Debates Quarter 1

Debate Speech

Assignment/Activity Title—  Debates                                          Year— Sophomore

Skill—Research, Public Speaking, Group work                 Portfolio Category— Social Awareness

For the first quarter as a CAP sophomore, we had to take a stance on a topic that we found interesting and team up with another student to debate this topic, either as positive or negative, against another team. After lightly researching some of the topics I found fascinating, I decided that my first choice would be to debate for the building of the Purple Line. This was a topic that was local, and I had a personal perspective on it. I was the first to choose the Purple Line, and my partner became John Gorman. We were the affirmative side, for building the Purple Line and we were against Allison Mackenzie and Marianne Benyamin. John and I spent a lot of time researching all about the Purple Line, and learning about its supporting and opposing groups, as well as the benefits and disadvantages of a light rail system. We found reliable sources and worked together to write powerful

Indie Blog Post Quarter 1 Grade 10

Speak Out

During the summer of 2014, I had the honor of traveling to Arizona and New Mexico and staying on the Navajo reservation, all while helping out the local Navajos in need and experiencing their culture. Every morning, the youth group I came with would recite a morning prayer, and part of that prayer was a beautiful closing Navajo saying. The poem or saying, called "Walking in Beauty", was about connecting oneself with nature and observing the beauty as the day goes by. I really loved "Walking in Beauty", and for my Indie Blog Post, I decided to recite the poem.

Walking in Beauty



Online recording software >>

(BRB) Inspirations Script

Inspirations Script (BRB)

Assignment/Activity Title— Inspirations Script                                      Year— Freshman

Skill—Research, writing, group dynamics, public performance   Portfolio Category— Media and Communications 

            For a final project in drama class, students had to get together in a group of about four people, and write a play to be performed. I was very excited about this project when it was assigned, because I really enjoy writing and acting, and to use both skills at once sounded really intriguing. I had never written a play before, and although exciting, this project also seemed challenging. Our first assignment was to think of a few different ideas for a play that we could share with the class, and then base groups off of which ideas people liked. My ideas were scattered and not organized, I was daunted by the fact that the play could only be ten minutes long. I realized that I did not really want to utilize my own ideas, so I listened to what other people had to say instead. I was interested in the ideas of Lily H and Siena, and eventually made a group

Wolf Removal (Critical Thinking Essay)

Wolf Removal (Critical Thinking Essay)

Assignment/Activity Title— Critical Thinking Paper                                  Year— Freshman

Skill— Research, writing                                       Portfolio Category— Critical reasoning

A crucial assignment throughout the high school years as a CAP student is the critical thinking paper. The critical thinking paper is a four to six page essay, with three different essays written over three years.  In freshman year, the student must choose a topic that is debatable on both sides, interesting to the student, and in depth enough to write about. The first essay, written in freshman year, argues one side of the topic. The next year, the student must argue for the other side of the topic.  Lastly, in junior year, the student will write about the side they actually believe is right.  For my topic, I wanted to write about something that truly fascinated me, something I could easily comprehend, and something that was significant to me. I decided to research debatable problems in the environment- such as global warming, capping and trading

Independent Blog Post: Notice

This is my Independent Blog Post for the theme of Notice. Recently, I took a vacation in Las Vegas, and noticed how different Nevada was from Maryland. I started my film on the plane, and took videos and pictures throughout the trip to document what I noticed: a collection of views, nature, flowers, food, and more.

NOTE: VIDEO ENDS AT 1:06.There are two minutes and 30 seconds of blackness, I tried my best to fix this, but I was unable to.

Harlem Renaissance Brochure

Assignment/Activity Title- Harlem Renaissance Brochure                   Year— Freshman

Skill—  Writing, Research                                  Portfolio Category— Social Awareness

                 

In English class, students had the opportunity to explore the vast artistic ideas and inspirations that sparked a movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. This project required open-ended research and a final product of a brochure that would essentially inform readers about what the Harlem Renaissance was, and how it impacted art, music, writing, and political and social aspects of its time. With this project, starting out with basic researching proved to be harder than it looked. I wasn’t sure of which artists, musicians, writers, or politicians I would be interested in, so I didn’t know where to start. I searched up poems from the Harlem Renaissance period, and found one I was fascinated by, “I Shall Return”, by Claude McKay. I felt that this poem represented strength, nostalgia, and a journey in life.  After learning more about

Thoreau/Crane Essay

Thoreau/Crane Essay (Final Draft)

Assignment/Activity Title—Thoreau vs. Crane Essay                          Year— Freshman

Skill— Writing, Reading                                                  Portfolio Category— Critical Reasoning

            In English class, students had to read two well known books, analyze them in different assignments, and eventually write a organized and well thought out essay comparing the two books, Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, by Stephen Crane, and Walden, by Henry David Thoreau. Crane’s novel explored the life of a young girl growing up in the Bowery of New York City, at the turn of the 19^th century. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden gave a personal account of the author’s two-year stay living in isolation, away from any people or distractions. The two books were very different, and both were intriguing in their own way. The essay required for the two stories to be compared and contrasted over the author’s ideas of self-reliance, work, and