Pipeline Monologue Project

Posted by Bryanna Jones in World History - Block on

My 10th grade Worlds History class is studying the keystone pipeline, which is a colossal pipe that will begin in Canada and end in the gulf of Texas. Our teacher, Mr. Block, gave us a project that consists of writing a monologue from a perspective of someone who is affected by the pipeline. My partner and I created three original monologues, from three different perspectives (old man, child, bus driver, corn, and the Ozone layer).In my first monologue "Medicine" is about a 70 year old African American male who has witnessed the changes in the environment/climate. My second monologue is about a Caucasian child who telling her mom about the pipeline but soon her positive outlooks on the pipeline are negated. My third monologue O-zone is pretty self explanatory, but he blames the human race for the damages.When working on this project I learned that one thing, no matter the size, could affect so many things/people.




Medicine


here is a a video of the following monologue
Leroy Jenkins is a 70 year old African American male. Leroy lives in Oklahoma, one of the states the pipeline will be running through. He is an ill old man who loves the earth, and hates seeing it be destroyed, but he knows that he can not really make a difference because his time on earth is almost up. Leroy is sitting in his favorite reclining chair that’s placed 5 feet away from the tv, he is sitting back in his chair with remote on the floor next to.

(He screams at the t.v)
I told you to pick the red box, that’s exactly why you lost all of your money!
(talks to TV)
Put me on the Price is right and I bet you I beat all those young skeezers.
(Looks around for remote)
Where is my damn remote?
(Finds remote turns off TV)
(Get up to answer door)
Who is it? Sara? Ugh that damns Sara.  Yes I’m coming! Stop banging!
(Says under breathe)
You little floozy... Hi Sarah, I know, I know it’s time to take my pills, but that don’t mean you gotta bang on my door.
(Points to door)
That door cost 103 dollars from the home depot, gottit on sale. So what you doing in here, oh ,oh yeah it’s 12:30 time to take my medicine. I don’t know where it is you put it in the medicine cabinet last time I checked. Told ya. Have u been outside?
(Points to window)
It is so hot outside. I went out there to get the paper in my boxer and bare feet, and I felt like I was frying. It ain’t funny, Sarah. Burned my feet all up. Mable use to always tell me put shoes on your feet and I would say the earth ain’t gonna hurt me baby, I came from it. But then again that’s was when it wasn’t so hot. I read in the Times that spring was the warmest recorded for our nation... Spring, not summer. So you know summer gonna be hotter than the devil’s butt crack. That ain’t funny. Back in my day when the sun hid behind the clouds it was freezing but now when the sun hides your like thank you Jesus! And that Pipe thing ain’t gonna help cool down the earth. We gonna die that’s what’s gonna happen. I read somewhere that they already signed a 16 to 17 year contract and they already started buildin that pipeline? That thing is so big its starts in Canada and ends in the gulf of Texas. Mhm…Some man said
(Thinks hard about quote)
Um uhhh that this is game over for the Ozone layer...And you now what Sarah I believe him. They need to leave Canada’s dirty sands alone, they already don’t like us. Sara what time is it? 12:45? You do this every time, start yapping away when I’m supposed to be taking my medicine. I may be sick but my mind is strong…Sarah, go get my medicine now .Oh and some water to chase it.
(Sits down, grabs remote, turns TV back on)

Nebraska


Lola is a seven year old Caucasian female who is not very knowledgeable of the pipeline. But she is excited to tell her mom what she learned about it today. She so excited she runs out of school to get into the car with her mother. Her mother is driving a teal volkswagen with one of the windows taped to the frame of the car, so she must sit in the front seat. Where she holds this conversation with her 35 year old single mother.

(Running out of school house)
Mom! Mom! Mom! Did you hear? Did you hear?
(Opens passenger seat door slowly, climbs in, and then closes it gently)
The pipeline is coming! It’s this super duper long pipe. You know the ones we have under the kitchen sink. Ms. Gold said it’s going to be 1-1-1,897 kilometers. That’s really long.
(Buckles seat belt, mother pulls off)
Ms. Gold said that the school is going to have to move, because they have to make way for the big pipe... Yeah,It’s gonna help America with this stuff called oil. Ms. Gold said that we don’t have any of our own so we have to get it somewhere else.So we got it from Canada, they’re nice. At Least that’s what Ms. Gold said.
(Looks at mother)
Wait,mum. Does that mean the schools gonna be torn down? But, but how are they gonna build it back up,huh? There not? Ms. Gold said the pipeline was a  bad idea anyway…They shouldn’t build it. They should try something else because I don’t want to lose my school. There are no more resources? What’s a resource? Oh…This pipeline is bad? it’s gonna burn a hole in the Ozone? I learned about it in Mr. Peterson’s class. Isn’t that a layer in the earth’s a at-at-atmosphere. Oh no that’s not good, right mum? I told you we should live on the moon mom,I told you.

(Stares through window and gazes up at the sky)


Name: George, African American
Occupation: Bus Driver, 68 years old, hasn’t retired because he loves interacting with people everyday

“Another day, another dollar.
(opens up bus doors)
Oh, hey Maurine! How are you this morning?
The kids acting good? Millersville is a pretty good school, eh? Yeah, I have the exact same feeling. Back when I was a 3rd grader I would play outside, ride my bike, and go to the park. It seems like there was more Sun back then. Or maybe it just shined brighter. I know, I know, I’m a tad bit overdramatic but don’t you agree? Just a little?  
(pause)
Yeah. Now it’s not even safe for kids to stay outside too long. Houston’s getting hit hard. I honestly feel for this generation. Is this a way to grow up?  
(pause) (gets louder)
I mean, yeah the cost of gas is BETTER, EHHH but why does that matter? We’re going to isolate ourselves til we self destruct.
(thinks someone is getting on bus) Oh are they getting on? Oh, wait, no. Damn it. This pipeline shit!....(pauses at stop light and leans back in relaxed position, calms down) (sighs)
America is so greedy, it’s inhumane. Look at this woman in designer clothes!  
(pauses)
What’s wrong with that you say... we’re in the ghetto Maurine! And her son not even properly dressed. Maurine stop your giggling, I’m serious. I can’t take it anymore. Maurine, look at this bus.. If it weren’t for you and a few more passengers I would be alone.
(pause)
I’m still drivin this bus at 68 just to see smiling faces everyday. But that’s not reality anymore. I’m considering quitting. I know, I don’t want to leave you! You’re my only reason to keep going. Yeah. This is your stop. I’m going to try to keep going for you. Have a lovely day Maurine. Bye.”

C-Nizzy
Name: C-Nizzy Robinson
Description: He is a dried up, malnourished piece of corn from Nebraska who is just awaiting his death.

Wassup, it’s ya man C-Nizzy
(cough)
Nebraska bound for about 5 weeks now.
(cough)
Look newscaster lady, all I know is supposed to have water to live. You see my skin, all brown and shriveled because this place has been havin a drought for about 3 months now. I never had any hope of living. Global what? You tryna tell me this the human’s fault. All this time I been tellin everyone “Noo don’t blame the humans, they can’t control the weather. It’s God’s fault” and done made a fool of myself. I guess that’s exactly what I get. HEY, HEY Pedro! Yo you know this the human’s fault. The reason we dyin out here man. They built some pipeline and it make it all hot, like hotter than it’s supposed to be and dry up the water. Yeah, you heard of it? Yeah global warming. Guess I’m late. Anyway back to you newscaster lady, I heard it was gonna be some flood
(tears up)
and it’s gonna wash me away. Could you please tell the humans to stop this so corn like me can have fulfilled lives? Yeah I know I was gonna get eaten away but that..
(sounds proud)
would have been more honorable than drowning. I guess they just care about themselves. You don’t support the pipeline, do you? What d? Hey COME BACK HERE AND ANSWER MY QUESTION!


Ozone

(Looks down)
These damn humans, I swear. They do not know what to do when they get something good.

(Points to self, puts hand down)
For example, I been here since I was (thinks hard)… I do not even know but I do know it was a really long time... Moon use to tell me “Zoney, just be kind to these humans, they don’t know what’s good for them”. You know I believe him now. I had hoped they would change but I am beginning to let it go.

Those humans want to put that pipeline on my baby, Earth. You know what that’s gonna do? Emit these disgusting gases. They’re gonna eat away at me until Sun leaks through and fries them all, then they won’t be able to take care of my baby. I might be gone one day but until then I will slowly die as their lives goes on.

My 10th grade Worlds History class is studying the keystone pipeline, which is a colossal pipe that will begin in Canada and end in the gulf of Texas. Our teacher, Mr. Block, gave us a project that consists of writing a monologue from a perspective of someone who is affected by the pipeline. My partner and I created three original monologues, from three different perspectives (old man, child, bus driver, corn, and the Ozone layer).When working on this project I learned that one thing, no matter the size, could affect so many things/people.


  1. 1,897 km long pipeline

  2. “President Obama rejected the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline on January 18, 2012”

  3. 900,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil  will be brought into the US daily

  4. it will take three barrels of water to separate on barrel of the tar sands

  5. 400 million barrels of water a day

  6. 100 out of 1,200 people in the “lakeside village Fort Chipewyan” have died from cancer.

Bibliography:

Keystone pipeline. http://www.foe.org/projects/climate-and-energy/tar-sands/keystone-xl-pipeline (accessed October 15, 2012).

Canada, Trans. Keystone XL pipeline project. 7 26, 12. http://www.transcanada.com/keystone.html (accessed October 15, 2012).


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