Weekly blog 5/27/18

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Image link: https://www.quora.com/What-shape-is-a-black-hole-Is-it-like-a-funnel-or-like-a-consuming-ball

Summary: This week we learned about multiple subjects, two of them were meteor showers and black holes. What I learned about meteor showers was that they happen when a large meteor enters our atmosphere and when it passes through our skies it creates streaks of light. I also learned that when meteors reach the ground, they are called meteorites. One more thing I learned about meteor showers is that there are 95 types of meteors and 2 main types of stony meteorites. For black holes I learned that a black hole forms by cores and the energy produced is dwarfed by gravity. I also learned the three parts of a black hole, the event horizon which is the border where nothing can return, the ergo sphere which is a field outside the event horizon and spins really fast due to the gravity of the black hole, and the singularity point which is the center of a black hole. Lastly I learned that when a black hole “consumes” things the gravity in the event horizon begins to distort and rip everything.

SP8: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information
A major practice of science is to communicate ideas and the results of inquiry—orally; in writing; with the use of tables, diagrams, graphs and equations; and by engaging in extended discussions with peers.

Did you present something to the class?

Yes this week I presented/taught the class about how elements react. We presented with a google slide first, then went outside and did an experiment. Lastly we went back inside and asked them questions based off of what we told them.

Weekly blog 5/20/18

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Image link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=v40s8_7ZcrU

Summary: This week we started a project where we need to make a lesson plan to teach the class. Me and my partner did how elements react with each other (chemistry). Something I learned while researching is that some elements don’t have a strong reaction with each other like adding water to a metal. But if you make the metal hotter and add water then the reaction would be much stronger. This can be called a chemical reaction (two elements reacting to each other and forming a new substance). When adding water to hot magnesium you can create magnesium oxide and hydrogen gas.

SP6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions
The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanations about the natural world.  explanatory power.

Did you explain something through your work?

(This may be when you researched something)

Yes we researched how 2 different elements can react to each other. This proves that when you combine 2 elements, you can get even a small reaction.

Weekly blog 5/13/18

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Image link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S5uftFsVdME
Summary: This week we learned about how stress from natural disasters and normal stress affects people's brains. Stress can have long term effects on people like PTSD, anxiety, zoning out, and making mistakes you normally wouldn't make. PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a problem that has to do with your mental health where you can become depressed, have nightmares, remember the trauma, anxiety, etc. But stress can also be a good thing because it can help you become more resilient if the natural disaster happens again. Stress also helps by but a community together to rebuild and get back to normal life.

SP6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions
The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanations about the natural world.  explanatory power.

Did you explain something through your work?

(This may be when you researched something)

Yes this week we researched about how stress can affect the brain. Then we had to answer questions about the stress from natural disasters. The articles we read explained that people who experienced a natural disaster could have a lot of stress and some can experience PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), shrinkage of the brain, Alzheimer’s, and forgetting to do simple things. But in one of the articles it explains that it could be a good thing to experience a natural disaster because when scientists did a test 15% of people had better mental stability. Natural disasters can also bring people together to repair their community. People will also be more prepared if a natural disaster happens again.

Weekly blog 4/29/18

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Image link: https://socratic.org/questions/which-types-of-galaxies-have-a-clearly-defined-disk-component
Summary: This week we learned about galaxies and reviewed the different planets in our solar system. There’s actually different types of galaxies such as spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, irregular galaxies, and peculiar galaxies. Spiral galaxies are like flat disks that have dust, gas, and old stars in them. Elliptical galaxies are like spiral galaxies but they have less gas and stars, however the stars it has are much older than those of a spiral galaxy. Irregular galaxies are galaxies that were formed by collisions of 2 galaxies. But the galaxy doesn’t have a distinct shape and are more faint than a spiral galaxy. Lastly a peculiar galaxy does have a shape but the shapes that a peculiar galaxy has are just like irregular galaxies, they were created by a collision.

SP6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions
The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanations about the natural world.  explanatory power.

Did you explain something through your work?

(This may be when you researched something)

Yes we filled out a google document and we had to use information from a video to answer the questions. We had to put the definitions of galaxies and what a galactic collision was.

Weekly blog 4/22/18

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Image link: https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FusionintheSun.svg

Summary: This week I learned about stars, how stars are created, and what the phases of the moon are. Stars are created by a process called nuclear fusion which has two hydrogen atoms come together to create a helium atom. This process leads to a star burning its energy until it has none left. When it runs out of energy the star becomes a white giant where nuclear fusion is no longer possible. I also learned that when you measure a stars brightness it’s called magnitude. When a star has low magnitude that means it’s brightness is high and when the magnitude is high that means the brightness is low.

SP6: Constructing explanations and designing solutions
The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanations about the natural world.  explanatory power.

Did you explain something through your work?

(This may be when you researched something)

This week we had to research how stars are created, the definition of a type of star, and phases of the moon. On a document we needed to answer questions about stars. We also had to explain how some processes worked for stars.

One Man Band Project Blog 4/15/18

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Summary: This week we did a project where we had to create our own instrument which needs percussion, wind, and string with 3 pitches each. From this project I learned that with string to get a higher pitch you'd need to put more tension and the less tension a string has the lower the pitch. I also learned that for a maraca depending on how big or small the container is, how much material you put into the container, and the material will make the maraca sound like a lower or higher pitch. If you use a different material for the maraca the sound when you shake it could sound different. Then for wind I learned that to amplify the sound you can put the sound through a tube and put a cone at the end.

Backward-Looking: How much did you know about the subject before we started?

I knew about different pitches and how sound travels, but I didn't know how to really create different pitches on instruments besides with bottles. I also knew how sound can change and how to create different pitches with bottles by putting different amounts of water in them. I also knew that certain instruments were in wind, string, or percussion. Such as drums for example, drums are in percussion and maracas are also in percussion.

Inward-Looking: What did/do you find frustrating about it?

What I found frustrating about this project is that I had to make 3 pitches for each type of instrument. I also had trouble making the wind part of my instrument which I also found frustrating. What I still find frustrating about the project is that I still can't play the wind part that well since it doesn't work 100% of the time. Also that I didn't have a good way of connecting the three maracas and I had to use string to connect them. One more thing is that the first maraca that I made wasn't as good as the 2nd and 3rd maracas.

Outward-Looking: If you were a teacher, what comments would you make about this piece?

If I was a teacher comments that I would make about this piece would be about creativity, the string, the wind, and the percussion. For creativity if I were a teacher I'd say "It doesn't look like anyone else's but it's not very colorful". For string If I were a teacher I'd say "The string is rubber bands which works well and is and sounds like real strings”. For wind I’d say “It isn’t very unique although it does have 3 notes”. Lastly for percussion the three notes do have a distinct difference to them if you listen”.

Forward-Looking: One goal I’d like to have for this week is...

I’d actually like to have multiple goals for this which such as keeping my grade at an A, being more creative with my work, and use my critical thinking skills more. I want to keep my grade at an A because then I’ll have a chance at getting 4.0 at the end of the term. I also want to be creative with my work because it would make my work be more presentable. It can also make the possibilities of what my final product could be more. Lastly I want to use my critical thinking skills more do that I can get better at solving real life problems by solving problems in school.

Weekly Blog 3/25/18

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Image link: https://physics.tutorvista.com/waves/types-of-waves.html?view=simple

Summary: This week we learned about different types of waves and the parts of a wavelength. There’s two types of  waves, mechanical and electromagnetic waves. Mechanical waves are waves that need a medium to pass through. An example of a mechanical wave is a seismic wave which passes through the earth (the medium) and can cause a tsunami. A medium can be a gas, liquid, or solid. Electromagnetic waves however don’t need a medium to pass through. An example of electromagnetic waves is light waves which don’t need to pass through a medium like air molecules.

SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence
In science, reasoning and argument are essential for clarifying strengths and weaknesses of a line of evidence and for identifying the best explanation for a natural phenomenon.

Did you participate in a class discussion providing evidence for your answers, and/or used the ACE strategy in your work?

Yes in class we talked about the different types of waves and why they’re different. We also talked about examples of the waves and why they’re a mechanical or electromagnetic wave.

Weekly blog 3/18/18

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Image link: https://medlineplus.gov/magazine/issues/fall08/articles/fall08pg12a.html

Summary: This week we learned more about sound and we reviewed what we learned previously. This week we learned about how sound travels through the ear. When sound enters your ear it goes in through the outer ear and into the ear canal which leads to the eardrum. After it goes into the middle ear and into the inner ear. Lastly the sound goes to the cochlea which allows your brain to figure out what you’re hearing. What we reviewed is about how sound travels through gases, liquids, and solids. Sound travels through solids the fastest, then liquids, and lastly gases.

SP3: Planning and carrying out investigations
 A major practice of scientists is planning and carrying out systematic investigations that require clarifying what counts as data and in experiments identifying variables.

Did you plan and carry out an investigation?
(Mostly when we do a investigation, lab, or experiment)

Yes we did another lab in class which helped us understand how sound looks while traveling to a solid, liquid, and gas.

Weekly blog 3/11/18

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Image link: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-activities/musical-bottles

Summary: This week we learned more about sound, how we hear it, and how it travels. Some ways that sound helps us is by allowing us to see babies in their mother's stomachs. It can also allow us to take pictures of the unborn baby, this is called ultrasound. I also learned that when sound enters our ears it’s carried to a nerve in the brain that allows us to recognize a sound. Another thing I learned is that when sound is reflected off of a surface it’s called a reflection, or an echo. Sound also allows multiple animals like a bat or whales to use echo location which helps them find food and their family if they get separated.

SP2: Developing and using models
Models make it possible to go beyond things you observe and simulate a world not yet seen. Models enable predictions of the form “if…then… therefore” to be made in order to test hypothetical explanations.

Did you build a model, draw a picture, created a concept map, etc?

Yes this week we needed to sketch a picture of an instrument that we were going to build. Along the way we’ll make changes to our models.

Music WAC

Why you should or shouldn't listen to music while studying

     Should people listen to music while studying? Would it benefit them or would it distract them? The issue is if people should listen to music while studying. Depending on what music you listen to you can have a better mood, but if you listen to music while trying to memorize something the notes in a song can mess you up. Also listening to music whether you like the song or not can still have a negative impact on your studying. However I think that people should listen to music while studying since it still has its many benefits. Also because I think that when people listen to music they're quiet which could benefit those who don't listen to music.

       A site called "3 reasons you should try studying while listening to music" says other ways on why you should listen to music while studying. One of those reasons is that while listening to classical music it can improve your memorization. Evidence from the site is "While listening to Mozart won't make you an instant genius, there is evidence that listening to any music that is personally enjoyable be it Mozart or Madonna can aid memory performance and concentration while studying". The site also talks about how listening to music while studying can also relieve stress. The site states "Both classical music and 'self elected' relaxing music in other words, any style that an individual considers personally soothing have been shown to quickly calm the body and elicit more positive emotional states". The site also supports the reason that your mood improves while listening to music while studying. The text says "A stimulating song or two can boost your drive to tackle the drudgery that awaits. How? Music engages the body’s autonomic nervous system—which in basic terms means that at some level, music can control our physiological functions and emotions."

      But other than the 3 reasons mentioned there's a few more. A site called "5 reasons why you should listen to music while doing homework" says the same reasons as the 3 reasons site but it also says a few different reasons. Such as helping you focus while doing homework or studying, and it also helps with creativity like brainstorming. Text from the site says "According to a study done at Johns Hopkins University, playing background music for creativity and reflection activities such as journaling, writing, problem-solving, goal-setting, project work or brainstorming is a great thing". One more different reason that's stated in the site is that listening to music helps you use parts of your brain that you normally don't use. Depending on what music you're listening to different parts of your brain can activate. Evidence from the site says "At Mcgrill University in Montreal, neuroscientist Anne Blood, said, 'You can activate different parts of the brain, depending on what music you listen to'".


     The opposing argument however says that listening to music is a distraction. The argument suggests that people shouldn't listen to music while studying because it won't help with memorization and it distracts the person who's listening to music. A source called "Do or Don't: Studying while listening to music", that says information on studying with and without music. It also has information that says that music disrupts memorization while studying. The site says " 'Listening to music may diminish your cognitive abilities in these situations because when you’re trying to memorize things in order, you can get thrown off and confused by the various words and notes in the song playing in the background', Perham theorized." But the site with 3 reasons says that something called the mozart effect can help with memorization and learning. Evidence from the site is "Perhaps you’ve heard of what has popularly been coined the Mozart Effect—the idea that listening to Mozart or other classical music enhances mental function. This has been the subject of heavy debate, and the research surrounding it has been seriously misinterpreted in some cases." 

     In conclusion listening to music while studying can help with memorization, lift your mood, and relieve stress. Music can help with memorization through the Mozart effect which happens when you're listening to classical music or any music that you enjoy while studying. Music can also help lift your mood and relieve stress depending on what music you're listening to. Lastly if you listen to music that can get you hyped up then it can lift your mood. Then if you listen to relaxing music or music that you find relaxing while studying then you can have less stress. If you listen to music while studying it can also help you use different parts of your brain depending on what kind of music you're listening to.

Sources:

• http://blog.online.colostate.edu/blog/online-education/3-reasons-you-should-try-studying-while-listening-to-music/
• https://www.uloop.com/news/view.php/149570/Do-Or-Dont-Studying-While-Listening-To
• https://www.freshu.io/destiny/5-reasons-why-you-should-listen-to-music-while-doing-homework

Project blog 2/18/18

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Summary: This week we did a project that wanted us to create a roller coaster. The roller coaster had to be safe and it had to work at least 2 out of 3 times. This helped us review what we've been learning for the past few weeks. Some of which are acceleration, newton's laws, different types of forces, distance, velocity, etc. This project also helped me understand how things speed up and slow down a bit better. I learned that when a marble goes over a bump it doesn't just make the marble slow down, it also makes the marble speed up. Another thing I learned was that friction is included in forces and in physics. Friction is when an object slows down because of something it goes against. An example of friction is when a car is moving and when the car slows down the wheels rub against the floor to slow down along with using the breaks.

Backward-Looking: How much did you know about the subject before we started?

I didn't know that much about physics before we started researching and then we started the project. Before we started researching though I only knew about gravity and how it was included in physics. But when we started to research I didn't know that there was so many subjects that were in physics. I also didn't know that newton had 3 laws or that physics had it's own amount of force (joules). When we started to build though, I knew the basic information of physics. But then I forgot some of the stuff that we started to research in the beginning.

Inward-Looking: What did/do you find frustrating about it?

What I found frustrating about this project is that when our design wouldn't work we had to think of something else to do and it didn't look very exciting. I also found it frustrating that when one of my teammates had an idea and when we knew it wouldn't work, they still tried. We were also running out of time though to finish the project. This also didn't give us time to decorate the roller coaster which is also frustrating. One last thing that I found frustrating is that when we were already done with the roller coaster some of my teammates kept testing it when we still had to answer some questions on a paper.

Outward-Looking: In what ways did your work meet the standards for this assignment? In what ways did it not meet those standards?

A few ways that our work met the standards for the assignment is that, it was finished, it had a loop, it works, and it's safe. But it didn't meet the standards in decorating since it didn't have any decorations and it didn't have any color on it. Our roller coaster also didn't have a noticeable theme, while other coasters did. But ours worked most of the time and it was safe. Our roller coaster also was sturdy and it was 1 meter, it also didn't go above 1 meter.

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 again I would change the sketch to be more reasonable, I would plan out the materials beforehand, and plan out what we were going to do in the project. I would make the sketch more reasonable by thinking about what would actually be possible to create with the materials that we have at hind. I would also plan out what materials to use beforehand by thinking about what could be used in the design and if it would make sense to use it. Lastly I would plan out what we were going to do on certain days and when we would finish a part of the project. This way everything is organized and everything isn’t all over the place.

Weekly blog 2/11/18

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Image link: http://thedisciplinedinvestor.com/blog/roller-coaster-force/

Summary: This week I learned more about how speed works in a roller coaster. If the starting point of the marble is higher then the speed increases. I also learned that if the marble doesn’t go fast enough then, on a loop the marble stops or falls off of the coaster. Newton’s laws also apply to the roller coaster in a way because the marble wouldn’t move if there wasn’t enough force to keep it moving, the first law. When the marble is let go and it starts moving it’s the action while the reaction is when the marble puts strain on the coaster.

SP5: Mathematics and computational thinking
Mathematical and computational approaches enable prediction of the behavior of physical systems along with the testing of such predictions.

Did you perform any math calculations?

Yes we needed to calculate how much our materials would cost and what we would have left.

Weekly blog 2/4/18

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Image link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Newton%27s_Laws_and_Highway_Safety_(25665461732).jpg

Summary: This week we learned about Newton's 3 laws. The first law is the law of inertia which means that an object that isn't moving stays unmoving and an object that's moving keeps moving. Unless the object is acted on by an unbalanced force then the object will start to move or the object will stop moving. Newton's 2nd law is Force, force is acceleration multiplied by mass. The 2nd law explains how the first law works. The 2nd law also has something called a net force with it. A net force can be when an object is being acted upon 2 forces and the 2 forces are equal (both in opposite directions). A net force can also be when 2 forces in opposite direction are acting on an object but one of them is larger than the other. The last type of net force is when the 2 forces are going in the same direction and they're acting upon an object. Lastly Newton's 3rd and last law is action and reaction. An example is if you're throwing a ball, you throwing the ball is the action and when the ball bounces or rolls on the ground that's the reaction.

SP3: Planning and carrying out investigations
A major practice of scientists is planning and carrying out systematic investigations that require clarifying what counts as data and in experiments identifying variables.

Did you plan and carry out an investigation?

(Mostly when we do a investigation, lab, or experiment)

Yes this week we did multiple labs and experiments. We did 3 labs and each lab was one of the 3 of Newton's laws. Then we had to say how the law was in the experiment/lab.

Weekly blog 1/28/18

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Image link: https://alchetron.com/Force

Summary: This week I learned about forces and what net forces were. There’s actually two types of forces which is balanced and unbalanced forces. Balanced forces is when 2 forces are acting upon an object but in opposite directions. When the object isn’t moving the object still doesn’t move and if the object is moving then the speed and direction of the object don’t change. Unbalanced forces however are the opposite of balanced forces. Unbalanced force is when two forces that are unequal and are moving in opposite directions. When unbalanced forces are acting upon an object and the object isn’t moving the object starts to move. If the object is moving then the objects speed and direction will change. Net forces though is when 2 forces are the same size moving in opposite directions, 2 forces that are different sizes moving in opposite directions, and lastly when 2 forces are moving in the same direction.

SP7: Engaging in argument from evidence
In science, reasoning and argument are essential for clarifying strengths and weaknesses of a line of evidence and for identifying the best explanation for a natural phenomenon.

Did you participate in a class discussion providing evidence for your answers, and/or used the ACE strategy in your work?

Yes in class we needed to complete a google document about forces. The last few questions needed me to use the ACE strategy in my answers.

Weekly blog 1/21/18

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Image link: http://www.mrwaynesclass.com/kinegrph/reading/index03.html

Summary: This week we did an assignment that was about acceleration. At the end of the assignment we had to make 2 position over time graphs. I learned how to calculate the data of a lab that we did in class and how to put it into position over time graphs. I also learned how to find the acceleration of an object when it’s moving. First you’d need to find the average speed and then divide the average speed by the amount of time it took the objects to accelerate. You also might have to mark multiple points of where the object was and went.

SP4: Analyzing and interpreting data
Scientific investigations produce data that must be analyzed in order to derive meaning.

Did you create a graph, table, drawing, etc. of the data you obtained in an experiment?

 Yes this week we did a lab and I made two graphs that was position over time. I put the data that we gathered from our lab and put it into the 2 graphs. The position was the distance it went in centimeters and the time was the amount of seconds it took to get to that distance.

Weekly blog 1/14/18

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Image link: https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion/acceleration-tutorial/a/acceleration-article

Summary: This week we reviewed speed, distance, velocity, and learned more about acceleration. Acceleration is an objects change of velocity which is when a runner starts running faster. To find the acceleration of an object you’d find the constant speed, the speed after acceleration, and how long the acceleration lasted. You’d do the speed after acceleration and subtract the constant speed (ex. 24meters - 8meters). Lastly you’d divide the total by how long the acceleration lasted (ex. 16meters/8seconds).

SP5: Using Mathematics and Computational thinking
Mathematical and computational approaches enable prediction of the behavior of physical systems along with the testing of such predictions.

Did you perform any math calculations?

Yes while, reviewing and learning more about acceleration we had to multiply, divide, add, or subtract numbers. There were formulas for certain laws in physics, and the formulas had you do some math that included one or two of the 4 listed (multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction). An example is the acceleration formula where you have to divide and subtract certain variables.