Social Studies: What have I learnt this week?

Hi there! 

Today I will be sharing what I have learnt this past week in Social Studies. We have been learning about different cultures/ethnicity that have faced discrimination.  

We read passages about The Dawn Raids of the 70's, and Asian Hate. 

I learnt that in the 1950's, Pacific people were encouraged to work in N.Z. as there was a shortage of workers. Flash forward to the 70's (when the economy fell), some people, including politicians of the time started saying the Pacific people had overstayed their visas and were staying illegally. The police force started raiding houses of Pacific people, bringing dogs frothing at the mouth and flashing lights in the faces of people who lived in those houses too, all early in the morning hence the name. Luckily, a couple of days ago, on behalf of the Government, Jacinda Ardern apologised for the Dawn Raids and took part in a ifoga, a Samoan forgiveness tradition. 

We also read a piece of writing from a student from Iraq at another school in Christchurch. She wrote about how she wanted to start embracing her culture. She used to straighten her hair, ask her mum to make 'English' food and be asked to 'say something in her language' but refuse, all because she was afraid of what others would think of her. Now, she wants to wear her naturally curly hair proudly, she tells her mum to make all the Arabic dishes she can and instead of refusing to say something in her language, she will. She says she shouldn't ignore culture, because it would be like erasing half of herself. 

The last thing we learnt about this week was Asian Hate. We read a post by an actor called Simu Liu. He expressed how the Asian community has been experiencing a lot of hate crimes, stemming from COVID-19 and the association that people who are of Asian descent are to blame for COVID-19. Hate crimes toward the Asian community skyrocketed up to 1900% higher than it was last year. He also mentions the misrepresentation of Asian people, including in the media. Although it is a problem being dealt with, Asian people are still stereotyped for 'being smart' or 'good at maths', some of the most common stereotypes Asian people face. 

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Germany & The Great Depression

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about Germany and The Great Depression, something we have been learning about in Social Studies.

Why was Germany hit the hardest during The Great Depression?

Germany was hit the hardest because of all the money they owed in reparations also, the contribution of the Wall Street stock drop in October 1929 added to Germany being hit the hardest, since they were already so low on money to fund their country. 

What did Germany agree to by signing the Treaty of Versailles?

Germany signed The Treaty of Versailles on the 28th of June 1919. The treaty only came into effect on January 10th 1920. The treaty held Germany responsible for starting WWI. They also were forced to comply with some harsh penalties too, including loss of territory, extreme amounts of reparations and lots of demilitarisation too. 

How was Aotearoa affected by The Great Depression?

Aotearoa was affected by The Great Depression, but the damage wasn't immediately apparent. From 1930, export prices started to plummet and by 1933 fell to 45%. To New Zealand, a country very strongly dependent on agricultural exports, this wasn't pleasant to hear or experience. Unemployment rose to 12% in 1933 and people who were lucky to still keep their jobs experienced wage cuts as much as 20%. Episodes of unemployment riots occurred throughout Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch over a six month period. The government tried to ease the effects of the Depression by putting in unemployment relief schemes. However this would require men to travel long distances for very little pay. 

Thanks for reading! 

Social Studies: Stuff Article Comprehension

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing my reading comprehension after reading a Stuff article about Christchurch's issues with recycling. Here is a link to the article. 

1. What % of rubbish causes a recycling truck to be dumped?

1. If a recycling truck has 10% of rubbish in it’s overall load, it will be rejected and sent off to the landfill and be used as rubbish, not recycling. 

2. What is going into people’s recycling bins?

1. Dead animals, nappies, seatbelts, chainsaws and lots and lots of items which cannot be recycled.

3. What is the current penalty?

1. If residents aren’t recycling properly, they will get three warnings from the council to improve their recycling. If they don’t the bins will be removed from the resident’s property. To get their bin back, the residents will need to pay a $97.65 fine and sign that they will obey the recycling rules. 

Do you agree?

I think that it is good that residents get three warnings before their bins are taken away. It gives them a chance to improve and not have to worry about paying a fine to get it back. 

What do you suggest?

I think that the current app made by the council should get more attention and be advertised more so that people can install it and know what can go in what bin with a simple click of a button rather than needing to research on their own.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Greenpeace Research

 Hi there! 

In Social Studies we were required to make a brief slideshow about Greenpeace. Here is my slideshow:

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Plastic Pollution Article

 Hi there!

Today I will be sharing a news article I have written in Social Studies regarding plastic pollution in our oceans.

Here is a link to my work.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I have been learning about in Social Studies recently, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and where is it?

The GPGP (Great Pacific Garbage Patch) is a large plastic grouping offshore. It is the largest of 5 offshore plastic accumulation groups in the ocean. The GPGP is located halfway between California and Hawaii. The GPGP is twice the size of the state of Texas in the U.S.A., or, 3 times the size of France. This also translates to 1.6 million square kilometers. 

It's estimates that 1.15-2.41 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean through rivers every year. More than half of this plastic is less dense than the ocean, meaning that once it enters the ocean, it will never sink. 

The stronger plastics (interestingly more buoyant plastics too) show strong resiliency in a marine environment, This lets them be transported throughout the sea for extended distances. Eventually after much persistence, they make their way to the Garbage Patch and starts to become microplastic particles. 

How is it impacting the environment in a negative way? 

It is impacting the environment negatively in plenty of ways, here is a facts list of what is happening:

- The ocean is becoming more acidic and polluted

- If nothing is done, coral reefs may cease to exist in the next century

- If we don't do anything about ocean pollution, by 2050 the ocean will be filled with 50% of plastic and 50% of fish

- Plastic in the patch doesn't just stay in one place, it moves with the currents of the ocean. A plastic bottle could take 3-5 years to travel from California to Japan.

- Animals mistake microplastics for food, and eat them. These plastics stay with them until they die and carry on 'living' much longer than any of their lifetimes.

- It is estimated that there are at least 500 times more microplastics in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy. 

- The GPGP is actually mostly filled with single-use plastic such as plastic cutlery and bags.

-Not entirely related, but a cool fact: 

Marine animals like dolphins and whales come up to breathe, they are actually fertilising phytoplankton. These phytoplankton take in 3-4 more times of carbon dioxide than the whole Amazonian forest per year.

So, if these animals die, the ocean dies, and then, eventually we die too. 

What is being done to help with this problem?

Fortunately, people are becoming more aware of this issue. People are being more mindful with what they are purchasing and not buying single-use plastics. Simple things like owning a reusable drink bottle, using reusable bags are a great way to help. Researchers are also taking plastic and seeing when it was made and where it comes from, so they can get a better idea of what plastic is out there and how to combat it. 

What do YOU think?

It's a really sobering thought, thinking that an animal that swallows just even one piece of plastic will die. But the plastic they consume will carry on living for much longer than its lifetime. To me the designed life of plastic is artificial and unnatural. It’s designed to repel all natural forces, it is an alien to this planet. If you think about it, plastic has a life of what we associate with Mythological gods from Greece and Rome; endless. 

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Anti-Vietnam War Songs, Imagine by John Lennon

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about the Anti-Vietnam War song, Imagine by John Lennon in 1971. 

Here is a video of the song:

Here are the lyrics to 'Imagine': 

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace, you

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

What was the song about?

The song is a cleverly sugarcoated message directed toward the Vietnam war. Lennon completely disagreed with the idea of war, he believed that everyone should love each other and that we should live in a world of peace. His message behind the song was, "If you want peace, you have to imagine it first". 

John Lennon questions whether we need things which divide us as people, like possessions and religion. He believed/though people might get along better and love each other without having these things. 

He was also inspired by the film, Forrest Gump. He recalled watching it and agreeing with Forrest when he talks about a place without 'possessions' or 'religion'. The main inspiration however was from poems from the book, Grapefruit Yoko Ono, Lennon's wife had written. 

'Imagine' is a complex song, for a first time listener it will seem like a regular song asking for peace and some piano notes. This call for peace really calls for annulment of what we hold onto vehemently. It isn't a song of instruction which tells us to let go of how we present ourselves, but instead a song which provokes us into thinking and imagining things which seem outlandish in our society. 

It is a song which is revolutionary, but doesn't actually call for a revolution as such. It still has rightfully enduring relevance as it did fifty years ago when it was written. People want to imagine a peaceful place without the everlasting conflicts John Lennon sings about.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: The Beatles N.Z. Tour, Perspectives

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing a perspective blog post regarding the The Beatles tour. The two perspectives I will be covering are:

- Those who were for the tour

- Those who were against it

Perspective 1, For:

Who were they?

The people who were for The Beatles tour were the youth in New Zealand. Most specifically the teenage girls. 

Why did they feel the way they did?

The youth were for the tour of New Zealand because they felt as if The Beatles were they way the could express themselves and burst forth from the stereotypes and normality they were forced to live in. They believed that The Beatles were high and mighty, above everything else in the world. 

The Beatles were worshipped wherever their music came about, making them be seen godlike by their swooning fans. The Beatles provided the youth with basically some drama in their lives. Fans devoted their lives to The Beatles. They had an unsettling love for them which consumed them completely and shut off the rest of the world. 

The Beatles were relatable people, they were young  and represented others who wanted independence. This made The Beatles extremely loved by the youth in the world. 

Perspective 2, Against: 

Who were they?

The people who were against the tour of The Beatles in New Zealand were the older generation. These were generally the parents of the Beatle-hysteric young people who had grown up in a society where women had to stay at home, cook, clean, take care of children and be waiting for their husbands when they came home. This generation had grown up with The Depression and wars, which shaped them differently as people. 

Why did they feel the way they did?

This generation felt like this because they didn't believe that songs should be sung about young girls, especially songs which sexualised the young girls too. They didn't like the challenging of the youth, they didn't like that they were rebelling and expressing their opinion. 

Some people also didn't like the The Beatles and what they stood for because of their religious views. They believed that The Beatles lead the youth to Sin and troublemaking because they started to behave differently. 

"The songs of the Beatles and their contemporaries (including the local Beatles pastiche, Ray Columbus and the Invaders, with their huge hit “She's a Mod”) were listened to by a generation of youths who felt that they were suddenly liberated from many of the inhibitions of their parents, and who believed that only they knew how to enjoy themselves properly."

- Source: (adapted): Paul Moon, New Zealand in the Twentieth Century (Auckland: Harper Collins, 2011), pp 433–434

Here is map of where The Beatles toured, created on 'My Maps':

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: All My Loving, by The Beatles

 Hi there! 

Today I will be writing about the song, All My Loving written by The Beatles in 1963. 

Here is a video of what the song sounds like:

Here are the lyrics too: 

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away, I'll write home everyday
And I'll send all my loving to you

I'll pretend that I'm kissing the lips I am missing
And hope that my dreams will come true
And then while I'm away, I'll write home everyday
And I'll send all my loving to you

All my loving I will send to you
All my loving
Darling, I'll be true

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
Tomorrow I'll miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And then while I'm away, I'll write home everyday
And I'll send all my loving to you

All my loving I will send to you
All my loving
Darling, I'll be true

All my loving
All my loving
Ooh
All my loving I will send to you

What was the song about?

The song is about Paul McCartney going on tour and missing his girlfriend at the time, Jane Asher. It talks about how he will remember his girlfriend and how they kissed. It talks about how he will miss his girlfriend when he leaves and that he will write to her while he is away. It also talks about how he will be true to his girlfriend, meaning he will be faithful toward her and not be with another woman. Lastly, it states he will send all his love to his girlfriend too. 

How does it sound different from songs in the 1940's?

All My Loving, along with the majority of other Beatles songs caused extreme controversy and anger among the older generation. This generation didn't like the challenge from the youth and breaking of the status quo. These songs sexualised women, something which had never been seen before The Beatles and the Swingin' 60's.

The songs were essentially the voice to the younger generation, who felt repressed and therefore wanted to break away from the traditional ways of their parents. They wanted to break away from traditional clothes, music and language. 

The parents of these young girls were appalled and disgusted that songs were being sung about them. They didn't like these sexualised songs which had started spreading like wildfire, making their children, especially daughters go crazy. 

Songs in the 1940's were polar opposites to those in the era of The Beatles. For example, Swinging on a Star by Bing Crosby (1944) was about animals and how they looked, so they differed, A LOT.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Significance of WW1, ANZAC - The Last Post

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I have learnt in Social Studies regarding the song, The Last Post.

Here is a video of The Last Post being played:

When do you hear this song? 

The Last Post is usually played at ANZAC dawn services on the 25th of April 1915. It is sometimes played on Remembrance Day too. 

Why is this song significant/important to New Zealand?

The Last Post is significant to New Zealand because it is the song/tune we associate with mourning the soldiers who fought in wars. More specifically, the ANZAC troops and the campaigns they were apart of to help our 'mother' country, Britain. 

What is the history behind The Last Post - when and why was it played?  

Before being played at ANZAC services, The Last Post almost serviced as a bell and a noise to notify the soldiers as to what they were supposed to be doing and when. The song dates back to the mid 1800's - around about the same time of the signing of The Treaty of Waitangi as an example of the time. It gave the soldiers notice of when they had inspections, exercise time and other daily events they needed to do. 

What does this song represent?

The Last Post is played to mourn the dead and honour those who were lost at wars, whether they be far from home or nearby. It represents the history from a plethora of militaries, wars, nations and peoples. The Last Post lets soldiers rest in peace, let them go beyond the physical world and recognise they fulfilled their duty. 

Here is a map I made regarding the travel of the ANZAC troops and where they fought: 

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Parihaka: Tim Finn & The Herbs

Hi there!

This blog post is about Parihaka, and the song sung by Tim Finn & The Herbs called Parihaka.

Here is a video of 'Parihaka': 

Here are the lyrics to 'Parihaka':

Social Studies: Slave Trade Triangle

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I have been doing in Social Studies class. We have been learning about the Slave Trade Triangle, but I will be writing about the later stages of this. 

One type of song which was used was called a Spiritual. Spirituals were religious types of songs which would be sung at informal gatherings called praise houses. They were also sung at outdoor gatherings called bush meetings. The slaves would sing, chant and dance to these songs and sometimes enter ecstatic trances. These songs were used to uplift the slaves, give them hope and relay secret messages to escape. They were also sung at church, funerals and weddings if they were allowed to attend them.

One person who was an important person with abolishing slavery in America was Harriet Tubman. She created the Underground Railroad which was a system used to help slaves escape from the plantations they were stationed at. 

One spiritual song used was 'Wade in the Water' written by Harriet Tubman. The song relayed secret messages. Here are the lyrics to that song:

Chorus: Wade in the Water, wade in the water children.

Wade in the Water. God’s gonna trouble the water.
Who are those children all dressed in Red?
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Must be the ones that Moses led.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

Chorus

Who are those children all dressed in White?
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Must be the ones of the Israelites.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

Chorus

Who are those children all dressed in Blue?
God’s gonna trouble the water.
Must be the ones that made it through.
God’s gonna trouble the water.

Chorus

Tubman used “Wade in the Water” to tell slaves to get into the water to avoid being seen by their masters and sniffed out by dogs to make it to safety and a better life. 

The significance of this horrific event in history still runs clearly today. This can be seen with protests such as the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, as well as the Black Civil Rights movement too. Songs sung by the slaves many years ago, now has inspired new music about how African American people are still discriminated against. Spiritual and slave songs influenced the following genres of music:

• Blues
• Soul
• RnB
• Gospel
• Rock n Roll
• Rap

Songs such as the following talk about the Slave Trade and how it has impacted people today:

• Street Livin'- Black Eyed Peas
• New Slaves - Kanye West
• King Kunta - Kendrick Lamar
• Roll Jordan Roll - Topsy Chapman
• Queen of the Field - Alicia Keys

Here is a map I made regarding the Slave Trade Triangle:
 

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: New Zealand Government Structure

Hi there!

Here is a poster I made explaining the New Zealand Government Structure:

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: New Zealand Protest Movements

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about Protest Movements have happened in the past, in New Zealand. I have chosen to write about the bombing of the Greenpeace 'Rainbow Warrior' 

What happened?

On the 10th of July, 1985 the Greenpeace flagship boat, also known as the 'Rainbow Warrior' was bombed by two undercover French Secret Agents who were from the Direction Générale De La Sécurité Extérieure, otherwise known as the DGSE/French Secret Service. The bombing happened at Marsden Wharf at the Auckland Harbour. 'Operation Satanic' was the name of the bombing operation for the Rainbow Warrior.

 Two limpet mines were specifically placed on the boat from underneath the water by the two DGSE agents. The bombs went off just before midnight, the first one leaving a 2m2 hole in the engine room and the other smaller bomb which was attached to the keel.  The Rainbow Warrior was wrecked beyond repair. With this, also taking the life of Fernando Pereira, a freelance photographer among the Rainbow Warrior crew.

Who was involved?

In total, there were 12 French agents who worked on Operation Satanic in New Zealand, with this group of 4 teams. The Ouvea team, the support team, the attack team and the two remaining people, the team commander and information gatherer. 

The Ouvea team consisted of 5 people, they brought the bombs and other equipment into New Zealand. The people in the team were:

• Ronald Verge (Chief Petty Officer)
• Gerald Andries (Petty Officer)
• Jean Michel Bartelo (Petty Officer)
• Xavier Maniguet (Doctor, specialist in diving accidents)

The support team was made up of a pair of DGSE agents, Captain Dominique Prieur & Major Alain Mafart who acted as Swiss honeymooners. Their part in the operation was transporting the bombs, gear and agents. 

The combat team, this team attached the bombs to the boat. The team was made up of:

• Jean Cammas (Combat Diver)
• Jean Luc Keister (Combat Diver, Team Leader)
• Gerald Royal
• Francois Verlet (Coordinator, left before bombings)

 The last team consisted of two DGSE agents, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Pierre Dillais who was the operation commander and Christine Cabon who gathered information and also joined the Greenpeace organisation. 

Why were they protesting?

The Rainbow Warrior was bombed because the Rainbow Warrior and the crew aboard are sailing to the Mururoa Atoll in the Pacific, the place where the French carried out their nuclear testing. France had been testing their nuclear weapons at the Mururoa Atoll since 1962. The first nuclear bombs were dropped from the air, then in the 1970's due to protests, the testing went underground. By 1985, a shocking number of over a 100 tests had happened at Mururoa. New Zealand, being a nuclear free country wasn't for the testing in the Pacific, Marion Hobbs, the Minister for Disarmament in New Zealand at the time said 'If you want to test you should do it in your own backyard'. Each explosion caused the island to sink by a couple of centimeters, leading to sides of the island completely blown off and a crack running through the side of the island which was about 800 metres long and 30 centimeters wide. The French wanted to stop the Rainbow Warrior from reaching Mururoa.

What was the outcome?

Only two of the 12 people part of Operation Satanic were arrested and found, all the others got out of New Zealand swiftly and quietly, including the two men who placed the bombs on the Rainbow Warrior. Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart are arrested, they are charged with murder, arson and conspiracy. In court, they plead guilty, expecting to be deported at worst or a heavy fine, instead they are both given 10 years in prison in New Zealand. However, a deal thought up by the U.N. sees Prieur and Mafart released and taken back to France. In return, France is forced to apologise to New Zealand and Greenpeace, they also pay Greenpeace 8 million dollars in compensation and a further 13 million to the New Zealand Government. 

On the 12th of December, 1987, the Rainbow Warrior set out on her final voyage to her resting place in Matauri Bay. The Rainbow Warrior is left to sink, while members of the public look on from boats. 

The Rainbow Warrior now brings new life into Matauri Bay, fish and other marine wildlife living there. Coral and seaweed grow on the wreck.

Greenpeace isn't done yet though, in 1992, seven years after the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior, her successor, the Rainbow Warrior II goes to the Mururoa Atoll, a Rainbow Warrior has finally made its way to Mururoa. France reluctantly stops nuclear testing, joining the United States of America, United Kingdom and Soviet Union.

However in 1995, a new president told the military to start doing nuclear testing again. This prompts the Rainbow Warrior II and her crew to sail off to Mururoa, one last time. Finally, in 1996 France stopped nuclear testing at the Mururoa Atoll once and for all. 

The daughter of Fernando Pereira, Marelle Pereira still demands for justice regarding her father's death. She says that she and her family have accepted what happened to her father in 1985, but that they won't forgive or forget it.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies- Political Poster Nelson Mandela

Hi there!

Here a political poster I made for Social Studies.

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Robert Mugabe Facts Poster

Hi there!

Here is a blog post about Robert Mugabe who was the leader of Zimbabwe.

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Social Studies: Past & Present Leaders

Hi there!

Here is a timeline I made in Social Studies about past or present leaders.

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Social Studies: Governments

Social Studies: Where the Black Plague fits in History

Hi there! 

In Social Studies we are learning about the Black Plague. An interesting fact I have learnt is that the deaths caused by the Black Plague is estimated to be between 75-200 million. 

Here is a timeline showing where the Black Plague:

Thanks for reading!

Social Studies: Alaskan Tsunami

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about the Alaskan Tsunami, something we covered in Social Studies. 

The Alaskan Tsunami happened in 1958, on the evening of the 9th of July in Lituya Bay. The cause of the mega-tsunami was the striking of an earthquake which struck the Southeastern side of Alaska. The earthquake triggered a mega-tsunami, it's maximum height reaching 524 meters high. Not only did an earthquake and mega-tsunami affect the area, a rock slide did too. 

Below is a graph showing the difference between the Alaskan Tsunami and famous landmarks: