Recently I had the opportunity to visit Catalina Island on a field trip with my school. Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) had so many activities for us to do during our week-long trip. I was able to enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, hikes, squid dissection, team building exercises, learning labs, hand on activities with some of the sea life in tanks, rock climbing andGaga Ball. My favorite activities were snorkeling, squid dissection and rock climbing.
During the three-day weekend on Sept. 2–4, I attended the 13th annual Tucson Comic-Con. This event was held at the Tucson Convention Center in downtown Tucson. It started at 3 p.m. on Friday and ran through Sunday at 5 p.m. This was the first Comic-Con in several years due to COVID cancellations the past few years. This was my first time attending Comic-Con and it was almost overwhelming because it was so large and there was so much to do.
Recently I attended a Bear Essential News Zoom meeting and met Sarah Murphy who is currently one of the managers of the Tucson Comic-Con. Murphy talked about how she was really excited about Tucson Comic-Con coming back after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Recently I was able to participate in the 20th Annual Student Design & Build Contest, KIDStruction competition. KIDStruction is a competition in which sixth, seventh, and eighth graders can participate.
Using only business cards, toothpicks and hot glue, teams design a building that fits on a 12x12 inch foam based on one of five categories within the overall theme. Every year KIDStruction’s theme is different, this year’s theme was “The Path Ahead.” The Path Ahead focused on how the pandemic has changed our everyday lives and the spaces where we learn, live or work.
Have you ever had or wanted a pet chicken? During this crazy year my family and I were building a chicken coop and on Easter morning we became the owners of ten chicks. Since Easter, we have learned a great deal about raising chickens, like the fact that they try to peck at things on you when you sit with them, including your clothes, watch and face. We have also learned that each chick has a unique personality just like people, some of our chicks are shy, some are curious, and some are born leaders. Our chicks are getting bigger every day and as they get bigger, they get more active.
Have you ever heard of SK Day? SK is an amazing female mathematician named Sonia Kovalevsky. Kovalevsky was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1850 and was the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics. The UofA hosted middle and high school students virtually for SK Day this year to encourage young women to study mathematics.
I attended the Zoom meeting about mathematics on SK Day. Team members from the UofA delivered a shirt and supplies to our homes prior to the event!
Prior to the landing of the NASA Rover Perseverance on Mars, I attended a live NASA webinar, Mars Perseverance: Mission Overview & Countdown to Mars. A team of eight scientists led this webinar for students and teachers.
Justin Simon (a NASA scientist) talked about the planet Mars and about the rover Perseverance. He talked about the weather on Mars and what kind of planet it was. Simon also talked about the certain parts of the 2,260-pound rover and how they worked.
One day in early April my dad took my sisters and me to play softball at Joaquin Murrieta Park. As we were playing, a Mandalorian drove up on his motorcycle and asked if he could join us. Due to the COVID-19 we all wore masks as we took turns pitching, hitting and fielding. At the end of our practice, the Mandalorian gave us each a gift card and told us to be the kindness we wanted to see in the world.
Recently I was able to attend the first Chief Science Officer (CSO) Math Festival. CSO Sahiba helped to plan the event and presented to those in attendance. Students were able to select two 45-minute breakout sessions to attend in addition to being a part of the general session for everyone. The available sessions included: Interactive Math Problems, Problem Solving Strategies, Math Theory, and Math in Real Life.
Recently I visited the Casa Grande Ruins National Park with my Girl Scout Troop. It was very fun and the sites were amazing.
There were many structures that the Sonoran Desert People’s ancestors built a long time ago. There were many small and regular houses and there was one called the ‘Big House.’ The Big House is where the people gathered if they needed a meeting or to get together. All of the houses were made out of a claymud substance.