Lesson on Finland
Today in Global Ethics class, Max also gave his lesson on Finland. Max's objective for this lesson was to inform us of the environment and environmental policies in Finland.
Max firstly gave us a very general overview of the environment in Finland. He then went into some detail about the information. The activity we participated in was to read an article on recycling in Finland and then tell the class one or two things we learned from the article. This activity helped us to get a better understanding of the amount of waste produced in Finland and the steps being taken to reduce this waste. This activity directed contributed to the overall objective of the lesson because it helped to clarify some of the more general points talked about in the lesson.
1. Critical Thinker and Problem Solver - I read the article and comprehended the information.
2. Effective Communicator - I shared what I drew from the article to the class effectively i.e. the class could understand what I was saying.
3. Person of High Character - I paid attention in class and was a good listener. This way, I was able to understand the information given.
Labels: global ethics
My Lesson on Denmark
Today I gave a lesson on my country of study, Denmark. The objective of my lesson was to give a class a general overview on Denmark, and discuss the concept of an ideal country.
The activities which I included in my lesson were 'jigsaw' and 'visual organizer'. For visual organizer, I had a keynote which contained all the facts I wanted to get across, and also a movie. For jigsaw, I assigned every student two pieces (and in some cases, one), on a time period in Danish history. I then asked the students to read the excerpt/s, become experts at their assigned piece, and then report back to the class in chronological order. The keynote helped me achieve my lesson objectives as it was an easy and attractive way of presenting the information. The jigsaw helped to achieve the lesson objectives as it was a more appealing and easy way for the students to learn about history, which sometimes can be considered boring. By sharing the load, the students do not feel as overwhelmed.
1. Critical Thinker and Problem Solver - The students had to read two passages and pick out the most important parts from these passages. Having the ability to do this is a very important skill for research.
2. Effective Communicator - After the students had read the passages, they were to present back to the class. The students were able to report back to the class on what they learned and in this process, also teach the class.
3. Community Contributor - The students participated in the discussion at the end and shared their thoughts. This was contributing to the community as the others in their class could learn about their views.
Labels: global ethics
Lesson on Austria
In Global Ethics class today, Kevin presented a lesson on Austria. The overall objective I took from this lesson was firstly, to learn some information about Austria, and then learn about the idea of xenophobia and its relation to other concepts.
Kevin firstly presented us with historical facts which would help us later on in the lesson. He also gave us some commonalities of these historical facts. We were then asked to do a quickwrite on a piece on xenophobia in Austria after reading an article. The quickwrite helped to achieve the objective of the lesson because firstly, it got us thinking, and secondly, it enabled us to gain a better understanding of the situation in Austria, and then come to our own conclusions and thoughts as to why this may be. After this, we argued some prompts which were related to the objective. This helped to achieve the objectives because it gave us the opportunity to use the historical facts that had been given and use them to form an effective argument.
HIS student outcomes
1. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: I wrote down my thoughts when we were given the information. I also used this information to argue prompts and ultimately, come to a conclusion.
2. Active Learning: I did my own research on the prompts given, and then made an argument based on this research.
3. Effective Communicator: I presented my argument for the prompt. I was able to define the terms, make an argument, support it with historical examples, and then finish with a conclusion.
Labels: global ethics
Governmental Systems in Ancient Greece
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
What was the governmental system in Ancient Greece? What do you think of this system?
Ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages in 1100 BCE to the Roman conquest of Greece in 146 BCE The Ancient Greeks had many different types of governmental systems during this period. Plato wrote The Republic in approximately 380 BCE., so I will focus on the governmental systems before and around this time.
During the Dark Age, city-states developed in Greece. These were firstly ruled by kings, with advice from wealthy nobles. By about 750 BCE, the nobles had overthrown the kings to become the rulers. Many tyrants soon came to power in many Greek city-states as a result of revolutions. However, they were soon replaced by an oligarchy, in which a few wealthy citizens, instead of the nobility, ran the government.
In 594 BCE, a statesman named Solon reformed the laws by ending the practice of enslaving debtors, dividing citizens into classes by wealth, and defined the rights and duties of each class. He also wrote up a code of law. After Solon left office, civil war broke out, and in 560 BCE, a tyrant took control. In 508 BCE, Cleisthenes, another Athenian statesman, made Athens into a democracy. He extended voting rights to all free adult men and created a council of 500 members which was open to any citizen. This gave all citizens a chance to serve in the government.
During the 500's BCE, a lot of Greek city-states in Asia Minor were under the rule of the Persian Empire. Many of these city-states then rebelled against their Persian rulers. Although the Athenian army was outnumbered, it defeated the Persian army in 490 BCE at the Battle of Marathon. In 479 BCE, the Greek city-states defeated another Persian invasion.
During the 400s BCE, Athens reached its height of power and prosperity. The leading Athenian statesman at the time was called Pericles. Greece was at the center of culture in the Greek world, leading to what would be referred to as The Golden Age in 477 BCE.. The Golden Age, however, came to an abrupt end in 431 BCE with the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, a war between Athens and Sparta. During 430 BCE, a severe plague hit Athens; it killed approximately a third of its citizens, including Pericles. Athens then lacked able leaders during the rest of the war and finally surrendered.
Sparta's dominion lasted only a very short time before fighting among city states resumed. As a result of the continuing warfare, the quality of life declined, the economic conditions worsened, violent clashes between the rich and the poor became frequent, people grew less public spirited and more self centered, and the city-states lost their vitality.
I think the first form of government was not beneficial to the citizens. Many Greek farmers owned a very little amount of land, and had to borrow money between harvests to survive. When the farmers could not pay their loans, they lost their lands and were forced into slavery. The merchants and manufacturers had wanted a greater voice in government, but the nobility refused to share any power.
I think the next development of city-states run by tyrants, too, was not the best form of government. At first, the tyrants were able to help their followers. They distributed farmlands to the landless and found jobs for people working on large public building projects. However, the tyrants eventually grew more concerned with keeping their power than with helping the citizens.
I think a democracy is probably the best governmental system out of the ones I have stated above. The citizens had a voice in the government; people got to have a say in what their country, or in this case, state is doing. The Athenian democracy was the first democracy in the world and laid the foundations for many countries to follow.
Labels: global ethics
Baraka Reflection
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Baraka is a film that has no narrative, which focuses on the world through time-lapse photography and videos of nature and landscapes. This film was astoundingly beautiful. There were many different cultures that were portrayed in the film, from those in East to those in the West. The film also juxtaposes the chaotic pulse of human life in cities such as New York and Japan to the silence and tranquility in the natural world. The film had footage from all over the world combined with a very suitable soundtrack to each particular "section" of the film.
I think the movie is about the beauty of the world. The director chose to focus on the cinematography so that we, the audience, can see the simple splendor in everything around us. He also chose to film from all around the world, displaying the diversity of the world. We are living a very busy lifestyle, as portrayed in the particular chaotic "section" of the film, which ended with a man with a painted face screaming. We then, sweep directly into the next section of the film. In this section, the pace of the film and the soundtrack slows tremendously from the section before, giving us a feeling serenity. The director is telling us that although our lives are hectic, we should take a break and enjoy the world. He is also saying that there is still much unappreciated magnificence in the world; we just need to take the time to discover this within our environment.
Labels: global ethics
