Human Behavior

Averi L.

For my Celebrations of Learning I decided to create a zine called Formative Roots to educate people on certain minority groups and the complex factors that fuel them. Throughout the zine certain environmental and epigenetic factors contribute to trauma and oppression are outlined.Throughout the course I found it interesting to look at the disparities faced by minority groups and the ecological and biological contributors to those disparities.  Readers will look closely at the fundamentals of Black oppression, Gender inequality, and the generational impact the Haulocost had on people. Throughout the zine there are timelines, interactive educational experiences, and writing that highlight the experiences of these groups. 

During the process of creating the zine it was important to include accessible information that anyone could understand in order for it to serve its purpose of educating. There are fun elements of education throughout the experience, including a poem that is meant to embody what it feels like to live in the home of a haulocost survivor and how that experience and trauma has lasting impacts on multiple generations. The zine also includes a Spotify code that will take readers to a playlist of songs written by women to tell stories about the female experience. One song in particular called My Mother & I written by singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus explains how her mother hates her body, and while she and Lucy share a very similar frame, she swears that she thinks Lucy is beautiful. Lucy goes on to talk about how she learned this self-hating behavior from her mother, which highlights how behavior trickles down through generations. In the zine there is also a photo collage of black history in America including the years major events occurred for example, chattel slavery(1776-1885), followed by the civil rights movent(1954-1968), and onto the more recent Black Lives Matter movent(2013-present). This is highlighting the years of trauma that Black Americans have endured and feeds into the studies done on chronic stress. 

Throughout the course we looked at racial health disparities, epigenetics, gender inequality, ecology and learned behavior. Each of these things are featured to a degree in the zine. The first section of the zine talks about how epigenetics function in a way that is accessible to someone who had never heard of it before. The next section talks about gender inequality and how exposure to the gender construct in every facet of media and everyday behaviors from birth can impact how we behave under this construct. This section also goes into alpha male stereotypes and how that is damaging to both men and women. Next the zine explains oppression that has been faced by black Americans and the historical trauma that goes along with that. It talks about how when people experience trauma without reparations or healing, that trauma continues to weigh on people. Lastly the zine discusses Haulocost survivors and the generational effects that people faced.

Punnett Squares by Christman Coffee

Punnett squares are an extremely useful modern tool that people can use to figure out what the exact chances are for a specific trait to show up in ones offspring. This concept was originally used on pea plants to perfect the plant a little at a time. The way a Punnett square works is by simulating the crossover of two sets of genes that occurs when an offspring is created to predict it’s appearance. To do this, they use organisms genotypes. Genotypes are all the genetic code that has made you what you look like today. Genotypes are sometimes very obvious on the outside, but the tricky part is, not all genotypes are expressed in the end result. There are dominant traits and recessive traits. The dominant traits will trump recessive traits thus making them shown. When this happens, it can still leave recessive genes as by products of the combinations of genes, and these will never be known until that offspring has their offspring, potentially showing the hidden traits that they had not themselves expressed. A Punnett square can usually not tell you the exact outcome of two sets of genes because there are many factors, but more so the chances of certain traits being expressed or not. Using a Punnett square, I have found the possible outcomes for eye color, hair color, and blood types of two crossed sets of genes. Below are three PowerPoints, each containing the combinations for one of the three traits mentioned. Find the combinations that made you, maybe find the most likely outcome for all three of these traits for your future offspring.

Jack Henry L.

My project is a series of watercolor paintings showing a method of asexual reproduction called budding using a human head. In class, we went over many different ways of reproduction and how things live. The part that stuck out most to me was budding. Budding is where a single-celled organism will slowly duplicate itself, creating a replica of its being. I found this fascinating and wondered what it would be like in a world where this is how humans reproduced. This is what my project is portraying. I learned over the time creating this, that budding is not the best reproduction method, because there is not a lot of diversity with it. Which can be bad for environments and ecosystems.

I created four watercolor paintings, each showing a step in the budding cycle. The first painting shows what the organism looks like before it starts the cycle. The second painting shows the budding starting, warping the face. The third painting shows the new organism mostly complete. Then the fourth and final painting shows the two organisms separated, looking almost identical. The materials I used were watercolors, fine liner pens, and a dash of markers. I thoroughly enjoyed creating this project and it was interesting learning about the subject in class.

Amber P.

This project is a 3d, multimedia art piece that is made to represent how the things in our environment are what make up the things we think and the things we say. In one of the earlier weeks we discussed this idea that the things in our environment shape us as who we are. The flowers represent all of the good things in the environment that positively influence ourselves. The black puffs represent the bad things that negatively influence us. The red lines connect the thing in the environment to the corresponding thing on the “mind or mouth”.

Sayer D.

For my celebration of learning I’ll be exploring the different adaptations and evolution of Equus. Modern horses are extremely fascinating; they allowed mankind to thrive and push further than we ever thought possible. Our great ancestors developed methods of domesticating and breeding these magnificent beasts. Almost every Culture in the world ancient or not can contribute its success to the domestication of animals and horses are no exception from agricultural to military applications. Horses have served mankind. So I’m taking the time for the celebration of learning to explore some of the fascinating adaptations and evolution of horses.

Coby S.

My celebrations project for Human Behavior and Biology is about how artificial intelligence is starting to learn in very similar ways as humans. The way that humans learn is by trial and error and a lot of learning is genetic. My project was made to inform people about the advances in technology and how these advancements are based on human biology.

Sam L.

In my class, Human Behavior and Biology, we talked about topics like natural selection, genetics, mating preferences, reproduction, etc. Since this class was all about human behavior and biology, I thought that doing a project on tool use throughout the animal kingdom would relate very well. My project is a Slides presentation, and throughout it, you will learn about what a tool is, as well as six animals that use tools and how they use them. In my project, you will see the tools that they use displayed on the slides, and if you click the audio button you will hear me explain it in further detail. I hope you enjoy it!

Kyla C.

For my celebrations, I made two model clay figures representing Mallard ducks. One of my figures represents a male with bright vibrant colors, and the other a female with dull neutral colors. In class, we spent a week talking about animal reproduction and their mating preferences. I was influenced to do this project by talking about different animal’s mating preferences and how they are attracted to one another. 

A female Mallard duck is attracted to a male mallard duck because of how aggressive they show to be and their vibrant colors. Many animals like Mallard ducks, are attracted to colors and aggressiveness because it shows the female they will protect them. This is how many animals are attracted to each other, although many animals have different mating preferences. From this project, I would like people to take away the main point of animal’s mating preferences because it is something that really interested me due to the fact that humans have their own distinct way of their mating preferences. 

In making this project, I learned how to use clay to make large animals. I think that it taught me to use a lot of patience in waiting for the clay to dry and taking my time to paint it and make it look realistic.

Poetry for my Future Daughter’s Mother
by Sophia W.

My unborn child’s 

Methane-stained cheeks

Brand her:

Past humanitarian mistakes

As calcine red trails,

Echoing the wildfires.

Feral humanity wreaks

Cataclysm on the communal Mother

Who went unappreciated.

She birthed fauna - we maimed -

 Then planted flora in their gravesites.

We became erudites to

Lackadaisical trample,

Heavy-footed. Empty-headed. 

Because I became friendly with

Lungfuls of disease,

My daughter will dance with

Hot wires of industrialization,

Leaning into the sticky web

Of pure convenience 

Immediate gratification has to offer.

My daughter, the bee,

Grew with the pesticide

Of inevitable extinction

By the hand of god:

The primate, Homo sapien.

A lonely religion.

Its white knuckles decimated 

The only Mother humanity knew.

And the only life worth saving.