Images of Greatness Night
My image of greatness was Sojourner Truth. Sojourner was a slave who got her freedom and then traveled as a preacher. She was an abolitionist and an advocate for women's rights. What I admire most about Sojourner is her strength and perseverance. Sojourner had a lot of trials and tribulations being a slave, and even as a free person. In the 1800s, being a woman was enough to make you a second class citizen, let alone an African American woman. Still, Sojourner never gave up and kept fighting and speaking up for what she believed in. Sojourner valued justice and freedom and spent her whole life fighting for them. The part of my project I am most proud of is my display board. I worked really hard to make it look original, but still make it fit Sojourner's time period. I really like how I put up quotes of Sojourner, and even an excerpt from one of her speeches. I think the most challenging part of this project was deciding who my image of greatness was going to be in the first place. There are so many amazing people in the world who deserve to have their stories told, but I'm really glad I found Sojourner. Thanks Google! I think I grew as a learner and as a person by doing this project because it is so much more than just learning about a person. I really had to think about what I think makes a person great and how the person I chose fit in to that perception of greatness. This helped me grow as a student because instead of just choosing a person and making a project, I actually had to think and make connections. This helped me grow as a person because now I know what I think a great individual looks like, and I can try to go out into the world and be a great person myself. The part of my project I think I would want to improve upon is my costume. It looks like what Sojourner wore, but it definitely isn't. The material is not what an 1800s skirt would have been made out of. I would try to find a better material that looked and felt more like what Sojourner would have worn. I think the best part of the Images of Greatness celebration was the Bio - Riddles. I wasn't too nervous and I had fun being on stage. It was also really cool to hear everyone else's riddle and learn about new people.
Images of Greatness Field Trip
My favorite educational part of the trip was going to the World Food Prize building. The building itself was really beautiful and I learned a lot. This was actually the part of the field trip where I learned the most. I didn't know anything about the World Food Prize, but now I know about the award itself and what it takes to receive it. The people who do win the prize are so dedicated and it was really interesting to learn about those individuals. This tied into our images of greatness theme really well. I really enjoyed learning about Norman Bourlag because he was from Iowa. The thing that most surprised me on this trip was how much I enjoyed the art museum. I like art, but to be honest, I don't really understand it all that often. At the art museum, it really helped that there were descriptions for each piece. This helped understand the meaning of the piece and enjoy it more. Also, it wasn't just paintings. There were all different types of art, which made it more interesting. For my Famous Artist category I chose an Andy Warhol painting. It was called Diamond Dust Martha Graham. I really liked this painting because with the glitter it really did look like it could be diamond dust. The glitter actually kind of reminded me of stars. My group unfortunately did not escape the Escape Chamber. We came really close and I think we would have gotten out if we had a little more time. We did take a lot of time on the very first clue, which kind of set us back for the rest of the time. Overall, this trip was really fun. I can't decide what the most fun part of this trip was. I did have a lot of fun at the hotel and at the IMAX movie.I think the best part of our GOAL class is the camaraderie. I really enjoy being able to have the same kids in my class every year. We really form a strong bond because we get to know each other so well. I think that the best way to succeed in GOAL is to do your best and share your ideas. In GOAL, you get to learn about things you might never have thought about, and sometimes you might not like what you're learning. However, if you try your best and keep an open mind, you'll end up having fun. One thing I would warn future students about is the reflections, like this one. You have a lot of them ahead of you, so be prepared! Future GOAL students should be excited about mock trial. You get to participate in a (somewhat) real trial. It is really fun to show off your lawyer skills. The thing I'm going to miss most about GOAL is the bomb teacher. Mrs. Edlin is so amazing and I'm going to miss being able to see her everyday. I learned so much from her.