Weekly Blog 9/3/17 The Rock Cycle

1. Sedimentary Rock           2. Metamorphic rock

 Summary

Geology is the study of the structure of planet earth and the forces that make and shape the earth. In geology, there is a law called the principle of uniformitarianism which is the idea that geologic processes that operate today also operated in the past. This principle helps geologists understand the world and explain the natural phenomenon by allowing them to look at how things are made now and know how things were made then. The rock cycle is the cycle that changes rocks into different kinds. There are three types of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. 

S&EP 2: Developing and Using Models

This week I developed and used models when I created a model representing the rock cycle using starbursts. First sedimentary rock was created by cutting up two different colored starbursts and applying a light amount of pressure on them. The sedimentary rock was then transformed into metamorphic rock when more heat and pressure was applied. The metamorphic rock was then thrown into a microwave (volcano) and heated up and cooled into igneous rock. This model represents the rock cycle because it shows the process needed in order for each type of rock to change into another.

XCC: Patterns

As I mentioned earlier, the principle of uniformitarianism is the idea that what process is happening now also happen in other places around the world and will operate the same way in the future and past. This principle proves that geologic processes in the world repeat a pattern. By looking at the geologic pattern scientists can date rocks, understand the past, and predict the future.

Science and Engineering Practices Quiz Re-Grade

Question # 2: A group of 7th graders creates and analyzes graphs of the data from an investigation about the relationship between a ball's mass and its speed down a ramp.

My answer: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Correct answer: Using mathematical and computational thinking

The answer I selected was analyzing and interpreting data. The reason why I thought the answer was analyzing and interpreting data was because the group of 7th graders were analyzing graphs of data. However, I didn't take into account how they were investigating and analyzing the relationship between mass and speed with takes mathematical and computational thinking. Due to how the 7th graders were using mathematical thinking to analyze a graph on the relationship between a ball's mass and speed down a ramp, the correct answer is SP5: Using mathematical and Computational thinking. 

Question #5: Students in Mrs. Garcia's class use a class chart of what different animals eat and group the animals in different ways based on their food sources. Students then discuss which animals would be affected if changes occurred to different food sources.

My answer: Using mathematical and computational thinking

Correct answer: Analyzing and Interpreting Data

The answer I selected was using mathematical and computational thinking. I mixed it up with analyzing and interpreting data which was the correct answer. The students did not use much mathematical and computational thinking. Analyzing and interpreting data is the correct answer due to how the students used and studied charts of what animals eat to understand the way the data works (predict which animals would be affected if certain events happened).

 

Why I Returned to AdVenture

     AdVenture, a school full of projects, teamwork, different people, and technology. My name is Enya Do and I have been going to the AdVenture ATEM program since the 5th grade. I returned to Adventure for my eighth-grade year for several reasons: I like the way we learn in AdVenture, I already know all of my teachers and peers, and my brother is transferring this year. Let me go into more depth about all of that.

     Reason number 1: I like the project based learning curriculum that AdVenture has adopted. Learning through real world situation based projects as well as practicing team is important to me. Since the 5th grade, AdVenture has been setting me up for success in the future by teaching me social skills. Reason number 2: I feel like it would be too hard as well as unreasonable to transfer into a new school in my last year of middle school. I already know all my friends, teachers, as well as the way this school works. For example, I have been in Ms. Garcia's class for four straight years. Reason number 3: This year my brother will go through his first year in AdVenture as a fifth grader. It is more convenient for my parents to pick both of us up at the same time and location. In addition to this, I can also help him out if he doesn't understand anything.

     AdVenture is a great school for kids that prefer project based and hands on learning like me. That being said, I am proud to return and be apart of the AdVenture STEM program for my last year of middle school.

Article Blog 5/21/17 - Stars

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Starsinthesky.jpg

Summary

When huge clouds of dust and gas get so big they start to cave in, the center heats up and becomes a core that will one day become a star. Stars come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. The larger the star, the quicker it will burn out. Most stars live for billions of years. When giant stars die, a huge explosion called a supernova is created. If the supernova is big enough, a black hole can be created. 

Citation

"How Do Stars Form and Evolve?" Newsela | How Do Stars Form and Evolve? N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.

SP4: Analyzing and interpreting data

The author of this article analyzed and interpreted data to learn more about stars and write an informational article communicating what he or she learned. In order to find out all of this information, he or she had to read, watch, and talk to experts about stars, supernovas, black holes, and more. 

Weekly Blog 5/13/17 - The Environmental Accords

https://sites.google.com/site/earthsciencehumanimpact/_/rsrc/1472778978660/home/Human%20Impact%202.jpg

Summary

Humans impact the earth in many different ways both negative and positive. However, most of it is negative. Things like clearcutting, overfishing, polluting the air and more are happening. The Urban Environmental Accords is a document with a list of goals that will get us to an "ecologically sustainable, economically dynamic, and socially equitable" future, as stated by sfenviornment.org. There are 21 "actions" or goals in the environmental accords all under 7 categories. The categories include energy, waste reduction, urban design, urban nature, transportation, environmental health, and water. The environmental accords are important because they protect the earth and make it more sustainable for the future. 

SP6: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

I constructed explanations when I rephrased and summarized parts of the Urban Environmental Accords to better understand what they were saying. I explained and discussed the meaning of the accords with a partner. I thought of solutions to problems while playing legends of learning. Some puzzle games required thinking about the solution to get to the next level.

XCC: Cause and Effect

Everything happens because of cause and effect. For example, if we plant more trees around a sidewalk, there will be more shade on the sidewalk, this will make the air cooler not only preventing things like global warming but saving energy. Since the air is cooler, fewer people will use their A/C and fans. Simply making more shade outside (the cause) has many positive effects. Creating more shade is once of the environmental accords. 

Article Blog 5/7/17 - Stone Age dentists treated cavities with tar

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Blausen_0864_ToothDecay.svg/2000px-Blausen_0864_ToothDecay.svg.png

Summary

Long before dentists existed, during the stone age, humans cleaned their cavities differently. They used sharp stones to scrape and chip out their decayed teeth and coated the damaged tooth with bitumen, a tarry type of crude oil. They also used toothpicks (pieces of sticks). About 20 years ago in a site in Italy called Riparo Fredian, some researchers excavated six teeth human teeth. The teeth were found to have scratch marks in the decayed part and after a chemical and microscopic analysis of the teeth, the researchers found out the dark parts of the cavity walls were actually bitumen as well as plant fibers and some hairs. Benazzai, a researcher believes that by coating the teeth with bitumen, it protected the teeth from further infection.

Citation

Bower, Bruce. "Stone Age Dentists Treated Cavities with Tar." Science News for Students. Science for Students, 05 May 2017. Web. 07 May 2017. <https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/stone-age-dentists-treated-cavities-tar>.

SP4: Analyzing and interpreting data

The author of this article, Bruce Bower, analyzed and interpreted data to learn more about this topic and write an article communicating what he learned. In order to find out all of this information on studies and what other scientists and researchers have learned about old dentistry, Bower had to do lots of research and analyze what information he found to verify its credibility. 

Weekly Blog 4/30/17 - Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions

https://qph.ec.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-95115f7eb0c4383375b1b9ba4923b4c0

Summary

Nearly all chemical reactions involve a change in energy. Endothermic reactions occur when energy is absorbed from its surroundings. Exothermic is the opposite of endothermic reactions. It is when energy gets released during the chemical reaction. In an endothermic reaction, energy is absorbed from the surrounding environment. This means the container, for example, that the reaction occurred in would feel cold. The products have more energy than the reactants. In an exothermic reaction, energy gets released into the surroundings making it warmer or glow (like in glowsticks). The products have less energy than the reactants.

SP5: Using Mathematics

This week I used mathematics when I balanced chemical equations while playing games from legends of learning. To balance equations we had to add in coefficients to the beginning of each compound until there was the same amount of elements on each side. To do this, we used addition as well as multiplication.

XCC: Energy and Matter

In endothermic and exothermic reactions, energy is absorbed and released. It is moved around and never destroyed. The same is for matter. In chemical reactions, the amount of mass in the reactants is the same as the amount in the products. That is why we balance equations. Both energy and matter are never destroyed.