The Project
For our final project our driving question was "how can we use the knowledge gained this year to solve a problem in the world?" Using what we know about biology or biotechnology, we had to come up with a solution to a problem in the world. For our problem, we decided to do food and water waste. We found that the main reason why people don't compost is because they are too lazy to go out and hand mix the compost or water the compost. Our group decided to make "the lazy composter," a composter that is connected to the rain gutter so it can reuse water along with water itself. The composter is also on wheels so it spins instead of having to hand mix it.
Our presentation
Content
decoposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler matter. In our composter the food scraps we put in are decomposed to become soil. compost
decayed organic material used as a plant fertilizer microorganisms
A microscopic organism, especially a bacterium, virus, or fungus. In our composter a microorganism is the one breaking down all the scraps. |
oxygen
We spin the composter to add oxygen to the compost, which speeds up the process. Oxygen is important for all organisms. greenhouse gases
A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases are very bad for the environment and choosing to compost can help reduce the amount of green house gases. |
Reflection
This final project felt fun and went by fast. Our group worked well together, as we were all good friends. Because of this everyone was comfortable and unafraid to share ideas or take on a leadership role. Another strength of mine throughout this project was my research. Each day, we had to fill out a different stage and do a lot of research before we came up with a solution. We ended up creating a very reasonable solution that was attainable. Although our plan was achievable, we didn't go in depth about how we could use biotechnology to help our issue. As for next time, I think we could come up with more creative and challenging ways to fix a problem. Another thing I can work on for next time is my work ethic. When in a group with close friends, it can sometimes be very tempting to talk off task. Overall, I learned a lot during this project, and I think it was a great project to end the year off with!