On January 16, 1893, four boatloads of United States Marines armed with Gatling guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition came ashore in Honolulu, capital of the independent Kingdom of Hawai’i. The Queen of Hawaii, Lili’uokalani looked down from her balcony as the troop took up their positions. The following day, Lili’uokalani surrendered-at gun point-yielding her throne to the United States. A provisional government led by wealthy white sugar growers assumed control of Hawai’i and petitioned the US for annexation.

What do you think of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom? To answer this question well, use what you learned in social studies thus far this year.

If you were Lili’uokalani, what would you have done during this time?

What qualities in Lili’uokalani made her a great leader?

Creating Sustainable Communities captures the mind through imagining the world that could be if we all make sustainable choices. We are introduced to the abstract concept of sustainability through the eyes of The Lorax by Dr. Suess. The Lorax teaches students the importance of revisiting children’s literature, which often holds deeper, more complex meaning as one grows older. The fable is about how the destructive “Onceler” ignored the warnings of the Lorax and destroyed the truffala trees to manufacture “thneeds.” When all the natural resources were used up, the Lorax gives this message: “Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing is going to get better.”

Humans and animals are dependent upon plant life for things such as food, clean air, water, etc., and that it is important to replace what we take from the environment when possible. We must learn about the harmful effects that man’s greed and carelessness has on our precious environment. Unless we take responsibility and care for the environment, it will not always be around.

Discuss how resources will eventually run out if they are constantly abused.

How do we as guardians and leaders of our ‘aina create a sustainable future?

*What things did you learn from Mr. Hannah’s presentation that left a lasting impression?

*After listening to Mr. Hannahs’s presentation, what do you think our kuleana as Hawaiians is?

*What do you think is your personal kuleana now and in your future?

*Do you have any questions? (optional)

*What things did you learn from Kumu Umi’s presentation that left a lasting impression?

*After listening to Kumu Umi’s presentation, what do you think our kuleana as Hawaiians is?

*What do you think is your personal kuleana now and in your future?

*Do you have any questions? (optional)

Around AD 500, Hawai‘i was settled by the Polynesians and around AD 1000 Aotearoa (New Zealand) was settled as well. The migration of the Polynesians is impressive considering that the islands settled by them are spread out over great distances—the Pacific Ocean covers nearly a half of the Earth’s surface area.

Today, Dr. Kepa discussed many interesting topics with our classes, focusing on knowledge systems of the Pacific Islands. What stood out for you in his talk? (For example, Capt. Cook, Tahitian wayfinders, mo‘olelo, Polynesian voyaging, etc.)

How will learning what you did today influence your thoughts about legends and traditional knowledge? How can you apply this knowledge to your life?

Unlike many people who believe that this is a terrible time to live because of the Global Warming crisis, I, on the other hand, believe this is an exciting time to be alive. We are in a period of time when we have a great opportunity to change and redesign the world in a loving and sustainable way. I would like future generations to look back on us now and say we were the finest and noblest of all generations—the generation that made this world an extraordinary place to live and thrive.

We have the technology to be able to cut our impact on our Earth by 90% quickly and efficiently creating an environment that is more sustainable to living things. What is stopping us from doing this?

A man in the video mentions that “things are thieves of time?” What do you think this means? Explain.

What can indigenous peoples of the world teach our world concerning our interactions with the environment and with each other?

How can we use our understanding of science and technology along with our understanding of culture and how culture changes to create a society that will interact with science and the world around us in a sustainable fashion?

What new jobs and opportunities do you think will be created in the future to create a sustainable and just world?

Humankind’s 11th hour is here: the last moment when we can change course and stop our rush toward global ecological collapse. This is the theme of the documentary we watched today. We watched astonishing images of floods, fires, hurricanes, collapsing ice cliffs and growing mountains of waste.

What were your thoughts and feelings watching 11th hour?

Do you think the near future will be mankind’s darkest hour or will it be mankind’s finest?

What can the world do to create a sustainable future for humankind?

What can you do personally to affect positive change for our planet?

If you’ve traveled around this world of ours – in continental Europe, in South America, in many parts of Asia – you have noticed that many of the world’s citizens speak two languages, and some speak three or more. In fact, there are more multilingual people in the world than monolingual.

Monolingual Americans – and if you are American you are likely monolingual – invariably feel a twinge of shame about this. In Germany or Singapore, Moscow or Rio, folks switch from their language to ours because it’s understood us backward Americans can’t switch from ours to theirs.

Rationale for learning another language.

Development of a global attitude-During their elementary school years, children are open to ideas of global understanding. Study of a foreign language and culture can serve as an important vehicle by which to expand their intercultural views.

Enhancement of cognitive skills-Cognitive development takes place when a child is faced with an idea or experience that does not fit his or her realm of understanding. The cognitive conflict becomes the catalyst for new thinking. Children who learn a foreign language are more flexible and creative, and they reach high levels of cognitive development at an earlier age than their monolingual peers.

Enhancement of communication skills-The study of foreign languages has also been shown to have positive effects on memory and listening skills.

Personal Benefits-Individuals who study foreign languages and cultures help themselves toward international and intercultural communication. They expose themselves to a global perspective, and enhance their career potential in the ever growing arena of international trade and cross-cultural professional exchange.

Why do you think it is important and beneficial to learn another language?

What language do you want to learn and why?

La‘au Point on Moloka‘i is an area historically used by native residents for subsistence—gathering and hunting. Moloka‘i Properties intended to build 200 homes over 800 acres on La ‘au Point. In return, Moloka‘i Properties has offered to put 55,000 acres into a community land trust. Water is scarce on the land, and Moloka‘i Properties already owns a resort on the dry west side that they have let fall into neglect.

Development (jobs) versus Hawaiian identity?

Did the people of Moloka’i make the right choice protesting against development?

What would you do if you were a leader of the Moloka’i community?

How do different groups of people view land and how do their views shape their leadership and society?

How is the control of land essential/important to people?

How is knowledge of history important for making and guiding future decisions regarding land use?

Consequentialism refers to those moral theories which hold that the consequences of a particular action form the basis for any valid moral judgment about that action. Thus, on a consequentialist account, a morally right action is an action that produces good consequences. In other words, the ends justify the means. Basically, the idea that any evil is OK if there is a good outcome. Anything is acceptable if it leads to a successful result. A supporter of this philosphy is Niccolo Machiavelli, a Florentine statesman, who wrote The Prince in the early sixteenth century. He believed a ruler had the right to stay in power, including trickery and dishonesty.

What does “The end justifies the means” mean to you?

Do you think what one is able to accomplish in the end, makes all of their actions along the way acceptable? Cite examples in history or in current events to support your argument.

In your life, when does “the end justifies the mean” apply to you, if ever. If not, why not?

The War in Darfur (called by some, including the American Government, the Darfur Genocide) is a military conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan. The current lines of conflict are seen to be ethnic and tribal, rather than religious.  The conflict began in February of 2003.

The deadly carnage in Darfur, Sudan, for example, which is almost always discussed in political and military terms, has roots in an ecological crisis directly arising from climate shocks.
Jeffrey Sachs, economist

Darfur provides a case study of how existing marginal situations can be exacerbated beyond the tipping point by climate-related factors. It also shows how lack of essential resources threatens not only individuals and their communities but also the region and the international community at large.
Think-Tank, CNA Corporation

Amid the diverse social and political causes, the Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

What can we learn from the crisis in Darfur, Sudan occuring now?

What can we personally do about this situation?

Creating Sustainable Communities captures the mind through imagining the world that could be if we all make sustainable choices. We are introduced to the abstract concept of sustainability through the eyes of The Lorax by Dr. Suess. The Lorax teaches students the importance of revisiting children’s literature, which often holds deeper, more complex meaning as one grows older. The fable is about how the destructive “Onceler” ignored the warnings of the Lorax and destroyed the truffala trees to manufacture “thneeds.” When all the natural resources were used up, the Lorax gives this message: “Unless someone like you cares an awful lot, nothing is going to get better.”

Humans and animals are dependent upon plant life for things such as food, clean air, water, etc., and that it is important to replace what we take from the environment when possible. We must learn about the harmful effects that man’s greed and carelessness has on our precious environment. Unless we take responsibility and care for the environment, it will not always be around.

Discuss how resources will eventually run out if they are constantly abused.

How do we as guardians and leaders of our ‘aina create a sustainable future?

Propaganda is a set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people. Instead of just providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. The most effective propaganda is often completely truthful, but some propaganda presents facts selectively to give loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of opinion, perspective, or behavior of the target audience.

If you watch CNN and watch the BBC, you’ll see quite a different perspective in news. The US tends to keep news localized unless it affects US interests, BBC reports on interests across the world.

In our current elections, notice how the candidates vilify each other. Sometimes politicians lie just to get votes.

How can you recognize propaganda?
How can you protect yourself against propaganda?
Is propaganda ever good? Cite examples.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and the Palestinian people. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is part of the wider Arab-Israeli conflict and is essentially a dispute between two national identities with claims over the same area of land.

Who do you think has the right to the land given the history you have learned this week?

How do you think this issue can be resolved?

Cite examples or you could do your own research.

In the pre-World War II years, the Black athlete was restricted from competition in all the professional sports. Only in the Olympics, because of its international nature, were Black athletes allowed to compete unrestricted.

After World War II, the attitude of Black people changed dramatically. For most people, Jackie Robinson has the honor of integrating professional sports by signing with baseball’s Brooklyn Dodgers.

Today, Blacks are now represented in all sports at all levels?

Why do you think Blacks were not allowed to play sports with the Whites?

Do you believe that Blacks now have an equal opportunity to play sports?

Please cite examples from the video you saw today.

Child labour is very common, and can be factory work, mining or quarrying, agriculture, helping in the parents’ business, having one’s own small business (for example selling food), or doing odd jobs. Some children work as guides for tourists, sometimes combined with bringing in business for shops and restaurants (where they may also work as waiters). Other children are forced to do tedious and repetitive jobs such as assembling boxes, polishing shoes, stocking a store’s products, or cleaning. However, rather than in factories and sweatshops, most child labor occurs in the informal sector, “selling on the street, at work in agriculture or hidden away in houses — far from the reach of official labor inspectors and from media scrutiny.”

Poor families often rely on the labors of their children for survival, and sometimes it is their only source of income.
According to the International Labour Organization, there are an estimated 218 million children aged 5 to 17 in child labor worldwide, excluding child domestic labor.

What does “childhood” mean? Are all children “children?”

How does childhood in other parts of the world compare with my own childhood?

What can I learn about myself from studying children of other cultures?

Give me an example in your own life when you were judgmental and made preconceptions.

What would you do differently?

What were MLK’s main ideas?

How did MLK change the world today?

What techniques did MLK use to persuade the world that his ideas were important?

The American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968) refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination of African Americans.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were black men who had a dream, but never lived to see it fulfilled. One was a man who spoke out to all humanity, but the world was not yet ready for his peaceful words. “I have a dream, a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed… that all men are created equal.” (Martin Luther King) The other, a man who spoke of a violent revolution, which would bring about radical change for the black race. “Anything you can think of that you want to change right now, the only way you can do it is with a ballot or a bullet. And if you’re not ready to get involved with either one of those, you are satisfied with the status quo. That means we’ll have to change you.” (Malcom X) While Martin Luther King promoted non-violence, civil rights, and the end to racial segregation, a man of the name of Malcom X dreamed of a separate nation.

Do you feel breaking the law is justifiable in some cases?

What type of laws do you feel justifiable to break? Give examples of past laws?

How would you break the law if you felt there was a need for change? Do you agree with how Martin Luther King wanted change or Malcolm X?

Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. The term is derived from the Latin, com servare, to preserve; “to protect from loss or harm”. Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have differing goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo or to reform society slowly, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo ante.

Some aspects of being liberal are:

• Favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
• Favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, especially as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
• Favoring or permitting freedom of action, especially with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
• Free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.

Please give specific examples why you think you are conservative, liberal, or both.

On January 14th, we will have the opportunity to listen to Immaculee Ilibagiza speak at the Bishop Memorial Chapel.

She was a 22-year-old college student, home for Easter. She and her family were Tutsi. At the urging of her parents, she fled to the home of a local Episcopal priest–a Hutu–and hid with seven other women in his 3’x4’ bathroom for three months.

When they emerged 91 days later, it was to discover that almost all their friends and relatives had been murdered, hacked to pieces by the machetes of their Hutu friends and neighbors. Ilibagiza lost her parents, grandparents, and three brothers.

But instead of letting rage, grief, and a desire for revenge take over her life, Ilibagiza reached inside herself and found only forgiveness. She is nominated as Most Inspiring Person of the Year for forgiving the unforgivable–the murder of her family, friends, and fellow countrymen.

Why do you think it is also important to learn about the terrible events of history as well as the inspiring aspects?

What type of paradigm would cause a genocide to happen?

What can you do individually to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again?

Next week, we will be visiting Pearl Harbor, a site that signifies the beginning of World War II for the United States. As we learned in class, the world was already at war, while the United States held an isolationist position up to the attack on Oahu.

Questions I would like you to respond to are:

What do you think are some of the causes of World War II?

Could a war such as World War II occur again? How and why?

How would you feel if you were a child living in Europe or Asia during World War II?

How would you feel if you were a child living in the United States?

Most children your age have some idea of what they want to be when they grow up. In colonial times, a 10-year-old had to make decisions about what he would do for the rest of his life. If you were a 10-year-old living during those times, what do you think you would want to be when you grew up?

What are manners? What are some manners children are supposed to have today? What were colonial children’s manners supposed to be like? Do they surprise you, why? How do they compare to your manners today? Why do you think they differed?

How do we travel in the 21st century? When and why would we use these types of transportation? How do you think people in the 18th century traveled? How would their different from ours? How would it be similar? How long did traveling take in the 18th century? What would it be like to travel a long distance back then.

These questions are due on Monday, October 15th, 2007

Today, we went to the colonial exhibit. We saw and experienced many artifacts that made life easier for the early White Americans. Would you consider some of these items technology? What is technology? What do you think are the 2 most influential inventions in human history and why?