PERSONAL PROJECT

REPORT
Earth gets sick

Made by:
Rta Abramauskait
Word count: 1284
2014

Table of content
The goal of the project

Selection of sources

Application of information

Achieving the goal

Reflection on learning

Bibliography

The goal of the project

The project was a new experience for us. For my Personal Project I
wanted to do something, which interested me, and to choose an
issue, which could be important nowadays, could be useful for
others. Also, I wanted to relate it with my hobbies so I considered
them as a starting point: photography, drawing, and IT. I decided to
use all my stronger abilities and to create a website about global
issues. I chose this topic, because it is my, as a caring citizens and
earthlings mission to act for a better situation in our
community/planet.
After careful reflection, I formulated a goal: To inform students
about Earths and earthlings future dangers by creating a website.
My Area of Interaction is Environment. It is defined as the
understanding of where we live, what resources we have and need,
also an individuals responsibilities towards their environment.
Through my website students will have a better understanding of
global warming. Also, they will be able to see a predicted future
image of our city Siauliai. I chose this Area of Interaction, because
one of the core aspects of my project is the interdependence of the
environment and humanity and I hoped to raise awareness about
climate change, initiate actions towards our environment and
explain students role and responsibilities towards other earthlings.
Awareness of this issue is relatively new, our existence depends on
it, so the topic of climate change and societys struggle to find
solutions was the right concern to me.
I have not created the website or worked with graphical software
like Adobe Photoshop before. I even do not have professional skills
working with IT, so this project will require patience and persistence
from me. With supervisors help I want to gain a lot of useful
experience on how mass media items are created and maintained.
I set goals for my project:

Simplify the scientific information about global warming and

make it easily understandable for my age or younger
students;
Use my creativity and art skills and illustrate information,
make the website attractive;
To present relevant information;
Develop IT skills.

Main questions of the website:

How this issue

environment?

touches

me,

other

people

from

my

Why is it important to act for all human beings?

Why does the humanity be responsible for future
environment?
How has the humanity played a role in the progression of
climate change?
How to act, how to be an important part in conserving our
planet and adjusting to what damage has been done?

Selection of sources
Internet is full of information about climate change and other global
issues, so the only think I had to do was to select reliable and
efficient sources, because the information found on the internet
cannot always be 100% accurate. The main criteria for electronic
resources were:

Accuracy (Does the author cite the sources of information he

or she used to develop the site?);
Authority (Do I recognize the authors name? What type of
information is given about the author?);
Coverage (Are the links in the site comprehensive or used as
an examples?);
Objectivity (What is the purpose of the web site?);
Currency (Is a date clearly displayed? Does the page content
demand routine or continual updating or revision?).

I had difficulties to find information about global situation in

Lithuania. It shows, that Lithuanian people must need more
information about climate change in their country, not only about
worldwide situation. Maybe the lack of information could led to
imprudent behavior against environmental welfare.
I used printed resources as well. I had difficulties finding them,
because in library was a small selection of books about global
issues.
My sources were:

Biology textbook Biologija 10 (Leidykla Sviesa, 2012);

Internet (articles and other information about global warming,
educational videos about global issues, pictures, educational
videos about photo editing,
information on Internet site
creation);
James Howard Kunstler The long emergency (Atlantic
Monthly Press, 2005);
IT and biology teachers.
I think that selection of sources is really important part. From
sources depend websites accuracy, attraction and objectivity.
4

Application of information
Completing my project was not an easy job. In the middle of the
process I understood, that in the beginning I was a little bit
overconfident, and that I will not be able to reach my visionary
product, because I had minimum IT skills. Although I had some
technical problems, we gathered with IT Supervisor and discussed
on how we solve them. Teachers helped me a lot and gave useful
advice. Biology Supervisor helped me to pick out accurate
information.
Before creating a website, I made a plan about my future product
and made a site map. While doing research, I had to adjust my map,
because I found new information, or I did not find enough
information. For example, in printed and electronic resources was a
lack of information about Lithuania or Siauliai, so I had to delete
webpage about my home city.

Achieve the goal

I followed my plan and did not change the goal. I changed only
some technical details like name of the webpage, font style,
alignment, color of the website and buttons. I do believe that I
achieved something during this project, whether or not it was my
intended goal. I was a bit disappointed about my final product,
because one webpage (Future in Lithuania) does not look like I
have imagined it at beginning. However, when I presented my
project in the IT lesson, I received very good feedback from my
classmates and my IT Supervisor. Some classmates like pictures,
which I made, and the design of the website. Some of them said,
that they found interesting facts and information, others said that I
am very creative and asked for some help with their websites. I am
happy about the surveys. In sort, although maybe I would do some
things different. I am willing to improve my project: to create the
website in Lithuanian language, then more people form my country
will be informed about global issues.
5

Reflection on learning
From this project I learnt a lot about my qualities, challenged my
abilities and skills, improved my knowledge about global issues and
about IT techniques. Even writing the report with the set amount of
words was a new experience for me, but not as hard and
unrealizable as I thought before. I think that the way I chose to
achieve my goal and the techniques I used were appropriate.
Although there were hard moments and difficulties, I enjoyed doing
my personal project. Probably because I liked what I was doing, I did
not thing about it as an assignment. As I said, this project helped me
to understand and to know myself better. This project helped me to
reach some qualities form IB Learner Profile, I became more
balanced, risk taker, reflective. I gained experience on how to
manage time better and to keep on schedule, I also gained
experience on how internet sites are created. These new useful
gained skills will help me to deal with time management problems in
IB.
Having environment as my central AOI helped me understand the
impact that people and their actions and behavior have on the
environment and their consequences. Every human being must
realize that each individual is responsible for the environment. It is
important that people change their habits and take action against
polluting the environment. Knowledge and awareness of these
issues in what takes to have people change their habits and start
acting responsible to the environment.
All in all, this project was a great experience before entering the IB. I
am happy about my product and hope that its mission to other
people about better environment will be accomplished.

Bibliography

http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/how-to-choose-credible-sources
https://sites.google.com/a/rchk.edu.hk/pp-web-portal/areas-ofinteraction
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/global-warmingprevention/images/33210735/title/penguins-photo
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/global-warmingprevention/images/33088764/title/consequences-global-warmingphoto
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/33200000/Ten-Signs-ofGlobal-Warming-global-warming-prevention-33281199-36002400.jpg
http://www.keepbanderabeautiful.org/
http://www.50waystohelp.com/
http://environment.yale.edu/climate-communication/
http://www.24hoursofreality.org/
http://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-photomanipulation-of-a-flooded-city-scene--psd-3651
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a51mWYhVmek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79WFToycpUk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDiGYuQicpA