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What do you realize you have improved upon? Give examples.
Reading all my writing assignments, I could see some areas that I have improved upon such as, organization and ideas. At the start of the year, I had a hard time organizing my paragraphs and putting my ideas in a way that clearly states my opinion. Now, I am pretty comfortable about organizing my ideas so that readers could easily follow my writing without any difficulties of understanding.

What do you think you still need to work on in relation to your writing?
I still need to work on my word choice since I use some words inappropriately and sentence doesn’t flow smoothly. There are so many new words that I learnt this year, and I still face some difficulties making sentences with those words.

Overall, I am very proud of myself because I could see my writings improving gradually since the start of 8th grade and I hope I am prepared to go to high school next year!

What was the most rewarding experience of the week? (What left you feeling like you overcame an obstacle or made you a stronger person)?

The most rewarding experience of Yangshuo trip would be camping and abseiling. They are both something that I haven’t done before. I have never been to camping before, and eco-camp was quite an interesting experience for me. I had a pretty hard time sleeping in the hut because of all the bugs and mosquitoes, but after going through all of it, I feel fortunate that I had that experience that I would never be able to do it in the future. Abseiling is also one of the most rewarding experience because it was both enjoying and challenging. I am scared of heights and it was really a huge decision for me to just go for it and push me towards my limit.

What was the most difficult experience of the week? (What really pushed you to your limits)?

Biking was the hardest activity than any other activities because it really pushed me to my limits. Originally, I am not that strong at biking and it was really hard for me because I almost got lost when I had only eaten one banana for lunch before the three-hour long biking. I accidently spilled my water on the muddy ground and there was no water for me throughout the whole biking activity. I am also scared of animals, especially dogs, and Yangshuo had so many unleashed dogs everywhere I went. There were people who were really fast and some people were slow; I was neither fast nor slow, so I was just biking in the middle and one time I got really tired and there was nobody in front of me nor behind me. I was just resting for a minute and suddenly a mad dog just came near me and it started barking at me. I got so scared that I dropped my bike on the ground and started running backwards. I shouted so many times for help but there was nobody. Later, after running for about three minutes, the chinaclimb person came and he saved me from that mad dog. Biking was just a sheer purgatory.

Imagine in 10 years from now, what will you remember about this week?

I would definitely remember the beautiful scenery of Yangshuo because it was really green and full of mountains. I would also remember camping day, abseiling, and mud caving. They were something that I have first experienced and it was the most memorable events in Yangshuo trip.

Observation of Yangshyo map

Yangshuo is located in Southern China, Guangxi. Guangxi is encompassed by Guizhou, Yunna, Hunan, and Guangdong. Guilin has lots of mountaints and they have Li River. Li River is located between Guilin and Yangshuo and it is where we are going kayaking. Yangshuo is a city and the place seems pretty simple in the map. Yangshuo has Li River at East and there one bridge on Li River.

Questions of History:

Source One:
What does the following quote tell you about the history of Guilin? Has it only recently been a destination for visitors?

Yes, Guilin, especially Yangshuo attracts many tourists mainly because of Li River and the West Hills in Guiping. Yangshuo is referred as the best of Guilin.
Maybe the scenery of Guilin is so beautiful and epic that people who haven’t been there don’t know how much beautiful it is.
“I often sent pictures of the hills of Guilin which I painted to friends back home, but few believed what they saw.”

Source Two:
How have Han Chinese ruled Guilin historically? Han Chinese was ruled by barbaric and aboriginal tribes.

What does this tell you about the ethnic groups that live in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region?
The ethnic groups in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has a fair measure of independence and they are the largest ethnic minority comprised of Zhuang people.

When was the Ling Canal constructed? How did this canal influence the history and economy of Guilin?
Ling Canal was constructed in the 3rd century B.C.E. The Ling Canal became an important trading post route between central China and southern posts of Guangdong which promoted agricultural production in Guilin’s surrounding fertile valleys.

Source Three:
Why were canal built throughout the city of Guilin?
Canal built throughout the city of Guilin so that food supplies could be directly transported from the food-productive Yangtze plain to the farthest southewesrn point of the empire.

When was Guilin declared under the “protection of historical and cultural heritage?” Guilin declared under the “protection of historical and cultural heritage” in 1981.

Why would this be important or significant for the city? For the protection of the environment?
The protection of historical and cultural heritage is significantly important for the city because it not only protects the environment but also it is the main reason why so many tourists like to visit Guilin. If Guilin was developed as technology city, it would be just like any other cities in China and not that many tourists would have opportunity to enjoy the scenery.

What are some of the local industries in Guilin?
Some of the local industries in Guilin are pharmaceutical goods, tires, machinery, fertilizer, silk, perfume, wine, team cinnamon, herbal medicine

What are some of the agricultural products? What do these tell you about geography of Guilin?
Some of the agricultural products are Shatian Pomelo, summer orange, Fructus Momordicae, ginkgo, moon persimmon, Lipu Tara, Sanhua Alcohol, pepper sauce, fermented bean curd, Guilin Rice Noodle, water chestnut, grain, fish and dried bean milk cream in tight rolls.

PEOPLE

According to the following site http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/ce/cebe/eng/hxsz/t71999.htm (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China), which ethnic groups live in the Guangxi Region?
There are total of 12 minority ethnic groups. (Link does not work)

What evidence tells us that the level of education in Guangxi is still lower than the rest of China?
The low proportion of people with a higher education and the overall education level of the population tells us that the level of education in Guangxi is still lower than the rest of China. Also, the illiterate rate is 3.79% in Guangxi.

For what reasons do the inhabitants of this region move elsewhere in China? Where do they go?
The inhabitants of Guanxi often move elsewhere as a result of job seeking, with other causes, such as studying and trading, work transfer and visiting friends or relatives. Cities with well-developed industries, trade and transportation are the main destination for most migrants.

The UNICEF article about an internet project here in China tells us a lot about the extent of the digital divide for people in the Guangxi region. What conclusions can you draw about this topic from this information? Identify 2.

Firstly, an internal project of the extent of the digital divide for people in Guangxi region engages young kids from diver rural and urban areas to research issue of common interest using the Internet and provide them a new way to educate them.
Secondly, computers and Internet access provided students to learn to share information together and seek answer to questions actively.

ENVIRONMENT

According to Jordan Clary, what is ‘karst topography’?
Karst topography is characterized by many caverns and sinkholes that form b the dissolution of limestone or other carbonate rocks. The view from atop Moon Hill near Guilin is a good sense of karst topography

Explain in your own words what the 4 factors are that created the type of karst seen in Guilin.
Compact carbonate rock.
Strong uplift (collision of India with Asia to form Himalaya)
Monsoon climate of high moisture during the warmest season.
no glaciers.

Whose research did Clary base her information on?

Clary’s article gives us a number of images of Guilin. Identify one that you are looking forward to.
I am looking forward biking the most because even though I am not good at biking, it would give me a look at what life in rural southern China is really like. I only have been to big cities in China, so I want to experience what it is like in rural areas in China.

Dada is one of the different types of art. Three most interesting visual characteristics of dada art is that dada is usually wild, whimsical and no rules to be followed and it is not meant for inspiration. However, in my own dada, I was trying to focus on earthy things, so I used lots of different earthy materials that I found on the road or in the refrigerator to create my dada. I used garlics, different types of plants, banana pill for mouth and also red pepper for the nose. This work reflects on various earthy things that human might see or taste without noticing how much precious and important they are. For example, plants/trees are something that we see everyday life but some people are still not realizing the importance of them. My sculpture represents our own world that consists of plants, trees, sun, clouds and foods. The reason why I put so many plants is because I hope we could plant more trees in the future that could make our planet better place. My sculpture is a way to show people how many earthy things exist on Earth and that how important it is to protect them. But I also do not want my viewers to get inspiration or anything from my dada because it is just meant to inspire people and I hope people could just have fun and enjoy from looking at my dada!

I used lots of different media to complete my dada. For the base, I used green water color to make it look more ‘earthy’ and I also used sponge for the sun, cotton for the cloud, water melon outer skin for my hair, chopsticks for the tree trunks/boughs and branches, green cotton for leaves, pepper for my nose, garlic for my eye, black beans for my freckles and also real plants for decorations and my hair bangs. The reason why I chose this topic is because I am interested in trees and other earthy things such as potatoes or onions that exist on Earth but no other planets. I was hoping to let viewers know that my topic is about earthy things with only a glance at my dada. I chose two are principles: balance and variety. My overall dada head is quite balanced with almost same amount of things on the left and the right and my dada also includes different shapes and colors. I chose balance because I wanted my dada to be ordinary just like a real person’s head, I did not want it to be too chaos; I chose variety because art work seems more ‘full’ when there are lots of different shapes and colors. My dada head is mainly green but there are different kinds of green, light green dark green, and also there are red, white, yellow and orange. I integrated two art principles by putting similar amount of materials on both sides, left and right, and also I put different types of trees, some are fake that I made myself and some are real.

In creating this sculpture, I found that dada really didn’t need any rules or limits. Earthy things was also a broad topic for me to choose media and I really enjoyed it when I had the ability to choose anything I like to on dada. I feel that my work is a little different from others because I used many organic materials to fully express my theme but I still feel confidant in my work since mine is a little special from others. What I discovered from this project is that art, especially dada, is really free with no boundaries that could be used to exhibit anything I want. Plus, because dada has no limit, it is hard to draw the first step, but once I get started with it, there is no stop.

Facts of Space Exploration

In my opinion, the space exploration does not worth the cost because first of all, it is really expensive even though it might only take up 0.7% percent of United State government’s total spending, and second of all, the astronauts lives could be put into risky environment and lastly, some scientists argue that they are not sure if research in space would really provide information more quickly than research that can be done on Earth.

Just counting poverty rate in United States, 35.9 million people are living under poverty line and it is not very considerate of scientists to put so much money on space exploration. There are people who are starving now and I think it is selfish of ‘wealthy’ people to squander so much money one space exploration when they are not even sure if they would be able to find new discoveries or not. In addition, it’s not only the problem of poor people but also the children’s education and medical research. The more the money is spent on space exploration, the lesser the education and medical research would be. Secondly, the astronauts lives are also in risk because our technology is not that developed to make sure that the space shuttle can land on Mars or any other planets with 100% conviction. Also, some scientists argue that research on Earth could be more faster and quicker than going to space. If those scientists are convincing is right, then space exploration is really a waste of money and it that choice lies upon us who could save so many poor people or could choose to stick to the space shuttle.

Clarifying Questions:
What is the conflict?

The conflict is between pro-predator drones and anti-predators drones whether predator drones are acceptable for military purposes mainly in Afghanistan and Iraq

What groups are involved?

Anti-predator drones and pro-predator drones are involved.(They both are Americans)

Where is the conflict taking place?

The conflict is taking place in American among Americans.

How long has the conflict been going on?

The conflict has been going since 1995 when predator drones were first started used for military purposes.

Probing Questions:
What assumptions are being made about the conflict?   (consider news/media)

Pro-predator drones assume that predator drones are going to solve the problems between Afghanistan and America by killing all the insurgents and terrorists.

Anti-predator drones assume that predator drones will not solve any problems between Afghanistan and America but cause more problems in the future.

What bias exists in these assumptions? (consider the source)

Pro-predator drones are biased because they think all the Afghans are terrorists and are trying to harm their country(America).

What role do cultural values play in the conflict?

Two different culture and religion in Afghanistan and America caused the conflict because they are the main reasons why Taliban are trying to terrorize America and America is trying to confront them by using predator drones.

How has this conflict been perpetuated over time?  What influence has the past had on the present? (social institutions, mass media, political institutions, economics)

This conflict is perpetuated since 9/11. If Talibans and Bin Ladin hadn’t attempted to terrorize the twin tower on 2001 9/11, then America and Afghanistan wouldn’t have started a war and if war hadn’t broke, then pro-predator drones and anti-predator drones wouldn’t have this conflict whether using predator drones would cease the problem or cause more problems.

1. What is Dada Art about?

Dada is one of the different types of art. Dada is abnormal and different from other normal art because it is mostly about anti-war. The reason why it is anti-war is because Dada was first shown during World War 1 and artists convened and produced Dadaism that was sometimes censured for being too ridiculous and meaningless. Modern artists, on the other hand, praise Dada for setting a starting point of performance air, an influence on pop art.

2 .    How would you know Dada Art if you saw it? List 3 key visual characteristics. (3 pts.)

1. Dada is usually very wild and whimsical.
2. Dada Art has no rules to be followed accordingly.
3. Dada Art is not meant to be for inspiration, so if I could sense or guess and interpretate  what the artists was trying to tell by his/her art work, then there is low chance of being Dada Art.

3. What things influenced Dada Art besides World War 1?

Even though World War 1 influenced Dada Art the most, sexism, racism and also traditional beliefs and conventional beliefs affected Dada Art.

4.    Name 4 artists who created Dada Art. Include pictures of their work.

Beatrice Wood- an American artist who was dubbed as the “Mama of Dada”

Hannah Höch- a German Dada artist

Max Ernst- a German painter, sculptor, and poet and one of the pioneers of Dada art.

George Grosz- a German artist and a prominent member of the Dada group

5.     What is Surrealism about?

Surrealism is visual artworks and writing of the group members. Surrealism is work of art that was unusual during 1920s and it features of element was very unexpected and surprising. Artists, thinkers and researchers who were brought by Surrealism searched for the definition of new humankind and also a new social order.

6. Define juxtaposition

The formal definition of Juxtaposition is an act of placing close together or side by side.

This is an art piece I did in school. This project is called, Realism to Abstraction. We were suppose to choose an object and change it into abstract picture by using geometrical shapes.

1. Who is Theo Van Doesburg? How does he relate to this project?

Theo Van Doesburg was a Dutch Neo-Plasticist Painter from 1883 to 1930 who founded De Stijl. Theo’s early work is influenced by Vincent van Gogh in style and subject. Later, Theo Van Doesburg’s paintings was originated more from the mind than everyday life and the successful outcome of this was the abstraction. Theo Van Doesburg relate to this project because during his time most artists were only thinking about ‘realism’ and never thought of using only shapes to symbolize that object. Theo Van Doesburg was a founder of the Abstraction-Creation association. Some of activities Theo Van Doesburg had apart from his painting was architecture, designing houses and also typography.

2.What is abstraction?

In my opinion, I think abstraction in art term refers to a type of art with which artists  only find the major ‘theme’ of an original art work and make some alternations into simple forms, taking details out and using only shapes. There are lots of details in original painting, but when a person abstract the painting, he/she finds certain things more important than others and some things that can be taken out.

3. What were the steps you completed in producing a series of drawings that started out realistic and transitioned to something abstract?

Firstly, I picked an object and drew every single details without making any alternations.

Secondly, by looking at the first picture I drew I drew a picture that has less details and less complicated(but it still looks realistic)

Thirdly, looking at the second picture, I decided what part of the picture was important and changed those parts into more simpler geometrical shapes.

Lastly, looking at the third picture, I organized my shapes in more ‘free’ and ‘relaxed’ way so that the picture was more abstract than realistic and  people won’t really notice what the original picture was.

Ethnicity is a social group that shares common national or culture.

Unlike many of my friends at school who has many different cultures and nationalities, both of my parents are Koreans and I was also born in Korea and have lived in there for ten years. My nationality is Korea and I also have Korean culture. However, by the time I finish high school in Shanghai and go to college, I might also have some Chinese culture because then I would have lived in China for almost ten years.

I think Esperenza has Mexican ethnicity because it is where she is originally from. Esperenza is living in a house on Mango Street and the way she described it tells us that her family is living in a city where many of poor people are gathered and also racially segregated. Similar to the poem in class today, maybe Mexican-Americans are the ‘caged birds’ who knows what freedom really is and tries to seek them.

scale

Halo (extract)