Satire Project
My humanities satirical piece is about plastic on the planet. My target is people who use single use plastics often and don't recycle. And my message is that our planet is so covered in trash we might as well just throw it away . i used juxtaposition by butting to earths next to each other, except one is covered in plastic. I also used caricature by showing no earth in one of the earths because its completely covered in trash. I chose these two because I thought they could have a pretty good impact when they are combined. I wanted them to show the amount of plastic that has been put there by humans, and that it's all happened relatively quickly.
The most interesting thing I learned during this project was that plastic was invented later than I thought. I assumed it was invented just a few years ago so i was surprised.
Satire in society is pretty big in politics and on social media. It is more effective when its about something people care about, like politics, if you feel very strongly for one side and there is satire for the opposing side it will have a big impact on you and you will be mad about it.
I give myself a 6-7, because I feel that describes me almost perfectly. I really do try to do stuff but i have a really hard time doing it. One thing i can start doing to improve my work in humanities class is start focusing on stuff more, i can sit with my friends less and try my absolute hardest to not get distracted
The most interesting thing I learned during this project was that plastic was invented later than I thought. I assumed it was invented just a few years ago so i was surprised.
Satire in society is pretty big in politics and on social media. It is more effective when its about something people care about, like politics, if you feel very strongly for one side and there is satire for the opposing side it will have a big impact on you and you will be mad about it.
I give myself a 6-7, because I feel that describes me almost perfectly. I really do try to do stuff but i have a really hard time doing it. One thing i can start doing to improve my work in humanities class is start focusing on stuff more, i can sit with my friends less and try my absolute hardest to not get distracted
African Resistance Movement
Mau Mau’s Are The True Heroes of The Story
This project was about researching and learning about a resistance movement in Africa. I learned about the Mau Mau's and their battle with the British. The important thing to know about the Mau Mau's is that they all took oath's that they lived by and when the British showed up and tried to steal their land they wouldn't back down. They were brutalized by the British and I think they are heroes for standing up for what they believed in most.
OP-ED
Jake Imming
Mau Mau’s Are The True Heroes of The Story
The Mau Mau were heroes who should be celebrated because they were able to push through and save themselves from becoming part of British control. The Mau Mau’s live by their oaths and breaking them is a death sentence. They believed if you broke the oath you would be cursed by everything. While Mau Mau's response to colonizers was very violent it was understandable because of the brutality of the colonizers and the level of destruction to their mental spirit.
When the colonizers invaded the Mau Mau’s territory it was brutal and very violent and so was the Mau Mau’s response. The colonizers invaded and killed and tortured tons of people by constantly trying to break their spirits. The Mau Mau’s oaths were so important to them that they were willing to battle to the death to protect them. The colonizers focused on the Mau Mau’s oaths and asked each person “did you take any oaths?” If they said yes, they were beaten and tortured.
The key lines in the Mau Mau oath that tell us how important it was to them and how they would be willing to die if they betrayed it are: “I speak the truth and vow before God...The unity that is mocked with the name of “Mau Mau”...the lands which were taken by the Europeans...And if I fail to do this may this oath kill me.” (Bilow) the oath was powerful to them because those were their beliefs and their social norms. The Mau Mau’s cared about their families and their land and the price for breaking the oath was a curse to them and their families. They were similar to Nazi soldiers who believed very strongly in their culture, which they were raised in. The difference is that they are not horrible people and just want to protect themselves and their families and land.
The Mau Mau’s were up against the colonizers who wanted land and trade routes. The colonizers were brutal to the Mau Mau’s and had little mercy and saw them as enemies, not humans. To exert control over the Mau Mau’s they used their oaths against them knowing that they were vulnerable and knew they could break them down if they betrayed their sacred oaths.
Some examples of the colonizer's brutality include malnutrition, torture, mutilation, sexual attacks on both men and women, and the speratration of children from their parents. One article by Jose Miguel Calatayud and Phil Moore talked about real-life stories of people who survived the British attacks and were forced into detention camps. One man’s story is that a British officer forced the man to lie on his back and then they used pliers around the man’s scrotum and yanked hard enough to castrate him. Another story is about a woman named Naomi who showed up at the detention camp and was separated from her children and asked if she had taken any oaths. She said no, but was tortured anyway. The British officers tortured her so badly in a sexual way that she ended up in the hospital and had a miscarriage. She never saw her children again.
The brutality of the colonizers was similar to the Nazi soldiers in the concentration camps. Both the British colonizers and the German Nazis treated their victims horribly as if they were animals and not other people. There was no mercy given or acknowledgment that the Mau Mau’s and the Jewish people were humans too. The colonizers were able to overlook the Mau Mau’s as people because of their own type of oath or belief system. The British attacked the Mau Mau’s in a violent way without a good reason. The violence and brutality inflicted on the Mau Mau’s was unjustified in exchange for land and trade routes. The Mau Mau’s response was also brutal and violent towards the British and also completely understandable. The British attacked them as people and who they were to their core while the British were fighting for land and trade routes, basically for money.
I can see both sides of this war, but I stand for the Mau Mau’s because they only attacked in response to the British. The Mau Mau’s were completely normal within their culture and had strong values and beliefs, just like most cultures that we know of today. The British attacked violently and with inappropriate force and without a good reason to kill and torture a group of totally innocent people living life within their own culture. In my opinion, I stand for the Mau Mau’s.
Works Cited
“Mau Mau Uprising: Bloody History of Kenya Conflict.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Apr. 2011, www.bbc.com/news/uk-12997138.
Bilow, Ali. “Mau Mau (1952-1960).” MAU MAU (1952-1960), 3 Sept. 2019, www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/mau-mau-1952-1960/.
Mau Mau’s Are The True Heroes of The Story
The Mau Mau were heroes who should be celebrated because they were able to push through and save themselves from becoming part of British control. The Mau Mau’s live by their oaths and breaking them is a death sentence. They believed if you broke the oath you would be cursed by everything. While Mau Mau's response to colonizers was very violent it was understandable because of the brutality of the colonizers and the level of destruction to their mental spirit.
When the colonizers invaded the Mau Mau’s territory it was brutal and very violent and so was the Mau Mau’s response. The colonizers invaded and killed and tortured tons of people by constantly trying to break their spirits. The Mau Mau’s oaths were so important to them that they were willing to battle to the death to protect them. The colonizers focused on the Mau Mau’s oaths and asked each person “did you take any oaths?” If they said yes, they were beaten and tortured.
The key lines in the Mau Mau oath that tell us how important it was to them and how they would be willing to die if they betrayed it are: “I speak the truth and vow before God...The unity that is mocked with the name of “Mau Mau”...the lands which were taken by the Europeans...And if I fail to do this may this oath kill me.” (Bilow) the oath was powerful to them because those were their beliefs and their social norms. The Mau Mau’s cared about their families and their land and the price for breaking the oath was a curse to them and their families. They were similar to Nazi soldiers who believed very strongly in their culture, which they were raised in. The difference is that they are not horrible people and just want to protect themselves and their families and land.
The Mau Mau’s were up against the colonizers who wanted land and trade routes. The colonizers were brutal to the Mau Mau’s and had little mercy and saw them as enemies, not humans. To exert control over the Mau Mau’s they used their oaths against them knowing that they were vulnerable and knew they could break them down if they betrayed their sacred oaths.
Some examples of the colonizer's brutality include malnutrition, torture, mutilation, sexual attacks on both men and women, and the speratration of children from their parents. One article by Jose Miguel Calatayud and Phil Moore talked about real-life stories of people who survived the British attacks and were forced into detention camps. One man’s story is that a British officer forced the man to lie on his back and then they used pliers around the man’s scrotum and yanked hard enough to castrate him. Another story is about a woman named Naomi who showed up at the detention camp and was separated from her children and asked if she had taken any oaths. She said no, but was tortured anyway. The British officers tortured her so badly in a sexual way that she ended up in the hospital and had a miscarriage. She never saw her children again.
The brutality of the colonizers was similar to the Nazi soldiers in the concentration camps. Both the British colonizers and the German Nazis treated their victims horribly as if they were animals and not other people. There was no mercy given or acknowledgment that the Mau Mau’s and the Jewish people were humans too. The colonizers were able to overlook the Mau Mau’s as people because of their own type of oath or belief system. The British attacked the Mau Mau’s in a violent way without a good reason. The violence and brutality inflicted on the Mau Mau’s was unjustified in exchange for land and trade routes. The Mau Mau’s response was also brutal and violent towards the British and also completely understandable. The British attacked them as people and who they were to their core while the British were fighting for land and trade routes, basically for money.
I can see both sides of this war, but I stand for the Mau Mau’s because they only attacked in response to the British. The Mau Mau’s were completely normal within their culture and had strong values and beliefs, just like most cultures that we know of today. The British attacked violently and with inappropriate force and without a good reason to kill and torture a group of totally innocent people living life within their own culture. In my opinion, I stand for the Mau Mau’s.
Works Cited
“Mau Mau Uprising: Bloody History of Kenya Conflict.” BBC News, BBC, 7 Apr. 2011, www.bbc.com/news/uk-12997138.
Bilow, Ali. “Mau Mau (1952-1960).” MAU MAU (1952-1960), 3 Sept. 2019, www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/mau-mau-1952-1960/.
Reflection
Paragraph 1: Pride
The topic I studied was on the Mau Mau’s of Africa. At first, I chose a culture that wasn’t actually part of a resistance movement which was the assignment. Lori gave me the Mau Mau’s to learn about instead and it turned out well because I found the people interesting. The Mau Mau’s endure brutality by the British and I feel like they were heroes. They took oaths that and strongly believed in them at their own expense. I am most proud of my Op-Ed because I got to tell their story which is an important one. I am also proud of myself for working so hard and getting the assignment in on time. It felt really good.
Paragraph 2: Difficulties
I have challenges with writing and feel like I have writer’s block. It is so difficult for me to write, so the fact that I was able to write 750+ words makes me feel super proud of myself. An example of this is towards the end when I had to come up with a few more words when I thought I was done writing but didn’t have enough. I was able to add a few more sentences by looking at Lucy’s feedback and expanding what I had already written. It got me to where I needed to be.
The writer’s block is intense. It feels like I can’t do anything when I need to write something and it frustrating and annoying. I wish I could sit down and write because it would make my school work a lot easier. My Mom helped me with a lot of the OP-Ed and helped e stay on track and actually get the words on paper.
Paragraph 3: Learning
The most important thing I learned was about the Mau Mau’s and how they were treated super horribly and not a lot of people know about it. If I were to walk up to someone and talk to them about the Mau Mau’s chances are they wouldn’t know who I was talking about. I think it is important that people know about the Mau Mau’s and other groups of people who are treated horribly for their belief system. My learning is important and is reflected in my art piece. I tried to show the inequality and brutality between two sets of people. I think viewers will be able to see the battle between the Mau Mau’s and the British in my visual art piece and feel the brokenness I learned about during this assignment.
Paragraph 4: Writing Growth
My writing growth was mostly in coming up with ideas. I feel like I was able to focus on the Mau Mau’s as people and I wasn’t as blocked for ideas as I usually am because I had feelings about them and what happened. I felt like the ideas and writing came a little bit easier because I felt emotionally connected to them and I wanted to tell their story. That has never happened to me before so it’s definitely an improvement.
Paragraph 5: Self-Assessment
I chose 6-7 for my score because I feel like it describes how I act in class. I am not always focused and I avoid things that I think will be hard, like writing, but I am really trying to work on it all. I am doing work every week now with my mother and it has been really helping me get my Humanities assignments done and turned in, some even on time. That feels really good and I’m feeling a lot better about class and like I am not drowning as much in work. I really want to do well in class, but I get in my own way, by being distracted or making bad choices like choosing fun over school work. This is something that I am working on.
The topic I studied was on the Mau Mau’s of Africa. At first, I chose a culture that wasn’t actually part of a resistance movement which was the assignment. Lori gave me the Mau Mau’s to learn about instead and it turned out well because I found the people interesting. The Mau Mau’s endure brutality by the British and I feel like they were heroes. They took oaths that and strongly believed in them at their own expense. I am most proud of my Op-Ed because I got to tell their story which is an important one. I am also proud of myself for working so hard and getting the assignment in on time. It felt really good.
Paragraph 2: Difficulties
I have challenges with writing and feel like I have writer’s block. It is so difficult for me to write, so the fact that I was able to write 750+ words makes me feel super proud of myself. An example of this is towards the end when I had to come up with a few more words when I thought I was done writing but didn’t have enough. I was able to add a few more sentences by looking at Lucy’s feedback and expanding what I had already written. It got me to where I needed to be.
The writer’s block is intense. It feels like I can’t do anything when I need to write something and it frustrating and annoying. I wish I could sit down and write because it would make my school work a lot easier. My Mom helped me with a lot of the OP-Ed and helped e stay on track and actually get the words on paper.
Paragraph 3: Learning
The most important thing I learned was about the Mau Mau’s and how they were treated super horribly and not a lot of people know about it. If I were to walk up to someone and talk to them about the Mau Mau’s chances are they wouldn’t know who I was talking about. I think it is important that people know about the Mau Mau’s and other groups of people who are treated horribly for their belief system. My learning is important and is reflected in my art piece. I tried to show the inequality and brutality between two sets of people. I think viewers will be able to see the battle between the Mau Mau’s and the British in my visual art piece and feel the brokenness I learned about during this assignment.
Paragraph 4: Writing Growth
My writing growth was mostly in coming up with ideas. I feel like I was able to focus on the Mau Mau’s as people and I wasn’t as blocked for ideas as I usually am because I had feelings about them and what happened. I felt like the ideas and writing came a little bit easier because I felt emotionally connected to them and I wanted to tell their story. That has never happened to me before so it’s definitely an improvement.
Paragraph 5: Self-Assessment
I chose 6-7 for my score because I feel like it describes how I act in class. I am not always focused and I avoid things that I think will be hard, like writing, but I am really trying to work on it all. I am doing work every week now with my mother and it has been really helping me get my Humanities assignments done and turned in, some even on time. That feels really good and I’m feeling a lot better about class and like I am not drowning as much in work. I really want to do well in class, but I get in my own way, by being distracted or making bad choices like choosing fun over school work. This is something that I am working on.