Category: PLP 9 Scimatics

Linear Labs Artisan Jewelry

Greetings fellow earthlings. Welcome to another scimatics post on this ghastly blog of mine. I am currently writing this in my bedroom where I have been glued to a tissue box and a whole plethora of cold medications in my system. If you didn’t get it already, I’m sick (not covid).

Project Overview

This project was called “Time is Money” but for some reason I’ve been calling it “Time Beith Money” like in an old-English type of flare. Anywho, in this project we were to create a small business selling products or a service and learn about finance though linear relations. I chose to make a small jewelry store through Instagram and sell some cute lil’ accessories to my friends. Now I am no wiz at math but eventually I did catch on to this whole algebra thing and boy is it helpful to know how to do.

Driving Question

How can we predict our finances for the future?

With calculating your expenses (living), startup costs, sale price (income), and time, you can get a pretty accurate estimate of how sustainable your finances are. Using a linear relations equation like where and putting the equation into a graph where the y axis represents profits and the x axis represents hours of work, you can get a visible representation of your financial situation.

Curricular Competencies

Communicating and representing: Represent mathematical ideas in concrete, pictorial, and symbolic form

I successfully used a linear equation to determine my profits. I calculated my hourly wages, predicted NET earnings for a year, and how much money I had made (and lost) over the actual amount of time that I worked for. My graphs are clear and functional, and I labeled them for easy understanding.

Understanding and solving: Apply multiple strategies to solve problems in both abstract and contextualized situations

I calculated all of the time, materials, equipment, and impact, in the cost of making my products. I used recycled materials and used a digital method of selling my product in order to create less waste. I chose to make products that I already had most of the materials to make, and still calculated the cost of the items that I had bought long ago.

Connecting and reflecting: Connect mathematical concepts to each other and to other areas and personal interests.

My business is sadly not sustainable as a full time job. I think this is partially due to the fact that I grossly under-priced my products for the security of making transactions. Realistically I should’ve priced my products in a way that would have me make more money on every transaction, which wasn’t the case mainly for the engraved items. Other businesses in the class, like Dana’s cookie sale, would make more money annually than I would but they both would not be sustainable as a full time job. Maybe with some remodelling and another go at this I could make a more sustainable business.

Conclusion

Honestly we do a lot of connecting our projects to the “real world” but I think this one was the first project that I think actually has an important connection to my future. I have always been interested in owning my own business/practice and this type of math is super important in that line of work and just general adult life. So now I can proudly say that I can do algebra and understand linear relations!!!

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

As always, Brooke.

The Wonderful Reproduction of Cells

Wassup y’all. Welcome to another scimatics post on this benign blog of mine. I am currently writing this in the San Francisco airport on my way back home from my cousins wedding. Congrats David and Sam! Ok lets just get this over with;

Project Overview

This project was called “Meiosis Models” and in this project we were to learn about the cellular reproduction processes of meiosis and mitosis. We would be growing our own garlic samples to put under the microscope and take pictures of the cells during different phases. We also made 3D models in Tinkercad to show the different parts of the cellWe then put all of your pictures and models into a video and added voiceovers to explain the processes and our representations of it with the photos and models. Then the final video would be presented to the class.

Project Mind Map

As per usual we started the scimatics project off with a project start mind map. I put in any questions I had for the project, what I already knew about cells and reproduction, the project, and any of the questions that I had.

At the end of this project we also added to the mind map a section about what we learned from this project and I also answered as many questions as possible that I came up with at the beginning of the project. 

Driving Question

How is the reproduction of cells essential to the survival of organisms? 

Cell reproduction helps help organisms growing and healthy. They replace cells that are dying with new cells that can take over the jobs of the old cells. They also can make new organisms and therefore prevent the species from going extinct.

Curricular Competencies

Planning and conducting: Collaboratively and individually plan, select, and use appropriate investigation methods, including field work and lab experiments, to collect reliable data (qualitative and quantitative.)

We did a few of workbooks as usual in any scimatics project. I started this project not knowing much about mitosis and meiosis and so I found the workbooks very helpful. As you can see by how much I added in my project end revision of my mind map, I learned a lot of new things. We also did a Khan Academy quiz to test our knowledge on what we had learned from the workbooks. I think this was one way that I really strengthened and solidified my understanding of mitosis and meiosis. It also was a good indicator for where I was with my understanding and what I needed to review. The microscope slides of plant tissues from my garlic were prepared properly using the correct method but unfortunately my garlic did not produce strong images of individual cells so I used the professional cell slides for photographic evidence of mitosis. (Tbh the pictures that I took are pretty cool :p)

Questioning and Predicting: Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest

 I used all of my class time efficiently for learning without distractions. I was on the opposite side of the room from my beloved friends and even though I felt lonely on my little island, I did get work done a lot faster.

Scientific Communication: Formulate physical or mental models to describe a phenomenon

This competency is well represented by the final narrated video. This was the final moment for us to demonstrate what we learned and created through at the entire project, in our own style. My recorded video with voice narration explains the reasons for and processes of mitosis and meiosis with accurate 3D models and Photographs. I also accurately describe the similarities and differences between the two processes. Check out my narrated video below.

Conclusion

This project has been one of the coolest biology projects I think we’ve done so far. I really enjoyed being able to use the microscopes to look at the cells. I am exploring going into a career in dermatology so I found this project to be very important for that career path. I definitely learned a heap of new vocabulary and can’t wait for the next bio project we do, although since this year is almost over I might have to wait until grade 10 :(.

Thanks for reading!

As always, Brooke.

THE MACHINE

Salut mes amis! Welcome to another scimatics post on this bland blog of mine. I have a few blog posts I have to write at the moment so I’m not going to drone on and on with this intro so lets just hop right on into the project.

Project Overview

This project was called “Metaphor Machines” and in this project we were to create a Rube Goldberg machine that represented the steps of the scientific method. We would be using big wooden boards as the base and then we could use any materials to build the pathways. We then recorded the machine working and added voiceovers to explain the scientific method and our representations of it in the machine. Then the final video would be presented to the class.

Project Start Mind Map

As per usual we started the scimatics project off with a project start mind map. I put in any questions I had for the project, what I already knew about electricity and the project, and all of the questions from the QFTs.

At the end of this project we also added to the mind map a section about what we learned from this project and I also answered as many questions as possible that I came up with at the beginning of the project. 

The Project

We did a fun little experiment where we got to test out making and measuring different types of electric circuits up close and personal and in a simulator online. We worked with making a lot of electric circuits in  this project and it is something that I would say I can do confidently now.

 

We also did quite the bulk of workbook pages to further learn about electricity in all of its wonderful ways. We also learned about the math that can help you find out the current, voltage, and resistance of a circuit. 

We built our first Rube Goldberg machine in the very first class. We used things from around the class to crate a machine that has as many interactions as possible. And I think it was a bit rough but good for our first try.

And a lot of class time went into building our final machine. We each created blueprints individually and then got together in our groups to create one awesome blueprint that our machine will look like. The final machine had to have both parallel and series circuits and we even created switches to turn those circuits on and off independently but only one switch actually ended up working in the end. Ok so here is our final video that was shown to the class

Driving Question

How can we represent the scientific method? 

I have to say that the best answer to this question would be the machine video itself as it shows the representation and definition for the scientific method.

What factors affect the function and efficiency of electric circuits?

Resistance diminishes the current of the circuit. Examples of resistance would be loads (lightbulbs, appliances, etc.) and wires. The voltage also affects how much power is going through the circuit at a time. This can overload loads and cause failure or burnout of the circuit. To much voltage is also dangerous.

Curricular Competencies

Reasoning and Analyzing: Estimate reasonably

Our final blueprint was complete and accurate. It also contained a grid scale. All of measurements are labeled and relatively accurate. It was clean and organized with all lines easily distinguishable.

Questioning and Predicting: Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest

 I used all of my class time efficiently for learning without distractions. I was a team player and always able to help out my group members.

Planning and conducting: Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to systematically and accurately collect and record data

Hand built series and parallel circuits are used to good effect with efficiency in your metaphor machine. Accurate circuit diagrams are included in the final blueprint. Our diagrams use proper symbols and are neat and easy to understand. Measurements of current, voltage and resistance are included.

Scientific Communication: Formulate physical or mental models to describe a phenomenon

A video is recorded of the complete operation of the machine and voice overs are added which explain the sequence of the scientific method as the machine progresses.

Conclusion

So this project definitely expanded my knowledge of electricity and the different things that can affect it. In conclusion this project was quite cool and I think that I did a pretty good job overall. Also shout out to Walter the emotional support kangaroo-

Thanks for reading!

As always, Brooke.

Loooook It’s Sodium Hydroxide!

Hola mi amigos 👋🏼. Welcome to another scimatics post on this lovely blog of mine.  I have quite a few blog posts I have to write at the moment so im not going to drone on and on with this intro so lets just hop right on into the project.

Project Overview

This project was called “Chemistry stories” and in this project we were to create an animated video about chemical bonding. We would be using keynote to create the animation and then voiceovers would be added in a separate app like iMovie (but i used a great app called InShot). Then the final video would be presented to the class.

Project Start Mind Map

As per usual we started the scimatics project off with a project start mind map. I put in any questions I had for the project, what I already knew about atoms and matter, and all of the questions from the QFTs.

At the end of this project we also added to the mind map a section about what we learned from this project and I also answered as many questions as possible that I came up with at the beginning of the project. 

The Project

We did a fun little experiment called “Investigation 2A” in this project where we got to see some chemical reactions up close and personal. But before we did the experiment, we practised creating an animation by showing the steps that we would be doing. We used keynote to create the short animation and I used the instant alpha feature to take stock images and turn them into moving pieces for the animation.

Lab animation

 

We also did quite the bulk of workbook pages to further learn about this new thing called ionic and covalent bonds and how they are formed. We also learned about writing chemical formulas and learning how to say the names of different covalent compounds.

And as per proper video composition, we created storyboards to help us plan out what we would be putting into the animation;

Driving Question

How do the electron arrangements of atoms determine the chemical and physical properties of elements and compounds?

I have to say that the best answer to this question would be the animation video itself as it talks about the attraction of the atoms based on their electron arrangements. So without further ado, here is the final product;

Curricular Competencies

Processing and Analyzing: Construct, analyze and interpret models and/or diagrams

My story boards had accurate Bohr diagrams and clearly showed the processes of both ionic and covalent bonding. I think I demonstrated a sophisticated level of understanding because I added a lot of different components and prior knowledge along with questions that we had for the project. I was able to articulate my ideas cleanly into my mind map layout.

Questioning and Predicting: Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest

My Project Start Mind Map shows how I can display my prior knowledge and prepare for new evidence. The Investigation 2A Lab Report showed that I can form a reasonable hypothesis using what I already know. I demonstrated an accomplished level of understanding with this milestone. My storyboard was well thought out and accurately showed snapshots of what would take place in the animation.

Communicating: Formulate physical or mental theoretical models to describe a phenomenon

My voiceovers are mostly clear and synced with my animation. I find that my video has a solid amount of humour in the voiceovers mixed with scientific language and motion in the animation. I feel I demonstrated an accomplished level of understanding with my animated video because I meet the expectations in the evaluation rubric. Plus I think that my video is quite entertaining.

Conclusion

So this project definitely expanded my knowledge of atoms and the different things that they can do. In conclusion this project was quite cool and I think that I did a pretty good job overall. Also shout out to Walter the emotional support kangaroo-

Thanks for reading!

As always, Brooke.

A ✨Snazzy✨ Correlation

Have you ever heard someone talking about correlation vs causation? Perhaps in the latest season of Manifest on Netflix? Well that was the topic of this project, correlation vs causation.

Driving Question

How are correlation and causation different?

Causation is when A causes B or vice versa. It could also be when factor C causes both A and B. Correlation is when there is a relationship between A and B but there doesn’t necessarily have to be causation.

Project Overview

In this project we were to create a survey and video or formal presentation that compares a correlation with no causation and a correlation that does have a logical explanation of causation between the variables. We used numbers to create graphs to show the data that we collected from our surveys. This was also a partner project where we would be collaborating on creating a single project with our partner.

Project Start Mind Map

As per usual we started the scimatics project off with a project start mind map. I put in any questions I had for the project, what I already knew about correlation vs causation, and any ideas that I had for survey questions.

At the end of this project we also added to the mind map a section about what we learned from this project.

The Project

I think that the best way to show you the bulk of our project is by the keynote presentation that we presented to the class.  The presentation included information about our survey audience, our graph results, and our definition to the driving question. Here is the link:

A survey pour toi 

Curricular Competencies 

Planning and conducting: Select and use appropriate equipment, including digital technologies, to systematically and accurately collect and record data;

We found at least 3 correlations using our well crafted survey results. The survey results and correlations were displayed and explained through a keynote presentation to the class. We analyzed the graphs to confirm if there was cause for correlation because the line that automatically shows up was often misleading.

Communicating and Representing: Use mathematical vocabulary and language to contribute to mathematical discussions;

We created our presentation with helpful visual aids and well crafted written explanations. We had two main examples where we showed a correlation that we falsely thought would have causation and one that actually had correlation and causation.

Applying and Innovating: Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through individual or collaborative approaches;

We used good ethics when creating the survey questions and conducting the survey. In class I was very focused and productive. I am very pleasantly surprised with my ability to stay on task while working on this project.

Conclusion 

So our correlations were not incredibly strong, but we were able to identify correlations and some causations in our graphs. We also found this project fun and it expanded our brain cells. I really enjoyed working with my good pal Dana and I hope to work with her again soon.

As always, Brooke.

IT’S THE EXPONENT APOCALYPSE

HellooOOooOooOOOOoooOOO and welcome back to another year of PLP blog posts. As you may have guessed, we just finished our first project in Scimatics 9. I found this project to be similar to the game about tectonic plates that we did in grade 8. The end result of this project was to be fun game that used exponent laws. And without further ado, I shall take you through the ins and outs of the creation of my partner and I’s game, the EXPONENT APOCALYPSE.

Starting off

As per any usual scimatics project, this project started with a project start mind map. The project start mind maps are a way to gather all of your knowledge and questions before starting the new project. I tried to write down all of the ways that math is included in games and what I already knew about exponents.

The project

We launched this project with a practise in creating game rules. As a group we were asked to create games that used a certain number of dice and involved addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, in the rules. It was basically a toned down version of the final game that we would be making.

A huge part of this project was incorporating exponent laws into our games. And in order for that to happen we had to first learn about what exponents were and what laws they followed. We did a multitude of Kahoot! quizzes and workbook pages to really start to understand how exponents function.

Throughout the whole project we were thinking about what we wanted our game to be. The rules, the points system, the objectives, even the game pieces. We made many drafts and had our friends test out our game constantly to see if there were any gameplay issues. Weeks later and we had our final game ready for game day. We call it “Exponent Apocalypse”, a mashup between Zombies and math. The goal is to get to the “Lab” at them end of the game board before the other player. You move up spaces by correctly answering the prompts on the cards flipped in front of you. Here, it makes more sense if you read the game rules; Exponent Apocalypse

Core Competencies 

Reasoning and Analyzing: Use logic and patterns to solve puzzles and play games

The points system in our game is quite simple, answer a question correctly and you get to move up one space. We wanted to make sure that we didn’t make it super hard or complicated to win because it’s more fun when you’re not confused half the time.

Communicating and Representing: Represent mathematical ideas in concrete, pictorial, and symbolic forms

This competency mainly focuses on the game rules themselves, if they are clear, complete, interesting, and personalized. Having an obvious theme to the game helped make the game more interesting to play because it gave it a bit of personality. We were going to add in a 5th exponent law to the game but we thought that that may get to complicated for people to remember while playing. Looking back we probably could’ve added another law without jeopardizing the simplicity of the game.

Applying and Innovating: Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through individual or collaborative approaches

This year I am trying to stay more on track in class. I found that having a good partner like Faith really helped me to use my class time efficiently. Faith and I made an excellent team because our different skills worked alongside each other very smoothly.

Thank god this post is almost done

Well overall I’d say that this project was a success. I learned a lot about exponents and continued to learn about what makes a great game. Hopefully the rest of the projects this year go as smoothly as this one did.

Thanks for reading!

As Always, Brooke.