Project Blog - Charity Fair 2017

Summary

The charity my group choose to support and present about is called the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. AFSP works funds research, raises awareness, advocates to pass laws that will save lives as well as offers support. Every year over 1, 000,000 people in the U.S attempt suicide with over 44,000 succeeding. To support our charity, my group sold black milk tea and peach tea inside a glass mason jar. Each of the jars were covered in glitter, decorated with the blue and purple suicide awareness ribbon and included a tag with more information on our charity. In total, we made $211 dollars by selling out of our 50 jars.

Backwards - In what ways have you gotten better at this kind of work?

Compared to my prior year's charity fair, I definitely improved. For one, this year my group and I completed every aspect of the charity fair in a timely manner. Unlike last year, I wasn't staying up the night before finishing up my board with my group. I also think the product that I created turned out better. The milk tea sold out fast and we got many compliments on our board and presentation. I also made over $100 compared to last year.

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

One thing especially satisfying about the finished product was how our presentation during the charity fair went. I think our group did a really great job. We really took into account what feedback we got during our practice presentations in class and practiced a lot. After the presentation, I felt really proud of how we did. There was no stuttering, we had all our lines memorized, and many people in the audience were touched and emotional when watching us present. Our presentation to the parents was one of the best presentations that I have ever given during my 4 years at AdVenture.

Outwards

What the one thing you particularly want people to notice when they look at your work?
One thing I particularly want people to notice when they look at my work is the effort we put into decorating our jars. Each jar is brushed with multiple layers of gold glitter ,lined with a different colored ribbon based on the flavor of drink and wrapped around with a hand drawn tag. It took us an especially long time to make the tags because on each one we had to untie the already made know (which took awhile for all of them), put on a bell, and retie it an appropriate length for the jar.

Forwards
One thing I would like to improve upon is ...

One thing I would like to improve upon is thinking more ahead before we do things considering our product. Doing this would have saved us a lot of time. This is because when we put the glitter on the jars, we didn't anticipate how much time it would take. We spent many hours layers glitter on all of our 50 jars. In the future, if I wanted to do a half sparkle look for a jar, I could have just used spray paint. If we spray painted the jar, it would have saved us many hours of work giving us time to make other parts of our project and board better.

WAC - Should We Bring Back Extinct Species 12/14/17

     

     “When a species goes extinct, that’s the end. Those genes are gone. That job in the ecosystem is gone. That niche disappears so there is nothing left to serve that purpose.” 10:15, Reawakening Extinct Species. For hundreds of thousands of years, this was the reality we lived in. However, due to our recent explosion of knowledge, circumstances have changed. Scientists are currently exploring the possibilities of resurrecting extinct species with something called de-extinction. Even more, with the variety of de-extinction methods such as cloning, selective breeding, and genome editing, bringing back our long lost friends seems more a part of reality than fiction. But that poses the question, is it worth it to go through the trouble of bring back extinct species? The answer is yes, we should bring back extinct species. Why? Because the practice of de-extinction can actually help with conservation, has environmental benefits, and will expand of our scientific knowledge and understanding. The benefits of de-extinction vastly outweigh the consequences.

     Some people may argue that de-extinction is time and money wasted; time and money that should be going to the conservation of endangered species. However, most don't realize that the technology used to bring back extinct species can also be used to repopulate and help endangered species. By using de-extinction technology to repopulate endangered species, we can diversify gene pools with little variation. According to the SENCER article, Should We Bring Back Extinct Species?, diversifying the gene pools will leave populations "less susceptible to viruses, bacterial infections and disease"(para. 2). This is due to natural selection. When an organism with genetic variations that will increase it's chance of survival arises, natural selection will ensure that that trait is passed down as the species evolves. As the SENCER stated, these variations can be immensely beneficial to endangered species. In addition to this, de-extinction has even more conversational benefits. Ben Novak, a lead researcher from Revive & Restore, a non-profit working to save endangered and extinct species with engineering and science has some thoughts on this topic. He stated in Stephen Ying's article, We Might Soon Resurrect Extinct Species. Is It Worth the Cost?, “living species are endangered partly because of 'the lack of an ecological partner or some link in the food web.'"(para. 9). This means that de-extinction can be used as a means of conservation just as easily as it is used for resurrection.

     De extinction also has environmental benefits. One scientists named Sergey Zimov is working to bring back the woolly mammoth by splicing the DNA of similar species with something called crisper to create a hybrid species similar to the woolly mammoths. By repopulating the tundra with the woolly mammoth, we can "encourage the revival of ancient grasslands, which could slow the rate of melting permafrost and, therefore, reduce carbon emissions.”(para. 3), as stated in the Should We Bring Back Extinct Species? article. Sergey Zimov believes we can reduce the temperature by at least 20 degrees. In other words, he is saying that bringing back the woolly mammoth will reduce the rate of global warming through the reduction of carbon emissions. But the woolly mammoth isn't the only extinct animal that carries environmental benefits. In the New York times article, We Might Soon Resurrect Extinct Species. Is It Worth the Cost?, Ying also mentions how passenger pigeons will counteract the negative affects of deforestation. When the Eastern deciduous forests were filled with thousands of passenger pigeons, the large flocks would land on the tree and break the branches "excreting layers of rich fertilizer that allowed new trees to grow" (para. 19). This job belonged exclusively to the passenger pigeons. Without them, the once rich forest soil has become poor. These are only two of the many ways that extinct species can better our environment.

     Because of humans, so many amazing and unique species died out to extinction. De-extinction can undo the damage we caused in the past in a positive way and bring back more diversity of life. In addition to this, if we bring back species with amazing abilities that went extinct, scientists can further our knowledge of the world and make breakthroughs that will benefit humanity. For example, Michael Archer, an australian researcher is working to bring back the gastric brooding frog. The sighting of this unique species was the first time anyone had ever seen an organism that could change one organ into another. The medical world was excited about the frogs discovery, but before they could learn anything new the species soon went extinct. In the article, Reawakening Extinct Species, Gabriela Quiros stated that scientists" wondered, could they use this in human health, not to have babies in our stomachs but to manage gastric secretions in the gut?”(para. 9). Imagine how much we could learn from extinct species. By being able to examine living organisms from the past, we can also learn about their ecosystems and the reason behind their extinction "filling in some gaps in evolutionary theory"(para. 2, SENCER article). With de-extinction we have a chance to learn about things we couldn't learn before.

      As I have shown, we should bring back extinct species. De-extinction can help us conserve our endangered species while bringing back extinct ones, benefit and improve our environment, and teach us things about the world they we never could have learned before. Our world has so much to gain from bringing back extinct species. And though we may not have our own Jurassic park anytime soon, thanks to the science of de-extinction you can bet on seeing some old friends in the near future.

De Extinction - Weekly Blog 12/10/17

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/NHM_Dodos.jpg

Summary

Weekly Blog 12/3/17 - Carbon Footprint

Summary

Air pollution is caused mostly by the transportation of goods. Almost all of the items we own are manufactured in other countries. To get from retailers to us products have to shipped around the world creating an insane amount of pollution. Out of trains, trucks, boats, and cars, airplanes release the most grams of CO2 per kilogram per mile. In order to keep our planet fresh and prevent things like global warming, we need to be aware of how much pollution products create and act of that knowledge. Buying your favourite products locally can make a huge difference over time. You can start by visiting local farmers markets to purchase your everyday groceries. In addition to reducing the amount of CO2 produced in the air, you will also be treating yourself to fresh and higher quality ingredients.

SP2 Developing and Using Models

I developed models when I created a map of my charity fair products journey with google maps. My map kept track of all the CO2 released into the air to make my product by showing how each component was shipped from its manufacturer, to retailer, to me. I used this model to see approximately how many total grams of CO2 per kilogram per mile was emitted into the air during the creation of my product. By knowing this information, I was able to see just how much air pollution one jar of milk tea could release. My model explained to and showed me that when creating future products and buying items, I need to keep in mind how much air pollution is being created. 

XCC: Scale Proportion and Quantity

 When calculating the quantity of grams of CO2 per kilogram per mile the total amount of CO2 emitted depends on the amount of miles traveled and the type of vehicle. For airplanes, 1 mile of travel would be equivalent to 0.17 grams of CO2, 2 miles would be 0.34, and 5 miles would be 0.85. The relationship between miles and CO2 is a scale proportion. In order to calculate the quantity of CO2, you have to first determine what kind of vehicle the items was shipped by. If it was in the same country, it was shipped by a truck, if it was in the same continent, train. If it was in a different continent, airplane or boat. After that, multiply the amount of miles traveled by the amount of grams of CO2 produced per mile. 

Project Blog 11/16/17 - Fluxx Cards

Summary

This past week we were tasked with the project of creating a deck of fluxx cards that taught a certain science concept. The deck of cards had to include keepers, goals, actions, creepers, and rule cards. My teammate and I chose our topic to be symbiosis. Symbiosis can be defined as interactions between organisms. There are three forms of symbiosis: parasitism, commensalism, and mutualism. Parasitism is when one organism benefits while the other is harmed. Commensalism is when one organism is benefited while the other is neither harmed nor benefited. One example that we used as a goal in our fluxx card deck is the relationship between the phainopepla bird and saguaro cactus. Since the bird builds its nest in the cactus, the bird gets a home and the cactus isn't affected. Finally, the last type of symbiosis is Mutualism. Mutualism occurs when both organisms are benefited.

Backwards Looking - What problems did you encounter while you were working on this piece? How did you solve them?

After printing out our cards, we realized that the backs and front of the cards were not lined up correctly. In order to solve this problem, we decided to just cut the cards normally while holding the side with all of the information. By doing this, we would be cutting off and cropping parts of the card back but keeping the important information on the inside of the cards. After doing this, we realized the backs of the cards haven't consisted however the important part was still intact and unaffected.

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?

One thing I particularly liked about these cards was the design aspect of them. On each type of card, we changed the font and picture for the sidebar of the card to match our topic. I think this tied everything together very nicely. One thing I didn't like, however, was how the back side of the cards was cropped of due to how we didn't line up the backs to the front while printing.

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?

Unlike other groups, my partner and I was the only group that drew in the pictures for the goal and keeper cards. This along with how we changed the fonts of our cards was the main major difference. Somethings we did similar in our work was how for other groups the fronts and backs also weren't lined up. I noticed that lining up the sides was a struggle for many groups.

Designer Species Project Blog 11/5/17

Summary

In order to surviv, organisms have to have certain characteristics and adaptations. These can include camouflaging coats of fur, certain body shapes, and much more. For example, to stay cool inside a hot burning desert, fennec foxes have giant ears. They provide more body surface for the fox's body heat to radiate around. The fur of sloths is able to suck up moisture and grow algae to help them camouflage. The gornopoulos, a mammal that lives in humid tropical rainforests has both of these characteristics as well as a flying squirrel body and sticky feet pads. Like all organisms, the gornopoulos has many specials ways that it survives to reproduce. It eats nuts, fruits, and insects. The large ears also serve another purpose. It gives the gornopoulos great hearing which allows it to hear predators and prey to know where they are. In conclusion, animals need certain adaptations and abilities to reproduce.

Backwards Looking - 

What process did you go through to produce this piece?

In order to produce our poster and presentation, we first had to research about what type of traits our animal would need to survive on its planet. The next step was to begin creating our species and answering the questions about our organism. Once we were completely sure about our idea, we began to make our model. For our model, we created a diagram (shown above). The final step was to make our presentation and script. Once that was completed all we had to do was practice.

Inwards Looking -

What were your standards for this piece of work? Did you meet your standards?

For this project, my standards were high. I felt that I had a good group and that there wasn't a reason for me to not do a great job. After presenting, I felt that I did meet my standards. My group was able to create a great poster that not only looked organized but was also informational. Our presentation was okay overall but I felt like with more practice we could have definitely improved.

Outwards Looking -

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

Unlike other groups, my group decided to create a skit for our presentation. We were the only ones that did this. The reason why we wanted to do a skit was that we wanted to present our information in an interesting and entertaining way. However, like most groups, we created a poster for our model rather than making a 3d version of our organism. 

Forwards Looking -

One thing I would like to improve upon is...

One thing that I would have liked to improve upon was our presentation. Since we wrote the script eh day before, we weren't entirely comfortable with our lines. Since we used no script, some of us forgot their lines. In addition to this, we definitely could have added more to the performance. In the future, I can solve this problem by thinking ahead and making sure the script gets done early enough to allow our group to practice how we want to present.

Weekly Blog 10/29/17 - Animal Adaptations

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Great_male_Leopard_in_South_Afrika-JD.JPG/1280px-Great_male_Leopard_in_South_Afrika-JD.JPG

Summary

In order for organisms to reproduce, they adopt certain traits and characteristics they help them survive in their habitats. These can include a striped coat for camouflage from predators or maybe a long, thin beak that allows them to collect pollen. The fennec fox, for example has giant ears that help keep them cool. The ears provide more surface area for the fox to spread it's body heat around. In addition to this, the fennec fox has thick sandy colored fur. The fur serves many purposes. It reflects heat, keeps the fox warm during cold nights and grows on the paws of their feet to prevent their feet from getting burned by hot desert sand. When a new species is created, they have to be able to survive by having certain adaptations.

SP2 Developing and Using Models

I developed models this week when I started to map out and draw my groups designer species. My group first brainstormed ideas. Then we drew a rough sketch of our first model that included all of the characteristics we wanted in our organism. Finally, we began to finalize our ideas which we wrapped up with an official drawing of our species. At the end of the week, we began to bring in materials that we could use to actually create our 3D model. It was important for us to develop and create our drawing models so we could visualize what we wanted our designer species to look like.

XCC: Structure and Function

Many animals and plants have certain body structures that carry out perform certain functions. For example, think of a giraffe. The structure of a giraffe includes a yellow coat of fur with brown spots. They also have an iconic long neck. All of these things serve a purpose. The "function" of the brown spots is to allow the giraffe to camouflage from a far distance. The dark and light spots mimic the shadows that is produced through leaves in a tree. The "function" of the long neck structure is to allow the giraffe to reach food high up in the trees. Again, all organisms have a structure and function in the adaptations and body.