Urban Village School Edition

The EOY  is our end of the year project is a project that we do school wide just like the charity fair. This project is planned by the teachers every year. This year we did it on Urban Villllages. An Urban Village is a village that has everything you need in one area. It's three components are Work, Live and Play. This end of the year project had three phases. Phase one was to choose a part of the school and redesign it. Then we made our company and mission state ment. Then we got paired with anouther group and they were our clients and we were theirs. So we presented our ideas to each other. Then we started to build each others ideas. We had two weeks to make a model of their redesigned space. Our last and second phase was where we thought about what our school would look like if we turned it into a urban village our school being work play and we did not need live because we are a school. Then we had to find how much our school would cost if we built and furnished it. We had a Budget of $15 million and we had to make a Blue Print to show our layout. Then we had to learn about Urban Villages that could be made in the near future and do they have the seven qualities of life. Then we had to figure out does our Urban Village have the seven qualities of life. Then we had to make a pitch to present our clients idea for redesigning their part of campus. Lastly in science we made a presentation of one clean/green city in the world and what action the took in from a list of 21 actions that make it a clean city. Then we had to find 3 action that our Urban Village was going to have and how we were going to make sure that it would do that.

Backward-looking

I did not know much about Urban villages before this project. In fact I didn't know a thing about them, I hadn't even heard of them. Basically all that I knew is that their were places that had almost everything you need in them. I actually went to an Urban Village almost every week. I went to a place on Cottle road. It had appartments, was right next to Kaiser Permanente, had millions of shops and restaurants and parking. 

Inward-Looking

I got most frustrated and feel most frustrated about the people in my group. Because one of them was always getting off task, one of the was doing things the team didn't want and doing things without asking, and the other person in my group got frustrated with whatever we did, deleted peoples work because he didn't like it, and had times where he didn't talk to the group because he was mad.

Outward-Looking

I don't think that we did our work like other groups because their were many groups who were doing the library and they made it just a giant rectangle like square and filled that when we did ours a "L" shape and made the walls, so that it was built up.

Forward-Looking

One think that I want to improve on is probably giving people in my group more to do so that they had more to do and did not get off task. Also I would probably communicate with my team members more. That would help me make sure that everything was going well and done so that I wouldn't have to get stressed out about it.

EOY Science

                Did you know that their is a set of actions that Cities can do to get to be a 5 star city, A green City? While it turns out their is. Their is a list of 21 actions cities can do or abide by that can make it a clean and energy efficient city. There are 7 parts to it each having three actions that a city can do or relate to. We choose 3 actions that our cities would do if we made a city. Action 14 means that the city passes a law that forces carmakers to create clean cars that don’t release much CO2. We will make sure we are in compliance with this accord by adding only dealerships that sell electrical cars and/or low emission cars like hybrids and by putting chargers for electrical cars at parking lots to encourage using those types of cars. Action 8 means putting recreational places, restaurants, apartments, & grocery stores closer so you can walk or bike to them. We will make sure we are in compliance with this accord by putting bike racks and places to put you bike while you are doing whatever you are doing so that you don’t have to find a place to put it and having bigger bike lanes and sidewalks so that it is safer so more people want to ride their bikes and walk. Action 3 means cutting back on greenhouse  gasses and reducing the chance of global warming. We will make sure we are in compliance with this accord by encouraging less food waste in the landfill so that they produce less methane and using electric trains.

S&EP
SP7

I used Evidence to support my claim when my group and I where choosing what we would do and choose to do in our green city. I used evidence to support my argument when I backed up my choice to action 14. I did this because I believe that it is better to stop the problem before it gets to my city so that we don't have to worry about it.

Acid Rain, Sediment, and Hunting.

https://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Beach_Stones_2.jpg

Are They Causing It?

Sediment is the dirt and rocks that are carved out of other rocks by erosion and weathering. Weathering and Erosion are when water and wind and well of course weather, where it hits the rocks and over time takes it away. Acid rain believe it or not is the rain we experience almost every week. Their is the is scale called the Ph scale. The Ph scale goes from 1-14 14 being the lowest amount of acid and 1 being the highest. Then their is a special tape that changes color when you put it in the water then you match the color on the tape to the color on the scale. Or every day rain is a 6 on the Ph scale. It is caused when the smoke from our cars and factories gets in the air and then it travels into the water in the air causing it to have chemicals in it.Then this makes the acid. Hunting by humans can cause problems in the ecosystem and the territory. Predators believe it or not change the geography of the place they live in. If their is nothing to hunt the Herbivores then they can eat to much of the resources in their area which can make it dry and bare. But if you add a predator in the mix they can control the amount of herbivores in the area which can give the area more resources. So hunting the predators can harm the whole ecosystem within.

          All three of these things can affect the fish and water life in rivers, lakes, ponds, and oceans near by. Sediment can make the water to warm, murky and muddy. Which causes the fish to not be able to lay eggs and hatch eggs and it can be to warm. The dark water makes it so water plants can't grow. Also it can cause the water life and bugs to suffocate because their is not enough oxygen in the water. Fish can live in a rage of 5-9 on the Ph scale so if their is to much or not enough acid in the water the fish can die off because of the chemicals or because their is not enough for the clean and healthy water that they need. When you hunt the predators in the area (Mountain Lions in this case) That can cause more erosion because of the roots of the plants being torn up can loosen dirt. Then their is logging especially clear cut logging which is when you cut down all the trees and their trunks in one area. This can cause sediment because the trees roots hold down and pact in the dirt but when they are gone the dirt is looser.

S&EP
SP3

We tested the sediment and acid rain levels in the water to see if they were too high or too low for the fish to live in. Then we used this data to try and figure out if the reason that the water was not good for the fish to survive in and off of that we thought about could it possibly be why the fish in the gray area where dieing.

Bioindicators

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nostri-imago/3564689379

What is a bioindicator? A bioindicator is a living thing that is sensitive to changes in it's habitat. Scientist, Miners, and People use them to test for harmful things that could be in the air, water, or anything around you. Canaries, water fleas, and starfish are just a few examples of bioindicators. Miners used to take Canaries into mines because they were sensitive to harmful gasses. So if your canary suddenly dies well get out of the mine. Scientists can and do use starfish and water fleas to test the water. Just like the canary water fleas are sensitive to chlorine and other chemicals in the water. The starfish is sensitive to heavy metals and tell scientists if there is heavy metal pollution in the water.

S&EP

SP7

I used evidence to define my explanation when we had a class argument on whether the water fleas in the river where dieing because of chlorine or something else. Also when I argued that I do think that the chlorine is killing the fish.

Our way of electricity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_debate

We have many ways of getting electricity. 6 of the ways we get it are Wind, Solar, Hydropower, Natural Gas, Geothermal, Coal, and Nuclear energy. Wind energy is when the sun heats the earth and creates wind. Then we build giant structures made out of steel called windmills that the wind blows and the force of the windmills spooks moving makes energy. Solar energy is when people put things called solar panels on their roofs the sun heats them up and they turn the heat into energy. Hydropower energy is when people use the water in streams to turn a wheel in the water which then makes energy. Natural gasses are dug up from the ground and burned to make energy. Coal is the most popular form of getting energy and is mined for and burned to create energy. Then there's geothermal energy which is when you drill a whole in the earth and you use the energy from below earths surface. The last of the 6 is Nuclear, nuclear energy is when we use nuclear things and fuse them together in a process called fussion.

S&EP
SP2

To show the greenhouse gasses and how they effect us we drew a graph of how the temperature is slowly rising over time. This relates to the way we get energy because the energy sources that we use can sometimes give out greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses then create a layer around the earth that traps in heat and makes the earth warmer.

Greenhouse gasses and how the effect us.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Annual_world_greenhouse_gas_emissions,_in_2005,_by_sector.png



Greenhouse gasses are gasses such as Water vapor (H. 2O), Carbon dioxide (CO.2), Methane, Nitrous oxide (N. 2O), Ozone and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Greenhouse gasses are called greenhouse gasses because they cause the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when to many greenhouse gasses are released into the air and they get trapped in the atmosphere creating a glass like layer over earth causing the heat to be trapped in the first few layers of the atmosphere causing the earth to heat up. Their for acting like a greenhouse. The heat of the earth has always been rising but when we heat up the carbon cycle and produce more greenhouse gasses we make it rise dramaticly.





S&EP
SP6

I explained greenhouse gasses and how they affect us when I did a online lab and answered questions about what exactly changes and how do different thing react to the heating of the earth and the gasses. I also explained how dramatically the temperature is rising and how if we don't do anything about it how much the temperature will rise through the online lab.

The Carbon Cycle

https://www.flickr.com/photos/timmeko/6106058409

Have you ever heard of the carbon cycle, but you didn't know what it was? Do you still? The Carbon Cycle is the Cycle of Processes in which carbon compounds are interconverted (which means when twos things are converted) in the environment that we live in. The cycle is when carbon dioxide enters the process of photosynthesis and returned into the atmosphere. But it does not go straight to the atmosphere. The animals eat it and when they die it is released. But that is not the only way, when we burn fossil fuels or create emission it is also released into the atmosphere to restart it's journey/cycle.

S&EP
SP6

I explained the carbon cycle through my work when I did a worksheet on the carbon cycle. I explained it by finding out where all the components of the cycle went and research if I was right. I explained it further when I helped a tablemate do theirs and we worked out the answers together so that they made sense and were correct.

Wind, Weather, Climate and Storms

https://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:Storms_in_California.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:Climate_map_USA.PNG

  

https://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/File:GreenMountainWindFarm_
Fluvanna_2004.jpg

What is the difference between Weather and Climate? Or weather and storms? Or what makes a storm a storm? Or even what is Climate? Are questions people ask. But what is the answer to those questions. Well lets start with the basics. What is Weather, Climate, Wind and Storms. Weather is the condition of the outside air or atmosphere at a particular time an place. It is made by Climate. That brings us to our next question, What is Climate? Climate is the Usual Temperature or Weather of a certain area at a certain time, this is also known as the Climate system. This affects long term decisions we make and long term trends in plants and animals. Wind is a the movement of air caused by the heating and spinning of the earth. The hotter the air the higher it rises the colder the air the lower it sinks. Then their is the Barometer. The Barometer is a thing used to weigh the atmosphere or measure air pressure. This is important because the air pressure affects weather. If the air pressure is high you can expect a sunny warm day, but if the pressure get low put on a coat and get inside because it's most likely going to be Cold, Windy, and Stormy. That brings us to storms. Their are many different types of storms. Like tornado's, rainstorms, thunderstorms, and hail or snow storms. These  are caused by many things like the water cycle, spinning of the wind, and hot and cold air masses coming together. There is one place in the middle of the ocean called El Nino. It is a mysteriously warm part that causes fish to die and many storms. The answers to the questions may seem easy after that. The difference between Weather and Climate is that weather is the condition of the air or atmosphere for a short period of time where as Climate is the measure of the weather of a certain place over a long period of time. The difference between weather and storms if weather is the atmosphere that day where as a storm is what may be the weather that day.

S&EP
SP6

I explained Weather through my notes when I defined what qualified as weather and what is weather really. I explained Climate through my notes when I defined what was the difference between weather and climate how does it affect us of other things, what is the difference between Climate and Weather, and What is Climate. I explained Wind and Storms through my note when I answer questions about them to help me learn and understand them better.

Peguin Home

We made a "Penguin" homes that had to keep a Ice Cube cold for twenty minutes. We made out house out of Styrofoam plastic, cotton, and air bags. After twenty minutes in the sun we still had 84% of our Ice Cube. If we had to do this project again I might make another layer on the outside to make it more insulated. I also would have Insulated the lid of the cooler more so we lost less of the cold air.

Backwards-looking

I did not know much about heat and insulation before the project. I also did not know much about what insulated well and what didn't. I also did not know much about the topic of heat movement.

Inward-looking

I really like the piece of work that I did. I really like the many layers that we put in for insulation. My least favorite part of the project was the lid because I thought that it could be more insulated. What I enjoyed was the building of the project and actual project.

Outward-looking

I would give the project an A because not only did we meet all the requirements we exceeded them. Also we had 84% of our Ice Cube left so we had most of our ice cube left and that means that it was well thought through and well built.

Forwards-looking

If I had a chance to do this project again then I would probably insulate the top more, bring the materials on monday so that we had more time, and spend more time on the answering questions part of the project. I also would check the requirements before we made things to meet them so that we did not have to go back and fix the mistakes.

Heat and Heat Transfer

http://www.spectrose.com/modes-of-heat-
transfer-conduction-convection-radiation.html

            What is Heat? Heat is a form of energy when things get hot the molecules move faster and the object then has more energy. When things get cold the molecules slow down and the object gets cold. Like when you rub your hands together really fast to make them warmer. When you rub your hands together that make friction which makes energy which makes heat. But have you ever wondered why your feet start to burn when you walk on sand at the beach on a sunny day, or why when you stir a hot drink with a metal spoon the spoon gets hot, or why does the side of you that faces the fire get really hot? The answer to that is heat transfer. There are three different types of heat transfers, Convection, Radiation, and Conduction. Convection is the simple movement of heat, hot air rises cold air sinks, like when you walk barefoot on the sand at your favorite beach on a sunny day and you feet start to burn. This is because the hot air in the ground rises into your feet. Convection is the transfer of heat through fluids. Radiation is when heat is transferred to another object through electromagnetic waves. When you get warm from sitting by a fire it is because the fires heat is being transferred through electromagnetic waves to get to you. Last but not least we have Conduction. Conduction is the transfer of heat when two objects are touching. When you stir a hot drink or a hot cup of soup with a metal spoon and the spoon gets hot this is because the heat from the hot substance is being transferred to the spoon by conduction.

S&EP
SP2

I drew a picture of the three types of heat transfer so that I could better understand them. This helped me because I was able to see how the three types of heat transfer worked and how it looked when it worked. This also helped me differentiate the different forms of heat transfer from each other by seeing the way that they worked.

Solids Liquids and Gas

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/images/1839-three-states-of-matter

The three most common states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas. First it starts as a solid. A solid is the part of matter when theirs almost no energy and the energy particles are clumped together. Solids have a definite size and shape. Then when the energy particles get farther apart they move faster and faster then it turns into a liquid. This process is called Melting. 
     Once the solid has melted it turns into a liquid. A liquid is the state of matter where the energy particles are still close but not as close to each other as the solid was and they are moving faster and getting faster as they move away from each other. A liquid takes the shape of it's container. Then when the energy particles start moving farther and farther away they get faster and faster. Then the energy particles get so fast and so far away that they turn into a Gas. This process is called Evaporation.

S&EP

SP6

I explained the three states of mater through my work when I took notes and did a worksheet on the three states of matter and their differences and similarities.  I explained the three states of matter also when explained what they did and how they moved through the exercise / movements on how it would be to be the particles in these three states of matter.