1. When I get stuck on a problem, I have strategies for what to do next. They include… Taking a break, asking a friend or teacher for help, and breaking the problem down into smaller parts. Sometimes I watch the organic chemistry tutors videos to help me understand whatever I am confused about. I try not to sit and stare at the problem for too long because that only builds more stress.
2. I can prevent some school-related stress by… Making sure that I understand a concept before moving on, along with using some of my time outside of school to understand better whatever I have troubles on.
3. When distractions are getting in the way of my work, I can… Turn off notifications, put my phone in another room, and set a timer for focused work (I use the Lofi countdown videos on youtube or I rewatch one piece). Creating a focused space helps me stay on task.
4. When I am feeling anxious about a test, I can calm myself by… Reviewing my notes calmly and reminding myself that I’ve prepared. Keeping myself active, I enjoy badminton, muay thai and weightlifting-all of which I use as an outlet to manage my stresses. I try to focus on doing my best rather than being perfect. After exams have concluded, I rarely dwell on the results rather choosing to accept that either I may want to study extra next time, or reflect on certain mistakes I made and question why I made them.
One challenge I faced while reading Kindred was confronting the uncomfortable and painful themes surrounding slavery and systemic racism. The vivid descriptions of violence and oppression made me feel uneasy, yet they were essential to understanding the protagonist’s experiences. To work through this discomfort, I reminded myself of the importance of learning about these harsh realities and discussed my feelings with my group, which helped me process the material in a meaningful way.
Something I admired about Butler’s writing style was her ability to evoke strong emotions through detailed and realistic storytelling. Her narrative forced me to confront these topics directly, making the story deeply impactful. However, I occasionally found the pacing uneven, especially during some of the shifts between Dana’s modern life and her journeys to the past, but re-reading those sections helped me maintain the flow of the story.
Core Competency Self-Assessment
Strength:
I worked cooperatively with other members of my group and was willing to help with any task. For instance, I facilitated discussions about the uncomfortable themes in Kindred, ensuring everyone had a chance to express their thoughts and feelings. This helped our group explore the book’s deeper meanings.
Area for Improvement: I need to improve my focus during important group discussions by minimizing distractions. This includes staying fully present, actively participating, and contributing meaningfully. My goal is to ensure I am fully engaged in both the tasks and the conversations.
Titration is a technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution by gradually adding a solution of known concentration until the reaction reaches completion. In this lab, titration was used to find out the concentration of a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution by neutralizing it with a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of 0.100 mol/L. The endpoint of the titration is reached when the amount of base added completely neutralizes the acid. This point is typically identified by a noticeable change in a physical property, such as the colour of the solution. In our experiment, the endpoint was observed as the solution changed colour due to the phenolphthalein indicator, signaling that the acid had been fully neutralized by the base. Based on the volume of NaOH required to reach this endpoint, the concentration of the HCl solution was calculated to be 0.137 mol/L.
Core Competency Reflection:
I chose to reflect on the critical and reflective thinking competency for this lab. Throughout the experiment, I used analytical reasoning to ensure accuracy in measurements and calculations. For instance, I carefully controlled the flow of the sodium hydroxide solution to prevent overshooting the endpoint. I observed the colour change closely to determine when to stop adding the base. Additionally, I used the data collected to calculate the acid’s concentration, cross-checking the math for precision. This process reinforced my ability to analyze evidence and draw conclusions. If I were to perform this lab again, I would focus on improving my pipetting technique to minimize potential errors, further enhancing the reliability of my results.
The “a” value in any equation will significantly impact the way your parabola looks. It is the variable that dictates whether your parabola opens up or down. If the “a” value is negative, this means our parabola will be opening downwards, indicating that our vertex is the maximum point. The reverse occurs when our “a” value is positive; it will open upwards, meaning the vertex is the minimum point. In my equation, the “a” value is positive, making it open upwards. However, the “a” value’s significance does not end there, as it also dictates the width of our parabola. In the example above, because our “a” value is greater than 0 but less than 1, we know the parabola will be wider. If my “a” value were to be greater than 1, the parabola would be narrower. Analyzing the graph above, we can see that our “a” value differs significantly from our parent function, as our parabola is significantly wider than the parent function.
h
When identifying the vertex of a parabola, the (h) value is half of the entire process. Our (h) value is crucial as it is our x coordinate for the vertex and determines the horizontal shift and the axis of symmetry for our parabola. If (h) is positive, your parabola will shift right and If (h) is negative, it will shift to the left. In our original equation, our (h) value is 7, allowing us to infer that our parabola will shift right, and our vertex will be (7,y). This means our vertex has shifted right from our parent function by 7 units.
k
The second half of finding our vertex, equally as important as (h), is the (k) value. This is what gives us our y coordinate to our vertex. The (k) value dictates the vertical shift of our parabola and represents the minimum/maximum value. With the example above our (k) value is -2 giving us a y coordinate to our vertex. This means our vertex has shifted down from our parent function by 2 units. Giving us the vertex of (7,-2).
Self-Assessment
How did you represent the same mathematical idea in multiple ways in this assignment?
During this assignment, I successfully displayed the same concept in two ways. I was given an equation and was able to take the information provided and present it algebraically-(Vertex/Standard form) and visually through my graph.
State the relevant mathematical vocabulary words you used to demonstrate your understanding.
Vertex
Axis of Symmetry
Vertical/Horizontal Shift
Standard/Vertex Form My Mathematical vocabulary allowed me to express and go deeper in my learning and display my understanding of the concept to the reader.
How did you use formatting to share this information in a clear and organized way?
For my assignment, I chose to break my points into 3 major topics. The (a), (h), and (k) values, organizing my essay in this format allowed me to go more in-depth with my understanding, express the concept as a whole, how it applies to my parabola, and how it differs from my parent function. It made the information easy to consume and left the reader with a deeper understanding of not only the concepts but how they are applied when given an equation.
With my initial encounter with this problem, I was confronted by its complexity. We were tasked with the challenge that revolved around a newly introduced concept. My initial mistake was when I inadvertently overlooked the application of the zero property rule.
After looking into the nature of my mistake, I sought assistance from my upperclassmen, asking them to look over any mistakes in my logic or calculation. This collaborative effort enabled us to support each others learning through a difficult mathematical problem.
In future encounters with challenging problems, I will be more mindful of the zero property rule. Additionally, I plan to work backwards, reviewing my work in order to identify and rectify any calculation errors.
