Earth and Environmental Blog Week 21

Monday or April 11, 2016 C.E.:
Today we did a lot of notes for the next section of the atmosphere unit. We talked about how air has weight and that it is similar to the ocean. We also talked about air pressure, and that it is not constant. We then went into detail of each layer. We also talked about the differences in temperature of the layers. Between the Troposphere and the Stratosphere is the tropopause. The air in the two layers doesn't mix because of their temperature differences. Sometimes ash or another airborne particle makes it into the stratosphere. It will usually stay up there for years. I found this quite interesting. Now the studying for the test shall begin.

The atmospheric Layers

Tuesday or April 12, 2016 C.E.:

 Today we completed the study guide for Friday's test. It was more difficult than the notes. The study guide also had things about the next unit on it. The next unit has things about clouds, but we were still able to answer them because we have learned about clouds before. Essentially all of the other questions in the study guide were similar to those we have done before, except that they had a little more application, and were phrased differently. After this, I had a little extra free time, which was also nice.

Wednesday or April 13, 2016 C.E.:

Today we took our Vaseline air quality samples back in. Ours had an extremely small amount of airborne particles. Even those inside had more. Some of the inside samples had nine or so one average. We had two. The ones outside had around forty. I think this is because the trashcan has very little air circulation. It was really cool when we looked at the particles inside the microscope. At the end of class we put all of the things people had into a table in order to make a graph next class.

Thursday or April 14, 2016 C.E.:

Today the rest of the class looked at their samples. One group had seventy particles! Theirs was outside, obviously. The sample was also right in the path of the wind. The sand and dust probably took flight with the wind and fell onto the vaseline, which is why they had so many particles. After this, we typed in all of the rest of the data into our tables. We then we created our air quality graph. It was quite striking to see that the outdoor ones had so much more particles. We also reviewed for our test tomorrow. I think I will do good, but we will see.

Friday or April 15, 2016 C.E.: 

Today we took our Unit 8 Quiz on the Atmosphere. I thought it was quite easy and that I will do good on it. We had less short answer questions than normal, so I was done faster. We had to construct a graph on air pressure instead. I think I will get a 100%.
Summary: So it turns out I did get a 100%. I am thrilled! This really brought my grade up a lot. This week was a great week. I just need to make sure I finish my blog on time next time.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 20

Monday or April 4, 2016 C.E.: 

Today we reviewed our information for Unit 8 quiz. It is about the atmosphere. The first section begins talking about the atmosphere. The second section, which we will learn about after this quiz, just goes into more detail on the structure of the atmosphere. We reviewed the composition of the atmosphere. It is 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.9% Argon, and 0.1% trace gasses (Neon, Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide). We also reviewed the origin of the atmospheres. There have been three atmospheres. The first appeared after ancient volcanoes released gasses in a process called outgassing. This was blown away by a large meteorite. Then a new one formed similarly. This was changed by Cyanobacteria which added the present levels of Oxygen to our atmosphere.

Tuesday or April 5, 2016 C.E.:

Today we started a new lab. It is the Air Quality Lab. We will be measuring the air quality of different areas in the school. We taped a clear plastic sheet to an index card. We put a dab of petroleum jelly on each plastic sheet and hung them in different places. I hung mine up inside the dumpster because my original idea was already taken. When we take them back in, we will look at the amount of particles that are stuck to the jelly. We will then compare the different places together.

Wednesday or April 6, 2016 C.E.: 

Today we took our Unit 8 Section 1 quiz. I think I did well on it. I don't think I got a 100, but I still think I did well. The test had some questions that are harder than normal. The problem is that one multiple choice question missed is four points. This is a lot so there is no room for error. This test was about the application. We could not just memorize the definitions and make it through this test, so I think it is a good test.

Layers of the Atmosphere

Thursday or April 7, 2016 C.E.:

 Today we didn't have school because of IOWA Assessments.

Friday or April 8, 2016 C.E.:

I scored a 96% on my test. This is not good or bad. I missed one multiple choice question, but that isn't really that bad. We reinforced our samples with duct tape so they wouldn't fall down. It didn't seem like there were many particles in the trash can. Maybe this is because there are no airborne particles or moving air, just heavy bags of trash.We also started the second section. It is about the structure of the atmosphere. We also talked about how the atmosphere is like an ocean of air, and that we live on the bottom of it.
Summary: This week was a good week. I did ok on my quiz, but I still could have done better. I made a careless error and thus I got a 96%. I have to stop making these errors next time.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 19

Monday or March 7, 2016 C.E.:

Today we continued writing our research paper. I am almost done with my Controlling N and P factors paragraphs. I am writing about how to decrease Phosphorus in aquatic environments. We also started to take notes on the next and last section of this unit. This unit has two large sections instead of five or six small sections. We talked about the ocean floor. The ocean floor is divided into two regions, shallow and deep. In the shallow ocean, there are continental slopes, shelves, and rises. In the deep ocean, there are mid-ocean ridges, trenches, and rift valleys.

Tuesday or March 8, 2016 C.E.:

Today we continued our notes. We talked about the ocean floor. We talked about the continental shelf. We also talked about how the continental slope marks the boundary between continental and oceanic crust. In the deep ocean floor, there are really interesting land forms. The first is the mid-ocean ridge. It is usually at the center of the ocean and is a massive 80k kilometer mountain range. There are also extremely deep trenches and underwater volcanoes called seamounts.The most boring type of seafloor is the abyssal plain. It is just your average, flat, and sandy seafloor except that it is 4,000 meters under the sea. I also finished the N and P factors paragraph today.

Wednesday or March 9, 2016 C.E.:

Today we talked about the two main depth zones in our oceans. They are the Photic and the Aphotic zones.The Photic zone receives a lot of sunlight and the Aphotic receives less than 1 percent of the sunlight at the surface. Photosynthesis only occurs in the Photic zone. This zone is plentiful in food. The zone near the shore is the Neritic zone. This is also plentiful in food and biodiversity. The Benthic zone is the ocean floor and the Pelagic zone is the water above the floor. We also discussed the characteristics of each zone. I also started my last paragraph for the research project. Soon we will wrap up our writing.

Thursday or March 10, 2016 C.E.:

Today we finished Unit Seven's notes and I finished the writing for the research project. In notes today, we expanded upon the notes of yesterday, but we did learn that the zone between the Photic and the Aphotic zone was the transition zone. After notes, I finished my last paragraph for the project. I am still not close to done, however, because I still need to format it so it looks formal. I also need to edit it which will not be easy since it is over 1,000 words. The hardest part, however, will be the citations. We have around twenty sites and I am going to have to cite them all.

Friday or March 11, 2016 C.E.: 

Today many people were not at school because the Science Olympiad state competition is tomorrow. Thus, the class period was really fun and we had a lot of room. We had almost no instruction so I could spend most of class editing our paper. Andrei wrote much more than I did, but I found and cited our images. The editing process will take forever because Andrei tends to write in fragments and because Google Documents, the program which we wrote in doesn't catch mistakes very well. I might have to get a Grammarly free trial just in case I forget things.
Summary: This week was good. We finished notes for Unit 7 and I finished the writing for my project. I finished my blog with greater efficiency than last week's blog, but I can still improve.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 18

Monday or February 29, 2016 C.E.: 

Today we researched extensively for our project during class. We will try to use fifteen to twenty sources. For each sources we will paste in important paragraphs and take notes. Once we have done enough research, we will analyze what we have accumulated. We will then write a research paper. After writing the paper we will create a PowerPoint to suggest ways to improve the situation. I have already started research on the Nitrogen and Phosphorus factors that cause Eutrophication and the harmful effects of Cyanobacteria. This project is really exciting and it is really fun to find and read interesting articles.

Tuesday or March 1, 2016 C.E.:

Today Andrei and I continued doing research at an even faster rate. We have already found many sources and have two whole pages of useful material. While Andrei researches the Biology aspects of the project, I research the Chemistry aspects. We both do what we are best at. One example, is that Andrei is researching the types of Cyanobacteria and their anatomy and I am researching the conditions they flourish in and their environmental impact. The project is going along well. We are also collecting pictures and figures to include in our presentation or paper.
A planetarium also came to our school

Wednesday or March 2, 2016 C.E.:

We declared today the last day of research for our project. We might still do a little research here and there, but we have already accumulated 5 pages of really good stuff. The only problem with our research is that my friend, Andrei researches too broadly. When you are making a paper, you should research broadly at first and start to narrow down your topic. While Andrei is hardworking and smart, he keeps branching out farther as the project progresses. He doesn't seem to like to not include information he reads. He keeps writing all these paragraphs about Cyanobacteria that don't have anything to do with Eutrophication and CyanoHABs. I guess I shouldn't complain because it can be easily corrected, but it is still funny how he works very different from me. Now we are both quite knowledgeable about the subject and ready to write the paper.

Thursday or March 3, 2016 C.E.:

Sadly we were not able to work on the research project today. We have to review for the quiz tomorrow. We had a also had a substitute, Mrs. Trainor. We talked about ocean currents and plankton. We also reviewed dissolved gases and Thermohaline Circulation. We also discussed the Coriolis effect and the global conveyor belt. I think we covered the material well and the quiz shouldn't be hard at all.

Friday or March 4, 2016 C.E.:

Today we took the Unit 7 Section 1 quiz on the Hydrosphere.  The quiz isn't too many points which makes sense because it is rather easy. I think I will do good. The only problem is that I kept day dreaming while doing the assessment. I hope I didn't make any stupid mistakes because of this.
Summary: This week was productive. The project is going along well and the paper is about a third way done. I need to get some more sleep in order to stop day dreaming during class. I will start to achieve this by doing my blog faster. I need to write my blog every day to make it as fast as possible.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 17

Monday or February 22, 2015 C.E.:

Today we were introduced into a new unit and a new project. We have started the notes on Unit 7 Section 1 which talks about sea water. We also learned more about a really cool project that were would do today. We will carry a trash bag for 24 hours and put in all the waste that we use. When we return to class, we will all weigh our trash and graph all our weights. Already I have used five tissues. It will be interesting who uses the most trash from our class.

Tuesday or February 23, 2015 C.E.: 

Today we all compared our trash bag weight. One person had no trash and we all thought he cheated and threw away his trash somewhere else. Our Math teacher, Mr. Simon had the most trash. This is understandable because he has 2 small children. I was toward the bottom, but some people beat me. We also did a lot of notes. We also discussed ocean gases. Oceans contain mostly Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Carbon Dioxide. The amount of dissolved gases is based on the temperature of the water. Colder water can hold more dissolved gas.

Wednesday or February 24, 2015 C.E.:

Today we took a lot of notes about salt in ocean water. Salinity is the measure of dissolved solids in ocean water. It includes, but is not limited to salt. The elements present in the salts in ocean water are not just sodium and chloride, but also phosphorus and iron. We also learned about thermocline which is amount of the sun's energy on a region of the ocean. We also started an interest-a-lizer. It is essentially a study about what each of us likes to do. Apparently, there is a project coming up where we can choose what we want to study.

Thursday or February 25, 2015 C.E.:

Today our teacher gave us four large papers titled Land, River, Sand and Ocean. We had to brainstorm as many things as possible in them. We wrote so many things that each paper was almost completely full. Then we were told to go to the group that we liked best. I went to the Land group because I like breathing air. We then had to come up with something environmental that could affect what we like to do. I though smog could affect that. We still don't know what the project is, but it should be pretty big and good.

Friday or February 26, 2016 C.E.:

Today we did a lot of notes. We learned about the difference between deep ocean and surface currents. Deep ocean currents are slower and colder. Surface currents are warm and faster. We also learned about the global conveyor belt. In this, deep ocean currents move from the equator to the poles and back. When they reach the equator, they rise and cause upwellings. They then also bring nutrients to the surface. We also learned about what the project was about. We could either choose to do a lab in class about seawater or something of our choice. I decided to be in the same group with Andrei. We will research the effect of Eutrification on coastal ecosystems. We will research algal blooms and the overfertilization involved.

Algal Bloom

Summary: This week was a good week. We took part in an eye-opening trash project and started a really cool lab about oceans. I still need to work on finishing my blog fast and not last minute.

Earth and Environmental Blog Week 16

Monday or February 1, 2016 C.E.:

Last week we dug up soil from our yards. We then put it in a bag and brought it to class. Today we started a soil profiling lab. We need to examine our soil and its properties. Today we did the soil observation visually. We looked at it with a hand magnifier and a weak microscope. The microscope was really cool. Even though it wasn't that strong, I was able to see so much more than I could before. I saw little rock fragments and sand bits. I was amazed. Tomorrow we will continue on this lab.
















Tuesday or February 2, 2016 C.E.:

Today we continued the cool lab in science class. I started out the class with a test of my soil for texture. I had to make a soil worm by rolling it into a ribbon. If I was unable to do so, my soil was predominantly sand. Silt is seen with a short ribbon and clay with a long one. My soil had silt. Then I found the amount of free carbonates in the soil by dumping vinegar on it. This was really easy because nothing happened. This means I have zero. At the end of class I started a long experiment. I put soil and water in a graduated cylinder and shook it up. Tomorrow when the soil settles, I will see how the layers settle.

Wednesday or February 3, 2016 C.E.:

Surprisingly, my soil has the majority of sand in it. It was really hard to see the layers in my soil because everything is extremely dark. After a lot of observation, I finally came up what it was 56% sand, 19% silt, and 25% clay. After, I had to check the phosphorus content of the soil. It seems my soil is depleted of phosphorus. We also did a little review for the test tomorrow. It talk about weathering, erosion, and deposition, or the things on the quiz. It will also talk about new things such as soil horizons, soil types, and soil formation. I think the test will be easier than the quiz because many of the questions on the test will probably also be from the quiz. I am hoping for an A+ which would be awesome.

Thursday or February 4, 2016 C.E.:

Today we took the big test. It had questions about the rate of weathering and what affects it. There were questions about the interaction of different soil horizons and their names. We also had to explain how soil is formed and in which condition it forms the fastest. I definitely think I will do good on this one. It had so many questions that were on the quiz that I doubt I will get anything lower than a high A. One reason why I am so confident is because of my studying. I studied my vocabulary and soil layers which really paid off.

Friday or February 5, 2016 C.E.: 

I got a 98% on my test!!! I am thrilled. I got one multiple choice question wrong about the biosphere. I defined the biosphere wrong, but that is ok. We reviewed the quiz quickly and it seems other people around me did well too. After this we worked a little on our Seeds to Shoreline project. We didn't have much to work on since we didn't have any seeds germinate. This means we have officially the least germinated seeds. We have three. Another group had over twenty. :( The rest of class we just took it easy and learned a little bit about the ocean to prepare for our new unit on Monday.
Summary: This week was a good week. I did better on my assessments than last week and I finished my blog faster. I can still work on efficiency and speed in other areas though.