Improptu Example Journal (Essay Sample)

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Impromptu example Journal
1. Remember the Titans
Type: Movie
Background & Significance: Directed by Boaz Yakin, 2000
Themes I could discuss:
Racial prejudice
Teamwork
Community integration
Talking points: This film looks into the predicaments of T.C. William high school that integrates black students from the adjacent high school and white students when racism was at its prime. Both schools have recognition in terms of football programs and hence they are united to form a formidable team named The Titans. Coach Boone manages to bring harmony in the mixed race football team and eventually neutralizes the community from racism and racial profiling. Subsequently, Coach Boone drives the Titans to winning major tournaments through hard work, integration and defusing racism in his team.
2. “I Have a Dream”
Type: Speech
Background & Significance: Written and Presented by Martin Luther King Jr.
Themes I could discuss:
Equality
Hope
Racial Discrimination
Talking points: Essentially Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech was demanding for equal rights for all Americans regardless of color or race. He argued that 100 years have passed since Lincoln issued the Emancipation proclamation, which foresaw the freeing of slaves. However even with the proclamation; the black man was has not been freed. In his speech, King posited that due to racism and segregation, the black man was still in exile in his homeland and that the authorities “saw nothing wrong with that situation”. King emphasized that blacks had to keep on fighting for to secure their position in the country peacefully. He had hopes that time will come when people shall not be judged by color, but by character.
3. My Life by Bill Clinton
Type: Autobiography
Background & Significance: Written by Former USA President Bill Clinton, released in 2004
Themes I could discuss:
Family
Leadership
Talking points: Former President Clinton's autobiography discusses his life in all spheres. The book covers Clinton's childhood and growing up, his love for playing saxophone that gave him the opportunity to appear in the public sphere. Clinton discusses his family and the wisdom he gained from interaction with family. My Life looks into Clinton's interest in politics and his race for Arkansas Governorship and a subsequent shot at the presidency that he won. Clinton discusses his meetings with ordinary people in America and outside the country. In his book, Clinton summarily discusses other leaders and their times in office, his weaknesses and strengths and his family.
4. Bill Gates
Type: Person
Background & Significance: Information communication and Technology professional, 1955 to date
Themes I could discuss:
Wealth
Philanthropy
Technology
Talking points: Bill Gates was the co-founder of Microsoft Company about four decades ago. He is one of the wealthiest people on earth. Amazingly, through the Bill gates and Melinda gates foundation, he has been able to fund and support various projects around the world to eradicate poverty and empower women among other challenges.
5. Leonardo Da Vinci
Type: Person
Background & Significance: painter, architect, mathematician, writer among other disciplines, 1452-1519
Themes I could discuss:
Monalisa
Intelligence
Talking points: Da Vinci is perhaps the greatest painter ever known. This can be accrued to his famous painting Monalisa. He was versatile and excelled in different fields such as engineering, music. Historians termed him as superhuman.
6. Mark Zuckerberg
Type: Person
Background & Significance: Information, Communication and Technology expert.
Themes I could discuss:
Technology
Wealth
Communication
Talking points: Zuckerberg could be compared to Bill Gates. People term him as a modern day Bill Gates. Zuckerberg is a pioneer of computing in this new era. He is the co-founder of Facebook, a social network site that has subscribed up to 1.115 billion users
7. Richard Nixon
Type: Person
Background & Significance: 37th president of the United States
Themes I could discuss:
Watergate Scandal
Politics
Life
Talking points: Richard Nixon joined the Congress after his stint in the United States army for years. He was the first and only president of the United States of America to have resigned from office in the United States due to the political pressure on the Watergate scandal.
8. Satanic Verses
Type: Book
Background & Significance: Written by Salman Rushdie, 1988
Themes I could discuss:
Islam
Criticism
Talking points: Salman Rushdie published and released the Satanic Verses in 1988. Satanic Verses criticizes some Quran of the verses that allow the Muslims to pray to three pagan goddesses. Muslims accused Rushdie of blasphemy and mockery of the Islam religion, and thus they declared a fatwa on Rushdie, but several attempts to assassinate have failed.
9. Manhattan Project
Type: Event
Background & Significance: The development of nuclear weaponry
Themes I could discuss:
Innovation
Invention
Talking points: The Manhattan project was the brainchild of scientists led by Enrico Fermi and Robert Opppenheimer. The project was sponsored by the state and launched by Dr. Einstein on the process of creating a weapon that was superior. Eventually, they came up with the atomic bomb. On instructions of Harry Truman, the weapon was dropped over Hiroshima and the effects were devastation.
10. The Da Vinci Code
Type: Best seller Novel
Background & Significance: Written by Dan Brown, 1988
Themes I could discuss:
Mystery
Fiction
Talking points: The Da Vinci Code happens to be the best seller novel of all time. In essence written by Dan Brown and released in 2003, this mystery detective novel follows Cryptologist Neveu and symbolist Langdon. The book talks about a Jesus having married Mary Magdalene and also the tussle between Opus Dei and Priory of Sion on the given view. People see the novel as an attack towards the catholic denomination. As of 2009, Brown has sold a whopping 80 million copies of the book. There is even a film that premiered in 2006 based on the novel.
11. Hurricane Katrina
Type: Catastrophe
Background & Significance: category 3 storm rating on Saffir Simpson scale, 2005
Themes I could discuss:
Destruction
Despair
Talking points: Hurricane Katrina was a category three storm that ripped across the Gulf Coast of South America. The hurricane traveled at about 120 miles/hr, and it stretched over about 400 miles across. It left a lot of damages, and the aftermath was even worse, since it led to massive floods that killed people and left some people seriously injured and homeless Many people were displaced in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi states and caused more than 100 billion dollars' worth of damage.
12. The Beatles
Type: Rock Band
Background & Significance: Popular U.K. rock group in the 60’s
Themes I could discuss:
Music
Fame
Talking points: The Beatles were a famous rock band that started in England in the 60's. This group transformed music into commercial and modern art. The group comprised of Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lennon. Some of their favorite hits are "Eesterday", " Penny lane" and many others.
13. Wilbur Wright
Type: Person
Background & Significance: Inventor, 1867–1912
Themes I could discuss:
Innovation
Invention
Talking points: The Wilbur together with his brother Orville in 1903 invented the first power-driven airplane that was airborne for about 59 seconds. It flew a distance of about 852 feet and hence paved way for the current modern planes. Together, Wilbur and Orville are known as the "Fathers of aviation”.
14. Lewis Hamilton
Type: Person
Background & Significance: Formula one racing driver, 1985 to date
Themes I could discuss:
Records
Sports
Talking points: Hamilton happens to break the record of being the youngest formula one racing driver known. McLaren signed him for the track team at the tender age of 13. He made his debut at the age of 25. Hamilton was born in England in the family of a black father and a white mother. He is often referred to as the first black formula one racing champion. Hamilton has had the most victories than any other British formula one racer.
15. New York
Type: Place
Background & Significance: one of the world’s largest natural harbors
Themes I could discuss:
Statistics
Location
Popularity
Talking points: New York is a state in the United States and also harbors a city by the same name. This state is the most densely populated in the whole of the United States mainly because of its status as an economic, political, commercial, fashion powerhouse. The 2013 census estimated New York as having a population of about 8,405,837 people. The state was founded around 1624.
16. Atlantic Slave Trade
Type: Activity
Background & Significance: Trade of humansfrom Africa to Europe in 16th – 19th centuries
Themes I could discuss:
Slavery
Labor
Talking points: The Atlantic slave trade took place between 16th and 19th century across the Atlantic Ocean. Traders captured slaves from West Africa, and other African regions and later sold them to Europeans and the western world as cheap sources of labor. The number of slaves brought to this hemisphere was so large that it changed the demographics of Europe and America. There were more slaves being traded down at the South Atlantic Ocean than the North. The economic systems in the south required more labor due to farming systems. Eventually, the trade was abolished between...