Monday, August 29, 2022

Summer Assignment 8.29

This is 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.
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Dr. H will be teaching all 3 sections to begin the year. Mr Parker will take over for Block 4 in December when he returns from leave.
That's it. See you all soon.

32 comments:

Celine Mossa said...

My favorite post over the summer was the podcast about DNA. Although it was a short podcast, I was highly fascinated when learning about histones. I have always been interested in DNA and its functions, but I was able to learn more about it. I also liked the idea of a podcast, since it helped me to listen and use my own imagination to learn. The speaker of the podcast was also interactive so it wasn't something that immediately bored me. I am excited to learn more about DNA this school year along with the other materials in the course, such as body systems and the complexity of cells!

Sai Ashraya Chegu said...

My favorite post from over this summer was the August 8th post with a video by Business Insider about food waste being turned it useful everyday products. All over the world people have the mentality that once something goes in the trash, it magically disappears. We are aware that it doesn’t, but we don’t care to manage our trash output, and continue to buy more and therefore throw more away. So it was really nice to watch this video and discover people and companies that are trying to take all this excess waste and make something useful from it. Something that I am looking forward to this year is learning in depth about photosynthesis. I’ve always found it fascinating that plants make their own food, and I enjoyed learning about the different types of photosynthesis in honors bio, so I’m excited to learn more.

Haley Pandya said...

My favorite post from over this summer was the July 25th post. I had always been interested in the Black Death. I had done research on the disease for 3 years and it was the focal point of my TAG projects during that time period. It was enlightening to learn about the origins of the pestilence since I had always wondered where it originated from. This year, I am looking forward to learning about the human body and elaborating on things that I learned in Biology freshman year.

Sarayu Vejju said...

One of my favorite posts from the summer was the August 8th post with the video “How Food Waste is Turned Into Plastic, Hair Extensions and More”. I enjoyed that video because I like how innovative the companies are and how they are trying to protect the environment and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. I was shocked to see how food waste could be used to create things such as leather and pads. Another one of my favorite posts from over the summer was last week’s post with the DNA podcast. DNA has always interested me, and I liked this podcast because I learned many new facts about DNA and histone proteins. The topics I am most looking forward to learning about this year are DNA, biochemistry/macromolecules, cells, and evolution.

Laasini Kavuri said...

My favorite post from this summer was the video "How Food Waste is Turned Into Plastic, Hair Extensions and More (Business Insider)" from August 8. At home, my family reuses plastic containers and glass jars that food is packaged in. We never repurpose the food waste though. It was interesting to see how every single part of our food can be reused. In addition, I'm looking forward to learning about heredity. We touched upon it in eighth grade, but I feel like there is more to discover about my own traits and how I inherited those from my parents.

Parthivi Chauhan said...

My favorite post from this summer assignment was the ice cream article from 7/18. The article “The Science Inside Your Ice Cream” fascinated me because of the complexity that goes into the temperature, consistency, and overall texture of ice cream. I am looking forward to learning about photosynthesis and cellular respiration this school year, as that was my favorite unit/topic during Honors Biology.

Tarun Sriram said...

My favorite post this summer was the first post of the assignment. I loved the article about how soft sounds could numb someone. I found it really interesting as something so simple like sound could possibly be used in surgeries or operations that could save someone’s life. It showed me that with this application, in the future, we could have even bigger medical discoveries by using little to no technology. Something that I am excited to go more depth into this year is protein synthesis. In Honors Biology last year, we didn’t go into as much detail and this was one of the topics that I enjoyed the most so learning more about this would be really fascinating.

Zara Qureshi said...

Over the course of the summer, I enjoyed the articles, videos, and podcasts which were posted. Each week had interesting topics, which often entertained me. My favorite post was the video about how food waste can be turned into clothes, leather, rugs, plastic spoons, etc. I found it fascinating how the world was making an effort to prevent landfills from growing too large, while still benefiting from the products. I also enjoyed reading the article, “ Mammal ancestors’ shrinking inner ears may reveal when warm-bloodedness arose”. I found it pretty interesting that the inner ear structure was linked to the evolution of warm-bloodedness in mammals. Throughout the summer, I learned about many new topics which I otherwise probably wouldn’t research. This year, I’m looking forward to learning more about cells and how they function to support the body, and DNA and how it reads genes for heredity.

Shreya Konkal said...

During this summer, my favorite article was about the game "Stray". It was cool to read about a game I was planning on playing. I didn't know that the creators were encouraging donations to fund cat shelters. I originally only wanted to play because I loved cats. It'll make the experience more enjoyable knowing that cats around America will be fed. I also liked this article the most, simply because it was fun and heart-touching to read. To conclude these summer comments, I'm excited for AP Bio this year and can't wait to learn more about the topics I've read.

Bianca Kurani said...

My favorite post over the summer was the video, “How Food Waste is Turned into Plastic” because I liked how innovative these companies all over the world were in creating products that people use on a daily basis with cleaner materials that reduce people’s carbon footprint. For example, I would have never thought that mango pulp could be used to create leather because when I used to think that vegan leather can only be made from plastic (which is unsustainable for the environment). Furthermore, I never thought a fruit, in this case, bananas could be used to create sanitary pads that would decompose better than the conventional plastic sanitary pads. I am looking forward to learning more about heredity this year because when I was in my biology class my freshman year I remember finding it fascinating why certain genes are passed down and why others are not and how certain environments influence certain traits to be passed down.

Vrusha Patel said...

My favorite post over the summer was the video “Experts Stunned by Organ Death Reversal.” This was fascinating to me, as it was something I thought there could never be a solution for. I thought I had a lot of knowledge on organ death, but the video showed me that I did not, and taught me a lot more about it. It was interesting since it was a video, as opposed to an article. I am most looking forward to learn about genetics and diseases this year.

Sachi Rele said...

My favorite post from over the summer was the video “Experts ‘Stunned’ by Organ Death Reversal”. I have always been interested in medical advancements. Medicine is rapidly growing, and I am fascinated by new methods and products developed to improve a person's quality of life. I have an interest in building biomedical devices, so this video was both informative and enjoyable. I look forward to learning more about evolution. Due to COVID, we were unable to learn about this topic in depth. I am interested in learning about the ingenious adaptations of organisms.

Danielle Youssef said...

My favorite article to read this summer was from the beginning, “Origins of the Black Death identified”. This was interesting to me because I find it fascinating how even hundred of years later, evidence of the disease are still present. It is fascinating to learn about new diseases and how they are widely spread. They even present themselves in people differently. I want to do more research on this topic. This school year I’m looking forward to learning more about heredity. I think its cool how the system of reproduction functions. I want to dive deeper and gain a better understanding of this.

Udana Desilva said...

My favorite post was the post I made in relation to the article that talked about the Bubonic Plague and my personal endeavors with learning about the Dancing Plague in Europe. I really loved connecting how culture, religion, as well as knowledge of the sciences can effect how a society approaches a widespread disease. What I am looking forward to learning about this year is the interaction between different systems and how everything in our body in connected.

Ananya Naveen said...

My favorite post was the August eighth post where I learned of the many ways food and other items destined for the landfill were recycled to make useful products. Our modern technology and vast knowledge can allow us to build a greener future where even an avocado seed can be made into something sustainable. This coming year I am excited to build my knowledge of biology as it is a subject I am very passionate about. Topics I am particularly eager to learn about are photosynthesis, DNA replication, and biochemistry. I am also looking forward to the many labs the course offers as it provides for the hands-on experience aspect. I enjoyed responding to the posts we were assigned too and reading interesting articles I wouldn’t have otherwise read. Overall, I am excited to take AP biology this year and feel that it will be a fruitful experience.

Marissa Schrob said...

My favorite post this summer was from the week of July 11th when there was an article that discussed a study using mRNA by students at the University of Pennsylvania. This school year I am most looking forward to learning about the new medical devices and treatments. This is a field I would like to go into within biology so I would find it very beneficial to learn about medical devices and treatments. I also would like to learn about neurons and the brain as an interesting smaller side topic since I find that topic very intriguing.

Ansh Patel said...

My favorite post from the year was the Sci Show video referencing organ death reversal and how modified hemoglobin called OrganEx can prepare damaged cells within organs and preserve them for exponentially greater periods. It was interesting to see how biological functions can be replicated with the use of synthetic materials and how innovation amongst science powers such ideas. I look forward to learning more about the human body and how it works and differs from its genetic cousins.

Anika Chekuri said...

My favorite post over the summer was the "Experts Stunned by Organ Death Reversal" video. I thought it was really interesting. I learned the possible risks of getting transplants, and how this new method (OrganEx) can lower the chances of these risks from occurring. I thought the experiment with the OrganEx system on the pigs was interesting. Overall, it showed how medicine is constantly evolving and changing. Some topics I am looking forward to learning are Heredity and Evolution. I like learning about adaptations and I think the process of genes getting passed down is interesting.

Ishani Jena said...

My favorite post was the August 8th post with the video “How Food Waste is Turned Into Plastic, Hair Extensions and More”. This was my favorite since it changed my perception on how waste can be turned into products that people can actually use in their day to day lives. It was really interesting to see the different methods they used to make the products and overall it was very engaging. The video showed different ways to use waste which ultimately can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that are being released. This year I am looking forward to learning more about the human body and its systems along with learning more about DNA and genetics.

Clara Yacoub said...

Out of all the summer posts, my favorite was the podcast about DNA. I didn’t know I was that interested in the topic but it really stood out to me. It was my first time hearing about how histones are like beads on a string of DNA. I enjoyed listening to it and it made me look forward to AP biology this year. I’m most looking forward to learning about DNA as well as heredity and genetics. I’m also looking forward to expand on what learned during freshmen year honors biology.

Zaara Irfan said...

My favorite post was the podcast about DNA. Ever since we learned about genes in 8th grade, I found DNA and genetics so fascinating. Listening to that podcast brought me back to freshman year when we were learning DNA more in depth. I remember being so interested in it and I am excited to learn it in even more in depth this year. The entire concept of genetics is also something very interesting to me that I am looking forward to learning this year. Overall, the way the human body works is very compelling to me and I'm excited to learn all about it.

Athena George said...

My favorite post of the summer assignment this year was “Origins of Black Death Identified”. I enjoyed reading about how archaeologists, historians, and scientists all worked together in order to solve the mystery of the plague’s origin. It also made me curious about the tools scientists used in their study of the bacterium DNA and how they were able to identify different strains of the bacterium. On that note, I am most looking forward to learning more about DNA and different types of RNA because I believe they have many uses. For instance, they are involved in many different treatments, ranging from vaccines to gene therapy. Moreover, I hope that we are given the opportunity to perform a dissection since I had missed out in freshman year during virtual learning. I am very interested in anatomy and the different organ systems, and I believe seeing them in real life would be very eye-opening.

Aaryan Pothakamuri said...

My favorite article this summer was "Electrical bacteria may help clean oil spills and curb methane emissions". I found it very interesting and thought of multiple ways in which that concept could be used to solve large climate problems. I am most excited to learn about heredity this year, as that is a topic which I have not fully explored yet.

Lea Lai said...

My favorite post from over the summer was the July 18th post about the supercharged tree that could help fight climate change. I enjoyed seeing both the pros and cons of using the tree to fight climate change, and found it extremely interesting, especially because climate change is such a big issue currently. I liked learning about innovative ways scientists and researchers are coming up with to fight this issue. This year, I am excited to learn about evolution and ecology, along with learning more about the topics I had in 8th grade, including heredity and cell structure.

Rebecca Chin said...

My favorite post was the article “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds". I found it to be extremely relevant and interesting given the state of the world today as the COVID-19 pandemic has started to taper off and climate change is an ever-pressing issue. It made me wonder if similar pandemics will occur in the future and if we will be more prepared should they happen. If climate change continues to get worse, it will be more and more important to learn about the detrimental effects spillovers will have. Over the following year, I am most excited about evolution and natural selection. In my freshman year of biology, I really enjoyed a project I did on evolution pertaining to a specific animal species. I find it fascinating how history and science are deeply intertwined and play a significant role in how the world and the life on it have been shaped into its current state.

Anisha Srinivasan said...

Mt favorite post from this year was the first one with the article "Soft Sounds Numb Pain. Researchers May Now Know Why". I am very interested in music and how it affects the brain and its processes so I found this article very interesting. I really liked the experiment and how the article was written. It introduced a new way of relieving pain, and I am excited to see all the developments that occur in the future with the use of music. This year I am most excited to learn about is genetics and evolution. This topic really interested me in honors biology as it combines all the different aspects we learned prior and is a very interesting topic. I am also interested to learn about the interactions among different organisms in our ecosystems.

Joseph Williams said...

My favourite article was “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds" Because of how informative it was on what is happening in the world and what I would need to look out for in the future. It also showed me that as our world is changing we must change too because as viruses grow deadlier and more frequent we are also trying to find cures and become immune to them and a lot of this happened over only a change in temperature by 1 imagine what it would be like if it was 10.

Abhi Solanki said...

My favorite article this summer was the one that describes the science behind ice cream. I found this article to be very informative and fun as I love ice cream. Learning the important processes that goes through this was very interesting and made me curious to find more about the science behind other foods too. One thing I'm most looking forward to learn this year is DNA and the body functions. After learning about these topics in bio, I still want to learn more about it in this class. I am excited to learn more about these interesting topics.

Srimaye C. said...

My favourite post over this summer was the post on our mental health and how it relates to nature. I found it really easy to develop a response to this post and also, the article was interesting to read. This school year, I look forward to building more knowledge about the things I learned last year in Honors Biology.

Flory Deepak said...

My favorite post of the summer was definitely the SciShow and the podcast. I really enjoyed learing about DNA and is defietly something I am looking forwad too during class. As for the SciShow I really enjoyed learning about the new technology it remined me about the project I had in honors bio where we talked about bioetheics and gene therapy. Overall I really enjoyed learing more this summer.

Shriya Peddu said...

My favorite post this summer was the podcast about DNA. I found very interesting how our entire body depends on our histone protein organizing our DNA. I am most looking forward to learning about cell structure and cell communication.

Hardi Amin said...

My favorite post from over this summer was the August 15th post. I could relate to the problems with mental health and how spending more time outside in nature could help recharge yourself and bring down stress. In times when I felt anxious, I have gone outside to take a walk or bike, and it has truly helped me cope with stress. Therefore, the article was relatable in many ways. This year I am looking forward to learning more in-depth about DNA and genetics because I find this topic really interesting.