First Reflections

Our group has done a fair amount of brainstorming thus far regarding the project. We were very interested in plants tackling extreme conditions on Earth, as about 94% of Earth's surface is covered in vegetation and must therefore differentiate and adapt greatly to effectively tackle various habitats - from cold to hot, dry to wet. We wanted to explore how certain plants have evolved to deal with environments such as Antartica and deserts, whilst also considering germination and the basic features of xerophytes and other classes of plants. We wanted to incorporate chemistry into our presentation somehow as well.

Guiding Question: To what extent have plants adapted to suit the extreme conditions on Earth, and what opportunities does this present us with (with regards to climate change and astrobiology)? 

Natasha:

In our group 4 project thus far we have decided to base our project on biology - specifically the study of how an organism has adapted to extreme conditions. In biology we have been learning about the fact that seeds, even after placed in glaciers and very extreme conditions, have the ability to take in water and germinate. I found this very interesting, especially with its potential to aid humanity after deforestation has occurred. Seeds found in extreme conditions can still be used. Could these be placed on other planets to create life? Will plants evolve further to deal with problems that arise through global warming? These are all very significant questions at this point in time, and looking at how plants have developed thus far will give us a pretty good idea as to what will occur after temperatures rise and dramatic natural disasters occur. 

I expect to learn a great deal from this project, though I am slightly confused as to what it entails. Though we know we want to focus on plants we're not sure how to format our powerpoint so that it stays within the 30 minutes we have to present, and design a lab that can be performed within the amount of time we are given. However, through my research thus far I have already discovered a lot about plants (for instance about a resurrection fern, willow that grows horizontally to escape the wind, and lichen and algae that have adapted to survive the cold). I think that if we manage to do a lab we will learn slightly more, as we will be able to see the power of plants (with regards to surviving extreme conditions) in person and be far more motivated to dig deeper into this topic. If we do a lab I hypothesise that if we expose a seed to extreme conditions (for instance, temperature, pH, salinity, etc) then we will become enlightened to one or more resilient characteristics of seeds. Nevertheless, if we do not manage to perform a lab it will still be extremely interesting to analyze our data and draw conclusions about the potential of plants to survive global warming, the storage of seeds due to deforestation, and plant life on other planets [etc]. 

I'm really excited about this project - I think that it will be an amazing opportunity for me to learn to work well with those I don't necessarily know or have worked with much. This is such an important skill later on in life, as you never know who you're going to come across and have to collaborate with to reach a goal. Gwynne and Leya are fairly close friends with me, but outside the classroom, and I don't really know what it will be like to work on this sort of a project with them. On the other hand, I had never spoken to Naledi before this project and I look forward to getting to know her during our time working together. I think I know a fair bit about the strengths and weaknesses of my partners already and I look forward to letting them work with what they do best during the course of group 4. For instance, I personally feel that Naledi is quite good at coming up with lab ideas and working in this area, whilst leya and Gwynne are adept at research and analysis.
Personally, I feel strongest with visuals and creative aspects of the project, as well as research. I have already done a fair amount of work with regards to this project, deciding to make a video for our presentation and a powerpoint. I thought that the video could involve all of us dressing up as scientists and reporting on the plants around ISK and how they have adapted to suit conditions, as this would be really fun for us all as well as very engaging and cooperative. Making a video together will test our ability to work as a team and place us all in a more carefree and fun environment, allowing it to be easier for us to all open up.

 I feel that I have taken on a leadership role in this group, as I was the one who originally came up with this topic (using what I was learning in biology as inspiration) and organised the planning and work. I don't often step into a leadership position, and I think it's nice to be so very involved in this project - it shows I am comfortable with my teammates and confident in my abilities and knowledge. Even so, I have already encountered a few challenges with this position. I have constantly been reminding my teammates to reflect before the project or meet with me for brainstorming and received very little in response. However, I recognise the fact that I can sometimes be slightly imperious and overbearing due to my perfectionist nature and the fact that I get stressed very easily, and that, as a result, I need to work on fully listening to the advice of others. I can foresee myself becoming slightly frustrated with my group if work is not done quickly, but I recognise the fact that I need to immerse myself in the cooperation, communication and other team skills involved in group 4 rather than becoming too worried about our final result and letting this cloud my progress in these other areas.

I plan to take photos of my group and I throughout the day tomorrow, keeping track of our progress for this blog. I hope that everything runs smoothly and that we're productive and work well together!