3/17/2017 0 Comments WEEK 9In chemistry this week, we did an experiment where we took different elements from the periodic table and burned them to see what color they would burn. We learned that each element has it's own specific color that it burns, and that's how you can identify an element. This week we also picked out project roles to help move the project along. The role that I chose was the Travel Agents. The travel agents plan and organize field trips to go get photos. We gather information, create the permission slips, and accept or deny field trip ideas. This week we made a calendar of the rest of the year, and wrote in school events, such as staff days. We also practiced taking landscape photos this week. We walked around the school and took photos of the scenery. After taking our photos, we processed them on photoshop. As I said before, in chemistry this week we watched Andrew burn different elements from the periodic table to see what color they would burn. The elements we used were Sodium, Boron, Potassium, Copper, Strontium, Lithium, Magnesium, and Iron. Since they all burn different colors, if you're not sure what's in something, you can burn it and use the color of the fire to identify the elements. After doing the experiment we were asked: what is light? Andrew then showed us a video, which said, "Different atoms emit different colors of light, if we can measure that light, in principle we can determine what an object is made of, even if we can't touch it." In humanities, we were asked to write an essay about a place we love in the style of John Steinbeck. I wrote about the swimming pool that's a part of my apartment complex, because I love swimming and water in general. I wrote in a third person point of view, because i noticed that's how Steinbeck wrote. I also tried to be very descriptive, because I think that's what makes Steinbeck's writing so lovely. Unfortunately, I ran out of inspiration about halfway through, so my piece is not where I'd like it to be. Below is what I've already done.
Dipped-in toes and little bugs cause ripples on the pale blue surface, and the ever-present smell of chlorine washes over with the gentle breeze. fluffy white clouds float past blue skies, and between them you can see birds gliding by merrily. Bees and dragonflies gravitate to the flowers, while green scarab beetles fly clumsily past the (often unfollowed) rule board. Below the rule board there are brown reclining chairs, weathered from use and constant exposure to the ever-changing climate. Directly to the left of the board is the gate, which is locked to keep out those who are undeserving of the serenity of the clear blue water. The chill of the water can act as an escape from the thick heat of July, or perhaps a place to drown away the worries of life. Some days you may see children splash and play about, as already wrinkled and sun-dried men soak in the golden rays cascading down upon them. Other days, you may see a woman floating on her back to watch the birds fly past, with her ears under the surface to melt away the sounds of the world. Also, we did work in our project groups. My group made big project calendar of all the months left in the year. We wrote in important dates and already planned field trips. There weren't many, but we wrote them in anyway. We also made a form to fill out for people who want field trips, shared by google drive to everyone on the team. Our group is important because we're in charge of all the field trips for the entire team. This project requires lots of field trips and planned outings, so I'm glad I can be a help.
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3/12/2017 0 Comments Week 8This week we planned our field trips for our landscape photos. Maddie, Lourdes, Dani, Tiera, and I went to Cowles Mountain and we plan to go again next weekend for even more photos. We also developed photos. Andrew bought more chemicals for our developer, and it ended up being slightly different than the one we were used to working with. Because of this, we had to figure out the problem and adjust what we were doing. We learned we had to expose the photos for a couple second longer, and keep the photo in the developer for longer. A problem we haven't solved yet is an issue with brown spots appearing on our photos. We don't know what's causing the issue as of now, so ext time we'll pay extra attention to try to pinpoint the issue. In Andrew's we're developing independent projects. A group of my friends and I decided that we wanted to make bath bombs. Bath bombs interest me a lot, because I have no idea what makes them fizz or what makes them hold their shape. I'd like to learn what causes the bath bomb's reaction to water, and learn how to form them correctly because from what I understand that's very important to the functionality of the bath bomb. Linked below is our project proposal. In Mike's, we were asked to write a 250-350 word essay about a panorama photo of our choice. I chose the above photo of Yosemite. Below the divider is my 250 word essay. In this photo of Yosemite, I see very vibrant colors. The trees and other plants stand out against the grey of the mountains and blue of the sky. I like how you can see all the distant mountains. I think it’s cool that you can see the texture of the jagged points fade away. I love all the details in the plants and mountain ridges. I think I like this so much because makes me think of a Bob Ross painting, due to how beautiful it is. The composition and depth of field is perfect for this photo. The fade of the sky into the mountains, and the mountains into the trees make the picture feel very clear and coherent. I think I was attracted to this photo because I love color, and the way colors clash and complement each other. There's lots of green in this photo, but I think the neutral greys and browns of the rocks and mountains balance it out, along with the bright blue sky. Speaking of the sky, the mountain peaks and clouds add a little bit of texture to break up the brightness and solidness of the sky. Another reason I feel like this picture is very well taken and beautiful is because there's not necessarily a particular subject, so your eyes get to wander and take in the whole photo. There's nothing specific to focus on, and I think that allows you to take in more of the details of the photo.
3/5/2017 0 Comments WeEk 7This week we continued developing our photos. At this point, a few students have taken over the process. Lourdes and I are the main two people who help with developing, but we have the support and help of our whole class, really. In chemistry, we began planning our independent projects for that class and made H2 balloons. In humanities, we read a piece by John Muir about Hetch Hetchy and talked about water decisions. As mentioned before, we made Hydrogen balloons in chemistry. We put powdered citric acid and magnesium in a volumetric flask, then added a little bit of water. This caused the balloon to fill with H2, which caused the balloon to float. I noticed that it was bubbling, it got hot, the citric acid dissolved kind of quickly, and that as time passed the liquid got more and more clear. The questions I asked were: 1. Why does it get hot? 2. What causes the bubbles? 3. What makes the magnesium dissolve? Mike asked is to look into a water decision, and to answer four questions about it. Maddie and I chose the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Below are our responses to the questions.
1. What Happened? The water in Flint, Michigan was poisoned by lead from corroded pipes. The pipes were corroded because in an effort to save money, Flint's water source was switched to water from the Flint river. The river water is what corroded the pipes, and the corrosion is what deposited lead into the water supply. 2. Was it necessary? No, it wasn't necessary. The city officials were more focused on saving money than on public health and safety. It was more expensive to use their other source, and the river was cheaper, but they should have known that the river water wasn't safe. 3. What are the Water Right's impact? The water was in violation of the Safe Water Act. This means it was not safe to consume or use for everyday/household things such as bathing and washing your hands 4. How did this affect the environment? It's Affecting the people of Flint. Lead poisoning is a life long illness, which can lead to lots of other medical conditions and problems. People are being permanently poisoned. Children are being burdened with medical issues before they even really have a chance to live their lives. Is money really worth that? |
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June 2017
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