PP Adviser Meeting 7

On December 5th, 2012:

Today we had our last personal project adviser meeting for the year. We discussed several things about the product. Ms. Kannan gave back the corrected version of my specifications which I will be editing and submitting tomorrow. I have been told to send my blog link to her and also post my unit question on edmodo. I felt a bit nervous about the length of my PowerPoint. Ms. Kannan told me not to worry about the product but the actual report. I am planning to start the report during the school holidays as I want to make sure I have enough time to complete it. 

Yavnika Kumar

5.12.12

Final PP Product - A glance

Final pp from avni13

Completion of PP Product

I am almost finished with my product and the only necessary step left is sending it to Ms. Kannan for last minute touch - ups. Since she is my English teacher, she will be able to correct all of my mistakes (which hopefully I will not be making again). I have to print some documents which I will be exhibiting during the Personal Project Evening next year.

Yavnika Kumar

2.12.12

PP Adviser Meeting 6

Unfortunately, I missed this meeting with Ms. Kannan. I completely forgot about it and now I feel bad about it since I am usually not this forgetful. I would like to make it up to Ms. Kannan by attending the next meeting, ready with my product. I am nearly done!

Yavnika Kumar
2.12.12

Current Progress

Right now I am working on my PowerPoint presentation. I am trying to assemble the research correctly. I only have a week to finish my PowerPoint. I have created several different sections in the presentation which are not hard to understand for the public. I am trying to make this presentation presentable with as much information needed. I have attached a copy of my current slides.

Yavnika Kumar

4.11.12

PP Adviser Meeting 5

On Monday 8 October 2012:
I was supposed to meet with Ms. Kannan on the 5th of October but due to some unexpected work Ms. Kannan had to postpone the meeting to Monday. We discussed mainly our goals which we have to be finished with by December. I planned to finish my product by our next meeting which will be on November 16. I have less than a month to work on my product. I have already started my presentation. I will be assembling my research into the PP now. I feel like I am a bit too relaxed about this and I should probably try to work faster and efficiently. I plan on working on this product during the Mid October break. 

Yavnika Kumar

18.10.12

PP Adviser Meeting 4

On Tuesday 11 September 2012:
I met with Ms. Kannan for our fourth PP Adviser Meeting. We planned many things about the coming days. I was told to print my AOI Statement and Specification to hand in to her. I still have to do that and so I will be handing this in tomorrow. Due to homework load, I have not been able to work on my personal project regularly and this is scaring me a little bit since I have to finish my project before December break. I have to decide on a catchy title for my project and a global research question such as "What are the advantages of renewable energy?". I have figured out that I will be needing two laptops during the exhibition. My goals for now are finishing the PowerPoint and research. These are the main focus of my project currently. They will hopefully be finished by December. 

Yavnika Kumar

4.10.12

Top 5 Renewable Energy Facts :)

These are five facts I found about renewable energy:

1. "The largest wind turbine in the world, located in Hawaii, stands 20 stories tall and has blades the length of a football field" (alliantenergykids.com)
2. "More than 10,000 homes in the United States are powered entirely by the solar energy"  (alliantenergykids.com)
3. "If it could be properly harnessed, enough sunlight falls on the earth in just one hour to meet world energy demands for a whole year"  (independent.co.uk)
4. "Water is the most commonly used renewable energy resource, providing enough power to meet the needs of 28.3 million people"  (independent.co.uk)
5. "In 200 B.C., people in China and the Middle East used windmills to pump water and grind grain"  (alliantenergykids.com)

MLA Bibliography:

Alliant Energy. "Fun Facts about Renewable Energy." Alliant Energy Kids. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <http://www.alliantenergykids.com/energyandtheenvironment/renewableenergy/022403>.

Arendar, Ana Caistor. "The Natural Solution: Ten Facts about Renewable Energy." The Independent. N.p., 14 May 2007. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <http://www.independent.co.uk/student/magazines/the-natural-solution-ten-facts-about-renewable-energy-448818.html>.

Yavnika Kumar

9.09.12

Fun Renewable Energy Games and Quizzes for Kids

These are links to games for kids regarding renewable energy:
A great way to teach them about renewable energy!

- http://www.neok12.com/diagram/Energy-Sources-01.htm
- http://www.neok12.com/vocabulary/Energy-Sources-01.htm

These are links to quizzes:

- http://www.neok12.com/quiz/ENESRC02
- http://www.neok12.com/quiz/ENESRC01
- http://www.neok12.com/quiz/ENESRC03
- http://www.neok12.com/quiz/ENESRC04
- http://www.neok12.com/quiz/NATRES01
- http://www.neok12.com/quiz/NATRES02

Yavnika Kumar

9.09.12

PP Adviser Meeting 3

On Tuesday 14 August 2012:
I met with Ms. Kannan for the third Personal Project Adviser Meeting. We discussed about our progress during the holidays. I had told her that I had finished my AOI Statement and I was drafting my Product Rubric. I showed her my AOI Statement and the Rubric as well. She gave feedback on the rubric saying that I should complete it by filling in the details of all areas. She passed my AOI Statement. I even showed her my blog and the progress I have made with my Process Journal. We made some plans for me for the future. As I will be travelling this December and I won't have time to work on my product during the winter break, I will have to finish everything except the evaluate stage before I go. This means that I have to finish my research by mid - October and the product before I leave. I have approximately 40 days to finish all of the research I need for the product. And then I will have another 40 days to finish my product. We also discussed about my product type. Ms. Kannan gave me examples of PowerPoint presentations, booklets, essays and more. I am mostly attracted towards a small PowerPoint presentation and booklet for my audience. Since we will be presenting our project, I think I want people to be able to understand my topic in a short span of time and an essay does not fit that specification. We planned our next meeting which will be in the second week of September, before we leave for Week Without Walls. I still have a lot to research and so I need to provide myself with more time for this. This is all I have planned till now.    

Yavnika Kumar

9.09.12

Product Rubric Reviewed

This is my rubric for assessing my product:
Draft 2 -

	Content: Depth of Understanding	Organization: Clarity of Work	Sources: Relevance of Research	Style and language: Quality of Work
Seed:	Student does not have any understanding of the subject. Student does not strive to achieve an understanding.	Clarity cannot be seen at all in the students work.	The student’s research is not at all relevant. Application of research is extremely poor.	Extremely poor – Student does not use a range of language mechanics. Piece of work is ineffective. Work is not attractive at all.
Seedling:	Student has minimal understanding of the topic. Student makes a very low effort to gain understanding.	There is somewhat clarity in the students work.	The student’s research is somewhat relevant. Student shows some level of application.	Minimal – Student uses a very limited range of language mechanics. Work is barely effective. Work is barely attractive.
Leaves:	Student has an average understanding of the topic. Student makes some effort to understand.	Student has minimal clarity in work.	The student’s research is relevant and application is somewhat average but needs more.	Average – Student uses an average range of language mechanics. Work is somewhat effective. Work is somewhat attractive.
Flower:	Student has exceptional understanding of the topic. Student has made consistent effort to gain understanding.	Student has excellent clarity in work.	The student’s research is relevant to the topic and is applied properly.	Extraordinary – Students uses a wide range of language mechanics. Work is extremely effective and attractive.

Yavnika Kumar

9.09.12

Article 3 - Mozambique Goes Green, Blindsides International Mining Interests

Oil Price:
When thinking of Africa, only words like hunger, poverty, famine, drought, and malnutrition appear in our minds. We can not really understand that Africa has after all become a developing nation. It is hard to believe what with all the conflicts and poverty which still resides in the heart of Africa.
Foreign companies invest in Africa for its excess resources which has made it a resource hub for international companies which exploit the governments desperate "for foreign revenues" (oilprice.com).

This map shows the oil activity occurring in Mozambique after the discovery of heavy amounts of natural gases in the ocean and on land as well. 
An article by oilprice.com stated the Government of Mozambique, distinctively the Ministry for Coordination of Environmental Affairs (MICOA), "has cancelled 146 investment projects in various economic activities because they failed to meet the requirements of the country's environmental laws". This clearly shows that even though the Mozambican Government could gain so much from foreign investments but they refused to damage their environment. The Zambeze Coal Project, owned by Riversdale Mining Ltd., were granted an exploration license. The originally Australian Company had proposed to transport coal to the sea by using the Zambezi river as a transport medium. They also submitted an Environmental Impact Report which concluded the this activity would not cause significant damage to the environment. The Mozambican Government, nevertheless, restricted them from doing this. If the Zambezi River would have been used to transport the coal, it would have concluded in a natural disaster as the coal would have infiltrated the water. The villagers living in the nearby small villages who depended on the river for clean water would have lost their access of water. Moreover the wild life living in the wilderness fearlessly would also have lost their source of water. The fishes in the river would have died due to chemicals and other things. This would also cause the fisherman to loose their jobs and become jobless. The Zambezi River is the largest River Basin in South Africa which flows through Mozambique, Angola,  Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and also Zimbabwe. The governments decision has saved several lives and showed their concern for their country's growth and prosperity. 


MLA Bibliography for Article:
Daly, John. "Mozambique Goes Green, Blindsides International Mining Interests."Mozambique Goes Green, Blindsides International Mining Interests. Oilprice.com, 7 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 July 2012. <http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Renewable-Energy/Mozambique-Goes-Green-Blindsides-International-Mining-Interests.html>.


MLA Bibliography for Image:
Wentworth Resources. Mozambique Oil and Gas Exploration. 2011. Photograph. Mozambique. Oil and Gas - Mergers and Acquisition Review. Sanjay Samuel, July 2011. Web. 19 July 2012. <http://mergersandacquisitionreviewcom.blogspot.com/2011/07/mozambique-oil-gas-exploration-in-2011.html>.

Yavnika Kumar

19.07.12

Final Draft of Area of Interaction Statement

AOI Statement

                Renewable Energy is a great way of saving our earth from environmental diseases such as global warming, pollution, resource repletion and more. My project is about environment and the consumption of resources, which has increased greatly over past few years. Renewable sources of wind and solar energy can be used to alleviate several issues the world faces today. Biomass, which is the usage of plant growth for energy, can save millions of resources that are being wasted consequently. I have always cared about the environment and followed environment friendly ways, which help the earth become a better place to live on. I have been linked with many energy projects in which I tried to establish the need to recycle and reuse materials. The environment has a huge role because it the first and foremost basis of our lives. Our actions on sustainable development and conservation are what improves and maintains our atmosphere. We have several responsibilities to our environment, which require deep understanding on every consequence that can occur. Therefore, I will be taking action on issues concerning our environment and what should be done to maintain and improve it.

                My AOI is Environment because my whole project is based on the consumption of environmental resources. Renewable energy is a major part of the environment. Resources that we find in our environment can be of two types: renewable or nonrenewable. Coal, petroleum, and natural gases may not be recycled and reused but solar and wind energy can be. During this project, I would like to gain awareness and understanding of the roles our environments play in the lives and well being of humankind, the effects of our actions, attitudes and constructs, such as sustainable developments and conservation, and the nature and role of local and international organizations responsible for protecting our natural environments. I would reflect on our actions to our environments and take action on a range of issues related to environments.

                My final product would be a research paper, which will include most of my research on renewable energy. This will be a small packet of information with my essay and some posters as well.  This may include its advantages and disadvantages as well. My main goal of this essay will be to show why renewable energy should be used, especially in the case of resources such as oil, coal, natural gases etc. I have created specifications for my essay, which will be based on my depth of understanding, relevance of research shown, clarity and quality of work. At the exhibition, I would like people to see my effort to promote recycling of any sort. I am planning to put up posters around the school and also my father’s office, which have interesting facts about renewable energy. I will also display these posters at the exhibition. I might even make a brochure, which will focus on some small articles on my topic and let people know what my project is about. The basic idea of my product is let everyone know what the advantages of renewable energy are and how effective it can be if used properly.

Changes have been highlighted.

Yavnika Kumar

19.07.12

First Outline of Product Rubric

Rubric for Grading Project Product

	Depth of Understanding	Clarity of Work	Relevance of Research	Quality of Work
Seed: 1 – 2
Seedling: 3 – 4
Leaves: 5 – 6
Flower: 7 – 8

Yavnika Kumar

16.07.12

Comments on AOI Statement

I was really confused about my AOI Statement because I didn't know what else to write. And so I asked my good friend to help me out and comment on it. She told me three basic things which are:


1. Add more on why your topic falls under that certain Area of Interaction.
2. Final Product (Essay) - Is it going to be in the form of a booklet or a packet or something else?
3. Think about what you want those that come to see your project at the Exhibition time to see. How are you going to present your research paper and your project itself? Explain that.


These comments really have helped me understand what more I need to write in the statement. Now I just need to elaborate on the statement using these key points and then I can send this to Ms. Kannan for verification. :)

Yavnika Kumar

16.07.12

AOI Statement Final Draft

AOI Statement

                Renewable Energy is a great way of saving our earth from environmental diseases such as global warming, pollution, resource repletion and more. My project is about environment and the consumption of resources, which has increased greatly over past few years. Renewable sources of wind and solar energy can be used to alleviate several issues the world faces today. Biomass, which is the usage of plant growth for energy, can save millions of resources that are being wasted consequently. I have always cared about the environment and followed environment friendly ways, which help the earth become a better place to live on. I have been linked with many energy projects in which I tried to establish the need to recycle and reuse materials. The environment has a huge role because it the first and foremost basis of our lives. Our actions on sustainable development and conservation are what improves and maintains our atmosphere. We have several responsibilities to our environment, which require deep understanding on every consequence that can occur. Therefore, I will be taking action on issues concerning our environment and what should be done to maintain and improve it.

                My AOI is Environment because my whole project is based on the consumption of environmental resources. Renewable energy is a major part of the environment. During this project, I would like to gain awareness and understanding of the roles our environments play in the lives and well being of humankind, the effects of our actions, attitudes and constructs, such as sustainable developments and conservation, and the nature and role of local and international organizations responsible for protecting our natural environments. I would reflect on our actions to our environments and take action on a range of issues related to environments.

                My final product would be a research paper, which will include most of my research on renewable energy. This may include its advantages and disadvantages as well. My main goal of this essay will be to show why renewable energy should be used, especially in the case of resources such as oil, coal, natural gases etc. I have created specifications for my essay, which will be based on my depth of understanding, relevance of research shown, clarity and quality of work.  

This is what I have done so far in my AOI statement. I think there are still somethings that need to be added but I will have to think about those first. I can't send this to Ms.Kannan now because she said she wanted my final AOI statement. My first paragraph is complete but my second and third paragraph need to be elaborated on. I really don't know how but I will try to get help from someone. Will get back to this really soon. 

Yavnika Kumar

11.07.12

Article 1 - "Green Fuel from Carbon Dioxide"

Science Daily:
      Most of us know that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and it has a great effect on global warming. My first article is about a research team at the Freiburg Materials Research Center (FMF). The research team, led by Dr. Ingo Krossing, have now developed a system by which they can produce methanol using carbon dioxide and hydrogen. 
      Methanol is used in many ways and we can find it all most everywhere. Methanol is found in shampoos, the making of plastic bottles, car components. It is also used as "an environmentally friendly alternative for gasoline" (sciencedaily.com). The scientists are trying to "harness the power of carbon dioxide on a large scale and integrate it into the utilization cycle as a sustainable form of energy production" (sciencedaily.com). They are using hydrogenolysis, a process in which you combine carbon dioxide with hydrogen in a high pressure environment producing methanol.
      Methanol is less dangerous when used as an alternative to gasoline than conventional fuels. The scientists are hoping to be able to produce methanol on a high scale in around two years with this technique. They are stating that "when methanol burns carbon dioxide is released again and if the same molecules are used twice then 50 percent less carbon dioxide" will be used to produce energy (sciencedaily.com). Scientists at FMF also stated that "The amount of methanol that could be converted from 10 percent of the yearly carbon dioxide emissions in Germany would cover the country's yearly fuel needs" (sciencedaily.com). The scientists are trying to prove that methanol has a great amount of potential if used properly. There goal of producing methanol with large scales of carbon dioxide only contributes to their thought on preserving and storing energy for future needs. 
       I found this article to be interesting because I never knew that carbon dioxide could be recycled. If the scientists at this research center succeed in their goal then the world would benefit greatly from this. We would be able to store energy for approaching disastrous circumstances. 

MLA Citation for Image:
FMF. Doctoral Candidate Elias Frei Controls the Temperature in the Reactor of the Catalyst Test Device. 2012. Photograph. Freiburg. Science Daily. Science Daily, 13 June 2012. Web. 9 July 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120613132937.htm>.


MLA Citation of Article:
Science Daily. "Green Fuel from Carbon Dioxide." Science Daily 6 June 2012: n. pag. Web. 9 July 2012. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120613132937.htm>.

Yavnika Kumar

9.07.11

Article 2 - "Innovation allows Amazon villagers to make ecological history"

The Guardian: 

      My second article, which I will be writing about, is based on the innovative ways amazon villagers used to create an Eco - friendly environment. The Island of Cinders or Ilhas das Cinzas is situated between two streams of the Amazon River. The village is about a six hour boat ride and 2 days further from Macapa which is the capital of Amapa State in Brazil. 

      The villagers have kept everything in tact from the forest to the water, which is "filtered and recycled". Farming and fishing are controlled. Their main income is from Palm Hearts and Acai Berries. They live on white prawns which they found in mangrove swamps. The villagers initially arrived in the village in the 1920s or 1930s and there were only a handful of them. They came to usurp the plots of land without having any right over them. They were mainly tempted to do this due to the "potential of logging and the river's well - stocked waters". The people settled there and slowly expanded. Currently, there about 100 families and 350 people in total. 

      The village reached destitution when their supply of the white prawns was hampered when the reproduction of the white prawns was restrained by the fishing methods. The community found it very hard and time - consuming to farm and harvest because they never farmed that material, they only caught the Acai Berries and Palm Hearts. Moreover, the value of the Palm Hearts decreased and "the market for Acai juice was relatively small". 

      NGO's became quite active and an agricultural engineer, Pinto came and studied the farming techniques of the villagers. He carried out a process and set up a scheme which was well approved by the islanders. At the end of the year, the villagers decided to modify their macapis, which were the cages they used to catch the white prawns from the swamps. The size was increased so that small baby prawns could easily escape and the bigger prawns would be captured. This would help the smaller prawns reproduce and then grow. Pinto also found out that there too many macapis and so he cut down the macapis to a sustainable number. This also gave the villagers enough time to farm and harvest the berries and palm hearts. This brought more than double the income by selling larger amounts of berries and palm hearts. The islanders worked collectively and made great profit. 

      Since then, the Island of Cinders has set an example for reusing, recycling and preserving their surrounding environment. The Brazilian government even rewarded the community for using Eco - Friendly ways and promoting renewable energy. 

MLA Bibliography of Photo:

Calton, Gary. Collective Work … on the Amazon Estuary near Macapa. N.d. Photograph. Macapa. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 19 June 2012. Web. 26 June 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/19/sustainable-living-island-brazil-amazon>.

MLA Bibliography of Article:

Bourcier, Nicolas. "Innovation Allows Amazon Villagers to Make Ecological History." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 19 June 2012. Web. 26 June 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/19/sustainable-living-island-brazil-amazon>.

Yavnika Kumar

26.06.12

Personal Project Product Rubric Idea

I would like to grade myself in a creative way and so I chose proficiency levels. There are four levels: seed, seedling, leaves, and flower. I found a photograph on Google Images which helped me illustrate what I mean by saying proficiency levels:

I said seedling instead of sprout, roots and stem because these are part of the process when a seedling is growing. This photo could be used to make others understand what I would like to accomplish and in what way I will be assessing my product. I don't want just a boring rubric with numbers. These steps will help me progress because I can now categorize my steps to the final product.


MLA Bibliography of Photo:
"Smart Art – Life Cycle of a Plant." Smart Art – Life Cycle of a Plant. Ed. Christ Lutheran School. Christ Lutheran School, 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 26 June 2012. <http://blogs.clutheranschool.org/tech/2011/10/17/smart-art-life-cycle-of-a-plant/>.

Yavnika Kumar

21.06.12

Reflection 1 on Progress Till Now...

Reflection 1:

I think I haven't accomplished as much as I would have liked to till now. The summer break has actually caused me to become extremely lazy about the Personal Project. It was understandable during the last few days of school as we were having exams and that was the only thing in my mind. I have decided to finish most of my research by the end of the summer break. I have been keeping in touch with Ms. Kannan. I asked her to suggest ideas for my rubric. She suggested that I select levels of proficiency which will describe my final products progress. She gave examples like eggs, caterpillar, cocoon, and butterfly or ingredients, batter, cake and then cake with icing. I think I will want to do the plant cycle which is seed, seedling, leaves and flower. Since my project is related to the environment and its growth, this would be most appropriate. 

Yavnika Kumar

21.06.12

AOI Statement - Paragraph 1

First Paragraph of AOI Statement - 

I have drafted the first paragraph of my personal project statement which will be identifying and explaining my topic. It will also include why I show personal interest in this particular project:

"Renewable Energy is a great way of saving our earth from environmental diseases such as global warming, pollution, resource repletion and more. My project is about environment and the consumption of resources, which has increased greatly over past few years. Renewable sources of wind and solar energy can be used to alleviate several issues the world faces today. Biomass, which is the usage of plant growth for energy, can save millions of resources that are being wasted consequently. I have always cared about the environment and followed environment friendly ways, which help the earth become a better place to live on. I have been linked with many energy projects in which I tried to establish the need to recycle and reuse materials. The environment has a huge role because it the first and foremost basis of our lives. Our actions on sustainable development and conservation are what improves and maintains our atmosphere. We have several responsibilities to our environment, which require deep understanding on every consequence that can occur. Therefore, I will be taking action on issues concerning our environment and what should be done to maintain and improve it."

I think I might need to refine some of the information because I feel I am repeating myself sometimes. Overall, I think I have nicely explained my topic and why I want to do this. 

Yavnika Kumar

21.06.12

Day Before PP Adviser Meeting 3

Tomorrow I will be meeting with Ms. Kannan again. I will show her my personal project AOI statement and will also make corrections to it. I will post the final copy as soon as possible. I have been wanting to meet Dr. Abhiyankar for a long time now and I think I should meet him this weekend as time is flying by and I need to get some work done. I haven't started my research at all yet and I hope I have enough time this summer. My goals are to complete the research by this summer. I will start my research report as soon as I come back to school. I hope Ms. Kannan will be assisting me greatly in this process. In the meanwhile, I will also be creating some kind of awareness for the issues I found by my research. This will give me a start on my integration with public process. I have some more things planned to do after I am done with my research. I will be discussing all of this with Ms. Kannan and since it is our last meeting before the school starts again, I would like her advice on some research strategies and how to commence it. 

Yavnika Kumar

7.06.12

Pre - Final AOI Statement

AOI Statement

                Renewable Energy is a great way of saving our earth from environmental diseases such as global warming, pollution, resource repletion and more. My project is all about the environment and the consumption of resources, which has increased greatly over past few years. Renewable sources of wind and solar energy can be used to alleviate several issues the world faces today. Biomass, which is the usage of plant growth for energy, can save millions of resources that are being wasted consequently. I have always cared about the environment and followed environment friendly ways, which help the earth become a better place to live on. I have been linked with many energy projects in which I tried to establish the need to recycle and reuse materials. The environment has a huge role because it the first and foremost basis of our lives. Our actions on sustainable development and conservation are what improves and maintains our atmosphere. We have several responsibilities to our environment, which require deep understanding on every consequence that can occur. Therefore, I will be taking action on issues concerning our environment and what should be done to maintain and improve it.

                The AOI context for my project would be environment because its regards resources found in our environment. I will be linking human activity and its effects on the environment. My focus areas are:

-          Awareness and Understanding:

§  The roles our environments play in our lives and well – being of humankind.

§  The effects of our actions, attitudes, and constructs, such as sustainable development and conservation.

§  Nature and the role of local and international organizations responsible for protecting our environment.

-          Reflection on:

§  Our responsibilities to our environments

-          Taking actions on:

§  A range of issues related to environments

I will be creating several small products such as models, posters, informational blogs etc. but my main goal will be to write a research paper on renewable energy. My final product will consist of relevant research pertaining to the topic and ways of preserving our environment. This will include reflections, interviews and surveys related to my topic, which will help me understand the basic issues. My specifications depend on the quality of my research work and my presentation of it in my multiple small outcomes. I would really like to make sure I am choosing relevant information pertaining to my topic for the research. If I am able to make a difference in any environment through my products, I will think that I have successfully achieved my personal project goal: to make a difference.

Yavnika Kumar

7.06.12

PP Adviser Meeting 2

On 28 May, 2012,
I met again with Ms. Kannan for my second meeting. I showed her my AOI statements first draft on which she gave me useful detail and corrections which I would have to make. She specifically told me to make AOI learning expectations explicit in my write up. We looked at the new blog I made and she advised me to start posting more posts whether it was research, thoughts, or reflections. So far, I have not been able to work a lot on my personal project. I am planning to finish all my research by the end of the summer break. She also agreed with me on this and said it would be better to start early than to finish late. We fixed that our next meeting would be on Wednesday June 6, 2012.

Yavnika Kumar

4.06.12

AOI Statement - Draft 1

This is the first draft of my personal project AOI statement:

Renewable Energy is a great way of saving our earth from environmental diseases such as global warming, pollution, resource repletion and more. My project is all about the environment and the consumption of resources, which has increased greatly over past few years. Renewable sources of wind and solar energy can be used to alleviate several issues the world faces today. Biomass, which is the usage of plant growth for energy utilization, can save millions of resources that are being wasted consequently. I have always cared about the environment and followed environment friendly ways, which help the earth become a better place to live on. I have been linked with many energy projects in which I tried to establish the need to recycle and reuse materials. The AOI for my project would be Environment because it regards resources found in our environment. The environment has a huge role because it the first and foremost basis of our lives. Our actions on sustainable development and conservation are what improves and maintains our atmosphere. We have several responsibilities to our environment, which require deep understanding on every consequence that can occur. Therefore, I will be taking action on some issues concerning our environment and what should be done to maintain and improve it. I will be creating several small products such as models, posters, informational blogs etc. but my main goal will be to write a research paper on renewable energy. My final product will consist of relevant research pertaining to the topic and ways of preserving our environment. This will include reflections, interviews and surveys related to my topic, which will help me understand the basic issues. 

I showed this to Ms. Kannan during one of our meetings. She appreciated my start and said that I should develop the paragraph more and make it at least three paragraphs. I understood that the first paragraph would be explaining my topic and identifying it. It would also include why I have personal interest in this area. The second paragraph would be identifying the focus areas and AOI context which are three sub topics: 1. awareness and understanding; 2. Reflection; 3. Action. The third paragraph would determine the product or outcome of the project and the specifications which are the criterion's. This would mainly be how I am evaluating the result of my project. 

Yavnika Kumar

4.06.12   

PP Adviser Meeting 1

On 16th May, 2012,
I met with my personal project adviser and we talked a lot about the project. The first thing I did was explaining the topic furthermore to Ms.Kannan so that she could understand it better. She gave me a couple of sheets on the AOI context and criterion sheet. She asked me to write my AOI statement based on a couple of things such as explanation of topic, basis of personal interest, focus areas, reflections, actions, products and specifications of the products. The meeting basically initiated the process of written work. Ms. Kannan explained to me what my project could lead to and what precautions I should take before it is too late. She even advised me on my product which is a research paper. At the end we simply discussed how the Area of Interaction deals with our project. My AOI is environment because I am doing research on our surroundings, resources and how they can be saved and preserved for future. We planned our next meeting would be Monday 28 May, 2012.

Yavnika Kumar

4.06.12

Meeting with Dr. Abhiyankar

How it all started?

On May 3, 2012,

I met with a former scientist, Dr. Abhiyankar, who was willing to help me in my personal project as a guider. We discussed several things and came up with the idea of renewable energy - coal, petroleum, natural wind and solar energy, and biomass. He worked with me for at least 2 hours and came up with a few notes which would help me initiate the project. He asked me to make an index page and pinpoint my sub topics on which I would start researching as soon as possible. We also discussed the forms of energy and how it is consumed - electricity, nuclear, gas, solar which provides thermal, light, heat etc. The benefits and detriments of renewable and non-renewable energy were part of the research I planned to do. Dr. Abhiyankar gave a me a National Geographic Channel DVD which talked about basic science. 

Yavnika Kumar

2012 ,May 27th