Blog 10: Self-Reflection

1. How do you think you are doing so far in your senior project and why? AE, P, AP, CR, or NC

I think that I am doing very well in my senior project. I have completed over twelve hours of service learning in the Forensic Science Academy Club and have collected useful, thoughtful information that can help me with my essential question on forensic anthropology. I am also very close to finishing up my first Independent Component and I have an excellent idea for my second Independent Component. I have done everything that has been asked of me and I am doing it in a very professional and educational way. With this being said, I believe I deserve a AE for my constructive work that I have done for my senior project.

2. What one thing do you think you have done well on and why?

One thing that I think I have done well on was finding a Cal Poly class that can assist me on my essential question and be part of my first Independent Component. Because I am taking a Prehistorical/Archaeological class I am receiving the base information on bone differentiation based on human evolution and every culture's skeletal difference. This has contributed my knowledge to future presentations and has provided me to be an excellent resource to acquire and have for my scientific senior project. By taking this Anthropology course, all of the high-end knowledge that is presented to me in the meetings are easy to understand and comprehend when I have the background knowledge.

3. What is one thing you would like to improve on and why?

One thing I would like to improve on is completely memorizing the scientific and common names of all 208 skeletal bones in the human body because I would like to incorporate this knowledge in my presentations and research papers to be able to sound like a true scientist. When I enter a course that involves knowing and understanding the skeletal remains, I would want to act highly intelligent and be able to give constructive information when my professor or adviser asks for possible causes of deaths that can have occurred based on the evidence provided.  

Forensic Science Academy Club Field Trip to the LA County Coroner's Office

The Forensic Science Academy Club had a field trip to the Los Angeles Depertment of Coroner! This inspirational experience occurred during 12:00PM to 5:00PM in Los Angeles! I show up fashionably early to these events, especially because it shows the President of the FSAC that I'm highly interested in my field. Greeted with open arms, the FSAC were told to go inside and listen to a brief presentation of what the Coroner does, history of the LA Coroner origin, as well as why this is important for us to know.

It was a rather intriguing presentation which I have noted to keep everyone awake. This is relatively good observation since I will now be applying those "ooh-ahh" moments in my presentation that will make my audience linger for more information on forensic anthropology. Basically, the coroner is in the uppermost part of the triangle in the forensic field which pretty much represents the lab authorship and has the "final-say" power. The office isn't relatively old and is a fully functioning! I was astonished by the high amount of reward, badges, as well as emblems that the LA Coroner's Office were acknowledged with! This is rather inspirational since I want to leave my mark in this world by pursuing forensic anthropology.

Continuing with the tour, we were shown the LA County Coroner truck and its nifty compartments and abilities! It was rather interesting to see a few inches away! Finally, we were given these plastic garments to wear over our clothing, to dress-up and simulate what an actual coroner and forensic scientist have to do in order to conduct research in a crime scene; regardless of location!

I really enjoyed this tour and I believe that I have now gained more sources to detail forensic anthropology from! Can't wait to see what the future has in store!

Intro to Archaeology/Prehistory

There were a variety of connections I have made from my current class lessons/discussion with my essential question. Right now we have summed up the South American Anthropological study path, they had a rather bloody history that involved mass graves. Mass graves is a site in which people have been sacrificed for religious, chiefdom, or even genocidal purposes How can anthropological evidence prove that they were murdered and not had a natural death? The evidence! Their bones showed evidence of every individual being in their early to mid twenties, primarily women who had symmetrical, healthy bodies. The purpose of these graves usually connect with the idea that they will be waiting for the king, queen, or high class individual in the afterlife. Doesn't seem like an idea people would want to volunteer to.

Anthropologists really mostly on the evidence that has been presented and never assume to the cause of death, for this is a bad idea! You need to back up your claim with evidence and make suggestions of the studied analytically qualities that have been presented. These images of the past aren't last forever, they are translated by anthropologists to interpret their cries to create justice and make sure their history is preserved.

Blog 9: Science Proposal

1. What is your hypothesis?

My hypothesis is if the concentration of water in a soil sample is high, then the speed of chemical decomposition of a carrot will be greater than a soil sample with a damp environment. 

2. Identify the dependent (produced), independent (manipulated) and control variables in your hypothesis.

The dependent variable is water exposure. The independent variable is the mass of the carrot. The control variables are the amount of soil in each ZipLoc bag and the size of the (5 inch) carrot.

3. What is the connection between your science fair project and your senior project EQ?

The connection between my science fair project and my senior project EQ is that my senior project EQ deals with determining the most important factor of a skeletal remain in a criminal investigation, which are most often found with soil. My science fair project will be able to describe the role of a decompose organism in nutrient recycling and their importance and relevance to physical conditions they can play on organisms. With the evidence provided from the soil in the science fair project I can associate my observations and studies to my senior project and know what the effects would be on skeletal remains since it's an essential component in a criminal investigation.

4. How will you perform the experiment? Include the equipment you plan on using.

I will be performing my experiment by testing the effects of different environmental conditions on the decomposition of an organic substance, such as a carrot. The plastic ZipLoc bags will act as decomposition chambers; one will be the experimental and the other the control chamber. Carrots will be used since they are a relatively low concentrated water content vegetable that will have the least amount of soil sticking into them and reduce the factor of error. I will be relating each bag through various temperature, water content, and concentrations of soil in order to have a large overlook of the analysis.

In my first bag I will be testing the effects of cold temperatures on decomposition, thus refrigerating the carrots and observe and analyze the effects of the mass and other details. In the second bag I will be saturating the soil with water and also study the effects. In the third bag I will be placing the bag in a sunlight exposed, dry soil bag in order to study another variation of environmental decomposition. Finally, on the fourth bag I will be having the carrot in normal room temperature without any outside factors such as heat, cold, sun exposure, or damp water. Most importantly, these week-long experimental proceedings will be compared for scientific analysis. 

The equipment I plan to use includes:

• Science Journal
• Electronic balance
• 4 ZipLoc bags
• 10 pounds of potting soil
• Garden trowel
• 12 Carrots (Medium sized - 5 inches)
• Paint brushes
• Refrigerator space
• Thermometer
• 10ml of water

5. Which category will your project be listed under? (For a full list of categories, go to the iPoly Physics webpage, then to the Science Fair tab.)

My project will be listed under Chemistry since I will be analyzing organic products, in this case carrots, undergoing decomposition.

Intro to Archaeology/Prehistory

Halfway through the quarter! The first exam consisted of 30 multiple choice answers and 2 short essay responses of "Why is the Agricultural Revolution not Actually a Revolution?" and "Describe a Mesoamerican Culture Like an Anthropologist Would Describe It". The exam consisted of the anthropological techniques to date living material, anthropological and archaeological theories, various agricultural sites, as well as macroeconomic statuses.

I just wanted to note that the young woman in front of me, the one wearing the yellow shirt, is studying forensic anthropology since I've seen her carry an "Intro to Forensic Anthropology/Epistemology" around. Perhaps I can ask her for some feedback or even get in contact with her professor.

Intro to Archaeology/Prehistory

The connection I have made with my essential question and this course included: detective/forensic related work require to know how the person lived: living conditions, exposure, safeness. As well as knowing where the person lived and where they came from and went through means of settlement or living variations. Anthropologically speaking, the deeper in the evidence you get into the soil where evidence has been found, the older that particular piece of evidence actually is thanks to the method of stratification. 


Stratification by definition is by arranging different level types of soil into a time period group in order to analyze and observe the unique soil components.