ENERGY AND PLACE
PROJECT REFLECTION
Our Energy and Place Project was designed to make us think about ourselves, as well as the planet and what it means to us. In this project, we were asked to define happiness specific to our beliefs, and reflect upon what a meaningful life means to us individually through writing pieces. In our sense of writing piece, we were asked to think about a place that holds meaning to us, and look through it with a different perspective. Incorporating our environmental ethics along with our special place as well helped shine a new light on our individual selves. Through our essays, we had to define sense of place, reveal our personal environmental ethic, and portray what gives us happiness and meaning in our life.
Throughout my writing process, I made about ten drafts. I experienced writer's block for this project, because I wasn't fully committing to a place that I hold dear to my heart. My first draft, was about five pages of a short story about a girl living in Washington. My second draft was a poem about the ocean, and my third draft was an essay about what "sense of place" means. I spent a full week writing in other styles, but I wasn't passionate or involved with the pieces. So, one night, I was staring at another blank document, when a rainstorm started outside of my window. I quickly grabbed my paperback journal and wrote for twenty minutes without stopping. When I was done writing, I realized that I had written about my backyard and the beauty that is within it.
In my revising process, grammar was what I mainly had to fix. In my journal, I had overused commas to the point where there was one every few words! I also had to elaborate in paragraphs, so that my readers could really understand my ideas and gain an understanding of my connection I have. In my journal, I had also described what was around me, but when I went back, I added to the descriptive language to portray the beauty of where I was.
I grew a lot personally through my sense of place essay. Writing about my home in such a descriptive, raw way helped me fall in love with it all over again. I believe that I struggled with finding a place to write about because I am conflicted about where I belong. But like I said in my poem, as I sat on my roof, I realized that my home is my base camp, no matter what the future holds for me.
Throughout my writing process, I made about ten drafts. I experienced writer's block for this project, because I wasn't fully committing to a place that I hold dear to my heart. My first draft, was about five pages of a short story about a girl living in Washington. My second draft was a poem about the ocean, and my third draft was an essay about what "sense of place" means. I spent a full week writing in other styles, but I wasn't passionate or involved with the pieces. So, one night, I was staring at another blank document, when a rainstorm started outside of my window. I quickly grabbed my paperback journal and wrote for twenty minutes without stopping. When I was done writing, I realized that I had written about my backyard and the beauty that is within it.
In my revising process, grammar was what I mainly had to fix. In my journal, I had overused commas to the point where there was one every few words! I also had to elaborate in paragraphs, so that my readers could really understand my ideas and gain an understanding of my connection I have. In my journal, I had also described what was around me, but when I went back, I added to the descriptive language to portray the beauty of where I was.
I grew a lot personally through my sense of place essay. Writing about my home in such a descriptive, raw way helped me fall in love with it all over again. I believe that I struggled with finding a place to write about because I am conflicted about where I belong. But like I said in my poem, as I sat on my roof, I realized that my home is my base camp, no matter what the future holds for me.
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HAPPINESS AND MEANING
Essential Questions for Project:
1. What is the purpose of your existence?
2. What is happiness and what makes you happy?
3. What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
4. To what extent can literature shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?
Read about our project by clicking the button below:
1. What is the purpose of your existence?
2. What is happiness and what makes you happy?
3. What does it mean to live a meaningful life?
4. To what extent can literature shape your personal philosophy on happiness and meaning?
Read about our project by clicking the button below:
Project Visual:
Reflection:
Over the course of this project, I have mainly strengthened preexisting insights that I have had, and was able to derive stronger understandings of those insights. For example, I have always thought that what gives you meaning should be clearly up to you. However, through this project, I realized that each person has something to share with the world, and that they should use their drive to contribute beauty to our society/planet. I have really learned a lot about myself as well throughout this project. I was able to lay out my priorities, and take a really good look at what keeps me grounded. I realized that in order for me to stay happy and feel like I am fulfilling my purpose, that I need stable outlets, like reading, writing, and dancing. Before this project, I surrounded my happiness around other people, like if I had a really strong friend group, I must be happy! But then if I was alone on a Saturday night, I suddenly wasn't happy. I didn't know how to channel my thoughts and take care of myself, and so after honing in on the questions the project presented, I learned how journaling and reading could keep me grounded, and how ballet is always there for me to clear my head and stay physically happy, too.
While I did find many answers throughout this project, many questions surfaced, many of them were "worrying questions," that made me more stressed than I probably should have been!
These questions included:
1. When I am in college or have my career, will I favor being happy, or leading a meaningful life? Is it possible for me to have an equal amount of both?
2. Will I have an existential crisis after I'm already adjusted to my life, and if so, how will it affect my life?
3. Will the college I go to affect my happiness/meaning later in life?
4. If I was a character in a book, would I be an interesting one? Would I like who I'm being portrayed as?
5. When I go to college, and have my job, will I have time to keep up with the things that keep me grounded?
While I did find many answers throughout this project, many questions surfaced, many of them were "worrying questions," that made me more stressed than I probably should have been!
These questions included:
1. When I am in college or have my career, will I favor being happy, or leading a meaningful life? Is it possible for me to have an equal amount of both?
2. Will I have an existential crisis after I'm already adjusted to my life, and if so, how will it affect my life?
3. Will the college I go to affect my happiness/meaning later in life?
4. If I was a character in a book, would I be an interesting one? Would I like who I'm being portrayed as?
5. When I go to college, and have my job, will I have time to keep up with the things that keep me grounded?
My Philosophy Statement:
The Morality and Politics of Justice
"Now more than ever is there an opportunity to end this inhumane practice. As on April 22, 2015, there was a bill assigned to the House of Representatives: H.R. 1942 to prohibit horse slaughter, but this bill has yet to pass, leaving the slaughter process unregulated."
Project Reflection:
Rough Draft of Op-Ed:
Final Draft of Op-Ed:
Literary Analysis Essay Reflection
Growth Writing:
Writing Goal #1: Streamline Sentence
“By this, Thoreau emphasizes the fact that sometime in a person’s life, they will overlook a scenic view, or simply see a vibrant color decorating a flower, and think to themselves, “That is absolutely incredible.”
Writing Goal #2: Focused Thesis:
“While schools should continue to have a curriculum, teachers, and students, Thoreau’s ideals on education should be incorporated into the current high school systems. Instead of solely teaching mathematics, literature, and science, it would be beneficial to teach expression, a sense of adventure, freedom, and an understanding of the world beyond the classroom."
I supported my thesis clearly throughout my op-ed by going in depth with every point mentioned in the thesis. For example, in the first body paragraph, I discuss how a student learns most from hands on, personal experiences.
Writing Goal #3: Sophisticated and in-depth analysis of evidence
“Thoreau represents this idea when he is teaching a class within the play, when the Deacon Ball reprimands Thoreau for teaching the students to question what they are told. Thoreau fights back by sarcastically stating to the class, “We shall stick to the approved books. Your eyes must not wander from the page- to look at a leaf, or an unauthorized butterfly” (20).
Extended Reflection:
In addition to the above examples, the major refinements I made between my drafts were drastic. In my first draft, I struggled with keeping my ideas organized. I had to be careful to keep my paragraphs concise, while still being powerful. In my second draft, I struggled with backing up my personal ideas with stronger evidence. I also forgot to add in a hook, that would engage readers to continue to my thesis, and beyond. To strengthen my second draft for my final, I went back through the book, “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail,” to find stronger pieces of evidence to incorporate into my Op-Ed. I also researched how to write an exciting hook. As you can see, I went from an absent hook to: “Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Imagine the first scene, with the professor in the front of the class, calling “Bueller, Bueller…” while all the disengaged, distant faces stare back at him. What are they thinking about? Skiing fresh powder in daunting mountain ranges? Reading in a sunny nook? If the students knew that they would be outside adventuring in their next period, how would their attitudes change?"
As my peer critique pointed out, my writing was wordy, lacked a hook, and did not have enough evidence to reinforce my points. As you can see in my second body paragraph, I was able to take their advice, and make my Op-Ed a stronger, better piece of writing.
“By this, Thoreau emphasizes the fact that sometime in a person’s life, they will overlook a scenic view, or simply see a vibrant color decorating a flower, and think to themselves, “That is absolutely incredible.”
Writing Goal #2: Focused Thesis:
“While schools should continue to have a curriculum, teachers, and students, Thoreau’s ideals on education should be incorporated into the current high school systems. Instead of solely teaching mathematics, literature, and science, it would be beneficial to teach expression, a sense of adventure, freedom, and an understanding of the world beyond the classroom."
I supported my thesis clearly throughout my op-ed by going in depth with every point mentioned in the thesis. For example, in the first body paragraph, I discuss how a student learns most from hands on, personal experiences.
Writing Goal #3: Sophisticated and in-depth analysis of evidence
“Thoreau represents this idea when he is teaching a class within the play, when the Deacon Ball reprimands Thoreau for teaching the students to question what they are told. Thoreau fights back by sarcastically stating to the class, “We shall stick to the approved books. Your eyes must not wander from the page- to look at a leaf, or an unauthorized butterfly” (20).
Extended Reflection:
In addition to the above examples, the major refinements I made between my drafts were drastic. In my first draft, I struggled with keeping my ideas organized. I had to be careful to keep my paragraphs concise, while still being powerful. In my second draft, I struggled with backing up my personal ideas with stronger evidence. I also forgot to add in a hook, that would engage readers to continue to my thesis, and beyond. To strengthen my second draft for my final, I went back through the book, “The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail,” to find stronger pieces of evidence to incorporate into my Op-Ed. I also researched how to write an exciting hook. As you can see, I went from an absent hook to: “Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Imagine the first scene, with the professor in the front of the class, calling “Bueller, Bueller…” while all the disengaged, distant faces stare back at him. What are they thinking about? Skiing fresh powder in daunting mountain ranges? Reading in a sunny nook? If the students knew that they would be outside adventuring in their next period, how would their attitudes change?"
As my peer critique pointed out, my writing was wordy, lacked a hook, and did not have enough evidence to reinforce my points. As you can see in my second body paragraph, I was able to take their advice, and make my Op-Ed a stronger, better piece of writing.
First/Second Draft Below:
Final Draft Below:
Voices from the Animas
Read about the project below, and check out my interview by clicking below! Thank you!
Project Reflection
Seminar Prep and Self Assessment
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