8

Compare and contrast Barack Obama and Franklin Delano Roosevelt as presidents. Be sure to cover topics such as their responses to the economy, their interactions with the American public and their relationships with other elements of the US government (feel free to write about more, too!).

Your writing should come in the form of an editorial in which you take a side—you cannot write "as you can see they are similar and different!"

Your writing should also feature direct primary-source evidence from speeches and/or writings by both BHO & FDR.

A comparison between Franklin Delano Roosevelt & Barack Obama

They both came into presidency with a plan to reconstruct and improve the economy.
They both gave powerful inaugural speeches, giving hope to the nation.

As I have read about Roosevelt, I have noticed how he became popular through his speeches and how he changed our history, just as Obama did. FDR created many bills that influence our society even today, like the Social Security Act. He also gave insurance to retirement funds, which many people have come to rely on.

As a person, FDR was extremely influential in his speeches and campaign. He was friendly, and much of the United States came to rely and trust him- especially in that time of economics.

When I think of Obama, he gave hope to our nation during the Election. But now, months into his first term, I haven't noticed his policies affecting us in any way. FDR seemed to begin right away, while Obama still can't pass anything through Congress.

7

Predict how companies or industries similar to the one that you worked at during internship would have fared during the Great Depression. Would your company have thrived or sunk? Why?

When I thought about my internship site during the Great Depression, I didn't believe it would survive economically. There are many visitors at the Zoo, and that's where the zoo gets there money (through regular visitors and tourists). However, the tourists that would go there would not be there during the Great Depression since people didn't have the money to travel. Also, with less money, there would be less employees, and with less employees, there would be less funds for the animals and whatnot.
I thought about this all, but then realized that the Zoo was founded before the Great Depression, so it must have survived somehow.

6

Choose one character from The Grapes of Wrath and list four important quotes said by or written by this character. Explain what you believe these quotes reveal about the character.

Tom Joad

Like to know anything else? I'll tell you. You ain't got to guess. I'll tell you anything. Name's Joad, Tom Joad. Old man is ol' Tom Joad.

When he says this, he sounds like a very open person. I don't think I would tell any random truck driver my name and my father's name.


I'm just tryin' to get allong without shovin' nobody around.

This quote implies early on that he might have an aggressive background, but he really doesn't want to get involved with anything.


An old turtle. Picked him up on the road. An old bulldozer. Thought I'd take 'im to my little brother. Kids like turtles.


When I read this, it made Tom seem like he really cared about his family, and that he was actually looking forward to seeing them.

I'd do what I done-again. I killed a guy in a fight. We was drunk at a dance. He got a knife in me, an' I killed him with a shovel layin' there. Knocked his head plum to squash.

You ain't ashamed of nothing then?

No. I ain't. I got seven years, account of he had a knife in me. Got out in four- parole.

These quotes give me the impression that Tom Joad does not care that he killed a man, since it was self defense. I think he gives off a tough guy aura.

Photo Essay

I jump out of the way as a Zookeeper carries a heavy bucket of pale green cabbage, red peppers, and Banana leaf past me. We are on the rooftop above the San Diego Zoo’s Gorilla pen, fifteen feet away from seven Western Lowland Gorillas. One of the Keepers grabs a pepper with his latex-covered hand and throws it off the roof. The pepper hits the ground with a soft thud. A Eucalyptus tree is in the way, so I crane my neck to see a large, black and almost human-like hand grab the pepper. She pops it into her mouth, and then goes back for seconds. I scan her face, and try to memorize each wrinkle, how far apart her eyes are, and the sagittal crest on top of her head. “That’s Ndjole,” says Animal Care Supervisor, Greg Vicino. What looks to me like a smaller version of her runs past and my eyes follow him with intent. “That’s Boinje, but you can call him Bo. Bo is Ndjole’s son, and usually stays fairly close to her.”
Greg identified everyone in the Troop, and then had me name everyone in a random order. I was nervous because I knew identifying them would be crucial to my study, and if I mistook one Gorilla for another, it would affect my Focal Sheets tremendously. I remembered what Greg said—“You’ll be studying the two troops of Gorillas here at the Zoo. You will have to identify them, and record their behavioral patterns. Eventually you will come to know the Gorillas by their diverse personalities—not just by looks.”



In the first week of my study, I often disagreed with Greg. How could I come to know them by personality? I mean, they’re just animals, and they all look the same. However, after two days of studying the troops, I came to recognize each Gorilla by unique attributes—large sagittal crests, wrinkled faces, round heads, and round bodies. I still had trouble with a few of the females, but by the end of the week I could identify all 12 Gorillas at the Zoo.
Although I could identify them by looks, I still had trouble with their so-called “personalities.” I knew that animals had certain traits, but I never believed that I could get to know their personality unless I knew them for a long period of time. But three weeks? That certainly wasn’t long enough.
People who could identify the Gorillas by personality were those who came every day. These people, or as we called them- “Zoobies,” were occasionally convinced that the Gorillas favored them. I noticed that the Zoobies could point out a Gorilla, even when it had its back to us. However as days went by, and as I listened to their repetitive fake stories, and as I saw them crawl on the floor yelling “Oooooh baby Frank,” I eventually got tired of the Zoobies and went to continue my study up on the rooftop.



The rooftop became my office for the remainder of my internship. The roof has cactus plants, flowers, trees, and the occasional squirrel.  Each day, I would study the Gorillas in their outside habitat, and record onto the Focal sheets Greg had given me.  Focal sheets are five minute clips that focus on a certain Gorilla. In those five minutes, there are twenty 15-second intervals. For each 15 seconds, I would write down what my subject was doing.
I slowly came to learn their different behavioral patterns. The adults would sleep and eat longer, and the babies would play longer. I still wondered how they had personality, but after two weeks I noticed Azizi staring at me through the glass. I was down in the main viewing area because it was raining, and I couldn’t see the Gorillas from up top. While I sat on one of the benches, and recorded Azizi, she slowly walked up to me, looked at me directly in the eye, and stared at me for two minutes. Those two minutes sent shivers up my spine. I never knew I could have such a close relationship with one of these magnificent creatures. Greg had mentioned before that the Gorillas would come to recognize me, and I figured that this was one of those moments.



After my experience with Azizi, I noticed that the behavioral patterns I had studied gave each Gorilla a certain persona. The Silverbacks loved their children, and often let them do whatever they please. The males also kept their backs to the audience. This allowed them to only see their habitat, with their troop. The females loved to process their food, and eat most of the time, and then play with their children. Although the male and females had different characteristics, they each had a distinct personality. Alvila was a crotchety arthritic female, who loved to remain by herself. Mandazzi loved to make a mess, disturb the other members of the troop, and clap his hands when he saw food. Ndjia was always by herself, and seemed to remain aloof. Each and every Gorilla has a different personality, and I was surprised that I came to recognize them right off the bat.




Once I started to learn what each individual Gorilla acted like, I began to predict their actions, and for the most part I was right. I could identify each Gorilla, even with their back to me—just like the Zoobies had. I had grown in a sense, and had learned that even with little time, you can learn about animals’ personalities. Now, on February 16, I still miss the Gorillas and their funny acts. Hopefully each time I visit, they will still be there, waiting, just as Azizi had.

5

Post three examples of other students' work from this semester that stands out as particularly high quality. Look through mentor interviews, photo essays, DP's and blogs. Post links to the three examples (preferably from three different students) and write a brief explanation for each in which you describe what makes this work stand out to you.
High quality work to me:

Emilie's mentor interview:
https://sites.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/emilie-colwell/mentor-interview

I think Emilie has fantastic writing and that her pull quotes really stand out.

Audrey's DP:
http://students.hthma.hightechhigh.org/~adle/Index.html

Audrey's DP is clean and crisp, and is easy to navigate. It still needs to be updated, but nonetheless it looks professional.

Ben's Internship page:
https://sites.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/benspage/11th-grade-2/internship

Ben's Internship page really stands out because of the pictures. It has a nice layout and design, and overall effect.

4

My personal goals for Ampersand are to write extremely well, create a visually appealing product, get critiqued often, and to improve my writing techniques over time.
My hopes and ambitions for this project are to have an extremely high quality product and to gain respect from our audience.

3 (Mentor Interview)

Three Weeks with Greg Vicino:

A lifetime of Animals, Conservation, and Science

By Dani Toscano

When I entered the San Diego Zoo’s Guest Services office at 9 am, I had no idea who I would meet, what I would experience, and how this would affect my education. Before my internship even began, Greg Vicino was a mysterious voice in an email—a guy harder to reach than a well-known celebrity. In fact, it took so long for us to connect that my initial site visit was pushed back to two weeks later.  Now, I waited for him in the small, hidden, and stuffy Guest Services office. I was nervous.

Before long, a lanky man loped in and said hello. His features stood out to me: abnormally large feet, gel that tamed his curly hair, a long nose, and an Adam’s apple that bobbed up and down while he spoke to me.

He told me to call him Greg, and as I followed him through the Zoo, it was hard to keep up. His long legs strode twice as fast as mine; he was in a hurry. Although he rushed through our meeting, he was friendly. Greg smiled at his coworkers, and chatted with them on our tour around the Monkey Trail. This led him to explain what my project would be: research on Gorillas.

Throughout the next three weeks, I came to understand Greg’s personality, and his love for animals. Although he had out-of-control curly hair, an arm-band tattoo, and cowboy boots, he spoke with an incredible vocabulary—scientific terms that represented what he reads, and what he previously studied. When I visited him in his office, located in the famous Children’s Zoo, I often saw stacks of books that ranged in titles. Greg mentioned that Anthropology was meaningful to my study, and that he went into that degree during college at UC Davis. I really enjoyed getting to know my mentor, daily, weekly, and quite frequently through email.

Dani Toscano: What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Greg Vicino: Geez that was so long ago I can't remember. I was the youngest of five kids, so I was heavily influenced by "hand-me-downs" which consisted of National Geographic and Jacques Cousteau (now I'm really dating myself!).  As with most men my age, my father was my hero, and being like him was a big time goal.  He being a scientist was also hugely influential in my life decisions but not entirely.   I was fascinated by the explorers of the day, and that was the thing that really sticks out in my head.  Going to unknown places and discovering unknown things was my main purpose in life. I often fantasized about traveling to Africa and other far off places to study the environment and chronicle behaviors as yet undiscovered.  So in short, I wanted to be an explorer.  In those days we did not think of the reality of something like that (no internet, iPods, or social networking), and we just felt as though it was something you could do.  I had no concept of grants, employers, global conflict or anything like that.  I thought archaeology was what Indiana Jones did and I wanted to do that type of "stuff".  It was naive but hey, I was just a kid!

DT: What made you choose to work with animals? When did you choose?

GV: I had always had an affinity for animals, and I was always fascinated by diversity and cooperation in the natural world.  I began the idea of working with animals as a profession when I started college and began my studies in Marine Biology.  I was drawn to the ocean as a very young boy, and spent most of my childhood in it.  The incredible amount of diversity and variation found in the coral reefs blew me away, and I figured those were the animals I would work with.  When I got to UC Davis and took a job working with Primates, I was sold.  They were intelligent, diverse and complex, just like the animals of the reef.  The difference was that they were eternally linking to us in the most magnificent way: Evolution.  I had always had an affinity for people and connecting people to the things that inspired them, primates were a no brainier.  When people get to know a primate, they want to act, and by acting they make a contribution to the betterment of the wild world.  My choice was to be one of those people who made an impact, and made people think about the environment in a different way.  The fact that I feel very close to wild animals and I carry a tremendous respect of their adaptations and actions has only helped me be a better ambassador.

“My choice was to be one of those people who made an impact, and made people think about the environment in a different way.”

DT: What was your experience like in college?

GV: I had a great college experience due mostly to the University I attended and the subject I studied.  The study of Anthropology at a school like UC Davis was exactly what I thought it would be like... Stuffy, worldly professors with offices strewn with artifacts from far off places.  The program was also very intense and we were conditioned early on to understand the actual dynamics of working in the science field.  We were heavily encouraged to write and pursue our own research projects, and the support from such a large University full of resources made it very realistic.  We had a vet school, med school, primate center, raptor center, huge dairy, pig farm, marine lab, and field stations all over the world.  We had access to all of these things with the right support and it allowed us to become very well prepared for the real world of research.

DT: How long have you been working with animals? And what specifically interested you to work with primates?

GV: I have been working with animals since 1994, and most of that time it has been primates.  As I stated earlier I was drawn to primates due to my area of study (Anthropology), and my obsession with human and animal evolution and adaptations.  With over 270 species of primates ranging from 200g Mouse lemurs, to 450 pounders like Paul, they are the epitome of adaptability.  The idea that we are ancestrally related to these fascinating social animals is not lost on me either.  I have always been drawn to the dynamics of social behavior, and primates give you the whole gambit of different systems.  I also have an affinity for "whole systems biology" and many of the environments that primates live in fascinate me as well as are intimately related to the suite of behaviors that result from living in such an environment.

DT: What college degree(s) do you feel suits working with animals? Does it depend on the species or is it all the same?

GV: My father always told me it did not matter what your first degree was in as undergraduate school is just designed to prepare you for the real world. That being said it always helps to be in one of the sciences (Biology, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Animal Sciences, Anthropology, Psychology, Neurobiology, etc.) because you tend to get immersed in that field and have many opportunities to work in that particular area as an undergraduate.

DT: You've mentioned before that you've been to multiple areas of Africa.What was your experience like? Has it strengthened your bond with animals?

GV: My experience in Africa was incredible, as was the case with my experience in Central and South America.  First thing that type of travel does for you is allow you to take yourself much less seriously as you become aware of how difficult life is for so many other people in the world. It also really solidified my understanding of how animals deal with their native environments.  I have always respected the beauty of how animals fit into their environment, but the time in the wild only strengthens the desire to conserve entire environments.  It also makes you realize how unforgiving the wild can be, and how dynamic an organism is.

“I have always respected the beauty of how animals fit into their environment, but the time in the wild only strengthens the desire to conserve entire environments.”

2

Please post a draft of your introductory article that goes with your interview transcript.


Also, please post a list of questions for us to consider as we revise and comment on your writing.
When I entered the San Diego Zoo’s Guest Services office at 9 am, I had no idea who I would be meeting, what I would be experiencing, and how this would affect my education. Before my internship even began, Greg Vicino was a mysterious voice in an email. A guy harder to reach than a well-known celebrity. In fact, it took so long to connect that my initial site visit was pushed back to two weeks later.  Now, I was standing in the exact area he told me we’d be meeting. I was nervous, and the butterflies in my stomach were constant. Not before long, a tall, lanky, and goofy looking guy walked in and said hello. He told me to call him Greg, and as I followed him through the Zoo, he casually explained what I would be doing: research on Gorillas. Throughout the three weeks, I came to understood Greg’s personality, and his love for animals. Although he had out-of-control curly hair, a tattoo, and cowboy boots, he held himself as an extremely educated man with a colorful background of traveling. Greg also mentioned that anthropology was meaningful to my study, and that he went into that degree during college at UC Davis. I really enjoyed getting to know my mentor, daily, weekly, and quite frequently through email.

Me: What did you want to be when you were a kid?

Greg: Geez that was so long ago I can't remember. I was the youngest of five kids, so I was heavily influenced by "hand-me-downs" which consisted of National Geographic and Jacques Cousteau (now I'm really dating myself!).  As with most men my age, my father was my hero, and being like him was a big time goal.  He being a scientist was also hugely influential in my life decisions but not entirely.   I was fascinated by the explorers of the day, and that was the thing that really sticks out in my head.  Going to unknown places and discovering unknown things was my main purpose in life.  I often fantasized about traveling to Africa and other far off places to study the environment and chronicle behaviors as yet undiscovered.  So in short, I wanted to be an explorer.  In those days we did not think of the reality of something like that (no internet, iPods, or social networking), and we just felt as though it was something you could do.  I had no concept of grants, employers, global conflict or anything like that.  I thought archaeology was what Indiana Jones did and I wanted to do that type of "stuff".  It was naive but hey, I was just a kid!

M: What made you choose to work with animals? When did you choose?

G: I had always had an affinity for animals, and I was always fascinated by diversity and cooperation in the natural world.  I began the idea of working with animals as a profession when I started college and began my studies in Marine Biology.  I was drawn to the ocean as a very young boy, and spent most of my childhood in it.  The incredible amount of diversity and variation found in the worlds coral reefs blew me away, and I figured those were the animals I would work with.  When I got to UC Davis and took a job working with Primates, I was sold.  They were intelligent, diverse and complex, just like the animals of the reef.  The difference was that they were eternally linking to us in the most magnificent way: Evolution.  I had always had an affinity for people and connecting people to the things that inspired them, primates were a no brainier.  When people get to know a primate they want to act, and by acting they make a contribution to the betterment of the wild world.  My choice was to be one of those people who made an impact, and made people think about the environment in a different way.  The fact that I feel very close to wild animals and I carry a tremendous respect of their adaptations and actions has only helped me be a better ambassador

M: What was your experience like in college?

G: I had a great college experience due mostly to the University I attended and the subject I studied.  The study of Anthropology at a school like UC Davis was exactly what I thought it would be like... Stuffy, worldly professors with offices strewn with artifacts from far off places.  The program was also very intense and we were conditioned early on to understand the actual dynamics of working in the science field.  We were heavily encouraged to write and pursue our own research projects, and the support from such a large University full of resources made it very realistic.  We had a vet school, med school, primate center, raptor center, huge dairy, pig farm, marine lab, and field stations all over the world.  We had access to all of these things with the right support and it allowed us to become very well prepared for the real world of research.

M: How long have you been working with animals? And what specifically interested you to work with primates?

G: I have been working with animals since 1994, and most of that time it has been primates.  As I stated earlier I was drawn to primates due to my area of study (Anthropology), and my obsession with human and animal evolution and adaptations.  With over 270 species of primates ranging from 200g Mouse lemurs, to 450 pounders like Paul, they are the epitome of adaptability.  The idea that we are ancestrally related to these fascinating social animals is not lost on me either.  I have always been drawn to the dynamics of social behavior, and primates give you the whole gambit of different systems.  I also have an affinity for "whole systems biology" and many of the environments that primates live in fascinate me as well as are intimately related to the suite of behaviors that result from living in such an environment.

M: What college degree(s) do you feel suits working with animals? Does it depend on the species or is it all the same?

G: My father always told me it did not matter what your first degree was in as undergraduate school is just designed to prepare you for the real world.  That being said it always helps to be in one of the sciences (Biology, Ecology, Environmental Sciences, Animal Sciences, Anthropology, Psychology, Neurobiology, etc.) because you tend to get immersed in that field and have many opportunities to work in that particular area as an undergraduate.

M: You've mentioned before that you've been to multiple areas of Africa.

What was your experience like? Has it strengthened your bond with animals?

G: My experience in Africa was incredible, as was the case with my experience in Central and South America.  First thing that type of travel does for you is allow you to take yourself much less seriously as you become aware of how difficult life is for so many other people in the world.  It also really solidified my understanding of how animals deal with their native environments.  I have always respected the beauty of how animals fit into their environment, but the time in the wild only strengthens the desire to conserve entire environments.  It also makes you realize how unforgiving the wild can be, and how dynamic an organism must be to survive.

1

Post links to at least two high-quality interviews.

Post a written reflection in which you describe what makes a great final product when a journalist (or group of writers, editors, etc.) create an interview that is presented in the professional world. We know an interview needs good questions... but what else makes these great? What other elements of writing are used? How does the writer create a final product that is more than a transcript of a conversation? What makes these finished, professional pieces of journalism?

Teen Vogue: Taylor Momsen

Teen Vogue: Leighton Meester

Rolling Stones: Steve Jobs

I think that a great edited interview portrays questions that really bring out the person's character. I think that they should be questions that really focus on who the person is, what they enjoy, and how they portray it. I also think that the questions should flow, one after the other. I don't feel like mine did that, and I'm a little worried about it since my mentor is such a busy guy (and since this interview is due Friday).

Other elements of writing that are crucial in an interview are taking out any "Um's and uh's." Since mine was over email, I don't think that I'll have that problem. But I don't think I will have to edit much.

A writer creates a final product that is more than a transcript by adding a little biography in the beginning of the article.