Analysing Nazi Propaganda

     The image I chose for analysation was the poster of three flags and a man.  The caption reads, "Hinter den Feindmachten: der Jude.  This translates to "Behind Enemy Lines: the Jew".  The image depicts a large, ugly man partially hidden behind the Union Jack, the U.S. Flag, and the Communist flag. All three are threats and enemies to the Nazi Party, hinting that the large man is also an enemy. He is wearing a gold chain with a yellow Star of David, labelling him as a Jew. He is dressed in mainly black, and has dark hair/eyebrows and a prominent nose. This suggests how the Germans at this time view the Jews; as large, ugly, non-Aryan enemies.


The only clues I could find as to who created this image and when was the name "Hamil" and the date, 1945. 1945 is the year the U.K., U.S., France, and the Soviet troops entered Germany. Adolf Hitler committed suicide in 1945 also. However, this image couldn't have been created after/during these events. This poster was most likely created much earlier in the year, at the peak of Hitler's influence over Germany and its citizen's stereotypical thinking.


This image is a poster, and I believe the intended audience is the general population of Germany at this time. The intent of this propaganda piece was to dehumanize the Jewish population in Germany. This message may have caused German citizens at this time to view the Jews as an enemy of Germany; and the cause of economy problems due to the war. The Communists, U.K. and U.S. are also represented in this poster by their flags. This implies the need for the Nazi Party to blame others for the crises of Germany at this time.


Misleading information is definitely used in this poster. A man with a Jewish star is ported as large, ugly, and evil-looking. He is dressed in all black, including the large hat on his head. His expression is unhappy and he glares out from his hiding position behind three enemy flags (of the Nazis). This image is showing that Jews are ugly creatures, with enemy plots against Germany and an inhuman appearance/personality. This is the dehumanizing step prior to genocide; causing people to believe the Jews aren't human to make their actions acceptable.




http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm- This website was extremely helpful and has a wonderfully detailed account of Hitler's life and actions.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

What has The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas taught you /shown you about prejudice and bias?

     The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is told in the point of view of Bruno, a nine-year old son of a German Nazi Commandant.  He's still young and oblivious to the cruelty his father is subjecting millions to.  His view of Shmuel is not affected by prejudice and propaganda; he's only got his personality to judge.  Once you've been exposed to prejudice, however, your view of people and the world is tainted.

     The Auschwitz extermination camp was the camp Shmuel was at in the novel.  It was used mainly for extermination in gas chambers, but many residents died of forced labor, starvation, and human experiments.  At the end of the novel, Bruno and Shmuel, two nine-year old boys, are forced into a gas chamber and are killed.  Children were killed out of prejudice for those who were different.  Not only that, but they were forced to work on the little food and fear they were being fed.  The children weren't the only ones; it was anybody thought to be different or causing Germany's then-crisis, or those who disagreed with Nazi rule.

     Prejudice is a powerful thing; it can lead people to commit extreme acts with a mere push.  Crises such as a war or depression oftentimes causes anger, frustration, and a need for someone to blame.  This feeling can grow so great as to convince people that mass murder is for the best.

     The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was set in the past, as the Holocaust took place during World War II, which ended in 1945.  It is important for us to continue studying events like this, no matter how long ago they were.  History has passed, but it happened, and events can repeat themselves.  Caring about the past can help us make better decisions than our ancestors, and ensure a better future.

Any Man's Death Diminishes Me

"No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man's death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

-John Donne, 1624 Meditation 17 from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions

John Donne's meditation and Armin Greder's The Island share similar themes. Donne describes mankind as a continent, and any individual man is a piece of the whole; "a part of the main". The death of any one man breaks away their piece of the continent, making the whole smaller and less great. Greder's characters in The Island established a similar theme.

A stranger washed up on a beach is different from the inhabitants of the beach's island. The majority of the island locals suggest that he is returned to his raft and sent out back to sea. A fisherman who deals with the sea daily claims that sending the stranger away would result in his death. Though he gets to stay on the island, he is neglected and viewed as a savage. In the end, he is returned to the sea that brought him to the island. The fisherman, who was obliged to help the stranger, was punished with the burning of his fishing boat.  The island is later surrounded by a large wall, and birds that come near are shot down, to ensure "different" people never find their island again.  

Though Donne's poem and Greder's story have different moods and endings, they share similar ideas.  People who discriminate others are the lesser.  The killing or ignoring of another human being causes you and your people to be smaller.  The island's people shunned a man they think of as different, and ended up isolated and alone on their island.  Only living close to people you accept as your own "kind" causes you to be close-minded, and in the end, alone.  An island.   

Science Long Term Homework

Task B: Visit this site and choose 5 tasks to complete.

I chose:

Task 35

Task 77

Task 90

Task 94

Task 95

35: In a garden flower, figure out the different parts. Locate the stamens (pollen-producing male part, consisting of filament and anther), pistil (female part that will mature into a fruit, consisting of stigma, style and ovary), corolla and calyx.

I cut open a bellflower (I'm guessing that's the name) in half to reveal the complicated tubes and stems. After reading this site, I realized that this flower has a superior ovary. The ovary carries ovules, which are the fertilized seeds in the pistil. This flower also had male and female parts, as flowers often do: the stamen, which produces pollen; and the pistil, which catches pollen to fertilize seeds.

77: At night, find a streetlight or backyard light and watch for insects who flutter into it. These insects are trying to navigate by the light as if it were a star. However, as they fly, trying to keep the light at a certain angle as must be done to fly in a straight line, they begin passing by the light. They turn to compensate, then have to turn again, and before long they are circling the light and crashing into it...

I've kept a light on in my room at night, and watched the bugs attracted to it. They seem content with flying around it in many circles before eventually disappearing. After researching why bugs continue to bump into lights after surely having done it many times before, I've gotten some answers. Moths are nocturnal insects well-known for being attracted to lights in an otherwise dark location. Some scientists claim they view light as a safer location, as their source of light is the moon, and flying upwards is advantageous in an attack. Others claim that they use the moon for navigation at nighttime, as it never disappears, until daytime begins. When they do see light, they "become disoriented as they never expected to reach the moon, or fly above it".

90: Most insects are either "chewers" or "suckers." Wander around looking at miscellaneous insects, deciding which are chewers and which are suckers.

This website deals with different bugs, the mouths they have, and whether or not they use it for sucking or chewing. Butterflies are considered "suckers". They use their proboscis to suck up nectar from flowers. Mosquitoes have similar means of getting their nutrients. They begin their feeding process by sticking their proboscis in, not a flower, but their live victim's skin. They continue by sucking up their blood. Humans feel irritation after being bitten by a mosquito, because the saliva of the parasite causes an allergic reaction in our bodies.

94: Understand your local weather by looking at clouds, seeing weather maps, etc.

It rains quite often in KL, usually every day, but mostly not for such a long time. You can often tell when it is about to rain because of the dark, heavy clouds in the sky. The humidity in the air might also be a bit more uncomfortable than usual, as the water vapor in the air has reached its breaking point. The weather reports often include forecasts of thunder/lightning storms, or party cloudy skies. The temperature is usually in the 30's in Celsius, upper 80's in Fahrenheit.

95: If you had to personally kill the animals providing the flesh you eat each day, would you do it? Is it moral for you to simply pay others to kill the animals you eat? Think about these questions.

I don't usually eat a lot of meat, but when I do, I don't ask myself these questions very often. There are some animals I think I'd be willing to kill myself, and others I would never even dream of killing. If I was stranded on an island with not enough fruit in the trees or vegetables in the ground, I may be willing to catch a fish. Anything bigger or bloodier than that, I don't think I would be able to stomach. When I am safe at home with plenty of food to eat, fishing might be something I'd do for myself, but never any other animal. I don't think it is very moral for me to have others kill the animals I eat, and this has created some doubts about my diet and the meat I put in my mouth. If I can't kill the animals myself, do I deserve to gain energy from the lives they had lived before?

Do governments have a duty of care to their citizens and as such should they provide free access to books in the form of libraries?

Yes, governments are obligated to take care of their citizens. The government basically is the people, they represent them and must make sure their needs are met. I do believe that free access to books should be provided, because not everybody can afford buying books on a regular basis, or having an internet connection.

Libraries can really come in handy to those who need information but can't find it anywhere other than books. Not everybody can get these books themselves, however, and a library can really help this problem. This is why I don’t think libraries should be closed.

My Name!

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet."

-William Shakespeare


Hime Cecelia Chadwick is my full name. Hime means “princess” in Japanese. Though my dad tells me it was my mom who chose my name, she tells a different story. Apparently, she wrote a long list of names that she liked, Japanese and American alike (my mother is Japanese, whilst my father is American). My father was the one who looked through it and chose what he liked (and he was very picky), which turned out to be who I am today, Hime. Cecelia, when I looked it up on Google, means “blind”, or “way for the blind”. This isn’t, however, how I got my middle name. It’s actually my dad’s mother’s name, though it does fit me, as I am extremely near-sighted. Chadwick means “From the warrior’s town” or something of the sort, and is from my dad’s side of the family, whose ancestors changed their last name to Chadwick to sound American, as they were from Holland and trying to get into the U.S.

I can’t choose a color for my name, because my name is who I am, even if it doesn’t sound like it. Am I a soft pink color, for the princess my name hints myself to be? Am I a dark purple for a shy and not-easy-to-spot color? If I don’t know exactly who I am, I don’t know what color I am, much less the color of my name. As for the meaning of my name... I don’t like to think of myself as a princess, as modern “princesses” may be viewed of as somebody spoiled, and I don’t like to be thought of this way. When you look up "Hime" on Google, you get suggestions for "Hime make-up" and "Hime nails". This feels very girly, and I don't feel that I am a very girly person. If you were confused with the image at the top of this post; that's what I think looks like a "Hime" type of person. Also, the pronunciation of Hime in Japanese is different than that of English, and mispronunciations cause me to feel uncomfortable and annoyed. In Japanese, Hime is something soft and pretty-sounding, while in English, it can end up sounding rough and strange. My name is something special to me, and having somebody call me something else does not make me happy. In third grade, I was new to my school, and very quiet and shy. My teacher misheard my name, therefore, for half the year I was known as “Himen”, until we got a new art teacher and I corrected everybody when telling her what my name was.

I’m happy with my middle name Cecelia, though sometimes people think this is my first name as nobody really hears about anybody with the name “Hime” (like on an attendance sheet: “Cecelia, Hime Chadwick” is what it says). What I don't like is that it is also feminine, which adds to the girly-ness of Hime. This makes me feel that my name is unbalanced. Hime Cecelia Chadwick- doesn't that sound like you're about to see a girly person? Or is that just me? You may view Hime as something weird and foreign, in which case it does not look pink and flowery at all. What I feel, however, is that, if I had a less princess-sounding first name, my name would sound better. However, I am happy with my name. I like my middle name because it adds a nice ring to my entire name: Hime Cecelia Chadwick (my fourth-grade teacher said it sounded like an author's name), and because my grandmother, whom I inherited my middle name from, is somebody I admire.

I don’t think I could be happier with any other last name than Chadwick. It means, “Defense warrior” or “from the warrior’s town”. I used to be teased about it when I was younger, being called “Chad-wicked”, and this caused me to feel slightly annoyed that I didn’t have my mother’s maiden name, “Kina” (which, apparently, means “judged” in Hawaiian, though this means nothing to me), as my last name. However, now I do feel proud of being a Chadwick, as it is an interesting last name and completes my full name. My name may not suit me very well, or even make much sense to those who don't speak Japanese, but I'm proud of my name, because I was named, still am, and continue to be Hime Cecelia Chadwick.

Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Taken

The current title of my blog is also the title of this blogpost: "Be yourself, everyone else is taken." -Oscar Wilde. I chose this quote as the title of my blog because it can really touch some people, as it did me. There are many people out there who feel insecure about the people they are, and wish they could be like someone else, or are willing to trade places with that person. This is a horrible way to feel and leave people feeling sick and unhappy with themselves. But the truth is, trying to be like someone else is just wasting the person you are, and some people never realize that. We are all who we are for a reason, and we've all got our place in the world. This quote really makes sense, and the words are stringed together in perfect harmony to help bring Oscar Wilde's point across.

I also like how Oscar Wilde made us seem very individual, unique, the way his quote went. Like we're something to search for, to buy, to want. His wording was excellent, and those are the reasons why this quite was chosen as the title of my blog. Thanks for reading!

-Hime

Everything Has a Beginning

How was the world created? You can find out in this movie, based on Japanese mythology:

I'm Almost a Seventh Grader!

1. What pieces of work and learning are you most proud? Explain.

There's so much I've accomplished this year, so many assignments and projects. The one I am most proud of is what you're looking at right now: my blog. I think my blog deserves the most pride because I put the most effort into writing what I thought and felt, and a lot of our blogposts were asking for that. I liked writing about myself, and reflecting on work, like I'm doing now. (because everybody enjoys talking about themselves!) The blogposts were one place we could just write and write about how we felt about something, including how we've done this year. This resulted in me working harder and genuinely asking myself, "How do I feel about this?"

2. What were your greatest challenges? Explain.

My greatest challenges were probably finding time to go above and beyond what was assigned, and shoot above the goal. This wasn't so bad for me during the middle of the school year, but near the end (about this time) I started getting seriously lazy and avoided doing homework, and only worked on what was assigned, so I didn't push myself very much. I think what I will work on next year (and now) is finding some way to be enthusiastic about work and my grades, because right now I'm not feeling that I'm working my best.

3. Reflecting on your growth this year, what did you learn about yourself as a learner?

I've learned that I enjoy working on projects, just so I can finish and reflect on them, like I'm doing now, and see what can be improved. The literature circles (lit. circles) were not simple assignments, but I finished them and now I can look back at them and think about how my responses could have more information from the book, or how my connections could have more details. I've also learned that I may need to do something to help me feel more ready to work, because in some assignments I'm not trying my hardest.

4. To evaluate your work habits, choose 1 of the following from each category (and provide explanations):

a) Behavior

-Could be improved

-Satisfactory

-Perfect

I say 'perfect', not because it's absolutely perfect, but because my behavior is slightly closer to perfect than satisfactory. I don't purposely make trouble or try to get others hurt, so I don't think my behavior is any less than it should be. My behavior in class is fine, my behavior in working can have more enthusiasm, and my behavior anywhere else is fine, too, I suppose.

b) Participation

-None

-Satisfactory

-Actively participate in class

I don't raise my hand very often in class, unless I have a question that hasn't been asked by any other students yet, or an answer that hasn't been given by anyone else. This can be changed, if I manage to grow out of the shell that contains me when in front of a classroom of people.

c) Organization

-Needs serious help

-Satisfactory

-I'm super organized

Organization is something that runs in my mom's side of the family, and sometimes I can't stand anything being disorganized or messy, so I give everything an order. This is something you can see in everything I do, even in writing this blogpost, by dividing up the sections with the questions as headings. This may not make it look very natural, or attractive, but it makes it easier to read what needs to be read, and that's what's best for me.

d) Effort

-Needs serious help

-Satisfactory

-I always go above and beyond what is required

Like I had mentioned in a previous paragraph, I went above and beyond earlier in my sixth grade year, but I can't say I've 'always' done it, since I'm getting sloppier with my work as the end of the year comes closer.

5. Based on your reflections, write two personal learning goals for Grade 7 next year.

Goal 1- In Grade 7, I plan to

Work my hardest on projects and assignments, and find a new way of looking at school so I'm motivated to do just that.

Goal 2- In Grade 7, I plan to

Get more sleep, and recreational time so I can feel better about doing work, and actually trying my best.

6. Is there any more information that you'd like the teachers to know?

Something I'd like my future teachers to know is that I am very quiet in class discussions, because I don't feel comfortable about sharing ideas with a crowd of people that I may know well or just slightly. Strangely, I feel better about discussing in large groups if I'm talking with people I don't talk to often, because I am more comfortable about sharing my ideas with people who will only have what I say to judge me, and I don't think my ideas will produce too many negative thoughts about me. If I have to discuss ideas with people I know, let it be a small group, maybe four people, because I feel considerably more comfortable with a small group than a whole classroom.

7. Finally, go back to when to your first few months of sixth grade. What "Words of Wisdom" or "Advice" would you like to pass on to the Class of 2018?

Some advice I'd like to give to future sixth graders are based on things I've experienced this year, most of them regarding homework. One thing I've learned is: DON'T LEAVE YOUR HOMEWORK TO THE LAST MINUTE!! This tip came in handy during the dreaded "Lit. Circle Time", where you have multiple passages, questions, responses and so on to work on over the course of a week, and the worst mistake you can make on lit. circles is to leave it to the night before it's due. This is advice you ('you' being anyone new to sixth grade next year) may very well be given several times, but I can't stress how important it really is. More words of wisdom include working your best on projects; if the requirement is two paragraphs, write three, or more, and add more information than what's assigned. Also, it's not the length of what you write that matters, it's the content. The length can help with adding more so the audience continues to stay interested. Don't use it to mean you write nonsense and make it look like five paragraphs of good work, because it's better to be two of outstanding detail. And the most important of all, that will help you with homework, friends, and just life in general, is to enjoy yourself, and what you're doing. Have fun!

The end is near... of the school year, and of this blogpost.

Dear Lily...

Greetings, Lily. This is your older brother, Jonas, speaking. By the time you are reading this, I'll be long gone. You may be wondering where I am, and I intend to tell you. The truth is, I'm not anywhere you expect me to be. Not with Asher, not with the Giver. I am Elsewhere.

Don't get too excited! I'm not sure what is out there, since I am only just beginning my journey as I write this. Who knows, though? I could be in another community by the time you're reading this. Maybe I'll still be traveling. I want you to know, Lily, that I'm not alone, because I've brought Gabriel. I know you're thinking that I'm insane to bring somebody so young with me on a journey so dangerous, but I know what I'm doing. Gabriel can see beyond! This means he has the ability to see what our community used to be like; he can receive memories, like me. I needed to get him away. Yes, what I'm saying is that something is... different... about our community. There is something called color, and agony. Also, what I've said before is true: There used to be animals, and I must see them!

I suspect Mother and Father are worried about me, too. You don't need to show them this letter, because whichever you choose to do, it won't matter. I'll be gone and will never go back. Lily... just keep this for yourself; maybe comfort yourself in the fact that I'll be happier. A word you will never understand, and I will not, either, if I stay. There are many new emotions I must feel, and a new life I want to live. No longer do I want to spend my life wishing for something other than... this! I want to feel, Lily, so badly. It aches to think you will never understand the longing I am forced to withstand.

Love. It's an amazing feeling. There used to be families, large families, born and not assigned! They would all live together, with the parents of their parents, called grandparents. On a day they call Christmas, they would all receive gifts, and laugh. They would light candles with fire, which is dangerous, but so bright and warm... if you only knew the power inside the room I saw, you would leave, too. I want to love, and be loved. Hopefully, I will find a new family, and they will accept me, and love me as a son.

I've always wondered, Lily, if what we ever felt toward each other was love. Did you merely

admire me as an older brother, or did you honestly and truly love me? I doubt you will be able

to answer, since love is a complicated feeling that our community has forgotten. Maybe one

day, long after my death, the community I once called home will have learned emotion. Will

have learned of pain, and color. These dreams won't die with my presence there, Lily. Nor

will your place in my heart.

This is the last time you will ever hear from me, dear sister.

Love (such a nice feeling it is to be able to pen the word),

Jonas

Freedom, and the Emotions It Brings

In Chapters 16-18 of The Giver, Jonas is learning more and more about freedom from the community he knows (or used to know). There are decisions he has to make on his own, and doubts he is starting to have about his community. First, his life is simple and easy, and now his mind is working more and more on its own. He even had the decision to throw away his pill that prevents him from having dreams. Now he has this freedom that comes with his new job, the world he grew up in is crumbling all around him, revealing in the cracks a new way of living, with more possibilities, yet more faults...

Before he was selected as the Receiver of Memories, Jonas was as disciplined as everyone else in the community. Told not to pry into other people's business, and never to tell a lie. Now, Jonas is allowed to lie, and realizes how easy it is to get other people to believe in things that aren't true. If everybody in the community had the privilege of lying, what would their way of living be like? We, in our world today, are allowed to lie (but told against it). It's common sense not to believe everything you hear, and to think about somebody's answer before accepting it. Freedom can be a negative thing, and reveal some problems in having people decide things on their own.

Since Jonas has felt all these emotions and seen the colors, naturally he would want to have freedom. There is a reason that color was relinquished, though, and we have to wonder. Is this the best way? Is what we're doing now good for us, or will it lead to chaos? The Committee obviously thought so, and they live an organized world. Perfect.

Freedom. Ziyou. Vrijhead. Kalayaan. La liberte. Freiheit. Liberta. Jiyu. Jayu. Kebebasan. Liberdade. Libertate. La libertad.

Color... Is It Necessary?

"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." -Marcus Aurelius

"'Why can't everyone see them? Why did colors disappear?'

The Giver shrugged. 'Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences. We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.'

'We shouldn't have!' Jonas said fiercely."

Look around you... really, look around. What do you see? Just everything you normally see, right? All those colors, the contrast between shades, patterns in the hues. It's just so common to you that it fades away, unimportant. Like music playing at a party, it's just a background. Something we take for granted and forget about, until it's gone. If you woke up one morning to find everything in black, white, grey... of course you would notice. Can you imagine it now? The familiarity of your everyday life in dull shades of darkness, nothing noticeable anymore. The velvet red petals of a rose... gone. The comforting blue of the sky, missing.

"When you're a [child], you don't see color." -Marshall Mathers (Eminem)

Jonas, main character of The Giver, finds it "unfair" that his world is colorless. What do I think he means by unfair? I think he's imagining the possibility of color... it's one of the small things we have today to define your personality. There was even a time in our history where people were judged on the color of your skin. This also brings in the possibility that color can be used in negative ways, and can bring problems. When the Committee takes out the pain and the conflict, they also exterminated the joy and the love. Everything is neutral, just the same: "The Sameness", the Giver calls it. No colors can bring out the differences in the society, nothing that can cause envy and fear. So, color can bring problems, too... who knew?

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky." -Rabindranath Tagore

Unfair that nothing has color, unfair. What does that word mean? Fairness is everybody getting everything they need, and do you honestly need color? Can you live with everything the same? Jonas grew up with it, could stand it. His parents and their parents before them didn't feel anything about it. Yet, once you saw the colors, felt the warmth (and the chill) they bring, once you've tasted their sensations, you couldn't leave it. I would wake up one morning and notice if everything was colorless, but having to live that way, wake up to it day after day is unbearable. Will my eyes even be able to take the difference?

"How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days." -George Burns

Is "unfair" the proper word to use in the situation? You can only ever get what you need by getting it for yourself, and if you need color, well... how do you get it back? Let's rewind, and go back to when there was color. How did it disappear? Where did it go? The people of the society decided for themselves when they wanted to block out war and pain. Did they know they were also eliminating color and cheer? During Jonas' family's "Evening telling of feelings", his sister, Lily, claimed she felt "angry". His father had announced he felt "concerned", and his mother confessed her "guilt" and "fear". That's what they are probably taught, that when you feel more weight in your chest, you are sad. When your skin starts to prickle and your mind is overwhelmed with thoughts, you are angry.

"The color of truth is grey." -Andre Gide

Even though we have the ability to feel much more intense feelings than Jonas and his community, we are extremely lucky in the fact that we don't have to feel them. I doubt anybody I know has ever felt truly angry, when something is so special, their unconscious mind will take control. Oftentimes, to be angry, you will first have to be afraid. Fear can very much lead to angry acts of aggression. I don't believe any one I know has ever felt deep sadness, when the world just looks darker and the colors don't seem to matter anymore. What more is what we call anger, than frustration? What we know as sadness is usually just disappointment. When people like Jonas, who knows what those words really mean, hear incorrect uses of them... well, it must be extremely frustrating to hear such things.

"If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed and color, we would find some other causes for prejudice by noon." -George Aiken

So, what do you think? If you started reading this post from the beginning to right now, would you please take the time to answer this: Is color necessary? Did what you think a few minutes ago to right now change? Color... it's everywhere. Is it possible for us, as humans, as living creatures, to live without it? Do you agree that it shapes us, makes us who we are? Color changes the way people act around us, different colors create different atmospheres. Of course, it is in no way the only trait you can judge someone on, especially their skin color. Eye color, hair color, paint color, curtains color, wall color, all of it. It's all important and they all play a huge role in the way we live. The tail of a peacock, vibrant juices in a rasberry, clouds of the sky, it all matters. So, why is it unfair that Jonas cannot see color? Because feelings, all feelings: Head-lifting feelings, eye-widening feelings, heart-stopping feelings, are indeed necessary to living. Not just surviving, but living.

"Being born, especially being born a person of color, is a political act in itself." -Alberto Giacometti

Thanks so much to the site below, where I got the color quotes!

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/

P.S. My blogpost partner is Olivia, and I have commented on her two Giver blogposts.

My future. Two simple words that, when put together correctly, can mean so much... but why? What is so important about knowing what will happen to me tomorrow, what I will be in ten years? Just lay back and let whatever happens happen! If that's how you think, you haven't read "The Giver" by Lois Lowry. In Jonas' community, he can't just wait for his life to suddenly make sense to him. The Committee decides everything, hands you your life piece by piece, and you take it.

Would I want to have my future decided? Before I read "The Giver", I would've quickly answered "NO," and I'm sure you would, too. Even after reading, I would have the same answer, but I'm a little more hesitant. We think our community is better organized than Jonas', because we have the freedom to make our own decisions. Think about Jonas, though. He probably thinks his way of living is the best way, because it's all he's ever known! He might become a little nervous when confronted with a chance for freedom. Also, having other people decide for you doesn't seem like a bad idea at all. Think of having people, first analyzing your personality, fit you with a job that you can work well with, and with a positive attitude. In our society, a lot of people don't get good jobs, and you see many people lose them and end up with no money to support their family. Jonas knows nothing of that. He finds it unfair that the world is color-less, that people should be able to make choices.

Choosing things for yourself, is it a good thing? The Committee found that sometimes, people made the wrong decisions. They didn't think, and got themselves in a dilemma. You can see that today, many people without homes, food, money... the poorer countries often can't afford education or safety, and are forced to make even more decisions to make up for the mistakes others make. Who's to blame? If you want to know the answer, you need only look into a mirror. How our life is, the way our world works, is shaped by us. Our way of living has mistakes because we make mistakes. Jonas rarely chooses things on his own, so everything is easy. The best choices are brought to him. Would I want that for myself? I have to think about my answer, but it's still "No". I still want to feel emotion, will go through the pain to feel the happiness. I will also try and make the wisest choices I can, because they affect the people around me.

Thanks for reading,

Hime

The Charming Cleopatra VII

Why do you think Ancient Pharaohs created monuments?

I think Ancient Pharaohs created monuments because they wanted to mark their land with something of theirs, some kind of accomplishment. They were very powerful and needed to show that somehow, and place something on their land as a sign of just how much control they have over the area. In years to come, people would look at those monuments and know how powerful the pharaoh was, and it also helps us find out what kind of person they were. Cleopatra made a temple for the Egyptian goddess Isis, which tells us that she was important to her in some way, and that she believed in the gods.

What monuments in our society are similar?

Some monuments are just copies of the Great Pyramid, the original in Egypt. There's the Transamerica Pyramid in San Fransisco, the Summum Pyramid in Salt Lake City (Utah), and the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. These are all in shapes of pyramids, like the Great Pyramid in Giza made by one of the pharaohs Khufu (he lived before Cleopatra). None nearly as great, though! Also, the uses are much different... the ancient Egyptians used pyramids as tombs and burial chambers for pharaohs who have passed away. A pyramid today, like the Luxor Hotel, is very simply, a hotel!

The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

How did the using google docs as the main portal for collaboration help you with this assignment?

Using google docs to work with a partner helped by being able to work on one document together, and seeing how what we both submitted worked out together. If we both worked on separate documents and then put it together later, it wouldn't work out so well. To make it the best we can, my partner and I both worked on on script together, so we could see each other's ideas and mistakes, and either add on to it or fix it.

What did you learn from this assignment?

I had always been fascinated by Cleopatra, but I didn't really know her until I did this project. I had a book about her, which was interesting but didn't have a lot of information about her. I also had a video about her, but it was extremely repetitive and boring. I didn't learn too much about her from either of those sources, so this assignment seemed like the perfect chance to see just who Cleopatra really was. I knew Cleopatra was very seductive, but I didn't know this helped her make Egypt some powerful allies! Who knew charm could be a weapon and a tool to help you gain power?

5. What was challenging?

The challenging parts of this assignment was probably the recording of my partner and I stating the information. We couldn't make the individual recordings too long or one mistake will affect the entire thing, but making them short made it harder to put it together in a way that seemed natural. In the end, it turned out okay, but after we uploaded it to YouTube, there seemed to be a problem. Near the end of the video there was the music we chose for the ending, then a long period of empty silence. Then music again! I'm not so sure what happened but that's not what was intended.

Which school-wide learning results were evident in this assignment?

I think the school-wide learning results I had to use in this assignment were Collaborate Constructively, Communicate Effectively, Learn Enthusiastically, and Think Creatively. We have to collaborate constructively to work with a partner, and make sure you get some work done together. I had to communicate effectively to do this, so I know how my partner wanted things done. I also had to show what I wanted. I learned enthusiastically by researching the Egyptian pharaoh we were assigned, in my case, Cleopatra. I know much more about her than I did before the project (That's what was supposed to happen, I think....). Thinking creatively was important to make the project interesting and, well, more creative!

My Home City-San Diego

1) What you believe you did on the project.....

Well, I think overall my presentation was okay, but I added too much additional information and not enough needed information. It took me a while to convince myself that San Diego "home heating" was not necessary in this project. So I took it out, and replaced it with San Diego sports teams! Better than home heating, but still not important. I had four slides of assigned information and three slides of information I decided to add.

2) What would you improve for future presentations/projects?

In future presentations I would try to concentrate on the needed facts and not get carried away with the additional material. I have to be careful with the opposite, too. I only need basic facts and for some areas, I had a little too much detail, but in others I didn't add enough. An even amount of information would be easier to memorize and present in front of the class.

3) What did you learn in the preparation of this presentation in addition to the presentations of others?

I learned so much about my home city that I never knew before, just by doing this presentation. That's probably one of the reasons we had to do it, other than analyzing progress in development. Sometimes we may think because we are from a certain place, we already know all we need to about it, but that's not always the case. I've lived in San Diego for about 9 years, but was still ignorant about many things that have been going around me all my life. I knew San Diego was a pretty popular tourist destination, but did I ever know how it came to be that way? No, but digging in deeper in the resources and history of San Diego made me realize just how clueless I had been about the place I call home!



4) What is your analysis of your performance?

I think the information I had was okay, but lacked a little more history on why people chose San Diego as a settlement. Before the presentation, I was pretty sure I didn't need to worry about the presenting too much, but when I got up to present in front of 20 people waiting for me to do something interesting, I wasn't as positive. My brain froze and relied on my eyes to provide them the information by just keeping them fixed on the board the whole time. I knew I couldn't do that, but I still glanced at it more often than I should have. Maybe if I had practiced my presentation in front of a family member, I could've been more prepared and the presentation could have been better.

If you're curious about what my presentation looks like, take a look at it here:

https://docs.google.com/a/iskl.edu.my/present/edit?id=0AZ0UqHZQtP7PZGNmZjJkYzNfMjNkNzludjNnaw&hl=en&pli=1

My Resolution(s) For 2011

One of my resolutions for the new year of 2011 is to spend more time with my family. The winter break has allowed me to think about this, since I had no school or homework to worry about. I noticed I haven't talked with my sisters so much before the break, and it made me realize I spent more time with them during one week of vacation compared to one entire school trimester. Family is really important as you're growing up, and years without spending time without family are years you aren't ever getting back. If I'm ever going to grow up, I'm going to do it having fun with my family!

Another resolution I have for 2011 is to learn to clean up my room. I'm sure every child knows what a messy room looks like: un-made bed, papers all over the floor, books left.... everywhere! I make a mess and leave it behind, too lazy to clean it up and think, "I'll clean it up later," but I never get around to it until my mom's fifth reminder. Lately, I've been picking up things that I drop, emptying the contents of my pencil sharpener in the trashcan, and not the floor. (I don't usually empty it out on the floor.... not on purpose!)


I spent the majority of my winter break at home, but I didn't spend all of it here. My family and I drove to Singapore, and stayed there for four days. The hotel was too small for a family of five, but that was okay as long as we didn't attempt to live in it. We had to eat out and do the fun things we intended to do somewhere else. Visiting the zoo, for example. We also went on the Singapore Flyer, which was really interesting as you can see the city of Singapore from sky-high.

Here's the view from the Singapore Flyer:

My family and I loved the zoo! It was fun to just walk around and look at all the different animals. Here are some pictures of the animals I took pictures of:

Singapore was a really good experience for me and my family, since we don't travel often. Seeing a new place was definitely exciting, and spending time with my family was also fun!

Zeitgeist-2010

2010 has been such a brilliant year, we will really miss you. It's really sad you have to leave, but I think your time here has been well spent. Now, let's have fun in 2011!

Learning Profiles-What Am I?

1. I learn best when.....
My profile suggested that I learned best when everything is in order, lined up and neat. Sometimes I may be that way, like have my papers in a certain order so it's easier to find them or have my books categorized. They never stay that way for long, though. I mess the order up and don't really care, so I have to disagree with my profile because when I try to be neat I end up disorganized again. I like it that way, though. It makes it more natural. So I suppose that I learn best with some order, but I don't mind surprises!

2. I need to.....
Try to concentrate on the big picture more. When I am stressed, I have trouble using the gestalt side of my brain, which is the "go-with-the-flow" side. I guess when I'm stressed out I need all the details in front of me so I don't have to stretch my mind more than it already it is. I can't think clearly when there are too many things on my mind, and if there's a visible order to things then I can access it without thinking too much about it.

3. The strategies that would help me with my learning.....
Strategies that would help me with my learning would be a basic sequence as a structure. I don't need every single detail drawn out for me, but to have some sort of visible order would be easier for me. Some classes I have allow me to walk into the class and know what to do with just a glance at the board, and I'm okay with that. I only want that kind of order in a few classes though, if my life gets too organized then I might start to feel a little bored.

4. I would like my teachers to know this about me.....
I like things with a sequence but if things get too orderly, I might not learn as well as I could be. Sometimes I enjoy having no idea what direction the class is going to take, but if I'm completely clueless, then it will take some of the fun out of it.

Collaborative Lit. Circles

1. The benefits of working with a classmate:
     The benefits of working with a classmate is that you could go to them for help when you're stuck, or confused.  Also, you could see their opinions and questions, and gain ideas from them.  For example, I didn't know what to choose as my question, but looking at my partner's passages and questions, I formed one in my mind quite easily.


2. Challenges and obstacles which you overcame (tried to overcome):
     One challenge I faced was when one of my partners couldn't get onto their account, therefore not being able to get onto our literature circle.  I didn't know this until the day before it was due, and was stressing about how I thought he wasn't doing any work.  I overcame this by working on the literature circle at school, and finding out my partner had done the work but not on the actual literature circle.  So they just moved their work onto it and everything was fine.


3. New understandings you gained about the novel:
     Using my partners' questions, I could understand the novel better by seeing it through their perspective.  Their connections and questions injected new thoughts about Charlotte into my brain, about how she was similar to them, and us.  I also learned that Charlotte was going through more changes than I thought she was through the book; not just by becoming braver and having an experience on a ship.  She's changing from a girl to a woman.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Lit. Circle #1

1. How my group discussion helped out understanding of the novel:

My group discussion helped me understand this novel better by voicing their opinions about the passages they chose, and explaining why they chose it. Seeing the book from their perspective really helped me understand it better, because sometimes they noticed certain things I didn't.

2. Connections we made during our discussion:

During our discussion, some of our predictions were based on connections to other books. We predicted Captain Jaggery wasn't such a good person, because of our experience with other books. Usually when a mysterious character is kind to the main character, they have a dark secret and is trying to get closer to them without revealing that secret.

3. Predictions:

Our group made some predictions about many characters in the book, especially Captain Jaggery. He is a very mysterious person, and although he seems nice, it may be an act to get Charlotte to trust him. Zachariah, her first friend, has some strange things to say about him, too. We also predict Charlotte will get executed at the end of the book for murdering someone.