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National Park Posters + Presentations
National Park Posters + Presentations
The APES blocks were tasked with choosing a National Park managed by the National Park Service (from nps.org) and presenting multiple facets of the park, including history, reason for protection, and any endemic species found ONLY in these protected areas.
Watershed Project
What is a watershed?
An area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas. In one watershed, all of the water from smaller lakes, reservoirs, and tributaries flow into one larger river before it leaves into the sea or ocean. Some watersheds, like the Mississippi, are remarkable, spanning thousands of miles.
What is this project?
In this project, we planned a city around a watershed on a slanted clear container to contain sand, represented land. We would not only plan where trees, houses, commercial buildings, and a school would be through largely laser-printed parts, but we would place then near a carved indent in the sand standing for a river and it's tributaries. Then, we would pour water from the highest elevated sand and hope it would follow the path of the river. If it didn't then...you might have caused some fatalities. How successful where our groups that attempted this challenge? See for yourself!
Kinetic Sand 3-D Watershed Models
We used kinetic sand, clumpy sand that sticks together, to place and pat down our land on the pans. We used both purple and beige Kinetic Sand.
The Pieces
Most pieces were laser printed and placed in the pan. However, one or two groups 3D printed their parts out!
Some floodplains stood firm and weathered the test, while other watersheds caused flooding in their cities inland.
Permeability Project
What is it?
In Ap Environmental Science, the sophmore students learned how permeable concrete in infrastructure can help improve the quality and quantity of water in our ecosystems and environment. To tie back into these concepts, the purpose of this project is to largely demonstrate how different ratios of materials that go into your final block impact how permeable water is through it just like how different kinds of concrete in our world can have an effect. Teams depending on your table had 2 tries, with two different ratios of sand, gravel, portland concrete, and water, to make different permeable or impermeable blocks and disks. They additionally made planters that had these disks, want to learn more? Check below!
Concrete Block Phase
First, the students went through the concrete block phase as kind of a test trial. Here, each table from each block came up with their own "formulas" containing the sand, concrete, water, and rocks; it was meant to test the permeability to see whether the ratio was sufficient in allowing water to pass through. The students used specific measurements using measuring cups and a graduated cylinder to make sure they had exactly what they needed. Once mixed, they poured the "formulas" into 2"x2" duct taped cardboard boxes as moulds to hold it in place.
The Testings
After the mixture cemented into a hard block, it was time to see how much water would pass through it. How? The plan was to take a plastic measuring cup and wrap aluminum foil over the top so water could not pass through. The only way for water to enter was through tiny holes in the center of the aluminum foil. However, you had to pour 100 mL of water on top of the "permeable" rock which was placed on top of the aluminum foil. If the block was permeable, the water would pass through the concrete block, through the holes of the foil, and into the measure cup, where water retention and retention speed could be measured. However, there was a design flaw - water would often go under, but not through, the concrete block and then seep through the holes, regardless of permeability.
Permeable Planting
Permeable rock has key uses in watering plants - it helps stability and to prevent erosion of the plant, but it also lets water reach the soil and keep it there so the plant can use it. Each team would make another concrete mixture and lay it between layered mulch and layered soil that surround one of two plants, all in a coconut husk planter to give a teacher. First, they placed a wet concrete mixture into a see-through plastic disk and waited for it to mold and cement. Then they got the cocunut husk and put either the or the into it. They surrounded it with soil, then placed the concrete disk, and placed mulch to top it all off.
Gift Giving
If you did not know, this week was also teacher appreciation week and so the students additionally had the ability to send these beautifully made planters to the teachers of North Gwinnett. Teachers who had received a planter included Mr. Metrio, Mr. Rhilinger and many many more teachers; the students also created hand-written cards to each of the teachers showing their appreciation and gratitude for them on the cusp of holiday season!
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