Making the Invisible, Visible: The first step...

Making the Invisible, Visible: The first step...

     There are several issues in the world that violate the basic human rights that we all have. The issue that my class has decided to address is the discrimination of HIV/AIDS infected people. These people have to live with discrimination because they have been infected with a disease. Misconceptions have caused others to view the infected as being of a lower status and unsafe. People with HIV/AIDS have to live with the disease for the rest of their lives, which is hard enough without the harsh treatment, or discrimination of others around them. We have a responsibility to other people to protect their rights freedoms. HIV infected people are not having their rights and freedoms protected by others. Discrimination is a serious issue that people should be aware of and that should be stopped. Therefore my class chose to address the issue of HIV/AIDS discrimination.
     This issue is important to my community and me because the issue is all around us. HIV infected people don't all live together. They live among us because they're no different from us, since getting infected doesn't mean they're not human beings like everyone else. Misconceptions of the disease have sprouted discrimination within our community. We witness the discrimination and it's important that the issue is stopped because there are far too many people affected by this issue. HIV or AIDS can be transmitted in different ways including through blood transfusions, using the same unsterilized needle as an infected person, and through pregnancy or breast feeding. But the disease is most commonly transmitted sexually. One example of how people get affected is when a husband has a affair. The husband could have an affair with HIV/AIDS, which would cause him to become infected. He could then pass on the disease to his wife, who might end up infecting her children when pregnant or breast feeding. This just increases the amount of people infected. The more people infected with HIV/AIDS, the more people there are being discriminated. So many different people are being affected by the discrimination. It ranges from kids to parents to prostitutes to homosexuals. Unfortunately the discrimination is severe as even the families of HIV/AIDS infected people are being shamed and discriminated. This discrimination has affect the way entire communities function and the basic aura of it. As the discrimination sometimes affects whole communities, it begins to affects non-infected people as well.
     I encountered many surprises in my research. One surprise that I encountered was related to one way HIV/AIDS infected people were being discriminated. In one man's case, the nurses discriminated him so much that his wife had to help him with certain medical treatments. These nurses were kind to other patients but were rude and hesitant when treating the HIV infected man. The discrimination was so bad that the nurses sometimes refused to change the man's IV. His wife had to step in and do it because the nurses simply declined. I was shocked to find that discrimination happened within a hospital. The nurses should be familiar with the disease and be educated or well-mannered enough to not discriminate HIV infected patients. Other than family members, I expected people working in hospitals to not participate in the discrimination. The discrimination used to be caused due to misconceptions and lack of knowledge about the disease. It was surprising that nurses have even been rude to HIV infected patients along with also discriminating them.
     Learning about this issue mainly makes me sad but it also makes me determined. I fee; bad for all the HIV/AIDS infected people because their lives are already hard as they have to forever live with this disease. Now they also have to face the harsh discrimination from others around them. Untrue statements and speculations are made about them, while people hesitate to go near them. To top it all off, some of these infected people are living in fear. Some are afraid to admit to the world that they have the disease fir fear of the discrimination that follows HIV/AIDS. Others are so afraid that they refuse to even be tested. I feel sad that people have to live with all  these terrible things. I can't imagine going through all the hardships they must face because of HIV/AIDS discrimination. But learning about these unfortunate people makes me want to help them. Their stories make me determined to try to do what I can to stop the discrimination. I may not be able to do much but it all starts with a awareness and taking one step at a time.

How to Deal with a Dictator

How to Deal with a Dictator

Dictators create tricky situations for citizens and outside countries. It is essential that these dictators are dealt with in order to ensure the safety and human rights of the country are intact. But the part that poses a problem is how to deal with the dictator. There are several different possibilities of how people can overcome a dangerous dictator. This really depends on the situation and the dictator, but the first way that a dictator should be dealt with is with peaceful protest or confrontation. Many dictators strongly punish their opponents as they throw them in jail or somehow silence them. Clearly small rebellions are not affective with such mighty leaders but if enough people are gathered together, they can also be powerful and start to make a difference. It’s not necessary to directly jump to violent solutions such as assassination.

Caesar’s dictatorship is a clear example of how confrontation may have been more successful than assassination. Caesar was a dictator as he had a dangerously large amount of power over Rome. He was much too ambitious and arrogant, so he needed to be dealt with wisely. The conspirators chose the option of assassinating Caesar. This seemed to be a productive and beneficial solution but it backfired when it caused domestic civil war within Rome. If enough people had found enough strength and bravery to confront Caesar or protest somehow, the outcome may have been less harmful to Rome. Confrontation is a great way to start to deal with a dictator as the people can have a sense of how ignorant or open-minded their leader is. If confrontation doesn’t work, it would then seem reasonable to attempt assassination. Although confrontation or protests are more safe and practical, some dictators are so powerful that it’s hard to have a strong enough rebellion group. These situations require outside help in order to be effective.

Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin are certain dictators that are in need of a stronger rebellion. Kim Jong-un is secretive as the world knows very little of him and North Korea. He also has nuclear weapons under his control which means that he must be dealt with very carefully. Not only citizens with North Korea, but also countries from the outside should work together to urge Kim Jong-un to allow more freedom in the country. Alone, the people within North Korea would not be able to fight Kim Jong-un, but outside help could make this possible. The same solution could be used for Vladimir Putin. Russians are helpless as Putin has too much power over shutting down opposing demonstrations. The most positive yet efficient result would come from outside countries helping to confront and remind Putin that his people deserve the basic human rights. If he refuses or this technique doesn’t work, then it would be a good time to consider other options. But confrontation or peaceful protests are always the most efficient and safe solutions to try to start dealing with a dictator. It allows you to try different options before resulting to assassination while also being able to take note of the dictators’ strength ad resistance to the opposition.

Assassination

Assassination

Julius Caesar:

Julius Caesar was a greatly skillful leader or Rome. He was becoming too ambitious and power hungry. With all the incredible power Cesar possessed, he could be very dangerous and cause severe harm.

Lord Louis Mountbatten:

A member of the British Royal Family, Lord Louis Mountbatten, followed in his father’s footsteps when he joined the navy in 1913. Mountbatten was actually a captain at the start of World War II as he commanded destroyers and in 1955, he became the first sea lord. But Mountbatten was mainly known for the key role he took when planning for the Allied invasion of continental Europe. Like Julius Caesar, Mountbatten possessed a lot of power and control.

Based on the assassinations of Caesar and Mountbatten, it's clear that there is always a form of motivation. In these two cases, the motivation seems to be that the victim had too much power and importance that they have become a threat. Julius Caesar was growing more and more powerful and dominant, which caused his assassinators to feel threatened and find motive. They were afraid that Caesar would use his power to do damage instead of good and therefore they were motivated to kill him. Lord Louis Mountbatten had a very important and influential status while the planning for the Allied invasion of continental Europe was happening. His high status with caused the IRA to feel that he was hindrance and should become a target. His death would attract the attention of people to the IRA, once they hear about the death of such an important man. It seems that people are assassinated due to their threatening power growth and high status.This high status attracts a lot of attention and their assassination would tract even more attention and awareness for the cause. Although there are several other ways to approach the situation, assassination seems to be justifiable in certain situations. For example, the assassination of Mountbatten was not necessary or justifiable. There were other men of an equal status other than Mountbatten. His death was not a crucial event that would make the IRA's cause successful. This is clear as North Ireland did not manage to become independent and its own country, so it's evident that the assassination of Mountbatten was not justifiable. Although Lord Louis Mountbatten's assassination was not justifiable, I think that Julius Caesar's death could be justified. Caesar was gaining too much power and was beginning to become drunk on it. He is easily manipulated through flattery, which causes him to be weak as a leader. The great leader Rome once knew now poses as a dangerous threat to the city and its people. The only way to ensure the safety of Rome was to take Caesar down, as he is a dictator with total control over the city. This outcome could only be ensured through assassination because Caesar has become so powerful that he could potentially have several loyal allies. Caesar's assassination was justified since his death was the only way to be certain of Rome's safety. So assassinations are similar in several ways like motive, but there are also different in ways such as whether they are justifiable or not.

Asia'a Missing Girls

Neglected Refugee Rights

Thousands of children are left standing alone to survive refugee camps with nowhere to turn. For these children, violence and sexual abuse become regular struggles of life along with the poor environment around them. Baruani Ndume has witnessed and suffered through these hardships while spending most of his childhood in a refugee camp in Tanzania. After surviving and struggling through his early years alone, Baruani attempted to make a change for all children just like him. His life-changing work to help refugee kids was recognized when Baruani received the Children’s Peace Prize in 2009. He has fought hard for the reunification of family and rights to voice for suffering refugee kids.

Baruani has attempted to reunite refugee children with their families since he was separated from his own family at an early age. The loss of his own parents has caused Baruani to have the drive to aid other kids in finding their own families. “At the age of 5, Baruani's family was taken away from him by the rebels in a horrible way. 'The rebels forced us into our house and burned it down. While my family burned alive, I was the only one who could escape'" (1). Baruani knows the pain of losing a family and becoming an orphan in a refugee camp. Unfortunately, he no longer has any hope for reuniting with his family. But other refugees still have that possibility and Baruani helps make it transpire. As a teenager in a refugee camp, he doesn’t have a variety of options to help these kids in need. Instead, Baruani uses his radio show to communicate or reach out to lost families. Baruani’s radio show, “Sisi kwa Sisi” meaning Children for Children, airs in four different countries in Africa. This allows Baruani to reach out across further areas. "The children use the radio show to call upon people familiar with them or their family" (4). Children of this refugee camps are poor and have limited resources, but Baruani and his radio show are their biggest opportunities to find their loved ones. Through his radio show, Baruani has been able to accomplish several things, including reunification of family and also the right to a voice.

Because of his own experience of growing up without one, Baruani feels strongly about providing kids with a voice of their own. As a child in a refugee camp, he was never properly granted the right to a voice and felt that it may have cost him his future. “At age of 7, Baruani fled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  ... ended up in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania, where he has lived ever since.” (2). Having gone through a similar childhood, several other refugee children can relate to him. Baruani notices that many of these children don’t have much of a future because of the absence of a voice. Baruani has made an effort to change that for as many refugee kids as he can. After creating his radio show, he shares any air time with other refugee children, literally giving them a voice. Through the radio, teenagers and children voice their thoughts and claim their right to a future. “In his radio show, Baruani discusses the problems and challenges refugee children face in the camp. For many children it is already a big help to talk to someone and to be able to share the problems they experience.” (3). By simply allowing others to speak and share experiences on his radio show, Baruani has been able to make a difference for the young refugees. His efforts to make a change has allowed children to claim their right to voice, which could created opportunities for a future.

Through “Sisi kwa Sisi”, sixteen-year-old Baruani has changed the lives of several refugee children. His radio show has become a tool in the process of regaining a voice and spreading information of lost children. Young refugees have found their families, claimed a right to voice, and also had an opportunity to a future because of the choices of one boy. If that one boy hadn’t helped, there would be several vulnerable children trying to helplessly survive all alone. Baruani shows the world that it doesn’t matter who you are because you can always make a difference. He shows everyone that it only takes one boy to end the complete suffering of young and helpless refugees.

Sources:
1) Baruani (ENG) youtube video from the Kid's Rights, International Peace Prize website -
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2d4P68lhBw&feature=youtu.be>

2) "2009 Baruani Ndume - Childrenspeaceprize." 2009. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://childrenspeaceprize.org/childrens-peace-price/price2009/>

3) "Winners of the International Childrens's Peace Prize - KidsRights." 2011. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://www.kidsrights.org/InternationalChildrensPeacePrize/Winners.aspx>

4) "Winners of the International Childrens's Peace Prize - KidsRights." 2011. 17 Oct. 2012 <http://www.kidsrights.org/InternationalChildrensPeacePrize/Winners.aspx>

Harrison Bergeron

          In Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron, the commentary Vonnegut is trying to make is to value our individuality. In our world, we usually consider a utopia where everyone is peaceful and everybody is equal. Vonnegut sends a message that is centered on the idea that we should not be too equal. Equal rights will always be considered something positive but Vonnegut makes the statement that we should always have our individuality. For example, George Bergeron is intelligent compared to others and that makes him who he is. “And George, while his intelligence was way above normal, had a little mental handicap radio in his ear.” (130). George was an intelligent person and that could have possibly been his talent, which contributes to who he is as an individual. The radio earpiece has taken away George’s ability to think thoroughly and has made him into a completely different person. They have stripped him of his identity to make him equal and the same as everybody else. Another example of a loss of individuality is with the ballerina. “She must have been extraordinarily beautiful, because the mask she wore was hideous. And it was easy' to see that she was the strongest and most graceful of ail the dancers, for her handicap bags were as big as those worn by two hundred pound men.” (133). Not only was the ballerina beautiful, but she was most likely one of the greatest dancers. Dancing is her talent and what makes her unique and special compared to everybody else. Once again, the government of that world deprived someone of their talent. She lost her individuality. It was fair for everyone else since she was now their equal, but the ballerina no longer had anything that made her unique. The government not only deprived George and the ballerina of their individuality but everyone else in the world. Not only has Vonnegut portrayed loss of individuality in his book, but has also chosen the setting to be dystopian world. The reader can then see the connection to how individuality is important and should be value, instead of being taken away and creating a dystopia. Vonnegut explains that individuality is something worth fighting for.

Personal Identity is Worth Fighting For

Where I'm From

I am from Pooh bear,
from the soccer games and the track meets.
I am from I Told you Sos
and every jolly word in Jingle Bells, as if I made it up myself.

I am from lasagna and the thickly cut salami.
From weekend dinners at Mr. Wong’s and steamy broth flavors.
I am from strict doctors and bubbling beer.
From Hey there shorty and My little angel.

I am from floaties and peek-a-boos,
from blonde barbies and Huggies diapers.
I am from pigtails to hair battles.
From giggling faces and hysterical crying.

I am from Mathilda and The Cow Jumped Over the Moon.
From American Idol to The Little Mermaid.
I am from World War II and the Black Market
I am from Monopoly and the Bounce game,
sunshine and summer days all year long.

Stashed away in messy folders are snapshots,
documenting forgotten times,
a reminder of the past.
I am from those moments,
the building bricks of my future,
the building bricks of me.


List Poem 

Hair tightly pulled back
Short strands of hair poking out wildly the usual
Fluffy pink scrunchy covering the average hair tie
Unpierced and bare ears hanging free
A size too large purple letterman jacket laying on my shoulders
Wide sleeves resting on hands with only the tips of my fingers peeking out
Fingernails clean but in need of a short cut
Skinny wrists hiding under the comfort of my jacket
Blue polo shirt school
Dark shorts with a small stitched panther school
Not yet worn out black comfortable converse
Clean white socks slowly slipping down my heel
Flat white laces tied my own way incorrectly
Scratched and half-gone nail polish clinging to my toes
That’s just me.




One's personal identity is worth fighting for. It's worth it because our identity makes us different and who we are. If we didn't fight for who we are, then we would all be the same and not be unique. Identity makes everyone special. Doing something we don't want to do is giving up the fight for our identity. Everyone should have faith in themselves and fight for who they are because we all deserve to be ourselves and be happy. We can change everything from our appearance to the environment we live in but our identity is the only thing we know will be the same. If lose our fight for identity then we have nothing left. Our identity is what defines us and what we can always depend on to never change.

On November 9th 1938 an event called Kristallnacht happened. It happened in Germany and Austria. Nazis, Stormtroopers, and average Germans "Aryanized" Jewish businesses. The Jewish businesses were sold at bargain prices determined by the Nazis. The main thing that happened during Kristallnacht is that stones were thrown at windows of the shops that belonged to Jews. The glass from the windows covered the ground and they looked like crystal which is where "Kristall-" came from. Since the event happened at night, "-nacht" came from that. Jews had their property destroyed and 191 synagogs were burnt down. Many Jews also didn't have time to flee so 30,000 Jews were taken to concentration camps that night. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebells were the ones who were mainly in charge of the whole event but denied later. They had Nazis and Stormtroopers help take Jews to concentration camps or just destroy the businesses. Many Jews told or wrote stories about how the experience was for them. One of the Jewish men to speak of his unfortunate story was Frederic Morton. He was in Austria and in his house when Stormtroopers barged in and looked for valuables in his house. Shortly after the troopers went downstairs, Morton's father was taken away to a camp. Four months later Morton says his father returned home in a horrible condition but was somehow alive. Similar stories were experienced by many others but some weren't fortunate enough to have their family return home.

Kristallnacht was a terrible event triggered by many smaller issues. A big contributor to the event was fear. Some people were afraid of Hitler and his Nazis. They must have been worried that if they showed they stood against his ideas, he would do the same thing to them that he did to the Jews. This fear would have lead to people either helping the Nazis or becoming bystanders. Bystanders are a huge issue because that means the people know what's going on around them is wrong but they do nothing to stop it. Nobody stood up so Kristallnacht got worse since most people who knew it was wrong, just stood back and let it happen anyways. Since Kristallnacht was directed to the Jews, it's obvious that this is anti-semitism. But what lead to that could have bee prejudice. People were quick to judge that all Jews were the same and that the Jews are evil without even bothering to get to know the Jews and decide for themselves. Most people just quickly judged that all Jews were evil, which was promoted by propaganda. Hitler was made to look heroic and the Jews to look like terrible "things" that shouldn't even be considered humans. So much more triggered Kristallnacht like the laws, scapegoating, and peer pressure. The Nuremberg laws especially were discriminative to mainly Jews. Scapegoating is about blaming the Jews for all the misfortune that has happened to Germany and its citizens. Peer pressure also comes in. If someone goes along with throwing stones at Jewish shops, they will most likely pressure people they know into doing it too. But what really pushed all these conflicts over the edge was when on November 7th 1938, a man named Herschel Grynszpan shot a Nazi official in Paris. That's when Germany strongly took action and that's when Kristallnacht happened.

I think the scapegoating of the Germans towards the Jews is ridiculous. I think the whole matter is ridiculous. Germans blamed the Jews for all the misfortunes happening to them when in reality, it really isn't the Jews' fault. Then when they were pushed over the edge when Grynszpan shot a Nazi official, Hitler had Stormtroopers take it out on all the Jews. The Jews were then fined for something Hitler caused. I think it's Hitler who should be fined. I feel extremely sad and terrified for all the innocent Jews who died and had to go through all the discrimination. The stories told about how they were tortured and so lowly thought of made me sick to my stomach. Especially when one camp had Jews run and the Commandant used them for target practice or killed them for not liking the way they worked. What makes me find things even more terrible is that kids were involved in being tortured too. Not only do I feel sympathetic towards the Jews but I'm also shocked and disappointed by the other countries around the world. they saw what was happening and knew the Jews were suffering but hardly any country let Jews in. They turned the ship around and sent the Jews back to Germany. Back to where they came from. I think Kristallnacht and the entire Holocaust was one of the most horribly cruel events witnessed by mankind.

Treaty of Versailles - Fair or Unfair

80. Germany will respect the independence of Austria.
81. Germany recognizes the complete independence of Czechoslovakia.
87. Germany recognizes the complete independence of Poland.
119.

Germany surrenders all her rights and titles over her overseas

countries.

159. The German military forces shall be demobilized and reduced not
to exceed 100,000 men.

181. The German navy must not exceed 6 battleships, 6 light cruisers,
12 destroyers, and 12 torpedo boats. No submarines are to be included.
198. The Armed Forces of Germany must not include any military or
naval air forces.
231.

Germany and her Allies accept the responsibili

ty for causing all

the loss and damage to the Allied Powers.

233. Germany will pay for all damages done to the civilian population
and property of the Allied Governments. [The figure was later set at
$33 billion].
428. To guarantee the execution of the Treaty, the German territory
situated to the west of the Rhine River will be occupied by Allied
troops for fifteen years.431. The occupation forces will be withdrawn as soon as Germany
complies with the Treaty.

The treaty given to Germany in May 1919, as a punishment and effort towards world peace, was not fair. I do believe that Germany did cause huge damage during the war and they should be punished but this treaty takes it to the next level. It isn't fair because they had to give up all the land they rightfully conquered, no other country had gotten punished like that before, and it wasn't built on the base of a treaty that Germany was told to expect.

The Germans had conquered a huge amount of land and now they are told the must give nearly all of it back. I understand that the Germans deserve to have some of their land to be taken away but the almost all of their conquered land was taken away from them. In the treaty it also explains that Germany must respect the independence of some of the other countries meaning they may not reconquer those countries. It's quite harsh to make them give back all the land they fought hard to conquer but it's even worse to know that you need to recognize and respect that they are an independent country. It's like taking one step forward and two steps back. It's not fair that Germany has to give independence to almost every country they fought to conquer.

This treaty also isn't fair because it's not the same treaty as the example Germany was first shown. The rules on the first treaty weren't as harsh as the ones on the final product. If Germany was shown an idea of what the treaty would look like, it shouldn't have changed as much as it did. The treaty would have be a lot more fair if it greatly resemble the idea Germany was shown. For some reason many thing on that lis twas changed and Germany felt betrayed by practically being lied to. The y were lied to because they were shown an idea of the treaty and then presented by am entirely different one causing the situation to be unfair for Germany.

Open Diplomacy - There should be no secret treaties between powers

Freedom of Navigation - Seas should be free in both peace and war
Free Trade - The barriers to trade between countries such as custom duties should be removed
Multilateral Disarmament - All countries should reduce their armed forces to the lowest possible levels
Colonies - People in European colonies should have a say in their future
Russia - Russia should be allowed to operate whatever government it wanted and that government should be accepted, supported and welcomed.
Belgium - Belgium should be evacuated and restored to the situation before the war.
France - should have Alsace-Lorraine and any lands taken away during the war restored.
Italy - The Italian border should be readjusted according to nationality
National Self -Determination - The national groups in Europe should, wherever possible, be given their independence.
Romania, Montenegro and Serbia - Should be evacuated and Serbia should have an outlet to the sea
Turkey - The people of Turkey should have a say in their future
Poland - Poland should become an independent state with an outlet to the sea.
League of Nations - An assembly of all nations should be formed to protect world peace in the future.

One last thing that also made the situation and treaty unfair is that no other country had been punished the same way before. In other wars no other countries had to agree to such harsh rules. No other country had the majority of their conquered countries taken away. Why did it have to be this way for Germany? It wasn't fair that Germany had to be the only country that got punished with the rules of the treaty. If it were done to a country before due to being a big destroyer during a war, it would be fair to give the same punishment to Germany. But nothing so harsh had been done before and even observing countries admitted that the punishment was quite harsh.

I believe that if the punishment wasn't so harsh, the treaty was changed s much, and the punishment been done before, then this would have been completely fair to Germany and they would have definitely deserved every bit of the punishment. But since none of it was, I believe this treaty was something that pushed Germany off the edge and really made them mad. It could have been the war to end all wars, which was what it was meant to be, but I think the treaty rules took it a step to far and there isn't world peace yet. I hope that next time a treaty will just secure everything and not be unfair.

No Man is and Island

The poems and book are about treating every man as an equal. It doesn't matter whether you know him or not and it doesn't matter if he's not your family. The point is that we are all involved in mankind and we are the same. I think "No Man is and Island" means that no matter who someone is, they should not be going through anything alone and everyone should support them because we make up one big continent. The book also speaks about isolation and the contrast between "us" and "them". The book is also about prejudice and otherness.

In the book named The Island by Armin Greder, there is a main idea about not caring for someone because someone doesn't know them or they're different from that someone. The man in the book is different from the other men on the island because he is slim, pale, and weak while the other men are tough and large. The village men isolate the new man because he isn't like them. They also are quick to judge him without even hearing his story. They didn't base their opinion on the man by experience with him, but instead on a quick look at his appearance. The illustrator emphasizes the isolation and weakness of the man by making him naked and isolated on the page. The isolated man is an outsider compared to the mob of village men who are considered the insiders. This applies to real life issues. People see huge contrasts between the words "us" and "them". When we say "us" we refer to ourselves as the insiders and when we use "them" we refer to them as the outsiders. That's how it ties into the topic of no man being an island. We shouldn't be isolating the outsiders we define as "them". We should all be united and not isolate anyone.

The poem emphasizes the idea of everyone being the same. "every man is a piece of the continent" symbolizes that we are all one and together no matter whether we are related by blood or not. We are all part of mankind. This poem also points out that no matter who the person is, people should care. That's shown in "any man's death diminishes me", proving that the writer is setting an example and saying that every time a man dies, we should at least care and acknowledge it. The idea is sticking together, caring for each other, and never being alone. This poem is letting people out there know that others should be there for them and we care, they're not alone. The idea is also that you don't need to know the person to care and be there for them. Take a second to check if they need help because we are no different from them.

The video focuses more on taking a second to help others we don't know and it really stresses the idea of nobody out there being alone. In the video, the symbol for all people out there who need help are poor people on the streets. The examples are homeless people who get passed everyday and are completely ignored until one man stops to help. That man is like the writer in the other poem. They are the people who realize that we are all part of mankind and need to show other that they're not alone. The man in the video didn't know the homeless man, which proves the point that our family members aren't the only important people. We are all important.

The main idea of the poems and book is people out there needing help and people treating them differently because they don't know them or aren't the same as them. They all have the similar idea of not isolating someone and making sure that person isn't alone. The book was an example of isolating someone because you don't know them and their different from you which is showing what it would be like to be left alone without anyone to turn to. The other poems show how people should really be caring and helping others no matter whether we know them or if they aren't the same as them. Nobody should be alone. We are all part of mankind. Another similarity the they had was prejudice. In Greder's "The Island" none of the village men listened to what the pale man needed to say and in the video nobody really cared to listen to the homeless people's side of the story or whether they need help. The poem "No Man in an Island" shows how the man isn't prejudice but cares about everyman because we are ll a part of mankind.

Boy in the Striped Pyjamas:

The Boy In Striped Pyjamas was set in the past. Why should you care about the issues raised in the book? Should we continue to study this book in Grade 7?

WE should care about the issues raised in the book because they are big issues in life. The main issue of the book is that since Bruno is Nazi (or his father is) and Shmuel is a Jew they can't be friends. The other large issue of the book is the cruelty and journey through hardship of those going through that period in time. I do believe that we should care about these issues so we can learn about how horrible and torturous those times were to others and hopefully prevent it from possibly happening again.We should also care about these issues because now we can look at the progressed world and know that it most likely never happen again.

John Boyne actually ends his book saying "Of course this all happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age." (p.216) and said that he actually wanted people to look around at the world and realize what happened then, will never happen in this day and age. This got me thinking that we should care about past issues so we can compare it to our world today and the progression the people have made. Especially with the issue about how torturous the Nazi were to the Jews. We have proof of some torturous events against Jews from Nazi such as when Kotler (Nazi) beat up and possibly killed Pavel (Jew) for accidentally spilling some wine (in the book). WE should also see how our world has progressed with the second issue about Bruno and Shmuel not supposed to be friends. We should look at our world now and realize how all nationalities are friends and there are rarely racists issues. Most international schools help encourage nationalities to be united. We should also care about these issues to realize and remember the torture some people must have felt going through this. Maybe after noticing how much pain was caused, it can strengthen the idea of never letting those issues happen again in this day and age.

We should continue to study this book in 7th grade. This book is very emotional and if we're able to handle all of it, then we should definitely continue reading and studying the book. I agree with studying that period in time in general but I strongly think we should continue studying this book. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas lets people know about what the Holocaust seemed like through the eyes of an innocent German child. It was about half seeing and half understanding for the main character, Bruno. This book is a good place to start at a 7th grade level. It introduces the Holocaust in a way maybe kids like us may have understood it and maybe we can connect better to an innocent child than an adult Jew.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is different as a 7th grade book. It shows what life may have been like a a German boy who's father is a Nazi. It's also interesting because we still have a Jews perspective sometimes because of the character Shmuel. We also get to see a glimpse of the Jewish life through another kid's eyes. As kids ourselves in 7th grade this book is quite easy to follow and possibly to connect to more than other characters. AS I said, it's also a good and easy way to introduce the book to students since it doesn't describe the brutality of some actions from Nazis towards Jews.

Kindness

Kindness is always portrayed as a positive act. But I don't necessarily believe that the result must always be positive to consider the act kind. I also know you can find it everywhere and in every person. Kindness is a choice and everybody has a chance to be kind.

I don't think the result of a kind act has to be positive every time. It's the thought and intention that counts. As long as the person meant it to be good for another, it's a kind act. He could be protecting others feelings or trying to help him, which are good intentions and kind acts. I read in an article that "kindness is an act from the heart" and I completely agree and understand it. Like I said, as long as it's a truly kind intention from the heart, the act should be classified as kind.

Kindness can be found everywhere and ion almost every person. The Dalai Lama once said "Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness." which is true. It's up to them whether they're kind or not. If they aren't then they aren't but there was always an opportunity. Everybody is born with the chance to be kind, it's up to them whether they choose it. I like his saying very much because it states the truth. He doesn't say everybody is kind, but he does say that everybody gets the opportunity.

Kindness is a choice. People are not born kind nor unkind. It's not in any one's genes, it's the choice they make that defines whether they're kind or not. It's completely up to the person to choose and every single person on Earth is allowed to make their own choice. Yes, we all may accidentally mention something unkind once in a while but that doesn't we're not kind people. If we know how to handle our mistakes and make up for them, we still have the choice. It's up to us to make the right decision and pick kindness,

I'm not entirely sure how to define kindness. It's difficult to get it exactly right but I can only do my best. I think kindness is an act from the heart and an intention to do good to another. It's an act you do because you care and mean well for them. Even if it doesn't turn out positive in the end, kindness is the act of trying to make things well for another person. Though if you mean harm yet it turns out positive for that person, that is nowhere near being kind. I believe the main idea of kindness is the big point has to do with meaning well.

Kindness is an act from the heart. We can all choose it and many people have. I'm really thankful having kindness in the world and I value it. I can't imagine what the world would be like without kindness. If nobody choose to be kind. That's why I value kindness and I suppose forgiveness is just as important. I find that it holds friendship ans kindness together.

A PROFILE

In Humanities we took a short quiz to find out which profile we are and I turned out to be an A Profile. Last year we took the same quiz and I also received Profile A. So that means I had a basic idea of how I like to learn but I learned more last class.

I'm on the Logic side of the brain so that means I like instructions and other things given to me in order and in a sequence or specific order. I'm supposed to be good at step-by-step verbal and visual instructions. I completely agree with that because I always like very specific instructions, whether they're verbal or visual. I also learn best when focusing on details, the small things are good for me to learn. I also produce good work when writing and speaking, which I think is a good balance. Language, oral or written, is also very important to an A profile person because it helps our learning. It also says I'm supposed to be an auditory and visual learner. I'm not very sure about that though because other test show I'm more visual and kinesthetic than auditory.

As an A profile person, I have a lot 0f problems seeing the big picture. I have even more troubling seeing it when under stress but it does say that I am still able to "move forward" under stress. I'm very happy to hear that because I think it's a good skill to have to be able to progress even under stress. Another challenge I may face it connecting emotionally to things. But according to the book, my biggest challenge would be to access the gestalt hemisphere especially under stress.

I need to work on looking at the big picture and understanding more about it rather that picking out the details all the time. I also need to pay more attention to my instincts and trust my intuition. I need to learn to accept and be comfortable with uncertainty in language. It seems that I have trouble with expressing my emotions, so I need to be more a ware of my emotions and express them more. I plan on working on that in class discussions. The booklet also mentions that I should speak slower and use less words, which I don't exactly understand how that will help me and with what.

There are so many strategies that were recommended to me as an A Profile learner. I'll just mention a few. It supposed to be helpful for me to brainstorm and visualize unusual images in my mind. I think this is supposed to help me see a bigger picture. Another way to help see the big picture is to use actual pictures and symbols and mind maps, instead of outlines. THis will clearly let me see this in a general way. One of the biggest strategies is to participate in more sports or arts. Things like swimming, hiking and others for sports and music, dance for the arts. This is supposed to give me a good balance.

I would like teachers to know a few things about me. First I would like them to know I am right foot, hand, eye, and ear dominant so it can help with my seating position is class. I also want them to know I prefer to have things given to me in very specific sequence. Other than that I can deal with all the other things having to do with my A Profile. I feel I agree with most of the facts about my profile and think the strategy will help too!

Libraries

In the UK they are shutting down a lot of libraries and it's not right. The government should provide free access to books and it's wrong to cut the amount of supplied books. Many kids need all these different resources to help them learn and the library has millions of different books on one subject. The Government should encourage kids togo and use different book and learn more instead of cutting down the amount of books available. By taking away the kids' library they are forcing them to use a limited amount of resources. Most libraries include free internet access and since some families can't afford a computer for each child, a library is the next best thing. So they're not only taking books away but sometimes internet too.

The government is also decreasing the amount of knowledge people are receiving. Every time you read a book gain knowledge and broaden your imagination. Every kid deserves to grow up feeling like they're in a whole new world. People go to the library to get great books like that. There is no good reason why the government should take that away from people. Think how how many different things we would be missing out on. Knowledge, imagination, experiences to new worlds, and so much more!

There is an anonymous man who goes around to libraries and book festival so he can leave a sculpture made out of papers from books. It's really beautiful and inspiring. He leaves little notes saying things about keeping books around and

thanking them for respecting books. He's been doing it for a while now and the sculptures he makes are amazing! One of my favorites is about a boy being lost in the woods. It is supposed to represent someone being lost in the world of a great book. Here's a picture of i below.

There are a few kids who have gone out and protested against shutting down their local library. I think it's a really brave action but an effective one because your able to let others know how you feel about it and how your against it. We should all have a voice in situations similar to this one. We should all be able to have at least a small say in what happens. When these kids protest and fought for their library, I hope it inspires others to voice their opinions and stand up for what they believe in.

There is absolutely nothing positive comes out of getting rid of libraries. Less knowledge, less imagination, no experiencing new worlds, less internet supplies, and less resources. They are not only just getting rid of the library building but they are getting rid of those other wonderful things. People should stand up and show them the reality of what's better for people. We need libraries!

For my quote, which is the title, I chose "Focus on the journey, not the destination." by Greg Anderson. Greg is actually a best-selling author and founder of the American Wellness Project. I chose this specific quote for two reasons. The first reason was because I never really thought about the paths of life like that before. I always wanted to get to the finish line in whatever decision I have ever made in my life. I always thought about the future, about what would happen in the end, plan ahead all the time. When I read this quote, I though about the journeys I went through instead of the destination. I figured out that I really always looked at the destination. For example, when I was about to start 6th grade I already started to try to get good grades to be good in high school, so I can get into a good college, to get a good job, have a good life, and so on! Now when I look back. What was I thinking with getting to my "destination"? Greg Anderson was right. I need to enjoy the journey, not the destination!

The second reason is because I completely agree with him. If you take any time to enjoy the journey your on, life's no fun. The journey is really the whole experience you can actually take away from life. Now I'm trying to focus more on the journey, like the quotes says. I really think it's a great way of living. A balance of dreams, planning and future! I really value the different paths I get to choose from in life, so I'm really enjoying the journey now!

The End Is Near

I think 6th grade in general was a really great year. Yes, everything was new and I most definitely scared at the beginning, but after a while, you get used to it all. The homework was quite a lot but always manageable and the students and teachers are all really nice. But we’re just about out of time in 6th grade and have to get ready for a new year in 7th grade. I can already tell things will be better since I already got a feel of middle school this year.

Instead of having a favorite piece of work to be proud of, I have a favorite assignment that we were given over and over again over the year. It’s Literature Circles! Just to make it clear, maybe I’m proud of my work on Literature Circles, but that does not mean I enjoy doing them. They take a lot of time and effort, or at least for me. But I think since the start, I’ve been pretty good at them and I’m really proud of that because it’s quite challenging to make a good Literature Circle. Throughout the year I’ve worked really hard on them and it’s one of my favorite pieces of work because I think I’ve done well.
My greatest challenge was probably the start of the year problems! When I first came to middle school I was so stressed and scared and worried and all those sorts of feelings. When I saw the homework I got really worried again because I wanted to do well and make friends, so nothing worked and everything was horrible! I was so stressed about middle school and life getting harder, I couldn’t focus and it was a mess. But I just calmed down and everything just fell back into order and nothing was hectic anymore! But it definitely was at first.

Throughout the year something I learned about myself as a learner is that I’m logic and can learn in any way. I never really thought about what type of way I learned, I just knew that I was able to learn! But when Mrs. Narsiman and Mr. Whiting started to talk about it I was really confused! I had absolutely no idea worked best for me. Luckily we took a short test to see what the results said and I turned out to be logic, which means I like things in order and given to me in steps. After thinking about it, I agreed with it and thought it made sense. We also had a test in health class that helped us understand what way we learn best. Do we learn best visually, by listening, or by moving around and being able to touch objects? My score for each one was quite close which means I can learn well in all areas. I was surprised because I thought I would be an audible learner, but it turned out to fairly even between the three. I now know what’s best for me as a learner!

What about work habits?

Behavior – I think my behavior is satisfactory. I think this because I don’t have the best behavior, but I don’t have the worst either. Yes, I listen to the teacher and finish all my work and try my best, which are the good things of course. But sometimes I may talk in class or get distracted really easily… I try not to but sometimes it just happens. I’m working on those two things in class right now!

Participation – I also think my participation in class is satisfactory. I can participate in class and sometimes I do. First of all, it depends on the question, class, or day. Sometimes I don’t know how to answer the question or I don’t know what to say. It could be because of the class I’m in. For example, I participate more in math than humanities. And the last reason may be because I feel like being quiet on that one particular day. I’m sure we all have those days where you just don’t feel like talking. Even though those are reasons why I don’t participate in class sometimes, I still speak and try to be involved a lot too.

Organization – I actually think I’m very organized. Well, maybe I need to be reminded of things once in a while, but most of the time I have my homework, know what day it is, know what the schedule is, and I’m usually quite organized with my work. I have been working on it throughout the year and humanities has been the main reason why. This is because the subject really requires students to be organized at all times!

Effort – I really put a lot of effort into all of my work. I always try to make it a good piece of work. It didn’t matter whether the work was for drama, math, or art. I put my own effort into it. I try to do my best and hope it’s enough. I’ve been giving it 100% ever since the beginning of 6th grade especially. I will keep on putting effort into my work in 7th grade too and years after that!

Goals

#1 My first goal for 7th grade is to be able to do as well as I am now academically. I think I’m doing quite well in school and I’d really like to keep that up and not fall behind. I’m not saying that my goal is to get all A+, but I want to be able to keep up the good work. For example, I want to be able to stay organized, participate, and yes I would like to get quite good grades. It would be a good goal to set for me because everything gets harder each time you change grades and I want to be able to make it through a harder year in 7th grade!

#2 My second goal for 7th grade is to improve on my behavior. I had recently said that I do sometimes talk in class and get distracted easily. Well for 7th grade I plan to try to stop talking and stay on task at often as I can. I really think this is possible and a reasonable goal to have. I also really hope I will reach it by the end of 7th grade at least since this is something teachers do not like in a student. Wish me luck!

Something I might want teachers in 7th grade to know about me might be that I believe that people work better with the people they choose to work with. Especially when they have had experience and know how and who they work best with. I also like having activities in class to make learning fun once in a while. Who doesn’t like and activity or game after quite a long period of time doing work? One last thing is that I actually enjoy school and my favorite subject is math. Just a couple of thing that you might want to know about me!

There is some advice or “Words of Wisdom” I’d give to the 5th graders coming to 6th grade. Well, there are three main pieces that I would give them. First would be, don’t stress! Everything will be fine and I know they all say that but it’s really true. I didn’t believe them either but I know what they mean now! You really will get the hang of everything really quickly and really soon! I know I did! The second piece of advice is to check the school site. They are there for you and they really help. Powerschool is good for you to check up on how you’re doing academically. It’s really useful, but don’t overuse it! Moodle is also a great site. It’s there for you to check your homework in case you forget. Always check that too because like Powerschool, it’s really useful. The last site you should check is your Panther Apps e-mail. Your teachers will send you e-mail and contact you through e-mail, so do not forget to check that daily just in case. My last piece of advice is to be organized. If you try to be organized, 6th grade will probably be a breeze for you. If you have all your stuff together and in order, you’re all set! Hope you 5th graders have an awesome 6th grade like I did!

~ Natalie 8D