Category Archives: Grade 9

Planet Populators

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Planet Mivotatia

The planet I’ve created is called planet Mivotania. Aliens which are called mitanians and animals live on this planet. Their method of cell division is meiosis and they use the method of sexual reproduction to create their offspring and populate their planet. A photo of the planet is shown above and a photo of the aliens living on the planet is shown down below. The aliens are posing in front of a different planet which they soon want to explore.

Mivotanias method of reproduction ( sexual )

In Mivotania, the aliens living on the planet (mitanians) uses the method of sexual reproduction to grow their population. They are quite similar to us humans; they just look a lot different. Sexual reproduction is two different individuals of different sexes that have different DNA produce reproductive cells called gametes (female=egg and male=sperm). The offspring is created when the parents’ gametes unite and are combined together. Sexual reproduction involves the production of haploid gametes by meiosis. Humans produce gametes. Gametes Are haploid cells. The gametes are haploid cells and they have half the normal number of chromosomes that are fund within other cells of the organism. The process of gametes uniting is known as fertilization.

pros (sexual) cons (sexual)
  • Off springs can survive new and genetic diseases that occur in the population due to the fact that they are genetically different from their mother and father. Because the offspring isn’t an exact copy of its parent (which is the case in asexual reproduction) it limits the chances of getting a genetic disease.
  • The offspring is given the opportunity to adapt to new environments. This gives the offspring a survival advantage.
  • Because sexual reproduction can sometimes take months, a lot more parental care is given to the offspring in this situation of internal reproduction
  • Sexual reproduction requires you to find a different individual to have a child with. More energy is required to find a mate. You need an egg and a sperm to form an offspring. If a mate isn’t found, then it’s impossible to produce the offspring.
  • A smaller amount of offspring is produced. For example, if one group of animals produces more of its kind slower than its predators, their population will start to lessen overtime.

Mitanians want to explore the planet next to theirs and they believe that the method they use to populate their planet is the method of asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction is where an organism creates offspring by making clones of itself. In sexual reproduction, you need two mates. You need a female egg cell and a male sperm cell. Asexual reproduction creates its offspring on its own and the offspring is genetically the exact same as the original organism. The organism, the tissues, and genes are the exact same, it’s a clone of itself. There are different types of asexual reproduction. In order to clone itself the Organism undergoes repeated mitosis to form an exact copy of itself. For example, plants and fungi. Buds can detach from the original organism to create a separate organism of its exact kind. That is called budding. Parts of an organism can break off in split into fragments. They can break off due to an injury. That part that broke off, can grow and mature into a clone of its parent. This method of asexual reproduction is called fragmentation. This form of asexual reproduction is seen in organisms search as bacteria, mold, plants, and more. Special spell cells in plants can develop help grow into new and identical plants without any seeds. This happens two plants with bulbs and sprouts. This method is called vegetative reproduction.

pros (asexual) cons (asexual)
  • In sexual reproduction you need to find a mate and sometimes that is difficult. But in asexual reproduction, a mate isn’t needed.
  • A large amount of offspring can be produced at a time. It is also a quicker process. In sexual reproduction, you need to carry your offspring for long periods of time and a lot of the time you’re only carrying one offspring. In asexual reproduction, that’s not needed.
  • Less resources are used to produce a sexually. In sexual reproduction you need a mate, sperm, and an egg. But an asexual reproduction all the Organism needs is itself.
  • Because large numbers of organisms are being produced, many species can survive when conditions of the number of predator’s change. It is less likely for their population to change overtime.
  • Large numbers of offspring could possibly be destroyed. Off springs are genetic clones and can cause negative mutations. Negative mutations can cause the produced organisms to be susceptible diseases.
  • Asexual organisms need to adapt to its environment but sometimes it is hard to do so. There are risks such as extreme temperatures, animals, and plants. These are all things that could possibly be a large threat to the Organism.
  • The production cycle can’t be controlled, and It can lead to problems with the population. Asexual organisms are in charge of reproducing on its own and the population is constantly being doubled. The organism can get overpopulated.

Mivotanias method of cell division (mitosis or meiosis)

Mitanians use meiosis as their method of cell division. Meiosis Is an important aspect of sexual reproduction. It is where a single cell divides twice to produce four cells. The cells then contain half the original amount of genetic information. The cells are then used in sexual reproduction. Men have the sperm cells and female have egg cells. This process of cell division is a lot more complicated than mitosis is. The first stage in meiosis is meiosis I. Meiosis I, goes through the process of PMAT like mitosis. A pair of matching chromosomes known as homologous chromosomes move to opposite poles of the cell. From there the cell divides (cytokinesis)and forms two haploid daughter cells. During mitosis 1, the chromatids of chromosome pairs crossover and they exchange DNA. Crossing over increases genetic possibilities and it also produces more variation. Next is mitosis two. PMAT also happens here to both haploid daughter cells. This result in four haploid daughter cells. The only difference is that the two haploid daughter cells didn’t have to go through cytokinesis in meiosis II

On the planet that Mitanians want to explore, they are pretty convinced that they use mitosis as their method of cell division. there are five stages ours the process of mitosis. First is the early prophase. This is where the nucleus disappears and the spindle fibers form. Next is late prophase. It is where spindle fibers attached to centromeres of the chromosomes. The next stage is metaphase. In this stage, chromosomes align on the equator of the cell. After, is anaphase. In this stage, spindle fibers pull sister chromatids to opposite poles of cell. The final stage is telophase. In the final stage, spindle fibers disappear and a nuclear membrane forms around each separated set of chromosomes.

Why I chose this method and the effect on the planet

               I chose this method in effect on the planet because I wanted the planet, I was creating too resemble how humans here on earth create their offspring’s. I know more about sexual reproduction then asexual reproduction. I’ve learned more about sexual reproduction when I was in middle school Whereas with asexual reproduction, I only learned a little bit of it when I was in middle school. I thought writing more about something that I already knew about was going to be easier than writing about something that I barely knew about. I took notes before starting this project and my notes also influenced the reason why I chose the method and the effect on the planet I created. I felt as if I understood the notes I took about meiosis and sexual reproduction more than I did about mitosis and asexual reproduction. In conclusion, I just chose the method and effect that I understood more when starting this project.

planet link:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/space/sounds-heard-from-deep-space-could-be-evidence-of-advanced-alien-technology-1.3752922

aliens link:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/is-saturns-icy-moon-enceladus-our-best-chance-to-find-alien-life

 

Power Information Fluency: Hydroelectric Energy

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Power research – Hydroelectric Energy

Part one:

Statement to Justin Trudeau about the implications of my findings

Dear Justin Trudeau,

My name is Daniella De Vera. I am a grade 9 student from Riverside secondary school, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. During this pandemic that we are dealing with right now we are studying electricity and energy during online school. We were challenged to do research on a way we can create renewable energy. I researched the topic of hydropower. Why take away our earth and just slowly kill it by pollution of fossil fuel’s when you can use water in a way that can benefit our community and provide us with the electricity that we all need. Hydro power is a clean energy source, it is fuelled by water and not fossil fuels like coal or gas, meaning it does not cause pollution. Though setting up the reservoirs and hydro plants are pricey, these Hydro plants and turbines can last year‘s, they can even last whole decades. When using a power plant to create energy you constantly need to buy coal and gas. Coal and gas is constantly being depleted and all that’s doing is ruining our earth. But, if you really think about how long a hydro plant can run for,  you would actually realize that Hydro power is reliable and affordable. Climate change is a huge problem. Think about it, by switching to Hydro electricity, we could potentially save our earth. Thank you for listening to my proposal and please consider switching to Hydro electricity, a clean, renewable, and reliable power source.

What is hydro electric power?

More than half of electricity in Canada 61% to be exact is generated by hydro sources. Electricity is formed by the power of water in motion this includes the water flowing over waterfall dams and much more to generate electricity. Hydropower is a renewable energy source period to water constantly renews the water cycle. Most hydroelectric power plants include a reservoir of water, a gate to control how much water flows out of the reservoir comma and a place where the water ends up after flowing downward. The water gains energy just before it spills over it the top of a dam or flows downhill. The water is used to turn the blades of a turbine to create electricity which is distributed to the power plants customers.

There are three main types of hydro plants:

1. Impoundment facilities: impoundment facilities are the most common hydro plants. They use a dam which creates a large reservoir of river water. Electricity is made when the turbine has been spun by the flowing water released by the reservoir. It then activates a generator to produce electricity.

2. Pumped storage facilities: pumped storage facilities are similar to impoundment facilities. Pumped storage facilities are a type of hydroelectric energy storage. Instead of one reservoir like an impoundment facility, this one has two. It’s a configuration of two water reservoirs that can generate power. Water can be pumped from the lower reservoir to the upper reservoir and can store energy for future use.

3. Run-off-River facilities: run-of-river facilities harvest the energy from flowing water to generate electricity in the absence of a large dam and reservoir. They rely more on natural water flow rates. It turns just a portion of river water through turbines, sometimes without the use of a dam or a reservoir. That’s why they are different from the other hydro facilities I listed.

What are the benefits to hydroelectric electricity?

There are so many benefits to hydroelectric electricity. It’s a clean energy source. Hydropower is fuelled by water meaning it’s a clean fuel source. Unlike power plants, they burn fossil fuels such as coal or natural gas that could pollute the air. By using hydroelectric power it’s less likely to run out of energy. Water is always available and always accessible. Water is always flowing so it’s not likely to run out of it. Why take away our earth with fossil fuels and pollute our world when you can use water in a way that benefits our community and gives us the power that we need. Dams can store and send river water through turbines and it produces clean, renewable, reliable, power. Hydropower relies on the water cycle for energy to be generated. The water cycle is driven by the sun making it a renewable power source. That means it’s more of a reliable source than fossil fuels that uses up the fuel supply rapidly. We can’t rely on wind and solar power to give us the energy we need at all times. For example, what if there’s no wind and sun to produce the right amount of energy that we need? Hydropower is always there and It’s less likely to just run out of water. So, I feel as if hydropower is more applicable. Power stations can last a whole long time they can generate electricity for many years maybe even whole decades and there are so many more benefits.

What are some of the issues/challenges of hydro power?

Though there are many benefits to hydroelectric electricity there are some issues. The creation of dams and hydro plants can ruin habitats for wildlife. Creating dams can block fish passages. This should be able to travel upstream and downstream towards their habitats. But due to the creation of hydro plants and dams for hydroelectric energy, fish populations could possibly be affected if fish can’t migrate upstream past impoundment dams to their spawning grounds or if they can’t migrate downstream to the ocean. Doing a River has a significant impact on the regional ecosystem. It could possibly flood upstream landscapes here again the dams are strong comma and it isn’t likely for this to happen. But there will always be a theory of heavy rain causing floods and damaged the dam and heavy damage to livelihood. Heavy earthquakes could also cause damage to the dams. One of the issues when setting up hydroelectric power plants is the risk of local drops hydro plants can be affected by droughts. When water isn’t available, the hydropower plant can’t produce electricity. Electricity generation and energy prices are directly related how much water is available. But when drugs are brought into the situation its energy can’t be made.

 

Part two:

1. What questions did you need to ask in order to research your topic?

  • How does hydro electricity work?
  • What is a hydro electric energy plant?
  • What are the main types of hydroelectric energy plants?
  • What are the issues/challenges hydro electricity can cause?
  • What are some benefits of hydro power?

2. What new or familiar digital tools did you try to use as you worked through this project?

As I worked through this project, the digital tools I used were Google, YouTube, Pexels for one of my photos that I used at the beginning of my essay, and I used the website Easybib to create my citations.  Using YouTube, Pixels and Easybib were some new tools that I used. Usually I just get all of my photos off Google images, but I looked over the criteria of this project and listed was Pexels. So, I decided to use that. I couldn’t find many photos that I needed so I found the rest of them off google images. For my citations I usually just copy and paste links on to a Word document but this time I remembered a website that I used a couple times in grade 7 for my citations and I decided to use it for this project. I never really watch YouTube videos to find information for projects, I usually just rely on multiple websites to find information, but I decided to expand my digital tools and use YouTube for a change.

3. What was the process you used to investigate the topic?

The process I used to investigate this topic was a pretty long one considering I knew barely anything about hydro electricity. Through investigating this topic, I learned a lot. First, I had to read a lot about this topic and just learn about it before I could take any notes. I thought I knew a decent amount information about hydro electricity before I started, but after I read through pages and pages of information, I noticed that I only knew the smallest bit of information. After researching I realized I had learned a lot. Second, I had to make one document on Word just for note taking and note taking took a couple days. I made a second document to copy and paste all of my citations. After copying and pasting all of the links and having a long list of links on the document, I put them all into easy bib to create my citations. I left the essay writing and the paragraphs for last. After collecting all of my notes I turned it all into an essay which took about a day then I inserted photos using pexels and images off google.

4. How did you verify and cite the information you found?

To verify and cite the information that I found I used a website called easybib. It’s a citation website that I’ve been using since grade 7 and I find it easy to use. Easybib not only sites the websites that you use, it also checks the sites security, it checks the URL, it checks the website’s content, and it also checks for the websites social proof. If there is information that the easy bib cannot find (for example the date it was published or the author) you have to go to the website, you are creating a citation for and find the information and fill it out on easy bib. Then it will create your citation. Easybib wouldn’t let me site my YouTube links so what I did was I copied and pasted the links into a Word document and I just listened to the information that I was giving me. I compared the information to other information that i found on other websites to see if they were giving me real information and not anything fake or made up.

5. How did the process of completing this challenge go? What could you have done better?

The process of completing this challenge was hard considering there were a lot of steps to it and I wanted to do my best on this writing this project. I had to put a lot of time into this.  One of the main challenges was when I had to write a statement to Justin Trudeau about the implications about my findings. I didn’t know what was so hard about writing it but that was the last thing I wrote because I had trouble figuring out what I was going to write when I first started. One thing I could have done better was my note-taking. I feel like I put a lot of effort into my notes when I should have put more of that effort into the actual writing piece that I posted on my blog.

 

Citations

Hydro electric energy information

National Geographic Society. “Hydroelectric Energy.” National Geographic Society, 30 May 2019, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/hydroelectric-energy/.

National Energy Board. “Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles – Canada.” CER, 8 Apr. 2020, www.cer-rec.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/mrkt/nrgsstmprfls/cda-eng.html.

“Hydro Power.” Hydro Power | Student Energy, www.studentenergy.org/topics/hydro-power.

Hydro plant information

“Run-of-the-River Hydroelectricity.” Run-of-the-River Hydroelectricity – Energy Education, energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity. https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity

“Hydro Power.” Hydro Power | Student Energy, www.studentenergy.org/topics/hydro-power.

Benefits

“Benefits of Hydropower.” Energy.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/water/benefits-hydropower.

https://www.envirothonpa.org/documents/19bHydropowerAdvantagesandDisadvantages.pdf

RinkeshA true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitab . “Various Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power.” Conserve Energy Future, 18 Feb. 2017, www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-hydroelectric-power.php.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cptpo3N-XbM

Issues/challenges

RinkeshA true environmentalist by heart ❤️. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitab . “Various Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power.” Conserve Energy Future, 18 Feb. 2017, www.conserve-energy-future.com/pros-and-cons-of-hydroelectric-power.php.

“Hydro Power.” Hydro Power | Student Energy, www.studentenergy.org/topics/hydro-power.

“Hydroelectric Energy Pros and Cons.” Energy Informative, 13 Mar. 2019, energyinformative.org/hydroelectric-energy-pros-and-cons/. https://energyinformative.org/hydroelectric-energy-pros-and-cons/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVnKwbKEhlQ

Photos

https://www.pexels.com/photo/bridge-conifers-dam-daylight-574024/

Bonsor, Kevin. “How Hydropower Plants Work.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 9 Apr. 2020, science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/hydropower-plant1.htm.https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/hydropower-plant1.htm

“Environmental Impacts of Hydropower.” EnergySage, www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/hydropower/environmental-impacts-hydropower/.

“BC Hydro Plan to Purchase Remaining Two-Third Interest in Waneta Dam Will Keep Rates Affordable.” BC Hydro Plan to Purchase Remaining Two-Third Interest in Waneta Dam Will Keep Rates Affordable, www.bchydro.com/news/press_centre/news_releases/2017/bc-hydro-plan-to-purchase-two-third-interest-in-waneta-dam-will-.html.

Current Electricity Demo

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What is a short circuit?

A short  circuit is where two wires that shouldn’t come in contact with each other touches. It’s a problem in electrical circuits that could possibly result in a high current running through the circuit. Short circuits are caused by loose wire connection or frayed wires. When the wires that shouldn’t come in contact do come in contact, it can result in sparks, fires, smoke, and electrocution.

What are parallel and series circuits?

Parallel circuits are a series of paths (2+ paths) where power flows through. The components are connected across from each other then join to complete the circuit. Voltage is the same across each component of the parallel circuit. If something were to happen to one of the paths, the other wouldn’t be effected. Where as in a series circuit, there is only one path that the power flows through. The components are connected and that circuit to have a current flow. If something were to happen to this path, the whole circuit wouldn’t be able to work.

What is Ohm’s Law? 

Omh’s law is a law that states that electric current is proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance. The law is used to show the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance. The formula for Ohm’s law is V=IR (v=voltage, I=current, and r=resistance). To find voltage(v) u multiply the current(I) and resistance(r). To find (l) you divide (v) by (r). To find (r) you divide (v) by (I).

If getting shocked with a circuit with a higher current is dangerous, does that mean that a higher voltage is harmless?

No. It does not mean it is harmless. Getting shocked with a high voltage is very dangerous. That’s why there are warning signs that say “warning high voltage”

Community Connection Alternate

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Volunteer:

sr camp counsellor

The volunteer opportunity that I’m choosing to research is a sr camp counsellor. It involves working with kids and animals at an SPCA summer camp in Coquitlam. This opportunity could benefit my future because I want to counselling/therapy. By doing this volunteering opportunity it could prepare me for the job that I want in the future. I’m passionate about this field because I’ll get to help people and communicate with them. All my life I’ve enjoyed trying to help my peers and friends with their problems, talking with people, having deep conversations about life and struggles, and socializing in general. By going into a counselling/therapy type of field in the future, I’ll be doing all those things I enjoy doing on a day to day basis.

Helping out at this summer camp I’ll be able to do all of that with kids. I’ll be able to help them, while working with animals. This opportunity also includes dealing with camper behaviour issues, communicating with shelter staff/management, and gaining a basic understanding of animal stress signals and monitoring shelter animals for signs of stress when interacting with campers. I’ll be talking to kids aged 6 to 11 about pet care, animal welfare, nature and the environment. I’d be spending my summer helping to make a difference by creating a stimulating, fun and positive atmosphere for campers.

  • Location: Tri-Cities Education & Adoption Centre
  • How long I’d be working for: 9-weeks beginning June 19, 2020 through to August 21, 2020
  • Work hours: 8:30 am – 4:00 pm (Monday – Friday)

Employment:

Michaels

The employment opportunity I chose to research is a job at Michaels. I would be doing it as a part time job stocking up shelves. This job would benefit my future because I want to work as an artist part time. By being around lost of art supplies I can be around multiple types of art media’s, learn about them, try them, and improve on my art. Shifts can start as early as 3am. The qualifications you need to have is good communication and organization skills. Throughout your hours of working during the day, you will be around customers. Some costumers will ask where certain items in the store are and you’ll need to show them. You will also need to have good memorization skills because you’ll need to know the whole layout and isles of the store to help customers. Currently I have all three of the skills I mentioned. I love talking with peers and friends so I’d say I have good communication skills. I have good organization skills, on my free time I choose to organize and I like keeping my things clean and organized. Last skill needed is memorization. I’m not the best at memorizing information but when it comes to layouts of areas and places I’m good at remembering where things are. One steep that I need to take in order to be suitable for this position is to work on memorization. I’ll need to memorize information on products and prices to help customers. Personally, I think a part time job at Michaels could be a great affect to my future.

 

Fictional Safety Story

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It was my first science experiment of this year and I can’t explain how excited I am. I was organized and ready. My Erlenmeyer flasks were organized off to one side and my Florence flasks were organized off to the other. My beaker tongs were placed beside me on my desk, my eye dropper right next to it, and I already had my safety goggles off to the side. I waited for my teacher to finish talking just so I could start. It started to feel as if we already went over the same rules over and over, we already went over the experiment yesterday. “when will he just stop talking?” I asked myself. Our teacher Ms. Brenda talked way too much. It felt as if no one liked her. A million thoughts went through my head while just waiting. I already knew what to do, same with y partner that I was supposed to do the experiment with. We both just talked and ignored the fact that she was talking, we were done waiting. So, we decided to just start off on our own while she was still talking. We were in the back anyway; we didn’t think she could see us because of all the people that were sitting in front of us, so we thought…

We first started off by mixing some weird blue liquid with a green one, to be honest, I didn’t know what I was mixing. The teacher told us that it was supposed to fizz up, but it didn’t. We didn’t know what we were doing wrong and it frustrated us. We sat there thinking, “what should we do now?” because we weren’t listening to the instructions. We missed out on everything, so we had to figure everything out ourselves. We didn’t ask because we thought we would get in trouble for not listening. So, we decided to mix a bunch of random things that were spread across our desk. There were many types of materials around us, some that were flammable, some that were harmful, some that could explode, some that were infectious, and some that were a real hazard to our health. The symbols showed that they were dangerously poisonous and flammable, but we ignored that fact. We started to mix a bunch of things into our graduated cylinders.

Suddenly, our eyes started to go red and burn. We realized we forgot to put off our safety goggles. We were scared and our shrieks of scaredness had broken the silence and the teacher had stopped talking. He realized what we had done and so did we. We couldn’t see and all we could think of was or regrets of deciding to go ahead with the lab. Our teacher ended up guiding us to the eyewash station to get all the fumes from the mixture out of our eyes. We both stood there and washed our eyes until the burning stopped, and we ended up getting checked out by the first aid attendant. After the whole experience, we realized our mistake. but our punishment was two weeks worth of detention and from now on, we had to sit in front of the teacher so we wouldn’t fool off ever again.

WHMIS hazard symbols:

This symbol means that the material can cause fires. The product is self-heating, flammable. It indicates that the product can produce flammable gases when it comes in contact with other substances.

 

This symbol means that the toxins in this material can cause death after coming in contact with small amounts of the product. You can see this symbol on cleaning products.

Hazardous Household Product Symbols

This tells you to be aware of the product because its toxins can cause sickness. It’s extremely unhealthy to breathe in the fumes of the product. Be sure to wear masks/gloves when in contact.

This tells you to handle the product with care because it can cause an explosion. It’s dangerous to mix explosive products with other products.