This I Believe Project
Essential Question: What do I believe and why?
Humor’s Power to Heal
Tessa Hermesman
The essence of humor is constantly undervalued. I often find myself pressured to discover similarities between others and myself. Contrastingly, as humans we come from different places and people, and I find being able to break down walls of differences difficult. Everyone who surrounds me is human, and we live completely different lives. I have found that humor helps me to seek out what I have in common with others. Humor is like a spark, it doesn’t just float on the surface, one has to force it to break free. I believe in the healing power of humor. Once said by Mark Twain, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” I know this is true because if I can use humor to aid others and myself through barriers, I can endure the hardest of situations.
On February 10th of 2010, I went to lunch at Ken and Sue’s for my birthday celebration. Along to celebrate was a mother and daughter that are good friends of ours. I clearly remember laughing and enjoying the time I had with them before having to return back to school. It was that night the dad had a seizure. I thought very little of what could possibly be wrong.
It was the next Monday I remember standing in the Miller Middle School commons when I caught a glimpse of the mom walking in the doors. I could tell by her slumped shoulders and the dark circles around her eyes that nothing would ever be the same. The next thing I knew I was hugging her tight. I let go, and she looked me in they eyes and said, “Thank you, I really needed that this morning.” The power of that moment stuck with me all day along with the force of my curiosity. When I returned home after school, my mom broke the news that doctors had discovered the dad had an inoperable brain tumor.
This exact day I began to witness how powerful humor can be in times of tragedy. Of course it was never “funny” when I learned he was ill, but as months went on, the family began to use humor as a tool to acknowledge the subject. Due to the difference in personalities, it was obvious the family members found it difficult to relate their feelings. I spent a lot of time with the family during these months and I would often find them making jokes out of old memories or finding humorous YouTube videos that were relevant to the situation they were in. Everything from medical bills to memories of peoples reactions, the family was able to comfortably discuss their feelings. As an observer, I noticed that I could also use humor to get the kids to open up to me. Our relationships got stronger because we began to trust each other with the touchy subject, but also laugh about what else was happening in their lives. Today, the brain tumor has shrunk immensely and the dad lives on as a man with an amazing sense of humor. Not only was humor a way to discuss the serious subject, but it also helped the family reconnect and mend some of the holes that had been created as a result of the tumor.
No matter how dark of a time I discover myself residing in, finding humor in the smallest things brings me back to peace. Since I can remember, I have always been the kid who gets in trouble for laughing too much or laughing at something that no one else finds comical. We all have the power to heal. Witnessing humor in others has brought me to the realization that humor forces me to be comfortable with what has happened in my life. I always find it easier to look at the negative side, yet humor has an opposing affect. I believe in humor, humor that forces humans to break away from darkness and encounter the ability to heal.
Tessa Hermesman
The essence of humor is constantly undervalued. I often find myself pressured to discover similarities between others and myself. Contrastingly, as humans we come from different places and people, and I find being able to break down walls of differences difficult. Everyone who surrounds me is human, and we live completely different lives. I have found that humor helps me to seek out what I have in common with others. Humor is like a spark, it doesn’t just float on the surface, one has to force it to break free. I believe in the healing power of humor. Once said by Mark Twain, “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.” I know this is true because if I can use humor to aid others and myself through barriers, I can endure the hardest of situations.
On February 10th of 2010, I went to lunch at Ken and Sue’s for my birthday celebration. Along to celebrate was a mother and daughter that are good friends of ours. I clearly remember laughing and enjoying the time I had with them before having to return back to school. It was that night the dad had a seizure. I thought very little of what could possibly be wrong.
It was the next Monday I remember standing in the Miller Middle School commons when I caught a glimpse of the mom walking in the doors. I could tell by her slumped shoulders and the dark circles around her eyes that nothing would ever be the same. The next thing I knew I was hugging her tight. I let go, and she looked me in they eyes and said, “Thank you, I really needed that this morning.” The power of that moment stuck with me all day along with the force of my curiosity. When I returned home after school, my mom broke the news that doctors had discovered the dad had an inoperable brain tumor.
This exact day I began to witness how powerful humor can be in times of tragedy. Of course it was never “funny” when I learned he was ill, but as months went on, the family began to use humor as a tool to acknowledge the subject. Due to the difference in personalities, it was obvious the family members found it difficult to relate their feelings. I spent a lot of time with the family during these months and I would often find them making jokes out of old memories or finding humorous YouTube videos that were relevant to the situation they were in. Everything from medical bills to memories of peoples reactions, the family was able to comfortably discuss their feelings. As an observer, I noticed that I could also use humor to get the kids to open up to me. Our relationships got stronger because we began to trust each other with the touchy subject, but also laugh about what else was happening in their lives. Today, the brain tumor has shrunk immensely and the dad lives on as a man with an amazing sense of humor. Not only was humor a way to discuss the serious subject, but it also helped the family reconnect and mend some of the holes that had been created as a result of the tumor.
No matter how dark of a time I discover myself residing in, finding humor in the smallest things brings me back to peace. Since I can remember, I have always been the kid who gets in trouble for laughing too much or laughing at something that no one else finds comical. We all have the power to heal. Witnessing humor in others has brought me to the realization that humor forces me to be comfortable with what has happened in my life. I always find it easier to look at the negative side, yet humor has an opposing affect. I believe in humor, humor that forces humans to break away from darkness and encounter the ability to heal.
This I Believe: Project Reflection
Project Description:
The purpose of this assignment was to search for my beliefs and validate one specific belief through a personal essay. At first I began exploring others beliefs and listening to their essays. Ashley then had me check-in on my beliefs by asking simple questions such as “Do you believe in God?” My parents filled out a survey answering questions about my personality and what beliefs they hope I will take with me when I move away. I then wrote a credo, which is “A statement of belief, in particular a statement of faith that describes the beliefs shared by a religious community. Religious creeds are not intended to be comprehensive, but to be a summary of core beliefs.” In the credo that I composed, I used the dictionary definition of humor as well as how it has influenced myself and the ones I love. Along with searching for my beliefs, I learned some helpful skills about writing a personal essay. Some of the main skills were narrative coherence, communal relevance, and authentic voice. My essay contains all three. Narrative coherence helped my essay flow through a beginning, middle and end. I used communal relevance to paint a bigger picture about how humor can affect us in healing our wounds. I found it difficult to find my authentic voice, but once I started to show the reader instead of tell, I found it so much easier. All of the prep that went into this essay made helped to make the experience flow.
Personal Growth and Self-Awareness:
In the creation of this essay, I found it hard to discover what my beliefs are. By no means have I grown up in a family who pushes me to have certain beliefs, I just have a tendency to not think for myself. Throughout a few days of thinking, I had to find not only what I “believe” in, but what I love and have passion for. The main idea that came to mind was laughter/humor, because I love to laugh. Writing about humor helped me to grow as a person because I had to find what is it about laughter that I find to be so powerful.
Essay Pride:
The part of my essay that I am most proud of is the way I showed the story about the family. I find the way I wrote the story to be very powerful compared to some of my other pieces of writing. After completing the essay, I read it out loud to myself. As I read what I wrote, I began to become teary eyed. What I found so powerful is that I wrote the story by thinking back to the specific moments that I remember about the tragic few days. The specific few lines that I find powerful are, “It was the next Monday I remember standing in the Miller Middle School commons when I caught a glimpse of the mom walking in the doors. I could tell by her slumped shoulders and the dark circles around her eyes that nothing would ever be the same. The next thing I knew I was hugging her tight. I let go, and she looked me in they eyes and said, “Thank you, I really needed that this morning.” The power of that moment stuck with me all day along with the force of my curiosity.” By showing this moment instead of telling it, I became much more proud in the way that I can impact a reader.
Further Refinement:
My essay entails many good aspects of writing, yet I still have a lot to work on. Because I plan to send it on to NPR, further refinement is a necessity. After reading my piece multiple times, I sighted that I have a tendency to use passive voice as well as switch between the past and present. I have always struggled with being a passive writer, and I am constantly working to use less of a passive voice. In general, I hope to improve my sentence variety. When I read different pieces of writing, I am always impressed with how the variety of sentences used makes the writing seem much more fluent. As for the essay rubric, I will not be surprised if I have a lower score in writing mechanics due to my lack of sentence variety.
Changes in Thinking:
Just by being a new student at AHS, I am overwhelmed by the way my peers and teachers think, and influence my thinking. Being a human is a weird concept in itself, but the freedom we have to think is so astonishing. Having to think of what I believe was a hard thing for me to do, yet it has influenced me to think what I want to think and not let others opinions effect that. Sharing this essay has been really powerful. My understanding of humor has truly deepened because I have had to think how it affects others beside myself. I never understood why I think humor is so powerful in my life. Now, I know that it is because I use humor to heal my own struggles along with others struggles. I am thankful for this assignment for encouraging me to find a deeper understanding of myself and what I believe.
The Morality and Politics of Justice
Essential Questions:
What do i believe and why?
What is justice? What is the right thing to do?
What is the individual's role in creating a just society?
How should the government balance competing moral and political philosophies in order to create a just society?
Artist Statement
For my Op-Ed article, I chose to research and write about wiretapping in the United States. My perspective on wiretapping is that the government needs to limit wiretapping to extreme criminal cases. I incorporated symbolism into my poster by integrating an eye for the NSA (National Security Agency) symbol. This eye symbolizes that the NSA is watching over the US and what the citizens are saying through technology. I chose to use ethos and pathos in my visual. I represented ethos by using a quote by Milton Friedman. As a well-known Libertarian philosopher, Friedman has a lot to say about government involvement in citizen’s lives. Pathos is represented by the way I show the government is watching down on the U.S. citizens. I think the thought of being listened to or watched is not as important as it should be. My poster disperses the importance of citizen’s privacy. The tone of my visual piece is serious. I am trying to get the point across that the government has a lot of control when listening to citizens. I chose to place the Friedman quote at the top of the poster because I think the quote is very powerful. While researching, I noticed that the NSA had a lot to do with why the discussion of wiretapping is so heated. Replacing the eagle with an eye is metaphoric because it signifies what the NSA is doing to our country. I decided to use wire to connect the eye and the U.S. because it not only resembles wiretapping, but I also wanted the connection between the NSA and citizens to be visual. I find my poster to be simple; I think that simplicity is the best way to get a point across.
I am proud of my poster because it is pleasing to the eye and easy to understand my perspective. I worked hard to make sure the quote was easy to read and a significant part of the poster. I wish that I could have made my pathos stronger. I know that the visual of the wire is powerful, but I am not confident that community members will understand the resemblance of the eye and wire connecting to the United States.
For my Op-Ed article, I chose to research and write about wiretapping in the United States. My perspective on wiretapping is that the government needs to limit wiretapping to extreme criminal cases. I incorporated symbolism into my poster by integrating an eye for the NSA (National Security Agency) symbol. This eye symbolizes that the NSA is watching over the US and what the citizens are saying through technology. I chose to use ethos and pathos in my visual. I represented ethos by using a quote by Milton Friedman. As a well-known Libertarian philosopher, Friedman has a lot to say about government involvement in citizen’s lives. Pathos is represented by the way I show the government is watching down on the U.S. citizens. I think the thought of being listened to or watched is not as important as it should be. My poster disperses the importance of citizen’s privacy. The tone of my visual piece is serious. I am trying to get the point across that the government has a lot of control when listening to citizens. I chose to place the Friedman quote at the top of the poster because I think the quote is very powerful. While researching, I noticed that the NSA had a lot to do with why the discussion of wiretapping is so heated. Replacing the eagle with an eye is metaphoric because it signifies what the NSA is doing to our country. I decided to use wire to connect the eye and the U.S. because it not only resembles wiretapping, but I also wanted the connection between the NSA and citizens to be visual. I find my poster to be simple; I think that simplicity is the best way to get a point across.
I am proud of my poster because it is pleasing to the eye and easy to understand my perspective. I worked hard to make sure the quote was easy to read and a significant part of the poster. I wish that I could have made my pathos stronger. I know that the visual of the wire is powerful, but I am not confident that community members will understand the resemblance of the eye and wire connecting to the United States.
Project Reflection
Project Description
To begin this project we learned about the moral philosophies. This included Libertarianism, Utilitarianism, Deontology and John Rawls Justice as Equality. We spent few weeks doing short readings, making posters, and using skits to teach the class about the moral philosophy we had taken a closer look at. After receiving a clear understanding of the moral philosophies we finished with an exam. Next we moved on to drafting an Op-Ed. I chose to research and write about wiretapping in the United States. I looked at multiple websites and articles and came to the decision that wiretapping should be limited to extreme criminal cases. After multiple drafts of my Op-Ed article, I began the visual piece of this project. I struggled finding an idea for my poster that represented my perspective of the political issue of wiretapping. When I got a spark of inspiration for my visual, it was easy to create. I am very happy with the way my visual turned out.
Political Issue Perspective of Justice
The Habit of Heart and Mind that I used most in creating my perspective was evidence. I used the evidence that I found to decide whether or not I agreed with wiretapping. Due to the evidence I found I decided that I am against wiretapping. I had the hardest time using perspective. Before I started to research, I knew nothing about wiretapping, so I had no idea which side to take. I also had a hard time finding pathos in my research, which made it hard to feel for the people who’s lives have been destroyed due to wiretapping.
Self-Assessment
The strongest part of my article is the moral and political philosophy content. I feel as though I made a strong connection between Libertarianism and wiretapping. The quote that I incorporated my Milton Friedman really expresses how a Libertarian would view wiretapping.
I am most disappointed with the organization of my Op-Ed. My ideas do not flow as smoothly as I hoped they would. For example, in paragraph four, I switch from facts to talking about how many Americans use the Internet. To include smoother transitions into my article I think I just needed more time to work on the article.
I think for my final grade I deserve about an A or a 95%. Due to the amount of work that I put into the visual piece and the corrections that I made to my article, an A seems fair.
Extension
If I had another week to work on this project, I would have further refined my Op-Ed article. During the last week of work time, I was focused more on my visual rather than my article. Although I am very happy with the way my visual turned out, I wish I had put more of my time into the article. My article is still lacking pathos, and has choppy transitions.
To begin this project we learned about the moral philosophies. This included Libertarianism, Utilitarianism, Deontology and John Rawls Justice as Equality. We spent few weeks doing short readings, making posters, and using skits to teach the class about the moral philosophy we had taken a closer look at. After receiving a clear understanding of the moral philosophies we finished with an exam. Next we moved on to drafting an Op-Ed. I chose to research and write about wiretapping in the United States. I looked at multiple websites and articles and came to the decision that wiretapping should be limited to extreme criminal cases. After multiple drafts of my Op-Ed article, I began the visual piece of this project. I struggled finding an idea for my poster that represented my perspective of the political issue of wiretapping. When I got a spark of inspiration for my visual, it was easy to create. I am very happy with the way my visual turned out.
Political Issue Perspective of Justice
The Habit of Heart and Mind that I used most in creating my perspective was evidence. I used the evidence that I found to decide whether or not I agreed with wiretapping. Due to the evidence I found I decided that I am against wiretapping. I had the hardest time using perspective. Before I started to research, I knew nothing about wiretapping, so I had no idea which side to take. I also had a hard time finding pathos in my research, which made it hard to feel for the people who’s lives have been destroyed due to wiretapping.
Self-Assessment
The strongest part of my article is the moral and political philosophy content. I feel as though I made a strong connection between Libertarianism and wiretapping. The quote that I incorporated my Milton Friedman really expresses how a Libertarian would view wiretapping.
I am most disappointed with the organization of my Op-Ed. My ideas do not flow as smoothly as I hoped they would. For example, in paragraph four, I switch from facts to talking about how many Americans use the Internet. To include smoother transitions into my article I think I just needed more time to work on the article.
I think for my final grade I deserve about an A or a 95%. Due to the amount of work that I put into the visual piece and the corrections that I made to my article, an A seems fair.
Extension
If I had another week to work on this project, I would have further refined my Op-Ed article. During the last week of work time, I was focused more on my visual rather than my article. Although I am very happy with the way my visual turned out, I wish I had put more of my time into the article. My article is still lacking pathos, and has choppy transitions.
Korematsu Vs. US
Direct and Cross Examination Questions
Direct Examination for Karl Bentenson:
1. We call Karl Bentenson to the stand.
2. Please state your name, age and occupation for the court.
3. Can you please tell us about the executive order that you wrote?
4. Who authorized this executive order?
5. What was your job considering the executive order?
6. How many Japanese Americans did this removal include?
7. Your honors, may I approach the witness?
8. I am handing you what has been marked as Prosecution Exhibit C; without telling the court what it is, do you recognize the exhibit?
9. Can you explain to the court what it is?
10. (Look to Judges) Your honors, I move for admission for Prosecution Exhibit C.
11. The purpose of an executive order is to help officers and agencies of the executive branch manage the operations within the federal government itself. Would you say that Executive Order 9066 fulfilled this purpose.
12. When writing the executive order, did you have any intention to single out any one race?
13. Could you please read the section that I have highlighted for you? It is the entire second to last paragraph.
14. So if you were to put people into internment camps, you wanted to make sure that they were as comfortable as possible?
15. Could you please read the section that I have highlighted for you in the second paragraph.
16. So by providing the necessities for those put in camps, what are you accomplishing?
17. Thank you. Your honors, I have no further questions.
1. We call Karl Bentenson to the stand.
2. Please state your name, age and occupation for the court.
3. Can you please tell us about the executive order that you wrote?
4. Who authorized this executive order?
5. What was your job considering the executive order?
6. How many Japanese Americans did this removal include?
7. Your honors, may I approach the witness?
8. I am handing you what has been marked as Prosecution Exhibit C; without telling the court what it is, do you recognize the exhibit?
9. Can you explain to the court what it is?
10. (Look to Judges) Your honors, I move for admission for Prosecution Exhibit C.
11. The purpose of an executive order is to help officers and agencies of the executive branch manage the operations within the federal government itself. Would you say that Executive Order 9066 fulfilled this purpose.
12. When writing the executive order, did you have any intention to single out any one race?
13. Could you please read the section that I have highlighted for you? It is the entire second to last paragraph.
14. So if you were to put people into internment camps, you wanted to make sure that they were as comfortable as possible?
15. Could you please read the section that I have highlighted for you in the second paragraph.
16. So by providing the necessities for those put in camps, what are you accomplishing?
17. Thank you. Your honors, I have no further questions.
Direct Examination for John Franklin Carter
1. We call John Franklin Carter to the stand.
2. Please state your name, age and occupation for the court.
3. Where did you earn your education?
4. And what did you do after graduating from Yale University?
5. What work did you do after becoming a representative?
6. After working with newspapers and magazines, did you get to know any political representatives in the United States?
7. And what was your relationship with President Franklin Roosevelt?
8. Did Roosevelt ask you to do anything concerning the Japanese Americans?
9. What was it?
10. Who did you hire to investigate?
11. Your honors, may I approach the witness?
12. I am handing you what has been marked as Prosecution Exhibit B: without telling the court what it is, do you recognize the exhibit?
13. Can you explain to the court what it is?
14. Does the report appear to be complete and accurate?
15. (Look to Judges) Your honors, I move for admission for Prosecution Exhibit B.
16. Did Munson write the report for President Roosevelt?
17. Did you write the summary of the report?
18. Why did you write a summary of the report that Curtis Munson wrote?
19. Could you please read the section that I highlighted for you in the first paragraph?
20. Could you please explain what you meant when saying this?
21. Some say that your exaggerated what Munson wrote. Did you change or exaggerate anything that Munson wrote in the original report?
22. Could you please read section 5 of your summary?
23. So you wanted the president to be fully aware that there was a threat, even before he read Munson’s report?
24. Your honors, I have no more questions.
1. We call John Franklin Carter to the stand.
2. Please state your name, age and occupation for the court.
3. Where did you earn your education?
4. And what did you do after graduating from Yale University?
5. What work did you do after becoming a representative?
6. After working with newspapers and magazines, did you get to know any political representatives in the United States?
7. And what was your relationship with President Franklin Roosevelt?
8. Did Roosevelt ask you to do anything concerning the Japanese Americans?
9. What was it?
10. Who did you hire to investigate?
11. Your honors, may I approach the witness?
12. I am handing you what has been marked as Prosecution Exhibit B: without telling the court what it is, do you recognize the exhibit?
13. Can you explain to the court what it is?
14. Does the report appear to be complete and accurate?
15. (Look to Judges) Your honors, I move for admission for Prosecution Exhibit B.
16. Did Munson write the report for President Roosevelt?
17. Did you write the summary of the report?
18. Why did you write a summary of the report that Curtis Munson wrote?
19. Could you please read the section that I highlighted for you in the first paragraph?
20. Could you please explain what you meant when saying this?
21. Some say that your exaggerated what Munson wrote. Did you change or exaggerate anything that Munson wrote in the original report?
22. Could you please read section 5 of your summary?
23. So you wanted the president to be fully aware that there was a threat, even before he read Munson’s report?
24. Your honors, I have no more questions.
Cross Examination for Curtis Munson:
1) Is it correct Mr. Munson, that you were hired by John Franklin Carter to conduct an investigation on Japanese Americans living on the West Coast?
2) You hadn't any formal training in intelligence work, before you were asked to investigate the Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, correct?
3) You arrived in the West Coast in the fall of 1941, right?
4) Would you agree that Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941?
5) Would you agree that Pearl Harbor changed the atmosphere of the United States?
6) Do you think that the perspective that Americans had on people of Japanese descent changed after Pearl Harbor?
7) So you had finished your report before Pearl Harbor took place?
8) Did your report take into the consideration the imminent threat that Japan posed the United States?
9) How so?
10) Where specifically in your report do you identify the imminent threat?
11) Look at page 15 for me. Could you please read the section that I have highlighted for you?
12) Didn’t you say your report identifies the imminent threat that the Japanese posed on the United States.
13) But your report says that for the most part, Japanese are loyal to the United States?
14) That’s what your report says isn’t it?
15) But, you say that your report accurately identifies the threat that the Japanese people pose?
16) That’s enough thank you. Your honors I have no more questions.
1) Is it correct Mr. Munson, that you were hired by John Franklin Carter to conduct an investigation on Japanese Americans living on the West Coast?
2) You hadn't any formal training in intelligence work, before you were asked to investigate the Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, correct?
3) You arrived in the West Coast in the fall of 1941, right?
4) Would you agree that Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941?
5) Would you agree that Pearl Harbor changed the atmosphere of the United States?
6) Do you think that the perspective that Americans had on people of Japanese descent changed after Pearl Harbor?
7) So you had finished your report before Pearl Harbor took place?
8) Did your report take into the consideration the imminent threat that Japan posed the United States?
9) How so?
10) Where specifically in your report do you identify the imminent threat?
11) Look at page 15 for me. Could you please read the section that I have highlighted for you?
12) Didn’t you say your report identifies the imminent threat that the Japanese posed on the United States.
13) But your report says that for the most part, Japanese are loyal to the United States?
14) That’s what your report says isn’t it?
15) But, you say that your report accurately identifies the threat that the Japanese people pose?
16) That’s enough thank you. Your honors I have no more questions.
Project Reflection
The purpose of this project was to gain understanding of the Japanese Internment Camps after World War II. The final piece of this project was a mock trial that took place at the La Plata County courthouse. We based our trail off of the Korematsu vs. US case that took place in 1944. The question that our class was trying to answer was whether or not Executive Order 9066 was constitutional or not. Leading up to the mock trial we read different documents that each gave a different perspective on the interment camps. We also took the time and read the novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, which I enjoyed very much. After we got some background knowledge, we moved onto reading about the case itself and writing our questions that we were going to ask our witnesses in the trial. In the meantime, we reviewed parts of the Constitution that was relevant to this case.
Completing a project as a team gave me a new perspective of teamwork. When working with teams before I always felt like one person ended up completing the majority of the work load. Our team was able to avoid that problem because we each had witnesses to question, in which each lawyer had to write. The only challenge I had working with a team was our communication. We rarely came together as a group to talk about what we were getting accomplished. This left me a little confused about how our entire case was going to look put together.
When I completed writing my questions for direct and cross examination, I made very few changes. When creating my cross-examination questions, I had assistance from one of the lawyers who came into the classroom to work with the students, so I felt confident about by cross-examination questions. The only challenge I had direct examining Karl Bendetson was creating questions in the correct order, that would make sense to the judges and others in the courtroom. After finishing my direct examination questions for John Franklin Carter, I noticed that the questions I had created were too specific, and I needed to alter them so that Carter could give his own story for every question. Receiving a fresh pair of eyes from classmates was helpful because I understood my task more clear.
Overall, this project was by far my favorite for junior year. In the beginning the reading was a bit dense, but when we began working on the mock trial itself, I enjoyed the process much more. Looking back, I would have like to have gained a better understanding of how the trial was going to look. Up until about a week before the trial, I was still unclear of how an actual trial plays out. I think it would also have been helpful to research my witnesses earlier on, so that I could be thinking about what I was going to ask them.
Completing a project as a team gave me a new perspective of teamwork. When working with teams before I always felt like one person ended up completing the majority of the work load. Our team was able to avoid that problem because we each had witnesses to question, in which each lawyer had to write. The only challenge I had working with a team was our communication. We rarely came together as a group to talk about what we were getting accomplished. This left me a little confused about how our entire case was going to look put together.
When I completed writing my questions for direct and cross examination, I made very few changes. When creating my cross-examination questions, I had assistance from one of the lawyers who came into the classroom to work with the students, so I felt confident about by cross-examination questions. The only challenge I had direct examining Karl Bendetson was creating questions in the correct order, that would make sense to the judges and others in the courtroom. After finishing my direct examination questions for John Franklin Carter, I noticed that the questions I had created were too specific, and I needed to alter them so that Carter could give his own story for every question. Receiving a fresh pair of eyes from classmates was helpful because I understood my task more clear.
Overall, this project was by far my favorite for junior year. In the beginning the reading was a bit dense, but when we began working on the mock trial itself, I enjoyed the process much more. Looking back, I would have like to have gained a better understanding of how the trial was going to look. Up until about a week before the trial, I was still unclear of how an actual trial plays out. I think it would also have been helpful to research my witnesses earlier on, so that I could be thinking about what I was going to ask them.
Happiness and Meaning
Project Description link: http://ashleyhumanities11projects.weebly.com/happiness-and-meaning.html
Essential Questions:
1. What is the purpose of your existence?
2. What is happiness and what makes you happy?
3. What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
4. To what extent can literature shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?
1. What is the purpose of your existence?
2. What is happiness and what makes you happy?
3. What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
4. To what extent can literature shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?
I think that this quote represents what I have come to learn in the last year. I would always look forward to the future rather than appreciating what is going on in my life in the present moment.
Project Reflection
Throughout this project, I had days where I was overwhelmed about all the different philosophies that have been created. After realizing that I could form my own philosophy, I felt more at ease. I agreed with some of what I learned about, but I also disagreed with some of what I learned. I have never had a hard time seeking happiness, but I loved learning about how other people seek happiness in their live. In the film HAPPY, I gained a larger perspective of how people live and what makes them happy. I was happy to be reassured that a simple life can be a happy life. The process of this project kept me thinking and paying attention to what makes me happy, and I also learned that I need to be more giving to others. Although I have always thought that living close to an ocean wo
Questions:
How can I help others seek happiness?
How can still seek happiness when I am encountering a rough time in my life?
How will I be able to keep a steady job and also be happy?
Will where I live effect my overall happiness?
Energy and Place
- How does energy production impact place?
- How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs influence your perception and decisions relating to energy production and consumption?
Sense of Place Essay Visual Piece Artist Statement
This art piece expresses my perspective through an ocean view, trash on the beach, and a quote that I find to be true and inspirational. I tried to create a realistic painting, and represent the trash through pictures. Although this is not how the trash looked exactly, the pictures symbolize a similar visual.
To ensure cohesiveness, I started with the painting. Once the painting was perfected, I printed and cut pictures out to represent the trash that I saw on the beach. I glued those on the bottom of the painting with squares that lifted the pictures up from the painting. Finally, I cut and glued the letters on to the poster and wrote the author in colored glue.
From the beginning I wanted this visual piece to look as real as possible. But once I started with the pictures of trash, I knew it wasn’t going to be as realistic as I had originally wanted. The colors that I used in the painting were similar to the colors of the water in Belize. When I began searching for a quote, the first one I came upon was the Jacques Cousteau quote. I felt it was perfect for the project we were doing as well as my experience in Belize.
This art piece expresses my perspective through an ocean view, trash on the beach, and a quote that I find to be true and inspirational. I tried to create a realistic painting, and represent the trash through pictures. Although this is not how the trash looked exactly, the pictures symbolize a similar visual.
To ensure cohesiveness, I started with the painting. Once the painting was perfected, I printed and cut pictures out to represent the trash that I saw on the beach. I glued those on the bottom of the painting with squares that lifted the pictures up from the painting. Finally, I cut and glued the letters on to the poster and wrote the author in colored glue.
From the beginning I wanted this visual piece to look as real as possible. But once I started with the pictures of trash, I knew it wasn’t going to be as realistic as I had originally wanted. The colors that I used in the painting were similar to the colors of the water in Belize. When I began searching for a quote, the first one I came upon was the Jacques Cousteau quote. I felt it was perfect for the project we were doing as well as my experience in Belize.
Project Reflection
This project consisted of learning about energy, as well as writing a sense of place essay, and creating a visual piece that represented our visual piece. Throughout learning about energy we had multiple guest speakers, each with a different professions and opinion on energy. We also completed multiple inspiration journals regarding our sense of place.
I enjoyed this project because I was able to use my own opinion to create a piece of writing. As a class, we had a lot of freedom to write about our sense of place. As a person, I learned to have more passion for our earth and the environment. During the writing process, I knew exactly what my environmental ethic was, but I wasn't sure how to display it. In the end, I ended up talking about the country of Belize, and the amount of trash in the ocean.
I am proud of both my visual piece and sense of place essay. My visual took multiple hours, but in the end I am impressed with the way it turned out. Although I wish I had more time for my writing piece, the edits that I made on it seemed to enhance my writing. I also worked on my show vs. tell. For example, I wrote, "My knees placed gently on the ocean floor allowed me to sway like seaweed with each wave that crashed gently over my head. The ocean was particularly silent, allowing me to feel calm and humble.”
When I first began this project, I had absolutely no interest in energy production. Now, I have a much better understanding of energy, and I actually enjoy learning about it. In chemistry, we went in depth to learning about nuclear power and natural gas. Because I gained so much understanding in chemistry, I was able to show my knowledge in my essay. I now care more about the environment and I am more aware of where my trash is going.
I enjoyed this project because I was able to use my own opinion to create a piece of writing. As a class, we had a lot of freedom to write about our sense of place. As a person, I learned to have more passion for our earth and the environment. During the writing process, I knew exactly what my environmental ethic was, but I wasn't sure how to display it. In the end, I ended up talking about the country of Belize, and the amount of trash in the ocean.
I am proud of both my visual piece and sense of place essay. My visual took multiple hours, but in the end I am impressed with the way it turned out. Although I wish I had more time for my writing piece, the edits that I made on it seemed to enhance my writing. I also worked on my show vs. tell. For example, I wrote, "My knees placed gently on the ocean floor allowed me to sway like seaweed with each wave that crashed gently over my head. The ocean was particularly silent, allowing me to feel calm and humble.”
When I first began this project, I had absolutely no interest in energy production. Now, I have a much better understanding of energy, and I actually enjoy learning about it. In chemistry, we went in depth to learning about nuclear power and natural gas. Because I gained so much understanding in chemistry, I was able to show my knowledge in my essay. I now care more about the environment and I am more aware of where my trash is going.