Charity Water

The product in which I created an advertisement for is charity water. It isn’t necessarily a product but a foundation that brings 3rd world developing countries clean water. The message portrayed in my advisement is that everything counts. The slightest amount of money can even make a difference. For example the picture located in the center says, " $20 dollars can give on person clean water". Which isn’t much. When creating this advertisement I didn’t have a specific intended audience I fell as though this add could catch anyone’s attention and would make people stop and look. So I would say my audience would be all different types of people in any age range. I think creating a print add is effective because people can walk by and see it and they really don’t even have to stop. Also my advertisement has bright color that stand out, its visually appealing. If I were to complete this Benchmark again I would do a hand drawn print add because I feel as though I created a great advertisement but it could have been more creative. 

 

 

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Español PSA/Relfexión

  • Mi grupo y yo hicimos un PSA sobre, el contaminación en la cuidad.
  • Por crear el PSA, la cosa más importante que aprendí fue, es importante ese personas aprender por de cuidad y qué es pasa. 
  • Me gusta el PSA de mi group porque, mi amigas y yo nos divertimos. 
  • Si pudiera hacer el proyecto otra vez, yo cambiaría, nada porque el proyecto era bien y simple. 
  • Please include the link to the PSA that has been posted by a group member on their own blog.
    http://scienceleadership.org/blog/Espanol_3_BMQ2-Ssapp_y_Awallace 

Quarter 2 Benchmark: 10th Ammendment

For our second quarter benchmark, Natalie, Matt and I focused on the 10th amendment and how it relates to education. 
To view our work cited page, click here.

When picking the topic for our project, our group decided to find a topic that was easy so we didn't have as much to research and more time to get footage and make our project great. The 10th amendment and education stood out to us. All in all, I thought this project went well with the American Government class and making a documentary about something interesting made the project engaging. The hard part was working with the C-SPAN footage; while they provided us with a lot of material, I wish that I could have had access to the entire archive of footage. It was also difficult fitting our topic into the over-arching question: How does this amendment affect our lives? Trying to fit education into such a broad amendment was hard enough! But what we learned about our topic made the hard work worth while. 

The best information we received was from Gillian Cohen-Boyer, a member of the Dept of Education and a professor of education. She was eager to share her perspective on education reform with us but her interview via email was very challenging and slowed down our project enormously. Her answers, though thorough and full of good bits, arrived the night before the project was due in long, detailed paragraphs. Despite the setback, our group managed to produce a reasonably good documentary. I only wish we had edited so the story came through more clearly. But my education has increased during this project and that's all that matters! I now see the complex relationship between federal and state governments; it's, at times, icy and stand-offish-full of "blackmail" and polite requests with undertones of authority and warning. I also see how, as a student, I have little say in how I am taught due to the tug of war between federal, state and local governments. It's a terrifying and mesmerizing process.   

The Black White Girl

 

Zaria Fortson-Linton

The Black White Girl

One summer day, I decided to hang out with some of my friends ad we were talking about many different topis. The topic at the moment was about what we were afraid of. When it came to my turn to admit it, the conversation went from being good, to me being bashed.

“I am so petrified of squirrels! Just there presences is enough to making me sprint away from them in fear!”

My friend then responded saying:

“Why you always speakin’ wit that proper voice & those big words? Its like you tryna make everyone look stupid.”

“I am not! I just can’t help it. It is something I’m so use to doing.”

“Whateva! Tryna act white!”

 

This is the typical conversation I have with my peers. Most sixteen year olds my age like to use as much slang as they can. They tend to cut off certain letters and make abbreviations in texts. Since I don’t like to use them, I come off as a “Miss Know-It-All”, stuck up, or even white. Being known as a know it all or stuck up doesn’t bother me as much. The one that bothers me the most is being told that I sound white. For one, I can’t seem to comprehend how race has a language. I also didn’t know that using higher-level words that I am taught in school gives off the impression that I’m trying to be someone who I am not.

 

The worst part about this is that it isn’t just my friends who think this. Even my family views me this way. When I mean family, I mean cousins and aunts and uncles. You see, my mother, step-father, sister, brother, cousin and grandmother all live together, and we all use what people consider “White people talk.” Not only that, because we get really good grades and it’s been that way since kindergarten, that also gives them a reason to classify us as know it alls. I’m not saying that we are stuck up, but I feel as though this generalization is unfair. I feel like judging someone before you even get to know them, or judging them because you were taught differently then they are is wrong and unfair.

In the passage “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” by James Baldwin, he says, “…that language is also a political instrument, means and proof power. It is the most vivid and crucial key to identity: It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public or communal identity.“ 

This quote is something of which I disagree with. Basing the way someone talks is one of the worst ways of trying to get to know and better understand someone. Judging someone before you get to know this is terrible.         

Quarter 2 Benchmark: 19th Amendment

This video was created following the guidelines for C-SPAN's StudentCam project. 

I worked with Thea Farah and Rita Willard.

If the embed isn't working, check here for a link!


At first, my group wanted to look into the ability of the president to veto bills. However, we couldn't find vetoed bills that really affect us. Instead, since our group was all female, we figured that the amendment that most directly affected us was the 19th. Once we picked a topic, our lives got a bit easier! We did have a lot of trouble choosing a method of storytelling. Although I do really like the freedom we had to pick our method, so long as it fit in the video, we ended up brainstorming for far too long and didn't have as much time to produce.

Although I appreciated that the project was formatted after the C-SPAN documentary challenge, I think that a slightly altered assignment could have been better for SLA. Maybe we could have chosen whether to create documentary videos or some other form of presentation – videos tend to be just as much about editing as about actual information. We could have had more restrictions on how much history we had to put in. My group did a lot of work on finding the history of the 19th amendment, but didn't include much of it in our project because it didn't fit with C-SPAN's requirements.

As we prepared to create our video, we found plenty of drama in the fight for women's suffrage: a constitutional amendment was brought to congress for 40 years in a row before it was passed, women wrote a "Declaration of Sentiments" that is a pointed reference to the Declaration of Independence, and more. The one point that I found most interesting was the story of the ratification of the amendment. In the end, it all came down to the vote of a single senator within Tennessee. He was in his 20s, and ended up voting for women's suffrage partly because his mother wrote him a note and told him to do so.

In the end, I liked our final project. However, I don't think it thoroughly reflected all that we learned. Instead of telling the story of the amendment, we had to think of ways to explain why the right to vote matters to us. I think that we ended up successful because our video definitely explored the reasons that the 19th amendment matters, and even tied in those reasons to the history of the amendment and an international perspective.

My group specifically ran into a lot of trouble with the scheduling and technicalities of collaboration. We had to get the video from computer to computer, and weren't able to find time to all work together at the same time. Even when we did all work together, we ended up unable to work efficiently. I did enjoy working with the group, though, because we all brought different ideas to the table. If I had to do this project over, I think I'd want to start getting video earlier. That way, we would have been able to add more pictures and other edited pieces, and I think our project would have been richer. However, I did like our overall project, and am proud of my work.

Above the Influence by Chelsea Starks

What is your product? What is your message?

My product is an Above the Influence commercial. The message I am conveying to my audience is don't drink and drive.

Who is your intended audience?

My intended audience are young adults between the ages of 21 and 30

Why do you think this is an effective way to reach your audience?

I think this is an efective way to reach my audience because in that age group most listen to the radio and don't really change the station when a commercial comes on. It's easier to reach this target audience that way.

If you were to to do this again, what would you change about your BM?

I think I would make the arguments stronger in such a way it stays realistic but there's more emphasis on the point I'm trying to get across. Overall though I'm proud of my finished product. :)
Above the Influence (English)

New York & New Jersey vs. New York & New Jersey

“New York & New Jersey vs. New York & New Jersey”

 

"No, you’re wrong it's New Jersey and New York, now you say it"

"Ard, I got chu new jewsey and new ywok"

"Sigh… pero por que tu segi desiendolo haci?"

“what chu been por que? Haci es como yo hablo?”

“sigh”

 

 

People nowadays are just so quick to fix someone else up when really there's nothing that's broken. People want others to speak what they consider and accept as "normal" when really it's just one of millions of ways to talk. For an example, when I'm talking with my brother he says that I sound like I'm from Brooklyn or if I'm Italian when honestly I don't It's just the way I talk. It's kind of stupid that people want everyone to talk like how they talk. Everyone is different in everyway. But, then there are some people that take it to a whole other level even though it's not that deep. Just because one say certain words how the majority of people say them doesn’t mean the whole world need to say it the same way. When I'm having a full conversation with different people they all say that I talk weird because I speak both Spanish and English at the same time and I be pronounce things differently than others. For an example some words that people say that I always say wrong when I know that im saying that they are right are, “Inevitable”, “Congratulations”, “talk”, “New York”, and “New Jersey.”

 

When I'm speaking to my close friends I also switch back and forth using both Spanish and English to talk to them. When I'm talking to my friends when we go to the corner store and we all are making fun of each other or something we always switch from Spanish to English. So when I talk people say that I talk really weirdly because I apparently talk “Ghetto”, like an Italian, and Spanglish. Im always having somebody correct me and I get annoyed because I know that im right and it’s just the way that I want to pronounce them.

 

“Ayo, por que tu siempre esta hablando haci. You saying that the way that I tolk is wrong when u can’t even pronounce have of the words you is saying.”

“Si pero like you say New York and New Jersey like a whole italian boul or if u from Brooklyn when u is not and u talking like one of the drugies around here.”

“I know im not cambron pero that’s the way I talk and I don’t get it, why is it wrong like how is it wrong”

“Porque tu nunca oyo los gentes aqui talking like that, you talk like a whole nut daawg”

“o.”

The conversations would be full of argument about how we both talk and the pronunciation of words ect. Also, I think that I am the only person that talks the way I do because I haven’t seen anyone else talk the same way. Like, the combination of English, Spanish and the Italian accent and Brooklyn accent. When im having a long conversation with someone they realize it imitaly and the point it out. Then that’s were it starts the argument of how Im just talking normal and they say that it is not normal and they begin to correct me and talk slow for me and they just cant because I don’t know how else to say them. So, I have im guessing a few accents mixed into one.

 

 

Now another example is when im talking on the phone to a company and I start talking how I always do my mom would get mad because I sound like im talking “ghetto” or “dumb” when really it’s just the way I talk. Why is it that when we talk there is a “smart” way to talk and a “dumb way” to talk. Shouldn’t talking just be Basic English everywhere we go and not be judge by how we pronounce words or the accents that we have. So I think that I could relate to “Tonge Tied” a lot because in the story there was a quote that said “She didn’t understand black language. I stood their nervous and sweating I did not know how to react or what to do. I couldn’t run away, I couldn’t breath, I could not even swallow.” This quote explains how I feel when people give me a weird look, or ask me about what I just said.

 

Another quote that I could relate to from the same story is when it say’s “there are different Spanish’s. “Every Spanish speaker waits and wants to hear what kind of Spanish you use. If u mess up a lot of words or the pronunciation of a word you are look down at and they will think that you weren’t raised right or you grew up in a bad neighborhood”. I have this feeling all the time when talking to my mom friends or when talking to my friends because I don’t want to make a mistake I want to speak as perfect as they do but it’s hard when I talk the way I do. If I were to pick a thesis for this story it would have to be “Everyone’s a critic, always ready to judge one’s language and style.” Why I decided to pick this thesis was because I think that it’s true how no matter what race, age or sex one can be are there’s always someone ready to judge the way you talk and will look at you differently once you open your mouth and that reputation will always follow you because of the first time you talked to someone they will always have some kind of word to describe you.

 

 

 

IMS

Short story
The monotone countdown began. The 10 ton structure sat glimmering in the Key-West sunlight. The radio chatter began to stop. “Fifteen, Fourteen, Thirteen, Twelve, Eleven, Ten, Nine, Eight, ignition sequence start.” Raymond could not hear the rest. The craft violently began to shake. A heavy bass tone rung from the depths of the craft. The liquid oxygen fuel ignited with a massive red fire cloud. The flames were sucked within the base of the structure. The count was now on 0 however the crew could not hear the radio over the violent reactions of the engine. At the negative four count the craft lifted, First ten feet, then twenty, then the tower was clear soon after that. The craft rose a greater and greater speeds. Breaking the barrier of sound. “That was some little jolt”
spoke Raymond. Ray flips various switches preparing for the next stage. The three manned crew prepares for OSS(Orbital Sleep Systems). As the crew travels for six months they will be asleep for the entire trip. As they step into the pods the countdown begins. At zero the massive liquid oxygen fires in a jolting motion setting a telemetry for the crew.

Raymond’s heavy eyes slowly begin to open. He is pleased to see paul the missions captain moving about within the module. Raymond spoke to paul, “wow six months of sleep, and I still feel like shit.” “The OSS will do that to you” “Should we wake up dave?” Raymond asked. “He will wake up on his own, but you can help me establish a radio signal with mission control. This signal keeps relapsing in and out.” Raymond Takes his seat. “Lets take a look out these windows first.” The large steel covered windows slid with much friction and vibration. Staring back at the crew was it, the red plant! The three crew members were to travel down the the planet and replace the soviet crew already on the IMS or International Mars Station. Raymond hailed  signal from the Station. “Good morning comrade, this is group system 576 here to relieve you of your duty.”
The soviet responded, “How vas da ride, a little bumby” the soviet chuckled in a heavy russian accent unlike the rest of the crew.. “ You are clear for landing system 576, we are glad to see you”. “ Any contact with earth?” Paul asked. “ We have some bad news” the soviet replied.

The full awakened crew strapped into the cockpit begun the decent towards the red planet. In total orbital free fall with no control of the craft they lowered. building more and more speed. The Altitude meeter reduced. “Three, Two, One” A massive push in the opposite direction. The reentry pyros, fired with 2 million pound thrust. As the thrust backed off, the craft slowly lowed the remaining three thousand feet. A swift clinch of metal as the arms locked together to complete the docking process.Paul looked at the crew and smiled, “We are hear, finally” After a few beeps and buzzes the airtight locking door opened sighlently to the IMS, The other side just 2 cosmonauts, Yuri and Sergey. Both Yuri and Sergey pale as ghosts stared back into the eyes of the american crew. David shouted ”Good morning, we are so glad to meet you and to be aboard the IMS” The american crew continued into the IMS, hugging the soviet crew. Yuri shot Sergey a look. They whispered amongst them selves. “Do they not know” “How could they know” “They need to know”. “Have you been able to reach a signal from Houston or Moscow” asked Raymond. Yuri patted Ray on the back, “please sit, all of you, much needs to be explained”

“Twenty-seven days ago it began. We began getting radio relays from moscow telling of the american threat. A terrorist attack on moscow occurred within soviet russia. America was to blame, how ever it was never proven. Russia responded Air attacks to america and the whole world turned for the worse. The last transmission we received from moscow, it read “Do not trust the NASA astronauts” the rest was garbled” We have lost all communications since then. Seven days ago these images were relayed to us by scavenger seven a satellite above earth. The pictures show 3 distinct cloud masses over the us and 5 distinct cloud masses of western russia. These cloud masses were those put out by a nuclear explosion. So quickly terroristic accusations turned to total joint destruction.” The american crew back away, and stared at each other for a good few minuets. They looked back at the soviets in disbelief and anger. Paul spoke for the group,”it would be in both our interests if you left this IMS as quickly as possible.” Paul turned back to raymond as he began to whimper for his now deceased relatives and friends back on earth. Yuri and Sergey both moved the shuttle, which was to return them to what as left of earth. Sergey moved to on of the various control panels,” Im stirring the Oxygen tanks 3 and 4 before we leave, they are low. As the button was pressed a loud ripping noise rang through the ship. As if bare sheet metal and steel was being ripped easily like a piece of paper. The IMS jolted around, and artificial gravity was lost. David poked his head out of the room where the american sat. He shot Sergey a look, screaming “what was that!” Paul pushed out of the room “what in the hell did you just do” Sergey responded” I stirred the tan----paul cut him off “you what, I need a damage report” Back up generators kicked in restoring gravity. The americans kept hawkeyed on theSoviets, David said “you were the last to tough the panel, what happened, you have stirred those tanks , 300 times and it just decides to go faulty now, and how convenient for it to go faulty just as you were leaving.” Your not suggesting that we, on no, we would never” Yuri responded. “They hell you would” Raymond answered. The computer responded with a damage report. Leaks in main oxygen supply. Crew survival rate 0% in 4 hours. “We have four hours to live” whispered David. Sergey between is fellow crew mates stood up. We would never sabotage this IMS, not because our countries are at war with each other, they are on earth we are on mars, to different set of values, we need each other to survive, now more then ever.” Paul nodded. An hour proceed with silence in the ship, each crew packed and boarded the shuttle home. At 0900 hours they were ready to leave. Each party still disgruntled with each other, watched there backs. As they packed into the shuttle the locking doors enclosed them. A light push and the shuttle left the station and pushed the craft into mars orbit. Yuri turned to Paul, “to get home faster we could you LWS.” Paul answered back, your crazy Light warp speed has never been tested  before!” Mid sentence Yuri flipped the switch, with out crews consent. They were wisked away at the speed of light. In only 3 min the capsule reached earth. Paul disoriented from the speed, passed out along with Sergey. the capsules quick decent through earths atmosphere was approaching. Faster and fast the capsule fell, almost ripping the craft apart. Staging pyros begun, spinning the craft in the opposite direction. parachutes opened. Splash down. The capsule hit the water at roughly 30 miles per hour. The windowless cockpit revealed little to the crew before opening the gate. Yuri pulled the hatch release button, and the door blew off. An orange swirl of death and destruction over took the crew. Black and red clouds as far as the human eye could see or the soul could bare. The Earths oceans was slightly boiling and vapor was rising, black rain was failing.

Raymond's eyes opened, “How was that six month sleep, welcome to mars, what did you dream about?”.

Tickets Available for the 2012 Rocket to the Stars Silent Auction

Please save March 23, 2012 for an adult-only evening of food and fun at the THIRD ANNUAL ROCKET TO THE STARS Silent Auction.  This year's event will be at the Chemical Heritage Foundation at 315 Chestnut Street in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia.

This fundraising event is Home & School's biggest of the year. Funds raised go toward school trips, sports equipment, fees for science fairs, field trips, SAT prep classes, and SAT applications, music programs, clubs, painting & repair of the school interiors, and supplies.

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