Below is a list of the tasks I hope to accomplish in each month throughout the year.
September: -Decide on the sample size and age group for initial experiment -Learn about how to take care of "D. magna" -Decide on factors that I will be focusing on in my initial experiment (ex. heart rate during different times of the day) October: -Order a kit of "D. magna" -Observe and record findings for 3-4 days -Repeat several times with different age groups (adults, juveniles, neonates) and compare results November: -Decide on which detergents to test in the spring -Come up with an experimental procedure for the spring experiment December: -Plan on specific details of experiment (volume of detergent, number of detergents testing, when to start the experiment, age group of "D. magna" that will be used) January: -Gather materials for experiment (detergents, "D. magna", lab equipments) -Start experiment as soon as possible -Gather first set of data February: -Perform multiple trials of experiment (possibly with different detergents or different age groups if time allows) March: -Analyze results into graphs -Start making presentation slides April: -Finish making power point -Practice presenting May: -Continue to finalize power point and practice presenting -Present during reunion weekend
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Hello, my name is Alice Kim, and I am a senior at Emma Willard School. I have been in the STEM program at Emma since my freshmen year and in the STEAM Signature program since my junior year. I am highly interested in pursuing my college major in environmental engineering, which is what my senior research project is based on. Last year, I worked on improving the happy light through summer scents in which I successfully completed experiments to prove my hypothesis and presented at the end of the year. This year, I want to focus my project mainly on environmental issues and examine the acute cardiac effect of detergents on "Daphnia magna". To give a little overview of how I chose my research topic, I participated in the Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair during the spring break of my junior year with a project in which I examined the acute cardiac effect of Roundup on "Daphnia magna". Roundup is a company that produces "eco-friendly" weed killers. However, there have been many claims that refute this statement, so I engaged in an extensive research in which I carried out experiments on a water flea called the "Daphnia magna" to scientifically prove the claims. Following this successful research project, I wanted to expand on my research with the water flea in a different direction. Considering a fair number of science experiments use "D. magna" due to its transparent body that allows scientists to easily measure its number of heartbeats under a set time, measuring the acute cardiac effect would be an effective way to test my new hypothesis: detergents negatively impact the marine life.
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AuthorHello! My name is Alice Kim, and I am a senior at Emma Willard. I am interested in learning about environmental issues. ArchivesCategories |