Doing Research in Math and Science Winter 2021!
Welcome to Division 1 MST! This trimester, we have been busy putting our science and math research skills to the test. The trimester began with an investigation into a mathematical process known as Connect the Dots; this process seemed simple at first, but after a few days of running the protocol, it soon became clear that there was more to it than meets the eye. So, we came up with mathematical conjectures, and set out to learn more about our conjectures through mathematical research. This culminated in a blog post detailing our experience and our conjectures. Next, we turned our research eyes to science, where we conducted several labs and learned how to use microscopes and write proper reports with our Onion Skin Lab Report. This lab also began a deep dive into the world of flora, starting with plant cells and building to the inner workings of seeds, sprouts, and fully grown plants. This knowledge came in handy as we designed and carried out our own experiments using Wisconsin Fast Plants; after spending several weeks tending to our plants and tracking their growth, we wrote lab reports and created presentations about our research. While working on this project, we simultaneously learned about unique plant adaptations and researched a plant of our choice to present Botany Research Posters at the DRIMAS Plant Science Symposium! This 2-day simulated science conference was an opportunity for us to practice our science communication skills by giving oral presentations on our original research, attending a keynote address, and presenting at a poster hall.
