How can we, as legal teams, determine the effectiveness of a revolution?

Introduction:

Revolution are complicated events that happen due to a ruler not giving a good standard of living to their people. In this project we explored what makes a revolution effective and how we can figure this out in a legal court. I personally feel as if I did very well during the beginning of the project and then during the end, I feel like I could done much better than I did. Moreover, in order to understand why a revolution was effective we had to study a revolution that followed the stages of Crane Brinton’s diagram, a theory on the stages of revolution, created by studying the Xinhai, Haitian, French and American revolutions. The one I ended up studying was the Xinhai revolution which is about the overthrowing of the Qing dynasty or monarchy in China on 1911-1912. Overall, without all the steps and projects done I don’t think I would of understood what makes an effective revolution.

What events happened in the revolution I am studying?

Crane Brinton’s Creative Diagram:

Crane Brinton’s Diagram taught me about the stages to revolution. This diagram as mention before detailed the stages to a revolution. This part of the project I believe I understood very well. This is due to me taking extra notes concerning the revolt and working very hard to make sure the art I made of the diagram looked neat and spectacular. However, I think could of improved on doing extra research and using research other than the ones given to me. Overall, this project was a good starting point due it teaching how a standard revolution should work without me needing to study.

Revolution & Animal Farm Quiz:

The animal farm quiz expanded my vocabulary concerning both languages for courts and language that describes a revolution. For this part of the project we were suppose to study the word above and memories the meaning of each word. We additionally had to study and give a definition for the stages in the Crane Brinton’s Creative diagram. In this stage of the project I think I did well on studying in order to prepare myself for the quiz. However, I think I should spent longer trying to answer the question for the actual quiz and not just try to speed through it. Overall, this part of the project taught me the words that will be used in order to prove my point in the upcoming trial.

Revolution Graphic Organizer:

The revolution graphic organizer taught me all information I needed to know about the revolution I was studying. For the graphic organizer, I studied the Xinhai revolution, a revolution that happened in China between the years 1911-1912, the main goal of this revolt was to overthrow the Qing. This part of project taught me what the events of an actual revolution looked liked and how different the Xinhai revolution was to what I imagined a revolution to be. In this project, the part I did best on was getting all the researched needed for future projects and to fully understand the events in the revolution. However, I think I could shorten my information or at the very least summarized in a way that it would be easy for someone who has never heard of the Xinhai revolution to follow along. In general, this part of the project taught me what happens during a revolution. 

Why do Revolution happen?

Nation X Reflection:

The Nation X Reflection was my first step in understanding what are the the underlying condition that cause a revolt. In the Nation X Reflection were suppose to write about our time in simulation where we were suppose to live in a society that was split into certain groups. Depending on the group you were assigned you would be given more or less money, have more say on the laws of this society and be given less work to do everyday. I think for the reflection I could of said more of what my actual thoughts were rather than repeat what others have said to me. However, I think did a great job at explaining the events and why I think we did no create a fair and just society. Overall, this part of the project was great and interesting prologue to answering the question of why a revolution happens.

Animal Farm Discussion:

Animal farm is book that takes a look at the corruption of government during and before a revolution. Animal farm is a book written by George Orwell which is about animals on a farm who revolt against their owner, Mr. Jones and establish a new society where all animal are equal. However, the government that the animals create becomes more corrupts as the story goes on and at the very end of the story the leader of the farm, the pigs are said to look no different from the humans. I think I did very well on contributing amazing clever questions to the group discussion when talking about the book. However, I could of improved on asking more questions and writing in more detail about my own thoughts on Animal Farm. Overall, I really enjoyed this keystone and hope I can do more like it in the future.

Animal Farm Written Analogy:

In class, we had to write a multi-paragraph essay concerning how Animal Farm and Crane Brinton’s Theory were connected. We were given one hour in class and were aloud to use notes created outside of school to create this paragraph. For this part of the project I think I did well on being prepared and creating detailed analysis for parts or symbols in the book. However, I think I could of done a better job of not just looking at my notes since I wasn’t just supposed to rely on them for the writing of the multi-paragraph. Overall, this part of project helped me really understand why a revolution that happened in Animal Farm. 

How do legal teams prepare for a trial?

Affidavit Rough Draft:

  In order to make our case in court, we need evidence to back our claim. After studying our chosen revolution, we were put into legal teams that would prove if our chosen revolution was effective or ineffective. My legal team consisted of Ava, Declan, Noah, Patrick and Alicia. I was put into a group that main goal was to prove how the revolution was ineffective. At the start of trying to create an affidavit, a document containing all evidence that will be used in the trial, we were very confused on what information we should used. Eventually, we decided upon quotes from people who were wronged by the consequences of the Xinhai revolution. In this part of project I should of been less afraid to contribute to the group discussion and suggest more of my own ideas for how we should create our affidavit. However, I think did a good job at helping my group organize the affidavit. Overall, this part of project helped greatly to create the mock trial.  

Affidavit & Final Script:

The Affidavit and script was very hard and difficult to work on however, it still taught me quite a lot about team work. Our final affidavit included, evidence we will use in the trial, who we will question for the trial and what questions we will ask our witness. The final affidavit we had to share with the other team, the team trying to prove how the Xinhai revolution was effects, likewise had to share there affidavit with us. Once we created our final affidavit  (the one that is linked is only the evidence in the affidavit) we then had to start on the scripts. For the script we all shared one pages document that we would write what were going to say or do for the presentation. One thing I wished I could of improved was trying to get more line for myself. This is due to me being able to memorize more lines however,  not asking anyone in my group if I could steal some of there lines. One thing I did well in this stepping stone is being focused on my work for the script whenever we got time to work. Overall, this part of the project was the final step before the actual presentation. 

Mock Trial Presentation:

The mock trial presentation was very nerve racking and chaotic however, I think taught me a great deal on what it’s like to be in an actual trial. The day of the trial was followed by many rehearsals and small changes to the script in order to improve our presentation. One thing I wished I could of improved on for the actual presentation of the trial was planning out what body gestures I would do beforehand. However, I think I did great at delivering my line clearly and with emotion. By the end of the trial, the people in the audience mostly including student’s parents and eight graders, were given the option to vote on whether the trial was guilty or not guilty. The majority decided not guiltily which meant the revolution was deemed as effective. This trial helped my understand how the Xinhai revolution could be seen as both ineffective and effective. 

Curricular Competencies:

Continuity and Change: I can identify continuities and changes to make sense of the complex flows of history. I can compare and contrast continuities and changes for different groups at particular times and places in regard to revolutions 

I feel as if for this part of the project that I have somewhat met this competence. An example of me following this competence is the graphic organizer. In my graphic organizer, I showed a complete timeline about all the changed and events that happened in the Xinhai revolution. However, in this graphic organizer I did not do a good job at explaining the continuities and changed in the Xinhai revolution. This is due to me focusing on all of the events happening year before and after the revolution. Overall, I hope to improve on this competence in the future. 

Connecting: I can use strategies to connect with text. I can set personal goals for reading, and speak and listen appropriately in discussion with peers and teachers

I feel as if a I fully met this competence during the entire project. This is due to me alway doing my work on time during the Animal Farm discussion which relates to connecting with text and reading. In discussion I often tried my best to add onto ideas or thought brought to the group by my fellow peers. Additionally, I performed this competence quite well for the Animal Farm Written Response, I showed this by doing research on the Russian revolution and on other people on internet interpretations of the events in the book. Moreover, this part of project made me think about the text of Animal Farm much more deeply than I had done before. In general, I feel as if I have fully mastered this particular competence. 

Conclusion:

Overall, this entire project was very stressful however, I think the project taught me how to tell if a revolution was effective. I learned so much not only the about the Xinhai revolution but other revolutions from all the hard work other people put into researching about their revolt. Additionally, the book that we read, Animal Farm, helped me to understand the leading cause of a revolution and how easily it is for government to become to corrupt. Moreover, I think I tried my hardest in this project and I think that my hard work paid off at the end. Overall, this project was difficult however, I still hope we can do more projects like this one in the future.