Freshman Year
WWI Night
Rationale:
World War I also called “The Great War,” was supposed to be the first, and last, of its kind. We now know, however, it was not. And the legacies of The War still haunt us today. Much of what causes conflict today on such a large scale can be seen in World War I, from extremism and militarism to international policy and global economic competition. World War I became much more than the first modern war–it became a lesson for historians on how modern warfare can have global reach. Commemorating this event entails a great deal of research on multiple subjects and perspectives, as well as sensitivity to those whose lives were affected by it. Your task will be to delve into this complex and varied event and, in teams, create an exhibit that recognizes the impact and importance of this first World War.
Driving Question: Why does WWI matter today?
WWI matters today so that we can learn from our mistakes and make sure we don’t repeat our past actions. We can use WWI as an example of the world at one of its worst times, and we can see this scar on the world as a reminder on how we need to be constantly improving to make our world as safe and as peaceful as humanly possible.
The WWI project is the project all freshman are known for. In this event, the freshmen make a booth about WWI that the public can come to and explore while learning things about the war. During this project, we were assigned to research different WWI topics such as the Western Front and Medicine. My group was in charge of the art and literature aspect of the war and how it changed after the war ended. As a group of four, we all researched different artists and writers during that time. We analyzed poems and art pieces from before the war started, while the war was going on, and after the war ended to see how the art and writing styles changed. We noticed that before the war, the art was colorful and “regular” looking, while during and after the war the art started to get dark. Artists such as Picasso would use styles like Cubism, an art style which uses shapes and abstract imagery to create an image, to represent how he saw the world.
We were also tasked to make an exhibit explaining our learning. We took the art and literary pieces and used them as artifacts for people to see in our booth. We used the research about the pieces to make summary cards explaining what the piece was, who made it, and how it was important to the war. One of our teammates drew a piece that represented the change in the art. She drew the piece in a way that showed art before and made it flow and transition to during and after the war. All in all, the night was very successful. We had over 150 people come and experience the night, making it one of the most successful WWI Nights in CCNTH history.
This project taught me how to present professionally in front of my community. I used my presentation skills and my ability to be comfortable with people to help me do well in front of the groups of people that were coming in and walking through our booth. After this project, I have become a lot more comfortable in front of my peers, as well as members of my community. My team and I worked really hard to make sure our project was as good as possible, and as a result of this, we got a really good grade and we were praised for being so professional. I chose this artifact to use in my portfolio because I was able to use all of my previous skills in order present a good final project. I worked really well with my team and we were able to overcome all of our obstacles nicely. I am so glad I was able to do this project, and I will use the skills I gained in my future projects.
Cancer Awareness Night
Rationale:
One of the major components of Biology is learning about cell structure, processes, DNA, and protein synthesis. In isolation, these topics seem abstract and unimportant. However, taught through the lens of a tangible, well-known disease, the topics become real and manageable. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Unfortunately, anyone can develop cancer. Approximately 1,685,210 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2016. In that same time frame, 595,690 Americans will die from cancer, which equates to more than 1,600 people each day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States accounting for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths (heart disease is the first). Working with medical professionals, cancer patients, survivors, and each other, students will be challenged to create a cancer awareness campaign accessible to the public and inclusive of all age groups.
Driving Question: Why does WWI matter today? How can we, as students, support our community in cancer education, awareness, and prevention?
During this project, we were able to educate our community about specific cancers by giving them visuals and stats about the desired cancer. We were able to present to many community members which spread the word about the cancers and how to prevent them, as well as how to help the people affected by them.
Cancer Awareness Night is a biology project where the Freshmen research a given cancer and present it to the public. Me, as well as four other people, were put into a team and we were assigned Hodgkin’s Lymphoma to research. My group and I were really excited to learn about this cancer because we all knew a little about it already, but wanted to gain more knowledge. This cancer was also special because I had a family friend fight through it and was able to answer a few questions we had on it over an email interview. The answers he gave allowed us to have a full understanding of the cancer as well as the recovery process. We learned a lot while researching this cancer and we were able to give a full presentation during the night,
During the actual presentation night, my group and I had a poster board set up with information from the interview, as well as some stats on the survivability, how common the cancer is, and what it actually does to your body. This was used to expand the knowledge of the guests so they could learn something after listening to our presentation. We also had an interactive model that allowed up to point out where the cancer affected and how it traveled. This gave our audience a good visual so they could see what this cancer does without having to read about it. This was very successful and we were praised for showing a model at our presentation.
Since this project was the first time I had to be really professional and open minded both researching and presenting , the Cancer Awareness Night gave me a good understanding of how to present to people in my community. Since there were people coming through who have had cancer affect them, I had to be caution and mindful about my feelings, mood, and tone. Although my team and I struggled in the beginning with communication and work ethic, we were able to bounce back and give a wonderful final presentation that highlighted everything about Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I was able to use this skill in my future projects when I had to be more serious and mindful of feelings, This project showed me how to research hard topics professionally and how to present to members of my community with respect.