What it Means to be an American Final Project

Smithsonian Badge Overview

I chose to do the "symbol spotter"  badge because I was interested in learning about the analysis behind paintings and pictures. I liked learning about the hidden symbols and details that represented certain things, like wealth or power and these details that defined who the painting was about. I had to do a few activities on finding the hidden details and their meanings, and an activities on defining the symbols in different pictures. This badge taught me to look at paintings in a different view, to try and find the hidden message or meaning and to really understand that their is a purpose to a lot of paintings.

Last two days of class 5/28 and 5/29

Yesterday in class we went to the computer lab and did a worksheet on the revolutions and problems in Haiti and the Spanish-American War. We figured out some of the problems the Haitians faced during the war and how most of them were forced to flee the country. Today in class we talked about the United States and whether they were a "friendly neighbor" or a imperial power based on the amendments and acts passed during the time period. A lot of the time we classified the U.S as an imperial power because most of the situations we were mostly aiming to gain power and a lot of that came with "protecting" other smaller countries.

American News Correspondent in Haiti

The Haitians have recently began to feel as the U.S has become not a protector of their country, but a threat. the Haitians have started to organize revolutions, mainly led by Charlemagne Peralte to try and force the U.S. out of their country."We were ready to accept this rule and follow its obligations, despite the threat to our autonomy and the dignity of our free and independent people" says Charlemagne. But what threats are we impossing? We can only wonder what destruction and force we are pressuring onto the Haitians that makes them this disgraced with our presence. The question stands as what can we do to protect this country without sending the impression of interferring with their freedom. Clearly our tactics so far have been unsuccessful so what can now be done to fix this problem accordingly to their regards.
As of lately news has spread that the Haitians once again are planning another revolution against the United States troops. The ongoing war seems as if each month it seems to get riskier and riskier and all we can do is wonder when we will pull out our troops or when they will finally come to realize that we are only there for good. So far that's all we have on this escalating topic and we will keep you posted.

Last two days of class 5/7 and 5/8

Yesterday in class we had a discussion about how it was wrong of the U.S government to force the Indians to pack up and leave their land. We had groups and each group had a representative to go in the middle and work out a debate between the leaders of the Government and the Indians. It ended up being pretty funny and thought it was a unique way to get across some of the main points about the removal of the indians on the eastern coast. Today in class we started a worksheet that talked about Red Cloud, the Indian leader who basically became quite famous because he was one of the leaders who stood up and fought for the Indians against the U.S.

Scratch History Game

History Game

Last two days of class 4/23 and 4/24

yesterday in class we a little taste of what it was actually like to live back then in the west and in a soddie house. There was a stand, sit and smell station. At the stand, we got to go into a space about as big as the soddies back then and actually experience what it would be like, and how little of space you had to work with. At the sit station, you had to sit for a minute straight without moving while your picture was taken to represent what they had to do back in the early 1900's in order to get a picture, which is probably why most people didn't smile. At the smell station there were two bags full of grass and soil and we each smelled it and wrote what we thought. It was pretty distinct, not necessarily a bad smell, just very strong. Today in class, we worked on our presentations which we will present friday to the entrepreneurs who we will try to sell our product too. My product is the steel plow. I learned that it was very different from the old wooden one, and actually 10,000 of them were sold in a matter of two or three years.

"Founding Father Quest" Reflection

I just finished The "Founding Father" Quest and thought it was pretty straight forward, but did make me think. I always have been interested in messages hidden within paintings, and it was interesting to see how the portrait of George Washington(the painting that the quest focused on) had little meanings and messages all throughout it. In my analysis of the quest that I sent in, I focused on the curtains behind Washington. It was said that the curtains portrayed wealth, and power. Washington wanted to add these to his painting to show that he was an important figure. As you can see in the painting below the curtains are Incorporated into the painting in a way that you don't really notice them, yet they display a casual background for Washington, and at the same time represent his wealth and power. This made me realize that after looking at some other paintings for a while, there are always at least one or two messages or meanings that you wouldn't be able to take away from first glance. The overall impact of the quest did make me more open to analyzing and looking further more into paintings that I see in the future.

Class Skit Reflections and Manifest Destiny Analysis

Today in class we pared up with a partner and answered a few questions on the board about Manifest Destiny. We then looked at a few impressive pieces of art that were drawn based on the movement west. We then had to make skits/dialogues about the Manifest Destiny. Sam and I have not yet presented, which isn't really a big deal but it was funny to see everyone get up in front of the class and present their little "skits". I think that Manifest Destiny was achieved by the U.S. We successfully have made the western part of the United States a place to live and operate. It wasn't easy starting off, because most of the land was just empty prairies and land, but over the years it became a popular destination which is mainly due to the Erie Canal.  The canal brought people to the west, also bringing business and new opportunities. Overall, the best evidence of the success of Manifest Destiny is that currently the west of the U.S. is up and running today.

Overall Impact of the Erie Canal

The impact of the Erie Canal on the U.S was it gave the country a new cheaper, quicker, and more popular form of transportation. The Canal was something nobody had ever seen before, it allowed people to explore the West and start new lives. It also helped grow business and allow businesses to spread all throughout the West, transporting goods at a cheaper cost compared to land. The impact was positive. It did have some down sides, like conveying different diseases or sometimes flooding but overall it gave the U.S. a new way of interacting both socially and economically. This was probably the biggest cause of westward expansion because it was that convenient. Families could literally just hop on the canal and travel west to start a completely new life. They were allowed the chance to start over and because the Erie Canal made transportation so easy, most of the people accepted the offer.

Snap Debate 4/2/13

Today in class we all were split into groups based on what we thought was the most significant event during the lead up of the war of 1812. I was in the group the Chesapeake Affair. The Chesapeake Affair was when 4 of the British's navy soldiers (3 of which were American) had been stolen and impressed by the British. They ended up escaping back to America and the British went as far as shooting at the Chesapeake ship, which was holding the stolen soldiers. I believed this was the most important event because this was the first real violent interaction between the U.S. and the British. It was also the only actually physical attack on the Americans too. The Impressment was similar, it just discussed how Britain was snatching people randomly and forcing them to be apart of their navy, which is what happened in the Chesapeake Affair. The Orders in Council was the discussion of how the English cut off all trade between America and France. This was very significant but not as close to the Chesapeake Affair because again this was the first real physical altercation. Last was the Incitement. This was when Britain was arming and organizing the indians west of the Appalachian Mountains and setting them up to attack the U.S. A lot of people argued this was most significant because it was the most up close and personal attack between the two countries but I think it wasn't something that couldn't have been taken care of. If we really wanted too I'm sure we could've handled the indians where as the ship attack was random and nobody even saw it coming which is why it was more dangerous, and significant.

Diary Post

Last two days of class 3/27 and 3/28

Yesterday in class on 3/27 we went to the computer lab and worked on our eboooks. I finished mine up and then posted it in my blog. Today in class we did the same thing, we went to the lab and I didn't really have much to do, but it was a good way to end the day.

Civil Rights ebook

Last two days of class 3/25 and 3/26

Yesterday in class we weren't able to do much due to MCAS. we just talked about the upcoming 4th quarter and what it would bring for us. We talked about a few new ideas Mr. Boyle came up with to change the class around a bit and make it a little different. Today in class we did a worksheet and discussed the Black Panther Party, a group of blacks who believed in getting equal social power by force. We then discussed their plan and chose whether their ideas were reasonable or non reasonable.

Last two days of class 3/21 and 3/22

On Thursday, 3/21, the first half of class we worked on our Martin Luther King worksheets and finished filling out the questions for all four of them. Then after lunch in the second half of class we watched a video on Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. On Friday, 3/22 we started by analyzing a picture of African Americans marching to the capitol and then talked about how they were attacked and beat but kept moving on. We then talked about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and how it was similar to the same act in 1883. We also talked about whether or not blacks and whites are equal today.

Civil Rights Documentary

Bobby Seale Documentary

Last two days of class 3/5 and 3/6

Yesterday in class we talked about segregation particularly in schools. Segregation was a big problem after the civil war because realistically the blacks and whites just could not fit in together right away. We talked about how schools were "separate but equal" but in most cases the quality of the black schools was a lot less than the quality of the white schools. Today in class we watched a documentary on the killing of Emmett Till and the case that followed.

Last two days of class 2/5 and 2/6

Yesterday in class we talked about the meaning of equal, and what it actually meant. We went through different scenarios and decided whether or not it was right to be "equal". We then talked about the Plessy v. Ferguson case which was about a black man named Plessy who was in a white-only train car and ended up getting arrested. Eventually he won the case though. Today in class we took some notes on the Jim Crow laws which basically segregated the whites and blacks in the south but still managed to keep them "equal". Then for the remainder of the class we met with our groups and talked about our RSA projects.

Last two days of class 2/1 and 2/4

On Friday in class we read President Andrew Johnson's obituary which explained his whole life and how he basically contradicted everything Congress put forth which eventually lead to him getting impeached. Today in class we talked about the rights of African Americans after the civil war. There were a few laws passed which gave blacks the social equality of all others but realistically they had a very tough time fitting into society, or at least a tough time becoming accepted by society.

Winnie the Pooh Quiz

I think after looking at all the characters I think that I am most likely going to be the Owl. The owl seems to be mature and "well-educated". These are two traits that i would hope I have. The owl is also said to be quick to answer or explain something, and this is another thing I like, I usually seem to have an answer for everything, even if it isn't the right one. After taking the test, I ended up with being the rabbit. something I didn't expect at all, described as "clever, intelligent, and loyal friendships." Also mentions that "you have a short temper with people around you acting foolishly."  I guess this description suits me well in a way! I might have a small short temper but most the time I really am okay. 

Last two days of class 1/16 and 1/17

Yesterday in class we took our mid-term. Overall I think it wasn't too bad, most of the test i knew just fine and the essay at the end wasn't too challenging either. I'd say it was a pretty successful day yesterday. Today we didn't have class because of the other mid-terms we had to take.

Last two days of class 1/7 and 1/8

The past two days in class we have worked on finishing up the Civil War and mainly talked about how the war ended. Yesterday we talked about how the Union was slowly, but surely closing in on the Confederates and forcing them towards their surrender. This was known as the "Anaconda Plan" which symbolized the snake that suffocates its prey, like the Union hoped to do to the Confederacy. I think that the biggest turning point was the span of 4 months in 1864 wen General Sherman captured and practically destroyed both Atlanta, GA and Savannah, VA. These were two major Confederate cities and when the Union took them over it was a huge accomplishment for them. Today in class, we summed up the end of the Civil War. It really came down to the fact that the Union had much more resources available to them compared to the Confederacy. The Union ended up pursuing Lee and the Confederates right into Petersburg, VA and Lee retreated because he was outnumbered. Lee eventually surrendered to General Grant of the Union and on April 9, 1865, the Civil War was officially over.