First Peoples Principles of Learning

“Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).”

This quote refers to interrelatedness. The Spheres unit contains interrelated components. It explains how Earth’s systems are all linked and how they work simultaneously. Food webs show how multiple food chains can be linked. 

These examples of Earth’s cycles all work simultaneously to create and maintain life. They have abiotic and biotic components such as water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, wind, soil animals, plants, and detrivores.

The Hydrological Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Phosphorus Cycle

“Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s action.”

The spheres unit contains consequeintial components. The unit explains how what humans do can have negative results on the environment. Runoff, insecticide, technology, smoking and factories are all sources of pollution.

Pollution affects organisms with malformations, illnesses and death. This frog has a third back leg. Pollution can also create infertility in animals.

This food chain demonstrates how pollution bioaccumulates and biomagnifies with each trophic level. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification begins in bacteria and travels up the food chain to tertiary consumers.

Our water quality experiment demonstrates how polluted water affects organisms. When water’s polluted, it can affect the entire ecosystem. Primarily it affects the water plants and animals. Secondarily it affects the animals that eat the water plants and animals. It travels up the food chain, resulting in bioaccumulation and biomagnification.

 

 

Genetic Mutation Story

I’m the IL23R gene. I’m in charge of creating the interleukin 23 receptor protein. It’s located in multiple immune system cells’ cytomembranes, including T cells, natural killer cells, monocytes and dendritic cells. The cytomembranes analyze external entities and protect the body from contamination and affliction. At the cell’s exterior, the interleukin 23 receptor protein collaborates with the interleukin 23 protein. It’s a cytokine that manages the immune system cells’ action. When the two proteins join, the interleukin 23 protein stimulates a chemical indication array in the cell. The chemical indications boost inflammation and aid in managing the immune system’s reaction to external attackers including bacteria and viruses.

 

My host Neil is diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. The hereditary alteration is also known as Colitis. Crohn’s Disease is an constant disease that primarily affects Neil’s digestive system. His ileum and colon are affected, causing his intestines’ inflammation. Although his ileum and colon are primarily affected, Crohn’s Disease can affect any component of his digestive system. His inflamed tissue becomes dense and his intestines’ interior can form abscesses.

crohns_disease_vs_colitis_ulcerosa-svg

There’s an increased possibility of someone developing Crohn’s Disease if they’re Caucasian (like Neil) and in their late teenage years to twenties, however it’s possible to be diagnosed with the hereditary alteration at any moment in your life. Symptoms usually appear at multiple moments in a lifetime. The most frequent symptoms include constant diarrhea, gastric aching and cramping, reduced hunger and weight, clogged intestines and fever. Constant bleeding is a less frequent symptom caused by inflamed intestine tissue. It can cause a reduced number of anemia with time.

 

Alterations in me, the ATG16L1, IRGM, and NOD2 genes are linked with Crohn’s Disease.

Multiple alterations in me increase Crohn’s Disease’s possibility. For instance, Arg381Gln, a defending component for ankylosing spondylitis, also reduces Crohn’s Disease’s possibility. It’s unknown how this alteration protects the body from Crohn’s Disease, however there’s research that the receptor’s role in provoking the intestines’ exterior inflammation could form its link with the hereditary alteration.

The ATG16L1, IRGM and NOD2 genes give directions to create the autophagy related 16-like 1 protein. It’s a protein group component that is essential for the procedure also known as autophagy. It’s used by cells to convert depleted cell components and decompose particular proteins once they are not necessary. It also plays an important role in apoptosis. Autophagy is also a component in the human’s inflammatory reaction and aids the immune system in destroying a few damaging bacteria and virus forms.

The IRGM gene aids in the autophagy stimulation in particular cells contaminated with microbacteria, including the bacteria form that causes tuberculosis.

The NOD2 gene gives directions to create a protein that’s a substantial immune system performance component. It’s active in some immune system cell forms of including monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells, that help protect the body from external intruders including viruses and bacteria. It’s also active in multiple epithelial cell forms including Paneth cells, located in the intestines’ lining. They aid in protecting the intestines’ exterior from bacterial contamination. It has multiple crucial functions in protecting the human from external intruders. It’s concerned in analyzing particular bacteria and stimulating the immune system to react accurately. When stimulated by particular entities created by bacteria, the NOD2 protein stimulates nuclear factor-kappa-B. It manages multiple genes’ action, including genes that are in charge of immune and inflammatory reactions. An inflammatory reaction occurs when the immune system sends warning molecules and white blood cells to the damaged or afflicted area to attack microbial intruders and ease tissue restoration.

Minimum one alteration in the ATG16L1 gene is linked with Crohn’s Disease’s increased possibility, principally an illness form that affects the ileum. The analyzed ATG16L1 alteration alters amino acid in a crucial area of the autophagy related 16-like 1 protein. The alteration replaces the amino acid threonine with the amino acid alanine at protein position 300. The alterations’ impacts in the ATG16L1 gene on Crohn’s Disease’s possibility are unknown. It’s alterations can affect autophagy, letting depleted cell components and damaging bacteria to continue when they would usually be destroyed. The cell components and bacteria can stimulate an improper immune system reaction, causing chronic inflammation in the intestines’ exterior.

Multiple alterations in the IRGM gene are linked with Crohn’s Disease’s increased possibility. They alter nucleotides in DNA areas that can manage when and how the IRGM protein is created. Alterations concerning the protein can disrupt autophagy, keeping the immune system from destroying damaging bacteria efficiently. An unusual immune reaction to bacteria in the intestines’ exterior can create constant inflammation.

Around forty alterations in the NOD2 gene are linked with Crohn’s Disease’s increased possibility. They’re principally linked with a disease form that affects the ileum. The most frequent alteration, known as 3020insC or 1007fs, causes the NOD2 protein to be somewhat smaller than usual. Other frequent alterations alter individual amino acids in the protein. It’s unknown how they increase Crohn’s Disease’s possibility. Alterations in the NOD2 gene keep the protein from analyzing bacteria, letting the microbes grow unrestrained and attack the cells along the intestines. An uncommon immune reaction to the bacteria can boost chronic inflammation and digestive issues.

There are hereditary alterations in chromosome 5 and 10 areas that could be linked to Crohn’s Disease’s possibility. The IBD₅ locus, a chromosome 5 area, has multiple hereditary alterations that can increase Crohn’s Disease’s possibility. Other chromosome 5 and 10 areas linked with its possibility are known as “gene deserts” as they have no identified genes.   

Chromosome 5 (male)

unknown

 

Chromosome 10 (male)

human_male_karyotpe_high_resolution_-_chromosome_10

 

 

Crohn’s Disease’s heredity is unknown as multiple hereditary and environmental components are included. The hereditary alteration can be located multiple times in families and having a contaminated family member increases its possibility. Another aspect that increases its possibility is smoking cigarettes.

Sources

Meiosis Analogy

Meiosis Analogy Video- Jenna, Breanna, Shelby

 

Establish) What non-negotiables do you have for your group?

Breanna) Act out the analogy.

Jenna) Explain how the stages are related to meiosis.

Shelby) Film the video.

 

Envision) How do you plan to complete this project as an effective group?

In the past, I didn’t work very well with this group due to the fact that I felt as if I couldn’t speak up and share my ideas. This time, we plan to each have an equal percentage of work in the project. 

 

Execute) What will you create as a group?

For our meiosis analogy, we plan to create a video with the analogy of two roommates splitting. 

 

Examine) How did the collaboration go?

For this project, my group and I worked well together and all had an equal percentage of work unlike the last project with this group. With little time we managed to complete the video although we couldn’t complete it all during class. I had some trouble sending our video to Breanna (who posted it on her Edublog) due to poor wifi. In the future, I think we should begin our project a bit earlier to create more time to work on it.

How Things Work

Assignment) Create a 3D model of the topic you’ve chosen. It may be made out of popsicle sticks, papier mâché, lego, software such as SketchUp, etc. Label the parts & provide a written explanation of the following questions.

#1) Form & Function) What are its main parts & what do the parts do? How does it use/generate electricity? How do electrons move through it?

The 3 main components of the electric eel that take up 4/5 of its body are the organs: the Sachs, Main & Hunter’s organs.

The Sachs organ is used to locate prey, maneuver & communicate with electrolocation, as the eel has weak vision. The electric eel creates an electric charge of under 10V that is rebounded back by passing objects & identified by electro-receptors on its skin.

The Main & Hunter’s organs are used to create an electric shock to stun prey. Once its prey is located using the Sachs organ, the electric eel’s brain delivers a signal through the nervous system to the electric cells. This opens the ion passage, allowing positively charged sodium to flow, which reverses the charge temporarily. The immediate change in voltage creates current. Like a battery, the electric eel contains electroplaques in series that create electric charge. 6, 000 electroplaques can create a 600V & 1A shock. Once its prey is temporarily stunned, the electric eel opens its mouth to create suction & sucks its prey into its mouth.

#2) Social Implications) How might people be affected? Consider less developed countries & locations with different climates/geography.

The electric eel doesn’t harm humans as much as its prey: mainly fish but also amphibians, birds & small mammals. It’s rare for a human to die from the shock of an electric eel, although it has been known to knock a horse off its feet. Although humans don’t usually die from the shock of an electric eel, multiple can cause respiratory/heart failure. Sometimes people drown in shallow water after being shocked.

Humans are discovering ways to harness the electric eel’s electricity. For countries such as Brazil, the electric eel’s environment, people could use this new source of electricity to their advantage. This electricity is renewable & environmentally friendly, as it comes from the environment.

#3) Ethical Implications) What is morally right/wrong?

Harnessing the electric eel’s electricity would require keeping the eel in captivity such as an aquarium. It’s not right to take animals from their natural habitat & keep them in captivity claiming to “save them.” There are also other forms of renewable & environmentally friendly electricity such as hydroelectricity, wind electricity & solar electricity. We can use these forms of electricity instead of keeping the electric eel, a living creature, in captivity.

#4) Environmental Implications

Keeping the electric eel in captivity to harness its electricity could affect the environment severely. If this form of electricity becomes popular, many people will keep electric eels in captivity to use for electricity. The more electric eels in captivity, the less in their natural habitat. The electric eel could become endangered, even extinct as aquariums aren’t the right place for wildlife. If there is no electric eel in the food chain of their ecosystem, their predators will decrease & their prey will increase, leaving an unbalanced ecosystem.

App Review

Define/Discover) I need a straightforward, easy to use app to help me learn, study or practice Chemistry.

Dream

The dream app for Chemistry would educate users about all fields learned in 9th Grade Chemistry: the Periodic Table of Elements, the Atomic Theory, Bohr models, ionic & convalent bonds/compounds, etc. It would also quiz you on those sections of Chemistry so you could study for quizzes, tests, exams, etc. It would have to be pretty straightforward and understandable for users.

Deliver

I found multiple Chemistry apps but none of them educated users about all fields of Chemistry. The closest thing I could get to my dream app was putting 2 apps together: ChemCrafter & Khan Academy.

ChemCrafter (iOS)

untitled

ChemCrafter by Chemical Heritage Foundation is a game created to educate users about chemical/physical reactions. You build your own lab & experiments to learn what happens when different elements are mixed. This app can give you a better idea of an experiment if you wanted to try it out in the future.

untitled2

Magnesium + Water = Mg(OH)2 +H2 = Magnesium Hydroxide

Overall, the app is pretty straightforward. It takes you through a walkthrough/tour of the game & tells you what you’re supposed to do for an experiment & how you’re supposed to do it. Afterward you should have a solid understanding of the app and how it functions. You are free to experiment.

untitled3

Pros

  • Demonstrates what physical/chemical reactions occur when mixing multiple elements.
  • Useful for visual learners (mostly visual content).
  • Free (no in-app purchases).
  • Can be used offline.

Cons

  • Not every experiment is available right away (With every experiment you complete, you gain points. These points are used to unlock new experiments, elements & tools.).
  • You have to wait a certain amount of time to receive elements & tools to experiment with (if you want to receive the elements & tools immediately, you have to use points).
  • Not as useful for users who learn best by reading/hearing (mostly visual content).

 

With ChemCrafter, I learned what different chemical/physical reactions occur when mixing multiple elements. With a new Science 9 curriculum including more hands-on experiments, I think this app is a great learning, studying & practicing tool. If I hadn’t already finished the Chemistry unit, I would’ve used this app to help me with my studies. It would be useful for trying experiments if I couldn’t do them at home/in class.

Khan Academy (iOS)

Khan Academy is an app that educates users in all fields of education. You can find information on almost any subject. For studying/practicing, the app includes over 40, 000 different interactive questions with instant feedback. In the Science section, you can find information on all 4 units of the Science 9 curriculum.

This app is not as straightforward as ChemCrafter. There isn’t a walkthrough/tour of the app, as unlike ChemCrafter, it isn’t a game. Although it doesn’t include a walkthrough/tour, this app doesn’t need one. You just choose a subject to learn/study/practice and you’re off.

Pros

  • Educates users in all fields of education (all information on Chemistry).
  • Free (no in-app purchases)
  • Useful for all learners (includes video, audio & written content).
  • Can be used offline.

Cons

  • No experiments.

With Khan academy, I learned all about Chemistry just like we did in class. As Riverside Secondary is becoming more & more digital, this app could soon be used as a digital textbook. It’s a great learning, studying & practicing tool. Although I’ve already finihed the Chemistry unit, I can use this app to learn & study Electricity.

Debrief

Together, these 2 apps are almost exactly what I was thinking of to be the perfect Chemistry app. ChemCrafter lets you experiment and observe while Khan Academy lets you learn, study & practice. In the future, I wish for an app that has the functions of these 2 apps all in 1.

I think that I used the method of Solution Fluency pretty well. I defined/discovered the problem, dreamed up the perfect app to solve this problem, delivered the app that I found & thoroughly explained it. I then debriefed the app & how I used Solution Fluency.