Comic Cells

This project was my last grade 8 PLP project and we had to make a comic booksm about cells and diseases or about photosynthesis. I chose to make mine about a disease called the plague. 

Before we could make that, we had to make a wanted poster for a disease or a bacteria that existed in the 1400-1600. I chose to do the bubonic plague. On my wanted poster I put a photo of the disease, what it does to the cells, and what symptoms you get if you have it. 

Curricular Competencies 

Scientific communication: communicate ideas, findings, and solutions to problems using scientific language, representations, and digital technologies. 

 I showed this competency of scientific communication by using the app Comic Life 3 and Sketches Pro to create my comic book and Sketches Pro to do all my drawings. Within my comic I utilized scientific language to demonstrate my understanding of cells and diseases. For example, I wrote about the white blood cells attacking the bacteria. 

Questioning and predicting: Demonstrate a sustained curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest.

For this curricular competency, I sustained curiosity about the scientific topic of the bubonic plague. First, I had to research the virus: for example, what it does to the cell and how it is transmitted to people. I then made a poster to explain briefly what the bubonic plague is, and then I started to make the comic. I was assigned ten scientific words and had to find out what they meant so I knew what context to put them in. I then created a draft of 12 panels and then made a good copy of 18 panels. 

For this curricular competency, I sustained curiosity about the scientific topic of the bubonic plague. First, I had to research the virus: for example, what it does to the cell and how it is transmitted to people. I then made a poster to explain briefly what the bubonic plague is, and then I started to make the comic. I was assigned ten scientific words and had to find out what they meant so I knew what context to put them in. I then created a draft of 12 panels and then made a good copy of 18 panels.

Evaluating: Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of evidence  

My comics characters show the symptoms of the disease and what the outcome of the sickness is. For example, my character gets swollen glands, coughing, sneezing, weakness, chills and fever which are symptoms of the plague. In my comic a doctor uses a microscope to examine a sample taken from a sick patient. The doctor finds out that it’s the plague. 

End of project mind map⬇️

Driving Question: How do cells and diseases interact?

 My comic answers the driving question because it shows how cells and diseases interact. The way cells and diseases interact is the diseases try to take over the cells in your body. They fight and eventually one side wins. The body fights with immune cells and the pathogens release toxins to make the immune cells think they’re not wanted. The immune cells move away from the pathogens and the pathogen win against the body’s cells.

FINAL COMIC

Click Image To Above To Open Comic

For this Scimatics unit we used a 3D printing software called Tinkercad to design a model of something that we could either make for maximum volume or surface area. For this project I was in a group of 3 and my group and I decided to make 3 separate objects. We decided to make 3 of Europe’s most famous land marks including: Big Ben, The Leaning Tower of Pisa and The London Bridge. 

The hardest part of designing Big Ben was trying to create the face of the clock. I tried to fit all the numbers on the clock but it didn’t fit, so I just added 12, 3, 6 and 9 in Roman numerals. But I had to make sure that the numbers were touching the clock or else they wouldn’t print properly.

clock⬇️

After we finished our models we sent it to the school library to be printed. Then we made a slideshow that showed our model and all our calculations. 

Curricular competencies

1:  Applying and innovating: Contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through personal or collaborative approaches

I showed this Curricular Competency by helping my group choose what objects to make and by helping them execute their part of the project. We chose to model famous European attractions including Big Ben, the London Bridge and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I chose to design Big Ben. I also found copyright free reference photos for our presentation and wrote my own slide. 

Models⬇️

2: Reasoning and Analyzing: Model mathematics in contextualized experiences

I showed this competency in milestone 2 and 3 which was writing the formulas then after adding the numbers from our 3D shapes into the equations to find the total surface area and volume of the shapes in the model. I demonstrated the mathematical reasoning and analyzing by creating a math chart to organize my calculations of each shape. 

All shapes included⬇️

3: Communicating and Representing: Explain and justify mathematical ideas and decisions

I originally wanted to design Big Ben for maximum surface area but after doing my calculations it turns out that it had maximum volume instead. I also made some decisions about what measurements to use based on what shapes where in each model. For example I had to calculate the surface area and volume of square pyramid but I had to subtract a cone from the top of it to achieve mathematical precision. 

Calculations⬇️

How can we design an object to optimize its shape?

Throughout this project we aimed to design an object and to optimize its shape. We learned about the differences between surface area and volume and how to calculate them. This project taught me how to design an object for maximum surface area or volume. We used Tinkercad which helped me analyze all sides of Big Ben so I could be as precise as possible. 

Thank you Faith and Jocleyn for being great partners