The 1971-72 Lakers are THE BEST TEAM EVER

In this investigation, my class was asked to pick a specific season of a team, that we thought was the all-time best. I chose the 1971-72 Lakers because of their statistical values and my love for the Lakers. It was A LOT of fun learning about my favorite team & their history. I learned a little bit more about some legends I've heard of, such as: Gail Goodrich & Wilt Chamberlain. I enjoyed creating & editing the video, that you will view shortly. Trying to fit key information into a formed script was a bit hard, but overall, it was a fun and relative project.


References:
"1971-72 NBA Season Summary". basketball-reference. Web. Dec 13, 2013.
"1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats". basketball-reference. Web. Dec 13, 2013.
"Season review: 1971-72". nba.com Web. Dec 13, 2013.

Maybe A Pear? - iPhone (Re)design

In this investigation, my Bioneers class was assigned to choose a service or a specific product that we wanted to better improve or (re)design. I chose the Apple iPhone, I chose Apple because it's so interesting to me, how they come up with ideas and how they manufacture their products. I chose the iPhone because, I seemed to know some stuff about it and I wanted to further expand my knowledge of the iPhone. This project was fun and time-consuming. Gathering all the information wasn't so easy. Overall, it was fun and worth the time & effort.  

                   

The iPhone was made an idea in 2003. The iPhone is a variation of smartphones that are made by Apple, a business started by Steve Jobs, who died in late 2011. Apple is a world-wide incorporation and has recently released new iPhone's by the name of; iPhone 5s & iPhone 5c. They are a huge market worth, $108 Billion dollars. They plan on expanding their market with new ideas. They're in competition with Samsung, (phone company, including other products like computers) which they are heading up against because of their latest inventions of the: iPhone 5 and Galaxy s4.

In order to prevent Apple from being an pollutant to the environment, I've created two systems of how the iPhone's life is, and how it can be changed to prevent pollution. In my linear system, it's showing that the parts of the iPhone come from different parts of the world, then they ship them to the place where they assemble the products and then they ship them out to the stores and people use them and after awhile they end up in landfills.  Then it shows the closed loop system which is how you can improve the product, by decreasing the waste production.  In my closed loop system, it shows that instead of phones going to the landfill they should be recycled.  The apple company is trying to make their phones more environmentally friendly and want to start shipping the parts of the iPhone in smaller shipments.

In conclusion, this project was pretty hard but interesting. I contacted many people on the manufacturing of iPhone's but I came up empty handed. I got an response from one of the writers for the NY Times and I was forwarded to Apple's home page. I also spoke to many people that work for Apple. No one that I contacted knew what I wanted to know. Overall, it was a bit hard going out into the field and learning from people that make iPhone's but it was an interesting topic & was relatively fun to do!!

The Cleveland Cavaliers Revolution

In this investigation, I discovered how I can convince people, visually, how important a team is to their city. I was asked to choose a team, from the NBA and explain, in detail, visually, why the city should or should not keep the team. I picked the Cavaliers because I'm a die hard Kyrie Irving fan. The Cleveland Cavaliers are a developing franchise and are important city. I'm proud of my infographic because, even though I went through a hard time completing it, it turned out pretty well. It was very difficult to complete but a nice, fun project!

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a good team, and better franchise. They were made in 1970, as an expansion team for the NBA. They are, one of the many, original teams that have stayed the same for over 40 years. They have not yet, won any championships but have had legendary players like Nate Thurmond, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, and Shaquille O'Neal. They have made, only one Finals appearance. In the 2006 season, LeBron James carried the Cavaliers to the Finals, where they got swept by the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were in their prime, with a young & healthy Tim Duncan on their team. LeBron and Mo'Williams led the team through the 2008 season with a combined average of 46 points a game. They also had a combined 11 assists & rebounds.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are owned by a man named Dan Gilbert. Dan Gilbert also owns the Lake Erie Monsters (NHL) and the Canton Charge (NBA Development League). Dan was born in Detroit, Michigan and his real name is Daniel. Dan also owns the Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cleveland Cavaliers play at. He started owning the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2005. He now lives in Franklin, Michigan with his lovely wife, Jennifer. The Cleveland Cavaliers Head Coach, Mike Brown has also coached on the Los Angeles Lakers. Former Coach of the Year, Mike Brown was fired from the Cavaliers in the 2010 season. He coached the Lakers for one season and left to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2013 season.

In my data, I noticed a few things that stood out to me. Without LeBron, in the 2011 season, the Cavaliers still managed to do better than more than 95% of the league in attendance. I'm not sure how, but I'm guessing it was because of curiosity, and the fans worried about how they would do
without LeBron James. I noticed that the total salary increased increased when the Cavs received, Kyrie Irving. I noticed that the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise is not doing as bad as I thought. They bring in nice revenue and their doing great on attendance. A trend I seemed to notice was that, when LeBron left, a lot of essential stats dropped, and some even increased. I also noticed that everything was highest in 2009! Salaries were through the roof and so was attendance. I noticed something weird, that you can see above, attendance dropped in the 2011 season. It was probably LeBron but who knows because this was two years after LeBron left.

In conclusion, why not keep the Cavaliers? They bring in good revenue for the city and provide great games for their fans. They're a playoff worthy team and amazing contribute to their city and fans. KEEP THE CAVS!!

References:
"NBA Attendance Report". ESPN. Dec 7, 2013.
"Cavaliers Attendance". NBA.com Dec 7, 2013.

Octo-cuffs!

In this investigation, I learned how different adaptations of animals can serve as creative ideas for humans. In this assignment, I was asked to research an animal that could inspire me to create a product, service, or skill. The study of Biomimicry guided me in my project. The most difficult part of this project by far, was finding a redesign strategy, because the way that animals live is complex. I had to dive deep into the research on a specific animal, but I learned a lot that I didn't know! I'm most proud of coming up with a solid idea, using the suction on Octopuses to increase the effectiveness of security! That's genius!

 Severed Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own. Smithsonian. 21 November, 2013. 

• Octopuses are also known as Octopoda.
• They have neither an external nor an internal skeleton, which allows them to squeeze through tight places. 
• They have one pair of eyes (2) and four pairs of arms (8).
• They have a hard beak that they use in a scissor-like fashion to protect and fend for themselves, but somehow, their mouth is located at the center of their arms. 
• They are one of the most intelligent and flexible invertebrates. 
• They can be located in any oceans or seas. 
• Having more then 200 species, Octopuses are appreciated most by Mediterranean and Asiatic people, because of their meat.
• The range size for one Octopus is around 2 inches to 32 feet. 
• Hiding, ducking and diving predators, and using their ink, they have many ways to prevent becoming prey. 

"My collage", DR (me). 21 November, 2013. 

My inspiration and guidance was my teacher, who asked, "What can you do to better our lives right now?" Immediately, I thought of the Chicago Police. We discussed handcuffs and octopuses' suction. He raised some interesting questions: "How are they able to keep that suction?" and "How are they able to detach at ease?" I thought about it, and then I researched it. I propose that we do something to increase the effectiveness of our security. Better handcuffs can create an easier job for the police. 

My animal inspiration was the Octopus. Octopuses have suction cups on their arms. Their suction cups contain three different kinds of muscles that allow them to attach and detach, when pressure is applied. Both the funnel and the suction cup contain water inside them. The end of the cup is a sort-of spongy feeling and forms a seal on anything it attaches to. The water inside the cup is allowed to move around, creating suction. 

My form of handcuffs can be created in many ways. The way I vision my design is two cuffs that hold the victim hostage and two suction cups (matching the color of the cuffs) that destroy any hope of them getting away. The two suction cups will attach together on contact, like magnets. To release the victim, there can be a way of applying pressure to the cups in order to make them detach. The cups on the inside can hold water, which keeps the cups attached. Too much water can make them detach because the water isn't allowed to move around and create space for suction. The handcuffs today are not effective and break easy. The apply of pressure to the octo-cuffs allows no detachment from pulling and trying to break free. 

References:

"Octopus", Animal Planet. 21 November, 2013.

"Sticky Feet. I've Got Those Sticky Feet", Awesome Inc. 21 November, 2013.
"Common Octopus", National Geographic. 21 November, 2013.

He SHOOTS... He SCORES!!

In this investigation we learned how basketball affects society. In this assignment we were asked to pick a topic in basketball that connects to society. I chose shot selection. I spent a long while working on my slide and I believe I did a good job on it. I learned that basketball is society, I learned how connected they are.

The "Foxtail" Revolution

In this investigation we had to learn about our specific plant and how we, as humans, can learn from that plant. My elective, Bioneers, helps me understand how humans can learn from plants. I had a bit of difficulty with this project but I'm most proud of the research I did. Going more in depth in the research of the "Foxtail" plant was interesting. I learned the scientific name for "Foxtail" grass, Alopecurus. I have also learned the cautions of "Foxtail", such as its harmful, barbed spikes.

"Foxtail (diaspore)". Wiki. 10 November, 2013. 

"Foxtail Poster". DR. 10 November, 2013.

The Foxtail plant, or Alopecurus, is an annual native grass. Known to just appear in bodies of grass that have been left unattended, Foxtail only comes out from July to September. Its tiny, deadly spikes serve as protection and a hazard for dogs. Its barbed, razor-sharp spikelets are known to pass right through a dog's tissue, piercing the heart, or injuring them exceptionally.

Learning from this plant, we can study it's defensive system. The Foxtail plant can be beneficial in our defensive department. Its spikelets can be used for protection against dangerous stray animals. Instead of implementing scientific, expensive, defenses, why not use "Foxtail" and study how we can improve their defense to help improve ours. Its extremely thin and sharp spike serve as its leading source of protection, can we learn the ways of the Foxtail and use them in a similar way, to upgrade our defense? Using its way of smoothly passing through soft tissue, will it keep any known wildlife threats away?

Applying the uniqueness of the "Foxtail" to our defenses could turn out well. Free defense implemented? Someone call the government!! It may not be as much defense against human beings than against wildlife, but it's still one less thing we have to worry about. If you think about it, "Foxtail" is a nuisance, why not put some use to them? They are all over the U.S., that's just free protection for us,
against other nuisance.

References:

“Foxtail grasses can be lethal to dogs”, Dogheirs Team. 6 November 2013.

“Foxtail Grass”, The Scott’s Company. 6 November, 2013.

"Foxtail Control in Pastures and Hayground", Oregon State University. 8 November, 2013.

"How would Nature solve green building challenges", Biomimicry Institute. 8 November, 2013.

"Plants", Exotic Plants. 8 November, 2013.
"Meadow Foxtail", Plant Materials Handbook. 10 November, 2013.

"Keep It Cool"

In this unit, we discussed Global Warming and how it affects the environment around us. We researched how weather and climate are changing over a period of time, due to Global Warming. We conducted this investigation to help us become meteorologists in our own little worlds. I was surprised to find out how pollution can affect wildlife and the melting of ice caps. The most challenging part of this project was the slideshow below, it was a long process but worth it. I'm proud of myself for accurately converting Fahrenheit to Celsius!

The Environment's End

Reflection: The purpose of this investigation is to help us understand the importance of keeping our environment stable. This project was all based on MDG’S 7 & 8 (Environmental Sustainability and Global Partnership for Development). Our teacher let us choose what issue we wanted to address in our poem. As seen in my poem, I chose Deforestation. I chose Deforestation because it seemed interesting and nobody else really picked it. I wanted to expand my mind to new things. The most important thing to get out of this project, is a feelings for how people are trying to handle our world’s problems. The most difficult part of this was definitely my picture, I’m not a drawer at all. So for me to create this, it was pretty awesome.

“The Environment’s End”, DR, Drawn, 17 Oct, 2013.

My photo represents an overall unhappy environment. Trees on fire, deadly looking roots, smoke all in the air. Clouds turning black and the sun unhappy.

“The Environment’s End”

They are not good people,

They obliterate natural environments.

All the things we love, need, praise, are lost

Not destroyed, but completely destroyed

Deforestation is a crime, a felony,

It should be forbidden,

Our animals come to your home, tear it down

then call it a day.

You’re not alone, they feel the same way.

Fires spread from forest to forest

but men don’t care, they promote it.

How do we expect to reach our goal,

if Men don’t go through with it?

We have to keep our forests safe.

Every year,

30,000 sq. mi of forest land are lost

due to Deforestation.

Is this what you all want?

Fire, death, natural extinction?

At the rate we are going,

ALL rain forests can vanish in 100 years.

That’s not cool,

At least someone notices it.

FOTFP ( Friends Of The Forest Preserves)

have been helping with our Deforestation problem

for over 10 years.

They understand how Deforestation can

not only harm the environment, but us too.

If you didn’t know,

Deforestation lets off bad toxins in the air,

polluting our oxygen that we breathe in.

A wise lady I once spoke to,

told me that Deforestation can lead to disease spread.

Imagine if an infected rodent got kicked out of his natural habitat

and he had to find a new home,

coming in contact with more humans,

giving away diseases.

About 70% of our animals live in forests,

they can’t adapt anywhere else.

So now, you’re killing animals too?

Some type of American,

I thought we needed animals to survive?

How can you just sit there and stare at me,

while this is happening as we speak?

Unless you want an unstable environment I would take action,

NOW!

References:

“Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects”, livescience.com,  Jessie Szala, Web. 13 Oct, 2013.

“Protect, Restore, and Promote”, n.p. Web. 13 Oct, 2013.

“Deforestation”, environment.nationalgeographic.com, n.p. Web. 17 Oct, 2013.
Kanusch, Barbara, personal interview with CDC worker, 16 Oct, 2013. 

Filter That Water !!

This water unit was all about water filtration and how water is given to us. We have been studying how water is made into potable drinking water through the “Water Cycle”. I have to say, i’m kind of proud of my water filter and how it worked. The most difficult part, by far, would have to be gathering materials for the project. I have learned that no matter how much some water is filtered, it will still be dirty.

“Filter that water”, D.R., 1 Oct. 2013.

The only materials needed for this project are: cylindrical container (preferably tall), knife/ scissors, 2 Mason jars, grass/dirt, unfiltered water source, charcoal/ activated carbon, and coffee filters. To build a filter, take these steps: First, gather the materials above. Cut the cylindrical container in half and poke a hole in the cap. Next, stuff the cotton balls in the cap of the bottle. Layer grass and dirt on top of the cotton balls. After, put the cylindrical container in the mason jar, so that the filtered water can be collected. Test the pH of the unfiltered water and record. Pour unfiltered water into the cylindrical container. After the water has filtered through the apparatus, add a pinch (about a gram) of activated carbon. Gently swirl the water to mix the carbon. Filter the water a second time through coffee filters into another Mason jar. Lastly, re-test the pH of your filtered water and record.

How the filter worked was simple; the different layers in the cylindrical container filtered out the bigger debris, whereas the charcoal bound to impurities in the water and sterilized it. My filter worked by using the different properties inside the filter to catch extra dangerous particles in the unfiltered water. The layers catch the debris that shouldn't be in the water, such as dirt, sand, and waste particles. I know that my filter did something to my water, because not only did the color change, but so did the pH.

Before filtration, the water measured a pH of 7, which is neutral, meaning neither acidic or basic. Water at a pH of 7 is health to drink, and falls within the “safe zone” for humans. I was extremely surprised that the filtration process LOWERED the pH to 5, a more acidic value, and outside the “safe” drinking range. Using the log equation for pH (pH = -log [H+]), I know that a pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic than a pH of 7, and also has more hydrogen ions.

I would like to follow up this project with more experiments. In doing so, I might figure out why the pH became more acidic, rather than just cleaner and better tasting. I also wonder, if I had started off with an extremely acidic or basic pH, would the filter have improved the quality of the water? These are some ideas I’m interested in exploring.


References:
“Water Purification.”, n.p. Web. 4 Oct. 2013.

Salário de 3 pontos

In this investigation, I learned the importance of Gender Equality. Throughout the investigation I realized that the way women are portrayed, is the whole reason why they are treated differently. If women continue to do the same things, how do they expect people to look at them differently? If women follow their own stereotypes then how are they going to ever change the men's perspective? As explained in my title; "Salário de 3 pontos" (3 point salary), i'm researching Women's Basketball Salaries v.s. Men's Basketball Salaries in The U.S. and Brazil.

"My visual." D.R. Creation on Spreadsheet, 2 Oct 2013.

This graph represents basketball players average salary over the last couple of years. 
I used colors based on the colors in the two countries flags. 
This visual explains it all, gender inequality is major in this department.
                    

Springfield
607 East Adams
Suite 1520
Springfield, IL 62701

Dear Mark Kirk,

I am DR. I go to GCE( Global Citizenship Experience), a very different school. I live in the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago, IL. I am regarding the pay of athletes. My investigation is addressing MDG 3 (Millennium Development Goals), about gender inequality and empowerment of women. The target of MDG 3 is to eliminate gender inequality in all economical ways by 2015. I am addressing a certain part of MDG 3, though i’m addressing, MDG3: 3.2, talking about women’s wage comparisons. Right now in our country, players in The NBA ( National Basketball Association) get payed up to 100 million dollars a year. Meanwhile, players in the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) get payed up to 107k a year. Earlier in my investigation I saw a film called, “ Miss Representation” and I realized how women are portrayed, is the whole reason why they are treated differently. How women are expected to act, is why people don’t realize their inner ability. Even the name of “Alpha Male” explains it all, this name is so stereotypical that people don’t realize it. We are missing key ideas in everything, leaving women out of the picture.

In the last couple of years, Brazil has made major changes in their professional institute. Some of their professional sports are Co-Ed, like volleyball. Even though their basketball isn't Co- Ed, their players are relatively payed the same amounts (men and women). If you think about it, some very talented payers like; Tiago Splitter and Leandro Barbosa come from Brazil. Brazil is actually a widely sports based country. They have won tons of metals in Olympics and professional competitions.

I believe that Brazil's example of gender equality can rub off well on the U.S. In my visual it shows how equal the salaries of players in Brazil are (men and women). Even though they get payed nowhere near as much as NBA players, you can see the difference in salaries. We, as a country, need to acknowledge the fact that we have an equality issue. Just the fact that we have a 4.5 million dollar gap in our professional institution, should notify you why we aren't in the top 50 countries, regarding gender equality. I can suggest that we start closing in that salary gap by taking away unnecessary money from NBA players that don't deserve it. In my opinion, Women's Basketball players work as hard as Men's Basketball players and should get payed somewhere near the same amount that NBA players get payed.

In conclusion, I want to see more women treated equally in sports. Why is it that WNBA players can get payed up to only $107,000 and NBA players can get payed up to $70 million? Why is it that I cant name any WNBA teams, but I can almost name all the players in the NBA? We are richer than Brazil, doesn't this mean we have the resources to make this happen? We are even one of the richest in the world, and we can't use the resources provided to even out women's salaries? Why is this so? Why can't we offer a better living for our women? All I am asking for is reasonable equality.


References:

“Top Sports Salaries by Country, 2011.” topendsports.com, n.p. Web. 2 Oct. 2013.
“The Global Gender Gap.” forbes.com, Meghan Casserly Web. 2 Oct. 2013.
“About Mark.” kirk.senate.gov, n.p. Web. 2 Oct. 2013.
“How Much Money Do Basketball Players Make In Brazil.” wiki.answers.com, n.p. Web. 2 Oct. 2013.
“NBA’s ‘average’ salary -- $5.15m -- a trendy, touchy subject.” nba.com, Steve Aschburner Web. 3 Oct. 2013.

R.A.G.E Local Profile By DR

     

         The purpose of this investigation was to find out how organizations are helping out in their area, no matter what they might work with: food, students, or even the community as a whole. I chose R.A.G.E (Resident Association of Greater Englewood) as the organization I would study. What they do is simple: they try to establish a more positive change in the Englewood community. Englewood may not be the most popular neighborhood right now, but that’s why R.A.G.E is there. I learned that some people do care, despite the fact that Englewood still isn't at its best. We don’t pay enough attention to those who do care. We went on a field experience to Englewood, walking around, counting liquor stores and vacant lots, and meeting with Growing Home, an organization that provides fresh produce for the Englewood community. Overall, I loved this investigation, and how much I learned throughout the whole unit.


"Englewood Community." n.p. Web. 20 Sep. 2013.

       
      I chose R.A.G.E as my organization. R.A.G.E is also known as Resident Association of Greater Englewood. I chose the Englewood community because in the last month alone, 5 homicides were committed, and because it's my neighborhood and i wanted to see what people were doing to stop the violence (Chicago Tribune). I chose R.A.G.E also because I wanted to know more about my hometown and I wanted to address the Englewood problem. The reason I’m interested in the Englewood community is because I want to see what people are doing to prevent the crime in Englewood. I also want to know who actually cares about the poverty levels on the south side of Chicago. I am also kind of concerned because I live in the Englewood community.

     What R.A.G.E. does is provide resources for people to mobilize themselves and help force a change in the Englewood community. This means that they break down problems in the Englewood neighborhood, creating positive solutions to them, preventing violence and reducing poverty rates. Established in 2010, R.A.G.E. has been working towards making Englewood a better place and looks forward to big things in the future. They increase access by providing programs for those in need of jobs and education, they're widely open to the environment and increase access to needs and wants of the people, needs and wants that they may not be able to provide for themselves. The finders of R.A.G.E are in many departments of business such as home owning, stakeholders, business owners, professionals, students, parents, and grandparents, all fighting towards a better environment.

      I learned there are actually people out there that care about the Englewood neighborhood. I also learned that R.A.G.E’s presence in the community is rapidly growing. On Maslow's Hierachy of Needs, I would say that this most relates to Employment and self-esteem. I think the change they are trying to make in the community is great. A woman named Asiaha Butler explained the variation of assets and resources in the Englewood community. She says that R.A.G.E. launched an Englewood tour of some such, touring many parks in the area. They came across Sherwood, Hamilton, Lindblom, and finally Ogden Park. Keeping R.A.G.E. members busy, the tour became a hit of the summer.

       I can go volunteer at the organization to help out. The target my organization addresses is: to achieve full productive employment and decent work for all, including younger people. Even though the organization is based on Poverty (MDG1) and developing a new community, it is somewhat helping out with Primary Education (MDG2) too. To help out my organization, I can do many things, such as attend one of the events, spread the word, or contribute to the cause. They have certain events where people can come and participate, such as cookouts and tours. These events only grow the organization, putting the word out there can attract the attention of anyone, including any big corporations looking to sponsor.

       To conclude, this investigation has taught me much about the depths of the Englewood community. It has taught me about who actually fights for peace inside the community. Walking the Englewood neighborhood was actually better than I thought. Directions are a bit confusing there, but it’s a jungle, if you have ever been in the Englewood community there is so much opportunity. The extreme vacancy there is fascinating. Who will buy the free space? Why was it abandoned? What will be made out of it? All fascinating questions, for a fascinating, developing place.

References:

"About." rangenglewood.org, n.p. Web. 15 Sep. 2013.

Asiaha Butler, In person 11 Sep. 2013.

H20-Deep Blues By DR

This project was all about comparing and contrasting daily water usages to different countries. The purpose of this project was to get a better understanding of water usage, and maybe even appreciate it more. I enjoyed learning about other daily water usages, I've realized just how much water I used. I use 139 gallons daily, that's completely ridiculous. On the regular, there's people out there that use around 40 gallons of water a day. I've learned that people in Japan aren't so different from me, surprisingly. Thank you, and please view the data i collected below. My daily water usage on the left, and Japan's on the right.  

 

DR (2013) My Water Usage vs Japan's. Internet: Infogram.

In this investigation I ended up having 139 gallons as my daily water usage. I split my day up into 4 daily water categories. Hygiene, Consumption, Chores, and Garden. I ended up with 122 gallons in the hygiene department, 90% of my whole daily water usage. Garden and Consumption didn’t make up much, however daily chores ended up being 6% of my daily water usage. I chose Japan to Compare/Contrast with because I am somewhat fascinated with Japan’s history. My sources say that a normal person in Japan uses about 375 liters of water a day, or 99.2 gallons. The difference between Japan’s daily water usage and mine is about 39.8 gallons. I estimated that it would take me 2-4 hours to carry my own daily water usage from the nearest water source. It’s about 1 or 2 miles away. To conclude, this whole investigation has taught me to value water A LOT more.

LEITE, Carlos (2013) Carry Water!! Chicago: GCE