The above image is from my inquiry lab project for the labs portion of AP Chemistry. In this lab, My goal was to in a way ‘simulate a washing-machine’ by adding a clothing dye stain to a cotton ball, and submerging it and mixing it within different dilutions of water and bleach mixtures. In the above image, I tested this by timing the amount of time it took two drops of clothing dye to fade it’s color inside different concentrations of water and bleach (10ml bleach + 90ml water, 5ml bleach + 95ml water, 2ml bleach + 98 ml water) and using those results to calculate the reaction rate.
Throughout this project, as well as in the image above, I have demonstrated the creative thinking core competency, as I have brainstormed a unique idea that has an interesting real-world application. I have connected it to concepts learned in AP Chemistry such as reaction rates and solutions, and developed my ideas by looking at various labs in our lab textbook. Additionally, I changed the solvent from food coloring to clothing dye with the suggestion of my teacher, who recommended that I used a more realistic chemical for the given project idea. I feel that in the future, I can improve my ideas by making them more complex and adding more depth to them, which is something I look forward to doing in upcoming activities.
This semester, I have feel that I have improved my higher-level mathematical abilities significantly through the AP Calculus AB course. While facing challenges, I try to take a step back and make a plan as to how I will execute my tasks to the best of my ability, while maintaining maximum mental steadiness.
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I usually take a walk in nature or engage in physical activity, as it helps me focus on my body and mind rather than get distracted needlessly. Additionally, I often sit in silence for a brief period of time (without doing anything, just staring at a wall).
I can prevent some school-related stress by creating a comprehensive schedule and sticking to it, and using my free-time to efficiently complete any of my work. I can also seek help if needed and use additional resources to aid my learning.
Some of the things I do to stay mentally and physically healthy include running and biking, as well as meditation and yoga. These help me more easily relax my body and stay focused during stressful situations.
When I am feeling down about school, I remind myself that failure or falling short is a part of long-term success, and that whatever happens is for a reason. I also remember that I can always improve my academic situation, and that there are many ways to succeed.
Artifact of something that helps me manage my stress:
Originally, when I started my inquiry, my Inquiry Question was: How can sustainable and fair health systems be created to achieve universal health coverage and improve global well-being?
The focus of my inquiry shifted since I wrote my personal learning plan, as I wanted to do something that would better showcase my creativity and also complete something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while. In the end, I decided to do this by writing a children’s book based on an event that occurred for me a few years back, while incorporating elements of the negative effects of climate change into the book, to get children interested in how issues related to it can be solved in the long run.
I feel that in general, I had good time management over the duration of the project, as I was able to finish by the time I expected to, when I originally started. I would say that I have spent roughly 45-50 hours in total completing the project. Reading other children’s books as a source of inspiration and knowledge was a valuable resource when I was imagining the story, and it helped me fix some things in the book that have now made the book much more enjoyable for a potential reader.
I originally faced many challenges coming up with ideas for the book, as it was quite overwhelming to have to author an entire book from scratch. However, this was short-lived, and I changed my perspective by simply writing what came to my mind as a draft and making significant edits and expansions as I went along with the project.
I feel that my Critical/Creative Thinking skills have improved drastically during this project, and I have enhanced my imagination in the process. In addition to learning much about how to write a children’s book and just a novel in general, I have learned lots about the publishing process and the steps I will be taking afterwards, likely during the summer once the illustrations are done and I am ready to publish. I also feel a good sense of personal/social awareness coming, as I plan to donate any money raised from the sale of the book to organizations and initiatives funding climate change issues and general problems in the world.
I have formally shared my learning and complete progress in front of a group of peers/teachers/mentors twice, through simply explaining a brief synopsis of the book and the overall process of how I have completed my project. Furthermore, I have presented my vision for what I will be doing next in terms of my novel; (self-publishing on Amazon KDP, illustrations, donating money raised from book).
I will be doing Advanced Inquiry next year and will be working on a new project. However, I am currently unsure of what that is.
Something that helps me manage my stress inside and outside of school:
When I get stuck on a problem, I have strategies for what to do next. They include trying to review content related to the question I am working on, and theWhen I make mistakes, I don’t beat myself up. Instead I …n try again with new insight into the problem. I also like to watch videos on the topic, as I find different explanations on a challenging topic to be interesting.
When I need to boost my mood or re-focus, I often enjoy meditating or listening to calming music. I also like to indulge in creative activities like writing and playing the piano when I have lost my focus. These activities help me, as they reset my mind from all distractions and make me feel more calm.
I can prevent some school-related stress by trying to finish my work whenever I have free time, and creating a proper study plan that fits within my time schedule. I can also reduce stress by taking short times off to recharge, like spending time with friends and family.
When I make mistakes, I don’t beat myself up. Instead, I remind myself that mistakes are a crucial part of learning effectively, and progress does not happen without them. I continue to put my best efforts forward, and correct mistakes along the way.
Evidence that I can acquire information about complex and specialized topics from various sources synthesize it, and present it with thoughtful analysis can be found in my presentation on the song Elle me dit by MIKA. After researching and understanding the song’s deeper meaning and it’s connection to the purpose of MIKA writing it, I was able to then show how it was connected to how the song reflects themes like optimism and questions like ‘what are you doing with your life’.
My strategies of where I communicate clearly and purposefully can be seen in my presentation, where I organized the information in an effective way, used visual support for the key points, and presented it in a way that the class would understand, as our simple French has not yet fully developed.
Going Forward
Going forward I would like to improve my speaking skills and confidence, especially in past tense. This is because I think it’s very important to be able to convey information in different forms, and simply being good at present tense is not enough. To achieve this goal, I will continue to practice my French skills and pay special attention to speaking effectively in past tense and future tense. This will help me improve my general communication skills as well, as I will have a more nuanced understanding of words and structures.
Our goal in this lab was to determine the solubility product constant (Ksp) of a slightly soluble salt. We used test tubes and measuring cylinders to prepare solutions of different concentrations and observed the formation of a precipitate (solid) to find the saturation point and calculate Ksp. By recording the ion concentration at equilibrium, we obtained the value of the solubility product constant.
While working on this lab, I demonstrated my Social Awareness and Responsibility by showing that I can work well with my partner and take responsibility for my actions by dividing the job equally. I can also resolve problems respectfully and effectively. During the process of the lab where we were combined the two sets of test tubes, we were somewhat confused on how it should be done, and we each had different idea. While one of us thought we were just putting the test tubes together, the other thought we were mixing them together. We settled that mixing the contents together would be the right away, and I confirmed it by asking the teacher.
I also feel that our time management during this lab was quite good, as we had ample time to review our results and make predictions about some calculations and what they would encompass.
An example of one of my daily lifestyle trackers, in which I had a very good amount of exercise, excellent nutrition, and very good hydration throughout the day.
An example of a plate of food with a variety of fruits and vegetables, plenty of protein rich foods, and excellent whole grain options.
Considering my daily lifestyle tracker, I feel that I exceled at eating very nutritious food and burning the required amount of calories through various intensive physical activities. On the rest aspect, I am confident that I consistently get a good amount of sleep every night (usually 8-9 hours). For possible improvements, I think that I can work on being more social, especially with those I am unfamiliar with. Additionally, I can incorporate different types of sports into my exercising routine, rather than solely focusing on ‘racquet sports’. During this unit, I demonstrated the core competency of positive personal identity, which was reflected by my ability of eating consistently healthy foods, while being able to drink a good amount of water/other forms of hydration throughout the day, especially when exercising. I demonstrated the competency of personal responsibility in this way, by taking a few minutes after each day in the daily lifestyle tracker to honestly note my health down. It also reflects my social skills as I was able to effectively connect with friends, as evident on my daily trackers.
Throughout this course, we have explored many topics within computer programming, more specifically in the language of Python. In Unit 7, however, we discovered how to use Circuit Playground devices with Arduino. In this Unit, an assignment that particularly challenged and intrigued me was the “mini project” assignment, in which we were required to make an application utilizing a minimum of 3 of the board’s features. For my project, I decided to simple ‘Sun detector’, which would display red Neo Pixels when placed in areas with increased brightness and temperature (hence detecting a sun-like object), and display blue Neo Pixels when placed in areas with lower brightness and temperature. To do this, I used the temperature sensor, light sensor, and neo pixels output display methods. I began by researching the ways I could input these features into my project, and how they could be as useful as possible. Originally, I set the minimum temperature detection to be 20 degrees, but realized that the room was much colder than that, and reset it to 10 degrees, which seemed to be just right. In the process of creating the project, however, I did not remember to add proper commenting and documentation, which is something that I would like to take away from this project. Always plan your code out, and make things as easy to read and interpret as possible!
I can experiment with different ways of doing things. I can explore materials and actions. I can implement, monitor, and adjust a plan and assess the results.
The first time I tried this problem I found it challenging because of how complicated it seemed, due to the large number of words in the question. I consider the question to be a very interesting question, however, as there are a few different variables, and it is formatted in the form of a word problem.
When I first attempted to solve the problem, I ran into some issues when performing the task of squaring both sides, which was necessary in the removing of the radical and simplifying the question. In trying to do this step, I failed to remember to square the π, and therefore ended up with an answer drastically different from the one in the workbook.
When I was stuck on this problem, I read the question carefully in my mind and made a list consisting of the most important information which was in the problem, such as the equation and the given variables. I also used my notes to see if there was a conceptual mistake in my way of thinking. Additionally, I asked a peer how they approached the question, and considered the problem using their methods. By using these strategies while attempting the problem a second time, I was able to effectively solve for the correct solution.
While solving this problem, I needed to remember how to interpret a word problem and use the given information properly. Order of operations (Bedmas), the FOIL technique, and knowing how to remove radicals from an equation were also important concepts for solving this question. Since it was formatted as a word problem, another useful strategy I used was to cross out any irrelevant words in the wording of the question, which effectively made the problem more clear.
Next time I encounter a difficult problem, I will first consider the given information and see how it will help me solve the problem. For example, this could include any easily variables or formulas/equations, such as the one in this problem (t = 2π√L ÷g). Additionally, I will recall previous concepts which apply to the problem by looking at my notes and useful videos related to the topic if necessary.
Over the course of this engaging project, I effectively used my creative thinking abilities, when designing it with my partner. In doing so, I also trained myself to be able to work more efficiently during group work, as we both need to agree on how to project would work. We did this by requesting each other to bring the necessary materials to build it. In the end, our project was successful in its task of knocking down a cardboard tube.
