Formal Writing

Do females have a right to education?

It’s 2017 and to this very day, at least 10 countries in the world still discriminate against girls. They forbid them to attend school to seek an education. Statistics show that there over 30 million girls of primary school age out of school, that’s basic education not being taught at such a young age. For the majority of girls living in these countries, being successful in life is not even an option. They’re either forced into marriage at a young age or child labour. I believe gender should not determine a person’s ability to do anything and both genders should be treated equally. Both girls and boys definitely have a right to education.

You may have heard of Malala Yousafzai fighting for her right to education back in 2008, and 4 years later, as a result, was shot in the head while on a bus heading home from school. This gained attention worldwide and people were outraged about the situation. Fortunately, Malala survived. She had high hopes of becoming a doctor but once the Taliban took over her hometown Swat Valley in Pakistan, she was unable to pursue this dream. Come night time the Taliban would threaten girls over radio and demand they do not attend school. In the Malala Yousafzai documentary, Malala said: “Girls around the world go to school freely, but here in Swat they’re afraid because of the Taliban.” Imagine setting foot outside of your home and instantly fearing for your life because you’re a female wanting to attend school. Growing up, this is how life was for Malala and many others.

According to statistics, 9 out of 10 women in Afghanistan are illiterate. This is because of the lack of schooling for young women. How about the 276 schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria back in 2014, or the thousands being forced into child marriage? All missing out on the education that they should be receiving and deserve. While watching the documentary I found out that more than 200 girls schools in Pakistan have been blown up by the Taliban. Also, in 2009 the Taliban threatened to kill any girl they saw going to class. School should never be a place of violence and fear but sadly this is the case for millions of girls worldwide. These young girls and their future are being targeted. Somehow education has gone from being a basic human right to being a crime. It’s devastating to see how girls are treated in these countries.

If you are wanting to help in any way you can join World Education. Here you can donate to help keep females in school and empower young women to learn and lead! A project named ‘Youth on the Move’ that took place in three countries in Asia during 2008-2015 helped to address education and health needs to youth. It is proven that many have improved with their reading and writing because of this project. Another organization Care overcomes the barriers that are preventing girls from having an education.

In my first body paragraph, I explained the major struggles Malala Yousafzai went through while fighting for her education. In my second body paragraph, I mentioned some countries where it is extremely difficult for females to get an education, followed by some statistics. Lastly, two organizations that help and support females in these countries that are unable to attend school. A lot of us may sometimes take schooling for granted. We as students are privileged to have an opportunity where we can come to school and learn and not be harmed by doing so. Because as we know, many others do not have this privilege. Education is a basic human right and is something anyone should have the right to.

English

Reading Log #6
Text title: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Text type: Novella
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' is a novella which was published in 1886. It tells the story of well known Dr Jekyll and an evil, sinister person named Mr Hyde. But actually, they're both the same person. Because of the extreme shame and guilt Jekyll felt about things which he had done earlier in life, he decides to create a potion. This potion enables him to live life as himself, Henry Jekyll but also live life as a beast named Mr Hyde.

An important part in this novella is when Jekyll begins experimenting with the supernatural. "He became wrong, wrong in the mind" us readers are now aware of the major impact this had on Jekyll himself. Another quote used in this novella which is very important is "Man is not truly one, but truly two" I think what Stevenson is trying to say is that there’s good and bad within us all. A bad side in which people usually want to hide. People sometimes turn to awful things just to find an escape, like how Jekyll turned to his potion.

Using the potion soon gave Jekyll a strong feeling of satisfaction and he becomes addicted. Stevenson wants us to realise the power of addiction and what it can do to one. For Jekyll, this potion eventually takes over his entire life. I was quite shocked to see how overpowering Jekyll’s evil side was compared to his good side. It shows us the monster that lurks within us all, especially the monster inside of Jekyll. I think the novella does a great job in portraying the battle between good vs evil, which can be seen when Dr Jekyll struggles to keep balance between both identities. It soon becomes too much for Jekyll. "Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confessions, I bring to you the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end" - Jekyll cannot escape Hyde.

English

Reading log #5
Text title: The White Helmets
Text type: Documentary

The white helmets are a volunteer organisation that operates in certain parts of Syria. When airstrikes drop over Syria, the 3,000 civilian volunteers rush to help the lives of others.The group have saved more than 60,000 people in Syria and the documentary is a academy award winner. Their motto is "To save a life is to save all humanity"

The documentary begins with Abu Omar speaking to us about what the group does and what they have to go through everyday. He says "we are always ready to respond to incidents" As soon as there is an airstrike that hits Apello (city in Syria) the white helmets immediately stop what they're doing and rush to where people have been seriously injured. This shows us not only how dedicated they are to the job, but also how brave these men are. 191 White Helmets volunteers have been killed while trying to save lives. Everyday they would leave their homes to go out and save others, not knowing whether they would even make it home later that night. So a great amount of bravery can be seen throughout the film. I think what's happening in Syria right now is total madness.
The white helmets are making a difference everyday, and they're doing what most of the world have refused to do, and that is to save the lives of Syrians. Innocent people are being murdered, beaten and tortured for no particular reason and a lot of people seem to neglect the fact that there's an ongoing problem in Syria.

I'm extremely fortunate to be living in a country that isn't at war or to be in a country where the people are not living in constant fear. Knowing that there are people out there like the White Helmets shows me that there really are people who are willing to formulate change. A certain part in the film which made me emotional was when one of the rescue members, Khaled Omar was killed by an airstrike just days after saving a 10 day year old baby buried for over 16 hours trapped beneath rubble. Omar was well known for rescuing many civilians during this civil war. This baby is known as the 'miracle baby' for having survived for so long while being trapped. The mother could be seen sobbing near the building until the white helmets rush to help. They had searched for hours and were prepared to give up, until Khaled Omar found and pulled the baby out. They did not lose hope while trying to search for this child.

Overall, while watching the documentary, it has made me feel great sympathy for all Syrians during this terrible time. It has taught me to appreciate the little things and just to be more grateful. The White Helmets certainly brings tears to your eyes but also captures the courage of a rescue group.

English

Reading log #4
Text title: Baby father
Text type: Short text

This book is a fast reads so is basically just a short piece of writing. 'Baby father' is written by Joanna Kendrick. It tells the story of a 15 year old couple, who are going to become parents. Joanna tries to tell us throughout the text what impact this has on both girls and boys.

Mickey, who is a 15 year old teen begins dating Emma. Not long after they begin dating, Emma becomes pregnant. Emma doesn't tell Mickey in person, she rings instead. He couldn't believe the news that he had just received, he thought she was speaking absolute nonsense and starts laughing. Emma gets emotional due to his lack of support and aggressively slams down the phone. I was annoyed at the fact that he laughed but was also confused as to why Emma didn't confront Mickey in person. The news immediately spread around their school which results into Mickey having an appointment with the school counsellor. The counsellor explains to Mickey how he is going to grow up very fast and should quit behaving like a child.

I don't think Mickey was quite aware of the situation he was now in because he made out as if it was a joke. Reality had not yet hit Mickey, for instance, when he spoke with the school counsellor he said "This was still such a weird idea that I laughed" which gave me the impression that he didn't really care at the moment. But the truth of the matter was that Mickey was going to be a father, whether he liked it or not. Mickey still didn't want to accept the fact, so he begins to isolate himself. I think Mickey had to realise that he was not the only one hurting during the situation. During this time, it's important for both Mickey and Emma to support one another.

This text made me feel sympathetic towards Emma because people were talking behind her back and giving her looks of disgust when she would walk pass. I am curious as to how Emma managed to cope with people like that, but she didn't let it get to her. She didn't waste her energy on the little things she knew she couldn't control. People were going to talk whether they knew her story or not. This made me admire Emma because it shows how strong of a person she is mentally. I think this is an important message for many young girls because despite all of the negative comments, Emma still stays true to herself no matter what. It reminds us of how strong us young girls really can be if we don't let the negativity get to us, and we have a positive mindset.

Teenage pregnancy is on the rise according to New Zealand statistics. For myself, I cannot relate to this text in anyway. But my mother, she was very young when she had me. She had to take on a major responsibility at a young age, just like Emma.

In conclusion the short text gave me more of an understanding on teen pregnancy. Although, it does make me feel a bit sad that others feel the need to bring down teen mothers because of the decision they've made, but also upsetting to see mothers abandoning children. Overall the text is something I do recommend to others.

English

Reading log #3
Text Title: ESCOBAR
Text type: Extended text

Born in Colombia, on the 1st of December, 1949. Pablo Escobar, one of the most wanted men in history. This book is based on the life of Escobar and the truth of the rise and reign of the Colombian drug lord. This is told by the one man who was with him every step of the way, his brother Roberto. In the year of 1976 Pablo collaborated with other criminals to form the Madellin Cartel, a ruthless drug organization who would supply and smuggle cocaine into the United States. Growing up, Roberto tells us that his family was very poor and Pablo had told their mother Hermilda Gavaria that he would later become rich. This statement made by Pablo was true as he was one of the richest criminals of all time. The cartel controlled approximately 80% of the cocaine supply in America. Pablo's cartel was making $60 million USD everyday, which would equal $420 million USD weekly and meant an yearly income of $22 billion. So yes, Pablo was absurdly rich.

Believe it or not, this man was considered a 'hero' to some people in Medellin because he helped the poor in certain parts on the city. For example, he donated to schools, gave money to the poor and built parks. This gave him the name 'Robin Hood'. Pablo once told family and friends "I will become president of Colombia" and in 1982 was elected an alternate member of Colombia's congress. The thought sounds insane right? A drug lord becoming president. It was obvious Pablo had no chance because the reasons behind his wealth later came out to the public. As a result, Pablo was forced to resign. After his dream of becoming president was scattered and when he finally came to realize he had no shot of such a high role, Escobar started to seek revenge on his enemies. He was responsible for thousands of deaths. His violence claimed the lives of innocent people including judges, politicians, journalists and police.

I was actually quite shocked that people would even think of him as a hero because you can't really call someone that if they were responsible for dozens of massacres, bomb attacks, kidnaps and so on. He was ruthless and did everything he could just to keep his business running, even if it meant killing innocent people. Seeing by his actions towards the poor people in Medellin, I believe that the act of kindness and 'generous' donations was to try and win the people over. Maybe he wanted to gain more power or even loyalty by having the people of Medellin look up to him. This text gave me a clear insight as to how far one would go just to get what they want, and how they would simply get rid of anyone who would try getting in their way.

This text definitely got me thinking of 'El Chapo' who was also affiliated in the drug business around the same time as Pablo. The crimes carried out by the two were very similar, for example, they would both smuggle cocaine, they were both drug traffickers and killed people.
You can't really say that Pablo is disliked by everyone. There are still some people who think he was a great man and are completely fascinated by him. I think for the people who are wanting to follow in his footsteps should really be aware of the consequences.
Pablo's brother Roberto talks about Pablo's capture and before he knew it, Pablo was wanted for all of the crimes that he did commit. Colombian forces were assisted by US forces as well as the CIA and DEA to search for him, the search continued throughout 1992-1993. Just one day after his birthday in 1993, Pablo Escobar was captured trying to flee across a tile roof. The Search Bloc who were three special groups made up to capture and kill highly dangerous individuals/groups are believed to be the ones who killed Pablo.

Overall, the book is filled with a bunch of interesting information about the city of Medellin and what impact it had on the people during the time Pablo was alive. I'd recommend it if you enjoy learning about different countries. I also recommend the series 'Narcos' on Netflix that tells the story about the Medellin Cartel, Pablo and his families lives.

English

Reading Log #2
Text title: The Zookeeper's Wife
Text type: Visual text
Author/Director: Niki Caro

'The Zookeeper's Wife' is a drama/history film directed by Niki Caro. The film is about a doctor named Dr. Jan Zabinski, and his wife Antonina who are the keepers of the Warsaw zoo in Poland. This zoo was one of the largest and most prolific zoos in 1930s Europe. On September 1, 1939, Antonina and her son Ryszard are shocked to witness the great amount of bombs being dropped before their very eyes. They later discover that their country is being invaded by the German forces. Jews living in Poland are instantly put into the Ghetto,  Jan and Antonina both putting their lives at complete risk, hide Jews in their house to avoid them from being put into the ghetto. Dr Heck was a man working with Nazi's and claimed he owned the zoo, Jan and Antonina. Heck, being the owner of Berlin zoo and ''Hitler's zoologist'' suggests moving the surviving animals to the Berlin zoo until the war in Poland is over.

The bombs dropped over Warsaw had a horrific impact on the Warsaw Zoo, leaving the majority of animals dead, and a lot of damage. Being part of the Polish resistance, Jan used this opportunity to secretly smuggle Jews in and out of the Warsaw Ghetto. We see this when he and his son Ryszard drive into the Ghetto, claiming that they're collecting food scraps for the surviving pigs at the zoo. While he makes his way into the ghetto trying to rescue a group of Jews, Jan comes across a young girl named Urszla who had just been raped by two Nazi guards. He saw how emotional this young girl was and what state she was in. Basically covered in blood and shaking in fear. Jan immediately insists that Urzsla leave the ghetto with he and his son. Under the front seat where Ryszard is sitting, Urzsla is put beneath his feet hiding under a jacket and is told to try and stay calm. As for the group of Jews, they're put beneath a large amount of food scraps at the back of the truck. Jan succeeds as Nazi's do not see them hiding beneath the scraps or Urszla in the front.

I personally believe that Jan and Antonina are both inspirational people because they saw first hand the injustice, the suppression, the oppression and took action in line with their morals, and were able to formulate change. I feel as if Antonina had an equal contribution in the overall situation. Antonina would take Jews down into the basement where they would sleep and were told not to make a sound when people were to arrive. She would play the piano as a signal for them when it was safe to come out and have dinner. She managed to earn the trust of Nazi's which would've been extremely difficult and uncomfortable in some ways for her, because little did they know, the Zabinski's were saving people that they hate. As for Jan I mentioned earlier in the text he would smuggle Jews in and out of the ghetto. This film gave me a motivational insight as to how far good people would go to put their lives on the line to save those in danger. I was disgusted how people were being treated in the ghetto. The fact that they were pulled out of their own homes and thrown into this place was horrible.

Jan shows extreme bravery in a certain part of the film when he participates in the Warsaw Uprising which was an operation by the Polish resistance to unbind Warsaw from German occupation. This results into Jan getting shot in the neck and captured by Nazi's. Worried sick about her husband, Antonina visits Dr Heck (who is mentioned in the first paragraph) and asks if he knows where her husband is being held. Upon Antonina's arrival Dr Heck begins to get suspicious as he heard her son Ryszard say earlier "Hitler ist kaputt" this could mean many things. Such as being crazy, to be broken or be dead. Dr Heck being a Hitler supporter, instantly questions Antonina as to why he heard her son saying this. He then finds out Antonina is hiding Jews in her house and she rushes back in time to warn them that Dr Heck and armed forces are on their way. They escape and make it away in time before Dr Heck arrives. He runs downstairs to where the Jews were being kept and discovers drawings on the walls of yellow stars. In retaliation, Dr Heck holds a gun to Ryszards head right in front of his mother.

In conclusion, this film really did touch me. I was blown away because Antonina and Jan were willing to take on such a high-risk role. 'The Zookeepers Wife' is a heartbreaking, but also truly inspiring film. The Zabinskis knew that what they were doing would've cost their lives. After seeing the sacrifices that were made to try and keep the lives of others alive is what truly inspired me. Overall, the Zabinskis managed to save 300 lives during the invasion of Warsaw. This film did get me thinking about The Diary of Anne Frank, because of how similar the personalities were. Anne showed great bravery during her hiding, as for Jan and Antonina also showing bravery by hiding Jews in their home.

English

Reading log #1
Text title: The diary of Anne Frank

This diary was written by Anne herself in 1942 and was later made into a well known book in 1947 named "The Diary of a Young Girl." Born in Frankfurt,Germany in 1929.  Anne was a typical school student. She was very bright and eager to learn. Anne attended Montessori school in Amsterdam, but in the year of 1941 things quickly change and Nazi's demanded that Jews and non-Jews cannot attend the same school. After the summer holidays, Anne starts going to the Jewish High School. Growing up, Anne wanted to be an actress but unfortunately it wasn't possible for her at the time.  Being Jewish, Anne could not enter the movie theaters. She was forbidden to do many things. Having received a diary from her father Otto on her 13th birthday, Anne developed a passion for reading/writing. I remember reading about Anne's mother Edith, and how she felt too afraid to leave their house to attend church one morning, which I find very upsetting. Edith thought she'd be putting her life at risk if she were to leave. On July 5, 1942, Anne's older sister Margot received a letter which required her to report to a Nazi camp. Having received this, the Franks immediately pack their things and escape to where they would hide in a sealed-off upper room at Otto's company building. A day before Anne received her report card from school is when the Franks escape. Having to leave your home, where you were raised to escape and go into hiding is something that I can't even describe. I can't imagine how Anne was feeling during this horrifying time.

As we all know, Hitler intensely disliked the Jewish ethnicity and did portray them in many negative ways. Reading this book, I do believe that Anne was the complete opposite. I was amazed as to how strong and brave Anne was throughout the hiding, her family had to be extremely quite during their hiding just in case anyone were to hear them. Also, she was told not to open her curtains because people would see her. Not being able to go outside did upset Anne. Anne said that she was terrified that their hiding spot would be discovered and they'll be shot.  I think not being able to speak very much did result into Anne continuously writing in her diary, maybe she felt that writing was the only way she could express how she was really feeling at the time. I can relate to this too because sometimes I write when I feel like I can't express my feelings. Anne would always start her diary as "Dear kitty", she thinks of her diary as a friend, which is understandable because she wouldn't really have friends during this time. She decides to name this friend 'kitty'. Anne mentions a boy named Peter Van Pels a lot throughout her diary, who is the son of Otto's business partner. She refers to Peter as "a lazy, obnoxious dope" as much of a disappointment Peter did sound like, Anne still cared for him very much.

Sadly, on the 4th of August in 1944 Anne and her family are discovered by Nazi's and are deported to Westerbork transit camp, and then on to Auschwitz. It is possible that someone may have betrayed the Franks. Anne's father, Otto Frank was the only person from their hiding to survive in the concentration camps. After reading this book, it made me feel grateful. Grateful for the changes that have been made in the world today and for the world that we have. Anne was just a teenage girl who did not deserve anything she went through. Anne died with her sister Margot in March 1945. Even though she was going through such a rough time she still managed to be such a cheerful and happy girl, which really inspired me.

There are a lot of powerful and important messages in this book, one being that you shouldn't treat others differently just because of their race/religion and to treat people with respect no matter who they are or where they come from. If Anne has taught me anything throughout reading this, it's that you should appreciate what you have and to cherish your moments with friends or loved ones. Because you never know when it'll all suddenly come to an end.

Science

Experiment 1
Investigating the Effects of Temperature on Reaction Rate

Aim: I want to investigate how temperature effects the reaction rate.

Equipment:

• Conical Flask
• Beaker
• Measuring Cylinder
• Stopwatch
• Black cross on paper 
• Water Bath 
• Thermometer
• 0.1mol/L sodium thiosulfate 
• 1.0mol/L hydrochloric acid ( HCL ) 

Method: 

1. Put X on paper on the bench mat and put the conical flask on top of paper.
2. Measure 50 ml of sodium thiosulfate solution and put it into beaker. 
3. Record the temperature of the sodium thiosulfate.
4. Measure 5 ml of HCL and pour this into the conical flask. 
5. Pour the thiosulfate into the conical flask, start the stopwatch and swirl the flask. Time how long it takes for the cross to disappear, when viewed from above i.e look down from the mouth of the conical flask.
6. Wash flask thoroughly.
7. Repeat the experiment using a water bath to heat the sodium thiosulfate to 30 degrees 40 degrees and 50 degrees keep the volume of acid the same each time

Results 
room temp 28 seconds 

• 30 degrees 50 seconds 
• 40 degrees 19 seconds 
• 50 degrees 18 seconds 

Conclusion- A chemical reaction is when two or more particles collide with sufficient energy and at the correct orientation/angle. The faster the reactants move the higher chance of a successfulreaction to occur in a lesser time. 







Experiment 2  Investigating the effect of concentration on reaction rate

Aim: I want to investigate what impact concentration has on the reaction rate.

Equipment: 

• A conical flask 
• measuring cylinder 
• stopwatch
• black cross on paper 
• 0.2mol/l sodium thiosulfate 
• 1.0mol/l of hydrochloric acid 

Method: Put the piece of paper with the X on the bench and put the conical flask on it.

1. Measure 10mL of Sodium Thiosulfate and put it into the conical flask.
2. Measure 40mL of Water and put it into the conical flask. Swirl to mix.
3. Measure 5mL of HCl.
4. Pour the Sodium Thiosulfate into the conical flask, start the timer and swirl the flask.
5. Stop timing when the you can't see the cross on the paper.
6. Wash out the flask thoroughly.
7. Repeat experiment 20mL of Sodium Thiosulfate and 30mL of Water.
8. Repeat experiment 30mL of Sodium Thiosulfate and 20mL of Water.
9. Repeat experiment 40mL of Sodium Thiosulfate and 10mL of Water.
10. Repeat experiment 50mL of Sodium Thiosulfate and no Water.

Results 

10ml of thiosulfate and 40ml of water took 3:22 seconds to react
20ml of thiosulfate and 30ml of water took 1:58 seconds to react
30ml of thiosulfate and 20ml of water took 0:57 seconds to react
40ml of thiosulfate and 10ml of water took 0:52 seconds to react