Science

Correlation vs Causation

faiths Science , ,

 

This scimatics project was called correlation vs causation.  The driving question was “how are correlation and causation different”? In order to answer this question, we took many steps including creating our final product which was two correlation and causation graphs that we presented to the class last week. 

We started off with a start mind map. Below you can see photos of the start mind map along with the end mind map. 

 

Start mind map

End mind map

 

Next my partner and I came up with over 10 survey questions the questions we asked on our survey were. 

Then with those questions and the peer critique we got from them we put the questions in a survey using google forms. Then we sent out the link to Basecamp and all the plp 9 group chats we had. While we waited for enough responses to come in we did other peoples surveys.

Clare and I got 23 responses to our survey and with that data we were able to put them in a chart with a graph attached in order to find out which two questions had correlation. Originally we thought that being an introvert or extrovert would correlate with what job you wanted to do in the future but with our data there was no correlation between those two areas.

We then changed our focus to the questions about how comfortable people are around other people with how comfortable you are then speaking your mind. Our second correlation was about how comfortable you were speaking your mind and how much screen time a person had on the average in a day.

We not only found correlation with our first graph but also causation. The more comfortable you are around people the more comfortable you are in speaking your mind. Unlike the first graph, we did not find causation in the second graph. 

Finally Clare and I presented in front of the class in a key note presentation. I think our key note slides were good because we didn’t put paragraphs instead we had bullet points that highlighted what we said. Our presentation skills were not as strong as our slides. We kept reading off of our iPads and did not look up at the audience. I feel like I could speak more clearly and confidently in the future.

Curricular competencies 

 Planning and Conducting: select and use appropriate equipment including digital technologies to systematically and accurately collect and record data.

I achieved an accomplished in this competency. I conducted a survey through google forms and found two correlations using the survey results. I used Numbers app to create the graphs and I used the keynote to present my results to the class. One graph was a weak positive correlation while the other was a weak negative correlation. Clare and I were not able to find a strong correlation with the data we collected.

Communicating and Representing: use mathematical vocabulary and language to contribute to mathematical discussions.

I achieved an extending in this competency as I used mathematical verbal and pictorial explanations that helped the class understand the data. Clare and I were able to successfully explain how one of the graphs had both causation and correlation while the other one did not have causation. We showed the difference between correlation and causation and how correlation is sometimes falsely associated with causation. We used a funny cartoon to help make our point. 

Applying and Innovating: contribute to care for self, others, community, and world through collaborative approaches.

I achieved an accomplished on this competency by conducting good, ethical surveys, using my class time efficiently, and being partners with Clare. First of all we made the survey anonymous so people feel more comfortable being honest in the survey. Then Clare and I used our class time well and went to LAC as needed. We met early a couple mornings to work on our project and we would FaceTime to create our graphs and prepare for the presentation. One time she was in a meeting and I did not post the survey until she had read it over and we talked about it. We both can give our opinions and if we disagree we compromise or ask for a third person’s opinion.

It was challenging to find correlations. I did not think it would be too hard but as we read the data our original ideas did not correlate. I learned that the questions I ask are important to ask well and that you need be open to look for other correlations and other factors. Presenting is also hard for me. Clare and I made good slides but we were very nervous and did not speak clearly. It would be interesting to conduct more surveys in the future to see what else I could learn. 

Exponent Apocalypse!!

faiths Science , , ,

This project was called “Game of exponent laws” and as you can probably guess from the title is about exponent laws. For our project we needed to design a board game based on exponent laws and mathematical operations. 

We designed Exponent Apocalypse! Our game takes place during a zombie apocalypse. A scientist with a cure and a Zombie are racing to get to a lab. If the scientist gets to the lab first she can mass produce the cure and save the world. If the Zombie gets to the lab first, he would destroy the Scientist and the Zombie’s would win. This is a two player game that lasts about 10-15 minute and uses exponent laws to decide who moves forward.

 

Curricular Competencies

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

I earned an extending on this curricular competency. My point system was clear, and simple. The first person to get an equation right moves forward one space. The point system wasn’t just earning points it was about using the equations to move towards a goal. The conditions to win were effectively designed.

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

I earned an accomplished for this curricular competency. My instructions were interesting and personalized as we turned it into a Zombie Apocalypse. There is a speed factor to get to the end before the other player making it a fun competition. I had one page of clear and complete instructions with lots of pictures and examples. I think I only earned an accomplished not an extending because I only used 4 exponent laws which was the minimal amount. Even though we didn’t have turns, there were rounds and at least one exponent law was used in every round.

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

I earned an extending on this curricular competency. I worked well with my partner. We both had ideas that were used in the game. We did trials with game ideas to see what would work and we divided up tasks well according to our schedules and talents. I left the drawing to her but I got all the equations organized. We didn’t have a problem staying on task and focused on the game throughout the project. 

I really enjoyed trying out my own game and other games around me. I found it interesting to try out other people’s games and see how much variety of games there were when we all had same driving question. It was also rewarding when other people played and enjoyed our game that we spent time making. I enjoyed the creativity of this project and making it based around the theme Zombie Apocalypse. 

Chemistry Coding Blog Post

faiths Science , , , ,

This project was all about the kinetic molecular theory. The driving question was “How can the behaviour of matter be explained by the kinetic molecular theory and the atomic theory”. To answer this question we had to create a simulator or game that shows the kinetic molecular theory, and has two or more atomic models. 

Before we could do any of that though we had to do our start mind map. Mine was mostly questions as I didn’t know much about this unit. Below you can see my end mind map which was just me adding and answering my start mind map questions.  

 After that we did a few experiments the eye dropper and gemstone 💎 experiments.

Then we started coding using a website called scratch. I found this a very fun and interesting part of the project as I got to learn to create games and simulators. By the end of the project I had created an scientific simulator with oxygen and water particles that change states. Even though it is a little glitchy I am very proud that I created it. Below is the scratch code that i used for one part along with my completed simulator.


Curricular competency’s 

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

The start mind map was where I best showed my curiosity on this scientific topic. During the creation of the start mind map I was thinking about what I needed and wanted to know about this project, showing my curiosity. 

 

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

I think that this was the competency I did my best on. I showed it in my simulator when I made it so the particles are always  moving, when I made it so the particles change states with the temperature, and when I showed both oxygen and water particles.

Reasoning and analyzing: use logic and patterns to
solve puzzles and play games. 

This competency was showed when I created the code for the simulator. I had to find out what each line of  code did and figure our how I can make it do what I wanted. I used logic to make it so when someone changes the temperature/pressed a button it changes the state and speed of the particles. It seemed at times that my code was broken and I used logic to fix and improve it. I also helped some of my classmates understand how to use scratch to better improve their simulator.

So after all of that I think I am really to answer the driving question “How can the behaviour of matter be explained by the kinetic molecular theory and the atomic theory”. Matter has three different states the kinetic molecular theory explains that when heat is added to matter it changes states. This has been a fun, hard and interesting project it made me think about how I want to learn more about coding in the future. I also learned that I work well collaboratively. This project was a very enjoyable way to learn science.

Laser laws project

faiths Science , , , ,

 

How can you test the Pythagorean theorem and the laws of reflection? This is the question that drives this whole project. This project is called laser laws, and in this project we have been learning about the Pythagorean theorem A2 + B2 = C2 and about the laws of reflection. All of this information was then used when we went into groups to design and build a laser display to prove the Pythagorean theorem and the laws of reflection.

Display photos⬇️  

Mind map 

 

Curricular competency’s

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

I demonstrated this curricular competency by I using all class time efficiently. When I worked with a group and even when I worked alone. I used all class time efficiently in both scimatics and in LAC. I especially used our class time well when my group and I were creating  the star shaped laser model. This demonstrated my curiosity about the scientific topic, the laws of reflection and the mathematical topic, the Pythagorean theorem. 

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

This was the curricular competency that I did the best at. To complete this competency my group and I had to measure all the angles of our laser display to make sure that we had at least one right triangle. To know that the triangles in the star were a right triangle we used the Pythagorean theorem(A2 + B2 =C2). We also labeled all of the other triangles in the star as well. Next we put all of these  measurements on paper so we could accurately know were to put the mirrors in order to create the best star with the most right angles. Over all we found 6 right angles in our laser star. 

photos of the star⬇️  

Applying and innovating: Co-operatively design projects

I showed this competency when my group and I accurately planned, labeled, measured, and  built a star shaped laser. I also showed this competency when all group members contributed equally towards planing and building our project. We especially work hard when we built the final laser model. All of these things together demonstrates this curricular competency on applying and innovating.

So to answer the driving question, how can you test the Pythagorean theorem and the laws of reflection? You can test it by making a laser display. Not only do you need to know the laws of reflection to properly calculate where the laser is going to go but you also use the Pythagorean theorem to help calculate the triangles in the shape. Over all this was a very interesting project. 

Tectonic plate board game project reflection

faiths Science , , ,

The big idea, how does the movement of earth’s tectonic plates cause observable changes and effects. I learned and improved my understanding in quite a few ways. One way was when I learn about the movements of the plates, another way was learning about what the tectonic plates are made of. Lastly I learned about what the observable effects are to the world.  

 

  1. The Movement of the Tectonic Plates

      Throughout the whole project I have been learning about the different ways the tectonic plates move. I learned that when two tectonic plates separate it is called divergent, I learned that when two plates hit (and possibly one submerges under the other) it is called convergent. And I learned that when two tectonic plates slide pass each other it is called transverse. We learned all of these different type of plate movement though textbooks, worksheets, and quizzes. If we had not learned these that it would be impossible for us to answer the driving question. 

 

2. What creates tectonic plates

    What creates tectonic plates. From reading textbooks and researching tectonic plates I have found out a lot about them. I learned that they are made at mid ocean ridges when magma rises up then cools pushing old rock away in order to make room for new rock. I also learned that tectonic plates are made of oceanic and continental crust and that a tectonic plate can be made of only oceanic crust but cannot be made of only continental crust. If i had not learned all of these important facts then I would not understand what creates the natural disasters. 

 

3. What are the observable changes and effects.

     In order to a to say how the tectonic plates made observable changes I had to learn what the observable changes were. I learned that earthquakes, volcanos, and tsunamis are all created by tectonic plate movement. I learned that an earthquake is created on a transverse plate boundary or on a fault. I also know that a volcano is formed on a convergent or divergent plate boundary, and finally I learned that a tsunami follows after an earthquake. Knowing all of this makes it a lot easier to find the answer to the driving question.

 

Now that I know all of this I can finally answer the driving question, how does the movement of earth’s tectonic plates cause observable changes and effects. Well tectonic plates are always moving because of mid ocean ridges so every time one of them bump, separate, slide, or build up to much pressure against each other they create disasters. We can see most of these disasters with our eyes or with machines. The sliding against each other creates earthquakes, when the plates converge it creates volcanos. All of these things are observable changes all created by tectonic plate movement. 

Mind Map  

Curricular competences  

  1. Evaluation: Demonstrating an understanding and appreciation of evidence. I showed I could do this competency when we did peer critique and when we created our board game. For peer critique we had to read over somebody’s game rules then tell them how they did. I think I did well on this one. I said that the person whom I was critiquing was great but that he needed to help his partner much more.   I also showed this competency when creating my own game. I used plate tectonics as the main focus, I included 10 science concepts, and the game showed tectonic plates. I did this when I printed out a photo of the world’s main tectonic plates. Meaning the whole board is made up of things I learned about. Additionally, I created rules for the game that show my understanding of how plate tectonics work. For example one of the rules is that you can only create an earthquake on a tectonic plate that your plate is connected to. Overall I think I did well on this competency. 
  1. Questioning and predicting: Demonstrate a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest. This is the competency that I think I could improve on the most in scimatics. Since I have LAC in the morning and I do most of my work there, when I am in class I have nothing to do. If I do have work to do I usually can’t focus on the task because I had worked on it for 2 hours already. I could improve on this competency. 
  1. Understanding and solving: Develop, demonstrate, and apply mathematical understanding through play, inquiry, and problem solving. I showed this competency by including probability on every player’s turn in my board game. For example a player can pick up a card and it could be a helpful card or useless card, this depends on chance. I also showed the competency by putting several probability problems in the game rules this incorporated how to multiply fractions. Lastly I showed this through the worksheets that I completed. Overall I think I did pretty well. 

Tectonic Take Down! Game board