Category Archives: Analysis

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY

Posted on by under Analysis, Grade 10, Photography, Street Photography

Brainstorming

Street photography is a photographic genre that focuses on capturing unscripted and unposed moments of daily life in public locations, usually in urban settings. It frequently entails capturing events and people in their natural situations, without the use of artificial or fabricated settings. The core of street photography is capturing fleeting moments and communicating stories visually. Photographers in this genre aim to capture the human condition, cultural characteristics, and the unique interactions that take place in public places. Street photography themes can range from individuals going about their daily lives to huge scenes that capture the spirit and atmosphere of a certain locale.

Photo Gallery: Joel Meyerowitz

Joel Meyerowitz began his career as a street photographer in the 1960s, when black-and-white photography was more popular in the art world, using 35mm cameras to capture the bright energy of New York City. His use of color gave his photos a fresh and energetic feel, and he became noted for his superb compositions and sharp eye for capturing key moments. Joel Meyerowitz was chosen as my photographer because of his ability to uncover beauty and excitement in mundane surroundings. These photographs appear to be quite natural, depicting both the main character(s) and the urban landscape, much like what we see with our own eyes. His images, in my opinion, frequently communicate a feeling of serendipity and a genuine appreciation for the transitory moments of everyday life.

All Photo Contact Sheet

Here are 75 photos that I took in total during the trip to Gu Lou; some were taken in the Hutongs, and some were taken on the roads.

Yellow Photos

I chose 57 photos and excluded 18 others. There are three reasons, all of which are related to the definition of street photography. The first is that the image lacks a central character. For example, one depicts a narrow Hutong but nothing else but a three-wheeler. The second is that the photograph does not depict certain aspects of daily life in the Hutongs, which is too boring. For example, there is a photograph of a road near the Gu Lou, but no one would know where it was taken unless you told them. The third reason is that some photos are similar, so I chose the best one.

Green Photos

While selecting the green photos, I started to consider the style of the photographer. Since Joel Meyerowitz was one of the pioneers of taking colored photos, I chose photos that contained colors, lights, and shadows, conveying a fresh and energetic feeling. Thinking about colors, my favorite ones are the candied haws (red) and the photo with two elders with red and blue hats. An interesting fact that I discovered is that many people wear blue and red (orange) hats.

Red Photos

Finally, I decided on these three photos as my red photos. The first photo on the left depicts the daily lives of people in the Hutongs. There are rickshaw drivers, visitors, shoppers, and so on. Everything appears to be very natural. Despite the cold weather, the sunlight and warm red colors from the rickshaw provide energy and warmth. My favorite is the second photo in the middle. The photograph focuses on our main character, a middle-aged man. Despite being alone, he fits in and enjoys the candied haws in the early winter. This demonstrates how this place brings people together and fosters a sense of belonging. The third photo on the right is straightforward, displaying the special food of northeast China during the winter. In the cold winter, the redness of candied haw warms people’s hearts, and the sweetness brings them happiness.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ENERGY TRANSFORMATION PROJECT DEFINE AND INQUIRE

Posted on by under Analysis, Design, Engineering, Grade 9, Science

Introduction

In this unit of the Science and Engineering course, we are making a device that uses energy transformation to make a difference in society. This can be as simple as building an electric fan and converting chemical potential energy into kinetic energy. However, I do not believe it is cool enough. My goal is to create something more complex, amazing, and worthwhile. I currently have three designs: a sterling engine, an electric motor, and a thermoacoustic engine. I’ll describe my potential designs and evaluate them based on their visual appeal, challenge, and usefulness level.

Potential Designs

Sterling Engine ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Visual Appeal Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenge Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Usefulness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Stirling engine converts thermal energy into mechanical/kinetic energy by establishing a cycle of a fixed mass of gas that is heated and expanded, then cooled and compressed, using the temperature difference between its hot and cold ends. In a Stirling engine, the coil of steel wool placed inside the soda can is referred to as a displacer, and the higher soda can is referred to as a piston that connects to the crank shift. The engine begins with a displacer at the top of the can and a piston halfway down the can. When the can is heated, the air pressure inside the can rises in comparison to the outside air pressure, penetrating the displacer and pushing the piston up. The piston propels the crankshaft and fan, causing them to spin. The flywheel momentum builds up as the fan spins, accelerating the rotation. The displacer is also connected to the crankshaft, but at a 90° angle with the piston connection. As a result, as the piston rises, the flywheel momentum lowers the displacer and vice versa. When the displacer is pushed downward, the gas inside the can rises to the top and cools, and the air pressure falls in comparison to the outside air pressure, causing the piston to fall to the bottom. The flywheel momentum then propels the piston to the halfway point and the displacer to the top of the cycle, and the cycle begins again. As long as the burner keeps heating the gas inside the soda can, the Stirling engine will run for a long time.

The Stirling engine is what I believed is the most challenging one out of my three potential designs. It requires a wide range of materials/apparatus such as steel wool, a plastic pipe, a crankshaft, an alcohol burner, a wooden setup, a hot glue gun, and a drilling machine. It requires high craftsmanship and investment (time & effort), which I believe is difficult to finish in two weeks. However, I really like the way the Stirling engine functions, and the process of energy transformation in terms of this design.

Electric Motor ⭐⭐⭐

Visual Appeal Level: ⭐⭐⭐

Challenge Level: ⭐⭐⭐

Usefulness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

An electric motor is a piece of machinery that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Magnetism is important in this energy transformation process. When an electrical current flows through the coil on the bottom, it can act like a magnet, which is known as an electromagnet. Torque is a rotational force torque that can be generated by using the forces of electricity and magnetism—the attraction and repulsion exhibited by magnets, as seen in the video. With the help of a battery, the wire coil was transformed into an electromagnet, which repelled the magnets attached to the bottle, resulting in a torque that spun the bottle and the fan. The rotation will last until the battery runs out.

The electric motor is what I believed is the smartest and easiest one out of my three potential designs. It requires fewer materials and is less dangerous since it doesn’t include the use of fire. The main focus is on the circuits and the magnets, which I’m quite interested in. However, I think the design is too simple and tiny and is not that attractive to audiences.

Thermoacoustic Engine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Visual Appeal Level:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenge Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Usefulness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This thermo-acoustic Stirling engine has a single piston instead of the two found in more traditional Stirling engines. Stirling engines use a power piston and a second piston to move air between the hot and cold parts of the engine (known as a displacer piston). Instead of a displacer piston, this thermo-acoustic engine uses a traveling sound wave to do the work of a displacement piston. A small alcohol burner included with the engine provides heat.

The thermoacoustic engine is what I believed is the best one out of the three potential designs. It uses the mechanism of the Stirling engine and is easier because it contains only one piston instead of two. Therefore, I decided to create a thermoacoustic engine for my two-week project.

 

 

 

The 57 Bus & Gender Equality

Posted on by under Analysis, Book Review, Grade 8, Humanities, Middle School

The 57 Bus is a narrative nonfiction book written by Dashka Slater about a crime that occurred on the 57 Bus in California in 2013. The skirt of Sasha, an Agender teen, is set on fire by Richard on the bus. This book exposes that many people are discriminated against and bullied due to their gender and sexuality. Moreover, this book demonstrates the author’s commitment to social justice, and the fact that all people regardless of their race, gender, or sexuality should be treated equally.

*Agender people mean that they don’t see themselves as fitting into either category like male or female.

 

Here are a few notes about how I tracked the central idea and the theme of the book.

The first part of the book is introducing the main character——Sasha. They are agender, or genderqueer. Sasha is a nice and lovely teenager. Sasha also respects other people who have special genders. As I read this part of the book, the word “gender” appears several times. It makes me think that “maybe the central idea of the book is gender?”

The second part of the book introduces another main character named Richard. He lives in East Oakland, where 2/3 of the city’s murders happen. As a teenager who spent his whole life in East Oakland, he is also affected. He is naughty, mischievous, and unconventional. This reminds me that the environment has a great impact on one’s attitude and personality, which is also one of the themes in the book. Moreover, Richard has experienced racism as well. He is an African American and got attacked when walking on the street. This reminds me that racism is widespread.

The third and fourth parts of the book write about the crime on the bus. Richard set Sasha’s skirt on fire. There are two main factors that motivated Richard. It’s his underdeveloped brain and his bias or discrimination towards homosexuals. Two main themes are revealed in these parts. One theme is that teenagers under 18 years old should not be punished like adults. Just like Richard, teenagers have underdeveloped brains. He just wanted “a laugh” and to make a “prank.” He thinks that the fire will go out in just a few seconds. He doesn’t even think about the risk of doing this. Another theme is that all genders should be treated equally. In part 1, I noticed that Sasha is a very nice person, and also helps others who face discrimination. There is no problem with being genderqueer. Discriminating these people will only hurt these people and make them feared to share their identities.

In my opinion, the theme of the whole book is that all people regardless of their race, gender, or sexuality should be treated equally. Many characters get attacked because of their identity, or just because of others’ assumptions (in the photo above). By describing these characters’ backgrounds, I noticed that they are nice and innocent, and there is no reason to attack them. Thus, all people should be treated equally.

Found Poem-Lamb to the Slaughter

Posted on by under Analysis, Grade 8, Humanities, Middle School

 

I am doing an activity called “Found Poem” in humanity. The reason I chose the story “Lamb to the Slaughter” is because I found this title interesting (A lamb killing someone?)

A Short Summary About the Plot

The plot in this part (in the attached photos) of the story happens in Mary Maloney’s house. She uses a leg of lamb to kill her husband, and her husband dies and crashes into the carpet. After having her husband killed, she feels nothing but silence and calm. (Evidence 1-1)

Type of Conflict

There is no clear antagonist or protagonist in this plot, but it’s probably an external conflict. Obviously, because of the killing scene, it’s probably an external conflict. (Evidence 1-1)

Why do I Choose this Plot

This plot, by the way, it’s the most important changing point in the story. Also, the great movements of the character and the details really let me feel as if I am inside the scene. For example, when Mary is trying to hit her husband (Quote 2-1), the author uses the words “walked up, without any pause, swung, high in the air, brought it down as hard as she could” to depict Mary’s movement. What’s more, in paragraph five, after Mary’s husband is hit by the lamb, he doesn’t fall down directly (Quote 2-2). In contrast, he “remains standing, gently swaying,” and then “crashed to the carpet.”

My Drawings

Just like the plot, my drawing includes the leg of the lamb and a skull, which means that the lamb killed Mary’s husband (Evidence 1-1). Some people might ask why my leg of lamb was cooked, but the lamb in the story is a frozen leg of lamb. The fact is I found it hard to draw a leg of lamb that is uncooked and frozen(maybe I lack some drawing skills or techniques)?.

  • Evidence (1-1): Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.

           …

All right, she told herself. So I’ve killed him.

  • Quote (2-1):”At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.”
  • Quote (2-2):”She stepped back a pace, waiting, and the funny thing was that he remained standing there for at least four or five seconds, gently swaying. Then he crashed to the carpet.”

Hyperlinks

  • If you want to read the whole story, click here!
  • If you want to learn about the author, click here!
  • Hope you enjoy the reading!?

 

 

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