Volunteering, You Don't Need to be A Genius

My Driving Question was "What is the importance of service hours?"  A simple answer would be students should give back to the community.  After some research I think it's more than that, more than just giving back.  A survey was taken and a popular feeling towards serving was a sense of pride.  When you volunteer you often get more than you give.  That feeling of pride is a part of us and there is a need to fill that part.

Another question asked in the survey was "What is your goal for total number of volunteer hours?"  Most participants had a goal of 20 to 40 hours, but some people had their goals in the 100's and 200's.  Overall the average was around 50 hours.  My personal goal is around 175 hours.  I am well on my way seeing that I have 100 hours already.

The President's Volunteer Service award is an initiative to volunteer time and effort to the community around you.  Different amounts of time for different ages will earn you a Bronze, Silver, or Gold per year.

These are the amounts of time needed per age group.  There is even a lifetime award for people that give over 4,000 hours of their time over their lifetime.

My favorite place to volunteer is Shalom Farms, a farm that is supported by the United Methodist Church.  It is mainly run by volunteer efforts and donations from local organizations.  They produce many different varieties of vegetables and fruits, eventually taking them to "food deserts" which are places with limited fresh produce.  I have helped with this organization for a number of years and can't imagine a better place to spend a day.  If you are interested in visiting this special spot, visit shalomfarms.org.  

So what's stopping you from volunteering?  Check your calendar, find a friend, and go make a difference in the world! 

Space Projects...Research and Citations

Here are some projects I did for ASE class.  I made a molecular model of methane, created a comic strip about the Aurora Borealis, produced an iMovie on five mnemonic devices to remember the differences between Meteors, Meteorites, and Meteoroids, and a blogpost about the Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner.  Below you will see my research paragraphs for each project as well as the citation of sources used.

1.  Molecular Model of Methane

Research was done to find out what the atoms were and how they bonded with one another.   This led to the discovery of the symbol for methane as CH^4.  It is a covalent bond due to the fact that carbon has four valence electrons and hydrogen has one.  This means that the four empty spaces in carbon want hydrogen to hook up and attach there. 

Works Cited

"Chemical Fact Sheets--Methane." Chemical Fact Sheets--Methane. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. 

             <http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/eh/chemfs/fs/Methane.htm>.

"Gas Hydrate Project at the USGS: Primer on Gas Hydrates." Gas Hydrate Project at the USGS: 

             Primer on Gas Hydrates. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://woodshole.er.usgs.gov

             /project-pages/hydrates/primer.html>.

"Methane Emissions." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. 

                 <http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html>.

2.  Comic Strip Aurora Borealis

The format of this entertaining assignment was done using  Pixton, a Google app for making comic strips.  The Aurora Borealis starts with the sun's emission giving off a bunch of protons and electrons.  Its called the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME).  When it passes through the magnetosphere, the protons and electrons collide and react with different particles such oxygen and nitrogen.

Works Cited

"NASA Spacecraft Make New Discoveries about Northern Lights - NASA Science." NASA 

              Spacecraft Make New Discoveries about Northern Lights - NASA Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 27

              Nov. 2013. <http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2007/11dec_themis/>.

"What Are the Northern Lights?" What Are the Northern Lights?(Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science 

              Facts Fromthe Library of Congress). N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. <http://www.loc.gov

              /rr/scitech/mysteries/northernlights.html>.

"Why Are There Colors in the Aurora?" Why Are There Colors in the Aurora? N.p., n.d. Web. 27 

              Nov. 2013. <http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211.fall2000.web.projects/Christina 

              Shaw/AuroraColors.html>.

3.  iMovie with the three M's

There are five mnemonic devices to remember the three M's of meteor, -ite,  and -iod.  One of the five mnemonic devices is "meteor, the bright light."  This tells that the meteor is referring to the light that is being produced.  A second device is "meteoroid, just the dust."  This explains that meteoroids is the stuff that burns up.  The third device is "meteorite, it made it through." These pieces actually make it to earth.  Next, "meteorite, rocks on earth are -ites." Finally, "in the sky they soar...meteoroids and meteors."  Using these devices, the three M's can't be forgotten.

Works Cited

"Asteroid Fast Facts." - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. 

             <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch/fastfacts.cfm>.

"Frequently Asked Questions." Frequently Asked Questions. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. 

             <http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/faq/>.

"Solar System Exploration: Planets: Meteors & Meteorites: Overview." Solar System Exploration: 

             Planets: Meteors & Meteorites: Overview. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. 

             <http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Meteors>.

4. Blog Post: Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner

The Pathfinder landed on July 4th, 1997 and provided many pieces of information for scientists to analyze.  There were new ways to land the Pathfinder and Sojourner that were attempted.  Risks were taken and discoveries were made.

Works Cited

Dunbar, Brian. NASA. NASA, 23 Oct. 2007. Web. 28 Nov. 2013.  <http://www.nasa.gov

        /mission_pages/mars-pathfinder/>.

"Mars Pathfinder / Sojourner Rover." Mars Pathfinder. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2013. 

        <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-pathfinder-sojourner-rover/>.

"Mars Pathfinder Mission Summary." JPL Mars Pathfinder Quick Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Nov.  

         2013. <http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/mars/MPF_short_facts.html>.

 

Methane Model

Here is my model of the molecule,  methane.  There is one carbon in the center that is surrounded by four hydrogen atoms. 

Aurora Borealis...Weekly Space Update

The Three M's

Mars Pathfinder and Sojourner

The Mars Pathfinder and the Rover, Sojourner

Pathfinder landed on Mars on July 4, 1997.  It used a parachute to slow its fall to the surface and then used airbags to cushion the completion of the descent.  This was the first time that the idea of the "airbag technique" had been used.  The landing site, on the northern hemisphere, was originally a place on Mars where liquid water was formerly present.  This place was referred to as "Ares Vallis" and is one of the rockiest sections of Mars.  Landing here meant that there would be a lot of rocks to research and was thought to be a fairly safe landing and site.

The rover got its name from a contest where anyone could write in and offer suggestions.  Its name eventually was chosen and it was Sojourner.  This came from a civil rights activist named Sojourner Truth.  The measurements of Sojourner were approximately 65 centimeters long x 48 centimeters wide x 30 centimeters tall. 

Sojourner discovered 2.3 billion pieces of information during its mission.  There were 16,500 images from the lander and 550 from Sojourner.  Every day had a different experiment.  There was even a test trial to see how fast the rover would move on the Martian surface.  Amazingly, it went 1 centimeter/second  or 2 feet/minute.   

Besides the primary energy source of the solar panel on her back, Sojourner had non-rechargeable lithium thionol chloride D-cell-size batteries.  This allowed for numerous days without solar energy.  

During its missions, the rover traveled around and scientists named different rocks as landmarks.  For instance, Barnacle Bill, Yogi, and Scooby Doo.  The Pathfinder lander outlived its life by three missions and Sojourner outlived her life by twelve times. 

For more information, check out The Mars Pathfinder and experience the exciting first moments.

Halogens Family

This is my video on the Halogens Family of the periodic table.  As you can see from the video, the trends of the Halogens Family increases from yellow in the Flourine to red in the Bromine...to the purple of the gas Iodine.  The electrons also follow a trend.  The elements are all very reactive.  You'll notice that they are also extremely toxic, as well as being non-metals.