Student Notes and Essays
Monday, February 28, 2011
science fair and latin
Saturday, February 5, 2011
A Journal Response to ‘A Long Way Gone'
Friday, February 4, 2011
a long way gone - crappy summary
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Geographical Events Leading to the Waterloo Region
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Presentation order for Consumerism & Abundance
PRESENTATION ORDER
SKIT
Hannah walks in with shopping bags, and freezes
Slide 1
-introduction
-explain how “shop ‘til you drop” will be a main concept of the gist of consumerism and its effects throughout the presentation
-ask the question “Does anyone know what consumerism or abundance means? You can even guess!” (Great interaction with crowd)
Slide 2
-recite the definitions on the slide
-recite in your own words about what they mean to the common layman
Skit for slide 2
Natalie puts a bunch of stuff in Hannah’s shopping bags, symbolizing consumerism and abundance while I explain the slide
Slide 3
-first picture, flapper, talk about how women could work which partially helped the economy, women’s rights
-talk about each point and go in depth
-WWI ended, and because of this there was a short recession
-after the economy boomed; people had money, soldiers worked or had pensions, women were working during the war so had money
-‘everyone bought everything’, everyone was buying more, even things which weren’t necessary. A.K.A. luxury items
-ended with stock market crashing; hence SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP
-consumerism was one of the important causes of the stock market crashing. It was caused by American economic gains made after WWI. The significantly reckless luxury directly caused the global economic crisis in modern history.
-the stock market crashing is the Great Depression OCT. 1929
-many historians believe that the 1920’s gave birth to modern consumerism. Why? Because there were many new things being implemented into society that hasn’t happened before, or that the happenings were increasing. Such as more posters advertising things, the economy booming, people had higher wages, and the general gist of consumerism itself.
Slide 3 Skit
During slide 3, when we say “shop til you DROP”, she falls down + drops the bags, symbolizing the crash of the stock market. (Hannah symbolizes the economy in general)
Natalie in the background shouts and points to Hannah “OMG LOOK THE STOCK MARKET IS CRASHING!”
Slide 4
-consumerism was a major factor during the twenties
-called “roaring twenties” because:
-good economy, which led to consumerism
-consumerism is SO BIG, and we are going to support that later on, and since this consumerism is so big, it is practically the roar of the twenties itself. That’s what the roar IS
-talk about how the further slides ahead explain about the roar
Slide 4 SKIT
Natalie and Hannah both ROAR like "ROARRR!!" and then say "this symbolizes that the Roaring Twenties was called the "Roaring" Twenties, BECAUSE of consumerism!
Slide 5
-not JUST Canadian
-originated in north America (primarily U.S.) because they didn’t participate much in war, hence they didn’t waste money in the war, hence more money, hence better economy right at end of war, hence consumerism originated there
-soon spread to Europe and Canada
-an echo in some sense, as in, it originated from America and went to Canada and other parts of Europe, BUTTTT
-global in a sense BECAUSE every nation had its own consumerism
-it just ORIGINATED from America. Canada, as a NATION, had its own consumerism movement. Canada had its OWN UNIQUE CONSUMERISM AS A NATION
Slide 5 SKIT
SOMETHING. PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE GIVE ME SOMETHING GOOD TO PUT IN HERE. LOOK IN FACEBOOK MSG. TO SEE THE THING I WANT.
Slide 6
-explain what industrialization is: industries developing on a huge scale
-means more products being mass produced (e.g. for an example, talk about how everyone in class has a wardrobe of clothes, pencils, backpacks, books, etc. They are all mass produced)
-helps consumerism; (consumers buying more, so mass production makes more products available to general public, meaning more people buying)
-connect this to how capitalism is like in the world right now (and talk about how capitalism may have derived from roaring twenties)
-talk about basically – industrialization, abundance of number of products being produced, helped consumerism, and consumerism directly caused the great depression
-therefore, abundance of producing products indirectly caused the great depression (win!)
Skit Slide 6
Natalie, Julie, and Hannah assemble in a line pretending to manufacture goods in an assembly line
Slide 7
-movies; black and white, exponential amount of people went there more
-automobiles; 300 000 registered vehicles in 1918 compared to 15 million by 1927 of the same Ford Model T
-talk about how some products MAY not be that much of a necessity; more like a useless luxury (hand out portable shower sheet)
Skit Slide 7
Natalie, Hannah, and Julie show the collage and points out some products on the poster
Slide 8
-the movie (example of products during the 1920’s)
Slide 9
-advertised products in numerous medias and ways; films, radio, catalogues (magazines), and posters
-connection: we still use these ways for marketing products
-talk about how everyday nowadays we see an average of 3000 ads everyday (fact)
-connection: these numerous ads are CAUSED by consumerism and HELPED consumerism, which helped the roar of the twenties
-THE SIGNIFICANCE IS, more ads FURTHER consumerism, which helped cause the great depression
Slide 9 Skit + handout
Hannah walks around and stops and looks at every ad (we put them on the blackboard by magnets), with her shopping bags. Then at each ad, she stops and Janice talks about each ad and what is represents, connection, etc.
Natalie throws/showers the rest of the ads in her hands in Hannah’s face and Hannah is mesmerized from every single ad. She picks one up and says “OMG A PORTABLE SHOWER!”
Slide 10
-learning facts about history is important and all; but what is more important is the significance of the events. What caused one thing, what effected one thing, the cause and effects, how we can learn from it, etc. we must apply the knowledge we know from history and connect to them, relate them with each other, and see how they fit together.
-explain how this is going into the real in depth stuff instead of just the commercials, movies, etc. and why it’s important.
-twenties roared because of consumerism
-originated from America
-canada’s “roar” of consumerism may have been an echo of america’s in one sense
-mostly, Canada’s “roar” was a part of international “roar”, since each NATION had a roar of consumerism
-Canada as a NATION had its OWN consumerism
Slide 11
Cause and effects
Slide 12
-consumerism partially caused by industrialization and mass producing (because the industrialization and the mass producing made products in more numerous numbers, more efficiently, cheaper, and quickly, so that more people can access and buy these goods)
-new technologies (radio, cars ß not invented during then, but mass produced more, movies, electrical appliances, anything from sewing machines, to bread makers, etc.
Slide 13
• Because of the vast development of many new technologies
• Because of the wealth of most people of the time; more income (not all people)
• Because of the staggering amount of people investing in the new technologies
• Create more, buy more, repeat
Slide 14
-consumerism in the 1920’s caused the Great Depression in the 30’s. The same thing happened around the recession that was majorly caused by America’s unregulated extreme capitalism
“History is doomed to repeat itself” is a good quote for this case because in some sense, history did repeat itself (great depression, recession).
How can we learn from this?
We should learn by preventing these economical meltdowns. One good reason to learn history is to see how things caused other things, like consumerism caused the Great Depression, and how we can learn from these mistakes that we’ve made and preventing them from happening again
We don’t want the second coming of Hitler
-consumerism in 1920’s also can help us understand some philosophies and try to explain our morals and values. Such as, is a person defined by their possessions?
We don’t need so many things. A person is defined by their morals, values, personality, etc. not material items. Hence there is a movement going on during modern times that is anti-materialism. A good example of this that was written during the 1920’s (a.k.a. during when all of this was happening), a novel was written about the consumerism called “The Great Gatsby” and questioned about society and consumerism
-although it may not seem like they are related; the truth is is that they are related. As more electrical products are produced and bought because of consumerism, there is an increasing need for energy to supply these products to consumers
In modern times, we see that this problem has gone up so much that we are even seeing environmental impacts like global warming and climate change
Energy consumption soared in the 1920s due to the electric appliances replacing manual labor in many homes. Plants and car exhaust emissions exerted an increasingly heavy toll on the environment. However, pollution and the diminishing wildlife seemed distant threats to most Americans.
-consumerism still effects us, we can see it (as already stated) everywhere. Especially America with their extreme unregulated capitalism
Slide 15
Rule:
You will be split into your presenting groups
You will be given a question, and if you answer it correctly, you will be able to choose 2 squares to flip over.
If your squares match, you get a point!
The group with the most points wins a yummy prize! (=
Questions-
What is consumerism?
What happened at the end of the 1920's?
WAS THE ROAR OF THE ROARING TWENTIES ONLY CANADA’S? (Definitely ask this. It’s our thesis)
Why was the roaring twenties called the “roaring” twenties? (definitely ask this. It’s our thesis)
During the skit, Hannah fell down. What did that symbolize?
Name one cause and one effect on consumerism.
Name three things that we can learn from consumerism during the 1920's.
BONUS: What was George Bush doing in slide 12 in our presentation? And what did it symbolize?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
WHY do we have governments? should government exist?
Should Government Exist?
Short Answer
Yes
Introduction to Long Answer/Essay
Having a government implemented in almost all of the countries on Earth with a lot succeeding in the furthering and progress of themselves clearly indicates that a government should exist and beneficially effects society. However, there are many other points as to why a form of government should exist; as well as which specific type of government is the best compared to others.
Why? Why not?
Simple Answer
Government is needed to protect law and order, to protect property rights, and defend civil rights.
Long Answer/Essay
One point in which supports the statement “governments should exist” is the underlying fact that without a kind of authority, people can do anything- even the morally incorrect. People can kill someone and loot money by stealing without anyone stopping them. No one would want this, which is why the conclusion is that without a government, chaos will occur.
Furthering the argument before, without some sort of organization, libraries, schools, hospitals, and other essential public places will not be able to go on. People will not run these crucial social locations and in turn will make future generations ignorant; many people will die, etc. As a result, there would be no one to help run these necessary buildings and because of that, negative impacts will occur.
The next piece of evidence is the fact that without a government, no one would pay taxes, and no one would want to fund services every month. We would have to learn how to perform operations on ourselves, fight our own crime, put out our own fires, and grow our own food. Even the smallest coincidence can have a devastating effect upon us, such as a drought or being unable to grow our own food because of a broken leg. Therefore, not only can a government help us in our time of need, they help us progress.
Many people might ask, “How can a government help society progress?” The scenario earlier stated is similar to how people in the Stone Age used to be, which brings us to the next point; governments help progress our society. With government, we can enforce morality, logic, and reasoning in which everyone can abide which indeed further the progress of society. A great example of this is human history. Throughout history, we have started from the simplest types of a civilization, from owning slaves, to monarchies, to world domination, until we get to our present time.
The Free Rider problem is also a main reason as to why a government is beneficial.
An example of this would be,
"A common example of a free rider problem is defence spending: no one person can be excluded from being defended by a state's military forces, and thus free riders may refuse or avoid paying for being defended, even though they are still as well guarded as those who contribute to the state's efforts. Therefore, it is usual for governments to avoid relying on volunteer donations, using taxes and, in some countries, conscription instead.”
-Wikipedia
Government is indeed the primary mechanism by which societies address free rider problems. In addition to fiscal measures noted above, regulation is another form of collective action taken by governments to resolve free riders problems such as environmental degradation or excessive resource use. Therefore, having a government will immediately eliminate the free rider problem.
Possibly the most fundamental reason as to why we need a government is to have all of the privileges we have today. With the help of a government, we funded the research for science and technology, leading up to Einstein’s famous equation of E=mc^2, we funded the preservation of priceless artifacts, paintings like the Mona Lisa, and everything else we can see and acknowledge. We can even see that the civics teacher is teaching our class because of the help of the government.
Conclusion
At the surface level, a government should, without doubt, exist to help evolve our population. Yet at a deeper level, the government affects an exponential amount more than most people think; even to the extent where it greatly affects our day to day lives. The government helps protect law and order, property rights, defend civil rights, morals and ethics, funds the tools of logic and reasoning, helps every individual by giving them a way out of a crisis, and helps avoid the common free rider problem. Because of these evidences, the righteous conclusion to be made is that governments should exist.
What’s The Best Type of Government?
Short Answer
Democracy
Table for Reference
Authoritarian (communism, monarchy, etc.)
| Anarchy (no government)
| Democracy (republic, social democracy |
Pros: In times of crisis a strong central government is necessary. E.g. FDR during the Great Depression. | Pros: You’re free to do anything | Pros: Everyone has a say |
Cons: Only a few people have a say | Cons: you’re free to do anything | Cons: Everyone has a say, propaganda can mislead people |
Long Answer/Essay
Introduction
Democracy is defined as “the government of the people”, by the people. All other branches of government types have failed in where democracy has triumphed; though it may not be the perfect system, it is surely the best type of government.
However, many people think an authoritarian government (such as communism and monarchy) may be the best choice. They say that “in times of crisis, a strong central government is necessary”. The fallacious misconception of their argument was that they have yet to acknowledge the fact that an actual crisis may not even occur. In addition to that, an authoritarian government isn’t the best type of government mainly for the fact that only a few people have a say, compared to a democracy (which is where everyone has a say). There is also a high chance that the few people who have these rights mainly take advantage of them. Some good examples of this particular scenario are the USSR (Soviet Union), and North Korea. Furthermore, some may say communism (a type of authoritarian government) is better, however what they have missed is that in the long run, an eventual economic disaster will spew out because of the end result that communism does not reward the people who do more work, thus making people only doing the minimum requirements. Because of all of the aforementioned points, the profound conclusion is that an authoritarian government is not the best type of government.
The next option is the option in which there is no government at all – anarchy. As earlier stated in the earlier essay, having no government will deliver chaos within our society and will not help us progress in anyway.
The final type is the one which should be the best type of government in peoples’ eyes; democracy. Democracy is the best because of the reasoning that everyone can have a say and no one’s voices will be left out. However, there are some cons to this kind of governing system. For example, one might say that when everyone has a say, the peoples’ popular choices may not always be the best. Others might also say that propaganda can mislead a vast number of voters’ votes. What they fail to mention is that with proper educational resources built into our society with a democratic government, the popular vote will stay on the right plane and will not meander down a bad choice. Some good examples of prosperous democratic countries are the United States and Canada. Therefore, the supposed counterarguments of democracy are debunked and democracy remains as the best type of government.
Conclusion
The huge and controversial debate about “which type of government is the best” is an ongoing and perpetual process which may never stop. However, due to the vast number of successes and the benefits of a democratic government, the unifying conclusion is that a democracy is the best type of government.
NOTE: I did not include the sub-categories of democracy, such as republic, social democracy, etc.
Bibliography
Not Specified. (not specified). List of Forms of Government. Retrieved from September 16th, 2010, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_forms_of_government
Andy Su, “Pwnage” at Politics, September 16th 2010
Not specified. (not specified). Free Rider Problem. Retrieved from September 16th, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_rider_problem
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
John Tuzo Wilson - A man of the Earth - Literally (Science SHORT Essay)
John Tuzo Wilson – A Man of the Earth - Literally
John Tuzo Wilson was an extraordinary man who revolutionized how we thought of our Earth’s surface. This fascinating man stood out among the rest of the Canadian scientists, and has awed many of the scientific community.
J. Tuzo Wilson was born on October 24th, 1908, in Ottawa. He attended the University of Toronto, and was the first student in Canada to take geophysics. From 1946 to 1974, he studied at the university, and during the middle period of this time (around the 1060’s), he “refined” the theory of Plate Tectonics. Plate Tectonics is how the Earth’s crust is divided into “plates”, like a huge jig-saw puzzle. During that time, the theory was not taken into consideration within the scientific community.
This man has been a very fundamental contribution to the scientific world. He presented the thought of how hot spots (produced by convection currents), which are underneath the moving plates of the Earth, produced islands (e.g. Hawaii and Japan). He also presented the type of faults called “transform faults”, which are the “borders” of plates. However, unlike other faults, transform faults slide against each other. Wilson additionally found the patterns of faulting and the structure of the continents.
By refining the almost abandoned theory of Plate Tectonics, John Tuzo Wilson has done what most people will never achieve in their short lifetime. He has done the seemingly impossible, and has been successfully rewarded because of it. Overall, John Wilson’s life was a remarkable and inspirational journey which numerous people have aspired to be, and I am one of them.
Reference
Particle Physics. John Terning. Web. 17 May 2010.
Encyclopedia Brittanica. Encyclopedia Brittania. Web. 17 May 2010.
Encyclopedia Brittanica. Encyclopedia Brittanica. Web. 17 May 2010.