Brianna F.
WISRD Member
Journal 25-26
10/12-18/25
This week, me and my booth partner tested our Dark Matter Day experiment. I squeezed a lemon into a beaker and we dipped a paintbrush into the juice. We then painted the lemon juice onto two different types of paper to test which paper would be most effective. We then allowed the paper to dry. After drying we tried two different types of heat application. First we used a flat iron and then a lighter to see which one was most effective. The flat iron and the water color paper were the most promising materials. Next week, we plan to run the experiment for Dark Matter Day.
This week, we began assembling the terrarium. The setup process went smoothly. There were a few errors when constructing that caused us to have to reconstruct certain areas. This took one class period. I have also begun some preparations for Dark Matter Day. I have started creating a poster for my booth. A partner and I plan to recreate an invisible ink experiment. This experiment requires a lemon, a cotton swab, and a heat source. The way the experiment works is by using the lemons to get lemon juice, then using the cotton swab to write something on paper. After that, allow the lemon juice to dry, and then apply heat. The heat allows for the lemon juice to oxidize and turn brown. Which will show the hidden message you wrote on paper. Next week, I plan to begin writing my first draft for my inquirer article.
9-10/28-4/25
9/21-27/25
This week, I accompanied a WISRD member to visit the Gecko that is living in the terrarium we built. We fed it and gave it some more water. It has been relocated now to a middle school science classroom. The following day, we unpackaged materials to begin another terrarium. This one will contain poison dart frogs. We started cleaning the pieces this week, which took multiple class periods. Next week, we plan to assemble the terrarium.
9/14-20/25
This week, I began to do some research on potential Inquirer topics. I ended up choosing to look into Climate Change and Plants. I spent the majority of the week getting a better understanding of the topic since a lot of it was new to me. I knew a lot about Climate Change because of the amount of times I’ve learned about it so that wasn’t going to be something I needed to further look into. What I did the most research on was the relationship plants had with Climate Change. Along side what CRISPR could do to help. After a good amount of research I began writing my pitch which came easier to me this year since I did more reasearch beforehand and I planned alot better.
9/7-13/25
This week, I organized all the work I did last year for my project. I made sure to create a Google Drive Folder to keep track of all my documents to make it easier to find everything. I take a lot of notes, and it’s one of my specialties. This was an essential thing for me because I will be continuing my project from last year, and a lot of it this year will rely on my work and process from last year. On top of the folder, I made sure that the document where I was containing all my sources was organized. Meaning that each source was organized by category: Plants, Plant Care, Plant Materials, Plant Benefits, and Cortisol. My next step is to make sure that these sources are all properly cited because at the moment they are all URLs that are labeled with what they talk about.
8-9/31-6/25
This week, I helped the same WISRD member with their project. This week, they had planned to make some adjustments to the Terrarium. They aimed to drill holes in the wire mesh that enclosed the Terrarium that would allow the mister to mist the Terrarium much more efficiently. This was important because at the moment, the wire mesh where the water would make contact with it was starting to rust. To make sure their plan went successfully, I helped move the Gecko into a temporary enclosure. The enclosure was made using the same materials that were in the Terrarium; the enclosure itself was originally where crickets were held for feeding. This took two class periods to complete because of the amount of patience needed to handle a Gecko.
8/24-30/25
This week, I assisted another WISRD member with their project. They had built a Terrarium last year that I had helped them create, and were cleaning it this week. I gathered a few items for them while they cleaned. They made sure to clean the glass and refill the water for the Gecko that inhabited the Terrarium. They also added more food to the food bowl.
Poster Session 25-26
12 - 5 - 25
I
4 - 29 - 26
I
Journal 24-25
9 - 10 - 24
I have created a Research To-Do list and for the past few weeks, I have been researching plants and their effects on mental health. The plants I’ve researched so far are the Snake plant, Spider plant, and Bamboo Palm. One thing these plants share is that they filter out toxins in the air.
10 - 14 - 24
I have started creating the list of materials needed to continue this project. I have jotted down a few materials so far after doing further research. I have started to narrow down as to what type of materials work best depending on the plant.
9 - 23 - 24
This week I will do more in-depth research on the Snake plant, Spider plant, and Bamboo Palm using my Research To-Do list as a guide. I plan to gather more information on the maintenance of these plants and how they might survive in a classroom environment.
10 - 23 - 24
So far I have managed to write down all the materials needed for the Snake plant and only some of the materials for the Spider plant. Alongside the materials, I wrote down descriptions of the aspects of the materials that are important.
11 - 14 - 24
I have completed the list of materials needed to move forward with this project. I have each material and its specifics as well as the amounts needed per material. I have decided to start with 9 plants and I want to allow them to grow into a space versus getting them while they have already grown to their fullest.
1 - 23 - 25
This week I worked on my experimental design. I worked out how I would test cortisol levels and then determined some of the controlled spaces. This semester I plan to start testing this project and incorporating more plants inside educational spaces.
3- 17 - 25
This week I finalized a plan to begin testing. The plan is to start Monday after the break. I’ll begin with the controlled testing. This means that the first week will have no plants involved. This will give me time to pot the plants and ready them to be put into these places. In the second week, I will add the readied plants in the spaces and test cortisol levels. This will continue for at least two more weeks.
4- 10 - 25
This week, I began testing cortisol levels. My plants have also arrived, and I will be potting and adding those plants to the rooms on Monday.
4- 14 - 25
Today, I re-potted the six arrived plants: two snake plants, two Spider plants, and two bamboo palms. I then set up the plants in Tracy and Robin’s office. One of each plant was set up alongside a grow light, which I clipped onto their desks over the plants.
4- 28 - 25
This is my last week of collecting spit samples. After this week, I will get my results to see if plants affect cortisol levels, and if this is the evidence I need to push forward in including more plants around the school.
12- 3 - 24
For the past few weeks, I’ve been working on another project with a friend where we built a terrarium. The purpose of building the terrarium is to further test the effects of living spaces in an educational environment. Similar to the work I have researched and have planned for with plants.
12- 16 - 24
This week I was out for a little bit and missed several classes but Skylar had finished adding the dirt and micro isopods into the soil. She also added leaves. The next step is to add plants and let them settle for a month before putting the gecko into the terrarium.
Poster Session 24-25
12- 17 - 24
The poster session was a success. My most asked questions were how I plan to test the mental health benefits and how I plan to control the experiment. I responded that I plan to test the benefits by using saliva samples to test cortisol levels over time. Now, for controlling the experiment, I plan to use certain spaces, such as classrooms and offices, to test the cortisol levels of teachers and staff. The first week would be controlled, meaning no plants would be added to the spaces, and testing would be solely on the normal state of the spaces. Until week two.
4- 23 - 25
Poster session went smoothly. My biggest suggestion was to remake the experiment, but replace the real plants with fake ones to test further if fake plants also lower cortisol levels. I had thought about this previously, and a key component of the real plants is air filtration; without it, I am not sure that the experiment will run the same.
Statement of interest, Spring 2024: (from institute application): I am not quite sure yet, but I do know that I want to help make a more positive impact on the environment. Whether that be in the larger world or in a classroom.