My Topic
For project four, my topic was what happens when we die. For English and art, I analyzed multiple different religions and their beliefs on what happens when we die and the ways that they live to reach peace at the end of our lives. I researched Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. For my final English and art products, I synthesized the different ideas from each religion that I researched. In each of these religions, there is a specific person that they follow throughout their lives to either reach enlightenment or Heaven at the end of their lives. For civics, I researched assisted suicide and the laws that must be followed when performing assisted suicide. I combined small ideas from California, Oregon, and Montana's Death with Dignity Acts to create a new law on assisted suicide. These laws included things such as forms that must be completed, requirements the patient must meet to request an aid-in-dying drug, and protocols that the physician must go through before prescribing the drug.
Art: For art, I researched Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity and what each religion says about the afterlife. Buddhists believe that they are reborn an infinite amount of times until enlightenment is reached. They also believe in karma, so they live each day working to be a good person so they can live good lives. Christians and Muslims believe in a God, who they have faith in and follow each day to get to Heaven when they die. Heaven is known as a place of beauty and peace where those who had faith in God go. They also believe that those who don't follow God and don't have faith in him go to Hell. Hell is typically thought to be a place of torture and pain for damned souls. For my final art product, I came up with shapes and colors that I believed fit different parts of each religion. I then used these shapes and created an abstract piece based off of Frank Stella's art work. I used synthesis within this product by combining different parts of religions into one big art piece.
History: For civics, I looked at laws behind physician-assisted suicide. Many states don't allow it, but I analyzed a few that do allow it. I researched parts of Montana, Oregon, and California's Death with Dignity Acts. The three laws were very similar to each other. They all discussed the requirements the patient must meet, protocols the physician must go through, and forms that the patient and witnesses must complete in order to go through with the assisted suicide. To show synthesis within my product, I took small parts from each law and put them together to create a new assisted suicide law.
English: For English, I analyzed different religions and what they say happens when we die. I looked at Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Christianity and Islam are very similar in what they believe happens when we die, but their daily practices are different. They both believe in God and they follow him each day to reach Heaven when they die. They also both believe in a place of torture for those who don't have faith or follow God throughout their lives: Hell. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and karma. They believe that if you are a good person in one life, you will be born in a good life next time. They say they are reborn an infinite amount of times until enlightenment is reached, then their lives are completely over. For my final product, I wrote a poem about the differences in each religion but also showed how they are all the same in one way or another. I showed synthesis within this project by using different parts of each religion to create one product in the end.