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 * HABITS OF MIND PORTFOLIO WIKI**


 * HELLO EVERYONE! Welcome to Zach 's Habits of Mind Wikispace! This wiki is here for the purpose of seeing my development in the personal and academic areas of my life this year in General Chemistry. Hope you enjoy!**

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__**Striving for Accuracy and Precision (Quarter 1)**__ My group's digital story, or our science experiment was the best assignment that overall fits this category. Our experiment was actually Coke and Mentos, and we demonstrated striving for accuracy and precision. By following the procedure, I think the entire experiment was a success because we were aiming for the best possible results. We performed 6 trials, and kept our variables as constant as we could. I think by performing 6 trials, the best possible conclusion can be made from the data and results, which was good. We managed to see a trend in our data, which meant that our experiment was quite precise and accurate. Our use of materials also was not very prone to inaccuracy, for we used only a beaker and measured everything ourselves. Accuracy and Precision was definitely the main idea we were striving for, and I think we accomplished that well.

I believe that in our science experiment that we took responsible risks. We were determined to try everything, even if the experiment would have failed. In the beginning, we were not given the proper materials, so instead of Diet Coke, we used Coke Zero and Pepsi. The experiment obviously did not follow through very well, but it showed that we were willing to try. I believe by exploring other methods for our experiment, the risks were necessary. And the bright side to this was that we discovered that Coke Zero and Diet Coke are very different, meaning that the mentos could only react violently with Diet Coke, and not with Coke Zero.
 * __Take responsible risks (Quarter 1)__**

For my first chemistry test I got a C, which was quite unsatisfactory at my levels. It was unexpected, but since I already was doing quite well in chemistry it did not lower my grade that much. I dealt with the bad grade by becoming more relaxed, and not putting it off. I found the answers and discovered just how silly my mistakes really were. By acting positive, I think I learned a lot more, and I am able to correct my mistakes and do better the next time. In a way, getting a C on my test made me want to strive better, and focus more in class. It was literally a wake-up call for me, and now I am more determined to do better in my science class.
 * __Finding Humor (Quarter 1)__**

I think that I managed to demonstrate understanding and empathy with the group I worked with for our science experiment. In the beginning, I did not know them all too well, but now that I know them better, we can get work done more efficiently and more comfortably. By listening to anything they have to say, we all managed to help each other out. Our group came up with some rather interesting ideas and possible choices for a science experiment, and we finally agreed on Coke and Mentos. I couldn't have imagined a better experiment. Simple, Straightforward, and Significant is the overall idea of our experiment that we performed. I think through cooperation was how we managed to pull it off successfully.
 * __Listening to others with understanding and empathy (Quarter 1)__**

I demonstrated persistance in learning something that I did not quite get at first. This was Stoichiometry. I had studied it before in the past, but I had forgotten a lot of it and I was going to learn it more broadly and deeply, making complex measurements and balances. It was frustrating at first, and honestly it seemed more like math than anything else. Pure calculations and balancing equations. Conversions betweens units and just constant measurements. I did not find this very appealing, which is probably why I still do struggle with it slightly now. However, I persisted in it and just kept on working and I guess now I do understand it better. The best thing I realized was that there were people that were also struggling in this area, and it was good to work with them so we could learn it together. I stayed on course, and I believe persistance paid off. Thinking and Communicating with clarity and precision is especially important in chemistry, for we are dealing with measurements and uncertainties. Everything must be specific, even word choice in explaining and defining. I think one specific example in which this was displayed would be my first chem test in the quarter that dealt with thinking and communicating with clarity and precision. I scored quite well on this test, and it was proof that I was learning quite smoothly and I managed to communicate with clarity and precision in my explanations. This is something important that I will repeat in all my classes, for clarity is significant because it is important to always be specific, and not generalize too much.
 * __Persisting (Quarter 2)__**
 * __Thinking and Communicating with clarity and percision (Quarter 2)__**

I also learned a lot in chemistry in the one semester that I have been taking it. So far we have covered many topics such as measurement, atomic structure, and bonding, all which are interesting to me. Continuous learning means always learning, from any or every source that will help. Usually this is demonstrated everyday, for I constantly ask for help from either my peers or teachers. By doing so, I can correct my mistakes and really expand my knowledge in this field. A specific example in which I showed this would be the note taking. I took more notes than what was necessary, and it was because I wanted to really understand and learn more. Reviewing was one thing, but really learning it was different. By taking notes that was to help me for the final exam, I also demonstrated learning continously.
 * __Learning Continously (Quarter 2)__**

Questioning and Posing problems are not only just a Habit of Mind or learning skill, but it is something that scientists themselves do everyday. A hypothesis, performing an experiment is all part of the process of questioning and posing problems as well as finding a solution and learning something new. I have demonstrated this in the labs we have done with bonding with chemicals in chemistry. All this involved solving or answering a question first, and trying to find a solution, which was a laboratory experiment. To me, I think every student and myself demonstrates this every time there is an experiment or a lab. I especially found myself questioning a lot in a lab that involved precipitate, which i did not understand very clearly before.
 * __Questioning and Posing problems (Quarter 2)__**

__**Thinking Flexibly (Quarter 3)**__ In science, especially when data always should be consistent and as accurate as possible, sometimes it is very difficult for us to consider different solutions or even alternate experimental processes in our labs. We have been moving a lot in Kinetics, and one of our labs was about comparing alcohols. It was about find out the efficiency of Ethanol and Propanol combustion. The main goal in the experiment and lab was to find out just how efficient in terms of heating two types of alcohol were. We tested with Ethanol and Propanol, and calculated the ratio of heat released to how much mass was being used.



The biggest part in demonstrating flexible thinking was firstly the process. To test for the efficiency of alcohols, there are countless methods to find that. In the experiment, we discovered that Propanol was the mor efficient fuel, for we calculated that it would release a lot more heat energy than Ethanol. I think in this experiment I demonstrated flexible thinking, because of the many ways we could have performed the experiment. Designing the lab was probably the biggest challenge, and we had to come up with a way to conserve as much heat as possible, without it escaping into the atmosphere. We designed the lab with a large beaker as a container for containing the heat, with saram wrap to contain it and then the alcohol would burn on the inside. This was flexible thinking, for I had to be open to the many methods that was possible to do this lab experiment.

For someone like me, understanding a concept is actually a challenge. I have always found myself to be a person who never fully understood a concept in my first time learning it, so even if I was taught the lesson and I did not understand it to the fullest, I would make judgements about it. When we talked about kinetics, I thought that it had dealings with math and physics, which it did to a certain extent, and I wasn't too familiar with it. Math and physics in the past have always had little nuances that were hard for me to grasp, which is why the kinetics unit overall was a bit of a challenge. I did however by the end of it manage to understand it much better than I had in the beginning, but for concepts like collision theory and rates of reaction, I did not understand it much at all.
 * __Managing Impulsivity (Quarter 3)__**



When it came to doing problems, that was especially difficult especially if you really don't understand the problem. But I do believe I managed to maintain impulsivity and work my way through the problems. Getting help from my peers was also a good way to help me understand, which helped me a lot. By getting help, I also found organized ways of working through a problem, before I made a mistake or a value judgement.

Applying past knowledge in the unit of Acids and Bases has really helped me in terms of getting a growing understanding of the subject. I had learned about Acids and Bases previously in Lab Science 10, which was last year, and drawing back concepts I learned back then helped a lot. I have said before, but I am a person that doesn't understand concepts very well when they are new to me, I am quite slow when it comes to getting it. However, because I had learned about it before, I found myself actually understanding the unit quite well.
 * __Applying past knowledge to new situations (Quarter 3)__**



I believe I demonstrated applying past knowledge to new situations when we were working through problems dealing with calculating pH of substances and determining whether it was acidic or basic. It was in the packet, and I was able to work the problems with little help from people around me. Investigating the pH scale and learning about acids and bases were made simple because I was able to apply the past knowledge I learned to the new situations.

Learning definitely can be exciting and fulfilling. Especially if you are given the opportunity to design your own lab. Back in the Kinetics unit, we were to design a lab, and work on the report individually. My lab was about the heat content of snack foods, and we were allowed to create our own process. The data was mainly comprised of information and trials from potato chips and peanuts. This was amusing to me for sure because I remember a past experience I had with testing the heat content and calories or peanuts, and peanuts burn very well. Honestly if I'm given the opportunity to light something and watch it burn, that is wonderment and awe to me. I learned a lot from calculating the heat energy of the foods, and it was a fun process doing it.
 * __Responding with wonderment and awe (Quarter 3)__**



It was interesting to discover just how well the food actually burned. My guess is that probably with fatty foods like peanuts and potato chips, with tons of grease and oil are an excellent fuel, and they do release a lot of heat. My main observations were that potato chips burn very quickly, much faster than peanut do. Water produced steam from the burning, which indicated a reaction of heat. The potato chips also excreted a type of oil as it was being burned, which might have been some sort of fat from the food. Overall it was quite fun to learn about heat content, because it appealed to me. What really stuck out was the fact that foods like this actually have a high heat content level.

A learning strategy that I demonstrated, especially in our last unit, oxidation and reduction, was Oil Rig. This meant that oxidation is loss, and reduction is gain, simply meaning that when something is being oxidized, it is losing electrons, and if something is being reduced, it is gaining electrons. I did not come up with that strategy, but it did serve as a good memory tool for me. It is a key concept in oxidation and reduction, pretty much the basis for all of it. It helped a lot especially on the problems where we had to determine which element was either being oxidized or reduced, and remembering Oil Rig was the perfect strategy, because then I could determine which element was giving up or gaining electrons.
 * __Thinking about our thinking (metacognition) (Quarter 4)__**



I believe I demonstrated gathering data through all the senses in the whole battery unit of oxidation and reduction. Firstly we were required to research information to give us some background knowledge and information on batteries and how they work exactly. Batteries, specifically the voltaic cell batteries were often composed of two half-cells, which created a full circuit. Those included the two electrolytes, composed of the chemical solutions, two metal electrodes, and a salt bridge. After that we were to design a lab to and create a battery that had the power of 1.5 volts, at the very least.
 * __Gathering data through all the senses (Quarter 4)__**



I did my own lab, but I also assisted Alvin with his, and we were required to create a paste, a mix of carbon and potassium hydroxide. This definitely got our hands dirty, but I guess getting the right consistency and texture was helpful in creating the battery cells. In the end, we managed to achieve 1.5 volts, and we created multiple cells. Here I demonstrated gathering data through all the senses because it required observation, and even using touch and smell to really determine if the experiment was really going correctly.

Actually I do feel strong in this area. Working with others has never been a problem for me, in fact I actually welcome and encourage it often, for personally I feel that working with others and cooperating can lead to higher levels of understanding as well as build social bonds. Thinking interdependently is definitely a win-win in my belief, because everyone has different thoughts and ways of working, which all can contribute to enriching the learning process. One such event where interdependent thinking was displayed was during the battery design lab. I was to work with Alvin, Michael and Eric, and I hadn't working with Michael or Eric very much or not even at all throughout this year. It was interesting to hear what they had to say and perform the experiment with them. It definitely helped us all out as a group, for I found that specifically they were more efficient in things that I wasn't. Not everyone can do everything well, but overall the experiment went quite well when we all shared and worked together.
 * __Thinking interdependently (Quarter 4)__**



Creating, imagining and innovating was best not only for me, but for everyone when we were to teach a lesson in one of the last classes of general chemistry this year. The teaching was to help us grasp a better understanding as well as review for the final in chemistry concepts. The neat thing was that we could totally design our own lesson, make it the way we wanted it to be, whether it be using the board or a presentation, or worksheets or anything. My personal lesson was to teach on the class on how a battery works. I drew a diagram, because for me, I am a visual learner, and pictures and diagrams help me best. We really had to get creative in teaching our lesson, and this was my way of doing it. By drawing a diagram I believe I successfully managed to teach the class and help them get a good understanding on how a voltaic cell battery works.
 * __Creating, imagining, and innovating (Quarter 4)__**



Throughout this school year, especially because of the Habits of Mind, I have grown to become a just overall a much better student at SAS. The Habits of Mind have helped me grow and develop as well as recognize and remind myself of how exactly I have been learning, and the various ways I can approach it. The Habits of Mind have definitely helped me be an Empowered student, specifically in terms or taking risks, being imaginative and demonstrate leadership, which I have displayed in working with others and being creative in designing lab experiments as well as educating and teaching a lesson in the class at one point.
 * __HABITS OF MIND END YEAR REFLECTION__**

Being in general chemistry has also taught me to be adaptable; specifically adaptable to new concepts and new ways of learning as well as adaptable and flexible to thinking and alternate solutions. Experiments often don’t result in exactly the way you want it to, but being adaptable and learning from the experiment and the experience is the whole idea. Mistakes, errors, and inaccuracies are all just part of the process of learning in science.

I have grown also since the beginning of this year to become a Global-Minded citizen that really does engage in diversity and act with the past and future in mind. Applying past knowledge to new situations, such as old concepts that I can bring forth has helped bring me through difficult new concepts as well as enrich my learning. Being an interdependent as well as independent thinker is also important, and I have been shaped this way throughout this year.

Working through problems and conducting experiments individually has also proven to make me a Literate Individual that can develop his own understanding. I have had lots of help from my peers and teachers and I believe I have demonstrated this throughout the year. In Chemistry, it is all about really using everything in our grasp to our advantage, to learn and observe continuously.

From learning through tests and mistakes to cooperating with different people from different social backgrounds and even grade levels has helped me become a more ethical human being. Cooperation with others is especially important in my opinion and I have learned that from doing movie projects and experiments with different groups of people. I have learned about how other people have felt in making decisions and just how my actions affect them.

Becoming a Skilled Inquirer has also been my goal since day 1. I always have strived to be the best I can be academically while still exploring different situations and reasoning critically. In lab reports, we are required to make a conclusion as well as an evaluation. This helps us analyze our data, find out where exactly we made an error, and make sure we don’t make the same mistake again. I have learned a lot through the Habits of Mind in questioning and striving for accuracy in lab reports because getting consistent data and results is the key in learning correctly.

Overall the biggest thing I have learned from connecting with the Habits of Mind and learning in Chemistry class is the idea that everything; observation, cooperation, has all been part of the same idea of making me a better learner. I realize that Science is not just about calculations and memorizing facts, but it is about observing and constantly learning, whether it be about a new kinetic concept or even a new characteristic someone else shares with you. I truly believe that because we are given opportunities to work by ourselves and with others, it makes us or me specifically a better rounded person, and it just encourages us to constantly be good learners.