Project-MOONSHOT ACADEMY

STEM for Girls

Disciplines/Subjects: sociology, education，design thinkings Key Themes: girls，gender equality, STEM/Math，pedagogy, learning interest The Incubator Track in MSA is a year-long, interdisciplinary program that empowers students to develop and launch social impact projects. Students will first define and understand a social problem, and then initiate an action to promote changes around that problem. Along with a variety of social science research and problem-solving methods, learners will also enhance their project management, leadership, and communication skills. The problem we want to solve is that middle school girls cannot maintain their interest in math through school courses. We have done several surveys, which include 50 students and 10 teachers to investigate high school students and middle school students about whether they are good at math or not and their score of interest towards math on a scale of 1-10. Girls have shown a distinct interest in math in middle school and the interest score of math for middle school girls is slightly higher than high school girls, which indicates that girls can not persist in interest in math. The reasons behind this question, include multiple factors, such as parents, teachers, grades, and environment. Our goal is to design a complete action that is effective for middle school girls to maintain their interest in math. The action would be developed based on the interests and hobbies of middle school girls. Our action design will be based on one of the factors that will affect the interest we find.

Sustainable lifestyle for youth

Disciplines/Subjects: sociology, environmental studies, design thinkings Key Themes: teenager, sustainable lifestyle, citywalk The Incubator Track in MSA is a year-long, interdisciplinary program that empowers students to develop and launch social impact projects. Students will first define and understand a social problem, and then initiate an action to promote changes around that problem. Along with a variety of social science research and problem-solving methods, learners will also enhance their project management, leadership, and communication skills. People’s exploits of natural resources and destruction of the environment are causing drastic climate change. However climate change sounds like such a big problem, and individuals can hardly relate to it (Markman, 2018). Specific and personal changes need to be made by individuals to combat climate change. Discover the power of sustainable lifestyles with me. I’m dedicated to inspiring and supporting teenagers in embracing eco-friendly choices every day. Let’s team up to build a greener, more sustainable world for everyone.

Entering the world of elderly

Disciplines/Subjects: sociology, design thinkings Key Themes: elderly, teenager, empathy The Incubator Track in MSA is a year-long, interdisciplinary program that empowers students to develop and launch social impact projects. Students will first define and understand a social problem, and then initiate an action to promote changes around that problem. Along with a variety of social science research and problem-solving methods, learners will also enhance their project management, leadership, and communication skills. The rapidly developing technology is convenient for citizens’ lives, but trouble has been brought to the elderly at the same time. Due to their dissatisfaction with social and emotional needs, the elderly suffer from loneliness and a series of severe consequences brought by loneliness. Loneliness may cause a variety of dangers that can threaten the health of the elderly. We discovered that providing support for the elderly to express and communicate with others reduces their sense of loneliness. We decided to aim at reducing the loneliness of the elderly by building a connection between them.

SDG community challenge

Disciplines/Subjects: Social Sciences，design thinking Key Themes: Sustainability, Marginalized Groups, Community Action Have you ever heard about sustainable development or Sustainble Development Goals? Why are they important? Are they close/relevant to our lives? When more government, organizations, businesses, schools are adpoting SDG in their own daily operation, shall we and can we get more MSAers on board? Your goal in this comprehensive project is to develop a SDG-related campaign to raise community' members's awareness about your chosen topic. This year, we have a specific focus on the interplay of environmental and social problems. You will join the month-long "From Moon to Earth" campaign initiated by the social sciences department, the Blue, and the Green Houses.

Impact of Protected Areas in Brazilian Amazon

Disciplines/Subjects: Environmental Science, Ecology, Political Science, Economics Key Themes: Impact of Protected Areas (PAs) in the Brazilian Amazon, highlighting both the benefits and costs associated with these conservation efforts The article, "Impact of Protected Areas in Brazilian Amazon," examines the complex relationship between Protected Areas (PAs) and their impact on the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The Amazon rainforest plays a vital role in regulating global climate and is home to a significant portion of Earth's terrestrial species12. Deforestation, driven by the need for ranching and agriculture, threatens this ecosystem, leading to biodiversity loss and increased carbon emissions2. PAs have emerged as a crucial strategy to mitigate deforestation and preserve the Amazon.

How does adjusting the amount of the additives of sorbitol, glycerin, and titanium dioxide affect the properties of CMC-gelatin-agar plastic?

Disciplines/Subjects: Materials Science and Engineering; Polymer Chemistry; Environmental Science; Microbiology Key Themes: Sustainable Alternatives to Petroleum-Based Plastics This research investigates the impact of different additives on the properties of biodegradable plastics made from carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), gelatin, and agar. The study focuses on sorbitol and glycerin as plasticizers to improve the plastic's ductility, and titanium dioxide (TiO2) to enhance its color. The researchers found that glycerin and sorbitol effectively increased the plastic's flexibility. They also observed that TiO2 successfully adjusted the film's color, making it whiter. The study concludes that adjusting the additive amounts is crucial for achieving a balance of desired properties in CMC-gelatin-agar plastic6. The research suggests that this type of biodegradable plastic has the potential to replace traditional petroleum-based plastics, contributing to environmental protection.

The Power of Pandemics

Disciplines/Subjects: History, Political Sciences Key Themes: Pandemics, History, Virus, Bacteria Speaking of the aftermath of COVID-19, Melinda Gates believed that “this pandemic [had] magnified every existing inequality in our society — like systemic racism, gender inequality, and poverty.” Gates had made a critical point that diseases and societal tensions are rarely separated. Indeed, there is a reason that we call perpetual social issues, social ills. Where is this global pandemic leading us? What effect - social, political, and cultural - will it create? How do we, as a collective, prevent the next pandemic? We are still amid the torrent to produce a clear vision of the future, so let's pause, and look back in history. For this project, you are expected to create two history magazines (May edition, 2024) catering to students in Grades 5 and Grades 7-8, respectively. Your goal is to introduce and delineate the causes and effects of five pandemics — plague, smallpox, Malaria, Influenza, and HIV/AIDS — to your audience. Keep in mind that you need to demonstrate: the biological and social causes of pandemics the social, political, and cultural effects of pandemics more crucially, the awareness of your audience's ability to read and understand your message Individually, you will also submit a 1200-word essay discussing the causes and effects of your chosen pandemic.

Phenological Investigations: Understanding Plant Responses to Environmental Changes

Disciplines/Subjects: Phenology, Botany, Ecology Key Themes: Phenology, Plant Physiology, Data Collection and Analysis, Environmental Changes Students will take on the role of phenologists, scientists who study the timing of biological events about environmental conditions. This project will involve observing and documenting the phenological stages of various plant species on the school campus, and analyzing how environmental factors influence these stages. This real-world task allows students to engage in authentic scientific inquiry and produce meaningful outputs that could be used for ecological studies or shared with the local community.

Project

Real-world projects creating positive impacts for self, others, communities, and the planet.