Wk9;Blogging Assessment

The blogging assessment used in the course, I would agree with but maybe I want to alter it a little. The point system seems fair for the amount of work we actually need to do but for the content we actually put in I may want it to be graded a little more. Maybe for each daily we do, we can get 1 point minimum but also 2 points for extra. For an example, if two students do the same daily topic for the week, they will both get the same amount of points for completing it, but is it really worth the 1 point if one student went all out and provided everything you needed and maybe even a little extra. If the other student just straight up answers the topic in just exactly one paragraph, it means they just answered it get it over with or only knew a little to only come up with one paragraph. But if the one that went all out and gave examples, went into specific details, and wrote more than 2 paragraphs at least, can get 2 points because that shows that they actually know what they're talking about, they're right on point, and is obviously very educated on the topic.
The blog topics for this course isn't really hard at all. Everything you need to know you either have in your notes or we've gone over in class and if you paid attention then it should be easy for you but if you were to just sit there, goof around or not pay attention at all then its going to be hard for you to do the topic everybody else thought was easy. So for those who try and put forth the effort to put in the extra content that would make their posts better, they should be rewarded with that extra point in recognition of their knowledge and effort.
The weekly articles are right now worth 10 points each. That is understandable because it is a lot longer and more work than a daily topic. But sometimes the topics may be a little challenging to do because there are some students that may not understand how to answer it and it takes them a while to do. Plus, knowing us students, when we see something that is hard or we don't understand, we typically just leave it aside for later, then that later turns into tomorrow, and after 6 tomorrows, we're onto the next week and a new article topic is due on Friday. Then, we are behind on one article and it just piles on as we procrastinate. But I guess for now I am content with the 10 points. I'm 50/50 on it thinking it could be 5 points but then it maybe just be too much of a change since we don't get a lot of graded assignments in the class so in a way it balances the weighing of our overall average. I'm not complaining and it seems fair because it is better than 15 points, 20 points, and definitely a lot better than 25 points because if we get lazy and decide not to do it it would just drop our grade a great amount.



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Lincoln Preserves the Union

Although Abraham Lincoln didn't like slavery, was more focused on preserving the Union because he wanted to win the election. Preserving the Union would preserve the image of the United States being indivisible and shifting focus would help him gain and keep the supporters of the North he so desperately needed. In the South, it was believed if he was to be elected, Lincoln was going to jeopardize their ability to own slaves and would secede from America. So with that, he signed the Emancipation Proclamation which he had hoped would free the slaves in the South, but it did very little.

Former Slaves & Education

Although former slaves were able to study, they were not allowed to be taught to read. In 1829, Legislation made it a crime to teach slaves to read. So in order to get an education, they would have to find some other means. Some even tried to teach themselves by getting books and attempting to do it. But when they were granted equal rights, they all went into and filled up the schools that they were able to go to and get an opportunity to get a proper education but even then it wasn't as good. They all got old books and equipments while the whites all had new supplies. For those who wanted to go to college, they had to look afar because even then only a few would accept African Americans or former slaves.

My Favorite Topic.. ? Hmm..

My favorite blog topic of first quarter was probably from the first week. The topic asks, "Does history matter? Explain." When I did that post, it actually got me thinking and I realized, maybe history DOES matter. When I first learned history, I thought it was pretty boring and didn't care much for it at all. But that was only because we always read about Christopher Colombus, the Native Americas, etc. and every year was the exact same thing. Then high school history changed everything. After reading and hearing about the battles & wars that occurred, the struggles of living conditions back then, it really got me interested. I never knew that it was so hard back then and how history has made us who we are today. Our modern day is so much different from the times of 18th century. That is why that is my favorite blog topic so far, and history Does matter.

Learning By Blogging

I'd say with the blogging, it was a little different, but I'm not complaining. I honestly enjoy it actually, it definitely has its advantages because it gives us a better way to express our thoughts because in the sense of blogging, I think its more "free".
For writing pen & paper, the (red) lines on the paper are like boundaries and limits our writing and space. On a blog, you can go all out, on and on, and maybe not get tired, plus really, with all the erasing, your paper can get really messy and who would want to re-write a paper ? That's double work and is just insanity; blogging, you simply press "backspace" and it all magically disappears.
When I do writing, I sometimes like to include references and the internet is filled with them, all you have to do is copy & paste the address right into the blog.
What I'm saying is, in the end, blogging just makes learning more simpler, quicker, and efficient so you can move on and do other work faster. Don't you agree ?

Hard Times for the U.S. Immigrant

Immigrants usually come to the United States because they want to be independent, and free from the ruling and harsh conditions of their homeland, or just a fresh start for a better life. But, although it sounds easier than done, it was a long way to go and a series of steps to go through before it can happen. The trip over to Ellis Island, New York was by boat so it took a while, depending where you were from, and the weather wasn't exactly perfect conditions either. From the pictures, it seems like the immigrants aboard the ship were very cold as they were all wrapped in blankets and wore long, warm clothing so maybe it wasn't the best feeling ever but they were probably too excited to care as long as they made it to the States.
Other photos show people being sworn in as U.S. Citizens in New Jersey and approved for entry. They looked happy and relieved of worry. They also received food and meals to eat in the Ellis Island Dining Room so that must been nice. As for the kids, they were very young, probably too young to remember, but for the older children, it was excitement, it was probably interesting for some of them but it was a moment in time that they would never forget. And that, is probably the most exciting experience for any immigrant coming to the U.S.

The Song of The Shirt

After reading lyrics to the "Song of The Shirt", I guess we can all infer, or imagine, how life and work was back then. It wasn't the best thing in the world and it probably wasn't as worth it in the end. It was hard and exhausting, not like us today where we work shorter hours and are given lunch breaks. From the lyrics, the day of a worker starts very early and will work continuously until late night. A woman is sitting in a dirty, and probably disgusting, environment sewing all day for a living. She was also poor as it says "... Stitch, Stitch, Stitch, in poverty, hunger, and dirt," She doesn't get time to stop and rest or to get something to eat, "But why do I talk of Death, that phantom of grisly bone ? I hardly fear his terrible shape, it seems so like my own,"
So then, life for textile factory workers were most likely like hers but even worse because they have to do so much more. Depending on what they're doing, they have to work machinery by hand, move things around, etc. and all that heavy and hard work tires out people faster and are extremely exhausted, maybe even close to dying because they don't get rests, and work from day to night, everyday.

Six Word Story

Father. Mother. Children. Struggles. Touchdown. Fortune.

WK4; African-Americans: Reconstruction & Civil Rights Movement

'As reconstruction was happening, some Amendments were passed that affected the slaves in a few ways. Amendment 13 abolished slavery so that meant they were to be freed from their white masters. The 14th Amendment provided guaranteed rights and securities to all those freed. Also the 15th Amendment guaranteed voting rights account of their race, color, or previous condition of servitude, & Black Codes restricted Black rights in the South. Reconstruction gave slaves the freedom to be on their own and guaranteed all rights and securities they would have deserved but if they had lived in the South, they wouldn't get any of these rights as they would be restricted. I think those who didn't live in the South, were better off but those unfortunate enough to live in the South, they wouldn't be so much better let alone experience any change in rights or freedoms.'


→14th Amendment: Gave African Americans equal rights as a white man. ↓
→15th Amendment: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on the account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (Topic.01 by Mr. Meechin on Prezi) So that meant everybody could vote right ? Wrong. People in the South were required to take literacy tests and pay a poll tax if they wanted their voices to be heard.

Even though they were free, they were still poor with no money or way of payment so they practiced a thing called sharecropping. Sharecropping is the act of living on another's land and giving 50% of their grown crops as payment. Now even though they were technically declared "free" it didn't seem to be as free as one would have hoped. Those 50% of crops as payment left a black man with merely enough to sell for money and to make a living. Another challenge for them is trying to grow as much crops as they can on land that might not be so prosperous. For example, if one was struggling to get his crops to grow because his soil was infertile or the weather wasn't as good, or even, he didn't have the tools to get started! One can only do as good as the materials handed to him. Let's say a man managed to grow 500 crops of food on a fairly fertile land. He would then have to give 50% of that crop to the white man who is letting him use his land for him to live and grow. That, at the end, would leave him with only 250 crops to make to turn into an income, but it wasn't always easy.


But during the Civil Rights Movement, the term "equal rights" began to slowly, but gradually, take shape & live up to its meaning. African American children were now allowed to attend the same schools as white kids and everybody rode the same buses BUT black & white people had separate sections for public services such as restaurants, stores, bathrooms, etc and blacks were to sit in the back of the bus while whites sat in the front. So on December 1, 1955 a woman by the name of Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man because she has decided that on that day, she decided to forget about everything and stood for what she believed. "He said would I stand up, and I said, 'No, I will not.' Then he said, 'I'll have you arrested.' And I told him he could do that. So he didn't move the bus any further. Several black people left the bus". (Interview w/ Rosa Parks)


Then finally, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have A Dream" speech was one that people will never forget. He was fighting for the citizenship rights of the Negro man, "There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges". (I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. He was then shot and killed after walking off from finishing his speech.

img src: "http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/html/cons/features/0206_01/slide4.gif"
"http://teacher.scholastic.com/rosa/boycott.htm"
"http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm"