Crime Scene Investigation Project
For this project, I investigated a crime scene. A man was found with a bullet through his head, and a gun and a bottle in his hands. My task was to find out what killed him. We used various techniques such as DNA analysis, fingerprinting, trajectory and blood-spatter analysis, and toxicology. Long story short, he was beating his wife, so his son tried to poison him, and his wife, not wanting the kid to get in trouble, shot him. They then proceeded to make it look like a suicide.
I really enjoyed this project, as I watch a lot of detective shows on TV. I was half-expecting it to be over in half-an-hour. I was fairly invested in it over-all, and was challenged by the lab aspect of the project. I enjoyed writing my personal commentary on the evidence logs, and tried to do my best Guy Noir, Private Investigator writing on them. My partner was a surprisingly excellent comrade, and we got stuff done. I felt included by the project, and I can safely say that I have no interest in a career in this field as a result.
I really enjoyed this project, as I watch a lot of detective shows on TV. I was half-expecting it to be over in half-an-hour. I was fairly invested in it over-all, and was challenged by the lab aspect of the project. I enjoyed writing my personal commentary on the evidence logs, and tried to do my best Guy Noir, Private Investigator writing on them. My partner was a surprisingly excellent comrade, and we got stuff done. I felt included by the project, and I can safely say that I have no interest in a career in this field as a result.
Cat Dissection
For my dissection, I cut up a cat, and memorized the locations and roles of several portions of it's anatomy. Although rather unusual in terms of projects here at Animas, it was still one of my favorites. This was the largest dissection I had done, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Community Connection
I intern on a weekly basis at the Durango Discovery Museum. There are several biology applications to this internship, a primary instance being the regular dissections which I conduct as part of my duties and obligations. The dissection I perform the most often, and the one that is my area of expertise, is the eyeball (Note: all organs belong to livestock such as sheep and cattle). I have also sliced up rats, hearts, and kidneys, in the interest of teaching anatomy to small children and curious adults. I have also attempted to impersonate the Swedish Chef from the Muppets on occasion, with less-than-desirable results. I have also explained the function of the egg, and we have hatched chicks, and explained the science there-in.
Official website here. (Also contains more details...)
Official website here. (Also contains more details...)
Urinalysis Lab Report
Cancer Mini-Project
For this mini-project, we discussed the effects of laughter on cancer. I made a joke book for a member of our community who was afflicted with cancer, and wrote a blog on the subject. Essentially, laughter doesn't have any solid medicinal qualities, but it never hurts to try. Link to blog at top of page.
Monkey Meal Plan Project
For this project, the assignment was to create a recipe which would serve as a palatable form of nutrition for chimpanzees and monkeys. This required consideration of several factors: the dietary restrictions of each animal, the preferred tastes of each animal, and the items available for usage. The final recipe is available below.
Durango Nature Studies Habitat Assessment Project
This was a project unlike any other I've experienced at Animas High School thus far. The overall goal was to analyze the Durango Nature Studies (DNS) property from a scientific, and more specifically, a biological standpoint. I learned many new skills. I learned how to visually identify species of frogs, and general categories of invertebrates. I then put this skill to use at the DNS property, as we captured frogs and invertebrates. I then learned how to analyze the creatures that we caught, and interpret them through such devices as the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index is a formula designed to measure how diverse a region is compared to another region, or the same region at a different time. I also measured water quality. I gained a good amount of knowledge in the usage of excel, as we input the data and the formula to create some very nifty and professional-looking spreadsheets. We then wrote a paper based off this data and some individual research that covered the results of this data, and recommendations for management of the habitat in the future. I am very satisfied with my completion of this project. I learned new skills, and I managed to put them to use in a sensible, logical, and professional manner. I'm looking forward to many more projects in Biology.