Virginia Social History Videos
Who was Pocahontas? (Contact and Conflict)
The length of the video: 1:58
Q: How Did Pocahontas looks?
A: There are some paints of Pocahontas but she does not look alike in those. So there is not certain evidence about how she looked.
Q: Was Pocahontas a princess?
A: She was the daughter of an indigenous chief but she didn’t expect to take her father’s power when he would die. So she didn´t like that England people called her process.
There are any important women in your country history? Who is she? Why she became relevant in the history?
Death of Pocahontas (Contact and Conflict)
The link: http://www.vahistorical.org/sva2003/pocahontas.htm
The length of the video: 2:15
Q: How old were Pocahontas when she died?
A: She was 20 years old.
Q: Where Pocahontas Died?
A: She died on a ship. She was on her way from England to America.
In your country is there any statute or paint of an important woman in public places?
Brochure, Remember May 17th (Civil Rights Movement)
The length of the video: 3.18
Q: What were the achievements of the Civil Right Movement?
A: The Civil Right Movement achievements were equal access to education, public accommodations and electoral process for black and white people.
Q: All the white people in Virginia were against to the Civil Right Movement?
A: No, white and black Virginians were part of the CRM.
In your country there is any kind of social separation? For example based on gender, race or age?
Captain John Smith (Contact and Conflict)
http://www.vahistorical.org/sva2003/johnsmith.htm
Length: 1:12
Who was John Smith?
He was one of the first England permanent residents in North America and one of the first encounters
Why some currency maps of the South US are called Smith derives?
Smith maps were really good and they were an important base for many of the currency map of Virginia and other areas of the south.
Your country were a colonize country or a colonizer country?
Visiting Virginia’s Capitol
What?
In the Virginia Capitol visit we did three different activities that made me learn about Virginia citizen’s life and US culture. We took a bus and walked around some historical and important places near the Capitol. Then we were received for a guide in the Capitol, who drove us to the building explaining the history and current function of the place. At the end of the visit, we went to the House of Delegates, where we pretended to be Delegates debating about the Health Care Act, using the space and all the tools there and following the same protocol than the Delegates have to follow.
Then What?
Since we took the bus I begun learning because I had never took a bus in city and I have been here for 8 month. How necessary is the public transportation has been a claim that some classmates and I have discussed, when we have talked about the difference between Richmond and our hometowns. I became conscious that I could use the Richmond public transportation before and I never did it. Then, when we walk around the Capitol I got excite as I do when I travel as a tourist to another place. However I realized that I knew more about other cities that I have visited for a few days than the city where I have been living for a while. Ones inside the Capitol, I have a really interesting time. It made feel comfortable about my English because it was another real English interaction in which I could do a good performance as a listener and speaker.
Now what?
I would go to promote that kind of trip in the Hispanic Community in Richmond because I think is important, interesting and entertaining get involved in that way with the country and with the local community.
Does Supercommittee Failure Imperil Pentagon?
Making Health Care business with the bottom of the pyramid
As More Police Wear Cameras, Policy Questions Arise
World Studies Class II (reflection)
I got into a group with three students Megan, John and David. The first two are from Anthropology major and the last one is from Business major. After introduced our self, Megan offered us some play-doh. It was really accurate and helpful because rapidly we start playing. The result was that the conversation environment was comfortable and friendly since the beginning. Then, I introduced the topic but they expressed that they were not interested in US Health Care System or controversy. In general, they said that they were too young to think in that so they did not have previous background about. Also, they explained that they didn’t like politics at all, so they think that discuses about that it is not useful or productive.
So what?
It was difficult to get information from them and keep the conversation running for 45 minutes. I felt ok in the interaction but a little bit uncomfortable because I could not complete the assignment. I made question and gave some opinions looking for feedback but the participation did not improve that much. I thought that one of my objectives was speaking and listening with native speakers about academic topics, so I started to make questions about anthropology. I know that it was out instructions but was the way I found to get advantage of that opportunity. After the conversation, I realized that based on my English skills level it was comfortable to be in that real American college life experience.
Now What?
I think that would be better if we talk next time about something that they had covered in their classes in order to make the discussion more fluent. The experience also made me remind college time, so it was fun. As the experience in the LLLI, this student interaction increased my confident about my English skills in academic context.
Starbuckcs Corporate Responsability Program
http://www.npr.org/2011/11/01/141891441/starbucks-hopes-to-kick-start-job-creation
What is the Starbucks contribution to help “Job Creation”?
Would you donate money for Starbucks cause? Why yes or not?
Lend: to give (money) on condition that it is returned and that interest is paid for its temporary use
pot: container of earthenware, metal, etc., usually round and deep and having a handle or handles and often a lid, used for cooking, serving, and other purposes.
equity: Informal. ownership, especially when considered as the right to share in future profits or appreciation in value.
Push To Register New Voters Reaches Behind Bars
Dream Act Controversy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DREAM_Act
Summary
Is it fair that the state give to illegal immigrant students the opportunity to become legal resident trough military or high education merits?
Context
Illegal immigration is the way that many foreign families find to come to US in order to work and built a better future for them, especially for their kids. On the other hand, their illegal condition is a huge limitation for their kids’ opportunities by the time they will be adults.
Arguments in favor
· The kids don’t have the responsibility that their parents had broken the US law when they brought them here.
· Some illegal immigrant students are a potential work force that can produce a lot of income to the country, but they need the opportunity.
Arguments against
· Dream Act would increase the illegal immigration. Those parents who are concern about their kid’s future opportunities don’t have to be concern anymore. They have a choice.
· American government has to spend the American Budget only in their citizens’ quality life.
Amendment: an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.
Misdemeanors: a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony.
Felony: an offense, as murder or burglary, of graver character than those called misdemeanors, especially those commonly punished in the U.S. by imprisonment for more than a year.
Definitions Source: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/
Reflection
What?
When I got in to the classroom the first thing I saw was a table full of food. Then I chose a group of three women who were organizing the food. They are members but also volunteers of the LLLI social events. Even, one of them is member, volunteer and teacher in the institution. After introduced myself, I tell them that I have prepared for that meeting a presentation about Venezuelan Art but that I also had the overview, communication, food, and holidays’ presentations available. They said that they wanted to listen as much as I could tell them about my country. First, we were over the overview and the communication presentations, and then we took a break to eat what they had been making for us. They were acting as the common way people act when they have visitors at home which was different from the others days. When we were eating, they began to explain me about the recipes and some culture facts around those dishes. For example they told me that warm apple juice is a typical beverage for fall season.
So what?
I made a connection between what was happening in the classroom and something that I have seen in the movie the day before. The guy in the movie gives things to the elderly people but he also receives different things from them and vice versa. I noticed that both parts sometimes look happier giving than receiving. In my opinion, something similar happened in the classroom. I realize that serving us was for the LLLI people as important as serving them was for us. I mean, I observe how the women in my group were worry about details respect the food on the table and people satisfaction as I was when I brought the food for them. Another example of giving and receiving in this experience was, at the end of the class, when Audrey gave them our letters as a gesture of thanks and then we received a fun and full of talent performance as a way to say thanks too.
Now what?
After this experience with the LLLI and the movies we have been watching I definitely change my point of view about older people. I consider that those activities made me more sensitive and conscious about how is the life after 65 years old. In my community service experience, I used to like projects that involves children rather than the ones which involves adults. With those activities, I realize that I could find the spontaneity and the simplicity, that I used to find in children, in the elderly too.
