Final Portfolio

Throughout the year in World History Class, there was a rush of many thoughts and ideas that rooted within the minds of students as well as I. Working on certain topics that focused on issues past and present in the world, we gain an understanding of how the world and people think.  

   Participating in the sweatshop trial was a turning point for me in this class. It was an awakening, I realized how certain governments and companies (ie. ours in the US) only look out for themselves. I believe that for the world to ever change, selfishness must cease. In the sweatshop trail, the US multinational corporations, the US consumers, and the government of the poor developing countries were taking advantage of the sweatshop workers. I played one of the sweatshop workers in the trail, what I had to say to all of the people who were forcing me to work was: "We are just a worthless tool used to fulfill greed. But by today, you shall know that we worth more, and we deserve more. You are nothing without us." (Iron Sweatshop Trial). In the trail it made us, the workers, seem as if we had a choice to work in the factories. The workers choices are very slim. It’s either you work in a factory and get some type of income to support you and your family or you along with your family die from poverty, starvation, disease and other things. Also being in the factories exposes you to disease so either way life all around is just crashing. Us, the U.S. consumers also have a part in this because we are blind and naive because we don’t know what’s going on but it’s our responsibility to find out because the government and the corporation tried to put a wool sheet over our heads to make us think everything is fine. Basically human life means nothing to them as long as theirs isn’t endanger.

However, people’s struggles wouldn’t be going on if colonialism didn’t happen. If countries weren’t greedy and took over other lands people would be living peace in their our society. "Colonialism in Australia forever changed the natives, these changes can’t be fixed. They left a scar on the people that will continue to the end of their exist." (Colonialism Benchmark) Colonialism in Australia started with the English taking over an invading the land where the aboriginals once lived and thrived. Colonialism dramatically affected the people, the English exposed them to alcohol and they killed most of their people.  

In countries when the people are worn out to the maximum of what’s happening, rebellion begins. In our Revolutionary Digital story, I focus on revolutions from the past, researching I came to the conclusion that "All of these revolutions are just evidence that a revolution is a continuous battle that seems like they’re over but it’s actually the physical fighting that has ceased." (Revolution Digital Story). With selfishness, people who are degraded will never get what they are entitled to. Therefore revolutions go on and on… "Revolutions don’t end, they kindle on like an ember deep down within the hearts and minds of freedom seekers."  (Revolution Digital Story)

Even in our own country (ha! It’s not really ours because of colonialism!) troubles from the other countries knock us in our faces. The media tries to make the Keystone XL Pipeline seem like it’s a good thing. Actually it’s not. The corporation building the pipeline is forcing people to move from their houses so they can place those pipes where their houses once stood. For the monologue project, I was a reporter that went corrupted because I turned my back on the lies the media was feeding the people of America. "But I’ve got news for you, your cheap propaganda doesn’t work for me.  I will not conform to your image. You are not going to turn me into something i’m not. You thought that I could be another mouthpiece for the creed but I'm not ashamed to tell you that I'm not." (Pipeline Monologue) I thought it was important to tell the people what the government tries to cover up. Even though the pipeline creates jobs and made gas cheaper, people were suffering because they were going homeless and the earth is being ripped apart to dig for this oil.

Reading an article about this women from Nigeria but lives in the United States, she talks about how the media made her country look so bad. "An ongoing problem in the United States is that the media tries to only show the bad problems within a country instead of the good things that are actually happening." (Return to Nigeria). This not only happens to other countries but it happens in the US too. The media targets certain areas that are poor urban communities and always talks about all the bad that happens there. Rarely any good is talked about.

This world only looks out for itself. There are deceivers who only look out for themselves and steal from the poor to gain more profit. There needs to be change, in order for that to happen, we need to lend a helping hand to our neighbors. We can’t leave them worrying, and feeling helpless.  "The 50 year old child who has to rome the streets worrying about what to happen in his future." (The Somebodies - Journal # 50).

My greater understanding of the world leads to my change which all started from Mr. Blocks World History Class. Thank you Mr. Block.