Hi again! As you may have read in my first blog, my name is Asnain Khan and I am currently working on a project called “You and the World” for my English class. This is my second blog post of the project, and I am here to inform you even more about the environmental pollution in Philadelphia. If you are reading this and haven’t read my last post, you can access it here. In my first blog post, I talked about what environmental pollution is like in Philadelphia and what some of the main causes and effects are. I also talked about the different types of pollutions. In this blog post, I will informing you about the original research I have done and some new research I found about pollution in Philadelphia. Without further ado, here’s my post!

Since my first blog post, I have done more research, and conducted my own original research. As part of my own original research, I created a survey, which I sent throughout my school. My goal with my survey was to see if the SLA students were aware of the environmental pollution encasing Philadelphia, and what they thought about it. The questions I asked were: What grade are you in? Are you aware of environmental pollution in Philadelphia? What do you know about environmental pollution in Philadelphia? What do you think are the main causes environmental pollution? How many of these types of pollutions have you heard of? Did you know that Philly is the 10th most polluted city in the United States? Did you know that each year in Philadelphia, an estimated 126 lives are cut short and 284 people are hospitalized due to excess air pollution? Did you know that Philadelphia area's pollution earns an “F” from American Lung Association? Did you know that ozone and particulates exacerbate chronic obstructive lung disease, requiring more than 280 Philadelphians each year to seek hospitalization or treatment in an emergency room? On a scale of 1-10, how much do you agree with the following statement? Environmental pollution is a major problem in our community. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you agree with the following statement? Environmental pollution is often talked about in our community. On a scale of 1-10, how much do you agree with the following statement? Students are well-educated about environmental pollution? Finally, do you think that people should know more about environmental pollution in Philadelphia? I felt that these questions would be helpful to determine everyone’s knowledge on this topic.

For my survey, I got exactly 50 responses. The majority of responses were from freshmen (72%). From the results I got, 86% of the students in SLA are aware of pollution in Philadelphia and 14% are not. This was kind of surprising to me, because people don’t really talk about pollution at all. When I asked what people knew about pollution in Philadelphia, many answered that it is very harmful to humans. Following this question, I asked what people thought were the main causes of environmental pollution, the majority of the students answered “people.” This shows that many people believe we are the main cause of the pollution. I also asked about what type of pollutions they have heard of, the majority being air and water pollution. This shows that the awareness of pollution, and types of pollution, in Philadelphia is low.

*This image shows the percentage of people that answered this question. 86% answered “yes” and 14% answered “no.”

*This image shows the answers to the question, “what do you think are the main causes of environmental pollution?” This shows that the majority of the students answered “people.”

*This image shows how many of these types of pollutions the students heard of. As you can see most of the students picked “air and water pollution.”

After that, I wanted to see if people knew the facts about pollution in Philadelphia, so I wrote down a couple of facts and asked the students if they knew about them. The questions were “yes or no” questions. The majority of the students answered “no” for all of the questions. I wasn’t surprised by this at all, because I knew that the awareness of pollution is low, so we can’t expect people to know that facts. To see how the students felt about environmental pollution in Philadelphia, I simply asked how they felt. Students were asked to rate how much they agreed with a statement from a scale of 1-10 (1 being “definitely disagree” and 10 being “definitely agree”). Most of the students rated a “10,” for whether they felt like environmental pollution is a major problem in our community. I expected this, because pollution is a major problem in our community. Also, the majority of the students rated a “4,” for whether they felt like environmental pollution is often talked about in our community. This makes sense, no one really talks about pollution in our community. Finally, most of the students rated a “4,” for whether they felt like students are well-educated about environmental pollution. I definitely agree, because many people don’t know about pollution and they aren’t taught about it in schools. The last question I asked was, “do you think that people should know more about environmental pollution in Philadelphia?” 98% of the students answered “yes” and only 2% of the students answered “no.” I would answer yes to this question as well, because I feel like students aren’t taught about environmental pollution as much as they should be.

*These are all images of the facts I wrote and asked the students if they knew it or not. As you can see for all of these questions, most of the students answered “no.”

In addition to conducting my own research, I did some new research online. In my last blog post, I didn’t go deep into the effects of air pollution in Philadelphia, so that’s what I am going to do now. I am also going to include new facts about air pollution in Philadelphia. Air pollution in Philadelphia makes people sick and cuts lives short. It irreparably damages lung tissues in ways similar to secondhand tobacco smoke, leading to a wide range of health impacts. Air pollution also triggers heart attacks and strokes. It causes diseases like chronic bronchitis and lung cancer. Air pollution can even send people to the emergency room with respiratory problems, cause asthma attacks, and contribute to respiratory illness in otherwise completely healthy people.

Most people think of air pollution only on days when the news announces an air quality alert, warning about high levels of smog and advising citizens to limit outdoor activity due to the health threat posed by smog pollution. Unfortunately, people in Philadelphia aren’t exposed to air pollution just a few dozen times a year on bad air days. Philadelphians breathe polluted air day in and day out throughout their entire lives. Much of the pollution comes from burning fossil fuels for energy, in cars, trucks, power plants and industrial facilities. Many of these pollutants are invisible, but they are everywhere.

Air pollution in Philadelphia is a serious and persistent problem. The American Lung Association gives 28 neighborhoods in Philadelphia an “F” for air quality, and that’s just for smog pollution. Philadelphia as a whole has the second worst chronic air pollution problem, worse than every state but California. Air pollution poses major health risks for Philadelphians, especially children and the elderly. Air pollution shortens lives, sends people to the hospital and the emergency room, and triggers asthma attacks. These are merely the most visible signs of the health threats posed by polluted air, as this pollution affects every individual in Philadelphia by reducing lung function and increasing the risk of illness.

Nor are we safe on days when air pollution levels are below those recognized by the government as meeting federal “safe” standards. Ozone smog and particulate soot can cause health problems even on days when pollution levels are within the “safe” standards set by federal officials. This is especially true for people who live, work, or play near busy roadways. Pollution from traffic can be high near roadways, even when overall air pollution levels are relatively low. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that, “In numerous cities in the United States, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter, because emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up.” Scientists are now finding that children who live or go to school near major highways are more likely to have respiratory problems, including asthma.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way. When Congress adopted the federal Clean Air Act in 1970, it established the goal of setting and achieving air quality standards protective of human health by 1975. Nearly three decades later, Philadelphia’s air still fails to meet established health standards—standards that may not even be fully protective of human health. With the rollback of key air pollution policies at a federal level—and with increased motor vehicle traffic population, and overall energy use threatening to undermine the progress we have made toward cleaner air—Philadelphia has reached a critical juncture. Solutions do exist. From modern emission controls for cars and power plants to effective transit systems, we have the technological know-how to significantly reduce air pollution in Philadelphia. By adopting public policies that put these technologies to work, Philadelphia can reduce air pollution and help millions of its citizens to live longer and healthier lives.

For my Agent of Change, I am going to raise awareness. I am going to make a video about pollution in Philadelphia to inform more people about it. I will make sure the video is set to public, so that people can see it. I am going to post the video up on facebook and even show it to people in school. The next blog is on it’s way, stay tuned in!

Check out my annotated bibliography for more information!

Negative space is the empty or open space around an object in a picture or drawing. Negative space defines and emphasises the main subject of a photo, drawing your eye to it. We use it to see shapes and sizes more effectively, and produce better composed images. Negative space is very effective. That’s because when someone looks at a piece designed with negative space, the viewer can effortlessly evaluate and comprehend the design. The viewer don’t have to work too hard evaluating the design.

I found negative space in my cut out picture by looking through the subject. I also found the negative space by paying attention to the color differences. In my cut out picture of the owl, all of the black is negative space. It help an artist to see in negative space because it is easier for them to draw or paint a subject. When they can see and recognize negative space, they can sketch everything around it so that then they have an outline. From there the artist can easily focus on details inside of the outline and finish the piece. Also, negative space gives the artist different perspectives and point of views to improve on.

Yes, seeing in negative space can enhance drawings. Seeing negative space can bring out the main subject of a drawing, especially if they were originally just blending in.

Hello! My name is Asnain Khan and I am currently a freshman at Science Leadership Academy. We are doing a project in my English class called, “You And The World” (Y&TW). What is a “You And The World” project? Well, it’s when we choose an issue in the United States, the world, or in our community, and do research on it. After that, we go out into the world and try to make a change on the issue we chose. The issue you choose isn’t just random, you choose an issue you are interested in and can probably relate to. I chose the issue of environmental pollution in Philadelphia. I chose this topic because I am very interested in pollution, and I believe that it affects everyone in Philadelphia, including me. I hope to make a change occur and let people know more about this topic. I am going to try to bring awareness and interview a person that suffers because of environmental pollution in Philadelphia.

One of the major problems that Philadelphia is facing today is that of environmental pollution. It’s increasing with every passing year and causing grave and irreparable damage to the environment. Environmental pollution refers to the introduction of harmful pollutants into the environment. It has a hazardous effect on the natural world and on the activities of living beings. According to Phillymag, Philadelphia is the 10th most polluted city in the United States. Because Philadelphia is so polluted, many people are affected by it. “Each year in Philadelphia, an estimated 126 lives are cut short and 284 people are hospitalized due to excess air pollution,” according to a report by the American Thoracic Society and New York University.

According to Environmental Pollution and Its Effects, “environmental pollution consists of five basic types of pollution, namely, air, water, soil, noise, and light.” Air pollution is the contamination of any environment by any chemical, a physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of that atmosphere. Driving cars and trucks, burning coal, oil, other fossil fuels, and even such everyday activities as dry cleaning, painting, and filling your car with gas are some main sources of air pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of different water bodies. Humans pollute water with large scale disposal of garbage, flowers, ashes, and other household waste. Soil pollution, which can also be called soil contamination, is a result of acid rain, polluted water, fertilizers etc., which leads to bad crops. Noise pollution is the excessive sound that may cause harm to the humanity. Noise pollution mainly includes machines and transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains. Last but not least, light pollution is excessive, misdirected or misused light that can harm human health, wildlife, ecosystems and astronomy. Although light pollution is one of the least known types of pollution, its effects on human health and ecosystems can be just as serious as some of the better-known forms of pollution. Light Pollution includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.

This picture shows what light pollution looks like.

This picture conveys what soil pollution looks like.  

This picture express what noise pollution looks like.

  This picture proclaim what water pollution looks like.  

Air pollution is by far the most harmful form of pollution in Philadelphia. As I stated before, air pollution occurs when gases, dust particles, smoke or odor are introduced into the atmosphere in a way that makes it harmful to humans, animals, and plants. This is because the air becomes contaminated. Dust, dirt, harmful gases, and industrial emissions all form a part of air pollution. These pollutants cause a deterioration in air quality and are capable of harming life forms. Air pollution is a serious problem. Air pollution can cause harm to the lungs. Phillymag states, “air pollution poses a risk to children under 18, too, because their lungs are still developing; it can cause bronchitis or infection and puts them at a greater risk for lung disease later in life.” Not only does air pollution pose a risk to children under 18, but it also poses a risk to adults 65 and over. Phillymag states, “studies show that breathing in ozone and particle pollution puts older adults at a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems. This is bad news for the 185,309 people over 65 living in Philadelphia County.” As stated by Philly.com, “ozone and particulates also exacerbate chronic obstructive lung disease, requiring more than 280 Philadelphians each year to seek hospitalization or treatment in an emergency room, according to the study.” Air pollution can cause asthma as well. According to Phillymag, “out of the 1,526,006 people living in Philadelphia, 32,761 have pediatric asthma, 117,594 have adult asthma, 49,215 have chronic bronchitis and 20,494 have emphysema.” Because air pollution can cause different types of serious health problems, many people die and are hospitalized because of those conditions.

This photo betray what air pollution in Philadelphia looks like.  

Overall, you can see that environmental pollution is a very important and effective issue. Due the research I did on this issue, I learned a lot about all types of environmental pollution. There were so many things I didn’t know before, that I know now. Such as, Philadelphia is the 10th most polluted cities in the United States. My research has given me so much knowledge about the air pollution in Philadelphia and the effects it has on people and the environment. I wonder if students are educated about pollution in Philadelphia? I say this because I was never taught about pollution in Philadelphia and how impactful it is. I want to know more about what people in Philadelphia do about the air pollution and if there have been improvement. I hope after reading this blog you were able to take something away from it. The next blog is on it’s way!

Check out my annotated bibliography for more information!

Week 2 - Day 2 - Blog - What is printmaking/Why is printmaking important?

Printmaking is creating art by transferring an image or design by contact with a matrix such as a block, plate, stone, or screen. It is basically the process of making artworks by printing. Printmaking is very important. I say this mainly because printmaking it gives a clear forum for talking about technique. Printing gives a structure to how to create an image and how to talk about creation that kids especially need.  I believe that printmaking is meaningful because printmaking is not just an art form: it's also an important medium for communication because it usually involves multiples. I think of printmakers as the communicators of the art world. This is why I think printmaking is important.

Now let’s talk about the invention of printmaking and why it is so important. Most of us tend to take printed materials for granted, but imagine life today if the printing making  had never been invented. We would not have books, magazines or newspapers. Posters, flyers, pamphlets and mailers would not exist. It is so important that it has come to be known as one of the most important inventions of our time. It drastically changed the way society evolved. Based off of my research, one of the sources stated,” following its invention by Chinese art many centuries previously, fine art printmaking became established during the German Renaissance (1430-1580), during the early period of the Northern Renaissance.” It also stated, “it was not till the 18th century that art prints began to be considered originals and not till the 19th that artists began to produce limited editions and to sign their prints along with the technical information necessary to authenticate the work.” These evidence support the fact that printmaking was revolutionary.

Albrecht Dürer, German Master Printmaker(1470-1528) Knight Death and the Devil, Engraving, 1513, 8" x 10".

This painting shows an armed man sitting on a horse. It looks like the man is going to go fight. The background of this painting looks dark and scary. The man on the horse don’t look happy at all. This painting shows a contrast of light and dark colors. I think that this is a good painting because the artist uses a different style to create the image. This picture has a meaning to it. I wonder if the person on the horse is going to go fight in a war. I notice that this image looks like it is showing something from the past.

Soy yo Asnain Khan

El hija de padres inmigrantes

Un inmigrante legal

Niño sin la mitad de su familia

Vengo desde muy lejos

Buscando una mejor oportunidad

Veo a niños nadando en el logo

Saboreo la comida picante

Huelo la contaminación

Oigo el Azan, una llamada de oración

Tocó los hermosos cultivos

Yo leo con mucha pasión

Yo trabajar con todo mi fe

Yo escribo con pasión tratando de buscar fama

Yo necesito mi familia, un pedazo de mi corazón

Somos de Paquistán, nuestra patria

Somos musulmanes, nunca renunciamos a nuestra religión

Hablamos pashto:

La lengua del arte y la creatividad

No somos Americanos. Somos los ciudadanos de América

No somos Pakistanis. Tenemos eso en nuestra carne  

Mi familia y yo somos uno

Pero no estamos completos

-Asnain Khan

Hola, somos Asnain Khan, Shyann Davis, Ivan Lopez Jr., y William Flenner. Somos estudiantes de Science Leadership Academy. Somos del primer año. Está en 55 N 22nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Está cerca de Arco Gourmet. Es una escuela pequeña. También es una gran escuela. Hay 495 estudiantes en SLA y hay cinco pisos. SLA es una escuela diferente. Tenemos diferentes arroyos, eventos y almuerzos. Ofrecemos diferentes deportes, programas y clubes. Tenemos deportes como, fútbol, ​​voleibol, béisbol y mucho más. SLA tiene clubes como, club de discusión, unión del estudiante, club del libro, club del tejer, y mucho más. Participamos en club de discusión, unión del estudiante, y club del libro. Participamos en estos clubes porque son divertidos. SLA es una escuela impresionante, nos encanta aquí.

Las clases que tenemos que es historia, matemáticas, inglés, español, y bioquímica. Mi clase favorita es inglés porque es divertida y somos trabajadores. Necesitamos en inglés un lápiz, una computadora, y el libro. En la clase de inglés actuamos, dibujamos, estudiamos y leemos. Para tenemos éxito en esta clase tenemos que trabajar duro, estar preparada, hacer toda la tarea y prestar atención.

Mi profesores favoritos son Señorita Hernández y Señor Estey. Señorita Hernández es mi favorita  porque ella es bonita y siempre quiere ayudar. Señor Etsy es también el mismo, él es servicial y es muy gracioso. Cuando escribe preguntas realmente ayuda a entender las preguntas.  Gracias a esto, nosotros realmente entendemos. Estos profesores ayuda esta escuela sentir más cómoda.

Nos encanta los proyectos basados en grupos. Me gustan porque aprendemos a trabajar juntos. Los proyectos prepara la gente para trabajar con sus futuros compañeros de trabajo en sus carreras. Lo que más nos gusta son las clases. En nuestras clases nosotros trabajamos con nuestros compañeros de clase en proyectos y trabajos de clase. Esto es un ejemplo cómo aprendemos a trabajar como una comunidad.

I made the slide look the way it does because everything on there describes me. On my slide I have that background because It shows my future and how successful I will be. I have books, a quran, a person working, and my picture on there because those are the things that describe me other than my picture. I made my slide look the way it does according to presentation zen, I followed all of the ways I can make a great slide. According to presentation zen it stated that, presentation slides must get noticed, be read/understood, and be remembered. So, I followed these to make my slide look professional. Also, it stated, “ask yourself whether your message can be processed effectively within three seconds. The audience should be able to quickly ascertain the meaning before turning their attention back to the presenter.” Then, I tried to do that to my slide, making sure that the audience should be able to get the meaning in a very short amount of time. Last but not least, presentation zen stated that, we should make our slides visual, it should be one slide/one point, we should make type big, contrast rules, and have a visual theme. There are a couple more, but I took out the ones I used and the ones I thought were important. Presentation zen gave me great ideas that made me make a very simple and professional slide. I knew that following presentation zen will eventually lead to great consequences. Thank you!