Black History For More Than a Month

Hello and welcome to my first Action Project for my humanities course, A Nations Argument. In this unit, we took a look at America's declaration of independence and the syllogisms within it. We also explored other countries' declarations. As for Field Experiences, we went to Alderman Walter Burnett Jr's office and talked with him about his life as an Alderman and his special connection with the community. In this Action Project, we are diving into declaring independence from our typical course structure and looking at independent studies. I hope you enjoy my argument on why we need more black history and literature in our curriculum.

Recently I have noticed that in my school career I have read only four pieces of literature by black or brown writers. Three of those pieces were with my first and (so far) only black teacher. I am declaring independence from only learning about black history in the form of enslavement and Dr. King (only on his birthday).  I declare independence from being the scapegoat in situations where my white teachers feel uncomfortable. I declare independence from only knowing one side of my history.

The purpose of school and learning is to forward students in life. I strongly believe that a school is a place that is meant to allow you to explore and learn. The purpose of learning black history is so that we as black people are able to know that we are more than just the descendants of slaves. That we are able to come together as a community and fight for equality. My unalienable rights are to feel acknowledged in my learning environment and to be able to learn my full history. This is an expression of my rights because this class will be all about black history before and passed slavery.


Syllogism
-P1 Black students are forced to attend institutions created by people who do not understand their experiences
-P2 We as black students have the right to be able to read literature by black folks that seek to educate and also entertain. 

-P3 The American education system has forgotten about people of color’s history aside from the part where white oppressors and saviors are the headlines
-P4 White students are allowed to learn about their history by default without having to seek extracurricular studies. 

Therefore, it is only fair that students of color are allowed the privilege of learning their history inside of their school's curriculum.

Keith Tyler "Power Fist" 2015

                                                     

Course Title: Diving Deeper into Black History, Literature, and Culture 

Guiding Question: What black history has been erased by the whitewashed education system?

Historical Evidence: In 1964, Black Americans founded freedom schools meant to organize and educate Black people to achieve equality. This was a temporary solution to a permanent problem that still looms over the Black community. I strongly believe that the ideals and teachings from the freedom schools should be blended into our education system today.

Resources:
  Books: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Kindred by Octavia Butler
 
Plays: Simply Heavenly by Langston Hughes
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf -Ntozake Shange

Partnerships: ETA Creative Arts Theater


Course Details

Unit 1: Before and After

• Digs deeper into where enslaved people come from and Africa before colonization
• Dives into life after emancipation and some attempts of liberation

Unit 2: Black Literature

• Students will read and critically discuss books by black writers 
• This unit has a main focus on fiction written by black writers

Unit 3: Black entertainment and Culture

• This unit has a main focus on pop culture, fashion trends, plays and television 
• Students will critique plays and television 

Desired outcomes  

• Students will gain a greater understanding of black history and culture 
• This class will allow students to be inspired by writers who are like them

All in all, I am very excited about this independent study. I hope that I will be able to actually study this, even if it ruffles some feathers. I decided to focus on black writers from the 20th and 21st centuries because I feel that this course will focus more on current black culture. I feel that writers from those centuries touch on the current culture more effectively than the 18th or 19th centuries. 

Why You Shouldn't Correct AAVE

Hello and welcome to my second Action Project for my Junior humanities course, Rhetoric.

For this AP we looked at Op-Eds and their power. We had an FE with Troy LaRaviere, the president of the Chicago Principal's Union. This FE was very touching for me as my Grandmother is a retired CPS teacher from the south side, where Troy LaRaviere also taught. I was inspired by his speech to write about African American Vernacular English. This is a dialect that some people use as an excuse to ignore black people. I thought that it was very important to bring attention to this age of "digital blackface" and explain the beauty and uniqueness of dialects. 

                Why You Shouldn’t correct AAVE

                                

                                                            Via @ashoncrawley on twitter



Tik Tok culture has brought us modern-day minstrel shows- sans the blackface. The white folks of social media have taken trending black culture and turned it into the butt of a joke. From Instagram to Vine the most popular jokes have been “black people be like”. But, why? Why is the “easy” joke always racist? And it's not just Gen Z tik tokers who fall into this style of joke either. It's their parents too. C'mon, you can admit you've laughed at a white comedian imitating the black lady they saw in CVS or the black preacher they saw on tv. Maybe you complimented a black girl on how well-spoken she was just because she decided it was safer for her to use standard English in that situation.

So what's the problem with white folks using AAVE? There is always an assumption when you first meet someone. The unfortunate truth is that most people's assumption is based on learned racism. When those Instagram kids turn off their phones they can face the world without their stereotypes walking into a room before them. Still not convinced that it's a big deal? Let's dive deeper into it.


AAVE, or African American Vernacular English, is a dialect most commonly used in predominantly black spaces. It has been labeled by many as “incorrect”, however, learning how to dissect the dialect and “code-switch” is a vital skill. Code-switching is a necessary means of survival for all black Americans. Talking “white” is the only way we are even seen on a day to day basis. AAVE is not “uneducated,” AAVE is not “wrong,” and most importantly AAVE is not “ghetto.”

Arriel Vinson states that her classmates didn’t take her main character seriously because he spoke AAVE, though the character was extremely well educated and only used AAVE when speaking to friends or thinking to himself. AAVE is unfairly ridiculed by so many non-black poc, white folks, and even black Americans. In my own experience, in spaces like school and others, I work very hard to speak in a way that is comfortable for my listeners. I have felt the red-hot embarrassment of a slip-up, my use of “ain’t” or “finna” being taken as a joke or mocked and corrected, leaving me feeling that I have to reestablish myself as an “educated” person. There is nothing worse than walking into space, thinking that you made a good impression, and then hearing "oh, you speak so well". Yes, while this sounds like a compliment, I will ask you, when is the last time someone has to you this? My skin color walks into the room before I do, then my use of standard English. I often wonder if people who look like me ever see past my race or if I'm just the eloquent black girl.

Geoffrey K. Pullum affirms, “Those that speak AAVE don’t fail in speaking standard English they succeed in speaking African American English”.

Let's say you still are convinced that a person who speaks AAVE should be corrected. You may say "well, there is a time and place for everything."
To you I say, your privilege colors you vision, it tells you that everyone should be able to switch back and forth from standard English.
To you I say, if you work to understand AAVE you will hear that the person you looked over or ignored for being “ignorant” has a remarkable opinion covered in the deep-seated, rich, and beautiful culture of AAVE.





Addendum

In this Op-Ed, I used pathos as my rhetorical appeal. I used pathos because I felt that in order to get through to people about a culture that is different than their own it is best to use a common ground.

I used Anaphora “AAVE is not uneducated, AAVE is not wrong, and most importantly AAVE is not Ghetto.” Metaphor “I have felt the red-hot embarrassment of a slip up” and Allusion “C'mon, you can admit you've laughed at a white comedian imitating the black lady they saw in CVS or the black preacher they saw on tv.” I would like to submit this article to a prestigious newspaper like The New York Times. I know that the NYT has an audience that my Op-Ed imagines. My goal with this Op-Ed is to shake people into seeing people that they ignore, whether it be because of skin color, language, or vernacular. There are other dialects that get ignored as well like, Chicano English or Creole English. I want to express that these dialects are all so beautiful and they make our cultures so beautiful and untouchable.

The Color Banned

Hello and welcome to my final Action Project for the class Forbidden Books. In this class, we discussed book bannings. People have banned books throughout history because some books perpetuate ideas that make them uncomfortable. The book I chose to fight for was The Color Purple by Alice Walker a book that has been banned many times in its time. Please Enjoy.

TN

Forbidden Books

Sharon Holmes

March 22, 2019

The Color Banned

     “Nobody knows the trouble I've seen

 nobody knows my sorrow,

glory, hallelujah,

 Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen, nobody

                                                             knows but Jesus” (Louis Armstrong)

This excerpt from the spiritual “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” perfectly describes the life of Celie who was raped by her father at the age of 13, then later on in life, verbally and physically abused by her husband. Celie begins writing letters to God to deal with the trauma in her life, a literary device that is used throughout the entire book. After living with her husband and his children, a woman called Shug Avery moves in with them. Celie discloses in her letters that she is falling in love with Shug. The Color Purple starts out controversial. On the first page, Celie explicitly describes how her father raped her. Throughout the book, Celie talks about how she never saw men in a romantic way, only women, which was somewhat controversial when this book was published in 1982. The book is a staple in black culture and should be read by every young woman growing up black. Though the book is explicit at times, it is not without reason. If the book danced around the “bad parts” it would not be the iconic treasure that it is today. Even with all of The Color Purple’s controversies, it should not nor have ever been banned

The Color Purple is controversial. It was so controversial, in fact, that it was banned by schools all over the country. One school district in North Carolina (Burke County) tries systematically to ban the book in its schools. The book is controversial for schools because of its explicit depictions of sex, rape, and other violence. In 2008, Burke County schools wanted the book banned because of homosexuality, rape, and incest. In the book, Celie discloses her feelings for women (The Banned Library.)“First time I got first the full sight of Shug Avery long black body with it black plum nipples, look like her mouth, I thought I had turned into a man” (Walker 49). This quote was a problem because it describes a woman’s body and Celie’s sexual thoughts about it. There was also a relatively explicit sex scene that may have turned religious groups off to the book. On the political side of things, a school in Oregon banned the book because of its “negative depiction of black men” (Doyle). 

When talking about banning The Color Purple, the quote that brings the most controversy is on the first page. “First he put his thing against my hip and sort of wriggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he put his thing inside my p---y”(Walker 1). This quote depicts the rape that Celie went through. It is jarring to read that on the first page. People who want this book banned bring up both the incest and the violence in this quote. They feel that this is inappropriate to be read by high school aged students. The next is “You’re a trifling n----r, she say” (Walker 21). This quote is brought up because of its use of a slur. Although the word isn’t used throughout the book, white teachers and some students feel uncomfortable reading it aloud. These reasons are all due to political and religious reasons.

The Color Purple should not be banned and here’s why. One, it’s a novel that acts as a teacher of the facts of life for teens who read the book. The Color Purple is a book that doesn’t dance around issues and plainly lays the problems out. It also doesn’t give a sense of false hope by having a canned happy ending. Everyone should be able to read this book, regardless of race because of how it tells the story of a woman navigating both sides of prejudice, being a woman and being black. While it makes sense that schools weren’t comfortable with the sexual and violent themes in the book. However, some districts have only banned the book because of homosexuality. This is prejudice and offensive because there is nothing wrong with homosexuality. To be equal they would also have to ban books like Twilight, The Fault In Our Stars, and many others. Also, the Oregon banning doesn’t have any basis. The book never says that all black men are abusive, and the book was written by a black woman. When asked about how she felt about her book being banned Alice Walker said this, “I think it is anyone’s right to do what they feel they have to do. They have a job. I have a job. I will write what I think is right for me to write. They will oppose it. In a way that makes us equal” (Labrise).

In the end, The Color Purple is a very important book that attacks problems head on instead of avoiding them. People have been banning books that make them uncomfortable for a very long time. They are unsettled by new and world-changing ideas that do not match their own this is what The Color Purple does. While people have tried to ban and censor the important topics in this book, the problems aren’t going away. The Color Purple is revolutionary because it talks about sexual abuse and homosexuality in a way that was radical at the time. 

Works Cited                                            

Doyle, Robert P. Banned Books: Challenging Our Freedom to Read. 2014 Labrise, Megan.  “Alice Walker: Writing What’s Right”. Guernica, 5 Oct 12.   The Banned Library. Banned. 10 Jul 16. Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Boston; Mariner Books, 1985

Marie | An Exploration and Profile of Breast Cancer

Hello and welcome to my first AP for my STEAM course, Disease. In Disease, we have talked about blood, cancer, and body systems. In a few assignments, we went over cancer and how it affects the body, why it happens and some of the options that people seek to treat it. This AP was very challenging for me. I wanted to create an informative patient profile while also not making it sound cold or impersonal. In this AP, we will be learning about the breast cancer survivor Marie and her experience. We will be going over her surgeries, aftercare, risks, and symptoms.

Marie is a 42-year-old white woman who lives with her husband and foster children in Cleveland. Marie never had any children of her own. When giving herself a breast exam, our patient noticed a lump in her breast and new dimpling. According to Marie, “At first, that didn’t worry me because my mother had a lump in her breast that was benign.” (benign means that it is not cancerous) Four months later, however, Marie noticed a discharge from her nipple. “This is what worried me; that was what wasn’t normal.” Following this, she went to her primary care physician to get a mammogram. A mammogram uses x-rays to examine the breast for lumps. Marie was not very active and had a history of breast cancer in her family; these factors heightened her risk for breast cancer.

After many tests, Marie was referred to get a single mastectomy which is a surgery in which the breast tissue is removed. The skin remained intact, but they were not able to save Marie’s nipple. Before the surgery, Marie prepared by buying a special pillow and special sweatshirts with pockets that hold the drains (tubes connected to pouches that are placed in during surgery to prevent the buildup of fluid.) “I searched frantically for someone to tell me how this was going to go. The doctors gave me medical advice but weren't able to give me first-hand insight.”

Marie’s surgery was life-saving as well as life-changing.“I think, as a woman, so much pressure is put on you to look feminine. I felt almost guilty that I was giving away one of the most feminine aspects of my body.” Marie says that she went through a slight depression over the loss of her breast.

Breast cancer is a disease that affects mostly women ages 40 and up. 12 percent of women (all ages) get breast cancer and 1 percent of men get breast cancer. This disease can affect the breast tissue, lungs, liver, and lymph nodes by spreading into the bloodstream and attacking the cells. Cancer occurs when cells in the body don’t shut off their reproduction function. In the instance of breast cancer, this affects cells in the breast. Symptoms of breast cancer are redness and tenderness of the breast, discharge from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, and dimpling of the breast.

There are 3 main treatments of all cancers; radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. The surgeries we discussed earlier are broken down from breast-conserving to complete removal. Complete removal is necessary when the whole breast is affected with cancer and there aren’t just one or two lumps to remove. There are breast-conserving surgeries called lumpectomy (where only the cancerous lump is removed) and partial mastectomy (where part of the breast is removed).

Some risk factors of breast cancer are being overweight, starting your period before the age of 12 or starting menopause after the age of 55 these factors both producing high amounts of estrogen, smoking, alcohol consumption, and not having children before 40. Marie was put at risk because of her family's history with cancer and also some of her lifestyle choices.

Breast cancer has a major impact on the body of the person who affects the disease. Below you will see a diagram of the affected lymph nodes, liver, lungs and breast tissue.

     TN Breast Cancer Diagram 2019

Citations

“Breast Cancer Surgery.” American Cancer Society, Feb 13

“CDC - What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

“Breast Cancer Foundation.” Susan G. Komen®,

A Tale As Old As Time- A Critical Analyzation of Beauty And The Beast

Hello and welcome to my first AP in my Elective Humanities course, Ollywood.
Ollywood is a film class that teaches us to critically analyze movies as well as looking at the pre-production, production, and post-production elements of a film. In this unit, we looked at the screenplay of Jaws and acted as storyboarders creating a storyboard before even seeing the film. After this, we went real-world location scouting going to Wacker drive and getting pictures to storyboard an Indy teen film. In this action project, you will be reading my critique of Disney's Beauty and the Beast 2017.

Captured from the Film "favorite scene" 2017

Beauty and the Beast is a Disney favorite where we follow a fable with a moral when stripped down to its bones. The movie is set in France around 1740 and the majority of the movie takes place in the Beast's fantastic castle. This movie teaches to look at a person from the inside out as we see the main character, Belle, do many times. The movie is sweet and when looking at it from a perspective you can even see some political or societal messages, such as the townspeople blindly following Gaston. The movie is extremely immersive with its use of 16th-century clothing and architecture. Overall the movie has some serious moments but has a feminist message and sweet, lovely overtones.

Belle (portrayed by Emma Watson) finds her way into the Beast's world when her father's horse leads her to the castle where she takes her father’s place in the dungeon. The other occupants of the house are other people who were turned into pieces of furniture and other household accessories when the witch hexed the beast.
They are very kind and take a liking to Belle because she could have the power to lift the curse and turn them all human again. So, they let her out of the dungeon and give her a suite as well as invite her to a dinner. Even though the household items treat her so well, Belle is too frightened by the beast and tries to run away.

When the Beast runs after her he sees her being attacked by wolves, which he fights off for her. Of course, he is injured but Belle tends to his wounds and they end up bonding over their mutual love for books and Shakespeare. The two slowly fall in love. Meanwhile, her father has tried to get the townspeople to help him find Belle but they laugh and turn him away due to his old age and poverty they called him “ Crazy old Maurice.”
But a man named Gaston (Portrayed by Luke Evans) decides to go with him because he thought that if he saved her she would fall for him even though she has said multiple times that she is disgusted by him and his narcissism. They tie Maurice up to a tree when they think that he has led them on a wild goose chase and tell the townspeople that he is insane and a liar.

This movie is inspired by a French-fairytale written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in the 1700s. Which brings me to the believability of the set dressings and the costumes. The beginning of the movie is set in Belle’s small town. It is full of well, townhouses that appear very old and natural for the time. There are horses being used as transportation for the people of wealth who are highlighted by gold buttons and embellishments on their coats. Most notably Gaston who has a high bumped ponytail as well as a clean-cut classic looking red coat with those embellishments. The poor people of the town had dirty clothes that hung from their bodies and messy uncared for hair. In my opinion, both the stage dressing and costumes were incredibly believable and allowed me to be immersed in the film even more.

Our protagonist is Belle, is a very loving and kind-hearted character, as well as one of the only literate people in her village. Because of this, she has become a very strong woman who isn’t easily persuaded by anyone. Belle will do the best for herself and her loved ones. A quote from the film that perfectly describes Belle is “There must be more to this provincial life” I chose this quote because, this shows that Belle wanted more, and she always fought and looked for more in her life.

Our antagonist is Gaston, is a narcissistic and one track minded character. After feeling tired of the ladies that threw themselves at him he became attracted to Belle. Gaston is looked highly upon by most of the villagers because of his looks and “heroism.” He is extremely manipulative of the townspeople. A quote from the movie that perfectly depicts Gaston is “You are the most beautiful thing alive, nobody deserves you” He was speaking to himself. Gaston is favored in this town and held so highly because he is the closest thing that the town has to a prince. The townspeople feel a need for some powerful figure to look to since the majority of the town is so poor. The women of the town want to be able to marry rich so that they can (temporarily) escape their problems.

To conclude, one of my favorite scenes and that is the ending scene where everything is resolved. In this scene the dialogue is simplistic and almost a monologue since Belle is just talking to an unconscious Beast. Belle cries and pleads that the beast doesn’t leave her and that she loves him. Once she says those words the screen is overcome with bright yellow streaks of light while we see the transformation of the beast into a handsome man. Emma Watson does a fantastic job of keeping love in her eyes the whole time showing that no matter what he looked like, Belle would always love the beast.

Teatro en Espanol

Bienvenidos a mi Action project para Espanol 3. En esto AP yo voy estar hablando de teatro y su lugar especial en mi corazon. ¡Ven comigo!

Raymond Sutedjo "The Chicago Theater" 2012

A mi, teatro es una pasion y mi corazon. Teatro Espana fue establacido por Fredrico Garcia Lorca quien creado obras como Bodas de Sangre y Yerma. Bodas de sangre fue un obre de teatro que includia un el triangulo amoroso.  Son algunos personajes en Bodas de Sangre eres el novio (Antonio Gades) la novia (Cristina Hoyos). En Chicago, teatro tiene un comunidad diversidad. Hay tres teatros prolifico en Chicago; Steppenwolf, El Goodman, y Second City. Me gustaria actuar en una de estas etapas.

Lafayette Photo "Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet"1899

Un poco de mis obras favoritas de teatro es Heathers, Hamilton, Jesus Christ de Superstar (que es una Opera) y 21 Chump Street. Lo que me interesa de teatro es la diversidad hay contempareno obras y shakespearean obras. Tiene que ser un escritor talentoso ser un dramaturgo. Ser un actuar usted tiene que ser capaz de separar tu propio emociones de sus personajes.

Henri Pierre "Romeo and Juliet" 1895

Shakespeare se conoce hoy a dia como a un dramaturgo prolifco en Reindo Unido. Son algunos obra de teatro eres Macbeth, Romeo y Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, y el Tempest. Shakespeare es importante a mi por que el escribir algunos de mi obras favorita. Me pudiera haber conocido.

"Canadian Theater" 2009 

In the year 2518...( Lemur Edition)

Due to global warming, rainfall in the eastern hemisphere has increased. Most rainforests have completely flooded which has killed most bush bearing fruit. Bad news for the ring-tailed lemur; the only lemur who stays on the ground. Over time the rainforest floor will be completely barren and will not have anything for these lemurs to eat. They will have to learn to climb and fight against other tree-dwelling lemurs (and other) species.

Let's Meet the Lemurs 



Now that you have met them, it's time to say good-bye. Only four lemurs have survived and here's why:

• George has survived because of his ability to climb trees and cut leaves from those trees with his knife-like nails 
• Duke has developed a high pitch scream which scares off the competition
• Nola long fingers, like George which 
• Kindi has light yellow eyes which don't reflect light during the night. This allows her to sneak around during the night. 

Delillah the Dog

Hello and welcome to My second Action project for Stories. We learned about why different cultures tell fables and how a story could be passed down for so many decades. Fables are used to share values that people in each culture. Some values that I tried to put in my story were honesty, and learning about other before getting to close. In my story you will read about a trusting young pup who gets in a little trouble when looking for friends, I hope you enjoy.

TN "delilah the dog" 2018

Once upon a time, there was a dog named Delilah. Delilah was a puppy who was very kind and was very trusting of other animals. One day Delilah’s mother asked her to go on a run for errands.

“Delilah, would you please get some eggs, apples, and a ham from the store?”
“Yes, Mama” Delilah replied. “And don’t forget to wear your coat and your hat they will protect you from the cold”, her mother yelled after her.

Delilah put on her outside clothes and she was off. As she walked, she heard a voice

“Hey there, Delilah” the voice was soft and the words were slow and enunciated. “Hey Delilah, where are you going?” She finally recognized the voice. “Oh, hi Sylvester,” she said excitedly. Sylvester the snake and Delilah were friends. They went to the same school but he was older than her.
“I’m just going to the store to pick up some groceries for my mom,” Delilah said. “Oh well if you’re going to the grocery store you’re most definitely taking the long way”
“Really? I always take this way”

“Yeah yeah, this way take so long I’ll show you the short way! But, I’m so very cold, and your hat looks very warm. I can only go if you let me borrow it.”
Delilah looked at him reluctantly. Her mother told her to wear the hat for protection, but she did really want to get home soon. “ Okay, Sylvester here you go.”

 She took off of her hat and immediately shook from the cold.

“Right this way Delilah,” Sylvester said, and he slithered along. “Say, Delilah” Sylvester asked, “could I borrow your coat? We are very close to the store but I can’t go any farther unless I can borrow it.” Delilah was already cold without her hat, but she really just wanted to get home. “Sure Sylvester, since we are close to the store.”

They finally arrived at the store “okay can I have my things ba-” . When Delilah looked for Sylvester he had vanished! Delilah began to cry, when she heard another voice, “Hi Delilah!” She was relieved to hear the quick and familiar voice of Freddy the Fox. “Delilah, why are you crying?” Freddy asked
“Sylvester took all of my warm clothes and when I came out of the store he was gone!” Freddy put a hand on Delilah’s shoulder “Well you know I have some warm clothes, but Delilah I’m so very hungry! My parents sent me out to get some food, and I lost all the money on the way. They would be angry if I went back with nothing” Delilah was nervous about giving Freddy all her food, but she was so cold she thought she would freeze. “Okay, Freddy as long as you bring back some warm clothes” Delilah’s hand shook as she gave Freddy the bag. Freddy ran away.

Delilah waited and waited for Freddy to get back until it got dark. She realized that she had no idea how to get home because of the “shortcut” Sylvester took Delilah began to cry.
A car pulled up and her mother got out “Oh Delilah! I was worried sick, what happened?”
Delilah told her mom about her unlucky day. “Well Delilah this is a lesson, Make sure you know others intentions before you trust them fully”

Clocks|skcolC

TN "Mirrored Clock" 2018

Hello and welcome to my Geometry workshop's first AP. In this class, we discussed mathematic proofs, symmetry, and process of elimination. For this AP, we are going in depth on reflections. As an example our teacher Will took the game pong and traced out where the ball was going. You can find his AP here.



I decided to look for reflections and angles in clocks. Why? Well, angles are the sole focus of wall clocks and if you are looking at a clock in a mirror you will see a completely different time and end up late to your meeting!

In the picture below you will see the angle of the clock measured and reflected with a website called GeoGebra and I will be using slope in order to measure the reflections.

TN "Angles" 2018

My math
Line CF (5,12) (9,11) 11-12/9-5 -1/4 -0.25
Line EF (9,11) (6,6) 11-6/9-6 5/3 1.6
Point slope Form
Line CF Y-12= -0.25(x-5)
Line EG Y-6=1.6(x-6)

In conclusion, mathematically proving that there were reflections in the clock was challenging. As was figuring out the correct math equations to use. This AP was very intriguing and fun to do.

Ring my Tail: The taxonomy and life of the ring-tailed Lemur

Tambako the Jaguar, "Two Lemurs..." 2011

Hello and welcome to the first STEAM action project of my sophomore year! In this unit, we learned about taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, and how Carl Linnaeus changed and developed modern taxonomy. We also learned about Set Theory which is basically categorizing with mathematical language. To prepare for this AP, we went to Lincoln Park Zoo to observe and record an animal of our choosing. I chose the ring-tailed lemur. In this AP, you will learn the taxonomy of the lemur and why it's in each category.

The Ring-tailed lemur, also known as Lemur cattus, can be found in the Comoro Islands of Madagascar. The type of habitat ring-tailed lemurs usually live in is a rainforest type environment with plenty of trees. They often live in female-dominated groups of usually around 17 members. The Lemurs lifespan is usually 16- 19 years in the wild. Interestingly, they are the only lemurs that spend most of their time on the ground instead of trees.

Scientists use something called the taxonomic system to categorize different animals. The taxonomy levels are that we talked about in class are.
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species

Here is the Ring-tailed lemur taxonomy

TN "Taxonomy table" 2018

This is a diagram that I made that points out some of the taxonomy levels and how they are categorized.

   

Here is the reference picture:

TN JCA LIH "Venn Diagram" 2018

This venn diagram compares my ring-tailed lemur with my partners' (JCA and LIH) black bear and red panda. It was very difficult to find similarities between the black bear and lemur because it seems like they were total opposites! However, we ended up finding common ground with night vision.

Below I've described the ring-tailed lemur using set theory statements;

Ring-tailed lemur ∈ Primates

Ring-tailed lemur is the set of Primates

Ring-tailed lemur ∉ Carnivores

Ring-tailed lemur is not the set of Carnivores

Monkeys ⊆ Primates

The set of Monkeys is a subset of Primates

Ring-tailed lemur ~Nocturnal

Ring-tailed lemur is an element of Nocturnal'

Ring-tailed lemur ∈ Vegetarian

Ring-tailed lemur is an element of Vegetarian

All in all, I really enjoyed this project it challenged me to draw which I almost never do! I really understood set theory and was able to do this AP pretty easily. I think this AP was a great way to start the new school year!

Citations 

Ring tailed lemur. PA Smith Animal fact guide 

A Cheesy Story

This is the last AP for Fuel. In this unit, Future, we discussed chemical equations, pollution, reviewed graphing inequalities. We had an AP guest, Christa Markgraff from Nicor gas, we reviewed everything we learned this term and competed to win candies and bragging rights. This AP is to wake readers up and have them realize how much CO2 we are actually emitting and how we are throwing off the
carbon cycle.
 

As we are getting closer to the end of the year I think it is important to have projects where we are promoting a cause and introducing readers to a call to action. This AP was challenging yet, fun to complete especially because it's in a different format than I am used to.

Future equals Diversity

For our first humanities course, we learned about the 17 SDGs and how they are centered on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. I am very passionate about Equality and believe that it is a human right. We talked about physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. An F.E that stood out to me the most was one that we didn't actually go anywhere at all. We talked to Scout from the Women's Health Care Center. I learned so much form them, and I was able to add more to my AP.



I'm looking forward to the next class, Who Am I, because I really love philosophy
 I was inspired by my classmates and their passion for the things we talked about but I was depressed by seeing the ignorance in our world.

FIL(ter) ME UP, BUTTERCUP

In H20 we started a new unit called, 4.5 billion in which we went on a Field Experience to the Jardine Water Filtration Plant where we saw water being filtered at a huge scale. In class we discussed the water cycle and groundwater filtration. The information that I collected from the water plant and groundwater filtration really helped me perfect my AP.

In my water filter I used:

• Water bottle
• 1 coffee filter
• a rubber band
• gravel
• sand
• powdered charcoal
• a small piece of aquarium filter core

First, I Cut the water bottle in half so that I could use the bottom as the collecting cup and the top as the filter next I wrap the filter around the mouth of the bottle, next I added in the piece of aquarium core then a layer of charcoal then a layer of sand, charcoal, and sand, and then gravel to top it off

My filter will work because the water goes through areas with very small pores multiple times leaving behind any particles in the layer above. At the bottom of the filter the water goes through a coffee filter which covers the mouth of the water bottle.

My filter is similar to groundwater filtration because it includes Gravel and Sand as filter layers.

I chose to use charcoal because at the water plant I learned that activated charcoal and activated carbon can help better the taste of water. I chose to use the bottom of the bottle as a cup because during a water crisis I'm sure that I would want to keep things as minimal as possible.

TN (2017) My finished water filter

My hypothesis is that the color of the water will change and the particles will be filtered out.

The source of the water is from the bathroom sink in school, plus some dirt from the garden outside. The pH level before was 5.4 and after was 6.7.

TN (2017) Before (right) and After (left)

Description and pH of the water

Smells like a playground/gardenSmells clean/no smell
Looks dirty/like mud
Looks clear
Tastes clean not metallic, very pure and refreshing
pH: 5.4
pH 6.7
H+ 0.000003941
H+ 0.0000002

Both water samples fall closer to the neutral pH level (7) which means that both might have been safer to drink although I did not drink the water before filtration.

These are the pH levels converted to H+

3.9 x 10^-6 (before) 2 x 10^-6 (after) the difference between those levels is 19.9. I used the equation 10^-5.4/ 10^-6.7.

I can conclude that the mix of charcoal sand and gravel will clean water to a point that it is safe to drink. My hypothesis was proven correct. All of the dirt was removed from the water and after it went through the filter it was completely clear and smelled like nothing. It took me a couple of times to get the water filter to work, the first time I put too much sand in and all of the water got trapped and nothing came out. The next time I made it I used activated carbon instead of charcoal but the water still came out cloudy. My final product added multiple layers of activated charcoal and sand then added aquarium core which came out with the best, clearest result.

Citations 
The King Random “DIY: Make Swamp Water Drinkable” Youtube Jul 6 2017 accessed Oct 9 2017

Is Water a Luxury?

In H2O we've learned about the importance and rarity of water. In this unit (71%) we discussed potable water and the percentage of it in the world. At our Field Experience my partner and I carried 3 gallons in total from the Chicago River back to GCE which was about 0.2 miles away. This action project shows the difference between the average American, Peruvian, and my water usage.

                                                     TN (2017)  Is Water a Luxury? 

One of the first things we did was calculate our water usage. It turns out that my calculated water usage (82 gallons) is lower than the average Americans water usage but higher than the average Peruvian. Hygiene was the highest consume of water for me, I assume it's because I do a lot for my skin care and it takes a lot to wash my hair because it's so curly. It shocked me that the average water consumption for Peru was so low. It seems impossible to me to only use 43 gallons of water everyday after calculating my own water usage. In our Field Experience we simulated what it would be like to carry water everyday from a water source. I brought in an empty kitty litter container and my partner brought in milk jugs all together it took us 8 min to carry 3 gallons of water which is only 3 percent of  my daily water usage and 6 percent of Peru's  . While I was carrying the water it only felt that it was only getting heavier, my arms started to hurt and I was extremely thirsty. It was easier for me because I was able to switch off with my friend and take breaks if I was by myself I would have probably taken longer.     

I never thought that by the end of one unit my perspective of water would change so drastically. The hardest part for me was organizing my poster so it flowed well. Over all, I am proud of how my action project turned out. I am more conscious of how much water is being trashed in my household and with a water crisis going on in a city only 271 miles away from where I live it's important that I don't take it for granted.

  Only 2.5% of the world water is potable what are you going to do to make sure it lasts.
 
Water Tips

• Turn off water while brushing teeth or washing hair
• Check leaky toilets and fix them immediately 
• Water plants with unfinished water bottles
• Only run the dish washer a clothes washer when they are full

CITATIONS
Relentless (2016) American Flag USA Flag= Symbol
Cburnet (2007) Water drop
Huhsunqu  (2006) Flag of Peru