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