This will be the final week of the summer assignment this year. Great job with all the comments, I hope you found some of the articles interesting. There are a few things for you to do this week.
- To get credit for this week's entry, comment on what your favorite post was over the summer, and what you are most looking forward to learning more about this year.
- If you are registered for Dr. H's class (Block 1 or 2), please visit this website and request access. If you have used PBWorks before, you can use your previous account information and will not have to confirm your email. If you are new to PBWorks, you DO NOT need to use your school email account to request access. After I accept you, you will receive a confirmation email.
- If you are registered for Mr Parker's class (Block 3), he will provide you with the course website.
- Once you have access to the wiki, feel free to have a look around. It is still a work in progress, so there is not too much there yet. The first few weeks are mapped out, but schedules are always changing.
That's it. See you all soon.
46 comments:
A few of my favorite article topics were the early risers vs the night owls and how to embrace awkward silences which both belonged to the week of 7/26. These articles were fun and easy to analyze since they are the most relatable and are experienced on the daily. It was interesting to see the different opinions on how to determine or "solve" these issues. I also thought that our mental health week was also good to talk about since it is such a serious and common topic that is not mentioned often. The article about physician burnout was the most shocking and devastating as well and definitely left an impact on many students going into that field in the future. Either way, talking about mental health is important and I'm thankful we got to discuss it before school starts. Mentioning the start of school, I am excited to start experiencing high school and get in the normality of the routine. I'm looking forward to learning more about genetics since that was my favorite unit last year in honors biology and hopefully we can expand more on it. I'm sure that AP biology will be a tough class but worth learning.
For our final post of the summer, I would say one of my favorite articles to write about has been the articles we talked about issues with our climate (climate change) and our mental health articles. Specifically, these were the articles that were written about planting trees, the wildfires, and physician burnout. I think bringing biology to the world and standing up for the issues that are becoming negatively prominent in current times. Each of these articles sparked so many interests in me, such as when they spoke about the organizations that are working to change or different misconceptions that have come with these issues. As for the future of AP Biology, I am excited to learn more about the subject as we have learned the basics in our freshmen year. I am particularly excited to go more into depth about the concepts of evolution and ecology along with the studies of homeostasis. Since the majority of the biology students did not get to have a proper year in the classroom to learn biology, I am also excited to see how learning biology in the classroom rather than over a Zoom call can impact different topics, such as doing experiments, detailed labs, etc. Overall, biology will be very different this year where we also get to learn with other people in the class and I am excited to see what it will be like this year.
My favorite post over the summer was the article about mental health and covid-19. The reason for this is because I have experienced some perspective of mental health problems during this painfully long pandemic. I know how it can negatively and powerfully affect your daily routine and I also know that it is becoming an increasing problem in this generation more than ever. It affects the way you deal with stress, how you think, how you feel, and the way you act and communicate with others, and the choices you make everyday. Mental health has an important role in every stage of life, from adolescence to adulthood.
This year, I am looking forward to learning about the biology of the human body and how the environment changes over time. I am also looking forward to the theory of evolution and how it drives life.
Although it was not the most upbeat of posts, my favorite post this summer was the mental health one. It was really nice that the mental health crisis was acknowledged, especially regarding physicians. Doctors are so often regarded as heroes, but we forget that they are real people too, and I love that attention was brought to that. I also liked the Simone Biles article, because I was able to connect mental health with something I was so immersed in at the time, which was the Olympics. This year, I am most looking forward to learning about topics we covered previously in biology, but with more detail. Specifically, I really enjoyed learning about genetics last year, so I would love to learn more about genetics this year. Overall, I’m really excited to see what AP biology is like.
All of the posts that I've read were informative and eye-opening. But my favorite articles by far were, "Why Planting tons of trees isn't enough to solve climate change," and "The role of venom in diversication of fish and insects." The two articles were my favorites because they consisted of the two things that I am most interested in: climate and animals. The first article gave me clarity about an issue that I did not fully understand. Before reading it, I thought that if we planted a bunch of trees, it would be enough to offset the effects of climate change. Obviously that is not the case and a lot more needs to be done to help with that issue. The second article was very interesting as well. I never knew that venom played such a role in species diversification. Seeing the effects of species interaction on diversity is amazing, and the article made me want to learn more about how different factors can play into species diversification. This year, I am looking most forward to the theory of evolution and how different traits can be passed to offspring.
My favorite post over this summer was the one about how planting trees is not enough to stop climate change in the week of 7/19. I liked this one as it showed the reality that we need to do much more to save the environment, including changing our daily lives and lowering carbon emissions to slow or stop the effects of climate change. All of us have to work together to try and fix the damage we have caused through the growth of our industries. Another article I liked was the one concerning physician burnout during the mental health week, as it really opened my eyes to the immeasurable stress physicians face daily, especially during the pandemic. Mental health is a very important topic, and everyone should have the ability to take care of themselves and their mental health without having to worry about their jobs. I am looking forward to the topics of human anatomy and genetics this year, as they are my favorite topics in biology. I also am looking forward to being in-person this year, as I would like to experience the different labs that we will do.
My favorite article was the one regarding physician burnout during the pandemic. While it was the hardest article to read, I learned the most from this article. Since burnout is common in high-stress fields, I realized that I am going to have to learn to cope with stress and really enjoy my job if I do choose to go into a demanding field. This article also taught me that it is okay to be stressed at times, but is never okay to allow something to damage your mental health.
This year, I am looking forward to the ecology unit, specifically learning about population density and community ecology. I have always had a deep interest in ecology, as it is a mix of biology and environmental science, which are two of my favorite subjects. I am also excited for the labs, as labs were one of the best parts of honors biology.
My favorite blog post over the summer had to be the post about concussions in soccer. I'm a big fan of soccer myself, so the article already peaked my interest. I found it interesting to see how certain factors, such as ball size and wetness, could cause varying degrees of injury. In the article, the scientists concluded that a size 4.5 ball would be ideal for professional play, as it would cause the least injury. While I doubt this change will be implemented into major soccer leagues as it would take time for everyone to conform to the rule, I believe that the studies conducted by the researchers will have an impact on smaller-scale soccer leagues, such as those for children. Heading the ball is an essential part of the game, but this article showed that if certain factors are present, it can prove to be dangerous.
My favorite post this year was about the four new microbial technologies. I enjoyed that article because my family has been gardening this summer. I was able to make connections between the manufacturing of compounds to the homemade compost that we use to grow our tomatoes and zucchinis. After reading that article, I made a point to show it to my parents, as well, and they also thought it was very interesting! In addition to microbes, I also have a special interest in genetics. I'm not exactly sure why, but I've been fascinated with learning about DNA and genes since middle school. I guess it's just my Achilles' helix (pun intended). I'm looking forward to digging deeper in this area as well as applying what I learn in the molecular biology class.
Over these past few weeks, the articles I read were extremely fascinating. From topics that pertain to mental health in athletes, to the candid reasoning behind awkward silences - all provided intriguing information that each related to science (whether we knew it or not). My favorite article that I read this summer was, “Early Risers and Night-owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest”. Through the reading, a myriad of information from the study was especially compelling, due to the fact that people can simply relate to the article. In the study demonstrated in the text, I was not entirely surprised that people who are early-risers tend to be “happier” and in a better state of mind. Conversely, the people who are night owls tend to be less productive during the day. We all can relate to this topic because each and every one of us are either one or the other - an early riser or a night owl. That is what makes the article so interesting, is that it pertains to your daily life and some solutions you acquire for your problems. For example, if one is a night owl and has trouble being productive, the study specifically displays the steps needed to apply in order to wake up early and get the day started. Not only the ideology of waking up early in the morning, but it demonstrates the ways one can be more jovial throughout the day simply by being an early-riser. Hence, the ability to relate to an article makes you feel more intrigued in the study conducted. I especially had a fascination with the topic since it merely touched upon the neuroscience aspect of early-risers and night-owls. Since I conducted a study with a professor about the mindset/mental health of teenagers, the study provided more insight on neurology. Therefore, are the few reasons why the article spoke to me. I am most looking forward to learning generally about how biology relates to the everyday world, and some applications of potentially biomedical engineering.
My favorite post that I was able to read over the summer was the post on concussions in soccer. The reason this was my favorite to read and learn about is because soccer is one of my favorite sports and it was really cool and interesting to go into more depth of injuries and problem in pro play through a scientific point of view. While I was reading I was ale to get a more in depth view of the dangers that can come to a player while attempting to head the soccer ball. This whole article intrigued me and showed that even though soccer may be a very fun sport to play, it is still very dangerous.
My favorite post this summer was one of the first articles I read which was about the leaky mitochondria in sea otters. This article sparked my interest since it was engaging and fun to read. It was also an article that I really understood which contributed to my interest in sea otters. It was also an odd topic to read about since leaky mitochondria would usually be considered bad. Another post that I really liked was about the controversial topic of climate change. Everyone knows that trees are good for the environment because it cleans the air. However, most people may not know that planting millions of trees can’t be a permanent solution to climate change. The reason I liked this article was that it discussed a controversial topic about the world. It presented a problem and gave a solution to protect our planet for future generations. What I am most looking forward to this school year is coming back from virtual learning into an in-person learning environment. I am excited to learn about more advanced topics in biology, and I want to expand my knowledge upon what I already know. I am looking forward to meeting everyone in September.
My favorite topic in the articles that we have read this summer was those about mental health. As students entering the last year of high school, preparing college applications and continuing extracurriculars can be very stressful for students, so it was beneficial to learn more about mental health. Learning that physicians also face issues concerning their mental stability came as a shock to me, but it helped me understand that everybody needs to prioritize their mental health over work. Keeping problems to themselves without seeking help can lead to a mental breakdown or feeling overwhelmed. I look forward to learning more about the biology of the human body, as well as genetics, a topic that was not covered as in-depth in previous years. I also want to learn more about evolution and how animals developed or adapted to their circumstances. I am also looking forward to doing more hands-on labs for a more comprehensive understanding and learning experience.
My favorite posts for this summer assignment was the mental health one. Reading the article about how Simone Biles decided to not compete in some Olympics events because of her mental health was truly fascinating. Mental health is so important and I thought her decision was very brave. For this year, I am most exited for the genetics unit. Last year I really enjoyed learning about chromosomes and DNA replication, so I am looking forward to learning more about it.
My favorite post was based on the article, "This professional tree climber teaches inspiration and conservation." This article gave me hope of change in people's perspective and care for trees. I enjoyed reading about how Kovar taught his students from the encounter with the blind girl; he started blindfold climbing so climbers can learn to sharpen their other senses.
I am looking forward to learning about heredity. I also am excited to see what kinds of experiments we will be doing at school.
My favorite article this summer was the article on the mental health of healthcare workers on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article was very informative and eye-opening. It showed the lack of support for doctors and the amount of restrictions that these doctors have to make steps towards bettering their mental health. It shocked me to see how these doctors were treated and how if they sought mental health help they could lose their license or scare patients away. The article also talked about how people view doctors as perfect beings instead of humans that can have problems too. I really like this article because of how it informed me and changed my perspective on an issue that really isn’t talked about enough.
I had two main favorite articles that I read and really liked. They included the Night Owls Vs. Morning Birds, and the physical and psychological differences between a long-distance runner and a sprinter. The first article was my favorite because it really went in-depth and contrasted the difference between these two distinct kinds of people. For me, this included being happy to start a new day and waking up early, to playing with my friends till late at night. I liked this article because it offered a personal connection that I could relate to on a deeper level, and helped me understand some of the behaviors. I liked reading the second article even more, which compared the differences mentally and physically between long-distance runners and sprinters. This is because over the course of the year I take part in long-distance (cross country) for the fall season while doing sprints in winter and spring. Reading this article, and making notes of these differences, helped me understand what I need to work on and what I may have been lacking. In addition, it helped me understand why I might be sore in certain parts and have a difficult time with different tasks. This article really stood out to me, and I enjoyed having a personal connection to it.
My favorite posts over this summer were the second and fourth posts, specifically the article “Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change.” in the second post and “The doctors are not all right: Doctors need mental health support, but the medical profession often punishes them for getting it.” Prior to reading the first article, I had never thought about the little thought that goes into planting new trees and how conserving trees is thought of less than planting new ones. In addition, I didn’t know that conserving trees is more important than planting new ones. The second article taught me about the stigma around mental health care for doctors and how this has negatively affected many doctors mental health. Both of these articles directly affect my life as the global warming crisis is only getting worse and worse and because others I know and I are studying to become doctors.
Next year, when it comes to AP Biology I am looking forward to learning more about cells, specifically the structure and function of their organelles. I’m also looking forward to learning more about ecology. This is because both cells and what they make up are interesting to me.
I would say one of my favorite articles to write about has been the articles we talked about our mental health. These articles sparked so many interests in me. The articles about the mental health crisis were interesting to read and it was great to see mental health issues being acknowledged, especially regarding doctors. Doctors are mostly seen as heroes, but we tend to forget that they are real people too that deal with similar problems. I am excited to learn more about the subject as we have learned the basics in our freshmen year, specifically the concepts of human body and heredity. I am looking forward to being able to be in class rather than learning from a Zoom call, which will be very different.
Nishan Nayak: My favorite post during this summer assignment was the one where we had to talk about embracing awkward pauses in conversation. I liked this post the most because it's interesting to see this seemingly mundane occurrence have a lot more significance than we realize. It’s cool to see that our desire to avoid awkward pauses is indicative of how American society really is. I like to take information like this and see how it influences me as a person. It also taught me a little more about how to be a good friend and person to other people. It helped further set the idea that being a good listener is one of the most important things you can be. Throughout the whole summer assignment, this post felt the most relatable to me.
The thing that I am most excited to learn this year would be more about mutations, cancer, and apoptosis. We already scratched the surface of these topics in Honors Biology but I always felt like there was a lot more to know. I find it interesting how mutations can lead to good and bad for an organism. It’s impressive that organisms have found ways to combat it with processes like apoptosis. However, I want to see why such refined processes fail from time to time, and lead to cancer. We never learned much about apoptosis, other than the fact that it happens when the cell can’t fix its DNA, but I want to understand why it fails sometime. What’s different about cancerous tumors that lets them survive? I hope to learn more about this in the upcoming year while also seeing the practical applications of this information.
My favorite article has been “Awkward Silences: Maybe It’s Time to Stop Avoiding Them and Start Embracing Them,” because I don’t usually see this topic being discussed and it was interesting to see a new perspective on the value of silence. Usually I’ll hear people discourage quietness and make it seem like it’s wrong to be an introvert, but this article showed the other side by highlighting the benefits of silence. I also liked reading the articles about wildfires and the environment because it is so important to know what’s going on in the environment and be educated on how you can help make a difference in your daily life. I’m most looking forward to learning more about genetics. I’m also very excited to do in person labs again because that was my favorite part of honors biology.
Out of all of the articles I have read over the last few weeks, my personal favorite was "Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest", by Christian Jarret. Out of all of the articles I have read this summer this article particularly stood out to me as when reflecting back at my own life, this is the article I truly needed to read. As someone who goes to sleep late and has issues with sleeping, I am often told it is my fault. I have been told how it is my fault I can't fall asleep until very late and that if I just try to be a morning person I will succeed. However, I am not the only teenager to be told this by adults as being a "night owl" is a common trend amongst teenagers. This is because being an owl is more common in adolescence while being a lark is more common in older people. Reading that my sleeping habits are not necessarily my fault was extremely comforting. I further enjoyed the part that there is a possibility of routine, environment, and social life, changing my chronotype as the majority of career paths are built for early risers.
The topic I am most looking forward to covering this year is evolution. Every species, plant, or animal comes from a long lineage of different species, some that don't even exist anymore. I find the fact that so many different species are related in different ways so interesting. I really enjoyed reading the evolution article on dogs/ wolves as there is a breed of wolves that have more connections to other species than its own. Learning about where modern animals (including ourselves) come from and how we are all connected is so fascinating.
My favorite post over this summer was definitely the article, “The role of venom in diversification of fish and insects.” I consider this article my favorite because of how unique and intriguing the article truly was. The article captivated my attention by discussing the benefits of venom - a term I usually tend to associate with harm and death. I was shocked to learn that venom could serve a purpose other than being destructive, and actually plays a major role in creating the diversity in insects and fishes. This unique and beneficial use of a harmful substance demonstrated to me the how wonderfully designed and intricate our world is, and how things that seem “destructive”(like venom) can actually be used to create and form the wonders of our world(like our planet’s extraordinary species diversity of fishes and insects). This article also made me think outside the box, and allowed me to develop and ponder my own questions. Another article I found quite interesting was one from the week of 8/9, titled ““The Physics Of Soccer”. This article was also of great interest to me, due its inclusion of 2 my favorite topics, soccer and physics. This article truly allowed me to better appreciate the game of soccer and illustrated to me the complexity and science behind the beautiful game - the inclusion of 2 topics has always been of interest to me, and is why I am very excited for chemistry this year, as it is the inclusion of both science and math. Besides Chemistry, I am extremely excited(and a bit nervous) for AP biology this year. I am excited to finally be able to go in-person to school this year and experience all the labs that AP biology has to offer. Furthermore, I am looking forward to the unit of “Genetics & Evolution” as I believe this unit will provide me with valuable information in my pursuit to become an genetic oncologist. Thank you for all the wonderful articles this summer, Dr. H, and I look forward to biology with you this year.
The articles about protein structures, venom diversification in fish/insects and wildfires intensify due to global warming. These articles were really intriguing and interesting. These articles were my favorite because they are paving the future. The discovery of venom affecting diversity shows a major evolutionary standpoint. The new technological advancement database which predicts protein structures. Climate change is a huge problem we are facing now, and probably for centuries to come. I’m excited to be back in the classroom again, I miss doing labs and hands-on activities. I am really looking forward to learning about molecular biology, and genetics. I loved learning about those topics and just want to learn more.
My favorite article to read over this summer was definitely the one about the efficiency of planting trees and how it doesn’t help solve climate change as much as one would think. I liked it because it introduced a different take towards solving climate change, one that was less performative and symbolic and focused more on actual results and change. The article went into great detail about the intricacies of planting trees, the carbon cycle, and climate. It also provided many detailed graphics that helped me understand its point better. This article, in my opinion, was the best written and a very interesting read. On a similar note, I am most looking forward to learning about ecology and how organisms and natural systems interact with each other. I am also excited for the genetics unit this year since I also find that topic interesting.
All the articles read over the summer were very interesting but my favorites were the mental health articles about physician burnout and Simone Biles. The topic of mental health is so underspoken, especially in the medical field and I think that week's articles really highlighted the issue. For this year, I'm most excited to go further in depth about all the topics we learned last year but especially our DNA unit and genetics unit because those were the most fascinating topics. We certainly learned a great deal about these topics but I'm truely excited to learn about them in further detail.
My favorite topic this summer was the week of August ninth because i was able to relate to it the most and use some of my knowledge tp comment on it. As a track runner I found the running article very interesting, especially because I took Anatomy last year. Therefore, I was able to talk about how certain muscle fibers act in different types of runners. One thing that I am excited to learn more about this year is mutations and adaptations in new ecosystems and environments. It always intrigued me how certain species, and humans, have adapted over the years due to a drastic change in their environment or in their lifestyle.
My favorite discussion post of the summer was the 8/3 post where I read an article about physician burnout. That article was the one that opened my eyes the most and exposed me to something new that I had never thought about or discussed. I had always knew that being a doctor was a stressful job, but this article revealed a new side to the profession. I am looking forward to learning about the parts of the body, or anatomy. I have always been interested in the internal structures of humans and animals, and I am exited to learn about the bodily functions of different organs which work together to create a functioning organism.
I really enjoyed the article about how global warming will not only be stopped by less carbon emissions. It gave me a even deeper look into the solutions for global warming and that it really was more complex than just one step. I understood that it would take a lot but the fact that what they've told us was false all of these years and that it will take a lot more targeting of different solutions to fix this. I look forward to our labs. I cant wait to get real life experience and not just obtaining knowledge but using that knowledge and applying to a lab especially because I didn't get to do any last year. I love being able to really feel how much smarter I've become via a lab because you see how much you have grown and come to realize that a year ago you might not have been able to do that. I also look forward to just being in class after over a year of having class from my room and really getting the learning environment again.
My favorite post that I read this summer was “The doctors are not all right” by Julia Belluz. I enjoyed this article because it gave insight on how the issue of mental health is overlooked within the medical community. Now more than ever, doctors should have the proper care they need so they can continue working. Before reading this article I never thought about how big the stigma around doctors and mental health is. It was a really eye-opening article. This year, I am most looking forward to learning about viruses and how they infect the body, as well as DNA replication. It was my favorite topic in honors biology. Learning about viruses especially interested me because it related to the pandemic, and it was cool to learn about the details.
My favorite article that I read was “Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change.” I felt as if the article really interested me in the urgency of climate change. The article addresses common misconceptions about how simply planting a lot of trees will solve global warming. Global warming and climate change are issues that are so large that it will require the effort of many people around the world for a hope of solving them. The situation regarding climate change has become dire and a sense of urgency is being employed around the world. Many different organizations are trying to find more sustainable methods to common practices in order to prevent climate change. New solutions such as applications of renewable energy such as wind-energy or solar energy are becoming more common around the world. Many car companies are also developing electric cars so the carbon emissions from vehicles are lessened too.
My favorite article was Early risers and night owls: A neuroscientist explains who is happiest by Christian Jarrett. I liked reading this article because it helped me answer a question I have always had about early risers and night owls. I found that most people are not distinctly “early risers” or “night owls”. Instead, they are a mix of the two. Also, research suggests that early risers get more happiness and joy out of life than night owls because a lot of activities in society force us to wake up early. These claims led me to try and wake up earlier in the following days.
I am looking forward to learning more about DNA and its properties. This is because I liked the labs we looked at last year about DNA, such as extracting DNA out of a strawberry.
A few of my favorite article topics are the climate change articles. Both of the articles relating to climate change interested me especially when they discussed the different groups of people that were attempting to improve things or the many misunderstandings that have arisen as a result of these difficulties. This was also present in the article relating to soccer, another one of my favorite article posts. This year, I am looking forward to learning more about human genetics as well as evolution. We discussed these topics last year as well but I’d like to learn more about them.
Over the course of this summer, I read many interesting articles. My favorite articles are the ones about mental health and soccer. Mental health is very important, especially during stressful times such as these. Additionally, with school work coming back and having stressful work, it is important to take care of yourself. I also really liked the soccer articles, as I am a fan of soccer myself. I found it interesting to read a more scientific-based approach to soccer. One thing I am looking forward to learning this year is genetics, but also how technology and biology go hand in hand and are applied to our world today.
I have read numerous articles throughout the course of this AP Biology summer work. I found many of them to be interesting, and most of them had left me thinking for a while. One of the most impactful articles I read was the one pertaining to the welfare of medical professionals. It brought out many points that I had never truly considered prior to reading the article. I enjoyed reading the article, but I found it to be heartbreaking how doctors are treated regarding their mental health. Another article that I enjoyed is that article about how silences in conversations are important just as much as talking. It made me realize how much society expects us to be extroverted, when being introverted is not a bad thing. It highlighted that listening in a conversation is just as important as talking, and that paying attention in a conversation is key. These articles prepared me for the type of learning I can expect in AP Biology. I can now understand that AP Biology has a lot to do with applying scientific concepts to daily life. In this class, I am excited to learn more in depth about biochemistry, specifically about macromolecules. I also want to learn about genetics, and ecology. The main thing that I would most learning about is the theory of evolution in ecosystems, and even in humans. Overall, I think this class would benefit my understanding of life as a whole.
Throughout these last few weeks, I have broadened my range of reading material, reading close to ten new articles all on different and riveting topics. Surprisingly enough, not one of these articles proved to be a bore or failed to teach me anything new and for that, I am greatly pleased. Though choosing a favorite is difficult, “Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change” by Carolyn Gramling has definitely stood out in a positive way. This article was able to stress the importance of doing something effective about climate change and global warming, explain why our methods aren’t plausible in the long run, and plot out what our world may look like moving forward without any improvements. Considering this was the topic I attained the least accurate information on regarding the benefit of tree planting organizations and movements, it was shocking to read. I hope to continue reading articles like this, that contradict my previous knowledge, because knowing the most accurate information on concerning topics will better allow me to spread correct information and take the right action. Moving forward through biology I am most thrilled to learn about bacteria and viruses, specifically mutations that occur in bacteria and viruses. In line with recent Coronavirus events like new strains and types, I want to gain further detail since it is directly related to what we are dealing with nationally.
I would say that my favorite article of this summer would be the Night Owls vs The Morning Larks one, which discussed different chronotypes. I found this article especially interesting because of the fact that I could relate to many of the parts covered by the article. This year in Ap Bio, I would say I'm most excited to learn about ecology as well as body systems, because I remember those being my favorite topics back in Freshman Year Bio. Also I would definitely be excited to do dissesctions if the opportunity arises.
Over the summer, my favorite post was one on mental health and how covid-19 affected it. This is because of my own experience with mental health issues throughout this excruciatingly lengthy epidemic. I understand how it may have a terrible and significant impact on our daily schedule, and I also understand that it is becoming a bigger problem in this generation than ever before. It influences how you cope with stress, how you think, how you feel, how you act and communicate with people, and the decisions you make on a daily basis. Mental health is essential at all stages of life, from youth through maturity. This year, I'm particularly interested in the notion of evolution and how various qualities may be passed down to children and other generations!
The article that was most intriguing to me was the impacts wildfires had on the environment. I gained plenty of insight into the numerous harms and/or benefits these phenomena are imposing in addition to the formation of these fires. There was also another article on a more negative aspect of climate change, listing all the pessimistic things that may occur if the accelerating trend of "The Greenhouse Effect" continues. From this, I acknowledged that reducing your own carbon footprint will make a difference in our world and it is essential to take advantage of each of the environmental days that pass by each year!
I am looking forward to learning photosynthesis and cellular respiration because I have done many exciting labs in the past and they're both thrilling topics in general. In addition, they're both back-to-back topics so it'll be interesting how each process compares to one another.
Out of all the articles I read this summer my favorite one would be the metal health article. The reason why I liked this article a lot is that I think that mental health is a very important topic that many people forget to recognize. As I start to get older I have been getting more work on my plate and this made me realize that it is ok to take a day off because I rather do work with a well rested mind tan a stressed one. One thing I look forward to learning this year in AP Bio is genetics because my grandfather was a big genetics guy especially for plants and his fascination of his influenced me to want to learn more.
My favorite article was the one about wildfires' intensity. I had heard about the massive fires in California, Australia, Turkey, and other places, but I had always wondered how and why they spread so quickly. The increase in droughts and atmosphere temperature seems to play the biggest role. This is a time sensitive issue that needs attention and awareness. Something I am looking forward to learning more about is genetics. Genetic disorders, anomalies, patterns, etc. are a field of interest for me. I think it is a really interesting topic as DNA is the strip of code for our bodies. Everything from hair color to our relation to bananas branches out from genetics!
My favorite articles this summer were “Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change” from 7/19 and “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career” from 8/2/21. I really enjoyed reading the first article, “Why planting tons of trees isn’t enough to solve climate change”, because it debunked a belief that I had. The little I knew about helping climate change turned out to be untrue. I thought this article brought attention to an important topic. The second article I liked reading was “Simone Biles just made the most impressive move of her career”. More than the article itself, what it represented made it very valuable to me. Mental health is commonly ignored because it’s not something you can always feel physically or something that can be seen. It’s real and it deserves more awareness, especially with the way our world is now. Simone Biles was able to recognize this on the world’s stage, the Olympics, and I think that this is a big step forward for athletes and everyone else. This year I am looking forward to the genetics unit and activities that we couldn’t do through virtual school, such as labs.
My favorite post this summer was the one about mental health. Although it wasn’t the most lighthearted post, it was something that needed to be talked about and something that needed to be acknowledged. Talking about the mental health of doctors, who are so heavily under stress, is necessary, especially when they are not receiving the health that they deserve. Talking about Simone Biles was also really important as it showed that you need to take care of yourself first and that it's not selfish to do such a thing. I am excited to go further into depth about biology concepts this year, especially with photosynthesis and the ATP cycle.
Over this summer, I was glad to be able to read a variety of different articles to keep up with current events and how exactly biology connects with them. That being said, my favorite article this summer was definitely the one about the importance of mental health today, prevalent in the 2021 Olympics and in the careers of doctors today. COVID-19 took a huge toll on many peoples’ mental health, since we were all forced to be inside for almost a year and a half, and I appreciated the fact that we were able to shine a light on this important issue that affects millions of people. In addition, reading more about the burnout of physicians during their career helped me to realize that a future in medicine will probably be very hard on me as well. If I am serious about pursuing a career in the healthcare field, I will have to make sure to take breaks and put myself first, whenever possible.
My favorite article was "Sea otters stay warm thanks to leaky mitochondria in their muscles". It made me interested in the fact that some animals survive in unique ways unlike any others. How sea otters leaked energy out of their mitochondria was something I never knew was possible. This further intrigued me about how animals adapt to their surroundings and cope the environment. This year I am looking forward to learning about the biology of animal and human bodies so I can see how different animals adapt to their enviorments and even learn things I didn't know about the human body.
My favorite article I read this summer was “Early Risers vs. Night Owls” article mainly because I was able to connect it back to my own life. It provided further insight on something that is a daily occurrence. The article also explained the differences between the two types of people and how that might show their mental state. Based on my personal experiences before the pandemic and during the pandemic, I was able to use the information provided in the article and make a link. If a study was done on adolescents during the pandemic vs, before the pandemic, I wonder if the study would show that a higher number of adolescents were found to be night owls. This year, I am looking forward to learning more about the degradation of telomeres and how that relates to cancer. Telomeres essentially protect the ends of the chromosomes to prevent DNA damage. I wonder if there was another way to protect the ends of chromosomes other than telomeres (kind of like how a banana peel protects the inside of a banana). Because of this, I am interested in researching ways to prevent the degradation of telomeres and how that might affect the cells in our body.
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