The Hero's Journey

For our third and final AP we were asked to blog about the hero's journey. We picked a hero we knew in real life and a hero from a fictional story, with these two heroes. I compared and contrasted them using Campbell's wheel of the hero’s journey. In this I learned a lot about parallels between fictional writing and real life. Something that people think is almost impossible. In our studies of Campbell’s wheel of the hero’s journey we were able to see how these basic steps that all heroes go through can fit in and be reworked depending on the person or hero you're referring to, whether they be fictional or realistic. The two heroes I chose were my mother Ann Marie Ryan, and Sophie Elder from The Alchemyst series by Michael Scott that I read when I was much younger. 

The reason I chose my mom and Sophie Elder from the book is because they're very different yet have some good similarities. Sophie Elder’s journey has a lot of supernatural activity and her physically fighting evil brought back from the dead. My mom on the other hand is not fighting evil brought back from history, she is fighting for grants, resources and equality in all educational departments in the college she works at which can sometimes feel just as hard. I was also very inspired to dive in more into my mom's rich academic history because I had heard stories before but never fully understood. The academic world has a lot of politics that I didn't under stand until interviewing my mom.

Within the hero’s journey there are many stages. The first stage that really stuck out to me in my mom's adventure was the beginning, her call to adventure. She knew that going to college was something that she wanted to do and she went after it fiercely. In Sophie Elder’s case, my fictional hero, there was some refusal of call she did not want to be supernatural and defeat evil but is what she was asked to do. The second step is the separation phase of the hero’s journey that applies to Sophie is supernatural aid, where an alchemist known as Nicholas Lemieux helps her and guides her to meet someone who will give her her power. The second step that my mom went through in the separation process was crossing the first threshold she drove into her journey headfirst making her different then Sophie Elder. In crossing the first threshold my mom completed high school and had her first college experience with a full scholarship to Northern Illinois University. This leads to the next step that actually applies to both heroes, this step is called belly of the whale, this is a beginning step. This is when the hero is in initiation, when the hero is fully submerged in the New World that it is not comfortable. Entering the unknown world for these two heroes was a long road of trials. With little tasks popping up for them to complete helping move the hero into who they become.

The next step that applies to both heroes is meeting with the goddess. For Sophie Elder meeting with the goddess, is actually meeting a goddess who lives in a giant elder tree. The goddess living in this elder tree helps maintain nature. She is also immortal and grants Sophie her magical powers. In my mom’s case my real life hero, meeting the goddess was actually meeting a professor named Dr. Bonnie Oh. Who you will hear more about in their interview below. This next step is hard for all heroes because it is the one time they feel like really stopping their mission and giving up, temptation. In my mom's case it was tempting to just get a full time job because money was so tight being in college full-time and trying to work. For Sophie getting her magical powers was such a shock to her system she felt ill for a while and wanted to get rid of her powers and did not want to keep going to fight evil. But Sophie Elder had her supernatural aid on her side helping her stay motivated and completing her mission, for my mom this was Dr. Bonnie Oh.

Link to Interview: 
https://drive.google.com/a/gcechicago.com/file/d/0BymI0tk-Y4iXTUI0N1E4ZktGRG8/view?usp=sharing

The last two steps in the hero’s journey in the return section, our freedom to live in master of two worlds. These two phases that fit my heroes the best. My mom felt that after being able to go through college and work a full-time job that she could master two different kinds of worlds even if she felt the trials and tribulations got really hard. Her education freed her mind allowing her to live and look at the world in a brand-new life. For Sophie Elder she was now a master of alchemy magic and being a normal girl with a family and a twin brother. She also felt now that she was used to being awakened and having her new powers that she was free to live a more interesting and deeply understood life.

Ryan, Ann Marie. Personal Interview. 31 May 2017.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Alchemyst Summary." Shmoop. Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 04 June 2017.

Symon Says Accept Yourself

For this action project we were required to write a fable that would teach a lesson to a younger audience.  I chose to teach lesson of self acceptance and loving who you are and defining your own beauty. The lesson is told through anthropomorphic characters. They happen to be to squirrels competing in a beauty competition in their mellow town of Lincoln Square. This story came to me after reading  an article about a young girl who was being shamed at school for having dark skin. I saw the picture of her at the bottom of the article, I thought she looked beautiful and was not sure what kind of ignorance could lead to a group of people treating someone so horribly for who they are. Through critical thinking I was able to come to the conclusion that people who are willing to attack you for who you are, is because they are not able to accept who they are. Therefore they take it out on the people who are around them. In order to change people's perception of beauty.

Symon was a cute nerdy black squirrel, from the far end of the bike path in Lincoln Square. His tree was small and leafy. He loved to sit under his tree in the warm summer months and read books about faraway places. He did not spend much time away from his end of the path but recently gone into town to visit his aunt Neena. In this visit she told him tales of all the beauty pageants she used to win when she was a young squirrel. She said to him that if he were to participate in the pageant with his beautiful black fur he would surely win first place.

With a new found confidence burning in his heart, he called up his library buddy Leo and asked to meet at the taco place for a snack. Leo agreed with excitement in his voice. Symon skipped down to the taco shop and waited eagerly for Leo. Looking around hesitantly, Symon spotted Leo across the playground. Leo scurried over with a snake of dust behind him. Rushing over to Symon with open arms, the two friends embraced, squealing with joy. Walking quickly into the taco shop, they ordered steamy chicken burritos. They sat under the big oak tree outside the shop. Symon broke the news that he wanted to be in the beauty pageant. Leo’s eyes bugged out with joy shouting “FOR REAL OH MY GOSH YOUR FUR IS SO RARE AND BEAUTIFUL YOU WILL BE A PERFECT WIN.” Symon gave Leo a big hug and thanked him for all his support and love.

Sitting just on the other side of the oak tree was the most popular squirrel in all of Lincoln Square. With her straight brown fur and bushy light brown tale she struts behind the tree hand on hip and stops in front of Leo and Symon. Clearing her throat with a high pitched cough she says,”Really, you think you will win the beauty pageant over me? I am the five year winner and with the color of that fur you won't get anywhere.” Symon and Leo look at her in complete and utter shock. Symon’s big brown eyes began to brim with tears. He takes off into the baseball field with his paws covering his eyes. Leo shouts after him, Symon unable to hear Keeps running. Leo looks back at Rita who is laughing hysterically at her evil comment to Symon. Leo turns back to Rita with hot coals burning in his eyes, How dare you treat my friend that way? Who cares what he looks like. Heck no one cares what you or I even look like as long as you love yourself and the people around you.”

As night begins to fall, Symon lumbers sadly down the other end of the bike path to the pool where he knows he can consult a magical fairy that can make any wish come true. As he arrives at the pool he sees the fairy has left him a note and a small bottle of magical fairy dust. Symon without a second thought picked up the note and read allowed, “I knew you would soon be wishing for this but if you choose to take this dust you may not get the results you want and they will last for only two days”. Symon cast the note into the pool, sprinkling on the fairy dust. As his toes began to tingle he looked at his reflection in the pool and watched as his fur went from black to light brown.  He skips with glee back to his house ready for the beauty pageant only 1 day away keeping in mind the dust would wear off midnight of the second day.

Symon woke up early on the 24th ready to win the pageant. He briskly headed down to the playground where the pageant was being held and found the gate was locked and no one was there. Looking up he saw that the date of the pageant was on th 25th. He shuddered realizing by this time the magic fairy dust will have stopped working. He called his friend Leo in despair and asked what he should do. Leo promptly advised to forget all about what mean old Rita said and said,” Symon you are so beautiful, the only reason why RIta said what she did is because she knows she looks like everyone else and the judges want to see uniqueness and self love.

The night before the pageant Symon had a dream of him winning the pageant with his natural black fur and Knew the next morning the best thing he could do is show the judges who he really was and no matter whether he wins or not he knows that he is beautiful and he doesn't need magic dust to let the rest of the world know that.

The next morning Symon arrived at the pageant first in line to get his number. As the morning went on with different trials and activities, Symon kept a positive attitude about himself. By mid afternoon the final test winners wear being announced. Symon got in line and a drip of sweat rolled down his face. Keeping a perfect smile on his face he listened hard as the main judge stood and cleared her throat. She read aloud, “The winner of this year’s beauty pageant is Symon”. Symon gasped with surprise, “I won” he said aloud to himself with a smile beaming brighter than the sun. His aunt and best friend were correct his unique fur was not a bad thing but a reason to celebrate.

Welcome to Planet Julia

Welcome to the planet Julia. It is named Julia after me, Julia Baccellieri. My name means gentle, hands-on and bright.  The creatures inhabiting this planet are known as Leems.  The animals that live on the planet are called Cocos and they are gentle like one of the qualities of the planet.  When the planet was forming, the creator Bubalu wanted her creations to live harmoniously. So she made it possible for the Cocos and Leems to communicate with each other through speech and telepathy.  This allowed communication to be honest and accessible to all the inhabitants of the planet.

The planet has three rings for protection that continuously circle the perimeter of planet Julia, watching for predator aliens that could be a threat to the gentle planet and its inhabitants. The rings protect the planet by washing any ship that passes through the rings with a fresh water herbal solution, made with the freshest and most welcoming herbs from the planet.  The smell of the solution is like a refreshing warm herbal bath.  This smell is so inviting that it draws the ship into the rings, painting a picture of unity and peace with soft brushes n  in the minds of the aliens.

There are no laws or set rules for the Leems and Cocos.  Since they are able to communicate telepathically they can always have open thoughts and conversations about what they would like to change about the culture of their planet.  These thoughts ebb and flow like gentle waves rippling across a calm morning lake.  The Leems choose not to eat the Cocos out of respect for the ideals of peace and unity of the planet.   And the Cocos are the muscle of the planet, taking a hands on approach to help the Leems to build shelter.  

Bubalu, the creator of the planet Julia, comes and checks in on the Leems and Cocos once a month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.  She wants to make sure that the eco system of the planet, including the relationship between the Leems and Cocos are growing like a strong redwood tree.  With the Leems and Cocos being the bright light of all Bubalu’s creations, she is always rewarding them with new and exciting plants and animals to take care of and foster their growth and development.

The goddess Bubalu was so happy about her creations that she decided to create another planet, just like planet Julia.  In doing so, she wanted to inspire unity and peace across the universe.  One of the planets she really knew that needed help was earth.  One of their floating land cells is ruled by an evil dictator.  She plans to brighten the planet by sending a hands-on team of Cocos and increase positive communication, the telepathic powers of the Leems.  The strength of this small but mighty team will offset the negative impact of one very lonely and sad evil dictator.

Time Travel in to 2117

For this action project I Decided to use a time travel expedition Into the year into the year 2117. In this project I chose to play the character of a American male living in Chicago. This project shows how much has and hasn't changed.At the end of this blog you will see a child in 2117 opening Time Capsule revealing information about what it was like to live in the year 2017. After opening the box the child relies that the issues that were relevant 100 years ago around police brutality are still a problem in 2117.

Op Ed

Being an African-American male in America in 2117 isn't ideal. The very people who are supposed to serve and protect us, and promised that they will, have now targeting black males. And it doesn't only stop with pulling more black males over or writing more tickets, but we are dying out here. Police have been using excessive force against black males for basic and petty crimes or no crime at all. Whenever I spend time with my friends outside of the house, I'm always little bit nervous that police will suspect me of something because I'm in a large group with other African-American males. Driving and getting pulled over and being shot for no reason are all things that I'm worried about.

People think that the neighborhood I live in must be terrible, because I'm black, but this is only a stereotype. I've never been arrested, I work, and I'm in school. I do not deserve to fall victim to an unnecessary death because of the color of my skin. Movements like Black Lives Matter are so important in times like this, especially when we have a president like Trump who began his presidency targeting people of the Muslim religion.   This is particularly troubling as we just lost   President Obama who represented the Black community in a beautiful way and did a great job trying to spread equality throughout America.

As an African-American male, I wake up every morning and think very hard about my appearance. I dress a certain way and talk a certain way in order to be taken more seriously. I fear that people see the color of my skin and automatically assume that I'm up to no good or that I am less than others. These are the things that I think about every day. When will me, being who I am, be enough for our society. I really wish people would stop equating black with failure, or danger, or violence, and understand its beauty, complexity, and culture.

Product: Poster against police violence made in 2117

News Article

One of the most famous cases of police brutality in the United States occurred on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri near St. Louis. 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot to death by a police officer by the name Darren Williams. Michael Brown allegedly robbed a convenience store that was the reason for the police arrival, but then was shot to death for a petty theft. The city of St. Louis was predominantly black, so this caused an outrage in the community because the officer who shot Mr. Brown was white. The officer was doing more than just trying to stop a petty theft he used excessive force. Throughout the entire altercation officer fired his gun 12 times at Brown after hitting him in the arm twice, which already wounded Brown making it unnecessary for the extra shots being fired. Witnesses say that they saw Brown raise his arms to show the officer he was not armed and willing to submit but the officer shot and killed him anyway.

The outcome of the events of this police shooting and others brought about a group known as Black Lives Matter. This organization was built around the immense and gross police brutality against the African-American community. There was an intense increase in police violence against the black community the years surrounding the Michael Brown incident. The Ferguson case came to light in 2017, a case that outraged so many. Many asked, why did it take years later for this to be recognized and not when it happened? This started a snowball of police brutality cases against the black community. In 2117, we still continue to deal with issues of police brutality and Black Lives Matter continues to address these issues and more.

Black Lives Matter focuses on the black community in America but they also talk about how important diversity is in our country. They make it very clear on the website(http://blacklivesmatter.com/) that they're committed to celebrating differences and similarities. Black Lives Matter also is really invested in the idea of restorative justice and how it can help heal and help Black America. Black Lives Matter is not only a movement happening in America, but the idea has been spread globally. People all over the world support the Black Lives Matter movement. Because they have not only been focusing on the black community but on the global impact they can make in other ways besides civil rights and they have now branched into the education system in order to fight for equal opportunities for children all over the world. They have have also been focusing on not just becoming a powerhouse political campaign but a group supporting communities locally. For example, they go into schools in lower income areas and will do talks and rallies around making sure kids know their rights and how to be safe and smart in their communities in order to improve where they live.  

Hopefully this movement will help inspire others. Black Lives Matter is also an organization that values the LGBT community as one of their big supporters and no matter your sexual orientation you are of value to the Black Lives Matter movement and community. Black Lives Matter is also an organization that really pushes people to empathize with the Black community and understand the history and reasons behind some of the systemic race problems that continue to occur today in 2117.

Amendment

All officers of the law are required to take a 9 month course on empathy and intense negotiation, in order to ensure that the use of deadly force is the last resort.

Time Capsule Video

Chapter of 9/11

For this action project, I will explore the historical event of 9/11 using interviews and research. I chose 9/11 because it was an event that had a huge impact on the American people and affected the quality of life for the Muslim people in the United States. It also inspired me because of how complicated it is.  For example, it shows how people came together, how much it tore people apart, and how it affects Muslim people today. I also want to highlight how 9/11 put a restriction on not only the Muslim people, but on all people that travel through airports. Aside for the research for this project I am also planning on conducting an interview with a member of a Muslim outreach program, or a Muslim I know through my training. For this action project I will also be interviewing the research director of care. He is a practicing Muslim that has worked with many organizations to inspire change for the Muslim community.

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In 1939 during the World's Fair, the World Trade Center Pavilion was dedicated to world peace through trade. The man who introduced the idea was David Rockefeller, and he wanted the World Trade Center to be built along the East River of Manhattan. The location of the World Trade Center was changed  in February 1962 when New York authorized the development of the new  World Trade Center. The new buildings were located on the west side, but unfortunately, this displaced many business owners. In the year 2000 the World Trade Center's reached their highest occupancy rate.(The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (www.panynj.gov). This made it a prime target for terrorist attacks. And it's no doubt they attacked the twin towers because they were built as a symbol of peace,

On September 11, 2001, 19 militants who were a part of the Islamic terrorist group Al Qaeda hijacked four different planes and committed suicide attacks around the United States. Two of the planes that were hijacked were flown right into the World Trade Towers in New York City. Terrorists flew another plane into the Pentagon in Washington D.C.. The fourth plane did not hit anything super monumental, and it crashed in a field in the middle of Pennsylvania, killing all on board the plane. Over 3000 people were killed in the attacks in New York City and Washington D.C.. Also, 400 firefighters and police officers were also killed trying to help. (abcnews Brian Ross July 29, 2011) The attack on the Twin Towers was significant as it was 110 story skyscraper. People were so desperate to leave the building that they jumped from the top floors waving white flags and throwing paper out the windows. People who were around the buildings during the 9/11 attack say they remember hearing a loud crashing sound, but not of debris or rubble, but of the sound of bodies crashing onto the concrete from the top floors of the building.

9/11 was orchestrated by a Muslim extremist terrorist group known as Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda was founded in 1988 by militant named Osama Bin Laden and Muhammad Atef(PBS.wwttw.org).   When Bin Laden  was in the war, he fought against the Soviets invading Afghanistan. Al Qaeda is also known for the 1998 US embassy bombings. They've also done suicide bombing using young children and adults. After the 9/11 attack on the twin towers in New York City, the US government started the war against terror. This later led to the death of Osama bin Laden.

This did not stop Al Qaeda, but only weakened them. Al Qaeda works hard to reach out to social media on the Internet to get people from around the world to join their terrorist movement. Al Qaeda is also responsible for Muslims who may be alienating all over the world. When Al Qaeda attacks people, the government automatically looks to the entire Muslim community.   As a result, now there is bias towards them because of what Al Qaeda has done. This makes it harder for Muslim people in public places like in airports, hotels, and businesses.

After conducting my interview with Tauseph Akbar, the research director at CAIR Chicago.  Islamophobia has changed over time due to events like 9/11 and the current executive order ordered by President Donald Trump. Muslim people have been discriminated against for a long time says Tauseph but what they have been discriminated for has changed.

After the events of 9/11 Tauseph talked about feeling insecure in his community. After an event like 9/11 and makes it opens the door for hate. The hate is not only directed at terrorist organizations but also at innocent Muslim people who practice their religion in a very peaceful manner.

Turning an Empty Lot into a Community Hot Spot

For this action project we studied non-violent methods of implementing change in our own communities. We began studying non-violent methods of change by looking at Ghandi’s four pillars of peace: Sarvodaya, Swadeshi, Swaraj, and Satyagraha. These pillars give us inspiration for how we can implement peaceful actions in our neighborhood. I mainly followed Swaraj which involves demanding truth and taking action. This aligns well with my project because I demanded that the lot be replaced with a community center. The hope is that this would better our neighborhood instead of supporting empty lots. Open lots tend to attract loitering and littering. Since I live in a very residential neighborhood where people are raising families it is important that we keep our neighborhood safe, healthy and connected. It's really inspired me to replace the empty lot with the community center. This would be a great way to get people in the neighborhood to get to know each other a lot more. A community center is also a great way to keep kids safe and having fun after school. This specific lot is also in a prime location, because there is an elementary school right across the street.

Living in a relatively safe neighborhood, I don't worry about violence, but recently a building burned down, and now all that is left is an abandoned lot. When there is vacant property like this, it can attract squatters and loitering and which can lead to petty crime. According Bharat Chandar and Oliver Dean of The Developing Economist.  “Vacant and abandoned properties are a significant driver of crime in urban neighborhoods. In addition, we draw on their conclusions that government responses to these properties can result in a tangible reduction in crime.”

The two parties involved in this issue are the people in the community, my neighbors, and the alderman. The community party lies towards the middle of the ladder of tolerance under awareness. Many people in our neighborhood have seen how the empty lot has attracted some minor fights. This could begin to set a negative tone in our area which we can not afford because of how family oriented area neighborhood is.  

My community is also very family oriented so the families are very aware that this place could become a community center, Or a safe place for the children to go after school and play like a playground. The opposite party being our local government/Alderman O'Connore may fall on the ladder of tolerance under restriction. This is because there are many rules and regulations that go into adding a building into a neighborhood or remodeling one.

He may be more resistant to building with in alot because of how the old building went down. There was a fire and the old building used to be a bowling alley which was a great place for community members to spend time and bond. It made my community stronger. After  review of the local newspapers, I can safely say that nobody in my community is currently addressing the issue of the empty lot. I believe that many community members in my neighborhood would be willing to sign a petition a great form of nonviolent action in support of changing the empty lot in our neighborhood. This petition would give the other party an idea of why we want to add a new community center or playground to the empty lot. And the number of members of the community who are in support of this.

When going about wanting to build a new structure in the neighborhood you would want to start by writing a petition. The definition of a petition is a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority, according to dictinary.com. This is also a great nonviolent way to show your local government that you want to make a change in a positive way. This shows because when a community uses a petition to protest a certain issue in their neighborhood, it is very easy for the local government to respond to the vacant lot. This is because a petition is formally written and signed by many members of the community showing that everybody is on board with the same idea. When it comes to protesting the issue that I am stating; having an outdoor protest would be way too much. This might turn the local government off on the idea and make our neighborhood seem more aggressive than it actually is. When simply signing a petition and working with our local authority may be enough to help have something put in the vacant lot. In the Abandon lot. neighborhood in order to my community. They have converted there empty lot into counmty garden.

This also aligns with Gandhi's fourth principle of nonviolence, satyagraha. This shows that by using a petition you're showing how less is more. There's no need for any yelling or rioting over the vacant lot. By simply being professional with the local government, it'll be easier to achieve what the neighborhood wants. Satyagraha forces people to look inward and see how if you want to change something you have to go in with the mindset of change and peace because violence begets violence or your discomfort begets giving someone else the same discomforts you need to find equal ground. When going into a situation violently you're showing the other person that you need to be on either the offensive or the defense, and the mind will close. Most times they will not be willing to hear what you have to say, but if you do nothing to hurt them then they're forced to listen to reason and the needs of the neighborhood.

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Science

The following essay describes four research projects that I worked on through Zooniverse (https://www.zooniverse.org). In the four projects that I studied, my scientific thinking was challenged in different ways. I was forced to make inferences, test hypothesis and draw conclusions about everything from African desert animals to space comets. This has really changed the way I think about science, because depending on the topic you are studying, there are going to be different skills that you need to use more. For example in one setting you have to make a lot more inferences and use a lot more math than you do when it comes to studying desert animals where you end up doing a lot more drawing of conclusions and you don't do very much math at all. The paragraphs that follow show the different types of scientific thinking I did with each of the projects.

Research Project: Understanding Animal Faces

When studying the animal faces project I learned a lot about classifying animals. When classifying an animal there's a lot you have to do it understand what kind of animal it is, how many animals there are, its habitat and you can also take notes on some of the animals’ mannerisms. Before starting this project I thought that I was going to be doing a lot more reading about how animals are studied, but I actually got to see how animals are studied firsthand and I am able to make a difference in the research of animals. I noticed the animals that need a lot of classifying are even some of our local animals because we try to document how much of that animal species is living in that area or if the population of the animal has gone down or for some species could be leading to extinction.

Research Project: Camera Catalogue

When studying my camera catalog project I was able to do more sorting of animals but I had a broader range of species. In my last project I did a lot of animals that were in Africa in a desert land. In this unit I got to work on animals like deer and other forest creatures from North America. I also got the opportunity to study and read on how some of these animals have similarities and differences and what kind of things they have to do to survive in desert land versus forest. I also classified some animals that were not only land animals but water animals as well. This included animals such as beavers and fisher cats.

Research Project: Snapshots at Sea

For this project, I had to do a lot of work with animals underwater, especially whales. I had to use a different way of thinking to be able to work on this project. It forced me to make a lot of inferences and also do research. It had a lot to do with the anatomy of the whales. I also learned a lot about why it is so important to keep classifying whales. There's so many things about whales that we don't know and even more about the underwater that we don't know. This allows us to further research how whales will survive.

Research Project: Comet Hunters

For this project I was studying comets. When studying comets I learned how important it is to be able to identify where they are moving in space. For many years scientists have been trying to study where comets travel and how fast they travel in order to guess where they might collide or hit us. It has always been a concern on whether or not comets will hit earth, that's why calculating size is also important. There are some comets that can be even larger than the earth or the sun that are traveling through space at very high speeds. This has really pushed my scientific thinking in a more abstract way because there is still a lot of research to be done on comets.

In my comet unit I had to make a lot of inferences because when looking at some of the really small ones that are moving through space it’s hard to find their location or where they will be in in the next 24 hours. Part of the research was to identify distance between comets. Sometimes it would be hard to tell whether it was another star or comet i was measuring to so i had to make an inference.  When studying whales there are a lot of things that you're going to need to know how to do especially when it comes to scientific thinking there are a lot of conclusions that i was able to draw because of the information that I gathered. For example whales are a very social species that does a lot of communication in school of whales. Something that was challenging for me was identifying animals I didn't know. But Zooniverse helped me understand what these animals were and their characteristics by providing small summaries of each animal. I didn't have to end up doing any outside research on these animals which is good because I don't live in a very outdoorsy area. Another challenge that I faced was in the unit around comets, because I had never seen  comets before. When studying comets, there are a lot of fine details you need to pay attention to and there's a lot of math  involved. Especially when trying to locate a comet. For example I had to use my basic distance equation.

Conclusion
In conclusion, these projects have made me a better scientist because of the way I have pushed my thinking. I learned that there are a lot of inferences and conclusions and hypotheses that all need to be drawn and made in order to properly understand what you're researching. I also learned a lot about different topics and either somethings in scientific thinking that relate to all topics. These are definitely skills that are going to be important when it comes to working in the future.