Electric House – Solution Fluency

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Ellie

In my science class, I, along with my partner, built and wired a castle. We were challenged to find a possible problem within the castle. We used our knowledge of Solution Fluency to devise a solution for our problem: a surprise attack from enemies.

Define

With any castle, there is always the near threat of enemies. We wanted to make sure that all of the people living in our castle would be safe from attackers. We used the Microbit to automize the draw bridge over the moat so that it can change to different speeds depending on how imminent the threat is.

Dream

We wanted to really get out of our comfort zones with this project so we came up with many ideas. One of the ideas was a motion sensor that would lift the draw bridge up. Another idea was to press different buttons almost like a password, which would trigger the motor to lift the bridge up. Another idea was we could use the light sensor for the microbit to lift the bridge during the night.

Delivery

We definitely utilized the iterative process with this project because we would come up with an idea, test it, and then change it if necessary. In the end, we decided to make the motor which the drawbridge change speed. At first, the motor did not work because it wasn’t powerful enough so we had to use a different one.

Debrief

We had some difficulties during our process, whether that be lightbulbs not working or problems with the code, but we always made sure to stay resilient and keep working through the problems. The draw bridge is what really made our castle a proper castle. Even though we were unable to create a real moat with alligators, our imaginations sufficed.

Here is a video of the draw bridge:

https://sd43bcca-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/132-egibson_sd43_bc_ca/EfJ6-ky8GhxEk_3yfCmnApkB-xD93XEr2VDvNu3htIybpQ?nav=eyJyZWZlcnJhbEluZm8iOnsicmVmZXJyYWxBcHAiOiJPbmVEcml2ZUZvckJ1c2luZXNzIiwicmVmZXJyYWxBcHBQbGF0Zm9ybSI6IldlYiIsInJlZmVycmFsTW9kZSI6InZpZXciLCJyZWZlcnJhbFZpZXciOiJNeUZpbGVzTGlua0NvcHkifX0&e=84Sttu

Makey-Makey Poster Board Science 9H

Posted on May 17, 2024 by Ellie

We were tasked to create a poster board with information on a cell of our choosing. My partner and I chose to research the skin cell. We utilized our knowledge of cells as well as circuits to create a poster that would play voice recordings to tell people about skin cells.

Video of our poster:

ADL Information Fluency

Posted on April 30, 2024 by Ellie

We were tasked to create a Sway presentation to address a local energy issue. My group chose to research the Site C Dam.

Letter to the Honourable George Hayman:

Dear Honourable George Heyman,

We are writing to you because we have some concerns with the construction of the Site C Dam. While we understand that the dam’s purpose is a positive one, providing clean energy for BC, we cannot ignore the many negative effects of the dam on the surrounding environment and people. First and foremost, the toll that the dam’s construction is taking on the land and wildlife in the local vicinity of the dam is a great one. The dam is going to flood 5,550 hectares of viable farmland, in addition to threatening more than 100 endangered species. Along with these adverse effects on the environment, the Site C Dam is very costly. In fact, it is the costliest publicly funded infrastructure project in BC history.

As you can see, without even mentioning all the indigenous issues, the Site C Dam has many downsides. We realize that the dam is too far past the point where the construction can be stopped, so we write to you not to ask to halt the construction, but to inquire about what you are going to do to address these negative effects.

We appreciate you taking the time to read the letter voicing our concerns,

-Ellie Gibson and Kailyn Houghton

Reflection:

1) What questions did you need to research in order to create your sway?

To gain a full understanding of the Site C Dam and all of the concerns surrounding it, we had to ask: What is the Site C dam?; What is the dam’s purpose/goal?; Why is it controversial?; How much land will the dam flood?; What are the Indigenous issues with the dam?; What are the pros?; and What are the cons?

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

Some digital tools that I used were Google, Gale, Sway, and Citation Machine. We got our Creative Commons pictures directly through Sway or Google. I have used Google for research quite a bit, but Citation Machine and Gale are both more recent. I have never used Sway for a presentation before.

3) What was the process you used to investigate the topic and how did you verify and cite the information you found?

The process of my investigation was to come up with a question, think about it, and look at multiple credible sources to gain as much of an unbiased understanding as I could. I cited the information that I found by using Citation Machine.

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

I enjoyed this challenge because it allowed me to go into depth into a topic that I have been wondering about for a while. I also got to look into different perspectives and how there are biases depending on where information comes from. This challenge went well because it gave me the opportunity to use digital tools that I might not have thought to use otherwise. Something that I could have done better was to find a better way to organize my information. Sometimes it was hard to find what I was looking for. Next time, I could try using tables to organize my notes.

Personal Connection:

I have a personal connection to the Site C Dam. My grandparents used to live in Fort St. John and when my sister and I were younger, we visited the Peace River. This is a picture of me and my grandfather looking at the river and me at another dam on the same river.