Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Class Update: 4/29 & 4/30

Over the past two days, we have been working on our Scratch games during class. We are making games about the Oregon Trail that teach the player about Westward Expansion. It is helpful to have time in class because each student has different knowledge about the program and we can help each other. My project is almost complete.

There is also a movie playing while we work on our projects. The movie is called Red River, and it tells the story of a cowboy. We have been comparing the differences between the movie and life as a real cowboy. Life as a real cowboy seems more predictable and safer than the movie would suggest. I would rather be a real cowboy than a character in the movie because the movie characters experience more gunfights and problems than real cowboys would. This activity has shown how misleading popular culture can be.

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Class Update: 4/24 & 4/25

Yesterday, we went to the library to research different farming tools of the 19th century. These products included barbed wire, the steel plow, the reaper, and the thresher. My group was assigned the thresher. We had to create a Google Presentation about the impact of the thresher on farming in the Great Plains. The thresher was a machine that separated grain from the stalk so farm hands did not have to do the work by hand. I think this machine is very important because it increased efficiency and specifically helped the many grain farmers in the West. Farmers already had a difficult job to do, and the thresher would have made their work easier.

Today, we presented our information about the thresher to a panel of buyers who decided which farming tools would be essential to running a farm in the 19th century. The buyers decided not to buy the barbed wire because they did not believe it was a good deal for the acreage they would have to cover, even though it is more resilient than wood. They also decided not to buy the steel plow because it cost too much to make it worth the purchase. The buyers decided to buy the reaper and the thresher because they would increase production and would work together. I agree with their decisions because though both machines were expensive, they would pay back their cost through the increased production.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Life in a Soddy

Today, we learned about life in a soddy, a type of house on the Great Plains that is made out of soil called sod. Because people who moved to the frontier did not have unlimited financial resources, they could not afford to build houses out of wood, which was an expensive luxury. Life in a soddy was difficult, but it provided shelter for a family so they could establish a life on the prairie.
 
My overall impression of living in a soddy is that life would be extremely difficult. The model soddy in the classroom was small and uncomfortable. There are five people in my family, so living close together for an extended period of time would be hard because I like to have space to myself. Also, living in a soddy could be dangerous. The fire or cook stove might be in the middle of the room, and there would be the risk of falling into the fire or setting the house on fire. The dampness of the soil and the close proximity of many people could cause sickness to spread easily. Life in a soddy would be difficult due to the small space and many dangers, but it would be interesting to live so close to nature.
 
I believe I could live in a soddy for a long period of time. I am positive that I could live in a soddy for at least a year. I would spend most of my time outdoors, and would spend the remaining daylight hours efficiently so the hours without light could be reserved for rest. Life on the prairie required people to farm and work the land, so most of my time would be spent outside of the soddy. The rest of my time in the soddy would eventually become easier because I would become used to the smell, the overcrowding, and living in the earth. After time to adapt to life in a soddy, I am confident that I could live in one for more than a year.
 
Based on my knowledge of the frontier and soddies, I would choose life on the Great Plains opposed to life in a city. I appreciate the beauty and freedom of the prairies. I would rather live on a farm and sustain myself than live in a dirty city. City life has its own dangers and hardships, and I would rather have space and land to myself. Life in a soddy may be difficult, but I believe that it would be an interesting and exciting life to live.
 
 

Class Update: 4/22 & 4/23

Yesterday, we spent the period in the computer lab. We are trying a new concept, which we are calling Triton 16% Time. This idea is based off of Google 20% Time, a plan that allows Google employees to spend one day of their work week on any project they would like to do, as long as it improves Google. We will be choosing badges to earn on a Smithsonian website, based on our interests. I am going to complete the H20 Helper Badge, which consists of learning about how much water different products use and how to conserve water. I am enjoying this process because it allows me to spend time learning about something I might not learn about during my free time.

Today, we had a substitute and we learned about soddies, houses made of dirt on the Great Plains. We learned about what it was like to live in a soddy, from the size and smell to the food and living conditions. The next post explains more about living in a soddy. The activities today were very fun and they helped me to understand what it might be like to live in a real soddy.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Class Update: 4/11 & 4/12

Yesterday, we discussed Manifest Destiny. A post below details what Manifest Destiny is and how the United States achieved it. We also created skits about Manifest Destiny. My partner and I interviewed each other about our opinons about Manifest Destiny, and whether or not it was a good thing for the country. I believe that it caused good results, but the path to expand the nation was treacherous and difficult, involving many wars.

Today, we watched a tutorial about Push and Pull Factors that motivated people to move west. I thought the most interesting factor was that Civil War veterans were trying to escape their nightmares of war. I got dismissed, but we would have continued class by having a discussion about those factors.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Did the US achieve Manifest Destiny? Why or why not?

During the early 1800s, Americans developed a political and religious idea called "Manifest Destiny." Manifest Destiny consisted of two major ideas: that the Christian God gave Americans a unique form of democracy and that the United States was supposed to spread democracy to new territories. Though it cannot be proved that Providence, the Christian God, was aiding the efforts of the United States, the country did achieve Manifest Destiny.

Many events in the 1800s show that the United States was successful in achieving Manifest Destiny. The first evidence of success was in Texas. When Texas gained independence from Mexico, it was annexed by the United States. This allowed the United States to spread their democracy to a new land and new people, following Manifest Destiny. The United States also gained the formerly Mexican land to the Pacific Ocean from the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo after the Mexican War. In this way, America was able to expand its territory while spreading democracy, achieving Manifest Destiny. The United States added more territory to its expanses through conflicts over the Oregon Territory and through the Gadsen Purchase of 1854. These areas had previously been controlled by foreign people, and by gaining the territories, the United States could expose the people there to democracy, as encouraged by Manifest Destiny. Multiple conflicts and agreements allowed the United States to expand and spread democracy, attaining Manifest Destiny.

The United States was able to achieve Manifest Destiny during the 19th century. Providence cannot be proved as the reason for this achievement, but the country met the basics of the belief. Americans were able to expand their territory while cultivating democracy in new lands. Because Americans were able to achieve Manifest Destiny, our country became the grand nation it is today.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Class Update: 4/8 & 4/9

Instead of a normal class update, we are posting a mock diary entry today:


June 27, 1832
 
Life here in New York has changed greatly from the time before the Erie Canal. Before the canal was put in, I could only sell products from my farm locally because the cost of shipping was too expensive. Now, all of the traders along the canal want to buy my produce. Every week, I travel to Schenectady to sell my goods to a merchant who will take the produce West to the pioneers. It is amazing to be part of this fast trade, and I am making an incredible amount of money! I admit, I am worried about the effects the Erie Canal will have on New York. I hear that cholera has infected multiple ports. I do not want the riders on the barges to bring dangerous diseases to my own family. I also fear the crooks and thieves the barges bring. Someone stole five crates of apples from my neighbor's porch last fall. I want to become more involved with the profitable business of the canal, but I think I should protect my family. As long as disease and crime do not harm my family, I am pleased to have the Erie Canal in my home state.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Class Update: 4/4 & 4/5

In class yesterday, we talked about the War of 1812. In pairs, we reviewed various perspectives of the war. My partner and I read about the Canadian perspective of the war. The Canadians were under British rule and did not want the war, but decided to side with the British anyways because they feared American rule. The Americans destroyed much of Canada by burning villages, but the Canadians were able to triumphantly rise out of the disaster, forming an independent nation that would still have good relations with the United States. We then created a slogan, icon, and poem about the Canadian perspective. Our slogan was: "If you can't get around it, pick the lesser of two evils." This showed how the Canadians did not want to be part of the War of 1812, but chose to side with the British when they could not avoid the war.

Today, we missed class due to a half day.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Class Update: 4/2 & 4/3

Yesterday, we had a snap debate in class. After the debate, the majority of the class believed that the Orders of Council were the cause of the War of 1812. I still believe that the Chesapeake Affair was the main cause of the war. The post below elaborates on my reflections to the snap debate.

Today, I was not in class due to Accuplacer testing. The testing lasted through F Period, so most of my classmates never went to class. We will resume tomorrow by learning about the War of 1812.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Snap Debate Reflection

Today in class, we had a snap debate over which event caused the start of the War of 1812: impressment, the Chesapeake Affair, the Orders of Council, or incitement. At the beginning of the debate, I believed that the Chesapeake Affair was the main cause and still agreed with that decision even after the debate. The Chesapeake Affair was when the British navy forcefully boarded an American ship to take back seamen who had been impressed. This event was not only disrespectful towards American citizens, but was also a violent act against the United States in a time of peace. This event caused the United States to begin fighting back against England, whereas they were able to bear all of the previous issues. The War of 1812 was caused by the Chesapeake Affair, rather than the minor conflicts occurring in the United States and globally.

I enjoyed doing the snap debate today. I liked that we could compare the thoughts of other students with primary and secondary resources within our discussion groups. The snap debate allowed me to come to an educated decision on my own, helping me to truly learn about the causes of the War of 1812.