Poetry
Globalization
Project Description:
To start off this project, we were taught what globalization is and how it effects the world today. At the beginning of this project most of the students didn't understand what globalization is or what their perspective was on it. To learn about globalization and gain a perspective on it, we were taught by breaking down into many words in our opinions what globalization was and then put globalization into an accurate definition of what globalization was in our own words. Then we watched clips, looked at political cartoons, read articles, played games, and many more lessons that had to do with globalization to start to gain a perspective on globalization. After the lessons on globalization and once student started to discover their perspective on it we were introduced to the Op-Ed project. This project required an Op-Ed and a political cartoon that showed our persecution on a topic of our choice that had to do with globalization. We were introduced to many different types of topics we could choose from or we had the option that we could make up our own topic. When the students had their topic they wanted to study, they went and researched it and gained a perspective on their topic and had to relate the topic to globalization in their Op-Ed and their political cartoon.
Learning Reflection:
Before this project I had absolutely no idea what globalization was. After the small assignments and lessons that were taught, over time I started to gain my own perspective on globalization, I started to understand what globalization is, how it has effected the world, and how it is effecting the world today. I've learned that it is pretty much impossible to stop globalization from happening, the world is always changing and we can't stop that. In my opinion globalization is a good thing, I like to have change in the world. There can be downsides to globalization, but its there and its not going to stop.
Cartoon Reflection:
At the beginning of the project, when I heard we had to draw a political cartoon about the topic we chose I thought I was going to just make a fool of myself after I was finished drawing it. In the first draft of the cartoon I had no idea what I was doing and thought my cartoon would only make sense to me and the audience. Stephen started to teach us the elements of a cartoon and told us what makes a good political. We did lessons such as analyzing professional political cartoons by picking out the elements in the cartoon, finding the meaning of the cartoon, and finding the perspective of the cartoon. We did a couple more drafts of our cartoon and making progress on each draft. Near the final draft I realized that drawing a good political cartoon doesn't mean you have to be a good drawer, you just have to be good at showing your perspective on the topic you are drawing about. Instead of focusing on my drawing ability, I focused on getting my message across to the audience and I believe I made a good final draft of my political cartoon.
Op-Ed Reflection:
This was my very first time writing an Op-Ed paper. Coming into this Op-Ed I wasn't very sure what it was or how it was supposed to be written. The Op-Ed writing was pretty new to the students so we did many lessons and activities to get the students familiar with this style of writing. We read examples of Op-Ed's, found the thesis in each Op-Ed, identified the perspective of the Op-Ed, and much more. I learned in writing an Op-Ed that you need to be confident in what you are writing because you do have the evidence to back it up. Writing an Op-Ed is almost like writing a persuasive paper in my opinion because you are trying to persuade the reader to pick your perspective of the topic. In my Op-Ed I believe I showed my perspective very strong throughout my paper and I am confident to take on another Op-Ed with the knowledge I have learned from this project.
To start off this project, we were taught what globalization is and how it effects the world today. At the beginning of this project most of the students didn't understand what globalization is or what their perspective was on it. To learn about globalization and gain a perspective on it, we were taught by breaking down into many words in our opinions what globalization was and then put globalization into an accurate definition of what globalization was in our own words. Then we watched clips, looked at political cartoons, read articles, played games, and many more lessons that had to do with globalization to start to gain a perspective on globalization. After the lessons on globalization and once student started to discover their perspective on it we were introduced to the Op-Ed project. This project required an Op-Ed and a political cartoon that showed our persecution on a topic of our choice that had to do with globalization. We were introduced to many different types of topics we could choose from or we had the option that we could make up our own topic. When the students had their topic they wanted to study, they went and researched it and gained a perspective on their topic and had to relate the topic to globalization in their Op-Ed and their political cartoon.
Learning Reflection:
Before this project I had absolutely no idea what globalization was. After the small assignments and lessons that were taught, over time I started to gain my own perspective on globalization, I started to understand what globalization is, how it has effected the world, and how it is effecting the world today. I've learned that it is pretty much impossible to stop globalization from happening, the world is always changing and we can't stop that. In my opinion globalization is a good thing, I like to have change in the world. There can be downsides to globalization, but its there and its not going to stop.
Cartoon Reflection:
At the beginning of the project, when I heard we had to draw a political cartoon about the topic we chose I thought I was going to just make a fool of myself after I was finished drawing it. In the first draft of the cartoon I had no idea what I was doing and thought my cartoon would only make sense to me and the audience. Stephen started to teach us the elements of a cartoon and told us what makes a good political. We did lessons such as analyzing professional political cartoons by picking out the elements in the cartoon, finding the meaning of the cartoon, and finding the perspective of the cartoon. We did a couple more drafts of our cartoon and making progress on each draft. Near the final draft I realized that drawing a good political cartoon doesn't mean you have to be a good drawer, you just have to be good at showing your perspective on the topic you are drawing about. Instead of focusing on my drawing ability, I focused on getting my message across to the audience and I believe I made a good final draft of my political cartoon.
Op-Ed Reflection:
This was my very first time writing an Op-Ed paper. Coming into this Op-Ed I wasn't very sure what it was or how it was supposed to be written. The Op-Ed writing was pretty new to the students so we did many lessons and activities to get the students familiar with this style of writing. We read examples of Op-Ed's, found the thesis in each Op-Ed, identified the perspective of the Op-Ed, and much more. I learned in writing an Op-Ed that you need to be confident in what you are writing because you do have the evidence to back it up. Writing an Op-Ed is almost like writing a persuasive paper in my opinion because you are trying to persuade the reader to pick your perspective of the topic. In my Op-Ed I believe I showed my perspective very strong throughout my paper and I am confident to take on another Op-Ed with the knowledge I have learned from this project.
African Imperialism: Creative hisorians
Garrett Moore
The Change
There is a man namded Aqu that lives in the town of Madalla, Nigeria. Madalla is a decent sized town near Abuja, Nigeria, with a population of about 11,000 people. Aqu lives in a small house made of many different materials: broken down abandoned walls, low grade sand, discarded metals, and other useful scraps. Aqu’s family of six aren’t as poor as most people in Madalla. Aqu’s family wants to live just like everybody else in their town; they don’t want to show others that they have a little bit of wealth. Aqu is the type of person that almost shows no emotion at all. Everybody he knows thinks he is the funniest person ever because he always can find some sort of humor in anything. He could be the richest man alive and still have a straight face every day of his life and still make people laugh. He is very clumsily and just an all-around goofball. Aqu is also a man that has a motto of “family comes first” because he loves his family more than anything else in his life, family is always his first priority. Aqu is probably the biggest man in his little town. If you saw this man on the streets, you would automatically assume he is on steroids. He is 6’6” and 280 pounds and still growing as a 17 year old.
Aqu rides a bike everywhere he goes. Aqu struggles to even fit on the bike. People on the streets think it’s pretty funny to see such a big man ride a bike. Aqu loves to see people laughing at him, it makes him feel good that he is bringing such joy to all kinds of different people. There is one thing that Aqu just can’t stand: depressed and grumpy people. He thinks they are just wasting their lives. In Aqu’s opinion a good life is when you are always excited to see the world and what it has to offer. Not always complaining about the downs in life, but taking something from them and turning them into something good.
Aqu is a very hardworking man. He wants as much naira as he can get. He is a “make and save naira” kind of guy. Aqu was fortunate enough to find a small job in the town of Abuja at a shop called “The Pastry Shop”. A man usually starts working at a pretty young age because he wants the wealth and to become a man. Aqu rode into the town with his family in their small Volkswagen car and see people on the side of the streets selling things like Kosai, fried yams, and burnt corn. Aqu always told his parents he wanted to sell things like those other people. His parents always told him to wait until he was a little bit older and ready for the streets, and his day will come sooner or later. Aqu didn’t like that answer.
At the age of 17 he finally made up his mind that he was going to find a job. He put on his nicest and brightest zunni and rode his bicycle into the city of Abuja from his town of Madalla. Aqu got his job pretty quickly because the first shop he visited was in need of employees. Aqu was probably the happiest man alive when he got the news. What a great job for Aqu, a shop where he has to interact with many different people every day, he was going to love this job.
After Aqu got the amazing news about his job, he rode his bicycle all of the way back to his town of Madalla. After the long journey back, he arrived back to his home and his mother was cooking up his favorite dinner: fufu stew with yams. This was probably one of Aqu’s happiest days.
A few days have passed and Aqu was loving his new job. He loved the people working there, the people who come in, he just loves having a job period. Aqu loved to talk to the older costumers that came in every weekday together before they went on with whatever they do in the city dressed in the same bright colored zunni’s, Aqu called this group of his costumers “the morning group”. The “morning group” were always excited to go into the “Pastry Shop” and order the same famous pastries every day, their favorite pastry was the Chin Chin pastry.
It was just another normal day at “The Pastry Shop” when somebody raced inside yelling, “Muhammad has been assassinated!”
The look of shock was on everybody’s face in the pastry shop. Especially Aqu’s. The shop went completely silent for about 40 seconds. Nobody knew what to think. The owner decided to just shut the store down for the day and let everybody go home to their families to talk over what had happened. Aqu took off his apron and left the store to go to his bicycle. The city was so much quieter than it usually is. He usually leaves the store and hears loud traffic caused by the chaotic drivers on the roads.
Aqu walked into his house like nothing had happened. He greeted his family and asked what they were having for supper. His mother replied saying “Did you hear about what had happened to Muhammad?”
Aqu replied saying “Yes, I have heard, but I do not know about how he was assassinated but I know he was.”
His mother replied saying, “I heard on the television that he was assassinated in a coup attempt and that Olusegun Obasanjo is the new leader.”
Aqu said, “Oh wow.”
Aqu’s family were quiet all night because their minds were racing, you could tell the difference in the whole town of Madalla. It was like one of those lazy days when you just sit outside you house and watch lorries drive by with the dirt kicking up behind the tires, and that’s all the action you would see all day, lorries, dirt, and silence.
Aqu stayed up all night just thinking, his mind was rushing nonstop and he could not go to sleep. He wondered how he could please every person in Nigeria who was sad about the assassination of Muhammad. Aqu knew they didn’t have the best government in Africa anyways so maybe he could do something to make their government stronger than before.
The next day at work Aqu asked his boss at “The Pastry Shop” all kinds of different questions about government, so Aqu could learn all about what was not going so well and what their strengths were. He also asked about different types of constitutions all around the world and seeing what countries were successful and which ones were not so successful. Aqu loved to read so he decided to go to the library in Abuja and spend some naria on some books on government. Aqu studies the books and read every word in every book he had gotten.
Aqu got the best ideas out of listening to his boss’s opinions and from the books he had read. Aqu went to the federal republic of Nigeria and told them all that he knew. He knew that they were thinking of changing their constitution to the American style presidential system. Aqu thought it was a great idea and put in his word for that respectable idea.
One Year Later
Aqu’s been promoted numerous times in one year and still working as hard as he can everyday of his young life. He had deserved every one of his promotions, sooner or later he will be the owner of this little shop. Everybody else in the shop knew how hard of a worker Aqu is.
Aqu woke up one morning excited for work, just like always. His mother was in the kitchen cooking. She was getting Aqu ready for another amazing day in downtown Abuja. She was cooking up Akara Aqu’s favorite breakfast, while Aqu was looking out the small window in the corner of their house. It was the rainy season, in other words the season that everybody loves and looks forward to. The rain was coming down in torrents and everything is green and lush. You could just smell the fresh earth and the mist in the air. There was nothing better than the rainy seasons in Nigeria.
After Aqu ate his mother’s incredible food he was ready for another day at the pastry shop. Aqu hopped on the bike that looked like it was ten times too small for him and put an extra zunni over his first zunni so he could keep the one dry for work.
Aqu arrived at work early in the morning greeting his fellow coworkers while everybody was still waking up. Aqu’s eyes were wide open and had his pearly white teeth showing. He was proud to be at work once again. The first costumer of the day walked in the small shop. Aqu was the first person to greet this woman, “Hello ma’am, how are you today?” asked Aqu,
“I’m doing great! How are you?” replied the woman,
“I’m doing fine, just fine!” answered Aqu in a very sarcastic manner. “Let me know if you would like to test something out or if you would like us to make you something special.”
Aqu finished up the day on September 21, 1978 at the pastry shop and decided to go home. Aqu rode his undersized bicycle back to his home in Madalla with a great attitude towards everything. Once Aqu finally reached home he went inside to the room he shared with two of his sisters and put his wet zunni away, and kept the dry one on then walked back out to find the rest of his family and see if they were doing something for supper. Aqu found his mother around the corner at their friend’s house. He walked up to his mother and his mother’s friend and said,“Hi mama and Ms. Asatira. How was your day?” Aqu asked.
“Very good Aqu, did you hear about the good news?” Ms. Asatira replied.
“I have not, what is the good news?” Aqu responded.
“Do you know how our government has been talking about switching our constitution to the American presidential system? Well it happened! Olusegun Obasanjo was the man who made the idea happen! Wasn’t this your dream Aqu? It just came true!” Asatira said in an exciting voice.
“Are you serious!? Please tell me this is really happening. Do you know how hard I studied and how bad I’ve wanted to change this country? This really is a dream come true mama!” Aqu answered and smiled.
Aqu really did have a great life in Madalla. He wouldn’t change his life for anything. He is finally living his childhood dream, having a job and making people smile while he does it. Aqu never let anything get him down. When sadness was in the air Aqu changed that mood as quickly as he could.
Refection
In the African Imperialism: Creative Historian project we started off learning about what imperialism is. This then transitioned us into the continent of Africa. We learned about what colonies imperialized each country in Africa and what these colonies did to these African countries. We then moved into strictly one African country, Nigeria. We now know what types of religions are in Africa, how people in Africa live, what their population is, Who there leaders were, and much more. After our Nigerian lesson we moved into each student got to pick one country in Africa and research the population, religions in our country, climate, what people do in our country, interview a person that had lived in the country we were researching, and much more. After all of the research we had to write a story in either first or third person about our country, and also have an art piece that relates to our story.
In my story I feel like the plot of my story really pulls the reader into my story wanting to know what happens and its an actual historical event that took place in Nigeria. My story also has a very round main character. I describe my character very well with detail from the dark skin to the weight of this young man. I am most proud of how I use actual African words such and lorries (meaning trucks), Actual names of cities such as Abuja (the capital), and actual pastry names like the chin chin pastry. I also use good detail to shape my setting for example a quote from my story, "It was the rainy season, in other words the season that everybody loves and looks forward to. The rain was coming down in torrents and everything is green and lush. You could just smell the fresh earth and the mist in the air. There was nothing better than the rainy seasons in Nigeria."
The literary element I struggled with the most would be the plot of my story. I feel that I struggled with my plot because in the rough draft I pretty much just told my plot instead of leading up to it. After revisions and feedback from my classmates I feel that I have really made my plot stronger. This element was a struggle for me because it was hard for me to find a piece of Nigerian history to put in my story and make it my plot, But after I found a historical event I could relate to then it was easy sailing from there.
Two revisions that helped my paper be stronger would be the ending of my story and the point of view I was writing my story from. The ending of my story was very lame after the climax because I showed no emotion in my writing after the climax and resolution. After revisions I went back and showed more emotion. My second revision I did was the point of view of my story. I hade mixed in both first person and third person in my story, so I had to go back and choose a point of view that I told fit my story the best and change it all to one point of view.
The Change
There is a man namded Aqu that lives in the town of Madalla, Nigeria. Madalla is a decent sized town near Abuja, Nigeria, with a population of about 11,000 people. Aqu lives in a small house made of many different materials: broken down abandoned walls, low grade sand, discarded metals, and other useful scraps. Aqu’s family of six aren’t as poor as most people in Madalla. Aqu’s family wants to live just like everybody else in their town; they don’t want to show others that they have a little bit of wealth. Aqu is the type of person that almost shows no emotion at all. Everybody he knows thinks he is the funniest person ever because he always can find some sort of humor in anything. He could be the richest man alive and still have a straight face every day of his life and still make people laugh. He is very clumsily and just an all-around goofball. Aqu is also a man that has a motto of “family comes first” because he loves his family more than anything else in his life, family is always his first priority. Aqu is probably the biggest man in his little town. If you saw this man on the streets, you would automatically assume he is on steroids. He is 6’6” and 280 pounds and still growing as a 17 year old.
Aqu rides a bike everywhere he goes. Aqu struggles to even fit on the bike. People on the streets think it’s pretty funny to see such a big man ride a bike. Aqu loves to see people laughing at him, it makes him feel good that he is bringing such joy to all kinds of different people. There is one thing that Aqu just can’t stand: depressed and grumpy people. He thinks they are just wasting their lives. In Aqu’s opinion a good life is when you are always excited to see the world and what it has to offer. Not always complaining about the downs in life, but taking something from them and turning them into something good.
Aqu is a very hardworking man. He wants as much naira as he can get. He is a “make and save naira” kind of guy. Aqu was fortunate enough to find a small job in the town of Abuja at a shop called “The Pastry Shop”. A man usually starts working at a pretty young age because he wants the wealth and to become a man. Aqu rode into the town with his family in their small Volkswagen car and see people on the side of the streets selling things like Kosai, fried yams, and burnt corn. Aqu always told his parents he wanted to sell things like those other people. His parents always told him to wait until he was a little bit older and ready for the streets, and his day will come sooner or later. Aqu didn’t like that answer.
At the age of 17 he finally made up his mind that he was going to find a job. He put on his nicest and brightest zunni and rode his bicycle into the city of Abuja from his town of Madalla. Aqu got his job pretty quickly because the first shop he visited was in need of employees. Aqu was probably the happiest man alive when he got the news. What a great job for Aqu, a shop where he has to interact with many different people every day, he was going to love this job.
After Aqu got the amazing news about his job, he rode his bicycle all of the way back to his town of Madalla. After the long journey back, he arrived back to his home and his mother was cooking up his favorite dinner: fufu stew with yams. This was probably one of Aqu’s happiest days.
A few days have passed and Aqu was loving his new job. He loved the people working there, the people who come in, he just loves having a job period. Aqu loved to talk to the older costumers that came in every weekday together before they went on with whatever they do in the city dressed in the same bright colored zunni’s, Aqu called this group of his costumers “the morning group”. The “morning group” were always excited to go into the “Pastry Shop” and order the same famous pastries every day, their favorite pastry was the Chin Chin pastry.
It was just another normal day at “The Pastry Shop” when somebody raced inside yelling, “Muhammad has been assassinated!”
The look of shock was on everybody’s face in the pastry shop. Especially Aqu’s. The shop went completely silent for about 40 seconds. Nobody knew what to think. The owner decided to just shut the store down for the day and let everybody go home to their families to talk over what had happened. Aqu took off his apron and left the store to go to his bicycle. The city was so much quieter than it usually is. He usually leaves the store and hears loud traffic caused by the chaotic drivers on the roads.
Aqu walked into his house like nothing had happened. He greeted his family and asked what they were having for supper. His mother replied saying “Did you hear about what had happened to Muhammad?”
Aqu replied saying “Yes, I have heard, but I do not know about how he was assassinated but I know he was.”
His mother replied saying, “I heard on the television that he was assassinated in a coup attempt and that Olusegun Obasanjo is the new leader.”
Aqu said, “Oh wow.”
Aqu’s family were quiet all night because their minds were racing, you could tell the difference in the whole town of Madalla. It was like one of those lazy days when you just sit outside you house and watch lorries drive by with the dirt kicking up behind the tires, and that’s all the action you would see all day, lorries, dirt, and silence.
Aqu stayed up all night just thinking, his mind was rushing nonstop and he could not go to sleep. He wondered how he could please every person in Nigeria who was sad about the assassination of Muhammad. Aqu knew they didn’t have the best government in Africa anyways so maybe he could do something to make their government stronger than before.
The next day at work Aqu asked his boss at “The Pastry Shop” all kinds of different questions about government, so Aqu could learn all about what was not going so well and what their strengths were. He also asked about different types of constitutions all around the world and seeing what countries were successful and which ones were not so successful. Aqu loved to read so he decided to go to the library in Abuja and spend some naria on some books on government. Aqu studies the books and read every word in every book he had gotten.
Aqu got the best ideas out of listening to his boss’s opinions and from the books he had read. Aqu went to the federal republic of Nigeria and told them all that he knew. He knew that they were thinking of changing their constitution to the American style presidential system. Aqu thought it was a great idea and put in his word for that respectable idea.
One Year Later
Aqu’s been promoted numerous times in one year and still working as hard as he can everyday of his young life. He had deserved every one of his promotions, sooner or later he will be the owner of this little shop. Everybody else in the shop knew how hard of a worker Aqu is.
Aqu woke up one morning excited for work, just like always. His mother was in the kitchen cooking. She was getting Aqu ready for another amazing day in downtown Abuja. She was cooking up Akara Aqu’s favorite breakfast, while Aqu was looking out the small window in the corner of their house. It was the rainy season, in other words the season that everybody loves and looks forward to. The rain was coming down in torrents and everything is green and lush. You could just smell the fresh earth and the mist in the air. There was nothing better than the rainy seasons in Nigeria.
After Aqu ate his mother’s incredible food he was ready for another day at the pastry shop. Aqu hopped on the bike that looked like it was ten times too small for him and put an extra zunni over his first zunni so he could keep the one dry for work.
Aqu arrived at work early in the morning greeting his fellow coworkers while everybody was still waking up. Aqu’s eyes were wide open and had his pearly white teeth showing. He was proud to be at work once again. The first costumer of the day walked in the small shop. Aqu was the first person to greet this woman, “Hello ma’am, how are you today?” asked Aqu,
“I’m doing great! How are you?” replied the woman,
“I’m doing fine, just fine!” answered Aqu in a very sarcastic manner. “Let me know if you would like to test something out or if you would like us to make you something special.”
Aqu finished up the day on September 21, 1978 at the pastry shop and decided to go home. Aqu rode his undersized bicycle back to his home in Madalla with a great attitude towards everything. Once Aqu finally reached home he went inside to the room he shared with two of his sisters and put his wet zunni away, and kept the dry one on then walked back out to find the rest of his family and see if they were doing something for supper. Aqu found his mother around the corner at their friend’s house. He walked up to his mother and his mother’s friend and said,“Hi mama and Ms. Asatira. How was your day?” Aqu asked.
“Very good Aqu, did you hear about the good news?” Ms. Asatira replied.
“I have not, what is the good news?” Aqu responded.
“Do you know how our government has been talking about switching our constitution to the American presidential system? Well it happened! Olusegun Obasanjo was the man who made the idea happen! Wasn’t this your dream Aqu? It just came true!” Asatira said in an exciting voice.
“Are you serious!? Please tell me this is really happening. Do you know how hard I studied and how bad I’ve wanted to change this country? This really is a dream come true mama!” Aqu answered and smiled.
Aqu really did have a great life in Madalla. He wouldn’t change his life for anything. He is finally living his childhood dream, having a job and making people smile while he does it. Aqu never let anything get him down. When sadness was in the air Aqu changed that mood as quickly as he could.
Refection
In the African Imperialism: Creative Historian project we started off learning about what imperialism is. This then transitioned us into the continent of Africa. We learned about what colonies imperialized each country in Africa and what these colonies did to these African countries. We then moved into strictly one African country, Nigeria. We now know what types of religions are in Africa, how people in Africa live, what their population is, Who there leaders were, and much more. After our Nigerian lesson we moved into each student got to pick one country in Africa and research the population, religions in our country, climate, what people do in our country, interview a person that had lived in the country we were researching, and much more. After all of the research we had to write a story in either first or third person about our country, and also have an art piece that relates to our story.
In my story I feel like the plot of my story really pulls the reader into my story wanting to know what happens and its an actual historical event that took place in Nigeria. My story also has a very round main character. I describe my character very well with detail from the dark skin to the weight of this young man. I am most proud of how I use actual African words such and lorries (meaning trucks), Actual names of cities such as Abuja (the capital), and actual pastry names like the chin chin pastry. I also use good detail to shape my setting for example a quote from my story, "It was the rainy season, in other words the season that everybody loves and looks forward to. The rain was coming down in torrents and everything is green and lush. You could just smell the fresh earth and the mist in the air. There was nothing better than the rainy seasons in Nigeria."
The literary element I struggled with the most would be the plot of my story. I feel that I struggled with my plot because in the rough draft I pretty much just told my plot instead of leading up to it. After revisions and feedback from my classmates I feel that I have really made my plot stronger. This element was a struggle for me because it was hard for me to find a piece of Nigerian history to put in my story and make it my plot, But after I found a historical event I could relate to then it was easy sailing from there.
Two revisions that helped my paper be stronger would be the ending of my story and the point of view I was writing my story from. The ending of my story was very lame after the climax because I showed no emotion in my writing after the climax and resolution. After revisions I went back and showed more emotion. My second revision I did was the point of view of my story. I hade mixed in both first person and third person in my story, so I had to go back and choose a point of view that I told fit my story the best and change it all to one point of view.