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            It wasn’t always like this. I used to live in a nice house with nice people. They fed me and played with me. I had my own little bed and everything I could have ever wanted. Then one day the people were packing boxes I wondered what was going on. I climbed into a box and saw some of my toys.  I stared playing with them in the box. The little boy watched and giggled at the sight of me playing in the box. Then the woman picked me up out of the box and placed me in a cage. I wondered what was going on. Two men were gathering the boxes and putting them out into the truck. He seemed to fit a lot of those boxes in that little thing I thought to myself. It had words on it and a picture with words I didn’t know. I try to figure it out. Sa-n-ta Ana. I was confused. Oh well I’ll get it eventually. Suddenly the cage lifted up. I saw the boy’s fingers and I playfully tapped them. I was put into the family car in the back. It was like a mix of a pick-up and a SUV. I was put in the trunk.

 After what felt like 5 minutes we started moving. The purr of the engine lulled me to sleep. In the middle of the night I woke up. I had a feeling we were almost there for a majority of the trip I didn’t feel a lot movement of the truck stopping. And there was a lot of stopping now. Suddenly, there were bumps, big ones. My cage bounced around from them. Then one big bump rolled under the truck and sent me flying. The impact opened the cage and I broke out at full speed to catch the truck. It was too fast I couldn’t catch up. I stopped and looked around. Nothing was familiar, or at least not enough. I started walking down the road to a park. I saw all these strange yet vaguely familiar things. Signs that shined in the night and flashed like the orange lights on the front of cars. I got to the park and climbed a tree to the lowest and safest branch, and rested.

Daybreak came and I climbed down the tree. There were people here. I wondered if they knew the people I came with. I wanted to focus on that but I was so hungry. I walked up to a lady feeding birds. She took one look at me and shooed me away. I walked away. I saw a man with an apron that looked like the one the man that I knew wore when he cooked, surely he would have some food. I walked up and saw a little bird and it looked sad. It saw me and watched. I walked up to the man with the apron. He saw me and how hungry I was. He wasn’t like that lady I saw before. Instead of shooing me off, he gave me some food. I don’t know what it was but it tasted really good. He pulled it out of his sandwich. It was brown and thin. I ate but I was still hungry, but the man refused to give me more food. I ran out of the place and crawled under a tree and slept for the rest of the day.

It’s night when I wake up. I walk past the place with the man and the bird but I only saw the man no bird. I looked around for the bird, no luck. I wondered where it went. I wandered the streets until I came to some tracks. I started to cross when I heard something coming towards me with a rumble that shook the track. I looked and saw three lights heading toward me. I knew I had to move. I couldn’t I was frozen in fear by the sight of this monstrous metal thing barreling toward me. Suddenly the little bird from the place chirped loudly and snapped me out of it and I escaped the tracks just in time. I thanked the bird and we walked on together. We got to a place called a motel after what felt like forever, and we rested. I started to get hungry again. I looked around for something to eat, nothing, I then saw the bird. My mouth started to water. I shook my head to get the thought out. I slept under a car in the parking lot. The next day my friend and I walked into a nice neighborhood and lucky for the both of us the first house we went to ended the journey. My family was here and the little bird was given a new home with me. It’s good to be home.

• How did you group go about making a decision for what to focus on for the project?
  We got together and set idea and points. We made a list of things that we thought would work and eliminated as we went over the list. 
  
  
• 11th grade Essential ? - What is the role of the individual in creating and sustaining change? 
  We could change the Country, with that change comes the world. Having the young people change the way we vote can put more positive look on young people with all of the things that go on with young people. 
  
  
• How has your understanding of the electoral process and whether or not the US is a democracy evolved during this unit?
  It made me realize how important and unfair the electoral process is and makes me want to pay attention more in voting process.
  
  
• How did you decide to best relay a message to a national audience with your marketing campaign?
  We just wanted to have people realize that voting is important and that way you vote affects the outcome.
  
  
  

Uyen Nguyen's reflection/Food rule 

One of the biggest thing that I learned from this unit was that about all of the food Incorporation and how the food industry really affect the economy. However, that is not one of the main thing I notice about the chapter, I also notice a lot of important facts that the general public should acknowledge. As simple as it sound, its actually more than just any food that you can easily purchase at the market or where else. These foods are going through a system that is almost like a cover up for the truth and as consumers we are not taking our time to investigate in these issues. I would like the general public to realizes all of the issues that are running in the food industry and tries to change it before it is too late. Some of the steps that I personally can do to address this issues is by talking about it at home and starting it out with my parents and friends. It might be a small change that we can do one by one, but the small changes might be able to help us spread the words and get people to listen and start getting involve with consuming in organic foods as as well as growing their own instead of spending a small amount of money to ruin the human health. 

I also enjoyed reading the facts about the new way to grow potatoes as well as how they are being describes more of a computer than just a plant. 

This chapter has changed my view on the food industry more than ever before. Also it has struck to me that there are so many ways that I can go with my diet without having to conflict with all of the unhealthy eating habits. I might return to being a vegetarian once again. 

As we sat down as a group, our conversation focused on changes we would like to see concerning voting. We all agreed that we would like to see the voting age be lowered to at least age 16, making it possible for teens to vote.  We believe that if 16 and 17 year olds vote a wider majority of issues involving young people will be addressed.

  The main goal of our project is to convince the public that more teens should be allowed to vote. In order for an individual to create and sustain change is to have a voice in the change process. Voting is the only way to make a difference all the times.

  After  completing this project my understanding of the electoral process has improved dramatically. I now understand how much decision making, and preparation  that goes in to election day and voting. Learning all the information that I have about voting, I still believe America is a democracy, because everyone has the opportunity to take part in the decision making process, but the problem is the government adding new voting requirements.   

 In this unit I learned that there are so many different reasons why people come out and vote. The overall reason was to effect change in their community. I also learned that the process in which will allow people to vote can effect voter turnout.  Having Tuesday as a voting day , opening the polls at 7:00am and closing at 8:00pm limits the amount of people that can vote. Some people work all day and cannot find time to vote.

 To create a message to reach out to a national audience, we thought it would be best to create a video, and print ads, to show what we are trying to persuade people to do. In the video and print ads we thought to use slogans, and pictures, and the thoughts, and opinions, from real teenagers to make our ideas and points come alive.   

• How did your group go about making a decision for what to focus on for the project?
  Well, I was absent the day my group chose what the focus was going to be for the project. I would have chosen something different than focusing on felons, perhaps giving the right to vote to immigrants or sixteen year olds. But, throughout the project the thought of giving felons the right to vote grew on me. 
• 11th grade Essential ? - What is the role of the individual in creating and sustaining change? 
  The role of an individual in creating and sustaining change is: being able to point out what is needed to be changed within oneself- not by having someone else point out what is needed to be changed- as well as sticking to what they choose to change by believing in oneself and not giving up. 
  
• How has your understanding of the electoral process and whether or not the US is a democracy evolved during this unit?
  My understanding of the electoral process was not as enhanced as I hoped for it to be. I didn't question voters about the electoral process because when I interviewed them they seemed to not be interested in politics. But, I feel as if America is losing its label of being called democratic. The voter turnouts through out the years have not been high. This project helped me realize what kind of people it is that don't have the right to vote. If America is a democracy, everybody living in this nation should have the right to vote! 
  
• How did you decide to best relay a message to a national audience with your marketing campaign?
  I was in charge of writing the position paper. In the beginning I found it difficult to write it due to not agreeing to what I had to write about- how felons should have the right to vote. When I think about felons I think about all the crimes I can possible think of. I started out with "they shouldn't be able to vote!" to "they should be able to vote!" after my research. And so after actually agreeing with what my group said, I began write the position. What I tried to include in the position paper as best as I could was facts to support the main idea. I thought that by doing so the audience would be convinced and agree with the idea of giving the right to all felons of voting. 

Marquis Simmons

Homemade Toaster Pastries

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1 large egg
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk

Strawberry jam
Fresh strawberries, chopped
½ a vanilla bean, split and scraped

Vanilla icing/frosting for the top of the pastries.

RECIPE

Pie dough mixed with sugar, flour and salt can be used for the outside of the pastry. The first step is to separate two sheets, one for the top and the other for the bottom of the pastry. Put the dough in the oven for a little while to allow them to harden some, so about 5-10 minutes is good. After it has its form, it is ready for the filling. Smear it evenly, but also make sure it's thick enough to be tasted. Once the filling is put onto the bottom, put the top on it. Push it down so that the filling is on both sides and begin smearing icing on the top of the top piece. Sprinkles are optional, but if they are added, make sure they are pushed into the icing. Place in oven for 15 minutes. Remove, let cool and enjoy. (I'm guessing this is how it'd be made)

Personal Reflection

My main role in the larger food system is a consumer, since I spend my money on food all of the time. This unit we learned about a lot of food related problems, some of which I already knew and many I didn't even know existed. I think the problems that stood out to me the most were the ones we saw in the Food, Inc. movie. When it comes to me personally, some food choice changes I can make would be eating less fast food. I eat fast food at least twice a week because its cheap, easy to get and made quickly. If I could do this, I'd probably be healthier because this would mean that I'd have to eat more home-cooked meals. Even though it'd have a good impact on me, I think I'd only give up fast food for a week before I'd be back at the counter ordering. It's hard to let it go.

Food Rules Slide

Serving size: 1

Material: Bamboo rolling mat, a butter knife, a sharp knife, and a bowl of warm water.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of warm cooked White rice
- 1 Seaweed

 Fillings:
- 2 Crab classic leg style (Can be bought in package at ShopRite)
- 1 Cucumber green
- 1 Avocado green
- 2 tbsps (30 g) of regular cream cheese

Instruction:

Step 1: Preparing:

Start by cutting the filling ingredients. For the cucumber, slide it into long pieces by its length. For the avocado, cut it into two halves then use a spoon to scoop the meat out of its skin. Next, slide the half avocado by its length.

Step 2: Filling:

Put the seaweed on the bamboo rolling mat (make sure the smooth side faces down). Then spread the warm cooked white rice evenly on the seaweed. Next, place the fillings length-wide next to each other. For the cream cheese, use a butter knife to make a slide of cream cheese, and place it next to other fillings.

Step 3: Rolling:

Begin with the side nearest from you and roll it further away. Avoid rolling the mat into the sushi. Use the mat to tighten the roll.

Step 4: Cutting:

Dip the sharp knife into warm water. Using sawing (back-and-forth) motion and very light pressure, slice each sushi roll crosswise into eight or more pieces. For easier cutting, frequently dip knife blade into hot water.

* Approximately, 70% is processed food. All, but cucumber and avocado, are packaged and precooked.

* Approximately, the serving is 300 calories, total fat 10g, 10g of sugar. The body will deal with this food by breaking down the nutritions, then use them. The extra will be stored in muscle tissues and liver. As always, the unnecessary parts will be[come] waste. This type of food is not the healthiest, but also not the worst. One might not get fat from it, since there is little calories, sugar, and fat. 

* The crab is packaged in Wisconsin, seaweeds are from Korea, rice is from Thailand, Cream cheese is made in Philadelphia, cucumber grows locally, and avocado is shipped Guatemala. So the farthest traveler would be rice. So my meal traveled around thousand of miles before reaching my mouth. Most sadly, none of them was organically grown. On top of that, the process of growing rice is particularly harmful to the environment, due to the modern model of farming as to increase number of harvests per year quantitatively and qualitatively by using pesticide and GMO seeds. Similarly with avocado and cucumber, where the new market set up by large corporation created a new farming culture of capitalist oriented. 

* The meal costs around $10. It is as cheap as fast food. There is n regulation on the import of milled rice. For avocado, it needs to meet a certain requirement by a grading system issue from USDA. Other products have no regulation. The major corporation that hold the ground of fruit and vegetable import is Dole Food, which is also the largest producer of fruit and vegetable. 

* These food items can be bought at any super market, and restaurants. The ingredients are well traveled, and that they are grown from GMO seed and went through a highly biochemical process of farming. Since the soil and climate of the US limit the kind of plant and animals to be farmed, there are certain type of agricultural products that need to be imported such as wet rice. Beside these types, there are possibilities of growing avocado, cucumber in the backyard. 

There is definitively a tremendous growth of my knowledge about food, particularly the food industry. I remember walking into the class with a very vague idea of how the two phenomenons science and society are intersected and related. However, with the discussions around different topics, from Fracking to Food Inc, I have consolidated the understanding as I been through the class. 

There are certainly changes that I could take. The first one is to know my food, and minimize what is unnecessary. On top of that, adding more vegetable into my diet is another step to take. 

Macaroni Salad 

Recipe:

◦ Macaroni – Whole box

◦ Vegetable oil – 2 caps

◦ Salt – 1tbs.

◦ Butter – 1 TBSP.

◦ Parsley Pereil – N/A

◦ Turkey Ham – A Whole Slice Of Turkey Ham Cut Up

◦ Bacon Pieces: Bacon Flavored Bites – N/A

◦ Peas - Half Of A Can

◦ Dry White Cooking Wine – 4 Drops

Steps On How It Was Made:

1. Stir macaroni into 6 cups boiling water
2. 1 tsp. of salt into the pot
3. Boil rapidly 7 to 10 minuets or until macaroni is tender
4. Drain the macaroni
5. Put it into a bowl (or wherever you want to put it at)
6. Grabbed 1 slice of turkey ham
7. Sliced the ham into little boxes
8. Put it into the salad
9. Pour 2 caps of vegetable oil
10. 1 TBSP. of butter
11. Mix it up
12. Pour some parsley into the bowl, doesn’t matter how much you pour but what I did was I shacked it once or twice so that it can have some type of taste to it
13. Same with the bacon pieces, you can pour how much you want into your salad but I shacked it a little once or twice so that it can have flavor
14. Pour half of a can of peas
15. 4 Drops of white wine

Who represents me?

Michael Nutter

What do you and your representative have in common?

We like Larry’s cheesesteaks, and believe in public service to your community.

·       Learn their biographies

·       Micheal Nutter born in 1957 lived in west Philadelphia and attended Saint Joseph University. He moved on to The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. In June 2002, as councilman, Nutter introduce a measure requiring college students under 23 years old in Philadelphia’s Fourth Council District (students at SJU). He has influenced much of the policies throughout Wynnfield.

·       

·       His main policy is direct to community affairs, to serve and help the community.

·       His interests are directed toward community service, and ethics.

·       We have worked together before and both believe in community service to better our environment.

        This project required me to take photos of five different people. These photos were taken in the same position and around the same place. By doing this, I ensured that there was no difference between the pictures that would drastically affect the difference in body structure. All of the pictures were in taken in a natural and relaxed position. After taking all those pictures, I went into Photoshop and cut the photos in fourths. The fourths consisted of head, shoulders to waist, waist to ankle, and ankle to end of shoe. My intentions were to put a persons head on top of another persons shoulders on top of another persons legs with someone else’s feet. However, I kept the heads next to each other at the top of the page, and spread the rest of the parts of the people throughout the rest of this page.

         Within this project, I focused on what I wanted to express through my art. I wanted to convey the different parts of people and how they can be looked at separately and more in depth. I wanted to show why certain parts of the body are a certain way on certain people. The final project conveys how people are meant to have certain features about themselves. If they are not on their own bodies than they should just be in space.  

https://sites.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/election-holiday/

https://sites.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/election-holiday/rebuttal-paper

Questions:
How did you group go about making a decision for what to focus on for the project?
We just told each other to work on each others part. And, who ever had problems we would help out. Also, when coming down to a decision on what to focus on we just agreed  

·       11th grade Essential ? - What is the role of the individual in creating and sustaining change? 
We have to always change. Because, no one's perfect.  Everyone has there own prefrefence so they are responsible for there own learning

My understanding of the electoral process improved, since I talked with someone close with the process so, he told me a lot of the things that he knew and he told me some things that I already knew, but he was a lot of help.

I thought it being written down would be the best way because people can read the interview and really understand what the person is saying other then a video because sometimes a video can go too fast and not explain anything.

• I chose to do my benchmark on Defense Of Marriage Act, because i thought it was interesting and i wanted to know more about it. I chose Keynote because i think keynote is awesome but sometimes it crews you over because it can't be uploaded to some places such as Scienceleadership.org so i had to screen shot the slides on my keynote and add it to google docs and make it into a presentation on there so that my teacher can see it, so of course i had to share it with her. If i had to do my benchmark over i would probably put less words, (i do not know if its to much words) because i have lots of wording in it and i think it looks smashed together, and i do not like my presentations with to much of information. When i first started researching my bill/law i noticed that the Defenses Of Marriage did have lots of problems, people had trouble with there lover because they couldn't marry the same race. I thought it was pretty hard doing because i didn't know exactly what to put on my keynote.