My action item is a letter to the superintendent of Dist113, Dr. George V. Fornero. I was informing him of the benefits that the school would reap if the water harvesting systems were added. Previous to writing the letter I did my research and looked at the proposal for the referendum and saw a few things about plumbing and the infrastructure of the building as a whole. I made sure they did not have water harvesting already so I did not sound like I was uneducated about the matter. I hope that he takes this letter seriously and considers water harvesting as something that would make our schools a better place. It would also be very cost efficient and show the students how to innovate our schools in an environmentally friendly way.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
animation for presentation
Here is the animation that I will be using for my presentation at the Marketplace of Ideas on wednesday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTBQ50YDz7k&feature=endscreen
There are also a ton of cool pictures I have used and they are mostly diagrams and statistics about how much water we use daily and why we use that water and how it can be replaced by rainwater instead of potable water. All of the benefits of rainwater harvesting are also in the pictures. I have used easy to follow graphics to show the viewers the simplicity of the idea while doing something great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTBQ50YDz7k&feature=endscreen
There are also a ton of cool pictures I have used and they are mostly diagrams and statistics about how much water we use daily and why we use that water and how it can be replaced by rainwater instead of potable water. All of the benefits of rainwater harvesting are also in the pictures. I have used easy to follow graphics to show the viewers the simplicity of the idea while doing something great.
graduated cylinder picture
did you know picture
benefits of it picture
map of states with rainwater harvesting on desktop
from:
Volvo picture
wahaso skid fabrication
Source blog 1 for rainwater harvesting
Kloss, Christopher. "Managing Wet Weather With Green Infrastructure." A Municipal Handbook of Rainwater Harvesting Policies Dec 2008: 1-10. Print.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/upload/gi_munichandbook_harvesting.pdf
Third century B.C. first water harvesting systems in middle east: pakistan, afghanistan and iraq. Farming communities from mud-lined rainwater pools. A different name for it is rooftop precipitation collection system. There are lots of different laws about which states and countries can utilize rainwater harvesting in rural homes or even urban buildings.
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/greeninfrastructure/upload/gi_munichandbook_harvesting.pdf
Third century B.C. first water harvesting systems in middle east: pakistan, afghanistan and iraq. Farming communities from mud-lined rainwater pools. A different name for it is rooftop precipitation collection system. There are lots of different laws about which states and countries can utilize rainwater harvesting in rural homes or even urban buildings.
source blog 2
http://wahaso.com/
"Leed Certification." Wahaso. Water Harvesting Solutions, Inc, 2013. Web. 13 May 2013.
<http://wahaso.com/LEED_certification.php>
I learned a lot from this source because it showed the reason why buildings would benefit from water harvesting systems other than just cost purposes. I learned that LEED certified buildings use 30% less water than a conventional building. This is more than 1 million gallons of water saved per year. You can get LEED certification points if you have innovative design, your system creates water use reduction, water efficient landscaping and much more.
This was created by the U.S. Green Building Council
"Leed Certification." Wahaso. Water Harvesting Solutions, Inc, 2013. Web. 13 May 2013.
<http://wahaso.com/LEED_certification.php>
I learned a lot from this source because it showed the reason why buildings would benefit from water harvesting systems other than just cost purposes. I learned that LEED certified buildings use 30% less water than a conventional building. This is more than 1 million gallons of water saved per year. You can get LEED certification points if you have innovative design, your system creates water use reduction, water efficient landscaping and much more.
This was created by the U.S. Green Building Council
Monday, May 13, 2013
Second book post 5
Hi all.
Last post about a book for my high school career!
The last part of the book was called "Supplements" and it didn't have much of substance to them. That's because they were just short stories from some of the authors that have written other stories that related to weight. But, there was a cool part that was a blackboard of one of the authors and it showed all of the "Things I could have done instead of worrying about my weight." These included getting a pilot's license, reading and enjoying more meals.
Interestingly, most of the authors in this book were authors who actually had other jobs in fields that had to do with food and/or body image. At the end of the book it also gave little biographies on the authors and gave their weight at the time they wrote the story. This was a really cool aspect because you would read something and imagine them to be one size but they would be a completely opposite one. One of the women, when asked what her size was, responded, "Depends who I'm standing next to." This just cracked me up because it is so true. Size is all relative and most people forget about that.
I think that people need to stop looking at clothing size labels as a criticism but as more of a life-saver because they allow us to spend less time sifting through un-labeled clothing and finding our fit much faster. These are the mindsets people, especially women, need to have when shopping or finding clothes to wear.
Overall I really liked this book because you did not need to have a lot of patience with one story because they were only a couple pages each at most. I liked hearing different perspectives from men and women ranging from all different body types. These kinds of books make me think about how I view my own body and how I can make myself more confident in my own skin.
Last post about a book for my high school career!
The last part of the book was called "Supplements" and it didn't have much of substance to them. That's because they were just short stories from some of the authors that have written other stories that related to weight. But, there was a cool part that was a blackboard of one of the authors and it showed all of the "Things I could have done instead of worrying about my weight." These included getting a pilot's license, reading and enjoying more meals.
Interestingly, most of the authors in this book were authors who actually had other jobs in fields that had to do with food and/or body image. At the end of the book it also gave little biographies on the authors and gave their weight at the time they wrote the story. This was a really cool aspect because you would read something and imagine them to be one size but they would be a completely opposite one. One of the women, when asked what her size was, responded, "Depends who I'm standing next to." This just cracked me up because it is so true. Size is all relative and most people forget about that.
I think that people need to stop looking at clothing size labels as a criticism but as more of a life-saver because they allow us to spend less time sifting through un-labeled clothing and finding our fit much faster. These are the mindsets people, especially women, need to have when shopping or finding clothes to wear.
Overall I really liked this book because you did not need to have a lot of patience with one story because they were only a couple pages each at most. I liked hearing different perspectives from men and women ranging from all different body types. These kinds of books make me think about how I view my own body and how I can make myself more confident in my own skin.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Planning blog for rainwater harvesting
-flyer already made and turned in
-presentation: tri-fold poster with facts and pictures, 3D
graphic of a skid from the ipad, 3D animation video on laptop
-Action object: I will be writing an official letter to the
superintendent of Deerfield high school suggesting they use water harvesting
systems when restructuring the building for the referendum. I will have this
letter and envelope on display for the Market of Ideas
-I still need to research three sources and write blogs on
each
-Write abstract paper
Monday, May 6, 2013
Second book post 4
"Pretty, Hungry" by Ellen Hopkins is about a girl named Lorelei Jeanne who had a troubled home life and therefore got taken care of by her grandmother, who fed her all the time. She felt like she was a "goodyear" blimp by the time she started kindergarten. (148). Her dad was in the service and would come home from time to time and would always look at Lorelei with disgust. Her father would yell at her drunken mother about how she is not working hard enough to keep their daughter healthy. Lorelei wanted her father to love her so she started not eating desserts, and then started not finishing her dinners, and the reader can obviously see where this is going. Her parents eventually got divorced becasue her mother was a drunk and he could not stand to be around her when he was home. All of the girls at school had changed from calling her an "elephant" to calling her a "ho". At the end of the story her dad is proud of her and so she learns that being hungry means being pretty. This is the saddest thing for a young woman to think because it morphs her idea of body image for the rest of her life. A father is someone who every girl wants to impress. I liked this story because it was told in a poetic form, with choppy language and different parts of the story separated for emphasis.
"How to Tame a Wild Booty" by Coe Booth is about a girl named Stacie whose butt had hit puberty years ahead the rest of her body had. Stacie was standing outside her housing building and a middle aged man looked at her shorts (cut-offs) and said that she was "growing up real nice," (176). After this happened, Stacie's father yelled at her to never wear shorts again and so for a few years, that is exactly what happened. Stacie always felt like she needed to cover up her body and her mom even made her buy a few girdles. After a few years of covering up her body, Stacie was desparate to finda new solution. She started losing weight so that she would become more proportional. The problem was, though, that she lost the weight everywhere except her butt, and now her butt was exentuated three times more. At the end of her whole experience, when she was goign into college she went in with the mindset of "flaunting what you have." I really admire hearing about Stacie's experiences because they give a positive outlook about yes, not everyone loves their bodies but if they absolutely cannot change and they are not detrimental to your health (like a bigger bottom) then it is fine to just accept your features and flaunt it.
"Confessions of a Former It Girl" by Wendy Shanker is a really interesting short story about memories of a woman who tried to act just like a celebrity. This means drinking starbucks drinks anywhere you go, and looking pretty with your beautiful counterpart when out on a date. The author said, "It was like there was someone you could know or something you could buy that would make you BETTER. that would FIX you." (190). This really embodies what people think about celebrities. This lady went crazy just to become a "celebrity" or to be noticed. Se did things like lie about her age, bought a Chihuahua and named it Pinky, got a tattoo, rented a house in the Hamptons, kissed her brother, and much much more. Her family eventually did an intervention on her and she started moving back to normal folk behavior. She liked it too, which was the most important part. This for me was a lot about the GIGS- aka Grass Is Greener Syndrome. Yes, celebrities look like their lives are all fun and games, but it really is a lot of work and not worth it because actions escalate very quickly under the medias eyes.
"How to Tame a Wild Booty" by Coe Booth is about a girl named Stacie whose butt had hit puberty years ahead the rest of her body had. Stacie was standing outside her housing building and a middle aged man looked at her shorts (cut-offs) and said that she was "growing up real nice," (176). After this happened, Stacie's father yelled at her to never wear shorts again and so for a few years, that is exactly what happened. Stacie always felt like she needed to cover up her body and her mom even made her buy a few girdles. After a few years of covering up her body, Stacie was desparate to finda new solution. She started losing weight so that she would become more proportional. The problem was, though, that she lost the weight everywhere except her butt, and now her butt was exentuated three times more. At the end of her whole experience, when she was goign into college she went in with the mindset of "flaunting what you have." I really admire hearing about Stacie's experiences because they give a positive outlook about yes, not everyone loves their bodies but if they absolutely cannot change and they are not detrimental to your health (like a bigger bottom) then it is fine to just accept your features and flaunt it.
"Confessions of a Former It Girl" by Wendy Shanker is a really interesting short story about memories of a woman who tried to act just like a celebrity. This means drinking starbucks drinks anywhere you go, and looking pretty with your beautiful counterpart when out on a date. The author said, "It was like there was someone you could know or something you could buy that would make you BETTER. that would FIX you." (190). This really embodies what people think about celebrities. This lady went crazy just to become a "celebrity" or to be noticed. Se did things like lie about her age, bought a Chihuahua and named it Pinky, got a tattoo, rented a house in the Hamptons, kissed her brother, and much much more. Her family eventually did an intervention on her and she started moving back to normal folk behavior. She liked it too, which was the most important part. This for me was a lot about the GIGS- aka Grass Is Greener Syndrome. Yes, celebrities look like their lives are all fun and games, but it really is a lot of work and not worth it because actions escalate very quickly under the medias eyes.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Second book post 3
"The Day Before Waterlily Arrived" by Jaclyn Moriarty was the weirdest short story I've ever read. This is a story about a girl named Kirsten and a boy named Markus who were in a class at school together. They got a substitute/ counselor type women who came into their class and taught them about body image. She did it in the worst way though. She used a method where she told everyone that she knew that everyone hated "at least one thing about" themselves. Why would an adult say this to children without even knowing them. Mrs. Waterlily was the name of the woman, and one day at the beginning of class she brought in a sandbox/ kiddie wading pool that was filled with strange bath toys that looked kind of gross. She picked out different toys and explained how each one related to a child. One example of what she said was, "Ming, your face is flat and squat- you're a leech!" (109). How odd is this? This is not how to teach children about body image. So then after Mrs. Waterlily left the class for good, Markus decided to give people good objects that enhanced their confidence instead of decreasing it. I don't think that people should learn about body image by knowing that everyone hates something about themselves, I think it helps when people talk positively in addition to pointing out something negative that they need to work on.
"HELLO my name is" by Carolyn Mackler is about an author who wrote the book, "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" and is well known in the reading community. Someone came up to her at a business party and was shocked to see that she was not fat, like the main character in the story she wrote. Carolyn thinks, "I'm always a little flushed because it feels like this person is complimenting me for not being fat," (120). I like the way she puts this because it shows that when people are able to say the word fat, it usually means the person they are talking to isn't actually fat. That would be too rude. But apparently, Carolyn s very offended by this. Carolyn explains to the woman that Virginia, the main character in her book, is very similar to her (Carolyn). Virginia's weight was a metaphor for all the ways we feel insecure, don't measure up, don't fit in, don't think we're as deserving as other people. I think this is a respectable way of explaining things to someone because it's true... We all have insecurities and problems and just because someone is fat that doesn't mean someone else doesn't have the same insecurities that another person has. I was caught off-guard when Carolyn said she was not fat, because I did expect someone who wrote a book about a fat girl to be fat themselves, I was pleasantly surprised to read that that was not so. We have to be careful of our assumptions and judgments.
"The Mating Habits of Whales" by Barry Lyga was about a boy named Devon (a big guy) who started dating a fat girl named Marjarie at summer camp. Devon's friends told him that Marjarie was too fat for him, and they made fun of him all the time for that. People would say that these two were mating whales. Devon had enough of it and started ignoring Marjarie. Then two years later, when they went back to school that year, Marjarie had lost a lot of weight and would not speak to Devon. Devon worked his hardest to be thin (which he accomplished) and begged her to take him back. She got upset because he did not realize that his weight was not the problem she had with him, it was his attitude and how he treated her. In the end of the story he finally realized what he needed to change about himself. This was a really well constructed story, in the form of a comic book, because I learned a lot through the character's emotions and body language.
"It Is Good" by Sara Zarr was about a young fat girl growing up. She had a traumatic time at a doctor's office who pointed out that she ate everything in sight and would never get a boyfriend. That would be terrifying!! Her problematic home-life didn't help anything either. As she grew up she had "forfeited her rights to basic respect and decency from herself or others," (139). This is really sad, that someone would get to this point. Shelley Winters and God came to her rescue though. She was watching a movie and saw a heroic fat woman save people in a sinking ship accident. She also joined a support group online that talked about food issues and she got convinced by a group of other women to train for a 5K run while she was nearly 200 pounds. She gained all the confidence she needed by being able to push herself and run a 5K at her weight. In the next 7 years she had lost 50 pounds and was very content with herself. Yes, she relapsed sometimes, but who doesn't? She wanted to tell that doctor that she saw many years ago that shame is counterproductive and a temporary motivator and that love is a better healer than shame or fear. This was one of my favorite stories because it was inspiring as well as happy to end with for this section.
"HELLO my name is" by Carolyn Mackler is about an author who wrote the book, "The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things" and is well known in the reading community. Someone came up to her at a business party and was shocked to see that she was not fat, like the main character in the story she wrote. Carolyn thinks, "I'm always a little flushed because it feels like this person is complimenting me for not being fat," (120). I like the way she puts this because it shows that when people are able to say the word fat, it usually means the person they are talking to isn't actually fat. That would be too rude. But apparently, Carolyn s very offended by this. Carolyn explains to the woman that Virginia, the main character in her book, is very similar to her (Carolyn). Virginia's weight was a metaphor for all the ways we feel insecure, don't measure up, don't fit in, don't think we're as deserving as other people. I think this is a respectable way of explaining things to someone because it's true... We all have insecurities and problems and just because someone is fat that doesn't mean someone else doesn't have the same insecurities that another person has. I was caught off-guard when Carolyn said she was not fat, because I did expect someone who wrote a book about a fat girl to be fat themselves, I was pleasantly surprised to read that that was not so. We have to be careful of our assumptions and judgments.
"The Mating Habits of Whales" by Barry Lyga was about a boy named Devon (a big guy) who started dating a fat girl named Marjarie at summer camp. Devon's friends told him that Marjarie was too fat for him, and they made fun of him all the time for that. People would say that these two were mating whales. Devon had enough of it and started ignoring Marjarie. Then two years later, when they went back to school that year, Marjarie had lost a lot of weight and would not speak to Devon. Devon worked his hardest to be thin (which he accomplished) and begged her to take him back. She got upset because he did not realize that his weight was not the problem she had with him, it was his attitude and how he treated her. In the end of the story he finally realized what he needed to change about himself. This was a really well constructed story, in the form of a comic book, because I learned a lot through the character's emotions and body language.
"It Is Good" by Sara Zarr was about a young fat girl growing up. She had a traumatic time at a doctor's office who pointed out that she ate everything in sight and would never get a boyfriend. That would be terrifying!! Her problematic home-life didn't help anything either. As she grew up she had "forfeited her rights to basic respect and decency from herself or others," (139). This is really sad, that someone would get to this point. Shelley Winters and God came to her rescue though. She was watching a movie and saw a heroic fat woman save people in a sinking ship accident. She also joined a support group online that talked about food issues and she got convinced by a group of other women to train for a 5K run while she was nearly 200 pounds. She gained all the confidence she needed by being able to push herself and run a 5K at her weight. In the next 7 years she had lost 50 pounds and was very content with herself. Yes, she relapsed sometimes, but who doesn't? She wanted to tell that doctor that she saw many years ago that shame is counterproductive and a temporary motivator and that love is a better healer than shame or fear. This was one of my favorite stories because it was inspiring as well as happy to end with for this section.
Second book post 2
"Last Red Light Before We're There" by Matt de la Pena is a long chapter about a boy and his family and how they deal with how the daughter, and Matt's sister, Ana, is very sick with anorexia. She does not live at home anymore and the fact that she's so sick and had such a distorted view of herself tears her family down everyday. Matt and his mom constantly sit inside and around Ana's bedroom with everything on the inside untouched just to remind them of how she used to be. I liked this chapter because it talked about the troubles the whole family goes through everyday, and not just the person who is struggling with the eating disorder. You usually hear about families who deal with someone who is overweight, but in this case it was cool to see the perspective from a family who has the opposite problem.
"Sweet 16 Plus" by Wendy McClure is about a young girl who was always bigger for her age. She had to shop at stores for women when she was only the age of 14. Obviously, these styles did not fit her taste but she had to adapt and come up with her own style in order to feel confident. Unfortunately, at the end of the chapter, Wendy still does not feel happy about her body because she ends up stealing her mother's credit card and buying some clothes with it and creating her own designs based off of that. She didn't fit in physically with everyone else, and now she did not fit in in a fashion point of view, which is a tough thing to deal with if you are middle school- early high school age for most girls who are just starting to understand their bodies. Reading about this because it gave me a greater appreciation for being able to fit in more mainstream sizes made for girls my age.
"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" by Sarra Manning is about a girl named Cath who works at an ice cream parlor on a pier and gets stuck working with an unconfident, nerdy girl named Rosie. The long chapter goes in depth about Rosie's transformation to someone who has good style, and good people skills due to Cath's teachings. Rosie has a large chest and Cath does not, and this actually causes some problems between the two because they both have issues with how their bodies look. I think it's important to remember that everyone is built differently and has different features emphasized. The lesson in this story is that confidence is key, and implants are not going to solve a problem of small boobs.
The last chapter in this section is called "Tale of a Half-Pint" by Margo Rabb. Margo has always been the shortest of all of her friends and has looked significantly younger than everyone her age. She could get into the 12-and-under group at the movie theater until the time she was 21 years old! She would try and look older by wearing heels and makeup, but she just looked silly because her presence did not show the maturity that she was dressing to display. She was always concerned about her height, but then her dad got sick, and her mom got sick and ended up passing away. Now, Margo has put her life in perspective and is happy that she got a long, full childhood where she valued things other than growing up so fast and actually did things that children do. After her mom died, she had a much greater appreciation for the bigger picture of life and less of the picky details that used to concern her before. She has turned her sad situation into something beautiful.
"Sweet 16 Plus" by Wendy McClure is about a young girl who was always bigger for her age. She had to shop at stores for women when she was only the age of 14. Obviously, these styles did not fit her taste but she had to adapt and come up with her own style in order to feel confident. Unfortunately, at the end of the chapter, Wendy still does not feel happy about her body because she ends up stealing her mother's credit card and buying some clothes with it and creating her own designs based off of that. She didn't fit in physically with everyone else, and now she did not fit in in a fashion point of view, which is a tough thing to deal with if you are middle school- early high school age for most girls who are just starting to understand their bodies. Reading about this because it gave me a greater appreciation for being able to fit in more mainstream sizes made for girls my age.
"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" by Sarra Manning is about a girl named Cath who works at an ice cream parlor on a pier and gets stuck working with an unconfident, nerdy girl named Rosie. The long chapter goes in depth about Rosie's transformation to someone who has good style, and good people skills due to Cath's teachings. Rosie has a large chest and Cath does not, and this actually causes some problems between the two because they both have issues with how their bodies look. I think it's important to remember that everyone is built differently and has different features emphasized. The lesson in this story is that confidence is key, and implants are not going to solve a problem of small boobs.
The last chapter in this section is called "Tale of a Half-Pint" by Margo Rabb. Margo has always been the shortest of all of her friends and has looked significantly younger than everyone her age. She could get into the 12-and-under group at the movie theater until the time she was 21 years old! She would try and look older by wearing heels and makeup, but she just looked silly because her presence did not show the maturity that she was dressing to display. She was always concerned about her height, but then her dad got sick, and her mom got sick and ended up passing away. Now, Margo has put her life in perspective and is happy that she got a long, full childhood where she valued things other than growing up so fast and actually did things that children do. After her mom died, she had a much greater appreciation for the bigger picture of life and less of the picky details that used to concern her before. She has turned her sad situation into something beautiful.
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