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HOW I CHANGE CAMBODIA 2019

Meet Quinn…..

Quinn is a shy introvert, who lost her legs in an accident years ago. Everytime I visited her, I found her hiding and she seemed scared and insecure. Due to the loss of her legs, she’s not able to move around by herself or interact with people as much as others. 

 

Luckily, Quinn has two other legs and she is being raised by Phnom Penh Animal Welfare Society (PPAWS), “a volunteer organization and full-service veterinary clinic based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.” 

 

In Disabled Animal, we are designing and making wheelchairs for domestic disabled animals. Therefore, we dedicated our time, energy and love to give this dog an opportunity to walk around and interact with others. We did this by designing and making a wheelchair for her. But to me, it’s more than that.

 

We are not just designing and constructing a wheelchair; we are changing Cambodian perspectives to revere animals like a beloved family member. 

 

At first, I joined the Disabled Animal Project with the purpose of helping to give disabled animals a better life. Personally, I’ve always been passionate about animals and it shifted my gears to apply for an internship at PPAWS on the basic veterinarian lesson. 

 

During my internship, I primarily went to the pagoda with the veterinarian and contributed free rabies vaccinations to abandoned dogs and cats. I delivered approx 200 shots, which will prevent rabies in a significant way. 

 

Meanwhile, at the clinic, I was keen on learning about their sickness symptoms and giving them their daily medication every time I was there. Twice a week when I was at PPAWS, as an advantage for my project, I could check on Quinn’s situation to try the wheelchair on her and reported back to the team to make changes. 

 

This year has been a breakthrough to me. I have found my true passion and now I know what I want to do in the future. These experiences inspired me to be involved in helping animals. I’m honored to join PPAWS’s mission on combating rabies, ending dog meat trade, finding new homes for rescues and reducing the insane overpopulation of street animals. Liger has allowed me to explore different passions and subject areas. By taking these opportunities, I have a clearer vision of my future and know that I’m willing to work with animals for the rest of my life. 

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BUCOLIC PART OF CAMBODIA WITH CALVIN’S STUDENTS

I received a fascinating opportunity to be a translator for Calvin’s student from Michigan. It was delightful to teach them about the livelihood of villagers and history of Cambodia at Kampot Province.

In order to learn/experience about their life, we must step into their shoes and walk the life they’re living. I let them clean their own dishes and cook their own food.

I was teaching them about cooking by using my cooking experiences from Matt Lee (Catering Manager) and we ate our stunning chicken stir-fried with overcooked rice.

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DRUG INDEPENDENT RESEARCH

There are many reasons why people are using drugs. Some reasons are causing from anxiety, problems with school/family, physical health issues, to fit in the group or to relieve the boredom and what is a drug anyway? A drug is a substance that could be food or water and when it goes through your body, it will react physically (using violence in family), mentally (forget about people around them, all they do is thinking about having fun) or psychologically(feeling depressed, angry or shock).

Based on the National Authority for Combating Drugs, more than 20K Cambodian are using heroin and methamphetamine. Using drugs are affecting your mental and physical illness and especially the brain. 

Brain is allowing you to feel, move, think and breath. While you on drug, your body will have an unhealthy relationship with your brain. To support the fact, based on National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens claimed that your brain will procrastinate the process of work of your body, such as slow down your heart rate, lack of energy and so on. 

In order to prevent from increasing drug users in Cambodia, stay tuned to see my independent drug research. 

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MATH

Khanacademy is the best sources for me to learn math. Khanacademy helps me to be an independent learner, there are questions to practice and if I struggle, there are a oodles of videos that going to guid me through each section. 

For the round two of the school year, my class is focusing on transformations, congruence, similarity, and right triangle & trigonometry. 

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SMORE LAB

Chemistry? Lab? FOOD!!!!

We are learning about theoretical yield and actual yield. We are using those yield to calculate the percentage yield. To elaborate and to get a better understanding of what it means and what the scientists are using those for, our generous chemistry’s teacher decided to have a SMORE LAB!! 

In order to make s’more we need, crackers, chocolate and of course marshmallows. 

To find the percentage yield, we need to take the actual yield divided by theoretical yield and time it by 100. 

  1. Calculate the theoretical yield by measure the weight all of the substance that you use to make smore
  2. Roast your marshmallows and chocolate on the Bunsen burner
  3. Make your smore by putting the marshmallows and the chocolate between the crackers
  4. Weigh your final product
  5. Find the percentage yield
  6. EAT YOUR SMORE!!!
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CHEMISTRY

TAKING CHEMISTRY THIS YEAR??? CHEMISTRY??? YEAHHHHH!!!!

I want to share with you about my gum lab! It’s my favorite lab experiment because I get to eat gum after the that!

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Bubble Gum Scientific Method Lab

Ellie likes to chew bubblegum.  She has recently noticed that some types of gum lose flavor faster than others.  She wants you to figure out which gum lasts the longest, and which lasts for the shortest amount of time.  In order to do this, you must follow the steps of the scientific method.

Observation/Problem: Which type of gum last the longest???

Hypothesis: (in regards to shortest and longest) My hypothesis is depend on the size of the gum. the bigger gum, the longer the test. the biggest gum might be the Doublemint. 

Experiment:

      Materials: one piece of bubble gum per student, balance

Procedure Data
1. Take 1 piece of bubble gum of the same brand and flavor for each member of your lab group.  DO NOT unwrap the gum! Record the brand name and flavor in your data section. Brand Name: Dentyne ICE

Flavor: Cherry
2. While still wrapped, measure the total mass of all pieces of gum in your lab group using your balance.  Record the total mass in your data section. Total mass of all pieces of pre-chewed gum:

5g
3. Take the gum out of the wrapper and begin chewing.  Save the wrapper! Chew for 3 minutes- answer the first question in the analysis section while chewing… Observations while chewing:

  • crunchy
  • mintry
  • sweet
  • cold
  • spicy
  • strechy
  • gummy
4. After 5 minutes of chewing remove the gum from your mouth and place it back into its gum wrapper.  Find the mass of the gum/wrappers. Record the mass in your data section. Total mass of all pieces of chewed gum: 2g
5. Throw away your gum/wrappers and make sure that your lab station is clean.   checked!

Analysis: (answer these questions- show your work for math!)

Calculate the average mass of 1 piece of pre-chewed gum in wrapper (Take the total mass of pre-chewed gum in wrappers data#2 divided by the number of members in group)

5/3 = 1.66 g

Calculate the average mass of one piece of chewed gum in the wrapper (Take the total mass of chewed gum in wrappers data#4 divided by the number of members in group)

⅔ = 0.66 g

Calculate the average mass lost from chewing the gum (Analysis#1 minus Analysis#2)

1.66 – .66 = 1 g

Calculate the percent lost (Analysis #3 divided by analysis#1 and times by 100). Don’t forget to RECORD ON THE CLASS GRAPH

1/1.66 = 0.602409639

60.24%

Graph the percent lost from EACH type of gum.

Conclusion: (answer in full sentences)

Based on the graph,

Which gum last the least percentage of mass and therefore would last the longest? Which lost the most percentage of mass and therefore would last the shortest? Did this support or negate your hypothesis? What do you think was lost while chewing? What is one possible source of error (why you would have gotten inconsistent results) in this lab and how would it have affected your results? What would you do differently if you did this lab again to counteract this error?

 

The gum last the least percentage of mass and therefore would last the longest is the Trident. The most percentage of mass and therefore would last the shortest is Mentos. This doesn’t support my hypothesis because I think that the doublemint gum would last the longest, but it’s actually the Mentos gum. While chewing the gum I think it loses the mass and flavors. I got no error of this experiment, but if I do this lab again I would change the constance speed of chewing gum because if I chew the gum fast I will lost the flavor quickly. One thing I could also try is to place gum in the water instead of chewing it. When I place the gum into the water, all of the flavor is stay inside the water, when I chewed, the gum’s flavor is dissolved inside my mouth and it go through my guts.

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NUTRITION WORKSHOP

Nutrition Exploration, we went off to Prey Veng Province to do a workshop with villagers about nutrition. We partnered with World Renew Team in Prey Veng Province. 

In the workshop, we shared about

    • What is nutrition?
    • 3 types of food
    • Lack of nutrition
    • Nutrition
      • Vitamin A
      • Iron
      • Iodine
    • Hygiene 
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby food
    • A short educated video about nutrition that we made with World Renew Team

 

The whole workshop was in Khmer. It’s kind of challenging with some technical words, but we get through it. 

My perspective was that we are only do the talking part and they listen in peace. But it turns out that they were asking a really good questions with their enthusiasm. 

In addition, we are having a lot of fun!

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LITERACY LEADERSHIP TEAM

I wrote a poem that was inspired by The Rent Collector’s character. 

She does for love.

She works her butt off every day

No one care if it’s her birthday.

 

She works for her family

Can’t complain or be lazy.

 

She works every day for her son

Who cares about the rumors from anyone.

 

She fights for her future

But,  she’s surrounded by trash and it doesn’t matter.

 

She fights for her hope

Even though she doesn’t have money for food and soap.

 

She fights for her dream

Though sometimes it melts away like ice cream.

 

If you don’t read, you don’t think that it’s true

You all don’t have to believe as I do.

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Nisay, my sunshine

 

Carrying you in my calloused arm

Freaking out about my beautiful charm

What happened to you?

Nisay, are you okay?

 

Taking you to the main road

Looking for the magical antidote

How was your day?

Nisay, what have you done?

 

Riding on a free tuk-tuk with you

You feed sad, makes me feel blue

Where are you?

Nisay, can you hear me?

 

Screaming your name with my  dead voice

A journey to the hospital without a choice

Who hurt you?

Nisay, please talk to me…

 

My tears flowing down my cheeks

Working my tushie off for the entire week

Are you in pain?

Nisay, you are going to be ok!

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We all need a “Cow.“

 

Once upon a time, there was a girl who fell in love with rice wine

She’s a rent collector, but she’s barely walking on a straight line.

 

She’s Sopheab, but people called her “cow”

Do we all even know why or how?

 

She brought literature into the community

She knows that she’s going to change someone’s destiny.

 

She teaches Sang Ly how to read

Because that’s all she needs.

 

Knowledge gives her power

It is like she’s standing on a top of a golden tower.

 

She knows how to communicate with literature

We all know what’s going to happen in the future.

 

Sopheap, thank you so much

It’s such as an emotional touch.

 

Literature changed everything

This fairy tale has a happy ending.

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MATH

After the PSAT Bootcamp, everything’s kind of instance. Literacy lesson is getting harder and math is getting tougher and tougher. I listed down what I want to learn in math class, which is my focusing area for this school term.

 

  • Complex numbers
    • Imaginary numbers
  • Arc Lengths and Area of a Circle Sector
  • Probability

 

When it gets to complex numbers, it sounds so perplexing to me and everything is just like one big maze that I have to drill into my fried brain. The second formula doesn’t make sense to me because the square numbers can’t be negative, nevertheless have to remember it.

I still use Khanacademy as my online learning, which is super, super helpful.

 

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PSAT BOOTCAMP

On the first two weeks of our 7th year of school, we are having an SAT Bootcamp with Amanda, an ESL teacher from an all-girls school in New Jersey; Kim, a recent Princeton grad in Computer Science.

First of all, we took the PSAT on the first day. Amanda is tutoring in reading, writing and language and Kim in math. 

Amanda gives us 10 to 20 common confusing words per day. She gives us a whole reading test to read on our own/in class and work through the questions together with strategies for solving it. We also learn the smart ways to eliminate the answer choices. My favorite one to learn is to summarize each passage that I read, it’s about one sentence per paragraph. It helps me to understand more about the passage and especially when I turn the paragraphs into my own words. 

For the math section, we mostly go over the questions together and express the short way to do the multiplication. I mainly struggling with world problems and numbers that involve square roots, but Kim helps me to win the battle.

Before the PSAT Bootcamp, during the PSAT full practice, I usually reach three passages of the test. But, after the PSAT Bootcamp, I reach 4 passages because I implied the summarize each paragraph strategy. Even though I don’t like science article, nevertheless I understand what the authors are talking about in the passages.