AlexisReveron

U.SHistory
ElenaMaker
6/2/16
U.SHistoryEndOfCourseReflection

WhatwehavelearnedinU.SHistoryclassisintotal,5unitsthatareessentialto
understandingtheconceptofwhatwewereexpectedtolearn.Thefirstunitwelearnedwas
aboutIdentity.WelearnedabouttheTolmonincidentwithpolicebrutality,peopleexperiencing
labels/stereotypes,etc.WhatItookawayfromthatwholelessonwasonhowtoexpressour
voiceandnotallowourselvestolabelothersbecauseweshouldn'tjudgebasedonother's
appearanceswithoutactuallyknowingthem.Gettoknowthepersonbeforeassumingwhothey
are.WealsolearnedaboutTheConstitution,whichconsistedoflearningabouthowabill
becomesalaw,DeclarationofIndependence,etc.TowrapupwhatIlearnedaboutthisunitwas
the3branchesofthegovernmentandhowtheyallhaveseparateexpectationsforworkinginthe
government.ThethirdunitwasaboutGenderEqualityandsomelessonswelearnedinthatunit
wasgenderandsexualityasaspectrum,DeclarationofSentiments,the19thamendment,and
more.WhatItookawayfromthelessonwasthatgenderinequalityisstillanissuewefacetoday
seeingaswelabelgendersfromstrongesttoweakest.Forthefourthunitwefocusedon
immigration.WelearnedabouttheMexicanAmericanwar,NAACP,CesarChavez,etc.The
moraltothisunitwastounderstandhowstereotypesandlabelsgotinthewayformultiple
immigrantsoroutsidersandsomechosetostandupfortheirrightslikethegroupNAACP.As
longasyourewillingtonevergiveupyouanduseyourvoice,youcanaccomplishyourgoal
andmakeadifference.ThelastunitwewentoverwasActivism.Tonarrowdownsomelessons
wewentoverforthisunitwastheCivilRightsmovement,BrownUniversity'sactivistfor

diversity,etc.Themoralforthisunitistofightforwhatyoubelievein,inordertocreateabetter
community.Forexample,BrownUniversitydidnthaveenoughdiversitywithinstudentsand
teacher,sothestudentsbegantoprotestpeacefullyinordertobeheardandeventuallywere.
Thereisnowaplanwith6stepsthatsopenforteachersandstudentstolookovertomakesure
theschoolhasinordertohavediversity.
OnemomentIwillneverforgetabouthistoryistheunitwelearnedaboutIdentity.
IdentityIbelievedplayedaroleineveryunitwediscussed.Ibelievethisbecauseeveryonehas
anidentity,withallthepeoplewediscussedthatwasintheconstitutionorintheimmigrationwe
hadtolearnabouttheircharacter.Welearnedhowsomepeoplecouldntusetheirvoicelikethe
womenwhocameintoAmericawhowasabouttobeseparatedfromherchildbecausethey
assumedherchildwassick.Shewasafraidtospeakupatfirstbutshemusteredupherstrength
inordertospeakup.Furthermore,intheactivismunitspeopleneededtoobtaintheupstander
traitandconfidenceinordertoaccomplishtheirgoalandnevergiveup.Lastly,withouthavinga
charactermostofthepeoplewelearnedinhistoryorwhathistorypeoplearemakingtoday,they
allhaveanidentitywithtraitsthatallowthemtoeitherfightforthegoodorbad.Evenifthe
peoplemadedisagreeabledecisions,likeignoringthewomenwhilewritingtheconstitution,its
becauseoftheircruelcharacterthatallowedthemtostereotypeandholdpower.
IbelievethreeskillsthatIhaveobtainedorimprovedwiththisyearisusingmyvoice,
writingwithevidence,andcollaboration.Ibelievemyvoicewasusedmoreeffectivelythisyear
becauselastyearIwastooafraidtodenyanyonewhoneededmyhelpbecauseIfeltbador
didntwanttoaskteachersforhelp.Inowammorehonestwithmyfriendsorwithpeoplewho
needhelpthatsometimesIambusyandcantalwayshelptheminordertodomyownwork.I

alsobeganaskingforhelpwhenIwasconfusedaboutatopic.Thisskillisimportantbecause
withoutknowinghowtouseyourvoicenobodywillknowhowyoutrulyfeelandyourfeelings
willremaininsideuntilyouexplode.Ifyourehonestwithyourselfandothersthisbuildsabetter
bond.Ifyouaskforhelptothiscanhelpyouunderstandthelessonandyouwouldfeelmore
confidentwiththegradesyoureceiveforthelessonbecauseyouunderstand.Ialsohave
improvedwritingwithevidencebecauseIbelievemyevidencetransitionsmorefluentlythanit
hasbefore.Thisskillisimportantbecausewithoutbeingtowritewithoutevidenceyourpaper
cantbeproven,soitsnotbelievable.ThelastskillIwanttomentionthatIimprovedwithis
collaboration.Ihavebeenabletoworkingroupswithoutmehavingtodoallofthework
becauseItakeninitiativewithusingvoiceandbecomingaleader.Thisskillisimportant
becausewithoutbeingabletocollaborateyourgroupwouldbeincompletechaosbecause
nobodyiswillingtoheareachotheroutorworktogether.Ifnobodycanagreeonanythingor
continuestoarguethegoaltheyaretryingtocompletewillneverbefinishedontimeuntilthey
learnhowtoworktogether.
ToanswertheessentialquestionIbelievetousemyvoiceistobeabletospeakoutina
positivewayinordertomakeachange.TospeakupwhenIwanttoaddressaproblemand
speakwithconfidenceishowIexpressmyvoice.IusedmyvoiceinmyUpstanderProjectby
addressingtheproblemandexplaininghowIwilltakeactiontopreventtheproblem.Formy
UpstanderProjectIaddressedtheproblemofglobalwarmingandthenegativeeffectithason
ourearth.Globalwarmingishappeningbecauseofoneofthemajorreasons,humans.We
releaseheatintotheaireverydaybyusingcarsortoomuchenergy,thinningouttheatmosphere,
whichhelpspreventradiationfromenteringtheearth.Becauseitsthinningout,theearthis

burningup,sealevelsarerising,anddiseasesarebeginningtospread.Idecidedhumansneedto
takefullresponsibilityforallowingourhometobedestroyedbecausewehaventbeentaking
careofit.Toleteveryoneknowaboutthisissue,Imgoingtostartoutsmallbyusingmyvoice
inorderforotherstoknowtheissue.Toconclude,Iwilleducateourschoolandwarnthemabout
theissuebeforetakinginitiativebygivingouttipstoconservetheenergy.
IfIwastoimaginemyselfasagraduatingseniortheaccomplishmentsIwouldhopeto
havemadeispasswithagpahigherthana4.0.Iwouldalsowanttofinishmyportfolioontime
alongwithmyseniorproject.AsacitizenIwouldhopetohavemadeachangewithinthe
communityusingmyvoicetoaddressanyproblemlikeglobalwarming.Ihopemyplanfor
preventingglobalwarmingissuccessfulaswell.WhereIhopetoattendcollegeisBrown,
Harvard,orBerkleeMusicofCollege,itdoesntmatterwhichofthose3becauseIplanon
applyingtomanycolleges.WithahighgpaishowIhopetogetascholarshiptoaffordmy
education.Finally,U.SHistoryclasshashelpedmetopreparetobeingasuccessfulhighschool
studentbecauseIwilltakeaccountofmyidentityandnoticeifitchangedforthebetterorworse.
Icouldcreateaidentitywebbytheendupeachyeartoseewhathaschangedoristhesame.
NoticingmycharacteristictraitscanhelpmetoknowwhatIneedtoimproveorbeproudof
myselfinordertocontinuetobesuccessful.TheUpstanderProjectwillalsohelpmeplanformy
projectsandIamalreadyaheadofthegamebecausemyresearchiscomplete.