For this Step It Up activity, I did a science experiment on submarines. I followed a video of someone teaching this experiment. At the end, I found out that video had not been very clear on how to make it work. The submarine has to be balanced with air and water, or else it would be very hard to squeeze, especially for me. I eventually quite enjoyed this activty when it was sucessful, and found it pretty fun exploring and testing. I made a slide sequence and a video to share my work.

How would you make the setting more Jedi – like?

For this Step It Up activity, I made a newly discovered aquatic animal called the… Narlotl! The Narlotl is a combination of Narwhal and Axolotl. It has the body of an Axolotl but has an Axolotl head with a horn, like the Narwhal. The tail is an Axolotl’s tail, with a mixture of a Narwhal’s tail. I also changed the colours so the Narlotl is mainly rainbow, but it’s horn is pink and purple.

It eats anything any Narwhal and Axolotl would eat. This hybrid lives a long time, up to 50 years in the wild, like a Narwhal. Anything an Axolotl or a Narwhal can do, the Narlotl can do twice as much! But, alike the Narwhal, it’s horn does not contain magic. Otherwise, it would be a unicorn’s horn. The Narlotl’s horn works just like a Narwhal’s horn. It once may be believed that the Narwhal’s horn once had magic. Same applies to the Narlotl.

I made my Narlotl on Google Drawings, using different tools in Google Drawings. I used curve, polyline and shapes. I also used Gradient to make the colour rainbow on the Narlotl. My newly discovered aquatic animal, The Narlotl, looks like this. Unfortunately, it does not yet exist.

Would you take a Narlotl as a pet and why?

For this Kick Start activity, I created a type of art called Zentangle art. Zentangle art is many doodles combined and is excellent for calming. The word Zen means calm, and the word tangle means basically doodling. I felt focused and calm, as it was meant to be while doodling. The task had to be Scallop, Breach or Ammon. I chose the Breach and tried to draw one with lines and a home made blending stump. Here is my art work.

Can you think of any patterns using lines to doodle with? And what is it?

For this Kick Start activity, I created a poster on Totally Awesome Sea Turtles. First, I collected 5 fun facts about the Green Sea Turtle. Then, I created a Sea Turtle using popsicle sticks, hot glue, wool and googly eyes. Finally, I created my poster on Google Drawings, using pictures of my Sea Turtle crafts, a picture of a Green Sea Turtles, and a picture of a Green Sea Turtles’ habitat as a background. I also used tools like word art on Google Drawings, and textboxes to write the fact. 1 last main tool is Google, to dig up the facts on these precious, old creatures. My poster looks like this.

Why do you think Green Sea Turtles live so long?

For this Step It Up activity, I created a type of art called Zentangle art. Zentangle art is many doodles combined and is excellent for calming. The word Zen means calm, and the word tangle means basically doodling. I felt calm, as it was meant to be while doodling. The task said try a shell, waves, a fish or another type of sea creature. I chose the Scallop shell and did one for fun, and got carry away doodling. These are my 2 pieces of artwork.

Would you rather doodle or do another type of art and how do you feel when making art?

For this Kick Start activity, I folded origami sea creatures following the instructions of my chosen sea creatures. I had to do 3, so I did an Angelfish, a Seahorse, and a Dolphin. All of them needed square paper which I don’t have, so I folded an A4 sheet of paper and cut some parts of it to make it square. I found making/folding origami really easy as I fold origami all the time. I also found it a fun task because I like folding for fun. A good tip I suggest for origami which I find helpful is using a ruler to help fold. This is my family of sea creatures. My Angelfish is eating worm, as I asked Google what an Angelfish eats.

What is your favourite sea-themed thing to do?

For this Kick Start activity, I drew a picture of a submarine by following the instructions. I did it on pen and paper and found it very easy to draw. After drawing, I coloured it in. There were 3 options, draw with pen and paper, draw it on Google Drawings or do an online colouring.

The task said to add 3 facts I have leant on submarines. Here are my 3 facts.

1 – Submarines have the ability to stay underwater for several months.

2 – In 1954, the first nuclear powered submarine was commissioned and called the USS Nautilus (SSN-571).

3 – There is a 1966 song called “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles.

What other fun facts you can find about Submarine?

For this Kick Start activity, I created an Anglerfish animation. The task said to either create an Anglerfish after watching a video on how to draw one to give inspiration or create an Anglerfish movie after watching a part of finding Nemo. I chose to make an Anglerfish animation because it also said can be animation, stop motion or acted out if you choose making a movie.

My animation is here.

Other than Anglerfish, what deep-sea creatures would be your favourite?

For this Kick Start activity, I experimented (and drank it afterwards) science using milk, water and a torch. I followed the instructions in order to have this experiment working.

First, I found a tall glass and filled it with drinking water. Next, I added a few drops of milk. My mum helped me do that. When the milk slowly dropped down into the water, it was a stunning fusion scene. I then stirred the mixture with a chopstick. Now for the experiment to begin!

I shone the torch from above the glass and looked from the side. It did not work at first, and I figured out that the torch was too bright. I tried again, with another torch that was dimmer than before, yet still it didn’t work. I tried again, this time with a piece of paper between the torch and the glass. It worked! It was all blue, as predicted from the instructions. I looked from below. Same again, the instructions predicted the colour: apple juice snow (a yellowish tint).

Blue from the side: This happens because of colour wavelengths. If you look out to the ocean, clean water should look blue, right? So, each colour has different wavelengths, from red of the rainbow to purple of the rainbow. Red has the shortest wavelength, which means purple has the longest. The water is made of tiny things humans cannot see called molecules. They absorb most of the colours that are too short. Imagine them going nom nom nom to red, orange, yellow and green, and burp out blue and purple, which makes the water blue or purple. But they also go nom nom nom to purple as well, which is why we have blue oceans, not purple. Another fact is reflection. The sky is blue, which causes the oceans to be blue as well.

Nom nom nom means ”eat”.

The first photo shows the blue colour from a brighter torch. Second one with a dimmer torch. Third from the bottom viewing upwards.

Imagine you could find seas of your favourite colour apart from blue. Where do you think you’d find it, and would it be good or bad for us?

For this Step It Up activity, I made an instructional video on making ice cream sea sodas. This time, I tried making it with electrolyte drinking powder as well, but it didn’t taste as good. This is my video, and some pictures of the ice cream sea sodas.