TWIS #15

Team Ninja's marshmallow challenge

     What I did this week in science is recreate our infamous marshmallow challenge. We partnered up with the same people we did in the beginning of the year. But this time with a twist. For the first half we weren't allowed to talk to one another and had to use post its to communicate, which proved to be a challenge. We also came to the realization that year was coming to a close. Later in the week we made our "science and I year end reflection". In which I came to grips that science made me into a better new designer and showed me that being unique and appreciating the environment and world around me was okay. The experience at New Design has made me a better person and science class has showed me things about myself that I didn't know before New Design.

Communicating without talking

     I learned that team work doesn't really work without a team. I also learned that science really can change someone for the better. Coming into David's class I figured we would do some difficult stuff that would eventually land me in summer school, but it was quite the opposite. I got the material and using the computers has made me more computer savvy as well.

Team Ninja's Final Piece 

This Year in Science - 10th Grade Intro Video

mystery marine food chain

this week in science #13

                                                    This is a picture of my spider in its habitat


      If I were to add more spiders to my spider habitat they would be producing 5x the carbon dioxide needed. This also means that the plants and vegetation in this habitat would have to also produce enough oxygen and glucose to allow the spiders to live in this environment. The plants and vegetation would have to photosynthesize even more to produce food for themselves because they're producing extra glucose and oxygen for the spiders. 

This week in science #12

       This week in science we went online and played a few games to help us with food webs and chains. The games showed me how the chains and food webs help establish the animal's ecosystems. We also later filled out packets and figured out what producers, consumers, and decomposers do for their ecosystems. Later in the week we created booklets about the spiders we are studying, Cellar Spiders. We included facts about their ecosystems and background research.


        I learned that the difference between food webs and food chains is that a food chain is a single line of organisms in which each is preceded by something that it consumes, and followed by something that consumes it. A food web branches out in every direction pointing to every organism that it consumes and what consumes it. I also learned that decomposer can consume both producers and consumers and is the only one to do so. Also that most consumers are carnivores, and most producers are herbivores. and that most all plants are producers. We got as far as learning about energy pyramids and symbiotic relationships. 

This week in science #11

     

           This week in science I helped my teammates take pictures and find things to put in our tank in the park. We found things like rocks, sticks, branches, worms, and leaves. We found that these things make up a park. The many things that make up an ecosystem. Later on in the week I annotated a document for my group and found that each living thing is contacted to one another. Whatever a squirrel leaves behind the birds come and pick it up. We noticed this when we were taking pictures of the things we can find in a park ecosystem. We each had our own taks later in the week; splitting up the work among each other. 

          I learned that different ecosystems are made up of different things. For example a park ecosystem would have leaves, bushes, trees, sticks, and lots of insects and plenty of sun. After we had the trip to the park we started setting up our spider tank. While doing this we learned that by putting plants and leaves in the tank it gives off oxygen to the spider. This was a fun experience learning about ecosystems again. 

A flower resembling a  park ecosystem

          

This month in science #10

This Month in science we looked at many things having to do with our Human Impact project. The first week we went around the Lower East side around our school asking random people how much they either recycle and etc. Once we did that we regrouped and compare notes. This was very successful for our data. After that we had guests come from the Human Impact Institute they allowed us to come up with a design to print on a T-shirt. Just recently we drew out our design for the shirts. Before we looked at the water from Brooklyn, the school water, and the fish tank water. We found that the Brooklyn water is clean of any bacteria. At first we made a wrong assumption and thought the school water was contaminated, but found it clean of any bacteria. But the fish tank was filled with algae and fish feces in which they eat when it turns into food.

What I learned this month in science is how to conserve water and the impact it has on the world and us. I also learned how different people have an impact on the environment. I also learned that I use an appropriate amount of water. By taking 2 15 minute showers everyday. I know this from taking the survey myself. I also learned that most people on the lower east side recycles. We also took at look at the fish tank and discovered its contaminated because of algae and fish feces.