Author: Dominic Salvucci

Teacher, Father, Husband, Poet/Philosopher, Life Long Learner.

Japanese Internment Video Comparison by Dash G

First Video

The messages in the video were about how they wanted all Japanese people out of the way.I believe they got in the way of us destroying the invaders,but this statement is accurate because i believe it tells portrayal about japanese-americans .The 5 details I have from the video are,They transferred several thousands Japanese Americans residents from the pacific coast to point towards American interior.The 2nd,when the japanese attacks pearl harbor they tried to make our west coast a warzone and the united states were not having it.The 3rd detail, the japanese tried invade the shores of Los Angeles and the japanese people in America were helping them , by the way there was more japanese people than americans in Los Angeles.The 4th detail,The japanese controlled the shipyards,oil wells and airports they were all over the place covering the city.The last detail, they made all japanese people get away from the shore and move into inland they even put posters on the poles for them.These are my 5 details about the first video.

SECOND VIDEO

 The message in the second video was about the Japanese Americans and what happened to them before the war was about to happen.I do believe that it tells an accurate portrayal of the Japanese Americans.On december 7th 1941 the empire of japan launch a attack on the base pearl harbor.Japanese-Americans were sent to camps because of the united states thought that they were disloyal(there was many immigrants at this time).FDR signed a Executive order in 1942 on february 19th.Then FDR put ten big camps around the world filling them with japanese americans, there was  120,000 of them just in the western part of USA.The camps where open for 3 years and they were isolated in the middle of the hot arizona desert.During the war people were going broke and needed money so they started to sell their building for extra money.The Japanese got a chance to fight for the americans and that’s what they did.After the war was over the remaining people that came back from the war they got sent back to their homes,even the people in the camps everyone got sent home.These are my 5 details about the second video and my opinion.

I believe the second video tells more about the situation with the Japanese Americans.The reason why i said this is because,it tells us what happen to them before the war started and what they did in course of the war.I believe the second video gives out more input on how they survive,what they did,how they did it and information about the war.This is why i choose the 2nd video to support the details.

Japanese Internment Video Comparison by Chance S

In the first video the United States of America showed the american people that the japanese were not human they were called japs a racial term to discriminate against them they also put them in camps.

 Many of the people who were of Japanese descent were put into internment camps because the United States were scared of Japanese people going on the side of the Empire Of Japan and they already had a problem with them racially so FDR decided to put them in camps. 

This is not good for Japanese people because they are humans, not a different species. They called them savages and animals not humans so they forced many American citizens into those camps.The second video was better because it told you more of what they had to go through such as  the small rooms they had to live in, isolation and no privacy it was harsh for them. 

Japanese Internment Video Comparison by Eva F.

The first video- 

The first video talks about how the government and the military helped the Japanese-Americans evacuate the area. The US citizens thought the Japanese-Americans were threats, especially since Pearl Harbor was bombed just a few days ago. The military built these internment camps, where the Japanese-Americans were guarded and they lived there. Some of the events in the video did not sound very true to me. I do not think this video accurately portrays the Japanese-Americans during this time. A few reasons why I think this could include, first the narrator called the Japanese-Americans ‘aliens’. Aliens are not real and do not exist. The Japanese-Americans were real people born in America. Another reason could be the narrator made the internment camps sound like small apartment houses. We learn later the internment camps were not little apartments. The narrator made it sound like life went back to normal, after the Japanese-Americans evacuated. The next reason I think this isn’t accurate is that the narrator called the internment camps ‘assembly centers’. They are not assembly centers. That is where the Japanese-Americans live. The fourth reason is I don’t think the video portrayed the community’s social aspect nicely. The narrator made it sound like there were all these teachers, doctors, priests, and more, when really the camps were guarded, and the Japanese-Americans were in isolation. Lastly the narrator says the Japanese-Americans ‘gave up’ their homes and small businesses, when really they were forced to leave and many of them went homeless, once they returned home. 

 

The second video-

It talks about the military and the government helping the Japanese-Americans evacuate as well. The person telling the story was saying how the Japanese-Americans immigrants were not allowed in the United States, because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Some of these events sounded mostly accurate. I think this video is accurate for a couple of reasons. One being the narrator had said ⅔ of them were American born citizens. They went to the internment camps, the US citizens who did not go to the camps, thought the Japanese-Americans were disloyal, which had caused them to be put in the camps, which is about 66% of the population in the western United States. The narrator had mentioned there were about 120,000 Americans, in all of the 10 camps. Another reason I think this is accurate is because of the barbed wire surrounding the camps. Barbed wire originated from the US in 1847. It also just seems like an American thing to do. The narrator, the storyteller, had said the Japanese-Americans were in isolation and had little privacy, whereas the other video made it sound like they had a tiny house. The story teller had also said the people were under harsh surveillance with little warmth in their living spaces. This was because the camps were in deserted areas of the western United States. The next reason is the narrator had said there was a big community, which made life more normal. I think that is pretty accurate except I still don’t know how they got all those teachers, doctors, and priests to come in. 

Although both videos told the same story, I think the second video told the more accurate version. More of the events that happened sound more true. Because the narrator of the first video had called the Japanese-Americans ‘aliens’, I believe that is not accurate and false. The Japanese-Americans were born in America. They are actual American citizens. Asian immigrants were known as ‘economic threats’. But they aren’t threats, they didn’t do anything to hurt the US. 

Japanese Internment Video Comparison by William B

The First video explains how the United States government was handling the issue of
protecting our country after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It was distributed by the US
government, and it was shown to whoever could see it. The video explains what happened to cause the internment, the way they decided to solve the issue, and the conditions that the people of Japanese Descent would be living in. The video is trying to show that the movement of the Japanese people is a good thing and that everyone is ok with it. They mentioned that in order to make sure that all people would be counted, they had to register by filling out an application for the internment. The camps were either built from scratch or buildings were converted to make sure that there was enough housing for all the people. I do not believe that this is an accurate representation of Japanese Americans because it shows all of the Japanese people who were getting on the buses and filling out the paperwork looked so happy. If there is a group of people being removed from the community because of a major event that happened, they would not be happy. The narrator of the video stated that there were people who were volunteering for the spots in the internment camps, but that isn’t believable.

The second video goes into more detail about the history of the event, and what it was like to be a Japanese American citizen during 1941. The video states that the people of Asian descent were viewed as disloyal after the attacks, but they were not liked long before the attacks. Before WWII, people believed that asian immigrants were viewed as economic threats. This also led to the internment. The people being forced into the camps were only given a short amount of time to sell their stuff, and normally there would be a huge price cut, making them lose profits on the things that they would sell. These camps were normally set in the middle of nowhere, making it so there is no way that people could see them. There was no privacy in the camps, and even in the situation they faced, the people still tried to make the best that they
could. The camps were open for three years. After the camps were removed, the people found their homes looted and their stuff gone, making them feel homeless and bare. I feel that this video is more of an accurate representation of how the program went as it is not US propaganda. This video was a documentation on the event, meaning there are not any lies about it to make people who might not be on board become on board. It stated how the people felt about the whole situation, stating that the people were not happy about it, and that when they were able to be back home, they felt as if they were homeless. They were not liked by anyone from the start, and this situation made it worse. People began looting and robbing their
homes and businesses, leaving whatever they had left stolen, making them have nothing when they came home.

I believe that the second video is the most accurate representation of the events that
took place. I believe this because the video goes into more of a detailed explanation of the events that took place during 1941, and it isn’t U.S propaganda. This video states that the people of asian descent were not liked far before the attacks of Pearl Harbor, and that added on to the fact that people wanted the internment camps to happen. When people were taken to the camps, they had very little time to prepare, forcing them to leave most of their belongings wherever they were taken from. During the time of the camps, people would take advantage of this fact and loot the businesses and homes of people of asian descent. When they got home
from the camps, it was stated that they felt homeless and betrayed.These reasons, along with many others, are why I feel that the second video is a much more accurate depiction of the terrible events that took place during 1941 to the Japanese American citizens.t

Japanese Internment Video Comparisons by Kayla L

In the first video, it seems as though it is made to signify that what the government did to the Japanese individuals was benefiting both the US and the Japanese and protecting them.  The way the video speaks, they are stating that the US is attempting to justify the actions of what was done.  Based on what we know about WWII, I do not believe that this video depicts what accurately happened during that time in history.  For example, they state that many of the Japanese individuals were volunteering to leave their homes and jobs behind.  Over ⅔ of these individuals were American citizens, why would they voluntarily leave what they had a right to? The government claims that they gave real consideration to these individuals when asking them to leave their lives behind.  When the camps were built, the government stated that they provided nourishing food to the Japanese housed in those camps.  Why would the government feel the need to provide an emphasis on the type of food being provided to them?  The video also states that the government put a strong emphasis on the health and well-being of the children housed in these camps.  I think that the statement regarding the standard set for the future to determine which individuals are loyal to the United States was an attempt to convince the citizens that this was acceptable and necessary for the protection of all.  

In the second video, the picture of what the Japanese went through is much different than that of what the government stated.  I think that this video was attempting to show the difficulties that these individuals faced and the realization of what life was like after the camps closed and the Japanese were able to go back to their homes.  I also think that this video provides a much more accurate depiction of what happened during that time.  For example, the video states that these individuals were sent to these relocation camps, in which they were provided a small 1 bedroom apartment, and 1 small heating unit.  The camps were surrounded by barbed wire and lookout towers.  Many of these individuals were forced to sell their homes and businesses for small sums of money.  The view of the Japanese ethnicity was grossly looked down upon by the other Americans.  Many of which did not want them to return back to their homes after the war.  It took 3 years to shut down the camps.  That is 3 years in which these individuals were placed in camps and not allowed to go back to their homes or belongings.  Even considering their sacrifices, over 33 thousand Japanese served in the US military during WWII, and many of them became decorated veterans.  Once the camps were closed, the government provided no assistance in getting these individuals back on their feet.  It would take 40 years before Ronald Reagan would pass the bill that would serve as justice for the wrongs made by the US government to its Japanese citizens.  

After reviewing both videos, I think that the second video portrays a more accurate accounting of what happened during WWII.  The second video provides much more details and doesn’t provide what could be viewed as an excuse for behavior.  The second video states the hardships that were experienced, whereas the first video glosses over those hardships and makes it sound like these individuals were enjoying the time they had to spend in these camps.  Overall, the second video is more believable considering what the United States was experiencing, and how the American citizens were reacting to the war. 

 

Welcome to the 2023 2024 School Year

So, we are into August and school starts in a couple of weeks.  I wanted to get ahead of the game so to speak and introduce my Honors Students to their blog site.  You will be posting many of your writing assignments to your individual class blogs.

Remember, there is no mandatory minimum number of words, sentences, or paragraphs, just answer the prompts given and include information from the lesson to defend your answer.  Never be afraid to ask for guidance, I will ASSIST with, but not grade your blog posts if asked.

You are encouraged to personalize your blogs, but please keep them school appropriate and do not share items like last names, addresses, and other personal information that can be risky.

People will read these posts, so take pride in your work and show off your thoughts and words!

World War II Project Reflections

Well, we started a flash project several weeks ago, my honors students chose topics from World War II to research and present to their classmates.  My goal was to take just a couple of days to do some quick research and explain it to the class.  We could then move on and forward in time, hopefully making a leap as if using a Tardis or a wormhole.

Well, things did not go quite as planned and we had to make a number of adjustments.  That being said, those adjustments led to a variety of learning experiences for both my students and myself.  To make a long story short,  the project took quite a bit longer that projected.  Some of the issues were out of our control, such as my classroom laptop not quite dying, but let’s say performing at a pace of a snail covered in molasses and pine tar, heading uphill, over sharp glass, on a cold winter’s day…dragging about 400 pounds of weight, and an open parachute into the wind.  Yet this only affected the project at the end, when my students were about to present their work to their classmates.

The project research and and presentation build was done in the computer lab; my new class set of iPads have a glitch, if students log in to Edmodo using a Google account, they can never be truly signed out.  This is a bit problematic since the iPads are shared across six classes.

Anyway, the project build took a bit longer than expected, though research was quick.  Since this was the first project build in class I wanted to make sure students were comfortable with the process.  Most groups used either Prezi or Google Slides as their presentation medium, a select few ventured out into podcasts, Google MyMaps,  and other formats.  Of the Prezi and Google Slide crew I managed to convince a few groups to turn their presentations into screencasts using Touchcast and the class Padcaster.  This process worked well overall and the extra time used for this project can be made up during the next project.

Some of the learning process for myself caught me by surprise.  Not normally known for my patience outside of the classroom, I believed that I have used technology long enough that I was beyond frustration when it glitched, broke, or bogged down in the classroom.  Well…I was greatly mistaken.  I have to give MAJOR PROPS, to one of my students whose presentation was delayed several times because of the computer problems.  He took the situation in stride, did not become frustrated and presented like a pro.  I on the other hand became rattled and not so calm with the device in question.

Looking back at the issue, I believe my frustration arose because the problems directly affected the students, and no I am not saying this to look good.  If a glitch affects me in the classroom, I have many ways to adapt and overcome the issue.  I have been in the classroom for many years, there are many tricks up my sleeve to work around problems.  This problem hit the students directly, they could not complete their presentations, thus lose out on a big chunk of their grade. I still do not know if it was stubbornness, myopia, or my minor OCD issues that prevented me from just trading rooms with a colleague to have the students present while the computer was down.  For whatever the reason, I turned down a couple of offers and took a delay of a couple of days with presentations, students used the time to review vocabulary, review their presentations, and other such coursework.

Overall, I was pleased with the students’ projects and their effort in creating them.   I am also very pleased with out technology department, they helped fix the computer issue and kept at it when the problem persisted for some unknown reason.  The major issue I had with the project, outside of the time issue I discussed earlier is the large group of projects that were similar in format.  I can change that rather easily moving forward, as the classroom teacher I have full control over that segment and it is an easy fix.  i will discuss that shortly.

Moving forward there are some changes I will implement.  For one, the time frame of the project and amount of class time will be scaled back.  Since students have worked through the process with “training wheels” we can take them off and speed up the process.  Also more work can be done on their own next time.  In conjunction with those changes.  My classroom door is always open for students who need help or a place to work, so scaling back class time can be made up before or after school and during study halls.

To address the homogeneity of the projects, here are several adaptations I have planned.  I will institute a “Project Passport” where students cannot complete the same style of project until after they have completed a number of other project styles.  This will expand their repertoire of knowledge, keep the class interesting, and continue to challenge all of us to expand our horizons.  A limit on the number of similar styles of projects will be put in place, in a first come first served basis.  This along with the passports will force the students to expand their horizons when it comes to projects.

The largest influence to the project homogeneity issue will come from my own personal changes.  I need to expand how I present information to the classes, by adding to my own skill set, I can introduce and model the various projects to my classes.  The additional styles should alleviate some fears on their part of the unknown and may even intrigue or pique their interest outright to expand horizons.

I plan to continue to update this blog and my other blog throughout the year, please check back to see how my efforts are progressing.

You can find the student projects posted on the class wiki by clicking here.

Sample Blog Post for Honors US II 2018

All blog posts need to contain certain information along with your post.  First, you need a “Title.” It may be creative, but it should have some indication of or relation to your topic.  You also need the main body of your post, this is obvious, but I mention it anyway. You must include “Tags” in your post, these are bits of information that help people find your post when searching on the Internet.  The more “Tags” you have the better the chance of people searching and finding your post. You should also place your post in a “Category” which is sort of like placing your post in a file cabinet drawer to help see the organization of your thoughts and ideas.

Some miscellaneous items, make sure you publish your post, especially if you are working on a mobile device.  Saving a post as a draft on a mobile device saves it only to that device, not to the Internet, whereas saving a post as a draft on a computer saves it to the Internet.  If you are not completed with your post just add “This Post is Currently Under Construction” so anyone who comes across your blog knows you are not finished. Please make sure you make YOUR BLOG the default blog to write to and not the class blog.  More information will be posted later.

New Wiki

Morning signCreative Commons License Artur Rydzewski via Compfight

Sunrise or Sunset?  Glass Half Empty or Half Full?  Same information, yet different opinions as to what is going on.

In February I found out that Wikispaces was shutting down for good this year.  As a free user, I had until the end of May to migrate many years, over 10, of student information to a new Internet space.  If I did nothing, all of that information would disappear forever.  Student projects would disappear, student notes and resources would be be gone, years of work from many people would just evaporate into nothing.

At first I was devastated, Wikispaces was my first online presence and online class workspace.  From a nostalgic perspective I was losing a part of my history, from a practical standpoint I was losing a major tool out of my repertoire with days if not months of work ahead to try and salvage as much information as I possibly could.

As time has passed, I realized that this entire situation can be considered a new beginning with the potential to really expand my knowledge base.  This brings about short and long term goals that I must meet or lose a lot of information and history.

In the short term, I re-examined PBwiki, I remembered this sight from my first experience building an online presence.  This site was passed over for Wikispaces when I  first started this journey, oh the irony…right?  Well, I jumped back into it and started building  a new site, combining my student note wiki with my student project wiki.  PBwiki limits the number of sites one can use per email address, so combining the two was a necessity.

The wiki I used for my professional development presentations and educational resources can be found here, at least until the end of May.  It is being migrated to a separate PBwiki. I kept this as a separate wiki because I do not know how the storage limits will affect my information yet.

The long play is that I am playing around with Weebly and Google Sites as possible support or complimentary resources for my work.  There is always the possibility to expand my main web presence, mrsalvucci.com into a larger project.  For now these are just thoughts, with the main work focusing on saving the past and migrating a plethora of information to PBwiki.

 

Parent Participation with Student Blogs

Journal arbyreed via Compfight

Hello everyone, I hope all is well this wintery flu season.  I sent out the Cel.ly to direct you to this site and hopefully show off the students’ blogs.  The students are doing all sorts of great work and publishing their projects to the Internet.  I wanted you to see their work and I am not sure they have showed you their blogs as of yet.  I know I am risking their wrath for encouraging you to do this, but so be it…they deserve to have people view their work and see the effort they put forth.  We will be doing more writing on these blogs as the year goes on, please stop back after today and check out their continued endeavors.

Feel free check out their blogs by clicking on the link to the left labeled Individual Student Blogs 20017 2018 by clicking here.  Once you are on the page, click on one of the images based upon your student’s class period and scroll through the list of blogs.

Please read their work and feel free to leave a comment.  All comments need to be approved before they become publicly viewable, I am not worried about parents replying to blogs, but you never know who may stumble across them on the Internet, so we have to approve all comments.

You can also check out their other projects which are located on the Student Project Wiki.  Click on the “Definitive Destination Guide” and peruse the work of New Brighton High School’s students.  Publishing their work to the Internet is great, but it is even greater when you check it out.