Extra Credit Blog Entry

Hate crimes like what happened to Emmitt Till still happen today. This shows us that not all groups have complete rights that we are entitled to as humans. Many times, some of us have engaged in hateful behavior without thinking about it. Watch the video below (you are going to have to do it at home or CPL because Youtube is blocked by CPS). As you watch the video, how does the teacher connect the phrases "that is so Jewish" with the phrase "that is so gay?" Talk about a time in which you have said or heard someone say "that is so gay." Why was it said and how did you react? What is the message that the phrase "that is so gay" gets across about being gay? Explain and refer to the blog expectations for full credit.

Emmitt Till

After having learned about Emmitt Till and the actions of Moses Wright, do you think Moses Wright was a bystander, upstander, victim, or perpetrator? (He can be a combination of the terms). Be sure to explain.

United We Win

In your answer, make sure you address all of the questions below:

What message do you think the poster above is trying to get across? (In your answer be sure to address the fact that there is both a white man and a black man in the poster). Why do you think this message is important during war? What might have been happening in America that might have made a poster like the one above necessary? How might a black person feel viewing this poster during WWII? How might a white person feel viewing this poster during WWII?

Aaron Elster

What do you think about his experiences so far? Please talk about specific examples from the book.

What if?

NOTE: Please read everything before you post. You can skip the link below, but I thought it was cool how the museum let me film a little message to share.

This last weekend I had the chance to go to the National World War II Museum. It was really an incredible experience. I learned a lot, but two pieces of information really stood out for me. There was one exhibit that focused on how Jews who lived in America contributed to WWII. To see me share what I learned from that exhibit, click below:

http://www.apsoluta.com/ictv/player/nww2.php?file=http://cms-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ICTV_video_33_2011_2_6_13_58_56379_2011.8489892161451.flv

The second piece of information that I never knew was that by the year 1939, the United States Army was ranked number 19 (just behind Bulgaria) in terms of strength. The United States was definitely not ready to fight (much less lead) in World War II. It had a peacetime military that still relied on old technology. The picture to the left from the museum contains little soldiers, aircraft figures, and ships to show powerful each country was by 1939. See how small the American military might is compared with Japan and Germany by 1939.

Assignment:

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December of 1941, most Americans finally realized that the United States could no longer remain neutral in World War II. Before this point, many Americans were split over tbe idea of the United States going to war. Imagine it is 1939. You are an average American. Would you be for or against America getting involved in WWII?

Here is the information you have to help makeup your mind:

• You are a young adult male/female with little money and no job (thanks to the lingering effects of the Great Depression)



• You lost an uncle in WWI. He was poisoned to death in a foxhole by mustard gas.



• You've read about how the Americans are extremely unprepared for war.

Write one paragraph telling me what you would do and why. Take into account all of the information that you have to make up your mind and explain it it factored in your decision-making.

Skimming

I want you to skim the following article and share some of the insights that you have after reading through it. Why do you think survivors share their stories?

http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/data.show.php?di=record&da=survivors&ke=7

This blog entry is due Friday, March 4 at 4:00. Anything past that time will lose substantial credit.

An American Perspective

What do you think about his experiences? Please reflect on what you just witnessed and provide examples from the video for support.