Poetry Project
Globalization Project
Globalization is a force which pertains to this growing and connecting world more and more. Through globalization, ideas, cultures and technology can be spread all over the world. With just the internet, users can obtain the most obscure information, learn the most interesting facts about a country half way around the world.
For this project, we focused on one aspect of globalization to research. Everything from advertising to sweat shops and the 'race to the bottom' were researched. I focused on how languages were influenced by globalization and how it could be used to preserve them. After research, op-eds were written to explain our opinion and political cartoons were drawn to represent our writing. My understanding of globalization was very limited before we started this project. I only saw globalization as force which changed politics, economies and governments, but not a force that was changing cultures around the world. Researching the effects of globalization on languages was incredibly interesting, as I learned about the Republic of Tuva in the Russian Federation to obscure languages in Mexico and South America. This project helped me understand the changes of many cultures around the world through globalization. One big takeaway I have after this project is how important diverse cultures are for the stability of this world. Preserving unique languages around the world will help us understand the people around us and their rare cultures. The first draft of my cartoon was messy, unclear and below acceptable quality. I had trouble conveying my message through the drawing and using certain cartooning techniques for emphasis. But, the many self and peer critiques helped my refine my cartoon. While I had trouble at first, I persevered through until the final draft, which I am very proud of. Op-eds are limited pieces of writing that express the author's point of view or opinion about a topic of controversy that is supported using evidence. At this point in my educational career, Op-Eds are my favorite format of writing. This is due to the fact that I am able to create many short and punchy paragraphs that drive my point home. I will be able to apply the use of these shorter paragraphs to make all the persuasive writing I do in the future more concise and without excess words or information that may detract from the overall product. “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart,” -Nelson Mandela Click HERE to read my op-ed |
African Imperialism: Creative Historians
Project ReflectionFor this project, my class studied the history of imperialism in Africa. Leading up to this project we read award winning books Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Both of the authors are from Africa. Reading this books gave us insights into daily life in Africa and the affects of imperialism. We then chose and researched different African countries as individuals to prep for a historical fiction short story we would write. We also set up interviews with people who had lived in our countries.
After researching, we worked on a short story to incorporate all that we learned about our country. I chose Morocco and wrote a story following a young man named Azad who dreams of being artist, though his father does not approve. For this story I focused on the setting and sensory details, which pulled my story together nicely. "The meal had lasted into early noon, the sun resting in the middle of the blue sky. The palm trees swayed leisurely in the breeze, their leaves radiating a dark green color. The streets were bustling with pedestrians, some with large bundles on their backs, draped with colorful clothing. There were many stalls lined in the alleyways, but one caught Azad’s attention. The stall had many paintings hung up, all of them depicting outdoor scenes. A painting leaning at the front of the stall entranced Azad. Beautiful greens and blues bleed through the canvas, as small light pinks created delicate flowers" When I wrote my story, I had the most trouble with developing dialogue between characters. I felt like what ever I wrote was silly and got frustrated with my story. Eventually, while revising, I realized it was fine and felt happy with what I was writing. During revisions, I also made multiple changes to the end of my story. I had trouble deciding where I wanted to go with my story. But my final version seems to fit well with the story. To read my story click HERE
|