Credit: Isabella - edition and original copy.
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Confederate Picket Line : Shown here is one of the well preserved rifle pits at Pamplin Park Civil war site. This pit was positioned with several others on a protuberance and covered all avenues of approach. The picket line was on a small hill and overlooked the Federal assembly area. Because of its commanding position, it had been captured a couple of weeks before, allowing the Federals to mass in secrecy. |
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Confederate Line: These remarkably well preserved Confederate earthworks were first begun in October of 1864, and were manned by McGowan's Brigade of South Carolinians. Because of the continual Federal attempts to flank Petersburg, Lee's forces were stretched thin. At 4:40 on April 2nd, the signal gun was fired and the Federals began to charge. The ground in front of the works was rolling and uneven. This combined with the small numbers of defenders meant that the Federals were able to reach and breach these defenses. |
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Artillery Position: The center Union column assaulted and carried this artillery redan in fierce hand to hand combat. The VI Corps had breached the works on their front. It had cost them 1,100 men in 20 minutes of combat. A.P. Hill was in command of the troops on this sector, so when he heard firing, he rushed to the front. As he approached the area, he came upon two Union soldiers. He commanded them to surrender, but the Yankees responded with gunshots that killed him. After the breakthrough, Wright moved not towards Petersburg, but southwest to completely clear out the Confederate defenses all the way to Hatchers Run. This freed up Gibbon's XXIV Corps and helped Humphrey's II Corps to breakthrough and join them. These three corps combined and moved on Petersburg's western defenses. |
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Fort Gregg: Pictured here is Fort Gregg as seen from the perspective of Gibbon's XXIV Corps which came upon it at one o'clock on its way to Petersburg. The Boydton Plank Road leading into Petersburg is near the white towers on the right of the picture. Fort Gregg and Fort Whitworth, which is off the picture to the left and on private property, were built in front of Petersburg's western defenses specifically for the purpose they would now serve. Petersburg's western defenses in the picture were in the trees on the horizon. Since Wright's VI Corps had moved southwest after its breakthrough to clear the whole line, Longstreet's men had time to begin moving into the western defenses. Brigadier Gen. Lane's men were first to reach the forts, but when Harris's brigade approached, some of them were also sent into the forts. In all, 214 men defended Fort Gregg, and they would be outnumbered ten to one by their attackers. After a half hour bombardment, the assault began. The defenders of Fort Gregg had collected a number of rifles for each defender, so when Foster's Union division began the attack, they were for a while met by firepower comparable to that of repeating rifles. Still, the Federals continued the attack and reached the muddy ditch. Some troops made their way to the rear of the fort, but they were met by fire from loopholes from a log palisade. The Confederates withdrew from Fort Whitworth, and the Federals from this sector moved across the field on the left of the picture onto Fort Gregg. These reinforcements would be vital in taking Fort Gregg. By this time, the Rebels were almost out of ammunition, and the Federals began to scale the walls and engaged in hand to hand combat. The defenders knew how vital their mission was and were not eager to surrender, while the enraged Federals were not in the mood to give quarter. Only 30 of the 214 defenders survived unscathed. The Confederate defenders sustained 55 killed and 129 wounded. Union forces suffered 122 killed and 592 wounded. Through this bloody battle, Lee's army was saved from destruction. That night, he evacuated Petersburg and Richmond. On April 9, 1865, Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse. |
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| I created the simplified fort gregg using Google sketch up. Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield is a historical district in Petersburg, Virg. It was the location of a Union army breakthrough of the Petersburg to Richmond trenches and fortifications on April 2, 1865. The success of the breakthrough led to abandonment of Richmond by the General Robert E. Lee, a general retreat, and surrender at Appomattox Court House one week later. In 2003 a historic district named "Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield Historic District at Pamplin Historical Park", known also as VDHR # 026-5013, was listed on the National Register of Historical Place In 2006, a historic district named just "Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield" was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It is not known if there is any difference in boundaries between the 2003 and 2006 districts. It was declared a National Historic landmark on 2006. The district may be included within Richmond National Battlefield Ground, a U.S. National Park Service-administered area. |
Reflection questions:
1)
a. What main topic does the artifact relates to? In what way?
Ans: I think this relate to the the main topic Human expression through the arts. Drawing is a kind of art, and so is COMPUTERISED drawing, it is a way of presenting your understanding of the drawing program itself, and the subject itself. Drawing on computer shows how different people in the past and we are, and it is a kind of expressing the modernised, and civilised world that we live in presently in the world.
b. Which other main topic does it also relate to?
Ans: I really can't think of any other seventeen main topics for this artifact to relate itself to. The only one I can think of is Universe through the telescope, although it might not make sense to you at all. Reconstructing something, you need its original picture. A battleground is not a small thing or place, it is a large range of the combination of land and trees etc. In order to capture this picture, you must take it above, so I think it is somehow similar to looking things that are far away from you with a telescope. If we change the word "Telescope" to "Camera", it might make more sense to lots of people.
2) Why did you choose this artifact, and how much time did you spend creating and /or processing it?
Ans: I didn't choose this artifact, Mr. K did. However, the content within the artifact is what I chosed. I think at the beginning introducing the battleground and the history of this particular battle is important because this would not leave people behind your thoughts and confused with the information you are giving to them. I chose to draw the Fort Gregg because it is easier to draw grass and trees and bushes for me, since I am drawn them before. It took me around 2 and a half hour to get everything done in this artifact.
3) What insights and understanding have you gained from the creation and/or processing of this artifact?
Ans: Overtly, I learned about a battleground in the American Civil war. Extentionally, I learned better to use Google Sketch up. From grade 6 - 8 3 years, I took the class "Design and Technology", abbreviation DT. In DT class, we learn how to use computer programs to design things, such as design a building, build it abstractly on computer, or create a imagined computer wall paper. In the class, we covered almost all of the "ADOBE" program we have on our laptops, and I can use them skillfully, in fact I like them very much. All the way onto the last 2 weeks, we finished the adobe programs and had our year exam; our teacher asked us, since we finished early, what do you guys want to learn, some people say the adobe program "cole fusion", some said others, but one person said Google sketch up, and the teacher taught us how to use it to design buildings, and we did a lot of practice, but it was all for fun. This time, I get to use it on this artifact, which makes it a lot easier since I have done it before. It reviewed my skills so I wouldn't forget.
4) Does this artifact reflect your best work and/or ideas? Why, or why not?
Ans: I think this artifact reflects my best work because I actually took my previous work and edited it, made it a lot better than the original one. The Original Product was produced by me and my best friend in class, so I think I should give her credit. I did send her my present work, and she said she added the shadow thingy. I think this is the best work I can create so far.
5) Rate this artifact on a scale of -5 to 5 (0 is neutral) for the following four criterion.
a. Impact on the quality of your portfolio.
b. Impact on your level of enjoyment and happiness.
c. Impact on your learning.
d. Level of creativity and Originality.
6) Any additional comments.
Artifact 8: Central park and Political Cartoons
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| Central Park Image |
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| Central Park |
Design of the Central Park:
Although it is called Central park, New York City’s great green space has no “centre” – no formal walkway down the middle of the park, no central monument or body of water, no single orienting feature. The paths wind, the landscape constantly shifts and changes, the sections spill into one another in a seemingly random manner. But this “decentering” was precisely the intent of the park’s innovative design. Made to look as natural as possible, Federick Law Olmsted’s 1858 plan for Central park had as its main goal the creation of a democratic playground – a place with many centres to reflect the multiplicity of its uses and users. Olmsted designed the park to allow interaction among the various members of society, without giving preference to one group or class. This, Olmsted’s ideal of a “commonplace civilisation” could be realised.
Funny Political Cartoons
Political Cartoon Video
Political Cartoon Video 2
Funny Political Cartoons
Political Cartoon Video
Political Cartoon Video 2
Try and Analyse the meaning behind these political cartoons!
Medium of Political Cartoons as a graphic means of commenting on contemporary social or political issues:
A mainstay of American newspaper since the early nineteenth century, political cartoons use graphic art to comment on current events in a way that will inform, amuse, provoke, poke, and persuade reader. Cartoons take on the principal issues and leaders of the day, skewering hypocritical or corrupt politicians and depicting the ridiculous, the ironic, or the serious nature of a major event in a single, deftly drawn image. Cartoons use few words, if any, to convey the message. Some use caricature, a technique in which a cartoonist exaggerates the features of well-known people to make fun of them. (Think of renderings of Bill Clinton with a nose redder than Rudolph’s and swollen out of proportion, or cartoons of George W. Bush’s exaggerated pointy visage sporting a ten-gallon cowboy hat.)
Because they have the ability to evoke an emotional response in readers, political cartoons can serve as a vehicle for swaying public opinion and can contribute to reform. Thomas Nast (1840-1902), the preeminent political cartoonist of the second half of the nineteenth century, demonstrated the power of his medium when he used his art to end the corrupt Boss Tweed Ring in New York City. His images, first drawn for Harper’s Weekly, are still in currency today: Nast created the tiger as the symbol of Tammany Hall, the elephant for the Republican Party, and the donkey for the Democratic Party. Created under tight deadlines for ephemeral, commercial formats like newspapers and magazines, cartoons still manage to have lasting influence. Although they tackle the principal issues of leader of their day, they often provide a vivid historical picture for generations to come.
Reflection questions:
1)
a. What main topic does the artifact relates to? In what way?
Ans: I think In the case of central park, it relates to Urbanization: building of the modern city. When you will want to build a park that means that the government has certain amount of money to build supplementary things that will make your city prettier, instead of building the necessities. In the case of Political cartoons, I think it relates to communication. Political cartoon is a very different way to communicate with body politic about a certain event. Usually, it is used in Irony and it leaves a strong impression in people’s brain about it.
b. Which other main topic does it also relate to?
Ans: In the case of central park, I think it can also relate to invention, ingenuity, and entrepreneurs, because a design that is so special require a innovative, inventive mind to create it. In the case of Political cartoons, I think it can also realte to Human expressions through the arts (dances, music and literature) because it is a form of communication; it is just not the normal typical art we see in galleries or stores. I would call it more like a combination of sarcasm, clip art and representation; and these kind of communication are not seen in everyday’s life.
2) Why did you choose this artifact, and how much time did you spend creating and /or processing it?
Ans: I chose to do a research on the central park, is because I’ve been to my friend’s house in west central park for so many times, and once I remembered her talking about the design or something about central park while we were looking out the window, but I wasn’t really listening, we got off the topic very quickly. I chose to do this because it reminds me of her in some way. It took me around an hour to process it since I discussed with her on the phone already. In the case of political cartoons, it reminds me of something funny. I remember when I was in Dulwich, a friend in our clique is often, constantly talking about politics, and what to do in order to be a politician. Once we were looking at the Newspaper, and he showed us a political cartoon about something (I can’t remember), but it was very very funny. Since then, I started becoming interested in the design and information that political cartoons wants to communicate with the reader.
3) What insights and understanding have you gained from the creation and/or processing of this artifact?
Ans: I understood that central park does literally look like it’s words means, it has no centre, and is not in the centre of New York City or state. I also undertood that Olmsted’s design of the park was radically different from other park designs which makes him a very unique person. The most important of all is that I learned that Central Park is democratic by design, which is very funny to me. In the case of political cartoons, I learned that it is a powerful means of influencing the public. And that a graphic image can become an enduring symbol.
4) Does this artifact reflect your best work and/or ideas? Why, or why not?
Ans: I think these essays reflect my best work. I believe I am not being verbose or prolix, because I tried to organize my information into bullet points before I start writing and cross out the unnecessary information. I think it summarises the main point and is very easy for people (even with people who does not have a background knowledge of Central Park and Politicla cartoons) to gain understanding and insights.
5) Rate this artifact on a scale of -5 to 5 (0 is neutral) for the following four criterion.
a. Impact on the quality of your portfolio. 3
b. Impact on your level of enjoyment and happiness. 5
c. Impact on your learning. 5
d. Level of creativity and Originality. 1
6) Any additional comments.
Ans: No comment.
