How Magic Comes To Life

In the second unit of the course Stage Chemistry, we learned about trap doors, the different types, which one is better to use for different situations and we learned about stage decks. We went to Steppenwolf Theater for an FE. There, we learned more about what it takes to make the decks, the safety protocols that have to placed, lighting and different stages. For our action project, we had to chose two motions that happens in the play Aladdin. I chose to do the flying carpet and the cave of wonders. I made a model of my stage and made the motions will work on stage. I made my model from my blueprint. During this project, I had a hard time creating my motions because they are small and making them work was a little challenging too. In this project, I learned how to make a scale model and learned how to be cautions when having traps doors or flying object. I am proud of how my flying carpet turned about because I struggled the most with that, but it looks good and it moves. To know more about how built my stage check out my project below.

KIS. Stage. 2017.

Flying Carpet:
The carpet will be hung from the top with strings and it will be movable. There will be a pulley system that will move the carpet side to side and up to down. The carpet will only be use in the flying scenes and an actor will take the character of the carpet.
There is a rolling car on top of the stage that will hold the carpet with strings. The strings will be attach to pole on top and to the carpet. When the car moves forward, the carpet will move with it like if they are flying straight. I drew the strings that are holding the carpet by hand with a 3D drawing pen called a 3Doodler. I couldn’t find small poles so I did the top system of cardboard symbolizing the metal that will actually hold the weight of the actors. The carpet will just go back and forth. Making all of this motion happen took me about 3 or 4 hours because I would mess up in the measurement and I would have to start all over.

Here are some safety protocols our crew follows to be safe:

• Watch heads when the carpet is flying. 
• Grab onto the edges of carpet when flying.
• Only two people on it at a time.
• Careful with pole on stage.
• Keep balance on carpet so it won’t tilt.

KIS. Flying Carpet Gif. 2017.

KIS. Safety sign for carpet. 2017

Cave of Wonders:
The cave will be beside the stage because it’s used in the beginning. It will be rolled in when needed. The cave is medium size so that an actor can go in the mouth of the tiger. It will be placed in the side of the stage so it can go directly to the scene of Aladdin in the cave.
The cave is thin so it can go directly to a scene inside the mouth. The cave will be on wheels so that it can move easily. I printed a picture of the head of the tiger and a cut a cardboard around it so it can be stable. The head of the tiger is placed on top of a small deck so that it moves across the stage easily and it won't take up that much space.

Here are some things our crew do to keep themselves safe:

• Watch feet when rolling.
• Careful when navigating it on stage.
• Careful when walking through it.

KIS. Rolling Tiger Head Gif. 2017.

KIS. Safety sign for rolling cave. 2017.

Calculations:

KIS. Force Diagram. 2017.

In order to find how much work is put into moving this cave I used the equation: W=FxD. Before I could find out work I had to first find out how many newtons there is and find my distance. For that I did 15x4.44822 = 66.7233N. I multiplied it by 4.44822 because 1lbs = 4.44822N. Then to find the distance I did 3x12ft/4=36/4=9ft/3=3m. Once I had my Newtons and Distance I went back to the equation and put in the numbers, 66.7233Nx3m=200.1699J.

A Whole New Theater

In the first unit of the course Stage Chemistry, we studied stage productions, stages blueprints, how to set up a theater and we blueprinted our school. In doing blueprints, we learned how to take measurement, how to convert inches into feet and how to scale real life measurements to paper blueprints. For our action project, we had to chose a place where we would like to hold a play. We would have to transform the place into a theater. I chose to transform a room in our school for the play Aladdin. I chose it because it has many things that I need for the audience and for the actors. I had to measure the length and width of the room along with other rooms that I used. The other rooms where amenities for my theater. During this project, I had difficulties measuring the rooms and converting them to feet. I also struggles with finding ways to satisfy the actors and audience when creating the environment for the rooms. In this project I learned how much work goes into a stage production, how calculating the measurements is really important and how you have to think of the actors, audience and how you want to play to turn out. Overall the project was a little stressful, but I liked how I challenged myself to do more rooms then put everything in one and doing all the calculation. To know more about my project, check it out below. Hope it give you an idea when planning a play and making your stage.

I chose a room called OC because it's a big room and I was able to imagine my stage in that room. OC gave me space to have a stage that is big enough for the actors and I have plenty of seats, that is what I wanted. In the process of planning the seating, stage and how it will all work in opening night. I was thinking about the audience and actors all the time. I wanted to give the actors a space for themselves and I wanted them to feel special by having two room for them. I also wanted to audience to feel comfortable by having a lobby for them, restrooms available for them and providing a variety of snacks for them. Although having different rooms for these things I had to measure the rooms to scale it to paper, which was work than I had to do and was challenging, but I was able to do it with help from my peers and teacher. Creating the blueprints took more time than I thought because I kept messing up in the scaling and placing things where I want them to be. I also took a while to thin of good logic statements because I didn't want to write something obvious. I struggle a little in this project, but I liked how I challenged myself with more rooms even if in that time it was hard and I was able to go through with it. I like the final product of my blueprints and my cover page.

JV. OC. 2017.

Comparing my theater to Goodman Theater:

Insight On GCE

In the third unit of the course System and Models, we studied Commons, I-O Psychology, Six Sigma, Total Quality, how to evaluate companies and groups. We watched a motivation video demonstrating mastery, purpose and accountability. We watched another video about incentives, how people work more for certain things and how people incentives change over time. For our FE’s we talked to Jessica Tondreau and Eric Davis. Jessica is GCE’s counselor and Eric is the founder of GCE. We talked to them because they know how the school function, what is the purpose of a different learning style that we have and what the school is meant to be. For our action project, we had to look at a system in the school and break it down using an evaluation called SWOT. I chose to look at equipment because it’s a topic we are facing right now, where there is no respect for it. Along with choosing a system we had to relate it to Business Trends, Commons, Maslow Hierarchy of Needs, System Thinking and I-O Psychology. We also had to conduct interviews and come up with a solution. During this project I had difficulty with getting interviews from students and I had a little trouble connecting everything to my topic. In this project I learned how to look at different aspect of a problem and how to come up with a productive and satisfying solution. To know more about the cool equipment that we have at GCE and that students can use, check out my prezi below. Hope you enjoy it!

Individuals Have An Impact

In the second unit of the course System and Models we studied, groups of people, what brings them together, what breaks them up and their behaviors. We came up with trust exercises to test how good do we know each other. My classmates got creative and made test based on background, what would you take to an island, two truths and a lie and building things together. We had an FE to Mariano’s where we did a quick sample test of what our project would be. We each chose a food bars that are popular, we sat somewhere close and observed who would buy something, just looks and what gender they were. At the end the data showed that people would buy and approach the hot food bar more. For our action project we conducted a research study on a topic that interests us. I chose double parking because it’s something I see a lot and I don’t think it’s fair. Especially double parking on a street that is busy, that has residential zones and that have many business. During this project I had difficulties with being on time to record the data because I would come home just on time or I would have to go outside without a jacket to get data. I learned that not many cars double park, but it does have a big impact on the people in their neighborhood. If you want to know more about my finding on my double parking study, check it out below. Hope it’s informative and interesting. Thank you.

Self Analysis

For the first unit of the course System and Models we studied, psychologists, people, groups and ourselves. We researched psychologist that are part of history, we researched what they were known for, their background and what other accomplishments they did. We watched so many test to show how certain people react to things, situations and people. Some test we looked at was The Marshmallow Test, The Slap Her Test and The Stanford Prison Test. They all tested different people, different age group, different scenarios and they test to see what part of our human nature shows up. We also took personality test to know more about ourselves. We took the Myers Briggs test, TKI test, Enneagram test, Disc test and Conflict test. For our action project, we took the results we got from the test and include them in a self portrait. Our self portrait could be anything we consider art like painting, drawing, sculpture, abstract and many more. I chose drawing because it’s something I can do. Along with my drawing I wrote an artist statement that explains my art and what it represents. During this project I had difficulties with coming up with my final drawing and getting a view of a professional artist. I learned how long it takes to write an artist statement and how much detail you have to put in it. Also I learned and confirmed a lot from the personality tests. Overall I had fun with this project and I enjoyed it. To know more about me check out my artist statement below.

KIS. Self Portrait Drawing. 2017. 

Self Portrait
Drawing
8.5” by 11”

In my drawing I am the flowers. The big flower is me to everyone, I am an introvert, I don’t talk much to anyone and I just observe everyone. Once people get to know me I become the open small flowers around the big flower because I talk more, I care for them, I am friendly and I have a strong connection to my friends. My drawing represents how i've been for my whole life until now. The music notes don’t represent me, but music has been in my life and it’s an important part in my life. That’s why I chose notes to represent music. I used the TKI and the Myers-Briggs test to help me create my self portrait. The TKI shows up in the big flower in the middle because I am an avoider of conflict so I am just closed off and quite. I also don’t attempt to satisfy my own needs nor attempt to satisfy the other person’s needs. The flowers around represent the other test, I am an ISFP. I am the small flowers because once people get to know me I am friendly, I step up onto what needs to be done, I live in the present moment, I help others, I am non judgemental and I am loyal. Isabel Briggs Myers, Gifts Differing said "The work of their hands is usually more eloquent than anything they say." (Myers, page1). Another ISFP, David Keirsey, Please Understand Me II said "The Composers are attuned to sensory variation, which gives them an extraordinary ability to work with the slightest nuances of color, tone, texture, aroma, and flavor." (Keirsey, page 1). A person who I identify with is the psychologist and philosopher William James. James is known for introducing psychology and bringing psychology laboratories to the United States. I identify with him because he had an interest for philosophy and I like to use philosophy in some situations. Also he had back issues like I do, but his was more serious. I also used the “Slap Her” test to relate to. In this test small boys were asked to slap a girl and all didn’t because it’s not right, they don’t want to hurt her and they were raised not to hit girls. This is similar to the way I think. I treat others the way they treat me and I always respect people because that’s how I was raised.

In the beginning I had different idea but after talking to a couple of classmates my self portrait changed. My initial idea was going to be a drawing of many things that make me what I am today, but my drawing didn’t fulfill the rubric and it didn’t explain me good. It only showed the outside of me instead the inside. I had to rethink my drawing and my classmates helped me with it and it became to what it is now. I chose nature as an overall theme because I like nature, specifically flowers. The point of my self portrait is to tell others how I am and not to expect other things from me that I might be able to do or reach their expectations. To see that to get into my trusted circle of friends won’t be easy and it takes time. I also think from a different perspective, I like to think outside the box and step back to fully analyze a situation. I want people to think that I can be a flower. I can be very closed off and sometimes come off with a not intended bad vibe, but I can open like a flower over time. Having the artist statement count more than the portrait itself influenced me to have a simple drawing. In the statement I have to worry about getting into detail and explaining my drawing and thought process. I honestly like it better because I don’t have the right skills to make a detailed drawing, painting or sculpture and writing is something I am good at. In this project I had difficulties with finding the right person for my interview and expressing myself through the drawing. I did not expect to find it so hard to come up with a concept that represents me and that fulfil the rubric. It was easy to do the interview after I got a hold of a person.

I interview Jackelyn to know how professional artist write their artist statement. I learned that she likes hearing the viewers opinions of her art and she likes leaving it open for them to interpret it how ever they want. “I know a lot of us don’t like writing them, but gallerie and different people in just either the art community or non art community want to know more about an artist” she said. While talking with her this struck me because it shows the side of the artist in writing the artist statement and how it’s a requirement so that the viewers can understand it more.



Citations:

“Good and Bad Avoiding | Using the TKI to better resolve conflict.” Psychometrics Canada. N.p. January 22, 2017. Web. January 11, 2016.

“Isfp.” ISFP in Depth - Discover Your Strengths and Make the Most of Your ISFP Talents | Truity. N.p. January 22, 2017. Web. January 11, 2016.

Golden Music

For the course Radio-rithmetic, we studied frequency, sound waves, notation, scales, intervals, effects and many styles of music. We went to the radio station The Drive (classic rock) for an FE, there we saw how a radio station works, the different departments, how to be on radio, how/who makes the clips for programs and the marketing that goes into it. Another FE that we went to was to Chicago Recording Company (where they’ve recorded Lady Gaga & Chance the rapper), where we learned about the shape of the room, how a room can affect your recording, how things that are in a room can play a role in your recording, how a soundboard works, different types of speakers and post production. I liked both of the FE's because I gained different perspectives on how the music industry works, what goes in it, the different jobs you can have, and it was really cool to see the sound board and to see what goes on behind the scenes. For our action project, we made a song with original clips, existing clips and effects. I chose a Pentatonix theme and I mixed sounds together. During this project I had difficulty coming up with a vision for my song because I wasn't clear on what I wanted for my end product and I was missing my original components. I learned how to add different effects, what they sound like and what they do. Check out my song and explanation of my song below. Hope you enjoy it and find it interesting.




To make this song or mash up, I spent lots of time looking for songs that have similar beats or similar themes. My first song was really simple and didn’t have much originality, in my second one I was stuck and my songs didn’t have good transitions and I was still struggling with adding original beats. In my third try I took a totally different direction, I chose to go with acapella and more upbeat music compared to the past songs that were just slow and piano. All of the songs I chose and changed are by Pentatonix (PTX), an acapella group. I tried to have consonance in my song, but there are some parts that are dissonant and I liked it so I left it like that. For example, both tapping can be off by a bit when looping it. It sounds good when there is consonance because it goes together and with dissonance it’s a little off, but then goes back to consonance.

Once I had the tracks together and had the melody I felt like it needed more of a beat so I created two different taps, one fast and made with my finger and the other slow and made with a toothbrush.

KIS. Beat. 2016. 

I played a chromatic scale after the harp for a transition and to add a twist to the song. I used a digital piano on Garageband to make it.

KIS. Chromatic Scale. 2016. 

The form of the song is mostly intro of the different song and some chorus. These are mixed with the base song and some original clips are included in the chorus. The form is Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus.

For the intro and the cover Water I use phaser which is an effect that creates loops of the same clip. The toothbrush tapping and the Ref clip has reverb which recreates the sound of various rooms’ echo and it is the decay of the sound. The piano has a chorus and flanger effect which makes the clip sound like there are instruments in the background and sounds underwater. The cover of Where Are You Now has an auto filter which filters out certain frequencies. The clip of fast tapping has an auto wah which makes the tapping sound move. The cover of Gold has a speech enhancer which is basically the name.

KIS. Mixing. 2016. 

After this project I learned how to let my creativity loose and how to include different songs that I like to make one. I had fun giving it a twist and creating layers with original or existing clips. I struggled a little bit in the beginning, but I really liked my end product because it sounds very interesting and it mostly sounds good. I also had fun playing around with the sound effects for each clip.

Citations:

• Pentatonix. “Cover of Gold (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. October 14, 2016. Web. December 15, 2016. 
• Pentatonix. “Cover of Where Are U Now (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. September 25, 2015. Web. December 15, 2016. 
• Pentatonix. “Ref (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. October 15, 2015. Web. December 15, 2016.  
• Pentatonix. “Water (Acapella).” Online video clip. Youtube. October 15, 2015. Web. December 15, 2016. 

 

Planning My Future

For the second unit of the course Economics, we studied investing, bonds, mutual funds and stocks. We also learned how to find a 2 by 2 matrices determinant, inverse, solving a system of equation and a 3 by 3 determinant by hand, using a matrix calculator we can find the answer for the rest. An FE that we went to was Northwestern Mutual Funds, there we met Sara Samuels a financial planner. We learned about her job and how she ended up doing that job. We also skipped with Eric Davis on what is the time to start saving and investing. For our action project, we made a financial portfolio. We were given $49,128.87 and we had to make three SMART goals of 1 year, 5 years and 25 years. With the money we had we invested it onto companies, I chose Walt Disney and Apple. Further details of my reasoning is below. During this project I had difficulties with the math part and deciding what percent of my money I want to spend on each company and in the given years according to the goals. Overall this project was an eye opener for what I have to do to have a stable financial future and I am proud of all the research I have done for this project. 

                _______________________________________________________

I will have $49,128.87 to invest. My investment philosophy is to make as much money as I can be a little risky, but just enough to make sure I don’t put too much money on the line.
I have an average/moderate tolerance for risk. See the results below.

My time horizon is 1 year, 5 years and 25 years. My goals are...

1-year goal: Safe $20,000 for college years.

5-year goal: Get an moderate apartment or house for $30,000.

25-year goal: I will be 42 years old in 25 years. I will want to be close to my retiring age and I would like a safety net for when I have my retirement. Also the safety net will be good if something happens to me and I can’t work anymore. I would like $45,000 for my expenses for the rest of my life.

The companies I would like to invest in are Walt Disney and Apple. I know both of these companies very well and their audience has a big range from children to adults. I am investing in these companies because they are big right now and they look like there is big potential and stability.

I decided to invest in Walt Disney because the mission of The Walt Disney Company is to be one of the world’s leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, they seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world. The price of a share is $93.05. Disney’s Price Earning ratio is 17.84 and the industry Price Earning ratio is 23.32. The market cap is $149.51 Billion and Disney’s div yield is 1.53%. Bulls reasons to buy are weaker dollar increases number of foreign visitors to Disneyland, the Disney brand is still strong and world-famous and the movie business is highly volatile. Bears reasons to sell are Disney union workers will make wage and benefit cuts difficult, when the going gets tough, advertisers scale back and consumers stop flocking to theme parks and live action studio. Also, an opinion from an analysis helped, using valuation metrics that are tied directly to earnings growth. They consider current and future earnings expectations in conjunction with the PE multiple to determine fair value on a peg ratio basis. Their earnings driven observations entail complete earnings cycles to remove seasonal anomalies, they remove one time events to identify truer growth rates, and they do not look ahead further than two years because they do not trust analyst expectations beyond that time frame.

I decided to invest in Apple because they have a strong moat where costs get low after a while on a product and strong branding. Apples cost of one share is $117.63, the market Cap is 633.68B and the Price Earning ratio is estimated to be 14.12 in 2016. A bull is Iphones will grow again, China growth will slow but still do well, Macs and Ipads account for 20% of revenue, other products and services will be created, it has a perceived value, generates a lot of cash for buybacks and dividend increases. A bear is Iphones have peaked, China is slowing, ipads continue to plummet, Watches don’t contribute enough to make a significant difference, shares are fully valued, all the excess cash is overseas. Apple does pay dividends and the last record of them paying was on August 8, 2016 and it was paid out in regular cash at an amount of $.57.

For my 1 year goal I split 50/50 on both companies.
Math: AAPL-25% DIS-12.5%
Equations: (%)(ROI)+(%)(ROI)=ROI portfolio & P(1+R)
(0.5)(0.25)+(0.5)(0.125
0.125+0.0625=0.1875 ROI:18.75%
P(1.1875)=20,000
20,000/1.1875= P=$16.842.11
$16.842.11/2=$8,421.05
AAPL: $8,421.05
DIS: $8,421.05
I have $8,421.05 on both companies.

For my 5year goal I split 60/40 on both companies
Math: AAPL-25% DIS-12.5%
Equations: (%)(ROI)+(%)(ROI)=ROI portfolio, (1+R)^T & P(1+R)
(0.6)(0.25)+(0.4)(0.125)
0.15+0.05=0.2 ROI: 20%
(1+0.2)^5
(1.2)^5= 2.48832-1=1.48832 ROI: 148.832%
P(2.48832)=30,000
30,000/2.48832=P=$12,056.33
$12,056.33x0.6=$7,233.80
$12,056.33x0.4=$4,822.53
APPL:$7,233.80
DIS:$4,822.53
I have $7,233.80 on Apple by being risky and $4,822.53 on Disney.

For my 25 year goal I split 30/70 both companies
Math: AAPL-25% DIS-12.5%
(0.3)(0.25)+(0.7)(0.125)
0.075+0.0875= 0.1625 ROI:16.25%
(1.1625)^25=43.13442…-1=42.13442 ROI:4,213.442%
$49,128.87-$16.842.11-$12,056.33=$20,230.43 is how much I have left from my total in the beginning.
(20,230.43)(43.12442..)=$872,628.02
I have $872,628.02 for my 25 year goal from both companies.

I have a stock sector which are Disney, entertainment and Apple, technology. Being a diversified entertainment company, Disney faces a number of competitors in its various segments. Some of the main media conglomerates with which Disney competes include Viacom Inc, Time Warner Inc., Pixar, Dreamworks, Twenty-First Century Fox, CBS, and Comcast. While the personal computer running on Microsoft operating systems has remained favorite of consumers since the 1980s, Apple has maintained a loyal following of users who report high satisfaction with the company's Macintosh computers and Safari operating system. Major competitors in this space include Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer and Lenovo. Apple is by far the most profitable and biggest selling company in this industry. Direct competitors are Google, Samsung, Nokia and Asus. The iPhone has literally decimated Research in Motion's business model and caused the company to restructure several times. Google produces the Android operating system, which is installed on most non-Apple phones produced by Huawei, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Lenovo and others. The two major players in this space are Apple and Google, with the Apple iOS running on its iPhones and iPods, and Google Android running on most competitor phones and tablets. Each operating system interfaces with iTunes and the Google Play Store respectively, allowing users to purchase music, books, applications and other media.

I said 50/50 for the first year because it is just a year and I wouldn’t or lose too much. I decided 60/40 for 5 years because I wanted to be a little risky, meaning that I can lose more or get more, so I increase the percent for Apple because they have the higher percentage. For the 25 years I decided to go safe, meaning earning little but knowing that I won’t lose that much. I did that to make sure I don’t lose money and make sure I had money for my soon retirement. I split my money in two different investments because I didn’t want to risk just focusing on one company and not reaching my goals. By dividing in at least 2 companies I can make sure I will reach my goals.

Three assumptions I made are:
I assume our ROI will be relatively continuous (no big downward swings)
I assumed I would get the exact money for my goals
I assumed in distributing my asset allocation

Sources:

• “About - Leadership, Management Team, Global, History, Awards, Corporate Responsibility - The Walt Disney Company.” The Walt Disney Company. N.p.n.d. Web. October, 23, 2016. 
• “Apple Inc (AAPL) Return on Investment ROI quarterly, average high and low, overall ranking.” CSI Market. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 25, 2016.
• “Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz.” Personal Finance. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 20, 2016.
• Kelly, Keith J. "Here’s What Disney Wants in Its New CEO." New York Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
• “Must-know guide to the Walt Disney Company’s competitors.” Must-know guide to the Walt Disney Company's competitors. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 25, 2016. 
• "Walt Disney Co. (DIS) | Valuation Ratios." Stock Analysis on Net. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
• “Walt Disney Company (DIS).” Stock. N.p.,n.d. Web. October 23, 2016. 
• “Walt Disney DIS”. MorningStar. N.p.,n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
• “Who are Apple's (AAPL) main competitors in the tech industry?” Investopedia. December 3, 2014. Web. October 25, 2016.

College Plans!

For the first unit of the course Economics, we studied opportunity cost and how everything has a price your time, your choices, and the things you do. It was heavily filled with concepts of how people think and incentives. We studied math concept such as, simple interest, compound interest, continuous compound interest and matrix. Another thing we learned was Supply and Demand curves, how it can shift depending on a product. We went to the Federal Reserve Bank for our FE and we were able to talk to Rick Matoon a Economist. We asked him question about his job and what the Federal Reserve controls the economy. For our action project, we chose a career and two paths to get to our career in college. I chose Music because I am a harpist and I wanted to see the number to get my bachelor's degree in that Major. I choose two schools that I could go to, I chose Valparaiso University and UIC University of Illinois at Chicago. During this project I had difficulties in getting the right numbers to do the math and I learned how pursing this Major can impact my future after college. Below is a sound cloud of an extended explanation for my decision and the slideshow shows the cost of attending college.

Redesigning is Hard?

For the third unit of the course Urban Planning we studied things such as how do all of the different parts fit together to create a city, and what is the difference between a well-designed city and a poorly designed one. We also studied different cities to see how they were planned, how streets are organized, how transportation works and how everything comes together. We also learned that T.H.I.S. means Transportation, Housing, Infrastructure, and Services, while N.I.M.B.Y stands for Not In My BackYard. We watched TED Talks from different people, who believed that our city is boring, it needs to be fixed, it needs to be beautified and the new urban planning should benefit the people. For our action project, we chose a spot anywhere in the world to redesign according to what we learned. I chose the city Matagalpa in Nicaragua because I am going there for the summer and I chose a triangular spot that didn’t have anything. During this project I had difficulty with Tinkercad, a 3D design program and I learned how redesigning a place for people around the area is not easy.

---

I will be redesigning an area in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The area I chose is a triangle with nothing on it, not even grass. It’s in a corner between two streets, in front of houses on two sides and next to a soccer field. Strengths of this area are that it’s big, and it’s close to a street so it’s not in the middle of houses. Some weaknesses are that it’s a triangle so it will be difficult to use the whole space, it’s close to the soccer field, so people might prefer to go there instead and it’s in front of some houses, so people living there might complain having strangers in front of their house. This space needs a beautiful garden with a fountain, different trees, seats and lots of flowers.

The shape is a triangle. The measurements are 314.06 ft by 442.71 ft. The equation to find the area of a triangle is ½ x base x height. Plug in the numbers and you get: A= ½ x 314.06 x 442.71, A= ½ x 139,276.566. A= 69,638.283ft^2.

KIS. Google Matagalpa Space. 2016.

Some improvements that this space can use to make it for the people and pretty are to add a leaf design to the space, add a bridge so they can be able to see the design from above, add trees to make it like a park, stepping stones so they don't step on the grass, and a flower like seating area (tall and cut in half both ways to make the seat).

KIS. New Design. 2016. 

I was inspired by a leaf vegetable garden design called La Chatonnière. I was inspired by it because of the way it included nature and enhanced mother earth. I was also inspired by the Japanese garden, not only because of the trees, but also the bridges they have. Their bridges have different architecture than usual ones and that was something that caught my attention and I would like to make a similar one.

My redesigned space is for pedestrians primarily, there is no designated parking for cars. There are lots of houses close to the garden and the garden has a bridge so they can see the design from above. Some services that my garden will need will be water to take care of it and someone will need to buy grass because there is no grass in that area.

Flower pedal seat: Half a cylinder
Diameter: 29.6 ft, Radius: 14.8ft
Height: 8
Pi x 14.8^2 (8) = 5505.07/2 = 2752.53ft^3

Tree Sphere:
Diameter: 21 ft, Radius: 10.5 ft
4/3 pi x 10.5^3
4/3 pi x 1157.625
4/3 (636.78) = 4849.04ft^3

One difficulty I encountered during this process was putting some space between the park and the houses that are close to it. I used the bridge to draw an imaginary line so I that my design doesn’t go beyond the bridge. I also struggled a little in making it appealing because since there’s a soccer field next to it I want my design to bring people and use the space. I also struggled with the Tinkercad program I used to make my 3D model because it was hard to get precision and try to create everything that is on my sketch in the model. The only thing that I don’t have on my model is the seating inside the leaf and I wasn’t able to show the bridge clearly.

Electrical Circuit and Home Appliances

In the second unit of the course Urban Planning, we studied circuit diagrams, circuit flow, more about the World’s Fair, Ohm's Law, AC vs. DC and the War of the Currents. To study more about structure we went to the only building left from the World’s Fair, which is the Museum of Science and Industry. There we saw a Tesla coil and we went to the Brick to Brick exhibit, where all the structures of buildings were made out of LEGOs. For our action project, we were given a scenario to build a circuit with five resistors, one main switch and one parallel switch. We were put with partners to create the circuit and along the way it was very difficult to get all five resistors to work at the same time and to have the parallel switch. I learned how to make a circuit in this project and how something small can stop the circuit from functioning.

Popsicle Bridge

In the first unit of the course Urban Planning, we studied Newton’s three laws, vectors, Free-body diagrams, magnitude, law of sines, law of cosines, similar triangles, bridges, types of bridges, tension and compression and equations of motion (V2=at+V1, D=1/2at^2+v1t and 2ad=v2^2-v1^2). For our FE we went to the Chicago Architecture Foundation where we saw downtown Chicago's structure in a 3D model and we walked around to see bridges and observe how they were built, supported and what type of bridge they were. For our action project, we were put in partners and we built a 1 foot long bridge that will hold 10 pounds made of 50 popsicle sticks. During this project my partner and I had difficulty deciding what structure we wanted to build so that our bridge could be strong and look nice. I learned how calculations are important in your design and I am proud of our bridge.

Music Clock!

In the third unit of the course Light, Sound and Time, we studied sundials, arc length, longitude, latitude, complementary and supplementary angles, sextant, pendulum, time zones, circumference, Pythagorean theorem, distance formula, cocks and different ways to tell time. We also did a mini lesson on a chapter that we read of our choice out of the books Einstein's Dreams, E=mc^2 and A Brief History of Time. I read the book Einstein's Dreams and I did a mini lesson on how time affects youth. For people who live in tall buildings or far away from Earth's core they age slowly because time passes slowly whereas if you live closer to the core time passes faster. For our action project, we designed a unique device to tell time. I mixed a 70’s boombox and a 2015 Apple watch. My clock is called a Music Clock and it tells time by playing your favorite album as an hour passes. As I was doing this project I had difficulty finding a quote and showing the cool features my clock had. I learned different ways to tell time and how creativity has a big influence. To learn more about my Music Clock please look at my video below.

Quote:

"Music is a Moral Law. It gives Soul to the Universe. " 

-Plato

Citations:

• Williams, Rhiannon. “How the Apple Watch was created.” The Telegraph. Mar 10, 2015. Web. March 16, 2016.
• TOMO. “Who invented boombox?” Who Invented? DECEMBER 20, 2010. Web. March 16, 2016.

 

Life Is Easier With Technology

In the course Rapid prototyping, in the first unit we studied how to calculate distance, what is a 3D graph and how to make one. We al so learned about machines that makes our lives easier for example, the silhouette cameo, the water jet and the laser cutter. For our action project we choose two letters from the alphabet and choose two number 1-5. I choose the letter lowercase "k" and "l" and I choose the numbers 2 and 5. According to the numbers that was the materials we has to use or incorporate in our letters. I got vinyl and fabric, but last minute the fabric wasn't able to be used so I change to cardstock. During this project we had to create the letter twice one made by hand and the other using the machine cameo. I had fun doing this project and I am proud of my letter "k."

Vanessa's Bike

In the second unit of the course Design and Engineering we studied gear ratios, the power rule, area, volume, slopes, derivatives, potential energy and kinetic energy. We also learned about the parts of a bike, types of bikes and what impact they have on the rider. All of these concepts are hard in their own way, but I was able to pull through with extra help. We focused a lot on bikes because this course is about innovating, meaning that we are going to innovate bikes. The FE's that we had like going to the bike shop, Dyson and Alan were very helpful because we not only learned about bikes, but we learned some history of it, how to make things and the process of building something new. For our action project we worked in partners, and were assigned a person who bikes everyday and that needs a new bike. I got Vanessa who takes her brother every morning to a daycare before going to school. We needed to innovate a bike that fits her needs and make a prototype of it. During this project I had difficulty making the prototype and I learned pre-calculus. If you want to know more about this awesome bike please look down below for more details about it.

KIS & TS. Sketch. 2015

KIS & TS. Vanessa's bike. 2015.

In this unit we studied the wheel in motion, what energy it creates before and after (potential energy and kinetic energy), ratios, velocity, mass, weight, speed and the formulas that go with them. The purpose of this project is to innovate or create a whole new bike for someone. We were assigned people and we got Vanessa.Vanessa is a 17 year old, she lives by the United Center and she bikes 4 miles to school. Everyday when she goes to school she has to drop off her baby brother at a daycare then she goes to school. She takes roads under the train so it’s loud, there are many potholes and she leaves her bike in front of her house locked to a pole because she doesn’t have space to put it in. I am proud of our final design; it meets Vanessa's needs and had some cool upgrades that we added. In the process of making this project I learned that a bike’s frame doesn't have to be traditional, it can be any shape but it just needs to be stable, hold things together and distribute the weight evenly. Also technology is being included into bikes which I didn’t know, but I like. Also the aerodynamic bikes are cool because it makes you gain more speed and the material it’s made out of is comfortable.

KIS & TS. Bike Structure. 2015

The bike that we created for Vanessa has a shield protector for the baby in the back and a comfortable seat. It has mountain bike tires for the potholes she goes through everyday. It has a thick wire inside the frame so it can lock between the bike and the pole so no one can steal it. It also has a basket in front for Vanessa's book bag or anything else. It provides a gel seat and gel handles for the long bike ride and it has three different ways she can grab the handlebar so she can accommodate to however her hands feel. From the interview I conducted my friend said “Bullhorn handles are the most effective but many say drop handles look the best.” Our bike also has a soundproof shield for her baby brother when they ride under the tracks. Vanessa should trust our design because it’s modern, it helps her in her daily routine and it will make her life easier so she can focus on important things. Getting to the math behind a bicycle, Vanessa takes 23 minutes to get to school. Vanesa would take 10.43mph (miles per hour) and 4.66 mps (meters per second). The wheel’s diameter is 28 in. and the circumference of the wheel is 87.92 in. The wheel will rotate 2882 times during her journey and the model that we built is 14 times smaller than an actual bike. For the gears the bike has a small cog in back and big cog in in front because that way she can decide at what speed she wants to go in order to get a smooth ride and the gear ratio is 1:2, there is 30 teeth in the small gear and 60 teeth in the big gear. In terms of energy Vanessa has more potential energy when she is on top of a hill and has more kinetic energy when she goes down a hill. In the process of innovating it was really hard to come up with a way to make the loud train noises go away when a train passes because we didn’t want to transform the bike into a car so I decided that Vanessa can handle the noise but her baby brother can’t because babies have sensitive ears. We created a sound-proof shield around the baby's seat so he doesn’t hear the noises and it protects him.

KIS & TS.Over view. 2015.

Super Pickaxe

In the first unit of the course Design and Engineering, we learned lots of math. For example we learned the rates equation and formulas for volume and area. We learned about what is a lever, a wedge and an inclined plane and their purpose, as well as vectors, Trigonometry and the equation for work. Leading towards our action project we interviewed a gardener and I interviewed my dad. We interviewed them to see which tools they like, which ones they don't like and which ones they prefer. We also went to a Home Depot for an FE and there we learned about gardening tools, how they have improved over time and what they are used for. For our action project we picked a tool from Home Depot and our challenge was to modify it for the elderly to use. I chose the pickaxe because it was interesting and no one else seemed to notice it. It was a big challenge to figure out how to make the pickaxe lighter, but that still had the same effect to break things and I am proud of my final design.

KIS&WV(2015)Storyboard 1.

KIS&WV(2015)Storyboard 2.

The purpose of this assignment is to modify a gardening tool for the elderly. My tool is a pickaxe and I brainstormed ideas for the elderly to use without getting hurt. For this project empathy played a huge part in designing for someone else. My definition for empathy is understanding someone else's feelings like if you are in their shoes and empathy relates to the project by taking into consideration the elderly and their needs. From the interviews I have conducted I learned that tools help and can have many uses even if one doesn't like the tool. I also learned that gardening is never over. My interviewee said “A tool I find helpful is the shovel because it can move the dirt around and dig holes for the plants.” This helped me in the design process by showing me what tool is a necessity. Besides my interview I did research on my tool, the pickaxe. There haven't been many variations, it's meant for heavy duty work and it's not a common gardening tool. The difference between the original pickaxe and the improved one in stores is just the size, handle material and weight. The way I modified to tool was that I kept the same basic idea of a pickaxe, but it has a telescope-like handle, it has a shovel at the top and the weight can be adjusted by putting water in the head. The way the new tool works is by using the pick to break something and use the shovel to move it. Depending on the object you want to break the weight on the head can be adjustable. Focusing on the parts of the tool, the pickaxe splits things apart and breaks them. To clean the mess the shovel comes in handy. To adjust the weight the person can add different amounts of water into the head and to store it in small places or make it take up less space the handles can get smaller (when needed it gets big). Our tool uses wedges a lot because the pickaxe has one pointy side and the other is flat, but still has the triangle form. The shovel has a point and it also moves things around. With that our tool is great because it can adjust to however the person wants it, it is two tools in one and it looks cooler and occupies less space.

                                           

KIS(2015)Super Pickaxe.

Spine

In the first unit of the course Cure, we studied cells and surgeries that need to be done fast. As an example of surgery we watched a surgery in the knee in 3D and it looked really painful. When looking into surgeries we also look at the cells that are being affected, the tissue the process, what will be use to cell the incision and what you have to do at home to help heal yourself. In our action project we included all of those things in the specific surgery we chose. I chose Neurosurgery on the spine more specifically in the lumbar part. I created a prezi to show my research on the spine and if anybody have spine problems they might have to have a spine surgery.

Measles Epidemic!

In third unit of the course Disease, we studied how virus spread. An example is Pandemic, Epidemic, Endemic and more. We also learned math, the R0 value and Graphing( slope, point-slope and y-intercept form). We used the R0 value in our project and it explains how the virus will spread in terms of people infecting others. For our action project, we chose an outbreak that happen some time ago and we did a script explaining the virus, what place the outbreak occur, how and why. I chose the Measles outbreak of 1875 in Fiji because Fiji seems like a beautiful place that someday I would like to visit and to present my information on Measles I did a newscast script. During this project I had a hard time trying not to put too much information in my script and making it entertaining. When I was doing this project I was surprised with what Measles can cause, how serious it is and how it affected Fijians in that time.



Breaking News!

Today is a terrible day, Its 1875 and there has been an outbreak. The virus that is spreading is Measles, it’s spreading all over Fiji. If you’re a Fijian be careful and stay safe. Measles was discovered by a Persian doctor in the 9th century. In 1757 Francis Home, a Scottish physician discovered that Measles is caused by an infectious agent in the blood. This virus was brought to Fiji when the King Cakobau sailed to Sydney, Australia in December because he and some other Fijian chiefs signed the Deed of Cession which handed Fiji to Great Britain. When he came back the virus was in his ship. The virus wasn’t brought by an animal, but the people on the ship already had it. Measles can be spread by caught, sneeze and by touching the people who have it. The symptoms of Measles doesn’t appear until 7 to 14 days after getting it, meaning that you can spread it without knowing because the virus can live on infected surfaces for up to 2 hours. The way you know you have it is by you having high fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, watery eyes and skin rash. Measles became an epidemic because Fiji is made of 850 islands, but only 100 islands are inhabited and those islands trade resources to one another. Also since Fijians are isolated from the world, their immune system isn’t that strong as to someone who lives in the US or Europe. Also by the looks of it this epidemic lots Fijians are going to meet their deaths. Beside the cause of the trading ships carrying Measles, the MMR vaccines weren’t invented so Fiji didn’t have it. The MMR vaccine stands for Measles, Mumps and Rubella. This vaccine wasn’t invented until 1963 when there was so many Measles outbreaks happening all over the world. So what they did do to treat it was lots of bed rest, drinking fluids to prevent dehydration, taking ibuprofen to ease the fever and taking vitamin A supplement. Although this treatment didn’t work at least the people didn’t have a painful death. The R0 value is 12-18 meaning that one person can spread the virus between 12 people and 18 new people.

In the graph above you can see that Australia and Philippines are close to Fiji so these two country will represent Fiji. As you can see from 1995 to 2008 there is spikes of epidemic outbreaking. In Philippines there is lots of outbreaks so then there could be a possibility of viruses traveling to Fiji.

What you see is the latest updates of outbreaks of Measles. In 2008 there barely any outbreaks but starting in 2009 there has been more outbreaks. As you can see in 2009 and 2010 the outbreaks happens more in Africa. Then in 2011 it starts spreading to other countries. For example, France, Spain and the US.  

Ways to prevent the epidemic from spreading more is to first isolate the people who have the virus, use the home treatment and look for any other vaccines that can help get rid of Measles. By the looks of the epidemic spreading I would estimate one-third of the Fijian population will die.




Doucleff, Michaeleen. “How Vaccine Fears Fueled The Resurgence Of Preventable Diseases.” NPR. N.p. January 25, 2014. Web. March 19, 2015.

Gapminder World. Web. March 20, 2015.

“Measles History.” CDC. N.p. November 3, 2014. Web. March 22, 2015.

“Measles in Fiji, 1875.” Weebly. N.p. Web. March 19, 2015.

ADHD

In the second unit of the course Disease, we studied mental disorder. How some disease can affect the brain and the persons body. We specifically looked at Schizophrenia and OCD as examples. Schizophrenia is a disorder where you have negative voices in your head and has a big influence in your decisions. OCD is when someone has to do something repeatedly like checking the door lock to be safe, although the person don't want to the brain does it. For our action project we chose a mental disorder and do a simulation where other people can experience what people with the mental disorder you choose feels. I chose ADHD because someone close to me has it. During this project I had some difficulties in creating my simulation but at the end it wasn't that bad. I learned that ADHD can be combined with ADD and that their is lots of treatments for it.

Scientific Definition: A childhood mental disorder with onset before 7 years of age and involving impaired or diminished attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. Also called hyperactive child syndrome in the twentieth century.

My definition: Someone who needs guidance in completing their everyday tasks and understanding of how their brain works differently than others.
 

KIS. ADHD Flier. 2015

Hypertension

In the first unit of the course Disease, we studied body disease but more specifically the different types of cancer that we can get in our body. We also studied the body systems that we have and how diseases can effect those parts either it's cancer or other diseases. For our action project, we chose a disease that someone that we know has and then interview them. I chose hypertension because my three of my family member has it. I chose to interview one of the that is really close to me, so I can understand what she is going through. Throughout this project I learned so much from my mom and how it affects her. I had difficulties in drawing my person and the parts where the disease affected her.

Hilda

Hilda is in her 30’s and has two children. She was diagnosed with Hypertension two years ago but she does not know how long she has had it. The first symptoms that she had without knowing was that her sensible eyes would her so much with the light and that let to having terrible headaches most of the time, along with nausea. One day she was feeling so bad that she went to the doctor and the doctor told her she had Hypertension (High Blood Pressure).

It is still a question today weather Hilda got Hypertension genetically because her mother and grandmother have Hypertension too. Although the doctor hasn't told her it genetically the pattern of it being is clear. The family history is very clear that most likely is genetic saying that both of her children or one of them might have the possibility of having hypertension.

After Hilda’s diagnoses more of her symptoms started to kick in. She kept getting headaches, she would get dizzy, nausea, her eyes kept hurting, few times she would have chest pain and she doesn't feel like doing anything because her body is tired or her brain is too focused on the pain that does not allow her to feel energized .

He life has changed a lot since she got diagnose of hypertension. She realized that this disease is a silent killer sickness and that she has to be very careful with it. Now she appreciates and enjoys her life and family more. The first thing she did in order to adapt to her new life with hypertension. She learned how to manage her stress, she wont worry for things she can not change and she changed her lifestyle.

Unfortunately hypertension doesn’t have a cure. Hilda haves to live with it for the rest of her life, but she can do something about it. She can control her High Blood Pressure, she can eat more healthier foods and by that she can lose weight. She can also control her stress at work and in her personal life. Hilda does not take medication, according to her “ At the moment I am not taking any medication because once you start taking it, it’ll be for the rest of my life and that’s what happened with my mother.” Hilda lives with her struggles to keep her pressure under control because she prefers to live like that than to count on medication that may cause some side effects.

Hypertension 

Hypertension can occur anywhere and to anyone it just depends on where you life, your gender and your race. For example, a study conducted by Dr. Levine shows that there is a 46% risk of hypertension occurring black women than in black men. Also Birmingham, Alabama has a higher risk of hypertension than Chicago, Minneapolis, and Oakland, California because Birmingham has a higher 20-year incidence of hypertension by 33.6 % while Chicago has 23.4%, Minneapolis has 19% and Oakland has 27.4%.

Hypertension is caused smoking, having too much salt in the diet, the lack of physical activity, stress, older age, genetics, chronic kidney disease, too much alcohol consumption, being overweight or obese, adrenal and thyroid disorders.

The symptoms that people should look out for are severe headaches, vision problems, chest pain, difficulty in breathing, irregular heartbeat, blood in the urine, and fatigue or confusion. A crisis of hypertension can lead to a heart attack or stroke and if untreated it can lead to serious diseases, including stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and eye problems.





Hypertension starts off in the cardiovascular system. The heart t is the first to organ to have problem then moves into the arteries. This disease can cause coronary artery disease, enlarged heart and heart failure. Healthy arteries are strong, elastic, flexible and the inner lining is smooth so that blood flows to organs and tissues to give nutrients and oxygen. With hypertension there is too much pressure of blood flowing and it cause problem such as aneurysm, artery damage and narrowing.

With damaged arteries the nervous system is affected, specifically your brain because your brain depends on the blood to work properly. High blood pressure can cause severe problem such as transient ischemic attack, strokes, dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

Also by having injured blood vessels going to your kidneys, which this is part of your endocrine system. It damages them and can cause kidney failure, kidney scarring, and kidney artery aneurysm.

As you can see hypertension may seem like it is not a big deal but it is because it affects important parts of your body that can lead you to serious consequences. If not treated this disease is not only damage your heart but also your brain and kidneys because they are all connected.





Jody Charnow. “Geography, Race, Gender Affect Hypertension Risk.” Renal and Urology News. N.p. Web. Feb 13, 2015.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “High blood pressure.” Mayo Clinic. N.p. Web. Feb 12, 2015.

Life Expectancy

In the last unit of the course Population we studied population growth in the world. For our last action  project we calculated the how many people there would be in 2050 and we chose a topic that contributes to population growth. I chose Life expectancy because due to a high population we now have low life expectancy. Doing this project I had a little difficulty putting my scrip together because I didn't want the argument to agree with one each other. From this I am most proud of my research.

Aaron. Calculation. 2014

The human population in 2050 would be 10,715,465,520. This calculation is a geometric sequence
because it does not increase constantly. Our estimation is reasonable because right now we have 7,125,000,000 people in the world and it will keep increasing.

Script:

[Roy walks into a funeral home to talk to the owner about arranging a funeral] 

Roy: Hello Alex!

Alex: Hey Roy.

Roy: So how’s the funeral business going?

Alex: Business has been going good. Since life expectancy is lowering now a days.

Roy: Are you sure? Because I thought that there were 21 births per 1,000 people, while there are 10 deaths per 1,000 people. Meaning, that the human population is growing at 1%.

Alex: Which gender do we see here the most?

Roy: Male.

Alex: Exactly! The reason for that is because we men take more risks in life than women do saying that the life expectancy for men is lower than women's.

Roy: Well, even so I actually heard that the UN estimates that 3.7 billion people on earth will die, but another 6.6 billion people will be born in 36 years from now. Then that would state that the amount of births would double.

Alex: What you’re saying is very true Roy, but because there are many causes of death sometimes there will be more deaths than there are births.

Roy: …. I have to go I have a funeral to arrange,but don't think we finished this conversation Alex.

Alex: Ha, ok then good luck.

Roy: Thanks, bye.

Alex: Bye.

Naam, Ramez. “Life Extension and Overpopulation”. IEET. N.p. Web. Oct 23, 2014.
Kinder, Carolyn. “The Population Explosion: Cause and Consequences.” Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. N.p. Web. Oct 23, 2014.
Copeland, Larry. “Life expectancy in the USA hits a record high.” USA Today. N.p. Web. Oct 23, 2014.