Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Impact of Pres. Ronald Reagan
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Technology in the 1970s through the 80s
The progression of technological advancement has stunned many. Over the past ten years, technology has increased at an exponential rate. This appears to be the largest leap we have ever lunged. However, this technological revolution would not have occurred if the foundations had not been set up. The foundations are mostly left in the shadows despite the major role that they played in setting up our present. The aim of our project is to create a shadowless environment where the past is portrayed with equal importance to the present. As such, our theme was technology from the 1970s to the 1980s. We were designated to find technology in general that related to the 1970s and 1980s. We decided to focus on a subset of technological growth that was directly related to specific companies that have grown to be major corporations in the present. If their infancy, they were not well renown and didn't hold any spotlight in the news (unlike today). Some of the major corporations included Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, and Macintosh.
Our items follow a reoccurring pattern. We focused on the storage of memory. Starting from the old record player and transparent slides to the somewhat modern Audio CD. These particular items were chosen because they form a foundation that progressively leads to more sophisticated means of storage. Memory storage did not make spontaneous jumps, but built on top of each other. For example, the old record player which used visible groves to store data was later recreated as an audio cd. The premise was the same. However, the capabilities were vastly beyond it's predecessor. Another example was the cassette player and the floppy disc. From the cassette came the floppy disc. Though the floppy carried only marginal amounts of data, compared to the cassette player which only allowed for portable audio, the floppy was a leap.
One notable deficiency in our project was the lack of synchronization between the aesthetics and the information. A more refined layout would have been one of the important things to consider if given another chance to improve our current project. However, even more important would have been to gather a larger array of quotes which pertained directly to the items rather then addressing technology in general.
Future students aimed at this project should spend more time out of class setting up a layout and designing boxes. Setting up the boxes in one class period is simply not enough time to make a refined and elegant look. For our group, we had to return during lunch which was inconvenient to say the least. Perhaps setting up a box and bringing it to class for final adjustments rather then making preliminary adjustments at home and attempting to compress the designing in around 45 minutes as we did.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Final Project: Freedom of Communication
In our project, we used large floppy disks, Post-Its, a casette tape, a computer mouse, GRC's typewriter ribbon, high-density diskette, pager, vinyl record, Radio Shack cassette recorder, and studio projector light bulbs. All of these items and advances made to these items since the 1970s allow us to have more freedom of communication today. Floppy disks, casette tapes, the diskette, vinyl record etc...have allowed us to store information and data. Post-its, as well as email and cellular phones (which we had pictures and quotes for), have made communication more efficient. In a matter of minutes, news can travel from person to person or even from the government to the public. The items on our box are only a handful of the many technologies that were used since the 1970s that have improved communication.
To obtain items, my group members and I looked around our houses, before asking relatives. In addition, Ms. Sanderson helped us by passing around a box with very useful items in it that were donated or even hers! (Thank You!!!!!!!!) Every time the box came around, it was like Christmas all over again. :)
Next time, I would start the project earlier. Also, I would pick a more interesting arrangement of our boxes.
My advice for future found artists would be it's okay to procrastinate...FOR ONE DAY MAXIMUM. Then you really need to start finding items and boxes to cover and put together. Check the wonderful cardboard box mentioned above, but also ask everyone (parents, relatives, teachers, etc...) for items. Get more than ten and stick more than ten on your boxes. Make it colorful. The right yellow or red or green can make people very happy. However, make sure they match.
Make sure you have pictures and deep quotes.
Tamara Chang
Period C
Technology of the 70s and 80s
My advice to the next year class would be do not procrastinate. It would be wise to start early and know ahead of time what items you and your team has so that you can ask your family, friends and staff members at Gunn for more items. Also, make sure you color your boxes to make it more visually appealing. In addition, work on the box ahead of time. Do not wait till the last day to put it together. Good luck!
Friday, May 29, 2009
We are... the people of rock and roll
Alex D
Jonathan
Bruce
Our theme covered the media revolution of the time period known as "Rock 'n' Roll". We tried to cover the different aspects of rock and roll as well as the different influences that it had on American Culture. We also wanted to show the viewer several of the musical movements that went into making rock and roll. We displayed several topics, such as the anti-war perspective of the American youth, and the rapidly changing fashion choices of the era. We also had a section about punk rock, one of the many musical revolutions that was sparked by the Rock and Roll movement.
Among our "Found Art" items, we had several original album covers from popular artists of the time period, such as Rainbow, Deep Purple, Queen, and Roger Waters. These artists were in the thick of 80s rock, shelling out deep songs which moved their listeners. Among the other items were a pair of headphones, which one would find at their average record store, and a guitar pick, which would have been a concert-goer's collector's item. We also had several copies of original pictures of notable artists of the time period, such as the O'Jays, Robert Cray, Rose Royce, and Pink Floyd.
We used the Internet to obtain our quotes. I scrounged around my dad's expansive rock music collection to select the albums which I particularly liked or thought had interesting cover art. We also found art in encyclopedia's and then scanned the picture into a computer. We also bought some items which would have been around at the time period.
I would plan better if I were to do this project again, as we were extremely pressed for time at the end of this project. If I had a re-do, I would also try to find more Found Art, such as a record to express music or a headband which could have been worn by your average rocker. Also I probably would labor more extensively over the actual assembly of our project, but with more time I am sure this would have happened.
My advice to next year's class is exactly what I would do differently if I could do this project again. Make sure you get your found art earlier or else your project will turn into a mad rush for items and your project will not be as great as it could be. Also make sure to meet all the milestones or else your grade will suffer.
-Alex Doundakov
PS: Go to http://timeline.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page --> interesting!
We are influenced by the media
The theme of our final project was television and its impact on society in the 1970's-1990's. The growth of television in the 70's-90's greatly impacted society. It brought in an uncanny form of entertainment to stay-at-home mothers, families, children, and teens.
We chose our items based on their relevance to television in the 1970's-1990's their influence on society. The layout of our project was in the format of four televisions stacked in the shape of a square, like in the theme of the Brady Bunch. The Brady Bunch is a show about one big family that is a mash of two divorced families; it made divorce socially acceptable. We also used several stuffed animals from various children's education shows such as Sesame Street and the Muppets. Sesame Street was created in 1969 and it became the standard for educational television, which allowed children to learn in a "fun" way. We also adorned our boxes with clothing from the 70's to demonstrate the influence of television on fashion. We also spread other various items from television shows in the 70's-90's around our boxes such as a mini wheel of fortune, a clock to represent 60 minutes, and old VHS, and rabbit ear antennae.
Our quest to find our "found art" items began with our individual searches through our homes. After we had scrounged our homes for old items relating to television, we moved on to asking friends and family if they had anything that could be of use to us.
If I were to do this project again, I would definitely begin earlier and spend more time decorating the boxes outside of class.
My advice to next year's class is that it is not as easy as you would think it would be to find items from the 1970's-1990's even though all our parents were alive during this time. What we would consider "found art", they consider junk; a lot of them threw all their old stuff away.
-Polly Cho
We are produts of President Ronald Reagan's presidency
We took a picture in front of the pieces of the Berlin wall because during Reagan's presidency he gave a famous speech that demanded that Gorbachev tear down the Berlin Wall. We also brought a Newsweek magazine that talked about what he was doing during his presidency. WE also included a program from a Stanford commencement because the guest speaker for that day was Sandra Day O'Connor. She was important because she was the first woman to be appointed to Supreme Court. She was nominated by President Reagan. We also found many political cartoons from the time period which included President Reagan
We got our objects by visiting elderly neighbors, looking on the internet, and searching through many boxes in the garage.
I would have chosen a different topic because the topic that we chose was very narrow, so it was very hard to find specific things.
I would advise people to collect their items early. If they can't find enough items, simply switch your topic! This is because without your items, your project will look blank.
Found Art Project (We are fun and entertainment)
The theme was entertainment, under that category was video games, music, and movies. It was something that excited the public and stirred up attention to.
We chose some to bring some cassette tapes, movies boxes, star war pictures, pong pictures, pacman pictures, floppies, lyrics, and stuff from our storage rooms.They were all source of entertainment because these were the activities the people did in their free time. Some songs were on cassette tapes and the lyrics from the singers/band reflected over their thoughts in that time period. The movies also reflected over the time period, and influenced some people about war/politics/movements. Games was a big hit since it filled in the slot of free time and it was exciting to play since it thrilled people to play/re-play/beat the game.
We obtained our objects from buying stuff on ebay, searching up pictures online, looking in every corner of our homes, and finding some of the objects from people around that time period. Some objects are hard to find, so we asked people that were around the 1970s-1980s and borrow their objects to put onto the boxes.
I would try managing my time even because everybody seemed to be too busy and we were every where when we were doing the project. Meaning that we were wondering what to do, how we should assemble the project and how we should structure our outline. Understand the project completely in order to know what the teacher wants us to make the outline and project.
My advice to the next year's class about this project is to put teamwork into it,check your teammate's found object, and check their outline to make sure it is reasonable. Also ask questions if they need it and ask your teammates what information/materials they got from the teacher.
by Melody
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Developments of Technology
Topic: Technology
Group Members: Eric Greco, Alex Mackay, Johnny Lau, Corey Long
Our theme was about the development of technology from 1970-1990. We gathered items that showed the changes in technology, such as laptops, records, and floppy disks. This topic interested us because it played such a dramatic role in the how our country developed and changed overtime.
We put together our project by putting two boxes on the bottom to play the base and one box on top in the center. On the very top of the center box we put color slides, then on the sides of the center box we covered one side with a record. Two of the other sides were covered with pictures of people who played key roles in changing our technology, such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, along with quotes from them. The other sides of the boxes on the bottom two had items such as tape recorders, floppy disks, and cd’s attached. We also glued on pictures of technological inventions that changed our lifestyle.
Gathering these items became a large task of its own, because we went to most of our parents to gather items but a lot of the ones we were searching for had been thrown away. We got a few of our items via the class, such as our floppy disk, but many of the items I found in my house. My mom gave me an old record, tape recorder, and slides. We got our boxes from the library.
It was very difficult to find items from the 70s and 80s that had still been kept. So, if we could have redone this project instead of doing a topic that interested us, maybe do one that we know we will have access to many items from that time period.
For next year’s class, I recommend choosing a topic that not only interests you but one that will be easy to find items for. Do not wait till the last minute to start the project, and on the day when you know you will be working in class have your box set-up already put together. Make sure you have the needed supplies and that no one in your group is slacking. This is not the type of project you want to start on the day it is due. Have the project describe the time period and your topic. Do not just put pictures on it, give it an identity.
Eric G
We Are...
The items that we chose represented things more closely associated with normal life; we did not look for mainframe computers or large lab technology because it did not apply to the sense of everyday living that we wanted to convey. The computer mouse was a revolutionary device for all Americans with personal desktops; the record was a common source of entertainment that almost everybody had. We had quite a few computer-related items because the computer today is one of the most widely used tools today; it is one of those things without which our society would completely fall into shambles. We wanted to explore and indicate the budding of the computer and its premature state before coming to dominate modern society.
In finding our items we used many resources provided by our teacher. In addition we found old devices around our homes we knew we had. We were somewhat short on items; we didn't think of many of the interesting things we could have brought till the end. If given another chance I would have searched for technological advances in the very beginning and chosen the most interesting to bring.
The best piece of advice I could give to future students who will do this project is to start assembling the project outside of class; the one period given to assemble is not enough time to make it nice.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Reaction to Brown Supreme Court Decision
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka
Lyndon Johnson's Great Society
Lyndon Johnson set out to transform the America into the Great Society. Johnson created programs, passed laws, and promoted reform in education, healthcare, housing, immigration, environmental issues, and in consumer protection. To boost financial aid for schools, Johnson passed The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which provided $1 billion dollars towards buying school materials. To provide healthcare to the poor and elderly, two programs: Medicare and Medicaid, were established. As many families moved out of cities, Johnson created the Department of Housing and Urban Developement to deal with the growing population in urban areas by building low rent public housing. The Immigration Act of 1965 alloed non European immigrants to settle in the United States. In response to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, Johnson passed the Water Quality Act of 1965, which required states to keep rivers clean. Finally, Johnson protected the consumer by requiring that labels on the package to be true and establishing safety standards. Although Johnson's Great Society was created decades ago, the impact of the reforms and programs is still felt today.
Tamara C.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Great Society
Lyndon Baines Johnson succeeded to the presidency with a fierce ambition: to transform America into the Great Society. In May 1964 in a speech at the University of Michigan, Johnson spoke of the Great Society as, “ a place which honors creation for its own sake and for what it adds to the understanding of the race”. The two main goals of the Great Society were to end poverty and racial injustice and Johnson achieved these by passing 206 new measures by 1969, by the time he left office.
The LBJ administration focused on improving education, healthcare, housing, immigration, the environment, and consumer protection by passing many bills between 1965 and 1966. Johnson considered education “the key which can unlock the door to the Great Society”, and he had many bills passed that implemented more money into education. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 supplied more than $1 billion to help public schools purchase textbooks and new materials. Medicare and Medicaid greatly extended healthcare to the less privileged and American seniors. Congress also passed several bills that shifted the nation’s focus to urban areas from rural areas. For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development was established to form federal housing programs that provided better housing for the poor. Immigration laws were also drastically changed. The Immigration Act of 1965 allowed many non-Europeans that had previously been barred from entering, immigrate to the United States. Johnson also began the environmental movement with the words, “There is no excuse…for chemical companies and oil refineries using our major rivers as pipelines for toxic wastes”. Lastly, many laws were passed to protect consumers. For example, the Highway Safety Act of 1966 was passed that required states to set up highway safety programs.
The Great Society was born with the passing of hundreds of bills that greatly improved the nation’s inequality.Thursday, April 30, 2009
Miranda Rights
The Miranda Rights originated in 1 963 when Ernesto Miranda was arrested and charged with kidnapping and rape. He signed a confession of guilt two hours after police interrogation. Miranda appealed to the supreme court because he had been coerced to give the confession; the police never informed him of right to an attorney.
The ruling stemmed from other similar cases. In the 1961 Mapp v. Ohio case, the court ruled that evidence produced from illegal searches violated the fourth amendment and could not be used as evidence. Another landmark case was the 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright, where the Courts ruled that a defendant has the right to an attorney and will be assigned an attorney should they not be able to afford one. Another notable case was in 1964 was the Escobedo v. Illinois. In this case, the Court's ruled that a suspect has the right to an attorney when interrogated by the police.
The Chief Justice Earl Warren played a major role in the decision basing his argument on th Fifth Amendment. The Fifth amendment states that an individual need not testify against himself. Warren postulated that when a subject is detained, they are inherently intimidated by the environment they are in. Due to this, he reasoned that any evidence produced wouldn't be impartial.
LBJ's Great Society
To improve education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was passed to give an aid of $1 billion to help schools buy books. Some other acts that were approved helped funded scholarships, give financial aid to talented artists and support educational broadcasting.
In addition, the LBJ administration developed some laws that gave assistance to those who lack health care such as Medicare, a programwhich helped lower the cost of medical insures for Americans who are 65 years old or older. Another program was Medicaid which allowed welfare recipients attain proper health insurance.
To help ameliorate housing, Congress approved of several plans that strengthen the American urban locations. Some examples are the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) establishment and low-rent private housing constructions for low-income families.
To increase the diversity of immigrants, the Immigration Act of 1965 was passed to stop all quotas that were established in 1924 that favored Europeans. Other acts that helped degrade the discrimination in America were the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Right Act of 1965.
The environment was also another factor that the LBJ administration focused on. The Water Quality Act of 1965 was passed to regulate rivers for purity and cleanliness. Other laws set guidelines for pollution and set aside land for national parks.
To protect the increasing number of American consumers, Congress passed some bills that help set the standards for products such as the Truth in Packing Act of 1966. These regulations were meant to help Americans feel more secure with their daily errands.
With all these regulations, the Great Society has improved the American living standards due to Johnson’s determination to end the injustice and impoverishment.
Jazreel
LBJ's Great Society
In May 1964, LBJ had summed up his vision for America in a phrase: the Great Society. He outlined a legislative program that would end poverty and racial injustice, he also added that he hoped that the legislative program would create not only a higher standard of living and equal opportunity, but also promote richer quality of life for all.
During 1965 and 1966, the LBJ administration introduced a flurry of bills to Congress. Johnson considered education “the key which can unlock the door to the Great Society.” The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 provided more than $1 billion in federal aid to help public and parochial schools purchase textbooks and new library materials. LBJ and Congress changed Social Security by establishing Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare provided hospital insurance and low-cost medical insurance for almost every American age 65 and older. Medicaid extended health insurance to welfare recipients. Congress also made several important decisions that shifted the nation’s political power from rural to urban areas. By establishing the Department of Housing and Urban Development the administration was able to appropriate money to build 240,000 units of low-rent public housing and help low- and moderate-income families pay for better private housing. The Great Society also brought profound changes to the nation’s immigration laws. The Immigration Act of 1965 opened the door for many non-European immigrants to settle in the United States by ending quotas based on nationality. Consumer advocates also made headway. They convinced Congress to pass major safety laws, including a truth-in-packaging law that set standards for labeling consumer goods. Ralph Nader sharply criticized the U.S. automobile industry for ignoring safety concerns. His testimony helped persuade Congress to establish safety standards for automobiles and tires, these precautions also extended to food. Congress then passed the Wholesome Meat Act of 1967.
Overall, the LBJ administration passed twenty-four Acts’ from 1964-1967 dramatically changing life in the United States. Issues such as poverty, education, discrimination, the environment, consumer advocacy, and the shape of cities around the country all improved for the better. People can argue whether or not the changes left by the LBJ administration left the nation better or worse, but no president in the post-WWII era has extended power and reach of the federal government more than LBJ.
The Movement of Migrant Workers
All across the country, migrant farm workers were harvesting fruits and vegetables every day. Migrant farm workers make up 10% of hired farm workers. Each part of the country had different climates. According to the season, migrant farm workers moved their whole family for the growing season.
The Pacific Coast:
The Pacific coast has a moderate climate which allows farmers to cultivate the land all year long. This means that migrant farmers don’t have to move each season. Most of the migrant workers work on fruit farms, either picking grapes and vegetables in California, or picking cherries, apples, and other crops in Washington.
The Midwest:
The Midwest has small streams to keep crops watered. Crops are smaller so workers must keep moving during the year to keep themselves employed. One family, for example, may pick strawberries in Michigan, pick tomatoes in Ohio, go back to Michigan to pick apples, then go to Texas for the winter.
The Atlantic Coast
Most workers in this region stay in Florida because of the year round work. However others travel north to New Hampshire and New York. Because this region has icy cold winters, workers here cannot find work during the winter seasons
Across the US, migrant workers were forced to move their families and their homes to match the different seasons of certain crops. Every except the pacific coast did not have year-round growing seasons. Therefore, workers on the pacific were able to stay in one place. These paths have changed slightly, however migrant workers in every region still exist today.
By Kevin
Election of 1960 and Camelot Years
In the 1960s, President Eisenhower's second term was about to end. And in about that time, the economy was downing. Soviet Union launched Sputnik I in 1958, development of long range missiles, U-2 incident, alignment of Cuba with the Soviet Union had made United States of America wonder who they'll choose as the next president. Those two candidates were, Democratic Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts and Republican Vice President Richer M. Nixon.
Kennedy was a 43 year old, he would of been the second youngest president if he was elected, but he had a way into attracting the public.
Kennedy and Nixon were both the first presidential candidates to be on a television debate on September 26, 1960.
One of the major event occurred in October, were when Martin Luther King, Jr. and 33 other African-American demonstrators were sitting at a segregated lunch counter. King was sentenced to months of hard labor because of a minor traffic violation. Eisenhower administration and Nixon took no action. Although, Kennedy was sympathetic by calling Kin's wife, Coretta Scott King. Robert Kennedy, his brother and campaign manager went to the judge who sentenced King to release the civil rights leader on bail, which caught the African American community's attention.
In the Kennedy's Camelot years: Kennedy may have lacked in substance, but the public was fascinated by their family. JFK could read 1, 600 words a minute and the first lady was into fashion. Kennedy family reminded many of a modern0day Camelot, the mythical court of King Arthur.
He also surrounded himself in "the best and the brightest." McGeorge Bundy, a Harvard University dean, as national security adviser; Robert McNamara, president of Ford Motor Company, as secretary of defense; and Dean Rusk, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, as secretary of state. Most of all he relied on his 35-year-old brother Robert, who was the attorney general.
By Melody
Election of 1960 & Camelot Years
Kennedy was elected in Novemenber of 1960. His inaugration set the tone for a new era at the White House: one of grace, elegance, and wit. Kennedy frequently appeared on television and the press loved his charm and wit. The new first family also fascinated Americans. They all wanted follow in their shoes. For example, after learning JFK could read 1,600 words a minute, thousands signed up for speed reading classes. The public was also captivated by the first lady's sense of style. The Kennedy White House became a modern-day Camelot.\