Learning Journal

12th Grade

Harp

9/26/2025 - Learning Journal: Go Tell it on the Mountain

Pre-listen predictions:

Before hearing the piece, I feel like it might be made a little challenging since the song itself is already pretty relaxed and calm
I really like the song already

First and Second Listen

I really like the jazz influence and the modulation
I think the piece will be a little difficult to play because of the rhythms, but I am excited to learn it
I really like the ending and the constant harmony/motif
I like this version because of the part that I am in
I am excited to play this!

7/31/2025 - Learning Journal: Solfigietto by C.P.E. Bach

Pre-listen thoughts:

Before hearing the piece, I think it will be classical and have a lot of arpeggios. I am excited to hear what it sounds like and what part I will play!

First and Second listen:

I like how fast the piece is
I feel like it will be very challenging to play on the harp if it is similar to the piano version
I really like the dynamics, it makes the song sounds suspenseful like I'm in a mystery movie
I like how my part has a lot of treble clef, which is what I'm stronger in
The harp parts definitely overlap well but are still quite fast
There are only 16th notes

11th Grade

Revision: Film & AP Language

Great Gatsby PBL

Taylor Harper - Gatsby PBL Learning Journal

All American Food Project

Taylor Harper - All American food Learning Journal

Harp

2/11/25 - Harp Development Through History

Harps come from the Cordophone family, which are instruments with strings that make sound

Ancient times

Ancient Egypt
- Came from a hunter-bow (one string to multiple)
- Bowed or arched
Ancient Greece
- Lyre
  - Played with fingertips
- Kithara
  - played by professionals
- Asian Table Harps
  - Japanese Koto
  - Korean Kayagum
  - Chinese guzheng
  - Long strings, pluck with fingertips, bend string on the other side
Medieval to Renaissance
- Added columns
- Bray Harp
  - have pegs so each string has a buzz
- Playing with fingernails on Celtic harps
  - no levers/pedals
  - played by blind men/boys
- `Arpa dopia
  - two rows of strings
- Spain
  - Cross strung harp
- Wales
  - Triple strung

10/22/24 - Listening Journal - Charlie Brown Medley

Thoughts about the piece:

I like how "Christmas time is here" sounds on the harp
I think it is interesting how all the different harps have different keys
I like how "Skating" goes and how it speeds up the piece and is more energetic compared to the beginning
I think my challenges will be with the pedal changes and the fingering because it is quite fast towards the end
The first section isn't too fast, but I think the pedals will be interesting to try and figure out

9/12/24 - Listening Journal - Acariciar

Thoughts about this piece:

I really like how the piece starts off very soft and the right hand notes are very fast and nice
I think this will be my favorite piece to play for GMEA
I like how the bass and treble work hand in hand
I really like the melody
The dynamics are very nice
The ending is very pretty
I think there will be challenges playing up to speed because my part is pretty

8/5/24 - Listening Journal - Playful Pizzicato

Thoughts about this piece:

I love this piece!
I like how the piece seems not as grand because no one is playing with their bows
I think that it will sound better on the harp since it is meant to be plucked
I think this piece will be pretty challenging to play on harp
I like how fast the piece is and I think it will be fun to try to get it to concert tempo

8/1/24 - Listening Journal - "Aragonaise" and "Habanera" from Carmen

I think the pieces will have a Latin sound or something that is dramatic. I also think one piece will be fast and one will be slow.

Thoughts about Prelude/Aragonaise:

The song starts out very dark and dramatic with a lot of dynamic shifts.
I like how the Prelude ends so abruptly
Aragonaise starts very dramatic and I really like it
Overall I'm very excited to learn the piece

Thoughts about Habanera

I recognize this piece IMMEDIATELY
I'm really excited to play this piece and I feel like it will be a good challenge

I Think that as a class, we will have some challenges with dynamics and tempo. I think we will do good overall.

10th Grade

Algebra II

1/3/24 - Reflection #1

Last semester, my grades were good and turning my assignments in went well. I could've done better with tests and studying for said tests. I learned well with notes that I could write myself and also with videos. This semester, my main goal is to have all A's (preferably above 95) in all classes. My SMART goal is to get above an 80 on every test in this class. I would like to do more interactive projects in this class.

Visual Art

3/1/24 - Abstraction and STEAM

Abstractions started with the use of impressionism in Europe. Impressionism paintings were one of the first forms of abstraction, where images were not easily recognizable. African art utilizes abstraction. For example, in one painting, you can see the silhouettes of people's bodies, but not their faces or expressions. I think abstract art can be related to math through the use of geometric shapes, like triangles, lines, and circles. Data can be used in abstract art by using certain technology to represent trends through art. Finally, I think I like to work in a more personally expressive way.

2/5/24 - Tattoo Artist Statement

Tattoos are a permenent type of body art. The designs are created by puncturing ink into the skin. Tattoos can be art because people use them to express themselves through the designs of the ink. I chose my design because I wanted to use a bible verse because I wanted to incorporate my faith into the design. I didn't choose to do a simple quote because I wanted to use the cross with the verse instead of just quoting a verse. Tattoo ink is made from burnt wood that created a fine powder. This was mixed things like water or animal fats to create the ink. It is related to chemistry because the burning of wood is a chemical change, meaning the burnt wood is a new substance. This project was very fun to do. I enjoyed looking at different ideas for tattoos and finding different ways to use my different ideas to merge them together. For me, my designs were a little difficult to think of, but I enjoyed the challenge.

1/3/24 - Pipe cleaner crystals

Borax is a powdery white substance the texure is similar to baking soda. Borax is made up of sodium, hydrogen, borax, and oxygen. We use hot water so can dissolve more than it would in cold water, making it super saturated. When it cools, it crystalizes. My 3D sculpture is dynamic because it uses different shapes to create a flower.

10/27/23 - Reflection

This year, I have learned about different cultures and how they incorperate mandalas into their life. This was a connection to AP World History. I created a digital art piece and it incorperated value and repetition. Using these elements of art and principles of design I understand how to show these in my art. In planning, I make sure I create different drafts to see which looks the best. I show my process by making journal entries during the project to track my progress. We have learned about impressionist paintings. Impressionist artwork does not have clear lines and are somewhat blurred. We used this technique to create still life paintings.

10/20/23 - Electron Mandala reflection

The electron configuration mandala incorperates STEAM by using elements from science, symmetry from art, and using technology for research. I used my knowledge from art to make a color palette and use symmetry. I also used my knowledge from chemistry to understand electron configurations and electron models. The mandala helps me consider using new perspectives because I am now exposed to different cultures and religions and how they incorporate mandalas into their life. My work was pretty successful. My group and I worked to create different rings to represent the electron and different design for each rings to shwo symmetry. If were the teacher, I would not change anything about the project.

9/27/23 - Mandala Research

The mandala is used to guide meditation. In Hinduism and Buddhism, mandalas serve as a representation of the universe. Some principles of design shown in mandalas are pattern and unity because there are many repeating shapes and colors. You could use a mandala to represent the nucleus and elecgtron cloud of an atom.

8/26/23-ChemVas typography

We had to design an image using objects from chemistry and art to make this chemvas typography. I enjoyed this assignement a lot and I incorporated things like value, design, and use of digital tools.

8/2/23 - Experimenting with shapes to create movement

In these slides we made different shapes and arranged them in 3 different ways to experiment with focal points and the rule of thirds.

Copy of Taylor Harper - Experimenting with Shapes

7/26/23 - What is art? How can other subjects be art?

To me, art is something someone created with a creative mind and intention to show their creativity. There are many ways to incorperate art into other subjects. In Literature (or ELA), you can create an artistic piece relating to a book you just read in the class. In history, you could collect historical documents and make a collage of the different documents depending on the unit you are doing. Lastly, in math, you could make an object and calculate the dimensions of said object.

Harp

1/4/24 - Concerto Reflection

Write a description of the music. Thoughts before beginning the piece? A personal goal?

The piece is pretty fast paced in the beginning. I really like how the harp part sounds in this section. I think this song will be fun but challenging to learn because it is fast paced but I really like it. I especially like how the dynamics contrast. My goal for this piece is to know both the right and left hands because I usually struggle with that. Towards the middle/end of the piece it gets very energetic, loud, and a little chaotic. The song ends in a strange key but I really liked it.

9/28/23 - Nutcracker Intro

What do you remember about the Nutcracker? Have you seen the ballet? Do you know what its about?

I remember about how Clara goes on a journey to many different places with the Nutcracker prince. I've seen the ballet with the Atlanta Ballet. I kind of know what its about.

Story

The story is by E.T.A. Hoffman called the Nutcracker and the Mouse King. In Act I, Drosselmeyer gives Clara and her brother a nutcracker but her brother breaks it. Then, she goes to sleep and Clara goes down after midnight to check on the nutcracker and mice appear. The Nutcracker comes to life and then the mice and the Nutcracker battle. Then, the nutcracker wins and transforms into a prince. In Act II, he takes Clara to his kingdom, the land of sweets, to thank her. In some productions they travel on a sleigh. When they get there, the regent is the Sugar Plum Fairy. She is so excited he is back and they do a ballet of sweets for Clara and the Nutcracker prince. There is chocolate from spain, coffee from Arabia (Middle East), tea from China, candy canes from Russia, marzipan shepherdessess flutists, mother ginger and the polichinelles, and the waltz of the flowers. Clara and the Nutcracker leave on their sleigh.

Listening to Sugar Plum Fairy

I feel like the dance is very sharp and has short movements because the music contains lots of stacatto. I think the movements start to become more fluid towards the middle of the piece because the music starts to pick up and become dramatic. I also like the cadenza. I think the end of the piece is nice also as it becomes faster and louder. I like how it ends very stingy.

8/22/23 - What do you know about weddings?/Intro to wedding project

Weddings can be a formal event or more casual
Many African Americans jump the broom at weddings
A wedding is for people who love each other to come together and become life partners
There is often a reception; which is a party with family and friends
Canon in D is a very popular weddings piece
In a Catholic ceremony, you can not play pop music
Prelude - playing before the ceremony
Processional - wedding party (Groom, officiant, mothers/grandmothers, flower girl/ring bearer, bridesmaids & groomsmen, bride)
Ceremony - Welcome, reading (1-2), song (?), vows, unification ceremony, ring exchange, pronouncement; there might be a full service or mass if it's religious;
Recessional - uptempo music, reverse order: couple, bridesmaids & groomsmen, family, possible second song, audience exits
Photos & cocktail hour
Reception

8/1/23 - Silicana Reflection

In class, we listened to our new piece 'Siciliana'. We heard an orchestra version and a harp version of it. The beginning sounds very formal and calming but towards the middle, it becomes very loud and dramatic. It becomes very quiet at the end as well. It is a very pretty piece and has a familiar tune. Personally, I like the harp version better than the orchestra version. One word I would describe this piece is dramatic. I like how the pizzacato was translated onto the harp as a staccato.

World Lit

9/21/23 - Summary of today's project work

Today, we looked through our script to identify compound and complex sentences, and direct and indirect characterization. Also, we created a storyboard to sketch out what our movie would look like.

9/19/23 - Summary of today's project work

Today, we did a table read with our script and got feedback from our peers. We also listened to other groups scripts and we gave them feedback as well. We recieved very useful feedback that can be applied to our final product

9/15/23 - Summary of today's project work

Today, we finished our script. We also ran through our script and made necessary adjustments and edits. I think we were very focused today and stayed on task.

9/14/23 - Summary of today's project work

Today, we continued our script for our movie/play. We made great progress are we are almost done with the script. We will prepare to table read next week

9/12/23 - Summary of today's project work

Today, we started our script for our movie. We developed many ideas and collaborated. I had a great time generating new ideas to work toward our product

9/7/23 - Self evaluation

Today, we watched a video and took notes on characterization. We also created a timeline for our play and a plot diagram. We also established and finalized characters.

9/5/23 - Self Evaluation on group work

In class today, we got in our groups to do research on our assigned ancient civilization. Our group chose Eastern Mediterranean and our main focus is Egypt. We used the G.R.A.P.E.S. method to conduct research and then we established a the who, what, when, and where of our play. Finally, we started a timeline to use when we write our play.

8/31/23 - Project intro

Today, we signed our group contract. We also agreed on norms as a group for our project. I am very excited to start this piece.

AP World History

Unit Zero Reflection

Describe how the neolithic revolution led to injustices within religions, social classes, and between genders. Please provide examples for each analysis.

The Neolithic revolution, a time for rapid growth, led to large, crowded cities. People transitioned from hunting and gathering to farming for their food. The neolithic revolution also led to injustice in the religious, social, and gender sense. Instead of being nomadic (constantly moving around), people were sedentary (stayed in one place) which led to class systems. Lower classes were given more grunt work while upper classes were given more leadership positions like rulers and priests. The higher classes were treated better and were given more respect. Gender roles also started to emerge in patriarchal societies. This resulted in men getting more glorified jobs and women given more domestic jobs. Lastly, religion was used to justify how people were treated. In Hinduism, there was a caste system. The caste system was also used to mistreat people based on where they stood in their caste.

Describe early neolithic technology and inventions. Please provide examples for each analysis.

There were many new technological advancements in the neolithic time period. Fire was was very important because it was used to cook food. In the Paleolithic revolution, people were not absorbing nutrients because they were not cooking their food. This allowed people to get the nutrients they needed. Also the wheel was an important invention because it was used to transport goods.

Describe the rise of Interregional trade routes and how that led to the spread of religions. Give examples.

The rise of interregional trade routes was caused by the trades of goods that were native to a certain area like silk. The Silk Road was a trade route that connected Asia and Europe. Silk was created in China and creating silk was a very secret process. The Trans Saharan trade routes were also prevalent and contributed to the spread of religion through colonization and slavery. Religion and beleifs were spread while merchangs traded goods.

Explain the difference between centralized and decentralized governments. Please give examples of each.

A centralized government is when a leader has the most power and does not utilize the public’s approval. A decantralized government is when there is a transfer of power from a higher government to a lower form of government. An example of a centralized government is the Qin dynasty. In the Qin dynasty, Shi Huang Di was responsible for making all of the decisions for China at the time. A decentralized government would be Ancient Greece. Ancient Greece was made up of poleis which governed themselves. The geography of Greece made it hard for different people from different poleis to communicate. Each polis had their own ruler, rules, and government but they still had similar characteristics.

List and explain six (6) significant terms that you should remember going into Period 1.

Important terms to remember going into period 1 are Neolithic, Paleolithic, diffusion, democracy, social injustice, and domesticated. These terms are very important because they can be used to describe how many things that happened in ancient times effect people today. The neolithic revolution was something that advanced society greatly. Diffusion describes how cultures merge. Democracy, which began in Greece, is the basis of many modern governments. Social injustice is how different people are treated worse based on their gender, race, or social class. Finally, domestic/domestication describes the jobs women were given in neolithic times and also describes how wild animals were being integrated into society.

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