Back to School: Research Presentations by High School Students

Back to School: Research Presentations by High School Students

On January 24, I got the chance to reconnect with the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex and attend research presentations of high schoolers. Needless to say, it was very exciting to be back this time as a research specialist instead of a student. It was even more exciting to listen to such motivated students who had done a great amount of work on their projects.

The presenters were Arshil Khachatryan, who had researched the Bermuda Triangle, Sona Balayan with her work “Press Is the Mirror of the World: There are Different Mirrors,” and Elen Mkrtchyan, who had examined “How Art can Improve Mental Health.” Each work was a unique and interesting project with an engaging presentation. I was especially curious about Arshil’s presentation, as I always wanted to learn about the Bermuda triangle but never had the chance to do so. Of course, from a somewhat experienced researcher’s point of view, there were several flaws in the research reports and presentations. But in the spirit of fairness, it is important to note that the results were great for young people conducting research for the first time in their lives. Each of the students had put an immense amount of effort and time into their projects, which I highly value and appreciate.

Looking back, I would love to have had this opportunity as a high school student. Research skills are crucial in the modern world. And the sooner you acquire them, the more doors open for you. When listening to the presentations, I realized that if I were one of these students, there are some fundamental things that I would love someone to tell me before getting to research. After all, having a guide can help when learning something for the first time and can significantly accelerate the learning process.

This gave me the idea of collaborating with my favorite high school on such projects in the future. Through mentorship, I will help interested students with their future research projects and guide them throughout the whole process – from choosing a topic to presenting the final research report. I am excited to contribute to this amazing new project and help our aspiring researchers excel in the future projects they pursue. 

My school reflections

My school reflections

School. The majority of teens hate it, but it has always been an integral part of my life. I've always liked going to school. Maybe because I didn't have anything else to do, or because all my friends were there, I'm not sure. But the school has always felt like home, which is why saying goodbye is so hard for me.

I still remember me on my first day of school: with two ponytails, a cute black skirt, and a white shirt with little bows, sitting in front of my school with my soon-to-be best friends and waving at the camera. I remember cutting the big red bow on my classroom's door, going in for the first time, and though I have changed schools several times, the excitement that I had back then hasn't faded during these 12 years.

Since then, I've changed a lot, and the school not only has given me basic knowledge, but it has also had the most impact on forming the person I am today. I have learned to communicate with people, be open-minded and ready for everything, have and express my own opinion, improve myself and self-educate, be more responsible, and be my true self. I have also made many incredible friends, without whom I wouldn't be able to get this far.

MSKH Tourism: Episode 1

The Winery

Here’s the first episode of our project “MSKH Tourism” and it’s about one of the most interesting places in our educomplex: the winery. Hope you enjoy!

5 ամենավտանգավոր համակարգչային վիրուսները

5 ամենավտանգավոր համակարգչային վիրուսները

(թարգմանություն)

Ընկերնե՛ր, համակարգիչները նույնպես կարող են վիրուսներով վարակվել, սակայն նրանց «բարկությունը» կախված է ոչ թե ագրեսիվության աստիճանից, այլ այն վնասի չափից, որը պատրաստվում են հասցնել: Ձեզ համար հավաքել ենք ժամանակների թոփ 5 ամենավտանգավոր համակարգչային վիրուսների ցանկը՝ որպես չափանիշ ընտրելով դրանց կողմից հասցված վնասի չափն ու վնասը կրած մարդկանց թիվը: Հուսով ենք՝ այս վիրուսներին ծանոթ եք միայն նորություններից:

5-րդ տեղ. SLAMMER

Այնքան մեծ ծավալով թրաֆիկ է առաջացրել, որ «ամբողջ համացանցը» դանդաղել է:

Slammer-ը համակարգչային որդ է, որն ի հայտ է եկել 2003 թվականին: Ինչպես շատ այլ վիրուսներ, այն ունեցել է մի քանի անվանում և հայտնի է եղել նաև SQL Slammer, Saphire, WORM_SQLP1434.A, SQL Hell կամ Helkern անուններով: Slammer-ը վարակել է մոտ 200000 համակարգիչ և հասցրել է 1.2 միլիարդ ամերիկյան դոլարի վնաս:

Թիրախը այն սերվերների տվյալների շտեմարանն էր, որտեղ ներբեռնված էր Microsoft SQL Server 2000 ծրագիրը: Իրականում, դրա տարածումից հնարավոր էր խուսափել: Microsoft-ն արդեն ծրագիր էր ստեղծել խոցելիությունը վերացնելու համար, բայց շատերն այն չէին ներբեռնել:

A story of a painting: "The Old Guitarist"

"The old guitarist" 

Jose lived in one of the Italian cities. He was a skinny, tall young man with dark hair and blue eyes. His favorite thing to do and only method of survival was making guitars. He had his studio, where he was spending most of his time.

One day, a man whom he hadn't seen before entered his studio. His name was Louis. He was a tall, tough, brunette man who wanted to surprise his lover and give her a guitar, which she dreamed of since childhood. Jose got to work, and after some time, the guitar was finally ready. It was the most unique, gorgeous, and delicate guitar that he has ever made.

Jose packed the guitar and walked to Louis's house. When he opened the door, splendidly made metal stairs raised in front of him. He went up, where was standing she: beautiful Felicia, elegant, with dark hair and eyes, whose glance just burned Jose. She didn't even manage to welcome Jose when the magical sounds of the guitar filled the air. Felicia was astonished and started raptly listening to him.

«MSKH Tourism» նախագիծ

ՕՐԻՆԱԿ՝ ԳՈՐԾՈՒՆԵՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԾՐԱԳԻՐ (ոչ սցենարային):

Անձնական	Ճկուն ժամանակացույց
Խումբ	Ֆիքսված ժամանակցույց

Ուտելիքին առնչվող փաթեթ	Գինեգործություն, հայկական հացի պատաստում, հարիսայի ծես (սեզոնային), ղափամայի ծես (սեզոնային), հայկական ավանդական չրեր։
Արվեստին առնչվող փաթեթ	Նկարչություն, կավագործություն, խեցեգործություն, մետաղագործություն, հյուսք, կարպետագործություն, կար (ասեղնագործություն)։
Երգ ու պարին առնչվող փաթեթ	Սովորել Հայկական ավանդական պարեր և երգեր։
Անձին առնչվող փաթեթ	Ընտրել մեզ առավելապես հետաքրքրող գործողությունները (վերոնշյալ փաթեթներից)։
Ամբողջական փաթեթ	Վերոնշյալ փաթեթները։

ԱՆԵԼԻՔՆԵՐԻ ՑՈՒՑԱԿ։

• Կազմել անձնական ժամանակցույցը (առավոտյան, ցերեկային և երեկոյան ծրագրերի համար),
• պատրաստել ուղեցույցներ (տեքստեր, հնարավոր է՝ տարբեր ուղեցույցներ, տարբեր փաթեթների համար, կամ բազմալեզու, եթե հարկ լինի),
• կազմել զբոսավարների ծրագրերը (ընդհանուր՝ բոլոր գործողությունների համար, կամ՝ անհատական),
• ընտրել ուսուցիչներին/մասնագետներին (բացառել զբոսաշրջիկների գալու դեպքում ուսուցիչների/զբոսավարների բացակայությունը, միևնույն վայրում ունենալ մի քանի աշխատող),
• ստեղծել ֆիքսված համակարգ,
• ստեղծել ֆեսյբուքյան էջ (նախագիծը գովազդելու և դրա վերաբերյալ հրապարակումներ անելու համար),
• Գտնել կոնտակտներ։

TOEFL independent writing essay 3

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should focus on things they have to do more, instead of doing what they like. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

We all have some duties and hobbies and try to balance them in our lives. Nonetheless, some say that people spend way too much time doing what they like, instead of focusing on the things they have to do. Personally, I disagree with this statement and would like to introduce a few reasons that shape my opinion.

To begin with, I think people should always live here and now, and chiefly focus on doing things they find enjoyable. Always thinking and preparing for the future definitely is not the right option, inasmuch as that way you may spend all your life waiting and preparing for something. For example, a child can study day and night for applying to university, and never go out with his friends. Later on, he will understand that he has wasted his best years sitting at home and studying, while he could have spent his time having fun with his peers and creating some memories.

News story

You are a journalist. Your editor has asked you to write a paragraph about one of the news stories whose headlines are below. However, she has asked you to be careful what you say, as the facts haven’t been confirmed yet. Choose one story and write a paragraph of approximately 100 words.

1. Eating chips helps you study better.

2. Footballer’s wife seeks divorce.

3. Politician linked to charity scandal.

4. Is jungle plant the key to eternal youth?

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Is jungle plant the key to eternal youth?

Scientists have found an exotic flower-like plant in the jungles of Amazon that no one has seen before. After a myriad of examinations, they have discovered a kind of bacteria that can be able to prevent humans from getting old. Can this discovery become a solution to a problem that people had been trying to achieve for centuries? Now, this is the question that bothers and interests scientists the most. They are now planning more examinations and trying to gain as much information about the plant as possible. Also, people are trying to find more examples of the plant in different parts of the world, and, albeit searching groups are examining the jungles conscientiously, there are not any records about this mysterious plant. Do not miss our next article, for more precise and confirmed information.

TOEFL independent writing essay 2

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Telling the truth is the most important thing in relationships. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

We always communicate with other people and try to improve our relationships. People say that the integral consideration in a relationship among people is always telling the truth. Personally, I agree with this statement, and there are several reasons that can explain my opinion.

First of all, being honest and always telling the truth makes people in a relationship trust each other more. This works for both sides of a relationship, inasmuch as the person who tells the truth and is being honest, trusts the other person his/her secrets, and the other person, also, trusts him/her, because he understands the importance of not lying. This is really visible among the kids. For example, if a kid lies to the other kid about not having a toy, buy confusing him, the other one will not trust him anymore and will start communicating with others.

TOEFL independent writing essay 1

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? There will be more cars in use in the future than there are now. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Nowadays, people can not imagine their lives without cars, because they have become the most popular and accessible way of transportation. The number of cars is growing with every minute, but some say that in the future there will not be as many cars as there are now in use. Personally, I agree with this statement and have certain reasons that will support my point of view.

To begin with, I think that in the near future people will understand that cars harm our health and environment. They seriously pollute the air, making it impossible to breathe. The more cars appear in the streets – the more unbearable the air becomes. This really harms people’s personal state, so some of them refuse to go outside. It is also bad for the nature around us. All the plants and trees start growing slower and are not able to give us enough oxygen anymore.

Furthermore, there is not enough place for cars. Especially in small countries, in overpopulated areas, the streets are not enough big for all the cars to fit in. The lack of free space in the streets causes vast traffics, which people, not surprisingly, do not like. It also can cause more accidents, and make our surroundings more dangerous than ever. For example, there can be traffic in a small city, and someone can be late for work or a meeting. By wanting to pierce the traffic, that person can become the reason for an accident, and hurt himself or the people around him.

Educational trip to Lori

Educational trip to Lori

As you know, this time we decided to go to Lori province. We weren't that excited about this trip, albeit we ended up really enjoying it.

On the first day, we assembled at our school and started our trip early in the morning. Our first destination was the Dsegh Seas. To be honest it was much more beautiful than I'd expected and I'd definitely visit that place again, to look at that stunning view one more time. Next, we went to Dsegh village, to visit the home museum of Hovhannes Toumanian, but some of us didn't walk in, cause we'd already been there too many times. Afterward, we went to Alaverdi city and stayed at the guest house for the rest of the day.

The next day, first of all, we went to Alaverdi's school number 5, represented our school, told them about differences from other schools and etc. Then they did the same thing, we sang, danced, recited some short poems and played volleyball. Our next destination was the Haghpat monastery. For me the most beautiful there wasn't the monastery itself, but the stunning view from there. After exploring Haghpat, we went to Sanahin monastery, which, for me, is kind of the last ones sibling. Though both monasteries were picturesque, I liked Sanahin monastery more, because the place was calmer and more relaxing, and gave you the opportunity to really enjoy the nature there. After that, we went back to our guest house, had dinner, and in the evening went for a walk to Alaverdi Art Gallery which is also a branch of the National Gallery of Armenia. There we met Rafael Aghajanyan who turned out to be a very interesting person. He introduced his works and told us very interesting stories from his past, and the history of the Gallery. Most of all I liked some of his unnamed works, and works of Zaven Ohanyan, called “Yes em” (It’s me), “Khaghoghahavak” (Grape harvesting),  “Boutotnuk” (Blunt octopus?), “Yerasht” (drought) and “Lialusin” (Full moon). We spent the rest of the day just talking, playing some games and so on.

Interesting World Around Us - Lori

Preparations for an educational trip (Lori)

Preparations for an educational trip

(Lori)

As you already know our trip to Jermuk was unforgettable. We had a lot of fun there and are going to remember it for a long time. Anyway, it has been 2 months since then, so I guess it’s time for another trip. This time we’ve decided to go to Lori. Though we aren’t as excited about this one as we’ve been on other trips, we’re still going, because we’re sure we’ll spend a great time. I think each member of our group has been to Lori even once, it’s very familiar to me too because I spent 7 years studying in Vanadzor. I’ve been to a lot of places there, but I think I’ll still learn something from this trip. So, due to a tradition, I’m going to tell you about one of the places that we’re planning to visit: this time its Sanahin Monastery.

Not far from the city of Alaverdi is located one of largest cities of Lori, the ancient settlement of Sanahin known for its unique landmark – the monastery of the 10th - 13th century. Sanahin Monastery rightly included in the list of best landmarks of Lori as a real treasure of ancient Armenian architecture.

"Lets Speak English" colloborative project

Lets Speak English

In my opinion, “Lets Speak English” is one of the most interesting projects of this year. It’s kind of unique because it’s collaborative. We go to primary schools and teach children English. That might seem really easy, but it’s actually very difficult. We need to choose some topics, so children don’t get bored, but also topics might be easy for them to understand. It gets harder when most of the children don’t speak and you need to tell something and ask questions so you don’t ruin your lesson. However the projects really interesting. We have so much fun while teaching kids, and also improve our speaking skills which is also very important. We all enjoyed those lessons very much and I hope that this project will be continuous.

Interesting World Around Us - Vayots Dzor

Educational trip to Vayots Dzor

Educational trip to Vayots Dzor

Though our last trip was 6 months ago, our group was still there for another trip. This time we decided to go to Vayots Dzor province. The trip started on March 28, we went straight to Jermuk. We were staying at the hotel “Evmari” and, to be honest, I really liked it. So we dropped our suitcases in hotel rooms and decided to go for a little walk in the city. The weather wasn’t cold, but it was snowing. There were lots of massive snow bunches in Jermuk, so while walking and exploring the city, we had a snowball fight. After our walk we just came back to the hotel, had supper together, and as that day was our friend Hayk's birthday, we started celebrating, eating cake, playing games, and just relaxing.

What are the exams for?

What are the exams for?

(short essay)

"Exams motivate students to study harder."

You can hear this from many teachers, adults, parents and other people. In my opinion that people are very closeminded, cause they don’t understand, that the time is changing. I think that exams are a waste of time. They don’t make us study harder, but they take all our energy and time, so we can’t study anything else. We have to learn by heart all our lessons just to pass exams, but after the exams, we just forget everything and realize that we didn’t learn everything at school. People want us to know everything, to be good at maths, languages, history, and many other classes, but nobody’s perfect.

Preparations for an educational trip (Vayots Dzor)

Preparations for an educational trip

(Vayots Dzor)

It’s been 6 months since our last trip. We spent a great time in Karabakh, and still can’t forget our adventures. But its time to start a new story. This time we decided to go to Vayots Dzor Province. I don’t know if anyone from our group has been there, but if so, this is a great opportunity to go there, see new places, learn new things or remember what you’ve forgotten. As a tradition, I’m going to tell you about one of our destinations, this time its Noravank.

Noravank is a 13th-century Armenian monastery, located 122 km from Yerevan in a narrow gorge made by the Amaghu River, near the town of Yeghegnadzor, Armenia. The gorge is known for its tall, sheer, brick-red cliffs, directly across from the monastery.

Just a story

Just a story

One day in one big computer store employees after servicing the last client decided to go on vacation. After a thorough examination of the place, they ordered some tickets and started packing their suitcases. And their adventure began. They assembled at the Airport, but the majority was late. Once they arrived at the snowy mountains of France their fingertips became numb. They decided to eat something, and the keen nose of one of the guy’s found a great pizzeria. They ordered some blended vegetable soup. Unfortunately, the soup was poisoned so they all died. All this happened because there was another computer shop that wanted to beat them up.

..by me and Gevorg..

Speaking topic

What kind of friend is better - one who is very similar to you or one who is very different? Which kind of friend do you prefer and why? Include details and examples in your explanation.

Friendship is one of the most important things in our life. You can have a loving family, but you’ll feel lonely if you don’t have friends. In my opinion, both kinds of friends are good. Most people prefer to have friends that are similar to themselves and think like them, so they have many things in common. Of course, I like that too, but I don't choose friends like that. Someone can think like me, and be similar to me, but he can have that kind of character that I don't like or don't agree with. So for me it doesn't matter, is someone similar to me or not, I should like the character, personality of that person, and then become friends with him or her.

My friends are similar to me, but they're also very different. They have different taste in music, fashion, food and in many things else. However we're very similar, we think like each other and still have many things in common. Even though we're different, w can understand each other and help anytime.

In my opinion its cool that your friends are similar to you, but not too much. When someone is similar to you too much, agrees with you every time, thinks like you and has the same taste in everything is really annoying. It seems like that person is your copy or clone and you might feel uncomfortable with it. It always has to be another opinion if you're deciding something, you must think from other side too, and the person who is very much like you can't help you in that kind of situation. So for me the best kind of friend is the one, that is similar to you, but at the same time is very different.