I spent this weekend working on the two exploration assignments. I was in the city a lot so I took a lot of pictures of environmental print. There were so many choices I finally had to restrain myself. You can see a sample of what I did on the right side of the blog in the mosaic. I could have gone on for a lot longer
I also spent way too much time documenting the block I live on. I've lived here for 16 years but you would think I'd never seen it before. I had about 50 little pictures of every building on the block and it took me a long time to put together because I never pay attention to them. It was fun though and it made me realize how much I do not know about this block I walk on every day! I should pay more attention to this part of the world!!
Inspired by my recognition of that silence and mystery, I thought about researching the history of this block. I have always wondered when it was built and who it was built for. I still wonder that. But I was often distracted from this contemplation by the unbelievable number of planes that kept roaring over the neighborhood all weekend long.
When I was out running on Sunday, there was a plane that flew so low it felt like I could touch it. Of course, the closer it is, the louder it is but it was also stunning that a plane was allowed to fly that low. My running partner pointed out that more planes can fly if they are flying at different heights. So when planes fly low, other planes can fly high and both can be on track to land or take off at our overbooked airports.
I had never thought of that. I began to wonder: who makes those decisions? Who has to ok it? Who do they not ask? What is the effect on air pollution (not to mention noise pollution?), what do the neighborhoods that are affected do? So, in the end I am pretty sure that airplanes in Brooklyn is the topic I'll focus on and I'll begin with some of these questions....
What topics or questions are you planning to do? Let me know in a comment to this blog.
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what is gum?
ReplyDeletedo dogs smile?
ReplyDeleteAt this point I am not sure about what I am going to do as my inquiry question. I was thinking about working on the family cat on my block. I always thinking about how bridges were built...and if they move. But I am still undecided.
ReplyDeleteWhat methods/strategies work best when researching African American geneology.
ReplyDeleteI am doing my inquiry project on a topic that is very important to my current state of affairs: Clutter. I want to understand why people become clutterbugs, why I became one, what effects it has on others in my life, and most importantly, HOW CAN I STOP IT AND GET NEAT AND ORGANIZED?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I liked your photo collage. Using Environmental print is one of my educational missions-(don't get me started...).
Hi all,
ReplyDeleteAfter thinking I have decided to conduct an inquiry roject on choclate. I love choclate and I want to really know what are the effcts that have been talked about and written about of choclate.
Furthermore, I want to take a look at the different choclate bars around the world. Specifically, what are the different ingridients that are mixed with choclate that are popular around the world.
My inquiry is going to be about why Facebook is so popular as a social networking tool. I noticed that when my 30th year high school reunion was in the works that everyone from Bronx Science, class of 79, was getting back in contact with one another, regardless of whether they had actually been friends in the first place. I also have been contacted by a number of former students who graduated in June, some just wanting to remain in contact, others wanting advice or assistance (do our jobs ever end?). It has made me curious about how it has become this major form of communication and way of socializing without having to invest a lot of time in it but I want to understand what other reasons there might be.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking about doing my inquiry project about community murals. There was a mural done in my neighborhood over the summer and I watched it transform from beginning to end as I walked past it everyday. It was so amazing to see all of these people work on it together. When they finished it, I thought it was so beautiful. I think that it adds character to my neighborhood. So I was wondering about who decides to do these murals? Do the muralist have to get permission from the city? Does the community have any say in it? What is the process in deciding?
ReplyDeleteIt is really true that as we go about our busy lives there is so much that we miss in our environment. The inquiry activities that we have done so far have really motivated me to pay more attention to things around me.
ReplyDeleteAs I read what you wrote about the noise pollution of aeroplanes, I could not help but think about the fact that as a child growing up in another country, I lived close to the railway track of a company that my father worked as head of security. Sleepover visitors to our house would be startled in the nights when the trains roared by. On the other hand,those of us who lived in the area would not be bothered by it at all.As a matter of fact,I would not be able to say whether or not the train had passed all day. I am thinking of doing my inquiry on: "What makes people immune to noise pollution?"
Being a extremely ticklish person (I actually can tickle myself) but my husband is most of the time not ticklish (occasionally is) I was thinking of finding out why are some people ticklish and others aren't or only sometimes ticklish. Also is there a way to stop being ticklish or control it as my inquiry.
ReplyDeletewhile i originally had plan to do an inquiry project about my dog, i might change it to something that one of my students asked me the other day. They asked, how are crayons made? While I know crayons are made of wax i never really thought about it anymore, so this might be interesting to research...
ReplyDeleteThat's funny, Jen. There was just a special on the CBS Early Show about how crayons were made. Hope that you caught it!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I want to investigate housing prices in NYC, and possibly New Jersey. Is it possible for a middle-class person to buy property here?? Why is housing so ridiculously expensive? Is it better to buy or rent?
I'm interested in this topic because if in the next few years I can't afford to buy something, I'll probably leave NYC. Since I'm loving my job and my friends so much here, I really don't want to leave. So, I want to find out if it's possible to buy here, and what has to be done to buy property in this town!
I find it so interesting that your inquiry is on planes Prof. Simon. Up until the last 3-6 months I rarely hear any planes fly over my neighborhood maybe they changed the routes because I lived in my neighborhood for 13 years and I used to hear the planes everyday, but I'm not complaining! Well, anyway I am interested in two topics for my inquiry the first being on Why people jaywalk? and the other How do Hurricanes get named? I am having trouble deciding.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that some schools have literacy consultants called Aussies. Yes they are from Australia. I was wondering, why get people all the way from Australia to coach us? So i'll conduct my inquiry on Australia's education system. I am interested in finding out how different their system is from ours, especially their reading and writing approach.
ReplyDeleteMy inquiry topic is "Why don't more people take mass transit (buses and trains)?"
ReplyDeleteI think I'm also going to go with something about flight. My question is, how do rockets work? To be more specific, how do rockets take off and fly?
ReplyDeleteWhy do so many women rely on over the counter drugs and prescriptions to deal with women's health issues, when it seems like there is some research to support the use of home remedies and natural herbs?
ReplyDeleteNicole Salvitti