My 1800s Era Reflection: Susan B. Anthony
Romina Centeno
SPC2608-2263-11368
Group 1
After completing my first presentation in this class, I felt more prepared going into the next group project. Even though I got to test the waters with how presentations through zoom feels, I still felt pressure knowing I had to memorize new information. This time it was also about a topic I was not necessarily very interested in. However, our group ultimately chose the 1800s out of all the eras because it was a time when many major changes in rights and democracy first began. This was a good topic because it was pathway for all of the eras that other groups were going to present about. I personally would've rather picked the 2000's because that is the era I was born in and the one I feel most connected to.
As soon as our group decided on the 1800s as our era, we all gathered and chose a change maker that spoke the most to us. My group members chose Frederick Douglas, Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Samuel Colt, and Harriet Tubman. Seeing the different figures my group chose made me realize how many people during the 1800's helped shape history in different ways. It also said a lot about what interested my group members, wether it was movements against racism, fighting for freedom, political leadership, or inventions that changed everyday lives. This made me start thinking about which change maker stood out the most to me.
In order to pick a change maker that felt the most interesting to me, I searched for change makers from the 1800s, and the first one I came across was Susan B. Anthony. She felt familiar because I've learned about her in almost every history related class I've had. This intrigued me to learn more about her and the impact she had during that time. I admired that she was resilient and spoke out for women's rights even when many people disagreed with her. I found it inspiring that in a time when everything was heavily judged and women were often belittled, she never let it get to her and still became a strong leader.
As I began researching Susan B. Anthony, I learned more about her life so I could start putting my PowerPoint together. For me, it has always been harder to memorize and present something that is informational and based on facts compared to my last presentation, which was more opinion-based and easier for me to explain even if I froze during the presentation. This time I had to actually know the facts instead of speaking more freely like I did when talking about confidence, which made this project a little more challenging for me. This meant I had to spend more time reading and understanding the information before deciding what I would include in my slides. Therefore, I slowly felt more comfortable and confident with the topic and being able to explain it.
Once I had gathered the information I wanted to use, I started putting my PowerPoint slides together. This is always my favorite part when doing a presentation because I can use my creativity and design them the way I like. I can also organize it in a way that makes sense to me and is easy to follow. I kept the bullet points simple so the audience would focus more on what I was saying instead of reading a lot of text. I also added many pictures on each slide because I am more of a visual learner and I wanted them to stand out more than the text. Designing the slides also helped me feel more prepared because I had a clear layout of how I would explain the information and how the presentation would flow from slide to slide.
Working with my group was also an important part of this project. When we split into our breakout rooms, it was important for us so we were all 100 percent sure about what we wanted our final project to look like. Even though our presentation were about individual people and topics, we still had to work together to make the presentation strong as a whole. Hearing my group members have prior knowledge about the people they chose, motivated me to learn more about my own topic. It also helped me realize what other kinds of information would be useful to include in my slides. Overall, working together as a group made the project feel smoother because we were able to share ideas, give feedback on our slides, and make sure our presentations connected well with each other.
While presenting, I actually felt more nervous than I did during my first presentation. In my first presentation, I felt more confident in the information about the topic because it was something I enjoyed talking about, like confidence and personal growth. I also was going on a cruise right after the presentation, so a part of me just wanted to get it over with so the pressure would be off. Going into this presentation, I genuinely thought it would be smoother, but it ended up being the opposite. However, once I started speaking, my nerves slowly got better from the start to end. I had my notes on my screen like last time in case I froze because this presentation required more memorization. There were a few times I did take a glance but I didn't freeze, I kept going. In the end, I was extremely happy with the way I presented and felt like I did better than I expected. I also think my group did an amazing job, and over all the presentation turned out really good. Even though all the other groups did well too, I was especially proud of my group and how we worked together to achieve a strong project.
Overall, this project taught me a lot more than I expected. At first, I wasn't very interested in this topic since the 1800s feel so far away and I didn't feel like I had much to relate to. However, after learning interesting facts, I started to realize how important the 1800s were. It made me recognize that back then life was not as easy as it is today. I am grateful that I did not live during a time when women barely had rights because I can't imagine living like that. I also think it is important to continue learning about the past so we understand the background of where we came from and how much people had to fight to get us to where we are today. Even though this project was more challenging for me, I am proud of the work my group and I did.
The group that presented on the 1700s talked about how the United States was first formed when the American colonies fought for independence from Great Britain. They explained how the colonists wanted representation and basic rights, which eventually led to the creation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Their presentation helped me understand how the ideas of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness became such important values in the country. I thought they explained the topic clearly and were organized and it helped me see how the government system we have today started during that time.
Another group presented on the 1900s, which was a time when many people were fighting for equality and dealing with major economic changes. Their presentation went well and was easy to follow along. They talked about the Civil Rights Movement and leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., who used peaceful protests to fight against segregation and discrimination. I already knew about this movement, but I liked how the group explained how peaceful protest was used to push for change. They also talked about the Great Depression and how programs created by Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the country recover. Their presentation helped reinforce how major challenges in history often lead to important changes in laws and society.
The group that presented on the 2000s focused on influential people in the modern world. Their presentation was engaging and they did a good job explaining their points. They talked about technology leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos and how they changed communication and online business. They also talked about Malala Yousafzai and how she advocates for girls’ education around the world. I thought this presentation was interesting because it showed how people today can still make a big impact in different ways, whether it’s through technology, activism, or leadership.
Very good!
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