The Assignment: United Nations World Issues Reflection.

Yesterday, I learned a lot in Social Studies. All the presentations I heard really made me think about the problems our world is facing today, and how we can make the situation better. As far as the presentations were concerned, I thought that each and every group did a fantastic job, and that they really put a lot of thought into it. The speakers also spoke very clearly in order to make sure that the audience could make sense of what they were saying. I learned about various types of drugs, and how they affect the person who takes them. The transformation of a person when he or she takes drugs is unbelievably bad. I also gained knowledge about the various children’s rights. Children all over the world are suffering and their rights are not being taken in consideration. Over 110 million children are stopped from going to school, and over 50% of them are girl! I also found out about the Girl Child Network. This network is organized by the United Nations, and it helps many girls to go to school, for free. Although the presentations were extremely easy to understand, a few facts were really shocking! I learned that in some countries woman weren’t allowed to drive at all! I personally found this really shocking, as all the countries I have lived in allow woman to drive. To learn more about all of our class projects click here.

If I were to do this assignment again, I would change several things. For one, I would make sure that we didn’t face any technical errors. Our presentation included a few blank slides, which could have made the audience lose their focus from our iMovie. Also, I would make my iMovie more organized and add more pictures, as at some points it got too wordy! Lastly, I would prepare a better presentation, as all the “physical presenting” we did was introduce our project and ask if anyone had any questions!

To learn more about the United Nations and its projects click here.

During the past week, we have been learning about the United Nations, commonly known as the UN. As I was exploring their website, I came across the “Child Labour” section, and you will not believe what I learned. Did you know that over 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work full time or half time? Or did you know that over 70% of these children work in dangerous environments? The statistics are shocking, and the stories and unimaginable. One story, however, particularly touched me:

The Story Of Iqbal

Iqbal was only four when he was sold into slavery. He was a child of bondage, sold by his family to pay for a debt. Though very small and very weak, he was forced to work at a carpet factory for 12 hours a day. He was constantly beaten, verbally abused and chained to his loom for six years. Severe malnutrition and years of cramped immobility in front of a loom stunted his growth.

All this changed in 1992, when Iqbal and some of his friends from the carpet factory stole away to attend a freedom day celebration organized by a group working to help end bonded labour. With their help, Iqbal, too, became free and soon became a well known critic of child labour. His campaign scared many, especially those who used children as bonded labour. In December 1994, Iqbal visited the United States to receive a human rights award. Soon after his return, Iqbal was killed by a gunman hired by factory owners.

Iqbal was just one of over 250 million child labourers worldwide, but his story has inspired many to act for change.

Can you believe the situation some children are in, today? Iqbal was a child just like us, but could you imagine YOURSELF in this sort of a crisis? YOU can make a difference. To find how YOU can help slove this crisis, visit: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/labour/index.htm

Note:�This story�is from the United Nations’ website. (above)

Homework Assignment: Homework Block D (April 27).�

Focus Group Forum Question:

Should the five permanent members of the Security Council continue to retain their veto power? Why or why not?

From the beginning of its establishment, the United Nations has been an extremely controversial organization. Many of its decisions have upset several people and its capability has often been put to question. The UN’s Security Council consists of five permanent members: China, France, U.S.A, U.K and the USSR. These countries have complete veto power, which means that they have the right to change any law or rule, whatsoever, that the Security Council passes on. According to me, there are two sides to this situation. The UN must have definitely chosen these particular countries to have veto power for a very valid reason. Perhaps, these countries demonstrated very high standards of political decisions or favored the idea of gender equality? These countries could also prove to make very critical decisions. For instance, if the Security Council passes a law, which states: “Woman cannot participate in any kind of military activity”, these countries could disagree and say that if woman are capable to do so, then why must they be stopped? This decision would not only promote gender equality but would also, possibly be the start of great female military officials. On the other hand, these five countries could also make wrong decisions that could ruin many other countries. For example, the Security Council passes a law that states: “All countries may use Iraq’s oil for international as well as domestic purposes”. Although, it unfair to use a country’s natural resource without giving it anything in return, the five countries many agree to this law, because this agreement could be very beneficial for them. Therefore, it is hard to say weather China, France, U.S.A, U.K and the USSR should continue to retain their veto power, as their decisions may prove to be extremely helpful as well as completely unfair and unnecessary depending on the situation. �

Homework Assignment: Homework for Block D (April 19).

Imhotep The Great

My sacred land of ancient Egypt consists of many great tombs and architectural features. We ancient Egyptians would never leave a chance to prove our great architectural skills. From Pharaohs’ tombs to great pyramids, everything was as you might say, “a piece of cake for us” for us. Egypt had many architects willing to spend their entire lives making architectural history! I, my good people, happened to be one of those architects. Architecture was my passion, and everyone knew that I was born to be a great architect. So prepare yourselves to learn about my life and achievements, as this is a story you will not get to hear often.

I, unlike most of the great people of Egypt did not come from a wealthy family. My father was a commoner and I, like most children had a simple education. I was born in the Third Dynasty and lived during the great Old Kingdom. As a child, I showed keen interest in poetry as well as architecture. Later, these mere interests changed into an important occupation. Based on my background, no one knew that I was capable of such great work. I intended to prove them wrong.

I created structures which most people that time couldn’t have even dreamt of. I was best known for building the Step Pyramid for one of our earliest rulers, King Zoser at Saqarra. My name inscribed on the enclosure wall of Sekhmet The Great’s unfinished pyramid, made many think that I built it. The answer, however, to this mystery is for you to find out. The great art of architecture was not the only thing that fascinated me. I was also a physician. I wrote many medical texts, which were later used to help several people in need.

The people of my sacred land, Egypt, were very generous. They made sure that I was re-paid and honored for the things I did for them. I was honored with the designation of the Vizier and High Priest of Ptah. This resulted in people believing that I was the son of Ptah, as they thought that I was as great a leader as the great god himself. As I wrote many ancient and medical texts, I was said to be the Patron of all scribes as well as a great sage. When the mighty Romans came to conquer Egypt, they were extremely impressed by my work, and carved my praises in their temples. All that I had done lead to me leading a life of luxury and being treated no less than royalty.

As I said earlier, all who knew me said that I was born to be a great architect, and indeed the entire land of Egypt thought so too. After I had built numerous tombs, I was honored with the title of the first true architect the world had ever seen. Throughout my life I did things not only related to architecture, but also to help mankind. Think about it: if I hadn’t started building the great pyramids, then what would be the 7^th wonder of the world?

Picture Source

Homework Assignment: Homework Block D (April 19).

The past few weeks we have learnt a great deal about Ancient Egypt. To end this topic, we were all given a famous Egyptian Gods to talk and learn about. However, on the day that the presentations were to be made, I was not present in class. Luckily, the day after, I was not the only one presenting my speech. The following paragraphs are based on one speech, as I have not listened to all of them.

Although I only listened to one single presentation, I learned a great deal. The presentation I listened to was about Horus, the God of the sky. I learned that both of Horus’s eyes were the Sun and the Moon. Also, I found out that Horus fought a deadly battle against his own uncle: Seth the Evil. During the battle, Horus lost one of his eyes. As both of Horus’ eyes played a crucial part in the existing of the Earth, it was very important that both his eyes were intact. In addition to that, I gained knowledge about the fact that Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. I noticed that the speaker completely got into the shoes of his appointed God. For instance, instead of referring to Seth as “Seth the Evil”, he referred to him as “Uncle Seth”. This not only sounded interesting, but it also made it much easier for the audience to understand what he was talking about.

If I were to re-do the assignment, then there would be numerous things which I would correct. For one, I would definitely name my God. I recited my entire speech, without once mentioning the name of my God. Also, I would try memorizing better, as there was a point in my speech, where I didn’t know what to say, and I had to improvise. In addition, I would try to wear a more “elaborate” costume as that would help the audience in understanding my character better and also I, myself would feel closer to the character.

Author: Not Given.

Title of Article:”Virginia Tech Sooting leaves 33 dead”

Website Title: New York Times.

Date Published:April 16, 2007.
Website Address: <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shooting.html>

Date I looked at site: (23 April, 2007).

What new information has emerged?

A lot of new information has emerged. The students were so afraid of being killed by the gunman, that they jumped down the window, which resulted in the getting injured.  Also, the gunman was said to have lined up students and killed them ruthlessly one by one.

What did I find interesting about this topic?

I found this topic interesting, as I believe that many people today do not know how to manage their anger. The gunman in this case seems to have suffered with similar problems. He was perhaps upset or angry for some reason and therefore thought that causing other people with the same misery would make him feel better. I, as a matter of fact have learned from this incident that we must always control our anger, as if we don’t it could result in some serious problems.

What did I like about the initial blog posting?

I liked the way Marissa explained everything in detail. That helped the reader in understanding the issue very clearly. I also liked the way she formatted her posting, in order to make it look better and also be easy to understand and read. Good job and keep up the work.

Citation: “Volcano Could Burn Down Villages.” Children’s BBC. 12 Apr., 2007.  <http://news.bbc.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6540000/newsid_6547400/6547427.stm>. (12 Apr. 2007).

Author: Not Given.

Title of Article: “Volcano Could Burn Down Villages”

Website Title: Children’s BBC.

Date Published: Thursday, 12th April, 2007.

Website Address:

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6540000/newsid_6547400/6547427.stm>

Date I looked at the site: (Thursday, 12th April, 2007).

In the country of Ecuador, South America, the terrible volcano erruptions has put many people’s lives in danger!

What is the issue?

The issue is, that the volcano Tungurahua, Ecuador has been shooting hot ash over 100 meters in the air after lava started coming out of its top, last month. Tungurahua is one of the most active and dangerous volcanoes in the world, and has had three eruptions last year. As a matter of fact, the situation is so bad, that instead of studying, the children of the village are learning how to protect themselves from the volcano!

Who is involved?

The people involved, are mainly the people living on the upper as well as lower slopes of the volcano, as they have the maximum chance of losing their homes. Also, the people living near the volcano are involved, as if the eruption is immensely destructive, then they to have the risk of losing their homes.

Who is affected and how?

The people living on the upper and lower slopes of the volcano are affected, as they have to live carefully, and cannot go out, near the volcano very often, as they might get injured or even killed by the hot ash near it. To add to that, if the volcano actually erupts, then they will surely lose their homes, and worse, they might lose their lives. Also, the people living near the volcano are affected, as, if the eruption happens to be a very destructive one, then they to will lose their homes and perhaps their lives. Lastly, Ecuador as a country is affected, because, being afraid of getting injured by the volcano, most people must have stopped working. For this reason, Ecuador’s productivity rates must have dropped to a very low level.

What would I do if I were directly involved?

Unlike victims of other natural disasters, these people are lucky as they have not yet faced the disaster. If I had political power, then to make sure that the people living in the village near Tungurahua are safe, I would make an agreement with neighboring countries such as Colombia, Peru and Brazil. According to the agreement, whenever any of these countries is going through a natural disaster, they can come to one of its neighbors for shelter, food and water until the country has recovered from the disaster. Also, I would consult scientists who record the eruption cycles of volcanoes, in order to find out when the volcano is most likely to erupt. This would not only help the people currently living in the villages near Tungurahua, but also in the future, as whenever they are expecting an eruption, they can be cautious and they also have a place to live in until the country recovers from the disaster.

Picture 1:

http://www.honorearth.org/media/images/circle/southamerica/southamerica.jpg

Picture 2:

http://www.fuvirese.org/images/map_west.jpg

Picture 3:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/images/060817-volcano-ecuador_big.jpg

Assignment: Homework All Blocks (Feb 13/14)

Egyptians worshipped many Gods and Goddesses. Each God or Goddess was unique and had great powers. Here are some pictures of several Egyptians Gods:

Ra: The Sun God- Ra was worshipped in many forms, such as an old king, falcon, scarab beetle and ram. He was considered to be the father of the Kings of Egypt. An interesting thing about Ra is, that he was believed to have come into being as a child at the beginning of creation, rising out of a water lilly!

Picture Source:

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/images/strah.jpg  

  http://www.tice.com.au/site-content/cms/images/RA.jpg

Maat: The Goddess of law, order and truth- Maat had one of the most important duties of all Gods and Goddesses. She had to make sure that the Sun rose everyday, at the appointed place and time!

Picture Source:

http://www.circewicca.nl/graph/works/maat.jpg

http://showcase.netins.net/web/ankh/maat.gif

Osiris: Judge of death- Osiris began as a fertility God, but in the later eras he became the Judge of death. He was also the Lord of Duat (underworld) and personified dead Kings!

Picture Source:

http://home.earthlink.net/~pgwhacker/ChristianOrigins/osiris.jpg 

 http://www.hermetic.com/sabazius/osiris.jpg

Isis: Protector of living and dead- Isis was the sister and wife of Osiris. She was one of the first Egyptian Goddesses to become well-known in Italy!

Picture Source:

http://grenier2clio.free.fr/egypte/pic/isis.jpg

http://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/images/isis.jpg

Horus: The Sky God- Horus had the Sun and the Moon as his two eyes! He was worshipped in Upper and Lower Egypt. Horus was the first state God of Egypt whose spirit entered the King.

Picture Source:

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/mythology/images/horus_sm.jpg 

http://www.logoi.com/pastimages/img/horus_3.jpg

Thoth: The God of scribes and knowledge- Thoth was depicted in three forms: an ibis, a man with a head of an ibis and a baboon. Because of his great knowledge, he assisted the Pharaoh in deciding where any Pyramid should be built!

Picture Source:

http://www.ancientneareast.net/images/egyptology/thoth.jpg

http://www.enormousfictions.com/wp-content/5399a.jpg

These are a few of the famous Egyptian Gods and Goddesses.

What would you change about the final product (the wiki you created) if you were to do the assignment again?

After working on our wikispace, for around 5 lessons, I, to be very honest, was quite pleased with our wikispace. However, if given the chance, I would change a few things. For one, I feel that on a few of our kingdom’s pages, we could have added much more information. I got a bit carried away with pictures, and added a lot them. This caused my focus to drift away from the “writing” part of the wikispace! I also feel that for this project I mainly focused on my part of the wikispace. For example, while exploring the wikispace for errors, I would only add pictures to the text that I typed. Lastly, I think that we could have improved the “Bibliography” page on our wikispace a lot. My group could have added more pictures, for the page to look more attractive. Also, I feel that instead of simply adding all the citations, we could have written what the citation was for, above that particular citation. Besides these mistakes, I thought that we (my group), did quite a good job on our wikispace.

Look at some of the other wikispaces from any class and find a few that you think are done exceptionally well. Tell me the name of the empire and the block, and then explain what you like about their wiki.

Ghana Empire-Block E 

The Ghana Empire wikipages created by Block E are truly amazing. After taking a look, and observing all their pages, I found out why this group had such wonderful wikipages. Balance. This group had a perfect balance between the written and pictorial information they had on their wikipages. This made their kingdom’s pages look very attractive, as well as informative.

Ancient Zimbabwe-Block H

This Ancient Zimbabwe page was a quintessential example of a good and informative wikipages, for beginners who are studying Ancient Zimbabwe! I noticed that the authors of these particular wikipages organized their data in a way, which is easy to understand, and at the same time interesting to look at! Because of this group’s wonderful formatting and organization skills, the information they have provided, can help many people, as information that is easy to read and understand, is information that most preferred.

Kongo Kingdom-Block E 

The authors of theKongo Kingdom pages have done a very professional job in presenting their information. Their pages, unlike those of Ancient Zimbabwe (Block H), are for people at extremely professional levels.

Homework Assignment: Homework for Block D (Wednesday 7 February). 

Finding information on ancient Africa, and then putting the information on the wikispace, was a great learning experience, as well as a lot of fun. Answering these questions, will help me reflect on my work, over the course of the month:

What did you learn from this task?

I learnt a lot of things from this task. During the start of the project, I learned a great deal about ancient Ghana. From the region, to the trade, I learnt everything. I learnt that Ghana was a very powerful empire, and that it had a great abundance in gold. Ghana used to be the main trading point for most black Africans in Western Africa. As Ghana did not have great quantities of salt, they used to trade their gold for salt with southern kingdoms. Not only did I gain knowledge about my own kingdom, I also learned a few things about other ancient empires such as the Mali Empire, and the Kongo Kingdom. As far as technology is concerned, I learnt many new skills about wikispaces. This helped me in making better wikispace pages, and working faster. In addition, I got familiar with the “iMovie making”, skill. I worked on an iMovie on ancient Africa, and that made me improve tremendously in iMovie. To visit our excellent wikispace on ancient Africa, click here.

Did you find this difficult or easy? Why?

At first finding enough information for our wikispace was slightly tough, as I was not looking at the correct sites for information. After receiving a few website evaluation hand-outs, which were extremely helpful, I finally was able to find relevant information on my topic. Besides that, I thought, that the project was a lot of fun, and reasonably easy.

What would you change about the process you went through to complete the wiki if you were to do the assignment again?

If we were to do the assignment again, then I would not change anything, as far as the research was concerned. For the technological part, however, I would give a lesson on the wikispace html, as some people may not have “Firefox” or “Internet Explorer”, at their houses, and therefore the information they add to the wikispace, does not look attractive.

Mahera