This project revolved around different types of drugs and how they affect our body chemistry. We initially kicked it off by brainstorming different types of drugs, then we partnered up with another student and researched one of the types we were interested (I chose opioids) and presented about it to the class. Once everyone had presented and therefore had a rough idea of what each drug was, we chose which drug we wanted to focus on for the rest of the project. I chose opioids again because I found them interesting, but I didn't have an extensive knowledge of how they worked. From there, we were put into groups and began preparing for our exhibition. Our group chose to research opioids, create info graphics and then put them on a website, and create an interactive Jeopardy-style game to be played by the people at the exhibition. Since we needed to categorize our questions/answers for the Jeopardy, the five of us in the opioid group picked a different topic related to opioids. I chose their general effects on the body, and I went on to write my questions and create my info graphic. Additionally, I helped laser cut and attach the magnets to our Jeopardy board plus putting the final touches on it and our exhibition space. At the end of the project, we had two exhibitions. The first was at school and was with the entire tenth grade. We had set up a whole "clinic" where they would learn about different disorders from the other team, and then a "pharmacy" where they learned about the different drugs. The second exhibition was at e3, a charter high school in San Diego. That one was a bit more intimidating because we were presenting to students from a different school, but it went well. Additionally, the e3 exhibition mainly focused on the drug portion of the project, because only a few students from the other team came with us.
Reflection
Overall, I enjoyed most of this project. I liked learning about different drugs and how they interact with our body. I also liked researching the disorders, because I find medical stuff such as that fascinating. I think our opioid game came out pretty well, so I was proud of that, and we were able to everything we set out to do. However, I wish I had focused a little bit more on chemistry during the project. I feel like I got sidetracked by biological topics and didn't go as deep into the chemistry as I should've. As for the exhibitions, I think they went well- we felt confident presenting our information and I think that people were receptive. If we were to do this project again, I'd want to focus on the whole thing being more organized and to go deeper and apply my knowledge of chemistry.