Donovan Kincaid
I am Malala
1st 9 Weeks, August 2019
Mrs. Muckley
Freshman Year - English - Recognize Perspectives: Identifies and describes how perspectives affect how people interpret and respond to a situation, event, issue, or phenomenon.
Before the school year started in 2019, we had to choose a book to read that had to deal with a world event or issue. Our assignment was to understand the book that we selected, and then to be able to talk and write about it. I decided to read the book I am Malala which is about the life of a teenage girl in Pakistan while the Taliban was terrorizing the country. Malala and her family had a target on their backs because her father ran a school that allowed girls to be educated. As I was reading the book, I questioned her family’s decision to stay in Pakistan when they had the money and opportunity to leave the country. Malala wanted to stay because she was concerned about not receiving education if they left, which to her, was very important as women’s education during the 2000s in the Middle East was very uncommon and not well received. Although there were some decisions in the book that I disagreed with, I had a much greater understanding of what life is like in a different culture.
For our first week or two of school, we discussed our summer reading books and then we had a small writing assignment about the book we chose. The writing assignment made me go back through the book to look for details and information, and I had gained a better understanding of her experience living in Pakistan, being attacked, and then becoming a global activist. Malala’s family was always very supportive of her and after she was shot, they helped her as best as they could. Malala was taken to the United Kingdom for her surgery and recovery, and her family did their best to visit her. Sometimes it can be hard to understand someone’s motives because their country and culture is so different from your own. The book gave me a much better view of the world, and I got a very unique perspective of somebody’s life throughout a traumatic event that cannot be recaptured again.
Donovan Kincaid
Divisions in the 1920s
March 10th, 2020
Mr. Taray
Investigate The World: Develops a position based on evidence from sources that consider multiple perspectives, and draws reasonable conclusions in response to a global question.
In APUSH last year, I was assigned a group project called Divisions in the 1920s. The goal of the project was to get a better understanding of the differences between different races and social classes of those who lived in America during the 1920s. My group was initially given only pictures for the project, and it was our job to research and figure out what each picture meant and how they all relate to a common theme. We were required to use a background that was in the style of Art Deco, which was a popular design during the 1920s to 1930s. Upon completing the project, I learned a lot about how different social classes were viewed by the average American and how society treated them back then. The project taught me about political issues with things like the First Red Scare and immigration, and also social issues such as racism.
The project matches the ISSN Document as we researched what the world was like in America by using pictures as our different perspectives. We concluded that there was a limited amount of tolerance by the majority of the American public that caused changes racially and politically during that era that would shape the future for America. This project gave me a much better idea of what America was like during the 1920s and it has improved my view of early 20th century America and how the actions of the general population have had a lasting impact on the future of the United States, both politically and socially.
Donovan Kincaid
Scout Troop SPL
Summer through 3rd Nine Weeks, 2019-2020
Mr. Weaver
Take Action: Identifies opportunities for personal or collaborative action to address a situation, event, issue, or phenomenon in a way that is likely to improve conditions.
During the summer of 2019, my scout troop had elections for our next Senior Patrol Leader (SPL). The role of the SPL is to lead all of the business on the boys side of the scouts troop, plan and run meetings, run the campouts and to be the leader at all times. The adults of the scout troop had counted on me to be a fair and good leader, to mentor the other scouts, and to do what is best for the troop. I was elected by my peers to be SPL for the term from August to February. Scouts is a collaborative group, and to take action of that, I assigned fellow scouts to different leadership roles, not only to help me, but to also have them grow as a leader in scouts and as a person. As a leader, it was important to be able to adjust and react quickly to different situations and unexpected events as a leader. It was always very necessary to take action on campouts. For example: whenever a kid forgot to bring something needed such as flashlights, sleeping bags or even hiking boots, it was important to be able and get a replacement for them, so that their experience would be much better.
My experience as SPL has taught me a lot about leadership. I had gown as a person from the beginning of my term to the very end, and I have been able to apply what I have learned from being SPL into different situations. Planning is one of the key aspects of being a leader. Not having a plan for every meeting and campout can be a disaster waiting to happen. Asides from planning, one of the most important things I learned was the Edge method, which stands for Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable the scout to be successful. This method of teaching is a very helpful hands on experience, and the scout can practice the skill interactively with you. Not every person is the same, some people take longer to understand a new skill while others can catch on immediately. Scouts has made me become more open minded as a person and I have learned to see different sides of the story before I make judgements and decisions as a leader. Being the SPL of my scout troop is an experience I will always remember, and I will always be thankful for the opportunity I had.
Donovan Kincaid
Honduras Midterm Presentation
2nd 9 Weeks, December 2019
Señora Muñoz
Sophomore Year - Spanish - Investigate the World: Selects and uses multiple international and domestic sources to identify relevant evidence that addresses a global question.
In Spanish IV, our midterm project required us to select a Spanish-speaking country, and then research the country for general information, then lastly, you had to be able to convince Señora Muñoz why she should travel to that country. The country I chose was Honduras because of its unique location in Central America. We were required to give her a presentation of the country then be able to answer a few questions from a list such as popular foods and travel destinations. The project matches the ISSN Domain as I had to use many different sources, databases, and news sources to find my information about Honduras. I decided that a fun way to make my presentation was to make it in the style of a pamphlet. The project had taught me a lot about Honduras such as foods, cities, beaches, and sports. I learned about cultural differences between the United States and Honduras, as well as other Central American countries.
I learned a lot of new and unique information about Honduras because of this project. I found easier ways to research information about countries and what sources are better than others. This artifact is another example of something that has helped me become more globally aware of other cultures and ideas in our world. Having greater knowledge about differences in the world as well as global events is something very important to have as a global citizen, this opportunity helped me learn what life is like in Central America, which is something that I didn’t know much about before.
Donovan Kincaid
GO Night Project: Garlic Mustard
2nd Nine Weeks, November 2019
Mrs. Arter
Sophomore Year - Science - Take Action: Identifies opportunities for personal or collaborative action to address a situation, event, issue, or phenomenon in a way that is likely to improve conditions.
For my GO Night project last year, my group covered the invasive plant species, garlic mustard. Our project covered the history of garlic mustard as an invasive plant, we identified the effects of it, and lastly, we covered what people can do to limit its growth. Other than the objectives listed above, we were required to do a service project and an interactive activity. For the service project, my group decided to properly remove garlic mustard from the wilderness. We hiked through the woods and pulled as much as we could, then we disposed of what we collected. My interactive activity for the presentation was a handout that showed a picture of the plant, along with how to properly remove it from the ground, and then lastly a link to a website that I made where you can report your sightings of garlic mustard. As a group, we have spread awareness about this invasive plant that has been wiping out many native plants in Ohio and nearby states. We took action against the species and have taught others about what they can do to reduce garlic mustard as well.
Initially, our group wanted to cover invasive species as a whole, but after realizing how broad that topic was, we limited it to only a few different plants and animals. After making a checkpoint presentation, we were strongly recommended to only focus on one animal or plant, and so we chose garlic mustard. Scouts has taught me that garlic mustard is a prevalent issue in forests, but I never thought much more of that idea. After completing the project, I learned just how devastating it is to the ecosystems in Ohio and nearby states that are also affected by the plant. As a global citizen, I normally only learn things that seem to be the biggest topics like poverty, climate change and corruption. I feel like that the topic of invasive species is often overlooked, especially for how serious the issue can be.