What's Worth Fighting for

In 2009 Malala Yousafzai started a blog talking about the issue she and her peers had recently faced. She lived in a town called Mingora and it had been taken over by the Taliban. They were in full control and there was nothing in their way to stop them from what they were about to do. The Taliban took away girls' rights to receive an education. This really limited their possibilities in life and was very unfair towards the girls. This is a huge issue in todays society and is seen in several places around the world that are governed by the Taliban. Without attention this issue will go unnoticed and nothing will be resolved. There are people out there who address the issue and try to give it the attention it needs. One of those people is Malala Yousafzai. She addressed the issue of not being allowed an education and this was and is an inequality she had to face and explained the lack of support her and her peers had to experience. Unfortunately she was shot in the head by the Taliban who didn't want her to speak out about this inequality. She is currently receiving hospitalized treatment. Her fight for educational rights is of great significance and her courage to step up against the Taliban is inspiring to many. Malala Yousafzai is a true hero and she continues to fight for girls' rights to receive an education in Pakistan and this is truly great. All around the world girls still suffer from their educational limitations but with the courage of those like Malala who despite the attacks and threats by Taliban a change can occur.

Around several parts of the world which the Taliban are in control over girls are denied a right to education. One of these places is Afganistan. In 2004 the first democratic election happened and a a man called Hamid Karzai was elected president. He gave back the rights the people wanted and deserved and for a time Afganistan was free of conflict. The American troops left Afganistan and the Taliban saw this as a perfect opportunity to strike. In 2006 the Taliban attacked the South of Afganistan and took control of a large portion of the country. Due to their beliefs they had a very different view of what a good community should look like. They banned girls from attending school and receiving an education. According to statistics in Afganistan boys receive around 11 years of education whilst girls get only 4. This is a shocking fact which the UNICEF refused to ignore. They set up tents around schools to help and support girls so they could receive the education they deserved. Afganistan is not the only place where educational rights of girls are denied. In Mingora (Pakistan) the Taliban also had full control. Loads of girls were prevented from receiving an education but there were people out there who has had enough of this unfair treatment. One of those people was Malala Yousafzai. She started of writing a blog pointing out the issues girls faced through not being permitted to attend school. This attracted the attention of the UN. She was a beacon of hope for girls out there who were in her position and she managed to raise lots of awareness about the subject. She still attended school with some other friends of hers as to boycott the law made by the Taliban. She began to make speeches about the issue and lots of positive action was made. Eventually she was found out by the Taliban and shot in the head by one of them. She has luckily survived and is recovering and since the shooting the Taliban have been driven out of Mingora. This issue is faced all around the world and because of people like Malala positive change will occur. 

The Taliban take their beliefs very seriously and don't accept that it's wrong to deny girls the rights to education. This really limits the girls possibilities in life. Without an education the girls wont be able to move on and get a good job or benefit from the same opportunities as boys. According to the UN declaration of the rights of the child, "the child is entitled to receive education, which shall be free and compulsory, at least in the elementary stages. He shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society." This was one of the actions made by the UN in order to give all children the educational rights they deserve. Unfortunately the Taliban don't abide by this. Instead they completely neglect the statement and go against it. The Talibans interpretation of Islam is that girls should remain at home and not be educated while boys should be. The UN has tried to reason with the Taliban but it seems that they wont listen. The only way to help with the issue is to directly help the children affected. Many people are in support of the girls and luckily the issue is focused on by many who have the power to make a change. All around the world organizations like Unicef are getting involved and helping where help is needed. Due to 1 individuals courageous efforts the situation has been hear and acted towards by the US government. They have redeployed troops around the effected areas and the issue is slowly disappearing. All children deserve an education and thanks to a large amount of funding organizations as well as organizations, governments and even children the issue is being resolved. 

Malala Yousafzai courage and determination was what enabled her to rebel against the Taliban. Although she knew that what she was doing was wrong in the eyes of the Taliban Malala did what little she could to raise awareness of the subject and bring attention to it. Malala fought not only for educational rights but for safety from the Taliban. The Taliban can be seen as a very oppressive organization and when they were in control of Mingora they acted with a rather agressive attitude. This made children living there quite frightened and scared. The Taliban used the power they had to scare the people into following their rules. Malala refused to follow these rules. Due to her speeches others in her town started to do as she did and go against the Talibans rules. Malala fought for the freedom of her and other. My belief is that she fought for freedom against the Taliban. Her fight was of high value and because of her dissidence towards the tyrannous rule the Taliban had they started to realize how dangerous Malala was towards them. Malala was a sign for peace and the Taliban realized that with her around others would begin to flock towards her. On the 9th of October 2012 Malala was shot in an effort to stop the uprisings against the Taliban. Thankfully Malala survived but is now in the hospital receiving the treatment she needs. She fought for women's rights that the Taliban neglected and now others are continuing the fight for her. She has gained the attention of many big organizations who are offering their full help wherever it is needed. Malala's wish is to have back the rights that she once had and to be equal with the other gender. She believes that equality is key and because of the rights she is denied of Malala has started a campaign against the Taliban. The UN state that no matter what children deserve an education. It is of uttermost importance and it would be unfair to neglect children of these basic rights. Malala was successful in her campaign and because of her brave efforts more and more girls are receiving an education.

In 2009 Malala Yousafzai started a blog spreading awareness of the unfair laws passed of by the Taliban. She brought attention to the subject and over time a resistance started to rise. People living in Mingora started to go against the rules made by the Taliban and protest for the rights they deserved. As Malala continued to write blogs and the subject gained more and more attention until big organizations started to support Malala and her beliefs. She writes blogs and makes speeches because she wants basic rights and needs back for her and others who have been deprived of their rights. She has rightfully been awarded a number of awards for her felicitous actions involving the Taliban and has done a great thing.  Malala Yousafzai was the start to positive change for woman's rights and has brought hope to the hearts of many. She is a hero I know I will hope for her safe recovery. 

Helping the Refugees

Helping the Refugees

In the world today thousands of children suffer from the awful conditions within refugee camps. Their parents have either been killed or separated from them, and without help, there is no way of ever seeing their parents again. This is a huge issue occurring in many parts of Africa, which needs some attention from people who can help. In a refugee camp in Tanzania hundreds of kids are left in harsh conditions without any hope for the future. In the Nyarugusu refugee camp children are forced to live without their parents. Thousands of kids are living awful lives without much of a chance to change their fate. It is a huge concern that this problem has not been shown much attention. Thankfully, there is one individual who understands how awful the refugee camps are, and he refuses to let children suffer any longer. Baruani Ndume works towards helping the children who suffer from the conditions of the awful refugee camps. He works towards reuniting children with their families outside the camps so they can live better lives. Baruani gives special attention to the people that have lost their families to give them closure and let them know that others are there for them and people care. Baruani Ndume is a true hero who says enough is enough for the kids living in refugee camps, he has decided to fight for what’s right.

Baruani has experienced living in the awful refugee camps in Africa,  and due to this, he wants to help others who are going through the same thing he went through. He wants the children to understand that they are being heard and people do care. Baruani gives the children in the refugee camp an opportunity to share their experiences and stories in the hope that they may feel better if they share their problems. The video about Baruani states that he has started a radio show so the kids in the refugee camps can feel some closure and receive some positive attention. Baruani knows what its like in the refugee camps and he feels that its important to bring some attention to the issue. The conditions in the camp are just awful and all the kids living in them have had awful experiences such as their parents being killed or their family getting separated.  “Baruani has lived in the refugee camp in Tanzania for over nine years. He tries to convert this life experience into positive action, by actively helping fellow refugee children... For many children it is already a big help to talk to someone and to be able to share the problems they experience” (International peace prize winners). Baruani brings attention to the kids in the camp, so they can can feel contentment when sharing their stories. Baruani has not received a proper education, but he is so determined to help others that this doesn’t get in his way. He is a very caring and thoughtful individual and feels it necessary to help others. “Baruani works to help these children in a very special way. With only limited resources, he has succeeded in setting up a radio programme in which he talks about problems and challenges with his peer refugee children.” (Baruani Ndume). Baruani may not have many supplies, but he does his best to succeed in his goal of helping the refugee children. His radio show is very successful, and with his determination to reach his goal, he has been able to support the needs of many children in the refugee camps.

Baruani works towards reuniting families that were torn apart by violence and war, so they can live better lives away from the refugee camps. In his own way, Baruani works towards making a change for the lives of the kids that live in the refugee camps because like them, he has experienced being separated from his family and being dumped in the refugee camp. Baruani’s radio show has been a great success giving many children the opportunity to share their stories and thoughts. This kindness he was giving out was soon noticed by some people involved with the United Nations and he was nominated in the 2009 for the children's peace prize. “he received this prestigious prize for his efforts on behalf of children in the refugee camp in Tanzania... Furthermore, thanks to the programme’s wide appeal, he has helped to reunite many children with their parents and families after they were separated by the war.” (Baruani Ndume). Baruanis effort and commitment has paid off because he has succeeded in his goal and greatly improved the lives of many children in refugee camps. Baruani works very hard in order to give the children what they want and need. He has been very successful in doing so. Baruani’s radio show has gained popularity making people aware and solving the problems talked about in it. “He tries to reunite children and parents who have become separated while escaping from DR Congo. The programme has been highly successful and is now broadcast in DR Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda. Thanks to this, many children have now been reunited with their families.” (Baruani Ndume, Baruani youtube). Baruanis radio show has gained enough publicity to bring attention to the subject of refugee camps and separation, so he has managed to bring awareness to this subject. He is broadcasting hope and joy to thousands of people and fixing their lives. He is a true hero and rightfully deserves the award he was given.

In a Tanzanian refugee camp, Baruani started a radio show in which continues to cover all the concerns and issues in the camp he lives in, in the hope that others may understand and help him in his goal of helping the children living in these places. He does this because he understands the conditions faced in the camps, and he feels that it’s necessary to bring attention to the concern. Thanks to Baruani, thousands of children living in the refugee camps are given opportunities to once again find their families and share their thoughts and feelings. He radiates hope and kindness for the children in refugee camps and rightfully deserved the children's peace prize for 2009. 

Memories

I’m from toys and games, which lasted me for hours on end. I’m from traffic and noise filling up the streets and alleys like thunder filling the sky.  I’m from green toy soldiers and sunny days, down at the beach having vanilla ice cream.

I’m from Thai food and Indie songs. I’m from tall buildings that mingled with the sky that made me wonder, “how does that work?” I’m from Batman’s cave and ironman’s suit and the tall green grass around the misty mountains.

I’m from England and China and tasty toffees, I’m from smileys and my old house, which was all dusty and empty. I’m from an organized room with stacks of books full of my interests and boring stories.

I am what I’m made of and memories like these mold me into the person I am today.
 – Jake Fuller

Toy soldiers

Standing up to oppression takes great individual courage.

Standing up to oppression takes great individual courage.


I chose the above statement because I believe that it does take true courage to stand up to an oppressing force. Throughout the medieval unit I have found that many individuals have found the courage within them to rise up and resist against an oppressing force for some sort of cause. in 1066 William invaded England even though the power that he seeked was oppressing him. It is not the best example but he did build up some courage to fight against the power oppressing him (being king Harold). In 1381 the Peasants protested against the king because of the new laws or rules introduced by him. The rule stating that peasants may not ask for higher wages upset them and when the poll tax came into being it really set of the peasants and then one man by the name of Thomas Baker stood up to the tax collectors. This act required a lot of courage and through doing it he had taken a big step against the king. This courageous act set off a spark and soon enough a large portion of the English peasants were marching to Smithfield to meet with the king and demand that the poll tax should be abolished. Causing treason was an enormous crime at that time and would not be rewarded kindly by the king. It took a lot of courage. Now in the modern day many people protest of things that they don't like. Over time protests still happen. If people feel an unease they may protest and it takes courage to protest. It takes courage to stand up to an oppressing force.

The feudal system in 100 words

Father Francois, you are my honored guest. Please allow me to explain the Feudal system to you before you ask any questions of me. I am but a simple farmer. The feudal system allows people to own property in exchange for services to a higher lord. For example, king William has a large amount of people whom he trusts and if they need anything such as land they provide their services to the lord. The person who requires help is called the vassal and the person who assists him is the lord. This system can continue through all the nobles.

The events of 1066

In 1066 Edward the confessor died. Before he departed he stated that after his death Harold Godwinson the earl of Essex would rule after him. He was a powerful noble who controlled the English army and was a clear choice for king. King Edward was also married to Harolds sister making them brother in laws. A council was held and the nobles decided to elect Harold as king of England. As well as Harolds many claims to the throne Harold was an English man making him native to England. He would be a clear choice for the king of England if he was the only English individual going for the throne out of Hardrada, William and himself. Although he swore an oath to William stating that he would not be king Harold definitely had the more important claims as well as support of English citizens. Overall I feel that Harold Godwinson was the rightful heir to the throne and deserved to be the king of England.

Affects of Bullying

1.Where have we seen examples of bullying/ostracism/exclusion occurring in texts studied so far this year- factual as well as fictional?

During both the units we have been studying this year I have been able to spot many examples of bullying, exclusion and ostracism. Firstly when we were studying Greek mythology we were reading a book called Shadow of the Minotaur. Phoenix the protagonist of the book had a large role in the book and because of this his whole life was explained in high detail. He was a victim to the school bully Steve Adams and was severely bullied. We was a target of name calling, abuse and criticism by Steve Adams and his gang. A bit later in the year we studied World War 2 and the Holocaust a period of time filled with terrible events and actions. It was a clear example of how bad things like exclusion and bullying can eventually result in. The Jews were slowly removed from German society through ostracism and eventually bullied and abused to death. This just proves that small things like exclusion can expand into chaotic events. Finally there was the hunger games. In the book the capitol who held all the power thought of an idea to hold all the districts under their rule. They decided to leave the districts alone with little food and money and hold the annual hunger games an event where 2 tributes from each district are thrown into an arena to fight for survival. This was a realization that the Capitol bullied the districts. They also ostracized them by placing them far a way from their own homes.

Think about a time you witnessed bullying/ostracism/peer pressure/exclusion/discrimination/violence. How did you respond? How do you wish you had responded? What stopped you from responding that way?

Several months ago I experienced the abuse of one of my friends. My group of friends is fairly large and very humorous. They commonly make jokes or funny gestures which I am not to bothered by although sometimes they can insult others in very severe ways. It can irritate me to hear my friends continuously ranting about how stupid or dumb others are and one time someone went too far. We all were sitting on the bleachers at the blue top when one of my friends accidentally spilled milo on another of my friends t-shirts. He then got extremely angry and started throwing all kinds of insults at my other friend. In no time he had somehow managed to get the majority of the group on his side. With no one to stand up for him the victim of the insults was clearly being bullied. My action at the time was to just sit back and watch classifying me as a bistander. I didn't enjoy the conflict of the situation and if I had the opportunity I would have resolved the conflict and settled the situation.

1.Select one line/phrase/group of sentences that are significant to you. Explain why.

When Eve explained her situation within the class I had a sudden picture of what her position was. I could relate to it because like her I also try my best to fit it and apear "cool" to the kids in school.

1.What’s familiar about the incident Eve describes?
The incident Eve describes is familiar to me because like her I try to fit in with others through any means necessary. In her situation I would have approached it similar to her and played it cool. Although I am aware about how bad the actions she did were I would try not to go to far with my negative actions. I have been in a similar situation before.

2.What surprised you?

I was surprised that Eve didn't make an effort to prevent herself from being bullied. She never told anyone about her situation and never stood up to her bullies. I thought she would have at least made an effort to prevent herself from playing the victim. 

3. How does Eve’s story relate to bullying? Was she bullied? Did she bully? How would you explain her behavior?( perpetrator/bystander/victim?). make sure you justify( back up your answer
Eve's story relates to bullying because it was based it. She explained all about the different social groups and the how popularity difference affected the way you were treated. Based on Eve's retelling of her story it sounds like she was to a degree "bullied". I do not think Eve was a bully herself although she appeared as a bit of a bystander when some other kids were making fun of another girl. I think her actions were made so due to her feelings about her place within the social pyramid. Although she didn't want to act this way she wanted friends more than anything. I also see her as a victim from the bullying.

Shindler's List

What makes a person “heroic?” Does a hero possess certain qualities? Or is a hero defined by his or her actions? Was Schindler a hero?


Heroism is defined through heroic actions that to some degree put the doer of the actions in harms way. Heroic actions include helping others in a major way. Heroes posses several good qualities that make them carry out the daring tasks they perform. Without heroic characteristics one would not be a hero. Once Schindler was aware of the situation for the Jews during the holocaust he immediately took action. As stated in the story he no longer cared about making profit. He was far more involved on saving the lives of as many Jews as he could. Schindler's actions were very heroic and definitely made him stand out as a hero to the Jews. He risked his well fare for the lives of other and went through a lot to save the Jews. He is definitely an up stander against Nazi rule and completely disagreed with what the Nazi's were doing to the Jews and therefore took action. He possessed many heroic traits and through using them he was ale to save 1,100 Jews. Schindler proved to be great man and a hero. 

A poem by Sonia Weitz

The Sonia Weitz poem that appealed to me most was In Memory to My Mother. I was able to annotate a wide range of things including metaphors , similes, questions and a large amount of other interesting phrases or sentences based on her Sonia Weitz's experiences. Towards the beginning of  the poem there were several questions that I found very interesting. The questions were able to relate to provide thoughts for the reader as well give as give one an understanding of how things were for individuals that were negatively affected by the holocaust. This was an emotional part of the poem sharing true experiences filled with sadness and misery to me. Throughout the poem I found a lot of figurative language. This was a useful tool distributing feeling into the poem making it evermore emotional. The last section of the poem the most important to me. The author through out a chain of experiences speeding up the tempo of the poem and explaining everything very thoroughly. The rhyming helped the poem to progress and overwhelmed me with the pain she felt. This poem has done a very good job of combining poetry and personal experiences of the holocaust. A connection I have to the poem would be a bad experience I had as a kid when my dad went away on a business trip for a several months. Being just a little kid I was easily saddened and this was an event which I was very emotional about. I also had see someone leave. Although my experience was nowhere near as severe as Sonia Weitz's it was related. I was very saddened and felt very lonely since my dad was the only family member who somewhat cared about what toys I liked to play with. Of course this was a long time ago and if it was to happen again I would not be so emotional. Overall Sonia Weitz has wrote a very well presented poem filled with emotion, it was her experience of the holocaust and it was the truth behind the fences.

Hitler's struggle for power

 What conditions were present that allowed Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party to take control of Germany in 1933? 

During the time after World War 1 Germany fell into extreme crisis with many different political parties all fighting for power. Hitler realized that this would be a very beneficial opportunity for him to sieze the moment and appear as a spokesman for the people. During his struggle for power he was faced with many roadblocks preventing him from grasping power. He was arrested, challenged and misinterpreted but many events were in his and the Nazis favour that led him to power.


In 1923 hyperinflation and economic crisis struck Germany. This was seen as an opportunity by many politicians and political parties to get involved and take power. Hitler being a spokesman in all the commotion was aware that what the people needed was some guidance and he realized that through helping the German citizens he could get the vote and rise to power. From there Hitler could accomplish what he truly wanted to do,  spread all his beliefs through propaganda and make a new Germany, a Germany knowing him as the leader. Overall the chaos enclosed within Germany was Hitler's chance to appear to many as some kind of deity to help them and sustain the nations lack of order. 


In 1933 the Reichstag fire occurred. It is not completely known who or what caused it but many believe Hitler and the Nazis did it. There are many theories about the Reichstag fire and they have mostly been stating that Hitler and the Nazis did it so they could blame it on other political parties to wipe them out. Hitler did this so there would be less competition for him to seize supreme power. This was a key event that allowed Hitler to bring down the communists, enemies of the Nazi party whom Hitler disliked very much. The Reichstag fire was a very contributing factor in Hitler's struggle for power allowing him to wipe out his enemies and let the people of Germany know that he would be there for any cataclysmic events threatening Germany.  

Restrictive Laws in Nazi Germany

1.  Who could now be defined as a "Jew"?
Anyone who had three or four Jewish grandparents was defined as a Jew
2.  What was meant by "Aryanizing" Jewish Businesses?
Aryanizing Jewish businesses was when The Nazis dismissed all Jewish worker or managers and replaced with with non-Jews.
3.  How were Jews who were professionals (lawyers, doctors etc.) restricted?
Jewish Doctors were restricted from attending to non-jews and Jewish lawyers could not practice the law.
4.  What did Jewish identity cards need to include now?
If the persons first name was not Jewish sounding the identity cards of Jews had to include the middle name Israel if the person was a male and Sara if the person was a female.
5.  What was the "Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People" 
The Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People was a law stating all German citizens must obtain a certificate of fitness if wanting to marry.

Strategized Accusations

What are Civil rights? What are some that we have?

Why might some of Hitlers measures in abolishing personal freedoms and Civil rights be seen by some as a positive, or necessary move?

The Treaty of Versailles

I think that the treaty of Versailles "was" fair. During the first world war germany and the rest of the resistance have carried out a number of very malicious and cruel acts as well as start the war. I think that the list of rules given to the Nazi's for their bad acts is not only fair but necessary. Although there were some harsh rules for the Germans they were somewhat privileged to have their punishment in the hands of very political and knowledgeable people. They could have just been attacked by everyone all at once because thinking about it most citizens from the allied countries were outraged and furious at the Germans, there could have been more trouble. If Germany started the war and lost than it's only fair that they are punished in some form.