Weekly Blog 11/30/12

Jacob

11/30/12

            Last week we went to the Genesis shelter. The Genesis shelter is a place where homeless babies and there families can have a temporary home. After a while though they need to move on out of the shelter and find their own home. While they are living there, the baby’s family members try to go out and find jobs. The shelter gets donations that they use to help the babies and their families. A lot of the time the families find homes and can rebuild their life. Most of the donations that the shelter gets are items that the baby can use, like diapers, or bottles. We also went to a place called the Georgia Justice Project. This is a place where adults can talk to homeless kids that have a criminal record. They try to talk them into ways they can turn their life around and get them a home and job. One of our students dad runs the project. He says its always rewarding helping people in need. After going to these places and seeing all the people in need I felt as if I was responsible just for having more than them. It was a strange feeling and I think that all of us need to help a little.    

  

Weekly Blog 11/16/12

Jacob

11/16/12

            On our trip to Foxfire this week we learned a lot of things. We learned that growing up is tough in the mountains. People had to make a lot of things themselves, like toys. They were always diligent with there work and lived in single room houses. They had to make there own tools to do all this work on the mountains. I liked the blacksmith area the best. I think Foxfire is important because we need to learn how other people lived back in those days.   

                                                What I’m Thankful For

1                                                                      Music

2                                                                   Good times

3                                                      Warm heat during the winter

4                                                      Cold air during the summer

5                                                                   Lazy days

6                                                                  My brother

7                                                                    Friends

8                                                                     Films

9                                                               Movie making

1                                                      A roof above my head

1                                                           Second chances

1                                                                Mistakes

1                                                                Summer

1                                                                 Family

1                                                             My fast feet

1                                                                Choices

1                                                         Food on the table

1                                                               Learning

1                                                               Seasons

2                                                                Stories  

Weekly Blog 11/12/12

Jacob

11/9/12

            This week we have been learning about the Appalachia culture. Long ago Native Americans, Europeans, and escaped slaves came to live in the mountains. Later people from all over came for the rich farm land and lumber. Soon the culture of the people began to mix. Coal mining started. Music and dance was a big thing to do up in the mountains. You usually taught yourself. Families were close and made arts and crafts, such as a cornhusk wreath. Next week we are going to Foxfire Museum, were we will learn more about the people that lived there.      

Appalachia Poem

Work, Work, Work

Everyday we’re working

Whether it’s building the house

Or planting the crops

Sometimes working in the mines

It’s work

I want to build an instrument

Father says that will take time we don’t have

The roof is almost on our small house

It’s been hard moving up to the mountains

Yet we’re free

I know that back down there is no freedom

Here we can do what we choose

And if some work is the cost of that

I’ll buy it  

Blog Post 11/2/12

Jacob

11/2/12

            The Trail of Tears was when all the Cherokee walked on a trail to leave their territory for the white settlers. President Jackson made troops come into the Cherokee grounds to grab the Cherokee to walk them on the trail. They were first forced to stay at prison camps until fall. When fall came, they started walking on the long trail. People started dying in the first few weeks. It was a sad time of death for the Cherokee. The things they had on them when there were taken is what they would wear for about a year. Some had to hike though the snow with no shoes on and little clothing. About a fourth of the Cherokee population was wiped out.  

Walking

As I walk

Sometimes I see death

People lying on the side of the road

But they deserve better

They treat us like animals

Give us little to eat

No clothing

To keep us warm

My feet

They feel like they have frozen solid

 Without shoes it is hard

Walking

It feels like that’s all I know

We’ve been walking for so long

So cold

So cold

I am truly chilled to my bones

-Jacob