Karsen Ward
Science
Honors Pre-Physics ALA
Grade: 9
Teacher: Mr. Schiferl
Honors Pre-Chemistry ALA
Grade: 9
Teacher: Mrs. Taylor
Penny-Lab Writeup:
For our first lab in Physics, my class was split into groups of two and presented with a challenge: We were given a sealed envelope with an unknown amount of pennies inside. We were told to think of two different methods to find out this number. My partner and I decided to do one more complicated experiment, where we subtracted the weight of an envelope from the total mass of the filled envelope, and divided this number by the mass of a single penny. For our second method, we just held the envelope up to the nearest light and attempted to count the shadowed circles. What made the whole experiment really difficult and hard to control, was the fact that Mr. Schiferl put one "cardboard penny" in the envelope as well, so some of the data we got was thrown off.
As a scientist, this assignment taught me the importance of taking notes and doing research before completing an experiment, because some of the details I learned were very necessary to have and even inspired the idea to complete it the way I did. I also realized that not everything is going to be straightforward, so I have to be prepared to get unexpected results and be able to identifty the possible errors that could have caused them. Infact, there were many things that could have gone wrong in this experiment (triple beam balance, varying masses of pennies due to ages, etc), and I had to learn how to move past this, and complete the task to the best of my ability while being very careful. As the first lab, the Penny-Lab also helped me to become familiar with the process of doing background research, experimenting, following directions, taking detailed notes, etc. which really helped me through the rest of this course.
Atomic Structure and Periodic Table Test
The second major test I took in chemistry was on atomic structure and the periodic table. This unit was one that I understood fairly well, however I tended to easily forget the content I learned from one class to the next. Because chemistry was the class I was struggling in the most, I knew I really needed to focus on this test. My teacher gave me a study guide which had an overwhelming amount of information on it. I decided, after reading over it and making sure I understood each individual part, that I should try to make flashcards on quizlet (shown on the left). This was a new method of studying for me, because normally I just read through and practice with my notes.
It turned out that this method was really effective for me. I was able to quiz myself using the app, and focus on my weak points. I learned that I work well when I experience repetition. I came into the classroom the morning of the test feeling prepared, and recieved a perfect score! This unit was extremely beneficial to me in that it taught me more about myself and how I learn, and helped me to better remember information in chemistry, and in all my other classes.
Classification of Matter Handout
After having a quick lesson on pure substances and mixtures, our class was given this handout to complete for homework. I spent the last twenty or so minutes of class to work on this with a partner, and we completed it before class ended. I put a lot of effort into my work, however I didn't put as much effort into understanding the material. When I got this grade back, I was not very pleased with it. This packet being one of the first assignments of the class, it really helped me to recognize the importance of taking my time to not just complete these informational packets, but also to really read, understand, and apply all of the lessons in them. I went back through the packet, and found some careless mistakes that I was able to pick out right away. But with some other questions, I didn't quite understand either what went wrong, or what the question was asking. At this point, I went to Mrs. Taylor for help and she explained everything so it made much more sense. Overall, although I did recieve this undesirable grade, the lessons I learned from it have helped me save so many others because I discovered flaws in my own methods and a new way to approach these assignments. Since completing the packet, I really improved in the class, and I realized that sometimes the best way to learn a lesson and to benefit in the long-run is to experience a failure at first.
