The second pillar of AGS
Cherokee Nation Debate - History, November
In AP United States History, the class was divided into three groups, each representing a differing perspective in the Cherokee Nation debate over the Indian Removal Act of 1830. My group and I represented the Cherokee Nation, and we discussed the matter with President Andrew Jackson, members of Congress who approved of the bill, and members who did not support it. The debate fit perfectly into the pillar of Recognize Perspectives because I not only played and represented a perspective that was not mine, but was able to recognize and listen to the perspective of the rest of the class, most of which I did not agree with. While I disagreed with the immoral and frankly disheartening actions of the U.S. Government and President Jackson during this period, I found a way to listen -not simply hear- objectively to the reasoning behind the action. Most importantly, by putting myself in the shoes of a Cherokee at the time I recognized how hopeless they must've felt, pointlessly debating for their rights in a room where the white men notoriously held the upper hand. This fits into my overarching question because it shows how the interaction of both these cultures influenced the demographics of modern America. To this day decisions such as these echo, as a large portion of Natives live inside reservations in Western United States, and face inequality in government policies. |
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APUSH Summer Assignment - History, August
In the summer between Sophomore and Junior Year of high school, I completed a map of the different communities that existed in Pre-Columbian America, which was in existence for thousands of years. It was interesting to learn about the civilization that inhabited this land well before we ever did, and their different agricultural or nomadic ways of life as they varied with geography. This fits really well into the AGS pillar of Recognizing Perspectives because through the exploration and investigation of their culture I was able to better understand a side that is not my own. Something that is so often referred to as the "New World" was never truly new, as an entire civilization and regional culture full of traditions and dialects existed before European powers claimed it, or "discovered" it. When I drew this map, I came to understand different ways Native Americans were able to survive through the years, the names of their different tribes, and the regions that were in contact. Overall, I not only came to recognize this perspective, but I delved deep into why this perspective came to be, and how it was altered through the years. This fits into my overarching question because it describes the lifestyle of the North American continent before the so-called "New World" came to be, and before it was altered by an external force. Before the arrival of Columbus, and even during, America was a largely rural and industrially underdeveloped nation. This summer assignment serves as the perfect contrast between the lifestyle they [Natives] led, and the one the modern American does. |
Empire of the Summer Moon - English, January
Gwynne, Samuel C. Empire of the Summer Moon. Scribner, 2010. In English, we read "Empire of the Summer Moon" by S. C. Gwynne, and simultaneously annotated it for interesting concepts or different perspectives. The chapters explored a Native Comanche tribe's interaction with a Texan family, and the more aggressive and perhaps less talked about side of Native Americans. This book fits within the pillar of Recognizing Perspectives as it reveals another side of our study of Native Americans, reading about them as the predators in the situation as opposed to the prey. The chapters very vividly described the violent and aggressive actions performed by the Comanche tribe on both surrounding tribes and american settlers, a perspective not commonly discussed inside the classroom. While these actions in no way equate the violence colonizers inflicted upon Natives, or suggest that all tribes behaved in the same manner, they do show an alternative perspective to the interactions between these groups of people. Furthermore, the "Empire of the Summer Moon" supports the concept of this pillar in that it makes us not only recognize the perspective at hand, but learn more about the effects and uses of the perspective itself. This source addresses my overarching question in that it further elaborate on the negative effects of this collision of cultures, and the negative experiences Americans have had with Natives that in some way has influenced the nation's identity (as superior, civilized, etc).
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Smoke Signals - English, March
Eyre, Chris, et al. Smoke signals. Alliance Vivafilm, 1999 In English, we watched "Smoke Signals," a film about the lives of Thomas and Victor, two Native American teens who lived in a Native reservation. While watching, we completed a film guide about symbols in the movie and the significance of various events. This film fits within the pillar of Recognize Perspectives because I, for the first time, saw the perspective of a Native American not historically, but in the modern era. Victor and Thomas, being teenagers as well, were able to show their true colors throughout the film and the quality of life inside Native American reservations, which is not the best. It also showed how they interacted with the general American public when they exited the reservation, and the many interactions they had. Furthermore, "Smoke Signals" supported the concept of this pillar because it made us and others recognize that history is not behind us, and that the perspectives of hundreds of people are still influenced by the events of the past and present. This source addresses my overarching question in that it shows how some Natives may hold an American identity that is not so much influenced by the negative historical chain of events, but by interactions within each tribe and reservation and the world around them.
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Museum of Nuclear Science & History - Science, April
The first day of the New Mexico trip we visited the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, where we toured the museum and watched a movie in order to learn about the Manhattan project, including the building of "Little Boy" and "Fat Man". Said bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to end World War ll after the Japanese government and its people showed opposition to ending the war peacefully. This field trip to the museum fits within the pillar of Recognizing Perspectives because I was able to explore the scientific perspective of the actual building of the bomb itself, as opposed to the political shift and loss of life that followed. By reading the journals of nuclear scientists and listening to the tour guide, I recognized the enormous breakthrough the bombs were to the world of science, separately from the devastation that followed. This source addresses my overarching question in many ways. Because the bomb was tested and modified in New Mexico, many natives were in many ways prone to the dangers of nuclear destruction, something not remotely considered in original Native values. This shows how the interaction of European and New World cultures has significantly altered the level of technology in America, and this in turn has destroyed some Native values. By describing the process of Nuclear Fission and the certain elements that are able to combine to form nuclear bombs, this trip fits very well into the scientific, particularly chemical, category. |
Taken by AGS Chaperones, April 2018.
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Observing objectively