code (translocation). GMOs can also change the way DNA works. This is how DNA which is most of the time stable can go unstable. 

Determining Offspring - (1/3 - 1/6)

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Summary: 

     The Punnett Square is used to determine what phenotypes and genotypes an offspring will receive from their parents. This square is made up of a 2 x 2 grid with the genotypes at the top and left of the grid. To use the Punnett Square select a trait to begin with. Then put one parents genotype for that trait above the Punnett Square and the other parents genotype to the left of the square. Make sure each letter in their genotype aligns with a square. Then, to fill the square, simply take one letter that is aligned with that square and put it inside it. Then take another letter that is aligned with it and put that in the square. Do this for each square in the Punnett Square and now you have a table full of genotypes that will determine the probability of the offspring getting that trait.

SP6 - Constructing Explanations: 

     I constructed an explanation of what the offspring of my superhero, Invisib-blend and Black Widow would look like. To do this, I used a sheet prior to this activity that determined Invisi-blend and Black Widow's genotypes for each trait. Using that sheet, I filled in 10 Punnett Squares to determine what traits the offspring will receive from each parent. I found out that the offspring of Black Widow and Invisi-blend will have a tail, 360 vision, claws, no scales, red hair, stronger immunity, but will not be fast or blend in. The child is also a tactician. The last two things that I determined were the superhero status and the gender. I found out with the Punnett square that the offspring will be a male villain.

XCC - Structure and Function:

     One structure and function system I found was with a simple DNA strand. The structure of DNA supports its function by staying compact. If a single DNA strand were to be stretched to its maximum size, it would stretch to 9 meters, or about 10 feet. However, that is not the case, as DNA is shortened down into an extremely compact size smaller than a cell. Since the DNA structure is extremely small, it could work to its maximum efficiency since it isn't bigger than the cell it is. That same cell can easily retrieve it for instructions on what to do, when and how to replicate, etc. This is how DNA's structure supports its function.