Every great project begins with a spark of curiosity. We recently completed our end-of-year project, which combined multiple subjects into one large, artistic journey. Over the past few weeks, we completed a process that progressed from reading a book to creating an art piece fighting for the conservation of endangered animals.
Our journey started off with reading, annotating, discussing, and deep diving into Squirm by Carl Hiaasen, a thrilling and humorous novel centered on nature, family, and conservation. As we continued throughout the book, we started to recognize consistent and repeating themes that Hiaasen conveys: take action when necessary and embrace your eccentricity and uniqueness.
In Squirm, Billy must take immediate action against poachers using drones to protect his family and the Florida wilderness, relying entirely on his own unique tracking skills and his bizarre snake-handling skills. After getting inspiration, we were tasked with writing a persuasive short story about an endangered species. Each of us selected a specific endangered animal to investigate and research. This step required deep research to truly understand the situation and challenges our animal faces. For my own research, I chose to focus on the bonobo. I learned that this creature is currently threatened by poaching for “bushmeat” and severe habitat loss in its native home of the Congo Basin.
After finishing our research, we transitioned into the art design and making process. We collaborated with local artist Peg Gignoux, who helped us bring our ideas into the physical world. Under Peg’s expert guidance, we learned the specific steps of bookmaking. First, we decided on our base colors and the background where our animal would be placed. Next, we started cutting and gluing to create a collage depicting our animal in its habitat. Finally, we glued on the artistic covers with our titles and glued in our stories. Our handmade books stand as a physical reminder of everything we learned.
Here is the first part of the story I wrote from my animal’s point of view:
I wake in my nest high in the canopy of the Congo Basin, living in a forest that feels smaller with every passing day. My species is the bonobo, scientifically known as Pan paniscus. I’m Pan. One of the few still roaming the Earth today. Unfortunately, the towering trees I climbed as a child are being cleared as humans venture deeper into our territory, leaving only scarred earth and machines behind. Most days, I follow my mother to forage for sweet figs or the occasional juicy, savory caterpillar, but we are constantly dodging the threat of cold, metal snares. Last week, I watched my younger cousin, Paniscus, scramble for a piece of fallen fruit, only to have a trap snap violently around his ankle like a starving shark. I can still hear his pierced and confused scream, a sound that haunts my sleep. The vicious vultures ventured and waited above. Sadly, he died as the sun set one last time for him. That evening, my community of the meager 10,000 apes all came to mourn as the wind whistled a song of mourning and the branches high-up on the trees waved their final goodbyes. The tears were more than enough to flood the entire desert. This is the sad truth. Someone I know dies every day…
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A Picture of the 3 Lemurs at the Explore the Wild Exhibit
On Tuesday, April 28th, Durham Academy Middle School 6th graders embarked on an excursion to the Museum of Life and Science in Durham. This trip was an immersive journey where we explored nature and technology. With 84 acres to explore with our advisories, the science museum was filled to the brim with interactive exhibits and historical artifacts.
Animal Encounters: We started our day off with meeting some of the museum’s residents during a live animal program. It was fascinating to see a thorny bearded dragon, a long coiled snake, and a very energetic ferret up close.
Hideaway Woods: Transitioning outdoors, we explored this expansive nature discovery area. Playing an intense game of tag on the massive treehouses and climbing the rope walkways was the highlight of our morning, providing a thrilling way to explore the forest canopy.
The Aerospace Exhibits: Then, after lunch, we explored the museum’s collection of NASA artifacts. This exhibit featured a representation of the Apollo 15 flight and included one of only four extant Apollo Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). We also had an up-close look at a Project Mercury capsule and a massive J-2 Saturn V rocket engine. Seeing these machines in person really conveyed the incredible innovation and teamwork required to send humans into space.
Picture of Apollo LEM at the Aerospace Exhibits
Explore the Wild: At these exhibits, we were given the opportunity to observe black bears and endangered red wolves in natural habitats.
Earth Moves & Into the Mist: We concluded our day by exploring the forces of geology at Earth Moves, where we manipulated sand and water to see how landscapes change. Afterward, we headed to Into the Mist, which turned into a giant game of tag!
This trip was the ultimate blend of adventure and academic activities which left us with plenty to discuss when we got back.
The Rubik’s Cube is a 3-dimensional combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik, originally named the “Magic Cube” and featuring six colored sides that must be aligned. It has 43 quintillion possible scrambles, yet it can still be solved by positioning edge and corner pieces in algorithmic processes.
Ernő Rubik, who was a Hungarian architect professor at Budapest University of Technology and Economics, was attempting to teach his students about spatial relations and rotating parts of a mechanism without having it fall apart. He did not realize he created a puzzle until he scrambled it himself and tried to restore it, which took a month. The original prototype called the “Magic Cube” (bűvös kocka in Hungarian), each of the six faces was covered by nine stickers, with each face in one of six solid colors: white, red, blue, orange, green and yellow. It works by using an internal pivot mechanism, which allows each side/layer to turn independently, therefore mixing up and scrambling the colors.
A GAN speedcube.
Speedcubing is a competitive sport whose goal is to solve Rubik’s cubes as fast or with as few moves as possible. The 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube can be solved using several methods. The most commonly used methods for speedcubing are CFOP, Roux, and ZZ, which achieve the fastest times. ZZ uses a unique step called Edge Orientation to improve the efficiency of solving by removing the number of rotations during a solve.
In this blog, we are diving into my recent tree planting experience at Hillside Park. The park has an interesting history. The land Hillside Park was originally donated to the city by John Sprunt Hill. The land originally held the Hillside Park High School in 1922 which was the first high school to serve black students in Durham. Today, the land belongs to a preschool, a housing center for seniors, and the Whitted school and Veranda at Whitted. On the other side of the park, the Algonquin club was a social club and community center for black residents in Durham.
On February 20th, Durham Academy middle schoolers participated in a volunteer event
planting around 35 trees to make Durham more beautiful. The tree planting instructors taught us the proper techniques and materials needed to successfully plant the tree. Working in small groups of three, we followed a careful process. We dug wide, deep holes to give the roots room to spread. We carefully positioned the saplings, ensuring they were as straight as an arrow. We finished by surrounding the base with mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Unfortunately, just as we hit our rhythm, it started pouring. But, instead of slowing us down and making us retreat back to our buses, it motivated us to finish the job even faster.
Welcome back to the blog! In this post, we are going to explore some of the most breathtaking natural wonders from around the globe, ranging from massive waterfalls to mysterious hidden rivers. There’s also a special bonus mystery for you to solve at the end.
#1.
Image from Creative Commons
Located on the border between Argentina and Brazil, Iguazú Falls is a massive system of 275 individual waterfalls spanning nearly 2.7 kilometers. The tallest of these drops is the famous Devil’s Throat, which plunges 82 meters down into a dense cloud of mist. Ever since the site was protected as a national park in the 1930s, the area has offered visitors incredible attractions like panoramic walkways that put you right above the rushing water and boat tours that drive directly into the mist. This striking geological formation is created by the Iguazu River, which flows through the Paraná Plateau and gets its immense strength from a drainage basin before tumbling over the basalt cliffs like a shimmering curtain of white silk.
#2.
Image from Creative Commons
The Grand Canyon is an immense gorge that measures 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and reaches a depth of over one mile. Located in the high desert of northern Arizona, the landscape is dry and rugged, with massive cliffs in brilliant shades of rust-red. Visitors can experience unique attractions like the glass-bottomed Skywalk that hangs over the edge, mule rides into the canyon’s deep valleys, and the Grand Canyon Village, which features authentic architecture from the early 1900s. This site also reveals a cross-section of the Earth’s crust dating back nearly two billion years, and it was sculpted more recently by the Colorado River 2-3 million years ago.
#3.
Image from Creative Commons
Located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls is a massive natural wonder where the Zambezi River crashes over a wide plateau. It forms the largest curtain of falling water on the planet, stretching 1.7 kilometers wide and dropping 108 meters into a narrow gorge. The impact is so powerful that it sends a cloud of mist high into the air, earning the local name Mosi-oa-Tunya, which translates to “The Smoke That Thunders.” Since being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the area has provided visitors with several exciting ways to view the landscape. Travelers can walk across the Knife-Edge Bridge to experience the drenching spray or take helicopter rides to see the river’s sudden transition from a calm stream to a roaring waterfall. For the more audacious, the Devil’s Pool allows swimmers to sit safely at the very edge of the abyss during the dry season. The falls were created as the river carved through layers of volcanic basalt over thousands of years. This process continues today, as the constant mist supports a unique rainforest that stays green year-round. Whether viewed from the ground or the air, the site remains one of the most impressive geological formations in Africa!
#4.
Image from Creative Commons
Scattered across the Gulf of Tonkin in northeastern Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is a spectacular seascape featuring nearly 2,000 limestone islands and pillars rising from emerald waters. This UNESCO World Heritage site covers over 1,500 square kilometers and was formed by millions of years of tropical erosion. The name “Ha Long” means “Descending Dragon,” referring to a local legend about a dragon that created the islands to protect the land from invaders. Visitors to the bay can explore a wide variety of attractions beyond the iconic scenery. The Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave) is a massive underground chamber filled with intricate stalactites and stalagmites, while Ti Top Island offers a steep hike to a summit with 360-degree views of the bay. For a glimpse into local culture, travelers can visit Cua Van, a floating fishing village where residents live in houses built directly on the water. Many people also enjoy kayaking through Luon Cave, a natural tunnel that leads to a hidden, peaceful lagoon surrounded by high stone walls and playful monkeys.
#5.
Image from Creative Commons
Lined with thousands of steep, green limestone hills, the Li River is a world-famous waterway flowing through the heart of Guilin in Southern China. A picture of these tall, thin mountains is actually printed on the back of the 20-yuan Chinese bank note because the 83-kilometer stretch of water from Guilin to Yangshuo is so iconic. This unique landscape was formed over millions of years as slightly acidic rainwater dissolved the soft limestone, creating the jagged peaks seen today. The area offers several attractions that let visitors see the landscape from many angles. Most people start with a four-hour river cruise to see rock formations like Nine-Horse Fresco Hill, while others ride bamboo rafts to watch local fishermen use trained birds to catch fish. On land, the Reed Flute Cave offers a massive underground space filled with neon-lit rock formations! For the best view, you can climb the 700 steps up Xianggong Hill to stand 300 meters above the water, looking down at the river as it winds through the jagged peaks.
Bonus!
Hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, a mysterious river flows for about 6 kilometers with water so hot it can actually boil! Most hot rivers are located near volcanoes, but this one is unique because the closest volcano is over 700 kilometers away. Instead, the water is heated deep inside the Earth and forced back up through cracks in the ground, reaching temperatures as high as 95°C (203°F)! Visitors who trek into this dense jungle will see thick clouds of steam rising from the turquoise water, making the forest look like a giant sauna. The river is about 25 meters wide and can reach up to 5 meters deep, cutting through a lush area where the trees are often shrouded in mist. To see the river safely, travelers can visit a nearby healing center or walk along the rocky banks to watch the water bubble. Put your guesses for the mystery wonder in the comments, and from now on, the correct answer will be revealed in the next post. So, stay tuned for the next blog where we will travel back in time to explore the most impressive ancient monuments!
In this blog, we will journey through an inspiring list of the world’s most iconic and record-breaking structures that are essential “must-sees” for any avid traveler like I am. Let’s start!
#1.
Creative Commons
Located right in the heart of Marina Bay, Gardens by the Bay is a stunning urban park that showcases the beauty of nature through its famous Supertrees and lush glass domes. This futuristic sanctuary transforms the city into a “Garden in a City,” providing a vital green lung that promotes sustainability and biodiversity for everyone to enjoy. It is a reminder of how we can protect our planet while building a greener future for urban life!
Image from Creative Commons
#2.
Standing tall in Downtown Dubai, the Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building, reaching a record-breaking height of 828 meters (2,717 feet) with over 160 floors. Its stunning design is inspired by the Hymenocallis, a desert flower, using a triple-lobed structure to balance the structure’s immense weight. It’s anchored in Dubai’s challenging desert soil by 192 concrete piles, each reaching 50 meters deep. It’s so jaw-droppingly beautiful when standing among the clouds on its multiple observation decks, and it’s an experience you simply cannot miss!
Image from Creative Commons
#3.
Rising from the London skyline and standing on the south bank of the Thames River, the Shard is a breathtaking 309.6-meter masterpiece of glass and steel that reigns as the UK’s tallest building. It was designed by architect Renzo Piano to replace the 1970s Southwark Towers. The building was completed in 2012 and officially opened its doors to the public in early 2013 as “the Shard of Glass.” Its Level 72 open-air skydeck, which is the highest point in the entirety of Western Europe, offers the best 360º view in the city.
#4.
Image from Creative Commons
The CCTV Headquarters, located in the heart of Beijing’s Central Business District, is an incredible 234-meter architectural wonder. The building “defies gravity” with its unique, looped design where two leaning towers are joined by an audacious 75-meter cantilever. This skyscraper absolutely dominated the city’s skyline when it was completed in 2012. It is an absolute must-see because it pushes the boundaries of engineering, offering a seemingly impossible design that makes it one of the most iconic buildings in the world.
#5.
Image from Creative Commons
Marina Bay Sands is an $8 billion architectural titan that looks like a massive, curved ship perched on top of three separate 57-story towers. Rising from the Singapore waterfront at 10 Bayfront Avenue, these skyscrapers lean at a 26º angle and are connected at a height of 200 meters. The Sands SkyPark, the 340-meter-long platform perched atop the three towers, features a lush garden, a public observatory, and the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool. Recently, the Las Vegas Sands Corp are planning a second $8 billion project that plans to add a fourth luxury tower and a 15,000-seat arena.
Bonus!
To wrap up, I have a challenge for you: can you guess which legendary landmark I am describing? This structure stands on its own private island and rises 321 meters into the sky. It’s shaped like a sail. Inside, you’ll find an incredible 180-meter-tall atrium and over 2,000 square meters of 24-karat gold leaf. It is famous for its rooftop helipad and name the “seven-star” hotel. Put your guesses in the comments and stay tuned for Part 2!
I woke up to a world completely buried under a thick blanket of white. I was up and ready to go before my parents even woke up, since central NC rarely sees a snow day this perfect. I wasted no time by heading out with my little sister to the frozen lake, where we threw rocks and snowballs at the thick ice and discovered deer footprints etched into the surface. From there, we walked our way to the steepest slope in my neighborhood that must have been sloped at least 30º. After that, we finally started building a snowman that would wave to passing cars, and it turned out taller than my sister. As the sun set, the sky turned a deep orange and red, and the light reflected off the untouched snow. Lastly, I went inside for a rich and creamy hot chocolate.
3D printing is a popular manufacturing and hobby that transforms digital designs into physical objects. They work by precisely depositing material through a nozzle, typically melted plastic. And extruding layer by layer until a solid form is created
To get started, begin by unboxing your machine and carefully removing all protective foam, tape, and shipping screws that secure the moving parts during transit. Once the hardware is clear, attach any external components like the spool holder or touchscreen, then power on the device to initiate its guided setup. You should run a full automated calibration, which allows the printer to test its internal motors and perform critical bed leveling to ensure a perfect first layer and print. After calibration, load your chosen filament through the feeder system until it extrudes from the heated nozzle. Finally, select one of the pre-loaded test files from the printer’s internal memory, such as a benchmark boat or a small mascot, and watch as the machine begins its first official build.
Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is a historical fiction novel that will glue even the most bored readers to the pages. In this heart-pounding novel, two kids navigate their way through terror and hardships to protect their family and loved ones.
This novel is masterfully crafted by the world-renowned author Alan Gratz. Its vivid description of the events of 9/11 and the village battle of Afghanistan keeps you glued to every page.
The 9-year-old Brandon Chavez is braving the events of 9/11. Brandon, who is in the North Tower at the time of the plane crash, is on the ground floor attempting to buy a toy for his friend while he is separated from his father, who works on the 107th floor at a restaurant named Windows on the World. His main goal is to find his father, who is trapped above the plane crash. He must navigate the chaos, destruction, and terror of the building to survive and escape.
Reshmina is an 11-year-old Afghan girl living in 2019 whose story runs parallel to the 9/11 narrative in Ground Zero. She is caught in the ongoing war between the Taliban and American forces. She discovers a wounded American soldier and must make the difficult decision to help him, a choice that puts her family and herself in mortal danger.
I wish this book had a sequel! I loved the lucid images painted in this book and the non-stop action. The character evolutions and the hardships they faced were really emotional and powerful. This book hit every element on point. Even ones I didn’t know could be included in a historical fiction novel. This book has really been a game-changer for me; it was my first Alan Gratz book, and it inspired me to read the rest of his books. I even got to meet him in person when he came to my school and got one of his newest books authentically signed! I would definitely give this 5/5 stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
Share this with your friends and comment on what you liked about Ground Zero!
