Weekly Blog 3/24/17 - The Periodic Table

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Summary

The periodic table organizes the elements by atomic weight and similar properties. The first version of the periodic table was created by Dmitri Mendeleev. On the right of the periodic staircase (the green stair like line on the right side of the table), there are the non-metals. On the left side, there is the metals. A period is a row in the table, a family is a column. Elements share similar properties and are grouped together within the family. They have the same amount of electrons on the outer layer of the atom. This is what gives them similar properties. In order from left to right, first there are the alkaline metals, they have 1 electron in the outer shell and are highly reactive. Next, there are the alkaline earth metals which have 2 electron in the outer shell. They are less reactive than the alkaline metals but still reactive. Third is the transition metals. These are all of the elements in between the towers on both sides, they are good conductors. Then, there's the Boron family which has 3 electrons in the outer shell. After that there is the nitrogen family, which has 5 electrons. Next is the oxygen family and then the halogens. Lastly, there is the noble gases with a complete set of 8 electrons sin the outer shells. Due to that, they don't react with anything.

SP6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions

This week I constructed explanations on why the periodic table is organized the way it is by looking at things like how many electrons elements have on their outer shell as well as what properties they have and what their atomic numbers are. By looking at patterns in different atoms I was able to learn about the relationship between elements in families and how they have similar properties. I learned that the periodic table is organized by atomic number as well as properties in the element. 

XCC: Structure and Function

The function or properties of an atom or element is very dependent on its structure. For one, the amount of protons in an element is what defines the atom. If you added just one proton to an atom, you would have a 

completely different element. In addition to that the amount of electrons will also affect the atom. If you take away or add an electron the charge of the atom will change.

Atoms, Elements, and Ions

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Summary

Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. They can't be broken down further without maintaining their function and properties. They are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, electrons a negative, and neutrons neutral. The protons and neutrons live in the nucleus of the atom while the electrons orbit around the neutron. They are also defined by the number of protons they have. Elements are pure substances made from only one type of atom. They are all on the periodic table. Ions are atoms that have either lost or gained electrons. There are two types, cations, and anions. Cations are ions that have lost electrons. Because they lost negatively charged elections, they have a positive charge. Anions are ions that have gained electrons. This means they have a negative charge. You can figure of the charge of an ion by subtracting the number of electrons from the number of protons.

SP5: Using mathematics and computational thinking

Over the course of the week, I used mathematics to calculate the density, volume, and mass of different objects. For example, while solving the density dilemma, we had to calculate the densities of 5 different crowns using division. We were given the information on each crowns volume and mass. Since density (how much stuff there is in a given space), is calculated by dividing m by volume we were able to use math the find the densities. Then we had to compare the densities of the crowns to the densities of other materials to figure out what each material was made out of.

XCC: Structure and Function

The structure, (density and buoyancy) determines its ability to float or sink. In class, we tested different objects to see if they would float or sink. If an object has a higher density than water, it will sink. If it has less mass or a lower density, it will float. Whether or not an object float doesn't have to do with its material, weight, or volume. For example, you could have two cubes with the same volume. But one is made out of stone while the other one is wood. The wooden block might float while the stone block will probably sink.

Endangered Species - Project Blog 3/12/17

The Infographic We Created

Summary

In this project, we choose an endangered species, created an infographic on the animal, and developed a protection plan for our animal. The animal we choose is the blind velvet worm. The blind velvet worm has a soft, velvety which can measure from 25 - 35 mm and if you couldn't tell from the name, it has no eyes. They also have two antennae as well as two small appendages on either side of their mouths. They use those to hunt their prey. Due to their blindness, they are super sensitive to air currents caused by movement. This is what allows them to figure out what's going on around them. They can be found in Tasmania's eucalyptus forests. The reason why they are endangered is mainly due to deforestation (loss of habitat) and sometimes wildfires. One way we can save the blind velvet worms is by creating laws and rules protecting te small area of habitat that the blind velvet worm is known to live in. This will give them and home and reserved space to live.

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

The first step was to choose an endangered animal. We did this by going on a website with a list of endangered animals and clicking on the worm tab. We choose the blind velvet worm since its name sounded interesting. The next step was research. Each group members was assigned a different role and were in charge of a different piece of research. After our research was finished we created the infographic on the left with information about all of our research. The last step was to worm on a presentation and come up with a conservation plan.

Inwards Looking - What was especially satisfying to you about either the process or the finished product?

One thing that was especially satisfying to me about the infographic was that it has lots of information. To communicate the information we also used a variety of media including a video, pictures, and text. In addition to this, our infographic looks visually appealing.

Outward Looking - If someone else were looking at the piece, what might they learn about who you are?

If someone else were looking at my piece they might learn that I like to make sure the work that I make is very neat, easy to read and nice to look at. I do this by making sure the background or text color doesn't make it hard to read and by adding in lots of visuals and pictures. 

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

If I had a chance to do this project over again, then I would choose a different endangered animal to do this project on. This is because it was really hard to find information on our animal due to the fact that very little research has been done on the blind velvet worm. What helped us was finding information on the velvet worm and seeing if it applied to the blind velvet worm also since the two animals had very similar traits.

Interactions Between Organisms - Weekly Blog 3/5/17

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An Example of Mutualism

Summary

In nature, there are many different types of relationships between organisms. Some nice, some not so nice. Predation is a win lose interaction. It is when one organism consumes a lot of or all of another. An example of predation is a when a lion hunts or kills a zebra for food. Competition is when organisms are competing for resources such as food, light, water, shelter, mates and more. There are 3 kinds of symbiotic relationships. A symbiotic relationship is one between organisms of different species where the survival of one is dependent of the survival of the other. The first one is mutualism. Mutualism is a win win interaction where both species get something good out of it. An example of mutualism is shown in the picture above.

The second one is commensalism which is a win ehh interaction. When one organism is benefitted while the other is neither harmed nor benefited. The last one is paratism which is a win lose interaction. It is when one organism is benefited (a smaller species) and the other is harmed (a larger species). The difference between predation and paratism is that in predation the organism being harmed is killed or eaten whereas in paratism the outcome would be less extreme.

SP1: Asking questions and defining problems

I asked a question and defined problems when I completed research about the type of habitat my groups chosen endangered species, the blind velvet worm. I researched about where it lives and what, might be happening to the ecosystem that is causing their endangerment. The point of my research was to gather background information to be able to answer why that species is endangered and how we can prevent it from becoming extinct and getting it off the endangerment list. 

XCC: Cause and Effect

During the past week I worked on finding the cause of the blind velvet worms endangerment. The effect is the endangerment of the blind velvet worm. The main cause is the clearing of the worms habitat, dry eucalyptus forests. A decrease in population of the blind velvet worm will also become the cause of more and more things leading to more and more effects.