Reflection: Weeks 13 & 14 and Overall Course

Week 13


This week we got to leave the classroom and visit GOODWILL! Going to goodwill was an awesome experience. We got to see how things worked from when someone brings in donations to finalizing what goes out on the floor to sell. My favorite part of the field trip would be that Goodwill employs people with special needs. They help each person get into a job area that fits them best. They work on time management, and overall being ready for work! This is an amazing opportunity for them to be able to work, earn money, learn things they may not of had an opportunity for!

Week 14


This was our last week of class. I really wish Sue Whitney could of came to talk to us about junking, because I think what she does is really cool! But, we had fun going over our junking projects! Everyone had awesome projects, they were very creative and things that will be useful too! :) I am sad that it was our last class, I wish we had it next semester too! Also Carrie and Ashley brought us an awesome last treat of chocolate covered strawberries and puppy chow, it was delicious! 


Junking Project!

Overall Course Reflection


This was my favorite course that I have ever taken in college. It is because of what I learned, they are things that I can use in my life and our also life changing. This course opened up my eyes to things that I had no idea was going on. The biggest eye openers were watching all the documentary's, they were life changing for me. I had no idea these things, were going on in the U.S. isn't this supposed to be the land of plenty and where everyone gets these amazing opportunities? It was shocking. 


I also loved the eco-chic lifestyle change! I think everyone could change one thing in their life to improve the environment! I am going to keep up with my lifestyle change and because of this class I am going to try to get others to change something in their lives as well. :)


Also. blogging...I love to blog now! I may continue on when I get a job to communicate with co-workers about events and things about health. I was unsure at first if I could get a hang of it, but it turned out to be fun! 


After this class, I am going to try and continue on to help improve our environment, making it better. Even if it is one small step, all the small steps together make a difference. I am going to miss this class and everyone in our class! Good Luck everyone with finals and if your graduating Congrats & Good Luck!

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Concepts relating to obesity in America learning activity 
Paige's E Health Blog


We read different articles and had to do a fill in the blank word guess! Very cool :)


1.)  Obesity can cause ________________ referred to as high blood pressure and can harm the arteries.

2.)  ______________ are highest at risk for obesity.

3.)  _____ percent of children in the US are considered obese.

4.)  Obesity is a _______   ________ treament.

5.)  Obese children's __________________ skills are greatly hindered, mainly due to the disease.

6.)  _________   ___________ is positively correlated with the risk of becoming obese.

7.)  Increased consumption of ____________ foods have assisted to rise the trend of obesity.



1. Hypertension
2. Native Hawaiians
3. 33%
4. Life Long
5. Social Skills
6. Economic Status
7. Highly processed foods


Very interesting activity, 33% is a huge number of children in the U.S. that are affected by obesity. 


Fluoride Around You
Ashley's Green Lily Pad


We read three different things, and looked at how fluoride is good for us, and what products it comes in. Then we had to look at our ever day things we use that have fluoride in. Also talk about what if we didn't have this product. 

This is an item that has fluoride in that I use every day. I know its not my own picture, my camera is broken, but I use the blue kind! My mom used to be a dental hygienist so I have always used fluoride! If I could not use this ever day, I would feel that my teeth would not be healthy and that I would have bad breath! Yikes! It would be horrible if there were bad chemicals in this, I feel there are a lot of things that we use now days that are not safe at all. It makes you now want to use things!


I also found from one of the websites that there is fluoride in wine! I love wine, and I never knew this! 

Water Science
Mediterranean Melissa 


When took a couple online questionnaires about our drinking water. I found that 


1087 (50%) drink from a faucet in MN just like me.
743 (57%) drink public water in MN also just like me. 


I also use Your own per capita use: 69.18 gallons per day!


That is a lot! 

Bath: 50 gallons
Shower: 2 gallons per minute
Teeth brushing: 1 gallon
Hands/face washing: 1 gallon
Face/leg shaving: 1 gallon
Dishwasher: 20 gallons/load
Dishwashing by hand: 5 gallons/load
Clothes washing (machine): : 10 gallons/load
Toilet flush: 3 gallons
Glasses of water drunk: 8 oz. per glass (1/16th of a gallon

This is where I use all my water doing each day..

There were more questions that I did, one that I thought was funny, was that 1100 (27%) plus me like the ocean in California! :) 

This activity opened up my eyes, on how much water usage everyone uses, also what kinds of water. Which ones are safer than others, and if that is where I live and if I am drinking it. 

I love all of these activities thanks for opening up my eyes to these very important issues and why we need to vote bills to improve them!! :)

Advocacy Project: Relay for Life Learning Activity

Purpose


My Advocacy project was about passing a bill for early detection for cancer month as well to rebuttal against the new health care plan for less and later check ups for cancer. The bill is for earlier detection for all cancers as well as dedicating and entire month to it. The new health care plan wanting to be opposed is for women to not get a mammogram for breast cancer until age 50, its at age 40 right now and to only get checked every two years compared to every year. Cancer is very serious and many of us probably have been affected by someone who has had cancer or maybe have dealt with it yourself. So to be positive I decided to do my activity about something to help cancer patients!! :) The activity is about Relay For Life!


Activity: Relay For Life


Visit this webpage: http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/whatisrelay#whatisrelay


1. Watch the video on relay for life on webpage
2. Read what is relay for life, why we relay and history 
3. After watching and reading, tell me know 3 things you learned. Also try to find out how and where you could get involved with one either here in duluth or back home 
4. Upload a picture of Relay for Life


I hope after this activity you all find something you didn't know before, and getting more involved with  organizations to fight cancer. :)

Share & Voice: Early Warning Signs of Global Warning

Global Warming: Early Warning Sings

FINGERPRINTS: direct reasons toward warmer global temperatures 


Heat waves and periods of unusual warmer weather
Ocean warming, sea levels rising and flooding 
Glaciers Melting
Arctic and Antarctic Warming

HARBINGERS: what will happen if global warming persist on without change to our environment


Spreading diseases
Earlier spring arrival 
Plant and animal range shifts and populations 
Coral reef bleaching
Downpours, heavy snowfall, and flooding
Droughts and fires

Information above from  http://www.climatehotmap.org/

Share & Voice: Save the RainForest

WAYS TO HELP SAVE THE RAINFOREST 

When I first started my blog, I talked about ways to helps save the rainforest, well I found this really awesome website with way how too. They are easy and they deal with things in our every day lives. 


At Home:


Recycle Everything
Take unwanted things and bring them to a charitable organization (goodwill or savers)
Don't just let water run
Turn your heat down and wear a sweater


In Your Yard:


Make a compost pile
Have bird-feeders and birdbaths
Use natural fertilizer 


On Vacation:


Turn down heat and turn off water heater
Don't litter
Watch our for wildlife


In Your Car:


Carpool
Public Transport
Walk or ride a bike


Work:


Re-print on recycled paper
Have actual dish ware just not disposable 


Personal:


Join a conservation organization
Volunteer and donate to organizations 


Visit this WEBSITE: http://www.savetherainforest.org/savetherainforest_002.htm for more awesome ideas to help save the rainforest! 

Share & Voice: Target Going Green

I know we all shop at Target, and now they have a whole new line of eco-friendly products. They have reusable bags, dining, home decor, made our of recycled materials, furniture, bedding made out of bamboo. They even have all natural beauty products too! 

These are items we all use and we could start buying, to become more eco-friendly and GREEN :)

Check out this website to see all the new GREEN products. 


http://www.target.com/Eco-Friendly-Home/b?ie=UTF8&node=357202011

Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Trash Talk & Paper or Plastic"

Overview


I read two books, Trash Talk and Paper or Plastic. Trash Talk was about reusing items more than once and awesome ways to use them. For example dryer sheets, to save your money and the environment, you should only use half a dryer sheet at once and use the dryer sheet more than once. We could all do this! Paper or Plastic was about  using to much paper or plastic packaging, bags, etc. 

Three Most Significant Things


1. Both of these books about about helping the environment in eco-friendly ways. 


2. Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR): This is any material that was used by a consumer and then recycled for use in a new product. In Paper and Plastic, companies are turning to this, to help save the environment and it is also saves money. 


3. In Trash Talk is talks about energy waste, “to waste energy is no different than throwing your hard-earned money out with the trash (96).” Energy creates pollution and pollution destructs our wilderness. It also states that an average household spends “1,300-2,400 dollars annually on energy—44% of that being heating and cooling (96).” This is important because if we save our energy resources, we are not polluting the air, and it will also save us money. 


Why is it important? 


Both of these books, focus on ways to save the environment. They take things that you would throw away after one use and come up with ideas to use them again. This saves money by not having to buy something because you made it. It also keeps trash out of the landfill. The other comes up with new ways of packaging to use less materials, saving trees and also not filling up landfills with trash. 


Would I recommend these books?


I would definitely recommend these because they give and have ideas to help you be more eco-friendly. They are a little harder to read because they are not a chapter books, they are more informational. But, they still have really great ideas to help our environment, and they are easy things you could change in your life. :)