CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS REFLECTION

1. What was one thing you learned from the simulations we played in class? How did this help you understand the essential questions better?

One thing I learned was that kings and other rulers had a gigantic, tremendous influence over common people, enough to split colonies and families apart. Though this can be done by people as common, I must say those ways are a bit more bloody. I also learned that colonial life was extremely hard, both of which helped me understand the essential questions better. Kings and queen (or sovereigns or Tzars) could in fact send someone to a new world without those people having a choice. And the fact that colonial life was very hard might make people move to survive.

2. Reading was a part of Cultural Encounters. When you read the books you were asked to think about your reading. What did you learn about your reading while doing this?

I learned that the Mayflower was tiny for all the people that were on it, and in fact I used this in my writing. I also learned that the natives were probably one of the better things in North America. There was malaria and other sicknesses they weren't hardened against, swamps they didn't know were there because it looked like grass, and starvation because they didn't know what was poisonous and didn't want to find out.

3. Did the journal entries help you to better understand your character? Why or why not? Explain in detail.

No, because I made him up so I knew all there was to know about him and the journal entries were simply a journal of things that happened to him and what he felt. If I didn't know what he felt I couldn't have written it down to learn about it. It's confusing, but logical.

4. What was the best part of your presentation? How could it have been improved?

The best part of the presentation was probably when the indentured servant and the laborers came and we started the philosophical conversation about why we came to the New World. It probably would have been better if we didn't all try to stop from laughing as Max came stumbling out pretending to be getting whipped. It was just so funny!

5. What was the biggest learning you gained from this unit? Explain with details.

The biggest thing I learned was probably that Americans were not the best things that happened to America. I find this sadly ironic. However in all fairness, it can be said that Earthlings were probably not the best things that happened to Earth. I find this even more sadly ironic. But I digress. I think that when the British suddenly decided to go to America, several very bad things happened: 1) Native Americans were killed in droves. Sure, they fought back, but how many times out of ten did they start it? In fact, even when they did start it, it was Britain's fault for coming there in the first place. 2) Their guns eventually caused a scarcity of animals in some areas, 3) trees were cut down to make tobacco fields, (Smoking?) 4) and speaking of tobacco, I wonder if I've mentioned the hundreds of slaves, and 5) finally turning the USA into a big ugly concrete monstrosity, racism still going strong, and now famous for it's award-winning status as one of the highest polluters in the world, higher per person than all of China or Canada, or any of the other huge countries in the world. And so ya know, I'd like to speak with the person who made the US national anthem about a war. Goes to show, I guess.