Reflection
The Imperialism on Trial project was intended to teach us about the significance of Imperialism in our world and the effects that it had on indigenous peoples. To start the project we, as a class, read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This is a historical fiction about colonialism in west Africa and takes place in a native tribe. We read this book to gain a deeper understanding of African culture and the how to native people were affected by white man's rule. After reading this book we began to learn more about imperialism and how helped to shape our world. Imperialism is the idea of one country wanted to take over less civilized nations in order to create more like minded peoples. Africa was one place the suffered from Imperialism because it was made up of less civilized people and more resources, therefore it was an ideal place to take over. Once we had learned all we could we moved into preparing for a mock trial to put imperialism on trial. We did this by using the death of a charter in Things Fall Apart and trying it a wrongful death suit. This meant that the people the West African village Umuofia were suing the British Government for causing the suicide of the character. My class represented the British Government and we had to prepare witnesses and testimonies. At the Exhibition, we had a real trial in a courthouse. In the end, we learned many things about justice and Africa but most importantly we learned skills that we will take with us into the future.
For the exhibition portion of the project, my role was an attorney for the British Government. This meant that it was my job to help prove that We were not guilty of causing the suicide of the character. More specifically, it was my job to cross-examine the other side's witnesses. This meant that I had to poke holes in the others sides case in hopes of making our side look stronger. I helped my team by working with our witnesses to make sure they were strong with their testimonies. One of my biggest roles was to help refine direct questions. I helped the other lawyers to ensure that their questions wouldn’t get thrown out. I also really tried to work with the witnesses on their cross-examinations to ensure that they didn’t say anything to hurt our case. I also worked with them on their redirects to make them look better if they hard a hard redirect. I did many jobs over the course of this case and helped my team to have the best case that we could have.
In this project, I succeeded in some areas but grew in others. Some successes I had were helping my team with our case and helping our star witness right their testimony. With helping my team I succeeded in being a leader. I was the one who was helping organize all the pieces we needed and making sure that all the evidence we had was factual. I have always been the leader type, but in this project, I really felt that I took that role well. I also felt that I grew in my emotional writing during the testimony process. Some areas that I could grow in were outside studying. As the cross-examiner, I wasn’t very sure of what I was supposed to do. I didn’t feel very prepared to for my role and I didn’t respond in a way that would have been helpful. I just tried to figure it out on my own which wasn’t good because I didn’t have much background knowledge on the topic. Instead, I think I should have studied more outside of school and read more about cross-examination. Instead of being confused I should have looked for help. In the future, I will Ask for help when I am confused so that I can succeed. This project helped me realize things that I am good at and areas for growth.
Coming away from this project I have one main idea that has stuck with me. It is that most of the things I know about the world have been fabricated by media and I shouldn't rely on those ideas for my world perception. Before making judgments I should try and experience life and then make my own judgment. I should experience life because then I can make my own judgments and that is the only sure way to have opinions. Life is full of different perceptions and I should form my own instead of adopting others.
For the exhibition portion of the project, my role was an attorney for the British Government. This meant that it was my job to help prove that We were not guilty of causing the suicide of the character. More specifically, it was my job to cross-examine the other side's witnesses. This meant that I had to poke holes in the others sides case in hopes of making our side look stronger. I helped my team by working with our witnesses to make sure they were strong with their testimonies. One of my biggest roles was to help refine direct questions. I helped the other lawyers to ensure that their questions wouldn’t get thrown out. I also really tried to work with the witnesses on their cross-examinations to ensure that they didn’t say anything to hurt our case. I also worked with them on their redirects to make them look better if they hard a hard redirect. I did many jobs over the course of this case and helped my team to have the best case that we could have.
In this project, I succeeded in some areas but grew in others. Some successes I had were helping my team with our case and helping our star witness right their testimony. With helping my team I succeeded in being a leader. I was the one who was helping organize all the pieces we needed and making sure that all the evidence we had was factual. I have always been the leader type, but in this project, I really felt that I took that role well. I also felt that I grew in my emotional writing during the testimony process. Some areas that I could grow in were outside studying. As the cross-examiner, I wasn’t very sure of what I was supposed to do. I didn’t feel very prepared to for my role and I didn’t respond in a way that would have been helpful. I just tried to figure it out on my own which wasn’t good because I didn’t have much background knowledge on the topic. Instead, I think I should have studied more outside of school and read more about cross-examination. Instead of being confused I should have looked for help. In the future, I will Ask for help when I am confused so that I can succeed. This project helped me realize things that I am good at and areas for growth.
Coming away from this project I have one main idea that has stuck with me. It is that most of the things I know about the world have been fabricated by media and I shouldn't rely on those ideas for my world perception. Before making judgments I should try and experience life and then make my own judgment. I should experience life because then I can make my own judgments and that is the only sure way to have opinions. Life is full of different perceptions and I should form my own instead of adopting others.
