Reflections Week 13 and 14

Week 13

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Good Will adventure, due to being sick. I heard a lot of great things about it though and I'm glad the class had a good time!

Week 14

This was our last day of class. We took time to view each others junking projects which I found to be very beneficial. I got some great ideas for some new projects I can make around my house.  For my project I used an empty fuze bottle, put some confetti strings in it along with a picture of me and my friends. I had a lot of fun with this project because it allowed me to show my creative side. Lastly, we talked about what we liked about the course. I have found that my SMART goal was very benefial and kept me motivated. I have also found that I saved a lot of money by not buying pop or plastic water bottles, which also helped the environment :).

Overall

This class was extremely beneficial and I could honestly say this was one of my favorite classes. I have learned so much not only about the environment, but about myself. Environmental Health was truly the class that I would find myself talking the most about. I have educated my family and friends on the information I found most interesting such as global warming and junking. I have also found my roommates being more eco-friendly which is awesome! I found the share and voice's to be really interesting, everyone had some great things to share! Overall, I thought this was a great class and I would strongly encourage people to take this course!

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Advocacy Project: How Safe Are Our Beaches?

By Danielle's Dandy Environment

INSTRUCTIONS: Read and analyze the three websites listed above and answer the following questions.

1. List at least 3 types of disease-causing germs that can be found in recreational waters.
Infectious diseases= Giardia, Campylobacter nd Shingella
2. Who monitors the bacteria at swimming beaches in Minnesota?
Minnesota Pollutoin Control Agency
3. What are some major causes of water pollution?
StormWater Pollution, sewage spills, natural resources
4. What are ways that we can do our part to prevent water pollution at beaches?
Do not swim when you hvae diarhea, do not swallow pool water, practice good hygiene, take kids on bathroom beaks and change diapers in the bathrom, wash child thoroughly with soap.
5. Reflect on what you thought about this subject and what it means to you.
I live on Lake Minnetonka so I have heard of these diseases. I have always known not to eat more than one fish ut of the lke per year because the fish in the lake have so much mercuty in them. I have also ben taught to take a shower after you get out of the lake. Danielle had some really great information and some very educational websites!

Advocacy Project: Inform, Crossword Puzzle, Act!

 By Rita's Realm Instructions:First, read through the information I have gathered from different sources that I thought may get your attention due to this disease. Second, go through the crossword puzzle and see how much you learned. If you get stuck on a question, go to this link to help you. Third, take some action!!
 

ACROSS 4 Type of surgery that can result in weight gain afterwards 5 Classifications of this disease 7 Adulthood obesity My Answers accross 4. Bariatric 5. Two 7. Hypertrophic My Answers down: 1. Genetics 2. Hyperplastic 3. Baby Boomers 6. Obesity My Reaction: I am very intersted in this topic so I really enjoyed reading Ritas post and completing her activity. Obesity is clearly a big problem in the United States and as health educators, it is our job to help educate these people on ways they can change their poor habits.

DOWN 1 Not the only determinant of this disease 2 Childhood obesity 3 This generation might be the first to outlive their children's generation 6 Epidemic in our society

Share and Voice: Tree Hugger

So I just stumbled across this website and thought it was really cool! There are quizzes you can take such as a the "Are You a Green Gift Giver?" quiz and health quizzes. Also, there is a lot of great information on how to become more green. I strongly suggest you take one of the quizzes. I took the Green gift giver quiz and thought it was very interesting!!! Check it out :)

Main Site

Share and Voice: Arthritis

I chose to do a share and voice on Arthritis because I feel it is a very important topic that many people are not familiar with. Before doing research on this topic I thought it was something that only elderly people got, but unfortunately that is not the case. Arthritis is the worlds most common cause of disability, even affecting children. People who are in any form of accident may also be affected by this disease. I saw these video's (posted below) and thought they would be great to share to get people aware of how serious it actually is. If we do not do anything to change this, the risks of getting this disease will rise. Most importantly, if you have any symptoms, make sure to check it out with a doctor, it's better to be safe than sorry!

What is Arthritis?

What are Ways to Prevent Arthritis?

Advocacy Project: Arthritis Learning Activity

Purpose: To make others aware of the serious risks involved with Arthritis and to provide interesting information and statistics on the topic.

46 million Americans, including children are victims, to some form of arthritis, the worlds most common cause of disability. According to arthritis.org arthritis is a condition that affects the musculosketletal system specifically around the joints where the bones meet. This causes severe pain, inflammation and stiffness affecting the whole body, leading to weakness and instability. Athritis can affect every day basic activities such as typing on the computer, going up and down the stairs, walking, even brushing your teeth. This causes a lot of stress and frustration in patients because they are unable to complete simple tasks.



 According to the Centers for Disease Control, (CDC) every year arthritis is the cause of 992,100 hospitalizations and 44 million outpatients, which results in $128 billion medical bills. Unfortunately these numbers are expected to rise to 67 million by 2030 if we do not take action. 50% of people with arthritis are not able to work within 10 years of their diagnosis. It can lead to joint deformity and even worse, premature death.

Genetics and family history increase the chance of developing arthrits. Fortunately, there are ways to help prevent arthritis. There is a lot of helpful information on the Arthritis Prevention site I found. There are ways to help prevent arthritis. First of all, if you notice any aches or pain during every day activities or recreation-related activities, do not ignore the signs. This will makes things worse in the long run. Make sure to excersise your joints. Excerise does not have to be strenuous, just make sure it is regular. It is important to eat healthy, over weight people are at a greater risk of this disease due to lack of exercise and unhealthy eating. It is also important to drink a lot of water. Coffee and pop black absorption of water. Lastly, yoga is great for your body because it increases muscle tone and gives off a range of motion to your joints.



After reading the summary, please answer the following questions:


1. True or Fale? Arthritis only affects people 65 years and older?________
2. True or False: Arthritis can affect every day activities such as brushing your teeth?__________
3. True or False: Obese people have a greater risk of Arthritis?________
4. Arthritis Affects the____________
5. True or False? Arthritis is the most common cause of disability?_________
6. True or False? Arthritis is expected to increase by the year 2030?__________
7. What helps prevent arthritis? a) Eating Healthy   b) Exercising c) Yoga d) all of the above 
8. What percent of people with arthritis are not able to work within 10 years of diagnosis? a) 10 b) 20 c) 0 d) 50