Thursday, January 13, 2011
Introduction
In this post I will hopefully have explained to you, the reader, about the Facing History Course and assume that you have never heard of Facing History and Ourselves and the reasons as to why I chose to take this course in the first place along with some personal information. When I had Mr. Gallagher as a History teacher my sophomore year, he told our class he had just created a new elective course about the Holocaust. I knew I wanted to take this course because I can understand Mr. Gallagher’s teaching style. In the beginning, I really took this course because I heard students get to watch movies, and there was little homework. I also wanted to take this course because in the ten years of learning of our countrys’ history, I have never once learned about the Holocaust. I don’t know if that part of history was skipped over because some people believed it never happened, or if some educators believed it was too inappropriate of a topic for students to learn about in school. I wanted to learn why the Jewish race was hated, why we never heard of a Jewish rebellion, or why no one person had the guts to tell Hitler to stop the mass murdering of millions of innocent Jewish people. When senior year came around, I realized this course would not be an easy A course. Each day we watched films about the Holocaust, horrifying, unbelievable movies that were either based off of the Holocaust or were stories about the holocaust. I really can’t stand seeing movies with guts, blood, or any type of violence, so it was very difficult for me to watch. I would much rather go outside and play soccer, a pick up basketball or softball with my friends. But nope, I stayed in the classroom and listened to every film no matter how disgusting and heart wrenching it was.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Make A Difference Essay
From this one course, I will have graduated knowing what really happened in the Holocaust. I will have seen documentation, real proof from photos and films, journal entries of the discriminatory problem/situation which not only the Jewish race had to deal with but the Polls, and anyone who was part Jewish, even German Jews were involved in the mass murders. I benefited from taking this course because I learned how people can be brainwashed into believing some idea is completely right and would in no way affect on people even if it is completely wiping out an entire race of humans. I learned people can be easily convinced. It scared me to watch how young children were brought up to believe that Jewish people were "bad" because of what one group of people said. I learned it took too long for any of the other nations to stand up and defeat what is morally wrong. It is surprising how the Nazi's had successfully killed a race of people simply because they did not like them.
In the first few days of the Facing History and Ourselves course, we read the novel, The Bear That Wasn’t about a bear who was told repeatedly that he wasn't a bear, he believed he wasn't a bear even though he was throughout the novel. The factory officials did not recognize the Bear for that he was because he was walking around in a factory, not in a typical bear living area. As time passes on, it was harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity as he moved through the bureaucracy of the factory. The bear lived his new life as a man who needed a good shave and worked in a factory, so he believed what everybody was telling him. There were not other bears at the factory either. Tashlin, the author of the novel suggest the relationship between an individual and a society, about the way a person's identity is defined and how powerful individuals and groups shape the identity of those with less power and authority. One person can be easily convinced when the majority is more powerful, and more likely to blend in with the crowd. The need to be a part of a group can affect our actions because people will do the same thing. People don't want to stand out; they will want to be blend in just because everyone else is. I learned it is difficult for a person to go up against a group of popular people. Peer pressure is a huge factor; no one wants to be alone in what they believe so they go along with everyone else.
In the middle of the Facing History and Ourselves course, our classed watched the "Freedom Writers". This film was written and produced by Richard LaGravenese. The plot in this movie was about a young teacher, played by Hilary Swank, and inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. In the opening sequence of the movie Mrs. Erin Gruwell walked into Wilson High School in South Central Las Angeles, and she wore a white pearl necklace, and a red suit and skirt. The principal Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton) informed Mrs. Gurwell it will be hard for the students to relate to her when wearing priceless jewelry. On her first few days of teaching Mrs. Gurwell asked her students if they knew anything about the Holocaust. I believe it was important for her to discuss this topic because she could explain the connection present day gang violence is similar to this historic event. I think as the movie continued, the teacher found a way to get her students interested in school and they learned by connecting their lives with important historic events. This movie showed me that one person can make a huge difference in trying to make the world better place. The students roles were the Jewish citizens who were captured and treated unfairly, and America and all other nations who helped destroy the extermination camps were similar to Mrs. Gurwell helping the students fight against the odds of teenagers with difficult pasts to move forward and be successful.
One movie which really stood out to me was “The Island on Bird Street”. This movie is about Alex, an 11-year old boy who, during WWII, hides in the Jewish ghetto from Nazis after all the relatives has been sent to the concentration camp. The movie portrays the ghetto through Alex’s point of view. It was a touching film to watch from a very different standpoint. This was very touching film we watched in class. Alex was a very mature, and I was very impressed with his new lifestyle. I also would have left with the first person who offered me help in Alexs' situation, opposed to Alexs' idea to wait for his father. This film showed me how sometimes there are little miracles, and the choice of waiting for his father to come back he knew would be very difficult choice for him to make. For an eleven year old actor, Jordan Kiziuk did an amazing job portraying a little Jewish boy, making the story much more believable since it was from a children's perspective. This made me wonder how all Jewish people, children especially survived the Holocaust. I could not be able to function knowing the people who I cared about most were just taken away, leaving me alone.
This course benefited me as a student because I learned it is difficult for a person to go up against a group of popular people. Peer pressure is a huge factor; no one wants to be alone in what they believe so they go along with everyone else. This course helped me understand how people can draw connections from history to present day in the film, “Freedom Writers”. This movie also instructed me on how much of a connection the Holocaust had with high school students. This film, “The Island on Bird Steet” made me wonder how all Jewish people, children especially survived the Holocaust. I could not be able to function knowing the people who I cared about most were just taken away, leaving me alone. Every film, novel or discussion we had in this class will help me grow as a more knowledgeable person. Not because I fully understand every detail of the Holocaust, but because of the life lessons from each piece of literature, and from our discussions in class. I will never forget this course. Thank you, Mr. Gallagher.
In the first few days of the Facing History and Ourselves course, we read the novel, The Bear That Wasn’t about a bear who was told repeatedly that he wasn't a bear, he believed he wasn't a bear even though he was throughout the novel. The factory officials did not recognize the Bear for that he was because he was walking around in a factory, not in a typical bear living area. As time passes on, it was harder and harder for the bear to maintain his identity as he moved through the bureaucracy of the factory. The bear lived his new life as a man who needed a good shave and worked in a factory, so he believed what everybody was telling him. There were not other bears at the factory either. Tashlin, the author of the novel suggest the relationship between an individual and a society, about the way a person's identity is defined and how powerful individuals and groups shape the identity of those with less power and authority. One person can be easily convinced when the majority is more powerful, and more likely to blend in with the crowd. The need to be a part of a group can affect our actions because people will do the same thing. People don't want to stand out; they will want to be blend in just because everyone else is. I learned it is difficult for a person to go up against a group of popular people. Peer pressure is a huge factor; no one wants to be alone in what they believe so they go along with everyone else.
In the middle of the Facing History and Ourselves course, our classed watched the "Freedom Writers". This film was written and produced by Richard LaGravenese. The plot in this movie was about a young teacher, played by Hilary Swank, and inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. In the opening sequence of the movie Mrs. Erin Gruwell walked into Wilson High School in South Central Las Angeles, and she wore a white pearl necklace, and a red suit and skirt. The principal Margaret Campbell (Imelda Staunton) informed Mrs. Gurwell it will be hard for the students to relate to her when wearing priceless jewelry. On her first few days of teaching Mrs. Gurwell asked her students if they knew anything about the Holocaust. I believe it was important for her to discuss this topic because she could explain the connection present day gang violence is similar to this historic event. I think as the movie continued, the teacher found a way to get her students interested in school and they learned by connecting their lives with important historic events. This movie showed me that one person can make a huge difference in trying to make the world better place. The students roles were the Jewish citizens who were captured and treated unfairly, and America and all other nations who helped destroy the extermination camps were similar to Mrs. Gurwell helping the students fight against the odds of teenagers with difficult pasts to move forward and be successful.
One movie which really stood out to me was “The Island on Bird Street”. This movie is about Alex, an 11-year old boy who, during WWII, hides in the Jewish ghetto from Nazis after all the relatives has been sent to the concentration camp. The movie portrays the ghetto through Alex’s point of view. It was a touching film to watch from a very different standpoint. This was very touching film we watched in class. Alex was a very mature, and I was very impressed with his new lifestyle. I also would have left with the first person who offered me help in Alexs' situation, opposed to Alexs' idea to wait for his father. This film showed me how sometimes there are little miracles, and the choice of waiting for his father to come back he knew would be very difficult choice for him to make. For an eleven year old actor, Jordan Kiziuk did an amazing job portraying a little Jewish boy, making the story much more believable since it was from a children's perspective. This made me wonder how all Jewish people, children especially survived the Holocaust. I could not be able to function knowing the people who I cared about most were just taken away, leaving me alone.
This course benefited me as a student because I learned it is difficult for a person to go up against a group of popular people. Peer pressure is a huge factor; no one wants to be alone in what they believe so they go along with everyone else. This course helped me understand how people can draw connections from history to present day in the film, “Freedom Writers”. This movie also instructed me on how much of a connection the Holocaust had with high school students. This film, “The Island on Bird Steet” made me wonder how all Jewish people, children especially survived the Holocaust. I could not be able to function knowing the people who I cared about most were just taken away, leaving me alone. Every film, novel or discussion we had in this class will help me grow as a more knowledgeable person. Not because I fully understand every detail of the Holocaust, but because of the life lessons from each piece of literature, and from our discussions in class. I will never forget this course. Thank you, Mr. Gallagher.
Works Cited
"Freedom Writers." Hourly Updated World News: Writers. Web. 14 Jan 2011. http://www.iill.net/tag/writers.
"The Bear That Wasn't." amazon.com. Web. 14 Jan 2011. http://www.amazon.com/Wasnt-Dover-Childrens-Thrift-Classics/dp/0486287874.
"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." eGexa Movies. Web. 14 Jan 2011. http://movies.egexa.com/celebs/celeb/david-thewlis/.
"The Island on Bird Street." CVMC. Web. 14 Jan 2011. http://www.cvmc.net/index.jsp.
"The Pianist." www.nzbmovieseeker.com. Web. 14 Jan 2011. http://www.nzbmovieseeker.com/NZB/253474-The-Pianist/.
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