For this project we started out with reading the book "Things fall apart" which takes place in Umuofia during westward expansion and the British Influence. The book takes a unique perspective while telling the story of the fall of the Ibo culture along with the main character, Okonkwo. When took along time to read and analyse the book so we could be prepared for our mock trial. We would read a couple of chapters a night and the next day we would spend most of the class discussing what we learned from the book and the culture and behaviors we observed among the different characters. Once we finished the book and really got a deep understanding of the book we moved on to studying the colonialism on Africa. We learned about the creation of races and the long lasting impact that the British influence had on the African culture, religion and tribes. The next step was to learn how a mock trial works and sign roles. I was in the Jury. We each studied our role and what we needed to do in order to prepare for the trial. Being apart of the jury I also helped create many posters and flyer to help publicize our case. My role as a juror meant that we also were exhibition curators. During this process i was able to creat name tags the flyer we headed out to the public and the posted for the entrance of the exhibition. I was able to really strengthen my team work skills along with communication skills. At the begging of the project my group and I all had different ideas so when we each created our own posters they all has different styles. We then had to all meet and discuss the text size, font, document dimensions and general style that we were going to use with all the flyers or documents we created. I also got to learn how to create a visual pleasing sign that could draw peoples attention and bring them into our trial. This took a lot of revisions and patients but all the time I put into it brought it to look the way it did. With time management and team work my group and I were able to all produce things we could be proud of, .4: What enduring understandings will you take away from this project? You may want to consider how what you know and the way you think about Africa and Africans has changed, how the way you think about history has changed, or how the way you think about about justice and the law has changed.
When we started this project we were given a map of Africa and and we were asked to write which countries and significant areas or facts we knew of. I was embarrassed to turn mine in with only three facts on it and two general regions. However I later learned that the majority of my class felt the same way. When many people think of Africa they think of diseases and and starvation. Yes this is very prevalent in many African areas however people continuously neglect the fact the there is many amazing cultures within the continent that thrive with life and happiness. Africa is not just a place for sympathy but it is where the lives of many were destroyed and tormented by the Europeans. What was once one of the most beautifully crafted places full of many people who's societies were run on religion and common support and the belief of others is still impacted by the growth and development of another continent. This project has really broadened my horizons and has made me want to understand other cultures. Previously I had only studied racism and westward expansion within the Us but this project took a super deep and meaningful outlook on this historical era while we viewed it the perspective of the Africans who were impacted and stripped of their culture and practices.