• How did it feel to have more or less money than other people in the class?
How did it feel to see what you could and could not afford at the Global Mall?
I got $2,500 (the largest amount of money you can get in this activity) I felt kind of superior because only three out of seventeen people got $2,500. And I felt really lucky that could afford healthy food and water, go to college, and medical care.
• How many of you could not afford education? What would your lives be like if you could not go to school?
I think fourteen out of seventeen (which is 82%) people could not afford education. I would not have a good future if I could not go to school. Which means I could not take care of my family (my mom and my dad) because if I'm not educated then I don't think any large company will use me.
• How would it feel to have to choose between food and health care?
I felt really weird. Because if you buy good and healthy foods you won't get sick that often. Which means that you don't need a super good health care. And if you buy foods that are not that healthy then you'll need a better health care.
• How many of you have ever been very sick or gone to a hospital or had friends and family who have? What would your life be like now if you had been unable to get medical care?
I went to hospital when I was in Pre-K and second grade. First time is because my stomach hurt. And another time is when I was in a care accident. If I had been unable to get medical care my right leg would be maimed. So I would not be able to walk like normal people now.
• What were the impacts caused by people with fewer Global Mall Dollars, and what were the impacts caused by people with more Global Mall Dollars?
The impacts caused by people with fewer Global Mall Dollars were that the people with fewer dollars would die easily. Because they couldn't afford healthy food, water, and medical care. Also because that they couldn't afford healthy food, water, and medical care, they didn't polluted the Earth that much.
And the impacts caused by people with more Global Mall Dollars were that they could have a better future and they could do a big business. And they could be very healthy because they could afford the healthy food, water and good medical care. But they also polluted the Earth at the same time. Because some of the healthy food might not grow in their countries, so they will buy the imported food from other countries.
• Discuss the fact that roughly one-fifth of all people worldwide survive on
less than $1 (U.S.) a day – how does this limit their choices, and what are the environmental, social, and global security implications of this?
If you only had 1 U.S. dollar a day, you will not have that much choices when you are in a supermarket. Because you can't only buy cheap stuff. Now the cheap foods you can get are mostly fats and vegetables with pesticide. And of course pesticide will hurt your body, and you might even die if you didn't wash the vegetables. And the water you used to wash the will be polluted too. If all the water in the world are polluted than humans can't live anymore.
• When you were choosing what to buy, did you think about the environmental impact? For those of you in the lowest income range, did you have a choice about the environmental impact you produced? If not, how did it feel to not have a choice?
No, I didn't really think about the environmental impact when I were choosing what to buy. Because not all the food and water are imported from other countries.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Global Mall!
Friday, March 5, 2010
Democracy Now! - V-Day Founder Eve Ensler on “I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World”
1. Synopsis: what is this interview about?2. How is Eve Ensler being a global citizen? What is she doing to make a difference in the world (give examples)?
3. Give one example of how girls can end up in harmful situations because of societal pressures "to please" others.
2. What do you think are the connections between The Story of Stuff and Eve Ensler's story about the girl in the factory making Barbie doll heads?
This interview is about the "I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World " - book that was written by Eve Ensler. And the book is basically about how females are treated in this world. In the interview she talked about her journey around the world, and she is fighting for females' rights.
She is being a global citizen by discovering the truth of how women are treated in the world and she is trying to help them. She talked to the women and listened to their problems.
Many women and girls in the world are dieting and trying to be skinny because they want to look good. They want to look good and pretty so that men will like them. Women will try all different ways to become skinny, some of the ways might hurt their health. Why did they do this kind of thing? Why?! They want men to say they are pretty, they sacrifice their health for men.
I think the connection between "The Story of Stuff" and Ensler's story about the girl in the factory making Barbie doll heads is that they are both about producing products. And the girls and people in the factories were payed very low. And both of them payed their entire (maybe, because if they work in the factories since they were a kid they are not educated) life there making Barbie dolls' head and take in toxins.
Monday, February 8, 2010
HAITI
Haiti is located at the Caribbean region, west of Dominican Rep., east of jamaica. Because it was French's colony. They fought for their freedom and won. The relationship between Haiti and Taiwan is that we see each other as sovereign nations.
Avatar Reflection.
You must write about the following:
1. The story in Avatar is really based on the age old story of colonization. Describe why Jake's colleagues want to destroy the tree the Navi live in. Do they realize that destroying the tree essentially destroys the Navi's habitat? Why or why not?
2. Describe a similar conflict from history.
3. Describe a similar conflict that is happening in the world today.
For an A+
What is the relationship between the Navi and nature? What is our modern society's relationship to nature? Do you think modern society can help save the environment by adapting some of the attitudes towards nature that native cultures (like the fictitious Navi) have? Why or why not?
For Harry's leaving party, we watched Avatar. It is a movie directed by James Cameron. Jake's colleagues want to destroy the tree the Navi live in because under that trees there are many minerals that can sell a lot of money. Yes, they do realize that destroying the tree essentially destroys the Navi's habitat. But they need the money so they still destroyed the tree. This movie is a little bit like when the Spanish people (Columbus) got to the "NEW WORLD (North America)". In Brazil, South America there are some native people that live in the Amazon Rainforest and we are cutting the trees down to make papers, etc. They think that the nature is their mother and their best friend. Today we don't treat nature like our friend or family anymore, we treat them like our enemy, we kill them.
Letter to Mr.Bernard Murdoch
In your blogs you will write a letter to Mr. Bernard Murdoch.
Your letter will answer the following:
1. What I learned today about Kiribati
2. What I remember the most and will probably never forget
3. How I felt listening to your presentation
4. What I would like to do to help people suffering from global warming (this could be things that I can actually accomplish, or things that I don't have the power to do but if I did I would)
Your letter can start out like this:
Dear Mr. Bernard Murdoch,
Thank you for your presentation last week. It was really emotional (it's not embarrassing). Ms. Sheilah told us about the stories you told her that happened to you. I think Kiribati is a really cool country. People there (like you) live a simple life, but they enjoy it. I leaned that the problem in Kiribati is not that simple and easy to solve. But Taiwan will always welcome you, your family, and Kiribati people to come if your home was destroy by your friend - the ocean (at least I'm welcome you guys to come). I will never forget that even the president of Kiribati fish his own food. I felt a little bit sad listening to your presentation. From now on I will do more recycle and not using too many tissues papers.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
ART TRIP
1. Find Plastic Clay
People dig their own clay from the ground and they felt the valuable connection between Earth and then-self in the past. Today people buy clay ceramics from bookstore, etc.
2. Wedging
The process of mixing the clay by rotating and pressing it on the table is called wedging. This process is very important because it presses out the air bubbles in the clay. If there are air bubbles in the clay and you fire it, the clay will explore. Which means your cup, plates, bowl, etc. will explore.
3. Forming
There are many different ways of forming a clay. You can use slab, wheel, coil, pinch, and mold. You can also combine different ways together.
4. Drying
The pieces you created must be wrapped with soft sheet of plastic and been putted on the shelves in the damp room.The plastic will slow down the drying process.
5. Leatherhard
Few days later, your pieces should be dried. During the stage of leatherhard, your pieces' clay will lose some water and will lose some flexibility too, it is a good time to carve it or add some other decorative elements.
6. Greenware
When the piece of pottery has dried completely, it is at the stage of greenware. At this time you cannot add any decorative elements anymore. Only thing you can do during this time is to place the piece in the kiln and be ready to be fire.
7. Bisque Firing
During this firing, the temperature is 1800 degrees F (approximately). This process will harden the piece. So that it will not break as easily as before. It takes three days from start to finish. First day, if you firing too fast the work can easily to explore. Second day, after the temperature has got to 1800 degrees F. The kiln will be turned off so that the piece could slowly cool down. Third day, the kiln will be open and the basque will be moved and piece will be return to lab.
8. Glazing
Glazing is the mixture of ground glass, clay, coloring materials and water. You can dip your piece in glazing, pour, spray, brushing, or sponging glazing on you piece.
9. Glazing Firing
The temperature of glazing firing is about 2350 degrees F. Once the ware is out of the kiln, then you can take it home.
10. Overglaze Firing
Sometimes potter choose to do an addition firing to achiever the colors and surface effects not possible in the glaze firing. Some techniques like China painting involve multiple glazing firings very often.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Citizenship Final Essay - To Be Good Citizen
First, there are different kinds of citizens. A person can be a citizen of one's nation, one's state, the entire world, etc. A citizen of a nation also holds the power of charging government. The rights of citizens also comes with duties. And to be a good citizen is not hard. You need to do the duties and be responsible. There is a question Professor Mike Hartoonion of the University of Michigan says, one should ask oneself to know what can one improve or what else can one do, and the question is "What can I do for my community to create more wealth, knowledge and justice?" This question can help one become a better citizen.
As previously stated in the first paragraph, there are many different kinds of citizens. Now I am going to talk about citizen of one's school. To be a citizen of school, one needs to participate in school or education. For example, I am a citizen of Hsinchu International School. To be a "good" citizen of school or any communities, there are duties and responsibilities to do.
Some duties and responsibilities in my - HIS are, be respectful to everyone, cooperate with others, be friendly to everyone, help the people who need helps, obey the rules of HIS, no hidden bias (very important), etc. What does it mean to have hidden bias? Well, to have hidden bias means to have an unconsious bias in your mind, but you don't really know it. To not have hidden bias you have to understand yourself first and then find out the problems.
There are still a lot of things that I need to improve. I think I need to speak more English, because others from other nations or countries that don't speak Chinese won't be able to understand. I also need to concentrate more n class and try not to say bad things behind others back. And try not to have prejudice (opinion, prejudgment, or attitude about a group), stereotypes (exaggerated belief, image, or distorted truth about a person or group). We learn prejudice from our family, school, peers, friends or media.
After talking about citizen of school, let's extend to a bigger community. There are two ways to become citizens of a nation or country. A naturalized citizen means a person that work or stay in a nation (a nation that you are not a citizen of) for certain time and filled out some forms and paper then it's (nation's) government will give you the passport of that nation, then you're the citizen of that nation. A native citizen means a person is born to be the citizen of the nation.
I am a citizen of Taiwan. Citizens have rights, but duties come with rights. Duties of citizen of Taiwan; pay taxes, obey the laws, involved in the precess of deciding who will run the government, serve in juries, serve in the military (if required), etc.
I don't really know if I'm a good citizen of Taiwan or not, but I think I am. Because I am not eighteen years old yet, so I don't know. But I will try my best to be a good citizen! There is one important thing that one must do to be a good citizen, that is try to help one's nation and make it better.
What does a citizen of one's world mean? It means that you are a part of the world or you are a member of the world. How to become a citizen of one's world? Usually if one live in that world, the one are a citizen of that world. No paperwork is required. What are some duties and responsibilities of being a citizen of one's world? To me, there are two major duties. First, try to slow down the Global Warming. Global Warming is the long-term average climate (tempterature, precipitation, winds, etc.)of the Global is changing. There are several ways to stop or slow it, to do recycle, reuse, and reduce things, turn off lights, unplug the plug when you don't need it, etc. Global Warming requires Global Citizenship because it is done by the whole world, and it will affect whole world. Second, to participate in some global activities, like candlelights.
Am I a good citizen? Why or why not? How can I do better? I think I am a good citizen of my world. Because I wrote two essays, five posters, and one presentation on Global Warming. And I've been in a discussion about the problem of Global Warming before. What I can do to improve is do more recycle, reuse, and reduce. There was a meeting in Netherlands, about how to stop Global Warming. Also I can be a social boundary crosser, because I think there are only little connection between the cliques of black people and Asian people. Example of social boundaries crosser is Rosa Parks. She crossed the boundaries line of black and white people in the U.S. And there was discrimination in my family, my mom thinks that all black people are stupid and dirty. But after this class I told my mom about the things I learned in this class, and she started to change her belief.
In conclusion, the most important things is discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudice. The effects of stereotypes and prejudice can be small or big. It can be a group that one don't like and one said bad thins about them and then having a fight with people getting feelings hurt. Or and misunderstandings between nations that can lead to war with thousands of people being killed (example, War World II).
