En la clase de Lengua, estuvimos leyendo el libro «Ficciones» de Jorge Luis Borges. Hasta ahora sólo leímos el cuento «El Sur», entonces Carol nos pidió que hagamos un prezi/glogster/documento o lo que queramos sobre la historia. Yo trabajé con Jose, Lucía y Rochi y este es el prezi que hicimos:
We have started working on our new topic for this year in History, The League of Nations in the 1930s.
Our teacher, Lenny, asked us to watch a video and answer the following questions.
1. How does the video open? What might the connection between the League and the opening scenes in Poland be?
The video starts by saying how the League had failed at mantaining peace, enforcing disarmament and establishing stability. The opening scenes show Hitler’s SS taking over Poland which was the start of the Second World War as Germany and the USSR, in a secret agreement in the Nazi-Soviet Pact, stated that they would attack and divide Poland.
2. What problems did Japan face? (Mention ALL of them)
The problems were that its population was booming which meant more than a million mouths to feed, she was an isolated country that needed to open up trade to get materials, it had no natural resources (agricultural failure) to exploit on its own, there was very high unemployement, it was very affected by the depression and it relied on international networks to import its goods.
3. What was the role of the army in Japan?
Step by step, Japan started being under the control of the military. The army was first, and the polititians second. The army controlled the education, they made learning martial arts compulsory.
4. What did army leaders believe Japan needed?
They thought that expanding towards eastern Asia would benefit the empire as they would get natural resources and more land for its very large population.
5. What was the value of Manchuria?
It was rich in resources that the Japanese desperately needed for their economy, it meant more land for its population and they thought it was perfect for the “elimination of the Chinese subhuman race”.
6. What happened at Mudken?
There was an explosion of a Japanese railway in Mukden, China, which was planned by themselves but blamed on the Chinese since they wanted everyone to believe that China was out of control and that they needed to intervene since they wanted and excuse to attack Manchuria.
7. What did the League do about it?
The League consulted the Japanese ambassador in Geneva.
8. What was Japan’s reaction to the decision of the League?
They thought it was impossible to accept what the report stated and decided to leave the League.
On our Literature class, we started analysing the first poem of this year, «A Birthday» by Christina Rossetti. Our teacher, Pato, asked us to watch a video of an actress reciting the poem and answer the following questions. I worked with Jose, Lucía and Rochi.
a. What is the theme?
The theme is love, relationship, celebration, religion.
b. What is the tone?
The tone is peaceful, pacific, joyful.
c. What is the main difference between the two stanzas?
The first stanza revolves more around nature which can be seen with the imagery the author uses like «singing bird», «nest in a watered shoot», «apple-tree», «boughs bent with…fruit», «halcyon sea». While the second talks more about material and luxurious objects, man-made objects. For example, «dais of silk», «vair».
d. How are the similes in the poem appropriate for the romantic longings the speaker feels?
In the first stanza the author states how happy she feels because «[her] love has come to [her]» by using natural images such as, «my heart is like a rainbow shell that paddles in a halcyon sea», rainbow and paddling in a halcyon sea make reference to how peaceful, calm and glad she feels.
e. How is the metaphor of the birthday appropriate?
Because she feels like she was reborned,like there was a rebirth in herself, like she’s starting from scratch probably because she’s found love again.
f. Make a list of religious symbols. What do they mean in the poem?
«And peacocks with a hundred eyes» is a metaphor that means that God sees through the eyes of nature, of the animals. «Doves» are white birds and white birds represent peace.