Rosa Parks

1. Why is bus segregation even a big deal? Who cares who sits in the different parts of the bus? Why does this matter at all?

Bus segregation does matter because it doesn't matter where anyone sits on the bus, but what is affected is the esteem of the people being separated. To have a special spot for only the blacks lowers the importance or value of the blacks, and makes them feel worthless and not "up to the same level" as the whites. I can connect this idea to the book "To Be A Slave", where the slaveowners had ingrained in the slaves' minds that they'd need to serve their master in order to eventually reach up to their level. 

2. Put yourself in Rosa Parks’s shoes: You’re going home from work. You have a family. A small incident arises. What do you honestly do? How far would you go? (Jail? Pay a fine? Lose your life? Explain your limits.)

If I were to put myself in Rosa Parks's shoes, I would probably do the opposite of what she did. If I had a family, work, and a normal life, I would (like many) choose the safer option to pay a fine and end the deal. I would probably not question the unjust system and blindly follow what I'm told so I can feel secure and keep my family and job safe. It's easy to analyse her courageous action, but very hard to do the same. 

3. Parks’ words are very deliberate. She says, “You may do that.” What do you think about the wording of her statement?

She said "you may do that" deliberately because she didn't want to seem like she was being forced. The "you may" sounds like she is giving them permission, rather than them forcing her into arresting her. Another thing we can interpret is that she shows how she is at a higher level in character than the driver. She doesn't argue or act aggressively like some may if they were told they'd get arrested. This shows how strong Rosa Parks was in her beliefs and that she was willing to accept whatever consequences that followed.

SS Blogpost: My Name

        The name Vainavi means gold, or the Indian goddess of wealth, Lakshmi in the Sanskrit language. My mom said she named me and was attracted to the name because it sounded nice and was a very unique name for any country. Also, the meaning of my name means prosperity and the goddess of wealth, and the Hindu tradition values the family's daughters as the small goddesses of wealth in their house. My family thought that not only did the name sound unique, but the meaning was auspicious and implied that I would bring luck and wealth to the family. 

SS Federalism

Ellis Island Reflection

September 19, 1907

1. How do you think people felt upon their arrival at Ellis Island?

The people probably felt very nervous because very few of them would actually get a US citizenship and move forward without being sent back. They probably would think of ways and answers to move forward. And since the ship ride would be very long to arrive at Ellis Island, many would feel sick and cold.

2. What do you think the screening process was like in immigration hall?

The process must be very painstaking. Many would get sent back over trivial issues or lack of certain things. While checking for diseases, it was very unhygienic because using the same tool to check an ill person, the doctors would check other people. That's why even if the people weren't ill, they would become ill and would almost always get sent back.

3. How did you feel when you arrived at the classroom and learned about your fate?

When I arrived at the classroom and learned about my fate, I felt it was quite unfair, because since I was deported, I was being sent back repeatedly and called "mental" or "sick". It was almost impossible for anyone to get by without having the officer point out something that wasn't true.

Letter to Bartolomé de las Casas

Dear Bartolemé de las Casas,

After taken away by the government, I was given a chance to write this letter to you. I feel the Encomienda system is different from what both of us have learned and known. Don't you feel that all men are equal, created by god the same way? Well, that is what we have grown up knowing; the pastor in the church says that too. Bartolomé, you know this is wrong! You have grown up with an indigenous person like me; therefore, I urge you to help do something about this Encomienda system that will benefit the treatment of all the Tainos. I am being taken away because I had a good start on my education. Would this mean everyone with a good education has to leave? Why is this only me, our friends, the Tainos? Why aren't we free to grow and progress when we have given every respect to our guests who had come? All men are created equal, and you know that Bartolemé. Please do something.
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                 Your friend,
                                                                                                                             Juanico

Globalization Unit Reflection

1. How has cultural/social, technological/environmental, and political/economic globalization transformed our world? (Give some specific examples from our unit, ITN's etc.)                                                                                                                                                  

Globalization has impacted our life in many factors, like culturally, technologically, and environmentally. Culturally, this world has drastically westernised in food, clothing, cinema choice, and language. WE now see fast food chains like KFC and McDonalds all around the world, even in developing or emerging countries like India and places in China. We even wear shirts and jeans which are almost a symbol of western clothing. Listening to western songs, familiarising with Hollywood cinema and learning to speak English is very common even to people who aren't American. Technologically, the globalization of such devices like computers, iPads, Kindles, and iPhones have allowed us to now connect with our friends and family from around the world. And as the discovery of people's interests and wants increase, new inventions and versions of the types of technology are increasing. This will continue if we continue showing interest in the latest gadgets and inventions making life easier. But on the contrary, looking at the labor used to make such technology and the life span of that technology, rapidly expanding such a technological business could prove harmful. We need to replace our phones after sometime. Environmentally, the globalization of the new technologies such as cars are harmful for the environment. Likewise, the globalization of awareness to protect the environment is very strong. We are now more aware of organic foods, plastic waste, paper waste and more, using recycling bins and thought-provoking lessons in schools.

1. How has and will aspects of globalization impact your life? (Give specific examples.)

Almost everything I wear comes from globalized companies like Sketchers, New Balance, Gap, ...     

This shows the major impact globalization has on what I wear. When we look at our lifestyle, we are now more exposed to globalised foods from different cultures. Even though we are now more exposed to a western culture globally, some of the traditions like architecture and rituals are fading away. This can be negative as an impact in the future, because then we won't get to experience and learn about other cultures, and there won't be anything precious to preserve and discover. Technology wise, in many places we are actually on our electronic devices like phones before we do anything. Examples are like before eating our meal, on public transport, when we're bored, and to take pictures. Although the latest inventions on technology that are expanding throughout the years have successfully transformed our world, it is rapidly growing in an almost dangerous way, controlling our lives. 

SS: Poverty Unit Reflection

Essential Questions:
1.) Why is it difficult to escape poverty?
2.) How can the poverty cycle be broken? 

               Unexpected natural disasters and lack of shelter, sanitation, good nutrition, education, and income are just some of the obstacles that keep people in poverty. These people live in absolute, moderate, or relative poverty. Sacrifices are common to save money, whether it's compromising on nutrition, or education. For them, life would go on until any sustainable intervention.

               People in absolute poverty live on an average poverty threshold of less than $1.25 a day. They cannot afford basic needs like a proper education, shelter, sanitation and so on. The reason it is difficult for them to escape the poverty cycle is because since they cannot afford basic needs, therefore don't have many ways to earn a living to support the family. People in absolute poverty often have lack of education which leads to lack of employment, resulting in no source of income. Without the money, no one in Absolute poverty can expand their thinking and ideas that they might have had. People living in relative poverty have a monthly income of $2,000 which is significantly less than that of the average household in Singapore with $10,000 as their monthly income. People with $2,000 as the monthly income are placed as the bottom 20% in Singapore. In a developed country, they would probably go to school but no one in their family would have gone to college. They would be able to afford cheaper foods only, such as fast foods, therefore wouldn't be able to get the nutrients their body needs. 

              Although people in poverty, especially absolute poverty, struggle to earn enough to pursue some dreams and plans they had in life to earn a living out of, KIVA is such a site that can give micro-loans to many such people around the world. KIVA lets us choose which person we want to loan $25 to. The difference between KIVA and an NGO is that KIVA loans a small amount of money, and once the person's life becomes more stable and starts to grow, then they have to pay the amount loaned back. KIVA doesn't take interest, so how come the total deposits are less than the amount lent? We can recycle the amount lent to many people. For example if we give someone $25, when they pay the $25 back, I can use those same $25 to give a loan to someone else. That way, I actually only deposited $25, but lent $50 (2 people). KIVA makes sure the people have a clear vision and solid plan, because there are potential drawbacks of providing a poor person with a micro-loan, like they might not know how to wisely spend the money and instead use it for bad habits or shady work. They might also just take the money and not make an effort to change their live with the money, which would mean the amount lent would get wasted. KIVA says only 1% haven't paid back their loans. KIVA ensures the people in poverty a chance to give whatever their business is, a kick start to support themselves and their families. This sustainable intervention is what will let many people escape the poverty cycle.

              My learning about the poverty cycle has helped answer the essential questions why it is difficult to escape the poverty cycle, and how it can be broken. Understanding the conditions of people in absolute, moderate, and relative poverty make us realise that it isn't easy to escape the poverty cycle. Without an income, we cannot build our own life. But although it is very difficult to escape the cycle, sites like KIVA have given many poor people a chance to expand their business and keep the intervention sustainable. If we can give the poor people one chance to expand their business, many can escape the continuous poverty cycle.

Impact of Demographics in the Present and Future

What is the relevance of demographics to your life? How will issues related to demographics impact your life now and in the future?

    Have you ever wondered what the world population can do to our lives? Has it ever come across your mind that this could impact both our present and future? Well the population increase or decrease affects choices, and demographics help to determine strategies, making predictions for the future.

    First of all demographics help predict the future population rate, and life expectancy. It has been predicted that from a total population of 7 billion people in 2015, it will increase by 4 billion more people in the next 85 or so years. But even though the population growth rate rapidly increases by a couple of children every second, by 2100, the population will reach its peak at 11 billion, and the pyramid will level out eventually as the babies stop being born, and the elderly live longer. This is why the growth shouldn't make much of a harmful difference. Still, if the number of people keep increasing rapidly, it could lead to many issues. For example, there could be a shortage of supplies, and for supplies we usually harm the environment. That is why government strategies should be made to provide better care to the elderly and helping them live longer, and limiting the number of children being born. Although a rapid birth rate can prove beneficial for making business strategies, the population growth needs to get stabilised for further development. And finally, looking at the illustration above, having a developed world population pyramid can have some fallbacks. For example, with the people increasing, more demand of products and supplies come, which could lead to deforestation. Also, taxes and regular expenses increase, so it becomes less convenient for those who have less money.

      Singapore has a shrinking population rate. This makes it a developed country. Living in a developed country impacts my life greatly. We have better medical care, technology and facilities, education, and well paid jobs. On the other hand though, being this developed, everything is very expensive. This might make it a bit inconvenient not just for me, but for a lot of people. Government strategies have impacted the choices made to help Singapore develop further. Since Singapore is slowly changing into an aging population, government polices will focus a lot on medical care and old age homes for the future. Living in such an aging population can impact my life because the government might focus more on the elderly than the kids. This makes me think whether or not the education and schooling system gets affected too. Demographics can impact jobs as well. Jobs and business opportunities for an aging population could be doctors, because the doctors will be able to support the older people. Demographical changes could also affect the environment. As said before, demand for certain supplies increase, harming the environment. Changing demographics also will drive innovation and technology. As some business strategies, people can advance electronics for the certain largest cohort.

      These are ways and examples demographics impact our lives everyday. It is important to realise its significance. Demographics basically control our life by changing or adding strategies that we follow in our life.

My SS World Map- Countries I've Visited

Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

a) I've visited 3 continents
b) I've visited 10 countries

Reflection: This map has helped me see all the places I've visited. I have noticed that North America has the most places visited, while Africa has none. I have also noticed that recently, I've been traveling in Asia. I have been to many different places and have gotten a good exposure to different cultures as well.

Google Map Reflection

1. How did making a google map about Ancient Greece help you understand the geography more effectively than a "paper and pencil" map?

By studying the google map, I could clearly see the location, and geographical conditions, whereas in a paper and pencil map, the information would be brief enough to fit in a page, and many important details would be overlooked. Through the Google map I can scroll, zoom in, and find the sub details that build my general knowledge even more.

2. How did making a google map about Ancient Greece help you understand more about the culture of Ancient Greece?

Looking at the Google map, I could see the pinpointed locations at different positions; some along the coastline, some near fertile soil and greenery, and through that I could infer the lifestyle and culture. For Example, I could infer that since the location is near the sea, trading was a big part of lifestyle, and culture could be the items the merchants and traders traded.

3. What were the features of google maps that you enjoyed working with to make your map effective?

I enjoyed everything since all the features did some role in making the map more effective.

4. What challenges did you face when working with google maps?

Finding the specific answers and reliable sources were the challenges I had.

5. What challenges or successes did you encounter when working with a partner in this assignment?

A success was that we communicated well and did our part of the map on time, and we had no arguments on the research. A challenge was that sometimes it was hard to see each others work on the map, and it took some time to save the information.

6. What advice would you give another student about working with google maps?

An advice I would give is zoom in around the pinpointed location, and research a little bit about that. You may find some relevant information which can solve some questions that you couldn't answer.

7. What will you always remember about Ancient Greece from having made a google map?

I will always remember the location of many key locations in Ancient Greece, and connect to how the people might have lived their lives.


link to map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=z0m8kk_bYMio.kBvrddHsekVM 

Egypt Museum Reflection

How might you create an interactive exhibit that will encourage young visitors to care about the civilization of Ancient Egypt?

Encouraging the people to interact, learn, participate, and enjoy in the museum was one of the challenges our Arts group had. We decided to pair up into two groups of two since our group had four members. We then decided to combine our projects into activities that would engage the learners, while still making it informative. I decided to make lotus puzzle pieces so that they would get their own choice of the layout on the ancient walls. After that I might let them be archaeologists and infer and observe characteristics about the tile.

Describe your learning process form start to end... as an individual, and as a group-member.

I used a lot of tools to research, such as books, websites, eBooks, and general knowledge. I then put all the information into MIDAS notes. As an individual, I thought that I did my best to find all the research possible, and tried to go to all stations in the museum. As a group member, I think I worked collaboratively and helped my group members.

What aspect(s) of the project challenged you the most?

Since the Lotus Tile was a tricky artifact for me, I think research was something I struggled with. It took me some time to find the information I needed.

What are you proud of?

I am proud of how my artifact turned out, and how everyone enjoyed the interactive part about it. I am also proud that everybody went away learning something new.

What part(s) of the overall experience do you think you will remember the most?

I think I will remember the collaboration of my team the most. I will remember the way we worked together and researched.

The Wheel

So here is my Google presentation on a very useful accomplishment... the wheel! I had a lot of fun with the time I had to show my learning and thinking. Just think about it this way, without wheels, you'd be carrying all your belongings with you, imagine that!

My Archaeology Google Sites 2014

This is a link to my Archaeology Google site that I made in Grade 6 Social Studies. I hope you learn something about the history of Pompeii.


https://sites.google.com/a/sas.edu.sg/vainavi-s-archaeology-site/ 

Laptop Check

I made sure all the questions were answered, and I wrote my mom's response. My dad was gone on a business trip so I didn't check with him.

1) I will carry the laptop with me since my backpack is usually full. I ride the bus, so I will make sure not to forget the laptop, and be careless.

2) The laptop will be in my arms and I will make sure it is with me throughout the time period. I will not crush, damage, or hit my computer on the bus ride.

Laptop Care Poster

Leaving a Positive Digital Footprint

              Leaving a Positive Digital Footprint

Have you ever thought that something that seemed super cool and funny a minute ago, can get you in trouble? Not just a basic problem that you can solve quickly, but problems that can ruin your future and your relationships. The worst part is, that in most cases, you can’t look back at what you’ve done, because you just left a negative digital footprint. Think twice about posting anything, and prevent many problems that could come your way.

Photo by Google Images- Mr Frew - http://mrfrew.weebly.com/digital-footprint.html

To be honest, I never knew that there was anything like a digital footprint. When I was first asked about it, I had no answer. I got to know about it a year ago, in my 5th grade Tech class, and it came in my mind that this was something that could ruin people’s future. I started feeling really passionate about this topic and decided to look deeper into it. The more I thought about how dangerous one mistake could be, and how digital footprints could impact entrance into universities and colleges, the more I thought that leaving a footprint is extremely beneficial. As long as it is a positive footprint, it could also help you with getting entrance in jobs and colleges. If you know that you can leave a positive footprint, and not a negative one, and you think that this could not only ruin your future, but somebody else’s, it can give you a good feeling of leaving a positive print, and not ruining someone else’s.

Keeping in mind that leaving a negative footprint will ruin your future and give you nothing but regret, post kind, relevant, and respectful comments to your peers, and protect your identity from the social community.

Using Your Laptop

Digital Citizenship Agreement Pledge

As a responsible Digital Citizen at SAS, I, Vainavi, promise to respect and protect myself, others, and intellectual property while learning, sharing, and collaborating online.

Mercy Otis Warren- Significant Person Project

A person who can change history with her arguments and thoughts. A person who can help others even when she faces difficulties. A person who left a place in history. Mercy Otis Warren, a respected, pure, and religious woman who stayed strong and helped give justice. Step into her world where you will be introduced with every characteristic, struggle, importance, and impact she made.

“A superfluity of wealth, and a train of domestic slaves, naturally banish a sense of general liberty, and nourish the seeds of that kind of independence that usually terminates in aristocracy.”  Mercy Otis Warren had once said.

Mercy Otis Warren was an important historical figure that changed and made a difference in history. She was a very smart, fair, and humble person who couldn’t stand situations that were unfair. She would express her thoughts and feelings through a unique way- writing, since she was a writer. When Mercy would feel something was wrong, she would immediately write arguments in favor of independence.

Through her writing, she also helped people in the American Revolution. One example of how she changed certain laws were, she thought that the taxes were too high, and workers were paid too little or sometimes not even paid. She also thought that women were not given the same rights as men to fight in battlefields. She wanted to change all that so she wrote arguments and protested, influencing American Patriots. It was said that women were not allowed to write and talk about politics but Mercy changed that too. Moreover, she encouraged people in Massachusetts to become patriots. She was the main cause for freedom and change in history. Her actions set an example to people and changed history for the better.  

Life wasn’t as perfect and smooth as butter, there were challenges Mercy Otis Warren had faced. She faced sudden incidents, and when she thought she was ready for it, there was really nothing she could do. One of the first tragedies she had faced was her older brother, Jemmy got badly injured by the Loyalist enemies. She had nearly lost one of her dearest companions. It was like a dark cloud had released on her, she wasn’t able to move on! After some time, Jemmy’s body had healed, but his mind didn’t. He was declared insane. Mercy knew that she wasn’t going to let her personal life interfere with her professional, and so she tried to move on. What more could she do? Just as she was getting used to the incident, another obstacle came her way. Lots of people on the ground, dead- it was the Boston Massacre. Mercy couldn’t help anyone, she needed to help herself! The Patriots refused to buy the british goods, everything was in a mess, but helpless Mercy couldn’t do anything. Another problem for her and the people were that the taxes were too high. Moreover, workers were paid too little. Even extra work didn’t get them anywhere. Mercy knew this was unfair, and this time she could do something to solve the problem. She wrote. She wrote like crazy, writing arguments and protests to help. She knew that this was causing problems for not only her and the people, but the workers’ families as well. They were struggling and weren’t able to survive. Even though Mercy’s life wasn’t as perfect as we thought it was, she stayed strong and never gave up. Through her tragic times, she stayed positive and hoped for the best. In the end, she somehow helped people even when she didn’t!

If I “put myself in Mercy shoes”, I probably wouldn’t have the strength and courage to concentrate on my professional life, when so much is going on in my personal life. If we take the incident where her older brother, Jemmy, got badly injured and declared insane, I would feel like I have twice the burden of handling my people. She had lost her dearest companion who had helped, and supported her through times that she was stumped. Mercy had to deal with everything ALONE. It must have been very hard to move on, and try not to think about it. If we look at the time the Boston Massacre happened, I wouldn’t be able to take very good care of the town because I would need to look after my brother and my family. I would probably also fall short of supplies. The taxes were too high, nobody was able to buy the british’s expensive goods. It was a harsh treatment on their part, and everything was a mess. Mercy Otis Warren had to go through a lot. All the decisions she made, I probably would not be able to handle all that.

Mercy still holds great importance because without her, life would probably not have been the same in present day. From the impact, to going through what she had gone through, Mercy changed what was wrong, and tried to make her surrounding, a better place.