9th Grade: 2018-2019

• Donovan Kincaid

• Harpers Ferry Visit

• 4th 9 Weeks, May 2019

• JAGS Teachers

• Freshman Year - History - Recognize Perspectives: Expresses a clear personal perspective on a situation, event, issue, or phenomenon, identifying an influence on that perspective

Towards the end of the school year freshman year, we kids in freshman Jags took a trip to Camp Heifer in Maryland. One of the days on the trip we went to a small town in West Virginia called Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry is located where the Shenandoah River and the Potamic River meet, and it was an important site throughout American history. We took a guided tour through the historical town in which I learned a lot about the significance of the town in the mid-1800s. During the tour, we learned how the firehouse was used by John Brown when he had attempted to create a massive slave revolt against the legality of slavery. We also learned that during the American Civil War, it was an important town due to its geographical location and armory. Previously, when I studied the Civil War, I never had heard of Harpers Ferry, but after learning about its unique history, I understand the great significance that the little town had played during major issues in the United States. I have learned how the town was significant for each side of the Civil War, and how it was the first stop to what could have been a much larger revolt.

Learning more about historical places interests me a lot, and it’s always cool to be able to visit them. Outside of learning about the town itself and its historical significance, it has made me realize that there are hundreds of more places similar to Harpers Ferry. It may look like a place that does not seem that interesting nowadays, but at one point in history, it was important in changing our country. As a student, I think it is very important to be able and not only learn about places that shaped the history of our country, but to be able to actually visit and see the places in person.

• Donovan Kincaid

• Chinese Exchange Student Program

• Summer 2018

• Mrs. Stone

• Freshman Year - Extracurricular - Recognize Perspectives: Explains the perspectives of other people, groups, or individuals as distinct from one’s own perspective.

The summer right before my freshman year of high school started, my family volunteered to host an exchange student from China for two weeks. The goal of hosting the student was to have him better experience what life is like in America. My family had previously hosted a student in two different six-month intervals a few years prior, so this was not our first time hosting a student. After meeting him, we learned that his name was Jing-Yu. On our first day with him, he commented on how America is very beautiful. We asked him why, and he explained that it is because we have clear, blue skies, and where he lives in China, pollution makes the sky gray. He compared visual differences between the city he lives in and what Jackson Township is like. Another interesting cultural difference that I thought was unique was silverware. Growing up always using forks, spoons, and knives, it at first seemed odd that Jing-Yu struggled to use something that seemed very simple to me. Jing-Yu had said that other than soup spoons and cooking knives, he really only uses chopsticks when he eats, and in his perspective, he thought it was funny how my family all struggled using chopsticks.

My family took Jing-Yu to many different places, including American restaurants, shopping malls, and an amusement park. The groups that worked with bringing the other Chinese exchange students over had also made their own events for the students, notably ice-skating and square dancing. Not only did Jing-Yu learn a lot about American culture during his two-week stay, but my family was able to learn about Chinese Culture. It was interesting to be able to see the perspective of the United States through someone else’s vision. By comparing and contrasting each other’s cultures, it helped me learn more about the global perspective of the United States and how our ideas are viewed by somebody elses. As a global citizen, it is important to be able to learn about life through different ideas, cultures, and people. Hosting Jing-Yu has taught me a lot and made me realize just how many differences people truly have between each other.

• Donovan Kincaid

• Paraguay Project

• 1st 9 Weeks, 2018

• Señora Dria

• Freshman Year - Spanish - Investigate the World: Selects and uses multiple international and domestic sources to identify relevant evidence that addresses a global question.

At the beginning of Spanish III, we were split into groups referred to as our Spanish Families. In these groups, we had to select a Spanish-speaking country and then research information about the country. Our group had to answer why we chose the country and then we had to research basic information about it. We ended up choosing Paraguay because we did not know a lot about the nation itself, so we thought it would be cool to research a country we barely knew. Some of the information we had to find was who is their president, what is the capital city, and what are the traditions of that country. After a few days of researching using international resources such as blogs and databases, making the presentation, and writing the script, we were ready to present. Overall, I learned some interesting facts and some of the traditions of Paraguay. I learned that the country flag is unique as the front and back of it have different designs, I learned that Polka dance is popular, and I lastly learned some of the traditional food that is made in Paraguay.

At the time of beginning high school, I really was only familiar with cultures similar to what I experience in the United States. Learning more about the world is interesting to me and I enjoyed my time researching about Paraguay. Throughout the rest of Spanish III, our Spanish Families worked on other projects that had some relation to the country we chose. I eventually learned more about the culture of Paraguay, as well as touristy spots, the mountain ranges, and rainforests. It is important that people learn about other cultures as it can give them a better perspective on the world and it could make them interested in experiencing that culture as well.

• Donovan Kincaid

• Heifer Trip

• 4th 9 Weeks, 2019

• Jags Teachers

• Freshman Year - Science - Communicates Ideas: Makes accurate, specific observations about audience response and/or feedback, and proposes specific, targeted changes to communication choices.

Towards the end of the school year freshman year, us kids in freshman Jags made a trip to Camp Heifer International. At Camp Heifer, we were all put into a third world country similation that we would have to live through for approximately 24 hours. We were split into multiple groups, representing different countries. Each country had access to different forms of shelter, food, and materials throughout the experience. The country that I was placed in was Kenya. In Kenya, our shelter was made from harden terra. Other than the shelter and furniture, we had a little fire powered stove, some cooking pots, pans and utensils, and a bit of food. It was necessary for us to trade with the other countries to receive food for our water balloon “baby”, as well as other food. We had to communicate with the other groups to organize trade deals, and we used feedback from them to help us with potential issues that we might have encountered later on. At dinner time, we had to make a fire to cook our food. Using knowledge from our biology class, we used sticks and kindling to fuel the fire, and to start the fire, we used friction. While cooking our food, we observed chemical and physical changes.

My mindset had changed a lot while we were in the scenario. At first, we attempted to make what we considered fair and even trades, but as the day went on, the more rigged deals we tried to made. At one point, amid confusion, a friend and I traded a box of rocks for three potatoes and then we quickly fled the scene. Even though this experience was just pretty much pretend, it made me think just how difficult it has to be for people who actually live in these type of situations. What seemed difficult to us must be much harder to other people. After the simulation, it helped me understand what life is like for more people Even though it isn’t the same as actually living in their situations I can grasp the idea of living in a third world country better. Sharing this experience with many other Jags kids makes it easier to be able to discuss issues similar to what we faced, and apply it to the real world. I think that the Heifer experience is something very unique and anyone who is able to participate in it or something similar should definitely take the opportunity to get a better idea of what life is like for hundreds of millions of people across the world.