Submarine Model-building Reflection

Drawing of 'submarine' sinking

Describe any design ideas that you had which did not work as expected.

One of the designs we made had two bottles duct taped together. One of the bottles was filled with water and sealed with the cap and clay, and the other bottle had a balloon connected to a tube. The balloon was inside the bottle, and the tube was outside for blowing into. This design didn't work because there were no holes, and blowing into the tube didn't make the figure float as we wanted it to.

Describe any design ideas that you had which did work as expected. 

My successful bottle had clay at the outside bottom of it, and the clay and bottle was held together with rubber bands. There were holes on each side of the bottle to the right and left, and there was a balloon inside the bottle, and a tube attached to the balloon that was outside of the bottle for blowing into. This model was successful, because when you lay it on top of the water, water goes into the bottle through the holes making the 'submarine' heavier, and finally sinking. Then you blow into the balloon, water pushes out of the holes to make room for the expanding balloon. Finally, the figure becomes light enough to float again.

Describe at least two ways that your model works like a real submarine. Describe at least two ways your model works differently than a real submarine.

Similarities

1. They both can float and sink.
2. Both figures suck in and push out water to sink and float.

Differences

1. People in submarines don't blow into a tube to make the submarine float, because compressed air pushes water out of the submarine. We had to blow into our submarine models because we needed an easy way to push water out.
2. Real submarines don't need clay to make them heavier, because the submarine is heavy itself. 

Did you ever feel like you were not going to be able to successfully modify the plastic bottle to make it dive and float like a submarine? If you did not give up, what strategies helped you persevere and keep going? 

Yes I often felt like I wasn't going to succeed in the making the bottle float and dive, because when we first started our experiment, we didn't really use our past knowledge on sinking and floating, we didn't really know where to start, and we just did random things to our bottles. At first I highly doubted it was possible to make a bottle continuously sink and float without touching the bottle, but then a group of boys next to us succeeded which made me realize that it was possible, and that we could do it if we thought about what we were doing, and if we though scientifically.

If you worked with a partner, describe what contributions each of you made to the project.

Sia and I both made separate bottles, but we shared equipment and ideas. We worked separately because we each had different ideas that we thought would work, and each of us wanted to try both ideas.

Sportsmanship - on the sporting field and in everyday life

A description of what sportsmanship is and one example of how you have demonstrated sportsmanship this year.

Sportsmanship is about demonstrating fairness, respecting others, and being kind and compassionate to everyone. During sports, you can have good sportsmanship by playing by the rules, shaking hands after each game, respect and encourage others, etc. I demonstrated sportsmanship this year by shaking hands after each game, and congratulating or saying "Well done," or "Good game," to teammates and the opposing teams.

3 ways that you can demonstrate sportsmanship in PE or on the sporting field.

• You can abide the game rules throughout the whole game.

• You can shake hands and congratulate the opposing team at the end of the game.

• You can try to avoid arguments, and co-operate with your team.

2 ways that you can demonstrate sportsmanship in everyday life.

• Be polite, compassionate and modest.

• Don't gloat/boast/brag about your abilities.

1 new way that you can demonstrate sportsmanship.

I can acknowledge and compliment good players after/during a game.

Sportsmanship Poster

Fraction Comparison Reflection

You know how to compare fractions using cross products, LCD, and logical reasoning. When is it better to use one method over another?

You should use cross products when the fractions are small numbers and easy to work with:

You should use LCD (Least Common Denominator) when the denominators are different:

You should use logical reasoning when you can easily turn the fraction(s) into a benchmark fraction, or when you can see that one fraction is less than half, and the other is more than half, etc.

My Archaeology Google Site 2014

This is a link to my Archaelogy Google site that I made in Grade 6 Social Studies. I hope you learn something about the Terracotta Warriors!

Terracotta Warriors

Personal Narrative Reflection

I have grown as a writer by adding more internal thinking. My PN on Demand didn't have much inner thinking, whereas my personal narrative had a lot. I am more confident in applying more thinking into my narratives after having lessons about it, and after using it. My biggest challenge in writing personal narratives is getting writers block. I always get stuck during writing periods. I surprised myself by seeing how much I can improve in just a little more than a month! I received a lot of helpful feedback from my peers and teacher (Mrs. K) about how to improve my writing.

A Day to Remember: April 8, 2012

I peel off the plastic, and pull out the brand new pantyhose. I scrunch up the beige material, and struggle to fit my legs into it without slipping of the glossy, wooden floor. I gently tug the dress off of the hanger, and slowly change into the black dress. I smooth down the wrinkled ends. Careful Maddy, I remind myself for the hundredth time, don’t ruin your dress… No matter what. I picture myself back in the small store in Korea, taking measurements for the dress. My grandma had got it made just for my concerts.

Why can’t I have longer arms? I think, as I stretch in an awkward position to button the back of my dress. I walk to the tall mirror, and try to tie the sash. Finishing with a sloppy bow, I untie it, and leave it hanging. I turn from the mirror, and grab the light brown feathered headband. Dragging my feet behind me, I feel the soft wood turn into a rough, tiled bathroom floor. I open the mirror cabinet and pull out a brush. It takes a while until the bristles flow through my hair like silk. I comb through one last time with my fingers, then lay the headband on my head. Seeing that my work is complete, I hop out of the bathroom, grab my black flute case, and hop down the carpeted stairs.

“I coming down!”

* * *

Only an hour has past. An hour since I was back in Connecticut, getting ready for the concert. Now I stand in the streets of New York City, by the back entrance to Carnegie Hall. Musicians surround me. I spot a young girl about seven years old. Thank goodness, I’m not the youngest. For some reason, I feel alone in a way… Out of place. As if Dad knows what I’m thinking, he squeezes my hand. Suddenly, the doors open.

I look out from the backstage door, and stare at the stage. How am I ever going to get on that thing? Finally realizing that I can’t stand there forever, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and take my first step onto the stage.

Shivering, my accompanist and I walk up to the middle of the platform. I stop at the center, and as he walks towards the grand piano, I look at the audience. Oh. My. Gosh. What happened to the usual, small, crowd? Why did so many people show up? I start to think about what Dad made me do yesterday. He had told me to move on if I make any mistakes, and to practice that, I purposely played my song with mistakes, so I know how to carry on. I first had found it amusing, playing the climax with a bunch of wrong flats and sharps… Now I’m just scared of errors.

My hands get moist… Really moist. As if my hands were a faucet, sweat pours out and makes my flute slippery. My legs shake as if they were to give out. Beautiful white walls and columns surround me. Long drapes fall like water, and tickle the floor. Suddenly, my flute feels like ice in my sweating hands. I gulp down, blank everything out, and focus. I try to push away the fact that a bunch of people are staring up at me. Instead, Dad’s words ring in the back of my mind, “No one will notice if you make a mistake.” Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

I bring the metal cylinder towards my mouth, and suddenly, music fills the room.

When I look back to that 8th day April, the thing I remember best was standing up on the cream colored stage, grinning from ear to ear as I receive my plaque. That day I realized; that concert was only the start of my music career. And there’s always going to be more and more chances and events in the future... always.

AmericanProtégé

Presented to
Madeleine Park

Flute

Judges Distinction Award

of the
American Protégé International

Music Talent Competition

2012

Chairman of Competition

Dr. Mark Weinstein

Carnegie Hall, New York

April 8, 2012