WAC - Who killed the fish in the Gray Bay?

3/14/2016

Dear Gray Times Editors,

          This letter will address fish kill problem going on in the Gray Bay. I am pleased to be able to tell you I have discovered the true culprit of the fish kill. Due to the knowledge I have gained over the past few weeks, I can now say for certain that the killer was in fact Golf Course owner.... SANDY TRAPP!! As you know, as of five years ago fish have been continuously dying off at a rate of a thousand per year. I have been conducting experiments and researching to find the cause of this problem. The data which I have received from the fish autopsies has confirmed my suspicions. Out of the 50 fish they tested, 21 were killed by insufficient amounts of oxygen in their waters. Sandy Trapp is responsible for this problem due to 3 important reasons. She has been asking her employees to add absurd amounts of water and fertilizer in the grass, fertilizer contains phosphates which cause chain reactions killing fish, and the fish autopsy proves that most of the fish died from oxygen loss .Now to explain what phosphates, fertilizer, and oxygen depletion have to do with each other.

          With the help of some special techniques, I have uncovered evidence proving that Sandy Trapp's Golf Course water drainage is full of phosphates. Our evidence came from a classified digital source. I found that Sandy Trapp and one of her employees have been found reasoning over the use of fertilizer and water. Sandy first spoke to concerning browning grass at the eighth hole. "It looks like some of the grass out by the eighth hole is turning a little brown. Let's step up the fertilizing and watering around here" he/she suggested. Please note, the employee has asked for his or her identity to remain confidential. Continuing on, the employee replied to Sandy telling her that the water was probably from a dog that slipped past security and peed on the grass. He/She told her the grass would return green naturally. The employee said, "We're already using more than enough fertilizer, and watering too much, in my opinion, I don't 't know where all that water goes". In other words, the employee respectfully declined Sandy's suggestion. This conversation ended with Sandy telling Anonymous that the grass must be kept green at ALL times. She told her employee to forget about the dog and just add more fertilizer and water. The use of the quotes above has been permitted. 

          Fertilizer contains phosphates which are killing fish in the Gray Bay. But how do phosphates kill fish? Well, fertilizer contains substances called phosphates which promote plant growth. By watering the grass too much, all the extra drainage will wash up into the nearby waters affecting plant life since phosphates are mixed in with the drainage. The phosphates will cause algal blooms. Algal blooms are large outbursts of algae plant life. Even with all the fish in the water, there will still be some algae left uneaten. The algae will rot attracting bacteria. The bacteria will eat the rotten algae and deplete the oxygen in the body of water. Without oxygen, fish can't breathe or survive ultimately killing them and decreasing their population. 

         Like I mentioned earlier, scientists have been conducting fish autopsies on different bodies from the Gray Bay. 14 of the fish died from oil-related reasons, 8 from chlorine, 7 from unknown and a whopping 21 from oxygen loss! Out of the 50 fish, 42% of them died. Let's connect some dots shall we? Hmmm, lots of fish are dying from oxygen depletion. Phosphates cause oxygen depletion. Sandy Trapp uses lots of fertilizer in her grass. Which by the way contains phosphates, the things that cause oxygen loss. Which did I mention, fish are dying from? See the connection between these three points yet? Anyway, this piece of evidence clearly states that Sandy has something to do with the death of those 21 (and counting) fish. In the fish autopsy, it stated in the report, " 21 of the fish had clamped fins which indicate that they died from not enough oxygen". Even with all this evidence, people can easily claim that the phosphates in the water aren't coming from them. Let's confirm once and for all that Sandy is for sure, in charge of this mass fish murder. 

          During an interview, Sandy told the reporters "The Golf Course is on the other side of the hill,
and our water doesn't even drain into the pond! Besides, we already know who's really guilty. It's the killer cow patties and the dirty sock juice from the laundry! ". This makes sense, at the cattle ranch they have to feed there coews with grass right? That menas they also use fertilizer. The phosphates could have easily been from them. Right? Wrong. Though phosphates from the cattle ranch makes sense, I have proof that it isn't from them. A team of scientists have conducted an experiment .
that tests the level of phosphates in certain water samples. They tested 3 different water samples, all of which were from possible suspects living around James Pond (the place where the phosphates are  coming from). By placing an indicator in the water sample, you are able to see if the water has high or ok levels of phosphates. If the sample changes color, then your water has too many phosphates. The only sample that changed color was the .... Golf Course. that proves that the phosphates are coming from Sandy. Also, if you remember correctly, during her chat with her employee, the employee talking about how she didn't know where their draiage went. If they didn't know where their water drained into, how did she know that it didn't drain into James Pond?  Time to review all of our newfound information.

          We know that Sandy Trapp puts excessive amount of fertilizer and water in her green grass. Fertilizer contains pohphates. A chemical that promotes plat growth leading to the death of fish. in the recent fish qutopsy, 21 out of 50 fish died from oxygen loss. Oxygen depletion claimed the lives of most fish tested. Sandy Trapp puts uses deadly fertilizer. Fish are dying due to phosphates and fertilizer in James Pond. The Golf Course is located right next to James Pond. Hmmm. Even better, our experiment shows the Golf Course is the only place near James Pond with too many phosphates in its drainage. All this evidence clearly points to how Sandy Trapp has been killing fish just by producing her green grass. One solution I suggest is to invest in artificial grass.. This way, the grass will always be green, they don't have to spend as much time taking care of it, Sandy wont have to hire people to water her grass, and she will save money by not having to buy fertilizer. Even their water bill will go down drarastically. Not only will artificial grass benefit the Golf Course in so many ways, it will also save the lives of fish in the Gray Bay.

Weekly Blog 3/13/2016 - The Gray Bay

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Water_pollution_fish_kill.jpg/1024px-Water_pollution_fish_kill.jpg

Summary

As of 5 years ago, fish in the Gray Bay have started to die off. This is due to several reasons such as chlorine, low pH levels, sediment, and phosphates in the water. Chlorine gives fish chemical burns. It will burn the fishes gills. The chlorine is let into the water by the water slide. One interesting fact is that the water slide opened up at the same time the fish started dying. The second contributor to the death of the fish is low pH levels. The lower the pH level, the more acidic the water is. Water with too much acid can prevent fish from reproducing as well as kill them. Acid rain is causing the acidity in the water. Phosphates causes things called algal blooms. With too much algae in the water, fish wont be able to consume it all so a lot of it will rot. The bacteria will then eat the rotten algae and multiply. With so much bacteria in the water, the germs will cause oxygen deprivation which will kill the fish. As you can see, the murder of all this fish in the Gray Bay is caused by many different factors.

SP3: Planning and carrying out investigations

I planned out investigations when I read different files about Phosphates. I had to read these files so I could understand the meaning of my data that I collected from the experiment I was about to do. I carried out an investigation when I conducted experiments to find the culprit of the Gray Bay fish kill with my table group. In this phosphate investigation, we measured the phosphate levels in water drainage from the Gold Course, Small Town, and Cattle Ranch. We found that the place where the phosphates in the James Pond water was coming from was the Golf Course. 

XCC - Cause and Effect

One cause and effect relationship I noticed during class was the chain of events that occurred in the gold course leaving phosphates in James Pond. The events started with a dog. When the dog started peeing on the grass in the golf course, the green grass turned brown. Because of this, the owner of the golf course, Sandy Trap ordered her employee Mo Lawn to add more fertilizer and water to the over watered and fertilizered grass. After that, Mo Lawn did as she was told. However, that caused the excess water to drain into Jame Pond. Since fertilizer contains phosphates, an algal bloom occurred in the Pond creating lots of algae. At first, the algae will increase the population of fish. Even with lots of fish, they wont be able to eat all of the algae so the algae will rot. Like I described earlier, bacteria will come and so on. As you can see, by peeing on the grass, the dog has apparently killed several fish. This example of cause and effect is extremely long.

Explain how this relationship helps you "take over the world" - Habits of mind (extra credit)

This relationship demonstrates how small actions can lead to big problems. It teaches me that whenever a do work, I should always be careful and pay attention to even the smallest details to make sure everything is right. When you are ignorant to problems, it may lead to harder problems. Another thing I learned was that I when I solve problems, I need to think of the effect it will have on everyone. For example, Sandy Trap did solve her browning grass problem. The bad part is that she caused another problem by acting hastily. You won't be able to take over the world if you don't pay attention to everything and think about something before you do it.

Multiplier - What type of learner were you this week?

This week, I think I was a creator mutant. This is because I contributed to the class discussions and review of what we are learning about in the beginning of every class period.

Weekly Blog 2/28/2016 - Rivers

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Ob_u_Barnaulu.jpg

Summary

There are many rivers in the world. Sadly, a vast number of rivers are constantly being polluted. This is due to things like oils spills and littering. In the lower section of the Ob, people have been using the river as a place to dump oil. This has caused severe pollution in the river hurting the plants and animals that rely on the river for a habitat. Another commonality I found in many rivers is that they are often being used as a way to produce electricity. For example, people build hydro-electric dams among rivers. Though producing clean energy is a good thing, this can also cause erosion problems. Many different cultures rely on rivers for things like fertile land (peat soil), fish, and water. Because of this, protect rivers should be a priority of many. Not only do rivers provide resources for us, but they also help us economically. While I saw other river presentations, I noticed that many (if not all) of the rivers are or were in some point of time used for transporting goods or tourists of some sort.

SP8: Obtain, evaluate and communicate information

I communicated my findings about the cultural, economical, and environmental significance of Ob river when I presented my groups river documentary to the class. My river documentary was about the Ob river. I also showed others my groups map and model. I obtained information when I watched the presentations of the other groups. After each presentation, I had to write at least 3 facts about the river I just learned about in my notebook. Many of these rivers had several similarities. Like how I mentioned earlier that most of the rivers are being used as a transportation route.

Cross Cutting Concepts - Systems & System Models

The system I have identified is the Ob river system. The different parts of this system is the water, plants, and animals. The plants and animals depend on the water and each other for food and a home. Everything in the system works together to ensure that every part of the system is safe. A river is a system because it has many different things living in it. It even provides food and resources for people living around the system. This is one way the river system can connect to another system. 

So, how does this river system connect and affected other systems? One way that river systems are connected to others systems are through tributaries. Because of tributaries, the water is able to spread to new places where a new system will be made. Different plant and animals will depend on this new system. The Ob river system has over 1900 tributaries, it is connected to over a thousand different rivers all around Russia. The Ob also produces fertile land. Fertile land is an essential part of our system. The human system, we need fertile land to grow food. This is how two systems can depend on each other for different things. 

Weekly Blog 2/7/16 - The Ob River

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Ob_watershed.png

Summary

The Ob river, seventh longest in the world, is located in Siberia, Russia. It's about 3,362 miles long. The Ob river is home to 50 different species of fish. Due to the rivers annual freeze and flood routine, the floodplain around the river is extremely fertile and full of peat soil. Many different industries have thrived due to the Ob river. In fact, wheat production is Russia mainly comes from the area of the southern Ob basin. The Ob's hydroelectric station also produces 250 billion kilowatts. This river is important for many different reasons. It's floodplain has fertile land, it produces power, different goods are important and exported along the river, and the land around it even serves as good homes for many different ethic groups.

SP4: Analyzing and interpreting data

I analyzed and interpreted data when I researched information on the Ob river. My task in my group was to focus on the cultural significance of the river. I had to analyze different data on various sites and interpret the meaning and significance of it by asking myself if the data contributed to answering my groups focus question. Why is the Ob river important? After that, I had to take notes on a document and find different quotes.

WAC - Dams - Should China Build more Hydro Electric Dams?

          After 18 long years of hard work, on July 4, 2012, the construction Three Gorges Dam was completed. This dam was built to provide a clean source of renewable energy, to reduce the risk of flooding, and to boost the economy by increasing the amount of shipping along the Yangtze River. China now plans to construct four more hydroelectric dams along the Jinsa river; a river flowing into the Yangtze River. Although the Three Gorges Dam has proven to be successful in it's three purposes, it has caused more trouble than good. China should not build four more hydroelectric dams due to three main reasons. Hundreds of thousands of people living along the river had to be relocated, actions of logging and construction have been causing severe erosion problems leading to landslides, and flooding problems concerning the rivers wildlife and ancient culture have been created.
         
        

01/17/16 Rivers

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Scioto_River_2.jpg

Summary

Rivers are a very important part of our ecosystem. For example, the San Joaquin River Delta provides fresh drinking water for approximately 25 millions people in California. Water in motion can create electricity with turbines, move large objects, and even take you rafting. They even helped us find gold! When rivers are steep and have a high incline, the water is usually clear with a rock bottom. In these types of rivers, the water is moving really fast with more force. When the river is flat, the water is cloudy with a muddy/slimy/planty bottom. Because rivers can often erode the land around it, I can infer that the fast moving clear rivers are deeper since they erode the ground faster.

SP4: Analyzing and interpreting data

I analyzed data when I read an article about the San Joaquin River Delta. I read and analyzed the article in order to learn about why the Deta is an important part of our environment as well as to learn about our river vocabulary. I also analyzed and interpreted data when I completed two different worksheets. The first worksheet was more specifically into the river vocabulary. In that worksheet, we had to analyze the data given about the meaning of the word and interpret where to annotate the picture turning the picture into a sort of diagram. On the second sheet, we had to analyze data when we kept on re-reading the San Joaquin River Delta article (we read it 3 times in total). After we read the article, we had to answer questions using the ACE strategy and match words with their definition.

Soil and Erosion - Project Blog

                              This was our Ignite Presentation.

Summary

Erosion is the movement of weather rocks. The main forces in erosion are water. Water can cause lots of types of erosion like landslides. The Laguna Beach Landslide occurred on June 2, 2005, at Laguna Beach, California. The landslide started on a steep hill. As it traveled down, the landslide destroyed the homes at the bottom of the hill. 11 houses were destroyed. So, what caused the landslide? A landslide needs three components... Water, soil, and incline. First, it rains and the water accumulates in the soil. Accumulate means gradually build up. Second, because the soil is not permeable, the water starts to become too much for the soil to soak through fast enough. Because of this, the two just mix together. This creates a super runny hill of liquid soil. The third step of this process is where the incline comes in. Because the hill is so steep, the liquid soil runs down into the houses loosening the friction between the two. Finally, the soil and homes are sliding down a hill creating a landslide.

Backward-Looking

Before I started to study this topic, I already knew a bit about erosion. This is because last year in Science we studied weathering and erosion. However, I only knew a little bit about weathering and erosion and not much detail about landslides specifically. My group's case study was on the Laguna Beach landslide. I have never heard of this landslide before. I also didn't know what causes a landslide. The only thing I did know was that a landslide is when a large amount of dirt, rock, and basically anything that gets pulled down and slides down a steep hill or mountain.

Inward-Looking

During this project, I was proud of the work my group and I presented. I feel like my presentation was interesting as well as informative and that my group and I did a good job. The reason why I believe this is because we included lots of facts as well as even made a diagram to put on our slides. Our script even had a joke to keep the audience entertained. One thing that I disliked was that we were still dependent on the script while presenting even though we still tried to keep eye contact. Overall, I enjoyed presenting and had fun.

Outward-Looking

I think that our presentation and work was different than other projects. This is because we really tried to keep our script entertaining by adding jokes and funny parts. Most of the other scripts and presentations were very simple and full of only facts. Also, we didn't worry about the timing on our sides. Some groups had to pause and wait for their slides to change because their scripting was too short. I also noticed when I looked at other groups script that theirs was a lot shorter than ours. Our script was basically 2.2 pages while theirs was only 1. We were also the only group with a diagram.

Forward-Looking

The main thing I would like to improve on is being able to present without a script in my hands. This is because without having to look at a script, you can look at the audience and engage them more with eye contact. When I watched the other presenters, I noticed that when they had a script they tended to not have eye contact. Also, I would like to have practiced presenting with my group more. This is because sometimes while we would practice, one of us would stumble on some words or space out. If we just practiced more in general, our presentation would have been a lot better.