Maus

 

Hi there!

As I mentioned before, during this time you are asked to read the following book. It is a comic based on the WW2 and the Jewish experience. Right now what you have to do is just read it and answer the following in your notebooks:

1. Are they (the characters) iconic (could be anyone) or particular (could only be Vladek)

2. Why do you think Spiegelman drew the characters this way?

3. Hitler reduced Jews to vermin (alimañas). Is Speigelman doing the same thing? Why?

4. What adjectives would you choose to describe Spiegelman's work?

5. Where do you think the artwork is more detailed? Where is the roughest? Is there something about those moments in the story that calls  for a particular way of drawing?

6. What stereotypes does the author use? Why did he choose them?

7. How does Spiegelman´s images supllant or circumvent words? Why?

8. How many different things are the pictures trying to tell?

9. In page 12, what does the number signify?

10. What is your opinion on the topic of the book?

You can start reading and the answers to these questions will be evaluated in class as homework and participation on Wednesday, 27th April, as we will be discussing the Holocaust. 

Were they leaders?????

 We checked the leaders' cheracteristics in class, based on the reading for homework. But, were Mao, Hitler, Mussolini,Franco and Hirohito leaders?????

Let's start first, mentioning the characteristics of a leader: it is the person who helps and guide the rest to a common objective, satisfying all parties involved. He/she solves conflics and offers solutions, based on his/her opinion and analisis but as well as on the others, as he /she listens and asks for advise. His/her personality is of a helpful, patient, humble person. For a leader, respect is earned.

In contrast, the dictator is the person who, by force sometimes, has the complete control over people, which he/she considers inferior/under him /her. There is no room for changes or suggestions. He/she demans total obedience. His/her personality is manipulative, nacisist and controlling. For a dictator, respect is demanded.

Why is it important to know about the difference? We must be critical,and to observe and analyse with a wide perspective and also based on knowledge. In this case, during the WW2, we have checked some dictators arising into power, and we will check how they ruled. On the other side, we will see some leaders to arise as well. Let's compare and contrast them as we read and watch some information about them and let me know here your comments to start a discussion.

Japan before WW2

 Hi there! 

Here is the presentation. Remember that some other things were mentioned in class, so you have to take notes.  

 Totalitarism and Democracy

This week and the previous one, we have been talking about totalitarian governments, mainly dictatorships around the world before the WW1. This is a key concept to understand the begining and the development of the WW2.  What do you think about this? We also read some information about Leadership and teh Psychology of the mass. Here I leave you a chart in Spanish to clarify all the points .

Hitler and Nazism

 

Hi There .

Here is the information presented by Paola and myself in class.

HITLER

WHO WAS ADOLF HITLER?

±  Adolf Hitler (Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, April 20, 1889 - Berlin, Germany, April 30, 1945) was one of the most conflictive and powerful historical figures of the 20th century. He ruled Germany during what was known as the Third Reich, carrying out brutal racial cleansing in what is widely known as the Holocaust. The expansionist desires of this dictator caused the Second World War. He ended up committing suicide on April 30, 1945 in his Berlin bunker as Soviet Union troops entered the German capital.

±  Adolf Hitler, who in a few years turned Nazism into one of the leading political forces, transformed the German Workers' Party into an instance of the extreme right. By 1932, the Nazi Party had 800,000 members and had the largest presence in Parliament.

±  Hitler's foreign policy was the key to his promised reconstitution of Germany, based on shifting attention from internal conflicts to aggressive foreign action. He aligned himself with the Italian fascist dictatorship, with which he intervened to help Franco in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), a dress rehearsal for the subsequent world war; and completed its alliances with the incorporation of Japan in an anti-Soviet alliance (Anti-Comintern Pact, 1936) until forming the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis (1937).

NAZISM

You can check the presentation here

Angel and Lalo's exposition

 FRANCISCO FRANCO BAHAMOE 

• Francisco Franco was a soldier 

• He was born on December 4, 1892 in El Ferrol, Spain 

• In 1926 he became the youngest general in Europe 

• In 1936 he joined the coup against the Republic 

• After the failure of the coup, a civil war began that lasted 3 years 

• In 1939 he assumed power 

SPANISH CIVIL WAR 

The Spanish civil war was a war between the republican side and the national side led by General Francisco Franco. 

CAUSES 

Opposition from conservative sectors 

CONSEQUENCES 

• Establishment of a dictatorship 

• The forced exile of supporters of the  republic 

• The crisis of the Spanish economy

 HI EVERYONE!

This week we have been analyzing and dicussing very interesting concepts, which will help us to understand the WW2, and not only that, but the world today. The first one was the difference between capitalism, socialism and comunism ( you were all confused in the begining, and that is completely normal!) so, we defined those concepts and explained the differences. The video we checked in class was the following, which is not too long but it gives us the main idea so you can easily differenciate the concepts.

The second topic we have checked so far is about the conformation of the USSR. As we already know about socialism and Marx and Engels ideology, it is easy to undersand the characteristics of the USSRin the beginning, and under the rule of Stalin.Here  is a link to a video explaining the beginning of the USSR as such. 

The map that appear in this entrance shows the countries now that belong to the USSR. 

So, what do you think about these topics? Do you have any doubt or something to share with group?

 

Hi!!! Please welcome to this space created just for you. Please feel free to share ideas, opinions, reflections, links, fun facts, jokes, pictures, memes...whatever you want in order to make the class more fun, richer and significant to you. One part of this will be graded ( yes, I know you aren't so thrilled about it, but it should be done), and that will be your week reflections, partial essays and the comments to your classmates based on those reflections and projects. The rest will be part of the participation evaluation.

Remember, the project is 20%, and 10% will be those week reflections (every friday) and the comments to at least 2 classmates every week.  I know that is obvious, but I should remember to be very respectful and read twice (or more) before you post any comment. 

On the other hand, the other 10% will be the essay. For the second partial exam, the essay I will ask you to have a deeper reflections, besides quotes and cites (Check the difference here ), and will be based on only one topic. So start checking the topics so you can decide on wich one you can talk about and have a "thesis" (check this info ). We will be checking a little bit more of this in class, but it is a good idea to start paying attention to the topics and start organizing your ideas to settle the thesis.

So, that's it. This will be a good chance to participate, get to know each other a bit better and practice the language.

See you in class and hope to read you soon!