Our project

Click here to see our materials for our project.

Homegrown Revolution

1. What strikes you about their movie?

What strikes me about the Dervaes' movie is the before and after photos they show of their house. It is really amazing that a family could turn a regular, everyday house into a jungle of fruits and vegetables that they could live on. They don't need anything other than what they can grow themselves, and what they can make out of it.



2. What do you think the Dervaes’ family Needs vs. Wants sheet would look like? Why?

I think that if the Dervaes' have a wants vs. needs list, they would have more needs than most people because they need water, and soil, and seeds, and stuff for their plants and stuff that most people do not need to get and probably don't event think about getting soil, etc.. I also think that their needs list would not be as long as most people's because they are more focused on what they need to do to eat and are always busy working on their life, not working on being miserable and unhappy or thinking my life would be better if I had... or All I need is one more ... and my life would be perfect...



3. How does the Dervaes family fit into what we are studying in My Ishmael?

They fit in with what we are learning about in My Ishmael because in the book Ishmael says stuff about how we need to save the world and how we are destroying it. The Devraes' family is a perfect example of what we all could and should be doing to save the world and to live more substantially.



4. Overall, what are your thoughts on the way this family lives and works?

I think that it is really amazing and cool that the Dervaes' family was able to live off of what they grow in their house in a CITY. I also think that it is really cool that they are working to save the environment by doing all that at their house and by spreading the word with this website and many others. I think that its great that, because they grow their own stuff they don't have to buy it from other countries and not also by growing it themselves the fruit is fresh and good. I also think that we should all try to follow in their footsteps and at least grow some of our own stuff.

Ishmael-Callioppe Part 2

On page 82 Ishmael talks about ‘anthropomorphism.’ Look up the definition of this term and post it in your blog, then describe what he is applying it to in the chapter.

The definition of "anthropomorphism" is "an anthropomorphic conception or representation, as of a deity." When Ishmael says this he is talking about how humans mark their territory and do whatever they have to defend not only the people and food in the territory, but also the land itself. But animals only defend the other animals or food inside the land until hey are all gone, then they leave and don't give a hoot about the land they left behind. Ishmael is implying that humans think that animals are just like them. That the animals do what they do for they same reason humans do. Ishmael may also be implying that humans think they are better than all other species don't he planet or that everyone and everything on the planet does what they do and copies them.




How does Ishmael define ‘Erratic Retaliation’? How does it work in the case of the Cawks?

Ishmael defines Erratic relation by saying, "Give as good as you get, but don't be too predictable." In the case of the cawks this means that if none of the tribes is attacking then you don't have to do anything, but if one of the tribes does attack then you attack them next. Also if none of the tribes has attacked you for a long time, you don't want them to think that they can come in and take you over soon or anything because you haven't attacked for a long time, so you go and attack one of the tribes.




Why is Erratic Retaliation a peacekeeping method?

It is a peacekeeping method because the unspoken rules of the erratic retaliation game is that you get what you give. This means that if you attacked someone, but only took one piece of fruit, the other team could only take one piece of fruit from you. This keeps peace because no one wants to get more physical or get hurt, so they just keep taking a piece of fruit back and forth. Of course someone could go in a destroy the other team and take all of their stuff, but their are more than just two teams playing and if the team destroyed one team, the other teams would all start destroying each other and then destroy the team that started it all. So, in an easier way this is a peacekeeping method because if you get what you give, and you give death then that is what you're gonna get. And no one wants to die.




Why don’t the Cawks just annihilate each other (instead of just doing the occasional attacks)?

The tribes don't go and annihilate each other because if it's true that you get what you give, and they all know that then why would one of the tribes destroy another. They would just get destroyed back by one of the other teams playing the game. And since none of the teams wants to die, they all just keep it easy going and no one annihilates each other.

Ishmael

1. Ishmael's two general rules on how to identify people from our culture are that they keep their food under lock and key and "they perceive themselves to be members of a race that is fundamentally flawed and inherently doomed to suffering and misery" (Page 40). No I do not agree with Ishmael's statement that people from all over the world are part of the same culture. I disagree because culture is a quality that people get by hanging out with other people or from their personality or from where they live. I believe that when the world was first created by God and everyone was living together the people were all part of the same culture, but when people started to move away from each other to different places they began to diversify and adapt different cultures, and today there are so many different cultures and not everyone is part of the same one. I agree with Ishmael that we are all part of one cultural if like on page 40 he is only talking about fundamentals like food and clothes and water and that sort of stuff, but only if it is that broad of stuff we are talking about.

2. I agree with Mother Culture's voice and I disagree with Ishmael. I believe that humans are inherently flawed because I am a Christian and since Adam and Eve sinned we all inherit the flaw of being a sinful human being. No body is perfect and we all make mistakes and sin. It is not our fault, but it is true. Although I think that we are all inherently flawed, I believe that we can still try to "save the world" as Ishmael put it. We can still do the things he is telling Julie. Just because we are inherently flawed it doesn't mean that we are being held back from doing anything. We always have a choice in what to do, what to believe. No one is forcing us to do anything.

3. In Ishmael's parable the Takers are farmers and the Leavers are Hunter/gatherers. They relate to American Culture because the Takers are like the Americans and they used to be Hunter/Gatherers but then they realized that if they "danced" or farmed they could eat anything so, like Americans they started to farm all over the place and they began to move from place to place and kept on farming and spreading the "dancing" or American lifestyle. Then the Takers/Americans ran into some Leavers who were happy being hunter/gatherers and leaving it up to nature to provide for them. And they didn't want to take up the Takers way so the Takers/Americans forced the Leavers/Native Americans onto reservations until they would take up "Dancing" then they could come back in.

Sustainable Lifestyle

1. What does it mean to live a sustainably?

To live sustainably means to have all of your needs supported or taken care of. It means that you are not hungry or that you have enough clothes and you don't need anything more to live. You can fully and totally support yourself. Living sustainably also means being able to keep providing for yourself, even when times are tough and it's hard to keep going.


2. How much freedom and independence do you have as a 14-16 year old in our society?

In our society I, and most other 14-16 year olds get quite a bit of freedom. We all go to the mall when we want, we go watch movies together, we can almost do anything as long as it is not against the country's laws (and even then some people do it anyway). 16 year olds are even aloud to drive, so that is a whole bunch of freedom right there. Your freedom and Independence varies on Your family and parents, but compared to the old days where you had to do a butt-load of chores all day and help your dad in the farm and that's pretty much all you did all day, I'd say that everyone today has a lot of freedom.


3. As a 14-16 year old, how can you currently live your life more sustainably?

As a 14-16 year old there isn't a whole lot that you can do, but there are a few things. First of all you could get a job and try to buy clothes for yourself and food or yourself. That would definitely help your parents out a lot. Also, since you cant get a job until you're like 15 or 16 you could recycle and you would be helping the environment and also you get money from it so you could buy some of your own things.

What i have done

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (You cant go all the way to the top anymore, but I have been as far as you can go)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gold panned
27. Run a Marathon (not a full one, but for girl scouts I ran a short one)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Changed a light bulb
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Mowed the lawn
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (John Schneider from Dukes of Hazard and SMALLVILLE!!!!!!!!! and had a conversation with him at the mother goose parade)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (I think I am immune to be stings….. I really do……I am not joking.

I have done 40

Semester Goals

This semester my goals are to get straight A's. I want to get an A in every class throughout the whole semester. What I mean is that if I were to check power school everyday for the rest of the semester I would see an A in all of my classes every single time. Also I never want to receive below a B- on any single assignment or project.




How are you different now than when you started school in August?



Now I talk more, have friends, and am more comfortable at the school. Also I get the school more, i get the project based learning. Before I didn't get what project based learning was really. I didn't know what the projects were gonna be about and what they would be.






What skills do you think are the most important for succeeding in humanities? Why?



I think that you have to have determination and desire, because if you don't have the desire to do the work and get good grades than why would you? You wouldn't try to succeed if you didn't have desire. Also you need to have determination because when it gets hard you will work through it if you have determination. You also need to have good listening skills so that you listen for what you are supposed to be doing for homework.






One thing I would like to improve on this semester is................I will do this by........................



One thing I would like to improve on this semester is not talking as much during class and getting my DP work done faster and making it look more presentable. I will do this by working on my DP whenever we have free time or time in class to do it. I will also stay in after school to work on it when I have time.






What are you most curious about? If you could study any topic what would it be and why?



I am most curious about what people are thinking about when they do certain things. Like when they are rude what are they thinking?? Why are they rude? Did they mean to be rude, or are they having a bad day? Do they have things on their mind and don't realize what they are doing? Do they think it is all right to be that way. Also why do people swear...what is going on in their brain when they cuss...do they think its cool or what? If I could study any topic it would be the study of the human brain...i think that is psychology right?? I would study this because it would help me to understand better why people think certain ways and do certain things.