Review and Reflect

This year is my first year to ever take US History. I hardly knew anything about the US when I first came into this class at the beginning of the year, so I have learned a lot in this short period of time. So far, I have learned about the Constitution, slavery, the treatment of African Americans, the Civil War, Black Codes/Reconstruction, the Old West, and the importance of learning history through movies. All of these topics were completely new to me, other than that I had heard of them.

When I thought of slavery before this class, I imagined people working in fields and being owned by slaveowners and that was about it. I quickly realized there was much more to slavery and it wasn't good. Not all slaveowners were the same either; some nicer than others. After watching Glory and Twelve Years a Slave, the harsh reality of slavery and its conditions became clear to me. Some slaveowners took advantage of their access to absolute power of their slaves and were unnecessarily cruel. After learning this, we moved into the West in the 19th century. Before learning about it, I always pictured the West like it is in Clint Eastwood movies, but I learned that the view of the West shown in movies is the romanticized version of the West, not a realistic one. The West was full of Hispanics, Native American Indian tribes, and Anglo-Americans. Of course there were cowboys, but they were not how we think of them. They were low paid, rugged, working men; not exactly heros who win showdowns.

Thoughout this quarter, I have learned to enjoy history more and to analyze everything I read or watch. I never realized that you can learn so much from watching a movie. I believe that analyzing movies and worksheets tying the ideas together, has helped me grow as not only a thinker, but an analysist, and a learner in general. I am not a huge history fan, but the way I've learned this year has given me a new appreciation for it. I have begun to enjoy history as a whole and realize the importance and impact it has on our lives today. I think my biggest strength is my analyzing skills, which have only improved since taking this class.

I originally did not find value in studying history, but after learning about empathy, it has given me a new perspective. It is important to have empathy in all situations, but especially when studying history. I believe that learning through movies has helped me appreciate the relevance of history and be more interested in it. I hope I continue to appreciate the value of learning of peoples' lives in the past. I have realized the tough reality of how it used to be, which makes me very greatful for the life I am lucky enough to live. I have this life because of the past mistakes made and corrected by people studying history.

I would like to improve my research skills and discussion skills this year. I do not have any specific requests for new topics because I know very little about the US, so anything we go to next will be new for me. I like the format for US History this year and hope to keep it going for the rest of the year.