What Does It Mean to Be an American?

Smithsonian Quests Badge

 

Reflection: I did not enjoy this process because it did not accurately target my subject interests and instead I decided to do something that was interesting, but not interesting enough to remain dedicated to it for weeks. I would have liked to somehow challenge myself to do things relating to my interests and make up my own tasks. I think that we should make our own goals to achieve what we want to learn instead of being forced to do seemingly irrelevant tasks. I chose the Tree Hugger topic and in order to get the badge I had to find a picture of a tree and write about what it looks like, feels like, and include any other scientific facts about it. I just feel like this is something that would have been done on the elementary school level. It was definitely not something that I learned from. The next and final task was to get a rubbing or a picture of a rubbing from a tree's bark and to talk about the texture. We had to think about why that texture was the way it is, and whether the environment was a factor in its appearance. I learned very little from this task as well and I earned the badge with extreme ease.

 

Notice of Badge Completion

Issued to:	moocow123
Badge issued by:	Smithsonian Quests
Badge awarded by:	10th Grade
Badge Issuer Contact:	smithsonian@learningtimes.com
Issued on:	May 30, 2013
Also issued to:	10 others

U.S. Intervention in Haiti

Recently I've been forgetting to blog, but we are now learning about United States imperialism. Currently, we are starting Central America and the Caribbean.
Today in class, we learned about U.S. intervention in Haiti and we were asked to blog about a question that was given to us in class.
"How have the Haitians responded to the presence of U.S. Marines in their country?"

 

HAITI UNHAPPY WITH U.S. HELP

 

       The people of Haiti are unable to recognize that the U.S. are trying to help them. They have begun to train the Haitian militia to be able to fight back and citizens have been instructed to resist U.S. influence. Charlemagne Peralte went to far as to lead a resistance movement and criticized President Wilson for "pretending" to respect the small nations in Europe. They claim that for years we have been insulting them by trying to help them out with all their problems. They don't see that the poverty and destruction within it can be helped if the right people, us, back them up. They have informed us that it doesn't matter if we burn their cities, that we should back away and leave them to their own lives.
       According to Mr. Peralte, we have no right to fight them, even though it is for their own general good. We simply want to establish the same principles as we have in America, since we are a successful Union and want other people to follow suit. We are an intelligent and well-rounded community that simply wants to show others how to be successful. They are fit to rule, yes, but they are not fit to resolve the growing conflicts amongst their people. They will not back down even with U.S. military reinforcements present in their own country, but they will not give up and they will not give in.

Red River Question

As we watched the movie "Red River," we were supposed to think about how the movie portrays the cowboys and how that's different from what we learned in class. In the movie, the cowboys were extremely stereotypical. In the west during that time, they did have hats to protect them from the sun and boots to stay on their horse, but the other getup was completely unnecessary. It was historically inaccurate to portray the cowboys in such a way.

Past Two Days: April 26

Today, if we had a device, we were to work on one of the many projects. Yesterday, we finished presenting the projects from the day before, in which we had to try to convince people to buy an invention from you.

April 23 Recap

Yesterday, April 23, we learned various things about what life was like in the west. For example, we pretended we were living in a soddy, which is a house-type structure, typically one story, that is made of a mixture of mud and grass. The walls were often 3 feet thick, a perfect insulator. During the activity, we had to decide where we would sleep and eat and such. We figured out that without much space, we would have to pack together tightly. The next activity was basically to sit still for one minute straight. During this time in the west, people had to be completely still while someone took their picture, otherwise the picture would be blurry. It was easier said than done- you had to keep your facial expression constant, which I had trouble doing. If I was living in the west without the advanced cameras we have today, there would be no clear pictures of me out there. The final activity was smelling sod, which made up the sod houses. We had to discuss whether or not we thought we would be able to get used to the smell. Most of the people in my group agreed that they would, but I thought differently. I would get so sick of the smell after just a couple minutes. Overall, I feel like I learned a lot of good background details about the west. I like doing activities like this because it makes the information taught easier to understand and remember.

Past Two Days: April 22

Today, we went to the media lab to work on a new project. We were given a link to a website that gave options for a quest. We were able to pick any topic that interested us and do the work for it. I like this idea because it gives us the opportunity to research or learn about things that intrigue us, rather than just learning things because we were told to.

Past Two Days: April 10

Tonight, we were assigned the task of blogging about Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the belief that God wanted Americans to expand westward. I don't think that this was beneficial because it forced the Native Americans out of their land and into the west, which they were opposed to doing. It was a selfish move on the Americans' part. When people are forced out of their homes to move somewhere they don't want to go, it can cause many conflicts, and instead of traveling on the path to growth, it could hinder the journey.

Past Two Days: April 8

Today, we were given six worksheets to read and take notes about. After that, we were to write three diaries based on the events we read about. It was all about how difficult it was on the Oregon Trail and how people migrated west were faced with many obstacles such as disease, weather, and Indian tribes. Many of them could not afford transportation other than by mule or ox, and it often took them weeks to get to their next destination.

Past Two Days: April 4

Yesterday, we got together into groups and read about different peoples' involvement in the War of 1812. I was assigned to learn about the African Americans in the war. I found out that the whites were not planning to have them fight, but they were desperate for soldiers and eventually gave in.
Today, the majority of the class was missing so we just talked about Whitney Houston's performance of the Star Spangled Banner. We also finished up presenting the information we got yesterday.

Past Two Days: April 1

Today, we discussed the causes of the War of 1812 and we had to decide which event, in our opinion, was the main cause. We were given four choices: impressment, the Chesapeake Affair, the Orders in Council, and incitement.
We were assigned to discuss which the event we chose in this blog post.
I concluded that incitement was a huge issue and led to the start of the war. Incitement was when the British gave the Amer-Indians weapons to use against the Americans. Naturally, this made America angry and frightened at the same time, and in order to extinguish these feelings, a war was in order. The fact that the British went behind America's back, even though America was neutral and was not involved in Britain's and France's past disputes, influenced many people to try to fight back their safety. People panic when they feel threatened, and this is exactly what America felt when they heard that the Indians could attack them while they were at their weak point and economic loss. I think that the other events added to the growing threat of war, but the involvement of weapons put things into immediate action.

Myebook- The Struggle for Equality

http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=203757

Past Two Days: March 28

Yesterday and today in class was spent in the computer lab working on our Civil Rights Movement project.

Past Two Days: March 26

So today Mr. Boyle told us we need to reflect on the day more but I don't really know what he means or how to do that.

Yesterday we read about the Black Partners' Ten Point Program and analyzed the demands in it. We discussed whether or not we thought it would be worth it or if the demands were acceptable.

Today we continued with the same topic and went over the worksheet more. We also argued a lot.

Past Two Days: March 21

Yesterday, we finished discussing and copying down the information on the four worksheets from the day before. We also watched Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Today, we started the class off by looking at a photograph and writing a worksheet about what we saw without knowing anything about it yet. We also watched one of Lyndon Johnson's speeches. After, we read about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and talked about voting rights in the states.

Thurgood Marshall and the Civil Rights Movement

Past Two Days: March 6

Yesterday, we got a worksheet that we worked on in groups about Segregation in the U.S. We then changed groups and learned about the other peoples' topics.
Today, we watched a pretty disturbing video about Emmett Till and answered some questions about the movie.

Past Two Days: February 27th

Yesterday, we split into groups and corrected the worksheet from the other day about Washington and DuBois. We then did a packet about Garvey and the United Negro Improvement Association.
Today, we read two poems written by Langston Hughes about the South. We took notes and listened to jazz music from the time period.

Past Two Days- February 25th

I think I'm a little behind on my blogging, but here goes.

Today, we had history after the assembly and we talked a little about good morals and what we should have taken away from it. It was actually pretty eye-opening to me, also when Mr. Boyle discussed it later. I agree that our generation needs to make a change. We then went on to do a worksheet with our partners.

Updated History Timeline

Past Two Days: February 6th

Yesterday, we looked at a Civil Rights Cases of 1883 worksheet and answer a few quick questions about it. We also took notes on African American rights, as well as the Ku Klux Klan, the Enforcement Act of 1870, and the Civil Rights Acts of 1875.
Today, we looked at three more slides of the note-taking powerpoint and learned about the Jim Crow Laws. We then talked about our animation project, looked at a few examples, and talked about it with our group members.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Questions

Maeve Callewaert

February 1^st, 2013

G

Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

Section A

3. What do you learn from Lincoln’s address about his attitude towards the South, the apparent losers in the conflict? What do you learn from Lincoln’s address about his attitude towards the North, the apparent winners in the conflict?

Lincoln believes that the South, though the obvious losers of the war, should not be blamed for starting it. He didn’t want to make accusations in order to avoid upsetting the South. Instead, he declared that, “all dreaded it- all sought to avert it.” He says that both the North and the South did not want the war to occur and that neither party expected the “magnitude, or the duration” of the war. Both were equally to blame. He hoped that by preventing critique on either part, restoration would occur at a quicker pace.

Section C

1. What can you discern about Lincoln’s character on the basis of what he wrote?

I noticed that Lincoln was clever in his choice of words when addressing the war and the South, and that instead of blaming the South and charging them with reparations and demands, he declared that the war was inevitable. “Both parties deprecated war…” He wisely chose not to say which side was to blame. He let the other region come to its own conclusions. “…But one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.” Also, instead of placing the blame completely on one side, he shows weaknesses in both of the sides’ decisions.

Section D

2. Could a president today use the same religious rhetoric that Lincoln did to explain national policy? Was Lincoln wrong to do so?

Today, I don’t think anyone would be able to refer to religion and get away with it. Religion is such a tough subject these days because everyone feels differently about it, and discussing one religion and showing preference makes other people angry. When it comes down to it, either you discuss religion broadly as a subject, not excluding any type or making another seem superior, or you don’t mention it at all. In Lincoln’s speech, he referred to God and prayer multiple times. “…So still it must be said ‘the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.’” I don’t think that he was necessarily wrong to do this, because it serves somewhat as an apology and an explanation rather than a formal speech. He uses God as a similarity between them, highlighting that the North and the South are really very comparable. “Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God…” Maybe he could have shown some more religious variety, rather than assuming they all worship the same God, but he got his point across to the South, regardless of the religion he applied to the speech.

Past Two Days: February 1st

Today in history, we read about the Sharecropper Contract, and how it seemed reasonable in writing in order to get people to sign it, but was really very harsh. It omitted the bad parts of the deal, convincing people that it was a good bargain and would get them money and food to support their families.
Yesterday, we discussed the impeachment and trial of President Johnson, who took over after Lincoln was shot. Though he was impeached, he was never removed from office.

Past Two Days: January 28th

Today in history, we went to the media lab and worked on a worksheet and questions regarding the end of the Civil War and the Black Codes.
The day before, we took notes on the assassination of President Lincoln and listened to music dedicated to him.

Which Winnie The Pooh Character Am I?

I believe myself to be like Kanga. I tend to be like a mom when people need help. My biggest fear is not being able to protect my friends and family and I tend to protect my little brothers. I also see myself as a kangaroo because I bounce around.
Then I took the official quiz to find out which character I am.
Apparently, I'm Winnie the Pooh.
"...you sometimes need the help of others in the brains department."
I think this may have happened because on the last question, I said a good party would have "snacks and desserts." It probably identified that I'm sensible, but it didn't identify many more leading characteristics. For example, when I'm with friends or at home, I'm really bubbly and hyper. I can't imagine Pooh doing that, even though some of our aspects are the same.

Which Winnie the Pooh Character Are You?

You are Winnie the Pooh. Oh, bother. You are sweet, simple, and popular for your honesty and goodwill. Though you may be the biggest personality in the woods, you sometimes need the help of others in the brains department!

Past 2 Days- January 9th 2013

Yesterday, we took notes about the end of the Civil War and today we took a test on the Civil War.

Past Two Days- January 7th, 2013

Today, we took more notes about the Civil War and Sherman. After, we watched a short movie about what we took notes on. At the end of class, we took the Gettysburg Address quiz.
On Friday, we took notes on the 54th Regiment.

Past Two Days: January 2, 2013

Today in class, we reviewed the Gettysburg Address and what Lincoln meant by it. We took a few notes regarding the Emancipation Proclamation, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Gettysburg Address. We then had a short discussion about all of these topics.
The history class before that was the Thursday before vacation. From what I remember, we talked about the North and the South, as well as starting to discuss the Emancipation Proclamation.

LAST DAY OF THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE