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This week’s article “To Save Some Species, Zoos Must Let Others Die” by Leslie Kaufman emphasize the tough decisions that occur at the St. Louis Zoo. A daunting decision must be made by the zookeepers to choose which animals to save. The zookeepers end up speculating on which species of animal are most crucial to save. Bitter choices that are full of regret haunts every zoo. Sacrifices are necessary in order to save certain species. Behind every joyful zoo lies a dark hidden secret. It turns out that many zoos are not as “conservative” as they seem to be.

Every time you have fun in a zoo, you admire the animals without knowing that many species have died. At the St. Louis Zoo, animals are bred regularly to help them emerge from the brink of extinction. However, there are so much species of animals in the zoo that zookeeper are struggling to breed them. Because there are copious quantities of species, zoos must choose which animal to save. It is the right decision for the zoo to breed animals, but can they breed all the animals? The abrupt and cold answer is no. As you may already know, zoos need a large amount of money to sustain the animals’ lives. Money is spent on services such as food, shelter, maintenance, and healthcare of the animals. Zoos must carefully spend their budget, because once they are out of money, the animals’ lives would be at risk. Another problems that many zoos face is with animal deaths. Animals are very sensitive to their surroundings. A slight change in the environment could cause the animals to die. However, animals would roam and breed freely if they are in the wild. “St. Louis, for example, has committed$20 million — or the equivalent of 40 percent of its annual operating budget — to building an enormous exhibit for polar bears — complete with a fake ice floe — even though its last polar bear died in 2009”. This is the evidence that proves that animals such as the polar bear is very sensitive to its environment, and therefore died in St. Louis Zoo due to the fake ice. If the zoo wants the animals to live longer, they must build a facility that makes the animals feel like they are “home”.

There are many ways we can interpret this article, and we gained more insight about how hard zoo-keeping is. I think that the main message of the article is that maintaining the lives of animals is not a simple task. We must make bitter sacrifices in order to have a brighter future. Our decisions are very important, and we must not make a move hastily. Something else I learned is that animals are best left alone in the pristine nature. We, as humans, are depriving the animals away from nature from entertainment and financial purposes. Even the animals would feel uncomfortable if many zoo visitors stare at them. I think an alternative to zoos are to create a conservation park, where animals are roaming their home, while we are protecting them. Zoo keeping is very difficult and needs patience. Animals can die unexpectedly. One time at the beach, I saw a jellyfish and put it in a bucket along with seawater. After a few hours, the jellyfish had died in the bucket. I had learned then that we should take animals away from their natural habitat. They should be left in the wild, where natural breeding could occur.

In the future, everything about the conservation of animals could change drastically. Forests and ecosystems would be diminish, and more animal species would die in large numbers. Everyone should ponder about the future. We must act now and replenish nature so that in the future, animals would live freely. However, the future can change, and it is up to us to change the future.

Chozen Takei
Thursday March 22, 2012
Ms. Richert WD Block H

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Blame

Blame never gets tired of accusing others. Right now he is a 16 year old teenager who is stubborn and spoiled. Even though he is almost an adult, he acts immature and childish, like a toddler. Since he has many siblings, two younger brothers and one elder sister, he always fights with them. Blame casually orders his siblings to be quiet, or else there would be suffering. One of his specialties is constantly talking back to adults. Every time he causes trouble, he doesn’t think it’s his fault. He never feels guilty nor ever care for others. Blame’s hobby is to argue with others. One of Blame’s iconic quote is, “whatever.” He likes to say it every time he loses an argument. He likes to think that everyone is wrong, and is the only one who is right. Every day, he would judge people by how they look, giving rapt assumptions. When he committed a crime, he will reluctantly admit himself guilty.

Blame likes to wear fancy, expensive, and outstanding clothing. Black, white, and red are his favorite colors. He is arrogant, cocky, and being spoiled. When he was a child, he would steal a toy, and blame it on his friends. At school, he hangs out with his popular friends. He is especially selfish. Blaming others is an easy task for him. He never thinks before he speaks, every insult gushing out of his mouth. Once the words come out, it is too late, and other people would be hurt. There is one thing you need to know about him: it’s not his fault! His favorite target to blame is Humble. Because Humble doesn’t speak much, Blame can seize Humble with ease. Blame does not do things by himself, commanding others to do it for him.
One of Blame’s proudest achievement is bullying others, and manage to get away with it through blaming. When one of his friends caused only a minor trouble, he would exaggerate, bringing more accusations to his friend. Blame’s polar opposite is Honesty. If both of them met, there will be severe hardship. Blame once told me to never get in his way, and I felt unwelcomed. If I was Blame’s friend, he would only talk to me to take advantage; deceiving me. You must know that reading books is not one of Blame’s hobbies. Even if he borrowed a book from a library, it would be overdue for one whole semester. What you don’t know is that sometimes Blame reflects on his actions, and can be soft person, easy to fall apart. A job that would satisfy him is a cruel manager of a company, constantly yelling and commanding, blaming his employees. Did you know that Blame is the shortest in class, yet acts tall? Every word that rushes out of Blame’s mouth, like a stream, are full of lies. My friend told me that every time Blame talks, he lure others into a clever trap. It is impossible for Blame to rehabilitate his irritating habits. One time in elementary school, the whole class had to stay during recess time because of him. At that time, I was so provoked, because he blames us for no particular reason. Even worse, he actually mocked the whole class, enjoying the fact that everyone had to stay in with him. I didn’t want to miss my recess time, but I still take on the punishment. He “accidentally” committed trouble, yet finding fault on the rest of the class. No wonder why everyone despised him. So here is a lesson from Blame: whenever Blame happens to talk privately with you, be careful, because it’s a trap! Trust my advice, I can predict his moves. However, the most crucial fact you must know is that Blame is a sinful coward.

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Innocence

Innocence is a young girl that belongs to a rich family. It is quite surprising that she is neither stubborn nor spoiled. She knows the difference between wants and needs. Her house is a spacious, grand mansion, where she spends all day reading. In her leisure time, Innocence likes to wander into the beautiful gardens of her large house, catching butterflies. Her parents are strict, who don’t let her play with friends.
When Innocence is in a conversation with her friends, she would tell all her secrets without realizing it. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have many friends, and even if she had lots of friends, she would simply be a follower. Innocence is homeschooled, by 10 mentors. Her parent’s wish is to make her perfect. Innocence longs that someday she could escape out of her house, and travel around the world to have fun and gain experience. In the public every time she sees a stranger, she avoids, and is usually shy. She does not talk to other strangers. Because she doesn’t communicate with the outside world, she lacks life skills.
In her room, Innocence sits in a peaceful corner, reading books. If you went into her room, you could see an oversized bed, teddy bears, bookshelves, and expensive furniture. Innocence is delicate, soft like a flower petal. Every day, she is locked up in her house, because her parents never let her leave. Her parents constantly worry that she will be kidnapped, and brainwashed by others.
Three best words that describe Innocence are soft, airy, and sinless. She lacks knowledge and experience, but she gains knowledge from reading books. When others are having a hard time, she reassures them, being open minded. She will casually take on other people’s fault. Innocence always blames herself. Constantly depressed, she has sleepless nights. What you don’t know is that she is very responsible. Innocence likes to greet people, saying “Hi” and “Thank you”. She feel obliged to say kind words to others, to make them feel welcomed. Other people can easily take advantage of her, since she will follow their commands. Alone in her house, she is curious about the outside world.
One proudest achievement that Innocence had acquired was playing music. She can play the violin, piano, and flute. Throughout her years, she taught herself to play the piano. Every day in the living room, she would play the Steinways &Sons grand piano, filling the air with whimsical and soothing melodies. Innocence has some skills, but just being humble. Needless to say, her parents are forceful. You should not underestimate her, because she can bite!

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This week’s article that we are digesting relates to the topic on environmental issues. It is based on the accounts of Chut Wutty (a Cambodian forest activist) and Mathieu Young (a photographer). The article, with the guidance of thoughtful pictures, clearly explains about the growing problem of illicit logging activities in Prey Lang, Cambodia. Chut Wutty was a determined man, and he would do anything to stop the continuous problem with illegal logging. Chut Wutty had sacrificed his life in a bloody open fire in the fight to bring peace and harmony back to the forest, and thanks to this article, we have a better awareness of all the environmental issues happening in other nations. We couldn’t have acquired the knowledge with Chut Wutty’s hardwork.

All environmental issues are derived from one point.  Something had caused illegal deforestation to occur. The illegal logging happening in Cambodia could be one of many multiple effects from a single cause. There is not just one, but many causes that leads up to the situation in Prey Lang, Cambodia. By piecing together the different effects, we could identify the single caused which had aroused the environmental issues.

As the population increases exponentially, the demands for resources sour higher than ever. It is like a domino effect theory. In the midst of the thirst for more resources, new companies would be established every year. Those companies would gradually be interested in investing on natural resources. As a result, companies would do anything to get their hands on these resources. To them, these natural resources mean profit and a huge wad of money. When more of these types of companies are established, more forest would be exploited and destroyed to cope with the high demands of wood. As the population doubles in size, the demand for meat and food would inflate, so more farmlands are built. More forests would be flattened for agriculture. When more farmlands are being built, it is also likely that more agrotoxics would be used, which could infect the  However, as more factories, companies, and farmlands are built, it would provide jobs for the people, enabling them to sustain their livelihood. There are pros and cons relating to environmental issues such as lumbering. Like I mentioned, big companies don’t care about the trees. When they first visioned the vast area of forest, all they see is money coming out of it. Only when the last tree on Earth is exploited for farmland would the company suddenly realize the magnitude of the current problem. The macroeconomics of a nation and the microeconomics of a corporation would increase high, but mother nature would have to pay a great price.

Since the beginning of time, humans have depended on nature for its resources. However, they never give back for what they took. The article stated that at least 200,000 people live around and depend on the forest. Together the company and the forest provided jobs for local people to sustain their living. But is destroying the forest really worth what you are paid for? When will the forest grow again? Like the big companies, local people who are employed in chopping down trees does not care about mother nature, but only care about the wages. The idea that the Prey Lang people really wanting the company to be there to provide jobs to them really surprised me. There are many people’s point of views, and we must be open minded and accept all of them. One might argue that illicit logging operations may sound cruel and greedy, but if locals aren’t employed, their family could starve to death. These are the questions that we must think deeply upon. Another fact is that the illegal loggers chopped down trees to clear way for a cashew plantation. The new cashew plantation would provide even more jobs to the local people, and that is exactly what they are expecting.

Lying is a way to become successful in business. I was angered to hear that the government lied that they were trying to protect the forest, saving its resources, for the sake of the indigenous people, but in fact, they are helping killing the forest day after day. The evidence is clear, and the fact that the companies are undergoing an illicit logging operation is inevitable. Worst, the government had work in accordance with the companies, and ensuring that the companies got what they wanted. To me, this sounds like some sort of bribery. This shows how corrupt the government officials are. They had accepted the under table money to allow the company to destroy the forest. Like I said, people care for nothing when they are bribed by money. In the end, it will be too late and we might not be able to save mother nature. With all that bribing, nothing would be done.

My Diigo Notes

 Some rights reserved by boggerthelogger

The environment had paid a great cost as a result of the oil 2010 BP oil spill. Stop for a moment and look at what nature had to sacrifice. Mutated fish, shrimps, crabs, and other sea creature had suffered from the strong chemicals used for the cleanup. Humans always take away more from nature than give back. Someday humans would have to give up there lives to compensate for what nature had lost. All around the world, oil spills happen frequently here and there, where the ecosystems and habitats of sea animals are threatened. There should be another cleaner alternative to oil, so that mother nature won’t have to die.

Accidents don’t simply happen, but they are caused by a series of fateful events. One cause might lead to multiple effects, such as a chain reaction. Accidents can be caused by either human or mechanical error. The oil spill might be caused by human error. I hope that other oil companies around the world will learn from this disaster, and hopefully they could reconsider their safety measures. The toxic chemicals that were used to clean up the oil spill had crippled the seawater life. The toxins had mutated the animals, manipulating their DNAs. I feel very terrible, but there is nothing we could do. It is all up to BP and the government to solve the problem. The chemicals had caused a great toll that is paid with the lives of the animals. I think that BP had no time to react to the oil spill, so their only option was to use chemicals to clean up the mess faster. But in the end, look at what the thick crude oil and toxic chemicals had done.

Not only the seafood had been mutated, but humans also suffer too. The Americans should be aware of the toxic seafood. They should do their best to avoid distributing those mutated seafood into stores, to prevent consumers from eating it. BP is a rich company, and I kind of feel sorry for them for the loss of large quantities of money from the BP Oil disaster. If these mutated seafood somehow ended up in our plates, then we could suffer from serious diseases and sickness such as: headaches, vomitting, diarrhea, obdominal pains, chest pains, respiratory system damage, skin sensitization, hypertension, central nervous system depression, neurotoxic effects, cardiac arrhythmia and cardiovascular damage.

It was a regrettable decision for BP to use acids to try to clean up the oil spill. Why had they not tested the acid before they dumped it into the ocean? The strong acid had caused the seafloor to dissapear. Think of how strong that acid was. If the strong acid could do that to the ocean floor, think of what would happen if we touched the acid. The acid would slice through our hands deep into the tissue like a sharp, blazing knife against soft butter. BP should not use any more harmful chemicals to clean up the mess. The engineers and other workers at BP should really consider about the environmental effects of the cleanup. You could say that the cleanup is actually more harmful than not cleaning the mess up.

The Gulf of Mexico, where the BP Oil Spill took place, provides 40% of the seafood caught in the US. This is a major issue, since it could affect America’s economy. More seafood is crippling, and fishermen business could plausibly go bankrupt. The seafood industry plays a critical role of providing seafood to the nation. The BP Oil spill had disrupted the lives of fishermen, which, inevitably, had caused food shortages in the US. Not just that, but people will begin to stop eating seafood, which can cause a drastic decrease in the agricultural economy. The United States would stop consuming their own seafood, and would turn towards imported seafood, which will affect the GDP.

My Diigo Notes

 Some rights reserved by soonerpa

In our lives, problems concerning trust constantly emerge unexpectedly. Trust is a burden for everyone, since they have to decide whom to trust. If trust falls in the wrong hands, everything would fall apart. Trust lasts longer than believing. You can only believe one entity at a time, while trust is ongoing. Trust is robust and powerful, like a link on a chain. When one link is broken, the rest of the chain collapses. Everyone has a weakness, and so does trust. You can easily take advantage of trust using its weaknesses. Trust can sometimes be reluctant and uncertain. One moment, you are trusted, and the next second you are not. What exactly is trust? How can we depict trust?  It’s more complicated than we think it is.

You can’t simply ask for trust. Trust is more complicated than that. Trust is not asked for, but it is earned. Earning trust does not happen in one night. You can’t simply trust others right away, but it rather takes time and experience. Acquiring trust is definitely not a facile task. Everytime you trust people, you are about to hand over something sensitive to them. As I mentioned, trust is no child’s play, since adults also struggle with trusting others. The person who receives your trust has a burdensome responsibility, that is to keep a pledge. Pledges are promises. If you break a promise, you will be shameful and feel guilty. If people take advantage of your trust, they might concoct conspiracies, using tactics against you. Trusting the wrong people could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Trust is the origin of bonds. It connects people through relationships. Trust is only reserved for the ones that are bonded to you. Who do we trust? Not everyone deserves trust, because it is a privilege. In your life, you can befriend many people, but you can only trust a few. Of all the people you trust, family remains the top priority. Family is where you feel safe and secured, so you can easily trust them. Besides, family members would not do anything to harm you, since they love and care for you. You can only trust some of your friends, but not all of them. In order to trust others, you must first know them, and overtime, bonds start to form between the two. Trust takes time. After a while, you start to know better about others, and finally you will begin to trust them. Before you trust, you must speculate. Trust requires long hours of speculation. You must consider if other people are worthy or responsible to deserve your trust. Trust is a slow process that conveys many challenges. It is better not to trust a stranger at first sight. If you don’t know someone, you shouldn’t trust them. Trust can be heavy, since you must always stay alert and consider thoroughly. Trust is a substantial and powerful connection that acts as a foundation of bonds.

Sometimes trust doesn’t require long hours of speculation. You could even trust strangers that you’ve never met. It is all about instinctively trusting others. Trust doesn’t necessarily always have to be a slow process. If you were on a hijacked airplane, you would instinctively trust the other passengers without realizing it. You are going to die soon, so it did not matter if you trust strangers. In situations like that, there is no time to react, so you would have to trust people who you don’t know. You would trust all the passengers and form a team to drive out the hijackers. In order to survive, you must cooperate to become a stronger team.. Inside that airplane, you rely and depend on each other to survive. However, there are other ways of instinctively trusting people. Everyday you instinctively trust your family without thinking much about it. You live with your family for so long that you can even trust them on everything they say. It does not matter, since they are your family members. Trust depends on the circumstances, and it does not always have to be a slow process.

Another way of trusting is through indirect and direct trust. Depending on the situation, you could trust others directly or indirectly. Direct trust happens when you have full control of your trust. Usually, direct trust is the kind of trust that requires long hours of speculation. You spend time and ponder on whether to trust a particular individual or not. In contrary, indirect trust does not take ages to trust others. Indirect trust happens most of the time when you don’t realize it. It could happen when you are sitting on an airplane, trusting the pilots to make you safe. Another example of indirect trust is trusting your family. In your life, no matter who you are, you can only trust a few people. Trust has two sides, a dark side and a light side. No matter who you trust, you must not let them take advantage or your trust. Usually trust does not happen in the heart, nor the brain, but a mixture of both.

“Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.”

-William Shakespeare

 Some rights reserved by kenyee

We live in a world of changing technology. Once a new device is distributed to the market, our lives are changed. We use technology on a daily basis, and it influences our lives. Technology brings new ideas and gadgets that benefits our lives. As I mentioned, technology is constantly changing, and it is changing fast.

New technology is introduced every year as technology changes. One year, there may be a cool and exciting device that hooks everyone in. Before you even know it, yet another new device will is introduced. The new device will have even better functions and gadgets that will intrigue everyone. Once a new device is brought out to everyone, people will start to consider that last’s year device is “old”. When new technology is presented, it would influence people’s thinking. Even A piece of technology from last year will be considered “outdated”.

Everyone is excited in the search of new technology. Originality and creativeness can make or break a device. What I mean is that if a device has cool functions and various capabilities, then many people would buy the device. New technology brings many surprises, and one of them is its functionality. Originality may play a big role in technology. The people wants something new,different, and more importantly, “cool”.

Google’s Glass project sounds interesting and new. It is a new approach to technology. The glasses could replace smartphones and computers. The glasses look stylish and slim, but there are also other limits to it. In order for countless functions like wifi, internet, SIRI, weather forecast, TV, music, and other aspects to be integrated onto the glasses, it will require some hard effort. It is like fitting both a smartphone and computer into a small glass. I think that the glasses sound cool, but it may be impossible. The glasses has too little space to even put micro processors, ports, wires, hard drive, and motherboard, yet alone fit an entire computer and smartphone into one small glass. However, it may still be possible.

Right now we have the resources to invent futuristic devices and gadgets. Inventing new technology is not about the resources, but about the brains behind it. Take a look at WiFi, for instance. It was invented by AT&T back in 1991. Even in the 20th century, devices and gadgets in the 21st century can still be invented. Like I mentioned, it’s all about the brains. Smart and creative people like Steve Jobs can even create futuristic devices. Right now we could even create sci-fi gadgets. We have all the resources in this world to make anything- it is only limited by creativeness and intellegence. Technology from the future is not impossible- it all comes down to brains. Technology changes drastically and fast. Technology can might as well increase exponentially.

 My Diigo Notes

The end is near! We have to make use of this last quarter, and try the best we can in everything. This is our last chance to strive. Hard work always pays off. From my experience, the last quarter is very busy, with tests, projects, and assignments all crammed up. I will try my best to strive, and show my best efforts. I will try my best not to procrastinate and improve my time management.

My last quarter’s goal were earning better grades in tests, put more effort, and time management. In the 2nd semester, my Algebra test scores were drastically higher than in 1st semester. I think that the reason I earned a higher score was because I learned new skills, which help me in all fields. My efforts in assingments are higher. I always put high quality thoughts in my assignments. However, something that I am constantly struggled with is time management. When I come home, I have hours ahead of me, but I sometimes do homework very late. I have chores and other work to do, so maybe I can plan a schedule that could help me finish my assignments. I love to do chores, and being responsible. But I also have to think about doing homework earlier too. My plan is to not surf the internet for entertainment, but to study.

It is inevitably true that
We had grown weary,
For the last ten years
Our throats sore
From insulting, cursing
Our words reach them
Like a soft whisper
Our cries being ignored
We had covered a long, arduous journey, and there is no time to stop

There is nothing we can do
To stop the corrupt
The corrupt stands tall,
With its powerful laws
We must pay taxes,
To satisfy the corrupt
They don’t care for us, as if we are slaves
Money is the motive that causes them to make laws
Laws are what quenches their thirst

Peace talks on both sides are useless
We had always boycotted them
America does not belong to them
It is ours, too
They say laws and taxes are essential
To rebuild this nation
Don’t take our money,
Simply ask us to help rebuild

For the last 10 years,
We all ly supinely on our backs,
Daydreaming about hope,
While there are fights going on
We dream of hope, yet we do nothing
To stop the corrupt from stealing America’s soul
All we need is a siren,
A war cry that motivates our inner beasts
Don’t sit while there are problems out there
Stand up and forget about amenity
Do a good cause for the country

They think our actions
are full of treason
They betray their own country, not us
Our actions makes a better nation
We aren’t British citizens anymore,
We are proud to be Americans
We are not Anglophiles either, we only despise the corrupt
From the past we change America
In the future the past is changed

Why are we afraid?
We shouldn’t be scared
They’re just small people disguised in large suits
Out of nowhere, resonant words appear,
Motivating all of us to fight boldly
While the enemy is forging chains,
We prepare for the last battle
Training our brigade
All these years we were humble
Our remonstrations too soft
We finally resort to violence
To bring an end once and for all
We can no longer supplicate
For America’s liberty

Wise gentlemen, it is indeed time
To fight for our mother- America
We must fight, with blood, sweat, and vigilance
Let the battlefield be stenched in blood
It is not hard to acquire liberty
Together as one, we will outnumber them
Gentlemen, our efforts are not in vain

Never fear death, never subdue
Death is for a brighter America
Actions speak more than words
We should use violence instead of voice
We are numb, unable to feel the anguish
Ignoring the blood, streaming down our faces
Leave the rest behind, and fight for tomorrow
In the final countdown, our heart beats fast
Fire against fire, fighting the fighter
Let them hear our cries
It is now or never
The war cry had signalled the final battle
The wind conveying our valiance

Let justice reveal the one who prevail

 Some rights reserved by k-ideas

The video essay was very touching. When I watched the part where Jacob and the children of Uganda running away from their homes, it made me sad. Some children witness their family members being slaughtered by the LRA. If the children tries to run back to their homes, they might be caught. I feel sympathy for Jacob, because he lost his parents and brother. In the video, I was surprised because Jacob’s English was not bad. He must have learned hard and value education.It was interesting when Jacob wanted to be a lawyer when he grew up.

Joseph Kony had abducted children for about 20 years, yet I didn’t kow that until I watched the video. Everyday, he is abducting children, especially at night.  The child soldiers fuel his power. He trains children to be soldiers, brainwashing them. What angers me is that Kony keeps arranging peace talks, but after that, he keep abducting children. The video notes that Kony abducted cihldren because he wants power, not for war or anything else. I don’t see the point for kidnapping the children. He doesn’t put his army into good use, but just want to maintain power. For instance, with great power, he could be able to start a war, but instead, he does nothing significant except for expanding his army. The way I see it is that Kony has no substantial ambition, but he likes to maintain his power.

In the video, there is an ongoing problem with child soldiers. It reminds me of the movie Blood Diamond, in which a similar story of child soldiers takes place in Sierra Leone. In the movie, a cruel African leader kidnaps children, to toil in the earth to mine diamonds. Both the Kony 2012 video and Blood Diamond is touching. Children are trained and being brainwashed in the movie, and they are force to shoot their parents. Child soldiers are likely to be found in poor countries, where terrorists wants to gain their numbers. Once, I read that child soldiers are being favored, since they don’t ask questions and promptly follow orders. You should watch Blood Diamond, it is a very exciting action packed movie, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jason Russell, the director of the Kony 2012 video, states that if everyone knows about Kony, he would have been captured already. However, not everybody know about him. Now, people around the world are using media and technology to spread ideas, so others can gain knowledge. Via Youtube and Facebook, people can now spread ideas, reaching people far away. This connects to the war in Libya that happened last year. The rebels of Libya, who wanted to revolt against the government, spread their ideas on Facebook. Overtime, Libyans were interested, and began to participate in the revolt. That shows the strength of media, that it can spread an idea like a virus, reaching a wide audience. Eventually, many people will want to participate, and cause a change. That is how modern revolutions are formed, when an idea spreads and more people are participating. It is similar to the American Revolution. For instance, an ongoing matter such as tax had caused patriots to revolt. More people joined the opposition, forming a strong force. The opposing group will grow so large that it can potentially drive out a leader. That is why the government should be afraid of its people. Together as one, we can accomplish the impossible. In contrary, if interest wanes, the matter will not be significant, and people will ignore it.

Click here to view my video article notes

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

If you want to see my comic strip, you can scroll down to view it. Or click here.

SAL Reflection

Summary

What did you do? Summarize what you did. Be specific

The purpose of the Revolutionary War Project was to analyze our understanding of vocabulary. There was a list of vocabulary words that relates to the Revolutionary War. Each student had to create a project that includes all the vocabulary words, that show their understanding of those words. The project can be a comic, game, presentation, or anything a student wants.

After long speculations, I decided to create a comic strip for my project. Comics are interesting, because it had images, and it’s not too hard nor too easy. I’ve read through all the vocabulary words, and included them in my comic. I used Google Drawings for the comic, and started on the comic. In my comic, I included events in the American Revolution, and the pictures will depict the vocabulary words.

Analyze your learning:

What did you do well?

The list of vocabulary words were quite easy to understand. It only took me two times to read through the list to finally master it. Up until now, I still remembered the definitions of all the words.  In my comic, I used correct vocabulary, and you can tell that I know those vocabulary words if you read the comic.

What was challenging?

In the making of the comic strip, there were some challenges. In Google Documents, the interface had a lack of options and tools, therefore, the comic was limited by effects. If I knew earlier, I could have worked on Photoshop, or other comic generators. I regretted using Google Drawings, and I saw other groups use a better comic generator. The comic’s quality could have been better.

What could you improve? Identify 2-3 areas that you could improve on.

I had finished the project early, but it was only 2 pages of comic. I hadn’t thought about the length of it until the end. I should have expanded the comic, and make it about 5 pages long. Another improvement I could have made was an alternate to Google Drawings. As I explained, Google Drawings lack some options and effects. Maybe I could use Photoshop or other comic strip generators next time.

Learn

What did you learn from this learning activity? (Be specific with examples).

Overall, the Revolutionary War Project was fun and intriguing. I learned a lot from it, especially with the history of America. Before the project, I didn’t know much about the American Revolution, but now, I can be able to explain to other people. It would be boring if we simply had to memorize the words, but instead, the projects make it fun. Since we can choose to do our own kinds of projects, it was fun and not too hard. Leading up to the Revolution, I learned about the acts at the time, such as The Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Townshend Act, Boston Tea Party, Tea Act, and Boston Massacre. Something else I learned was that the citizens have rights, and they even have more power than the government. This reminds me of a group called Anonymous (Based on the movie V for Vendetta), that the citizens should not be afraid of their government. I had a sense of what happened back in the colonial times.