Vacation Reading, Week 1, Mahatma Gandhi and Nonviolence

Hi everyone!

  I'm very excited to be writing to you all during our vacation time.

  The article below is about nonviolence.  You may think that you know what nonviolence is, but it is much more complex than you think!  One of the most famous people to ever use nonviolence is Mahatma Gandhi.  I want you to read the speech below and reply to me with your thoughts, if you would like.  If not, ask your parents and family about Mahatma Gandhi and figure out why he is so important in world history!

Mason

  Mahatma Gandhi gave this speech in August 1942 to the All-India Congress. Gandhi was just starting his Quit India movement. At the time, India was ruled by Britain. The Quit India movement aimed to end British rule. It was a nonviolent movement. The British arrested Gandhi and other Indian leaders the day after the speech. Five years later, India won its independence.

Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India"

Mahatma Gandhi (right) with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during a meeting of the All-India Congress in Bombay, now Mumbai, India. Photo: Dave Davis, Acme Newspictures Inc./Wikimedia Commons


THE SPEECH:

  Before we vote, I want you to understand two things very clearly. I want you to think about them from my point of view. I ask you to think about these things the way I see them. If you think I am right, you will do as I say. It will be a great responsibility. People ask me if I am the same kind of man that I was in 1920. People ask if I have changed. You are right to ask that question.

  I can tell you for sure that I am the same Gandhi as I was in 1920. I have not changed in any important way. I am just as committed to nonviolence as I was then. I believe in it even more now. There is no difference between what I say now and what I said in the past.

Unusual events are happening now. Things like this do not usually happen to people. I want you to know that all I say and do comes from Ahimsa, from the idea of nonviolence. This first copy of the resolution of the Working Committee is based on Ahimsa. Our struggle is connected to Ahimsa. If you don't believe in Ahimsa anymore, don't vote for my resolution. If you are tired of Ahimsa, don't vote for my ideas. Let me explain what I think. God gave me a priceless gift to use. That gift is Ahimsa. I and my Ahimsa are walking together. We live in a dangerous time. The earth is being burned by the flames of violence, of Himsa. I must use the skill God gave me. I must use it to help the earth. If I don't use that skill, while the earth cries out for help, God will not forgive me. I shall be judged not worthy of the great gift. I must act now. I must not wait and look on. I see Russia and China are being threatened.
We are not fighting for power. We are in a totally nonviolent fight to make India free. In the usual kind of war, a general takes over a place by force. He might set up a dictatorship. He could then make all the rules by himself. But this Congress has a plan. It is nonviolent. There is no room for dictatorship. 

  A nonviolent fighter who wants the country to be free wants nothing for himself. He fights only to make his country free. The Congress is not worried about who will be in charge when the country is finally free. The power will belong to the people of India. It will be up to them to decide who should have the power. Maybe the Parsis will rule. I would love to see that happen. Or maybe power will be given to other people we have not talked about today. If that happens, you should not complain. You must not say, “That group of people is tiny. They did not do enough to help make the country free. Why should they have all the power?” Ever since it began, the Congress has stayed perfectly clean and fair. It has always thought of the good of the whole nation and has acted that way. I know our practice of Ahimsa is not perfect. But in Ahimsa there is no failing or losing. I believe that if we do become free, it will be because God helps us. He will help us even though we are not perfect. He will reward us for our steady worship for the last 22 years. We will be rewarded for getting rid of our selfish pride.
  
  I believe there has never been a more democratic struggle to be free than ours. I read about the French Revolution while I was in prison. I've heard about the Russian Revolution. Those struggles were fought violently. I think because of that they did not make perfect democracies. The country I hope for will be made by nonviolence. Everyone will be free and equal. I invite you today to join the struggle for such a country. Once you realize this you will forget the differences between Hindus and Muslims. You will think of yourselves as Indians only. You will know we are working together in a shared struggle.

  Then, there is the question of the British. I have noticed that many of our people hate the British. The people say they are disgusted with how the British behave. They think Britain's takeover of other countries and the British people are the same thing. These people hate the British so much they would even welcome the Japanese. It is a dangerous idea. It means that they would trade being slaves of one country for being slaves of another. We must get rid of this feeling. 

  Our fight is not with the British people. We fight British imperialism. We fight how their government has taken over our country. We did not ask the British to leave India because we were angry. We just want India to play its part in this time of war. It is not a happy thing for a big country like India that we don't. We should not only be giving money and things to help during the war. They take things from India while the United Nations carry on the war. We cannot show the true spirit of giving and courage, while we are not free. The British Government will not be able to keep us from being free, after we make a contribution to the war. We must not have feelings of hate. I can say that I have never hated anyone. I feel I am a greater friend of the British now than ever before. One reason is that they are in terrible trouble. As a friend I should try to save them from their mistakes. I see them standing on a cliff over a bottomless pit. I must warn them of this danger. I have to do this even though it may make them angry. They might want to cut off the friendly hand that is stretched out to help them. People may laugh, but that is what I see. This is a time when I may have to begin the biggest struggle of my life. I must not hate anyone. 


In an e-mail to me, or as a comment below.  Write your thoughts (in an organized way!) about nonviolence (Ahimsa) or Gandhi or resolving conflicts like the one Gandhi faced.  If you don't have anything to say, don't write!  No worries!

masonhults@abaweb.org

Monday June 16th Reflection

Hi all:

Read this Newsela article and answer ONE of the three questions at the bottom.

CARACAS, Venezuela — On a recent weekday, the government was holding military exercises as it prepared for a foreign invasion it says is coming. Just a few miles away, about a dozen senior citizens were gathered in a classroom learning about another war-time invention: vertical gardens.

Empty Grocery Shelves, Long Lines

“Vertical gardens were pioneered during World War II,” a teacher said as he instructed students on how to turn plastic bottles into planters that could be hung on a wall or balcony. “We need to take advantage of every space possible.”

This is Venezuela’s latest weapon in its battle against hunger: big-city agriculture, or urban farming.

Venezuela has been swamped with images of empty shelves, soul-crushing lines and food riots. In response, the administration is now urging city dwellers to begin growing some of their own food.

Ministry Of Urban Agriculture

In January, President Nicolas Maduro created the Ministry of Urban Agriculture, saying it was critical to “fight the grave economic situation” being produced by “falling oil prices and the war being waged by the U.S. Empire against our national economy.” More recently, the administration has said metropolitan areas should grow at least 20 percent of their own food.

Urban farming is a global trend from Miami to Hong Kong, but here it is as much necessity as hobby.

A poll in April found that 86 percent of those surveyed bought “less” or “much less” food than they used to. Only 54 percent said they ate three meals a day.

"Back To The Land"

Petra Meneses, a retired 66-year-old doctor, said the soaring prices of vegetables had forced her to get serious about home gardening. In her neighborhood, a bag of green peppers costs about 1.800 bolivares. Equal to around R$16, that amount is almost a tenth of her monthly social security check.

Given Venezuela's state of crisis, "we have to go back to the land,” she said. “Even if that land is inside the city — in our homes.”

Some may wonder why the country with the world’s largest oil reserves is struggling to keep food on the table. Venezuela's problems are due as much to global forces as they are to government policies many people consider wrongheaded and ineffective.

Black Market Markups

Many farmers say government neglect, land seizures and price controls aimed at keeping food easily affordable have strangled rural development. Rice, sugar and corn — staples of the Venezuelan diet — all cost more to grow than they can be legally sold for, according to the Federation of Agriculture.

The regulated food that does make it to the store is often scooped up by bachaqueros, people who buy food and resell it at huge markups on the black market. As a result, while the regulated price of an egg is 14 bolivares, it is nearly impossible to find one that costs less than 100 bolivares.

To complicate matters, Venezuela has the world’s highest inflation, or rate of price increases. As a result, hoarding is widespread, as many consumers stock up today on items they know will cost more tomorrow.

"I Can't Find Rice"

The result of all these pressures create a confusing mix: extremely long lines and bare shelves at stores that sell regulated goods, while neighboring stores that deal in unregulated products might be stocked but at prices that are too high for people to afford.

Jaqueline Tavarez, 50, had woken up at 3 a.m. and dragged her two-year-old grandson across town in hopes of finding some food on a recent weekday. She was number 60 in a line that stretched hundreds of people long to get into a grocery store.

“I will buy whatever I can find,” she said of her shopping list. “Right now, in our neighborhood, I can’t find rice, pasta, yuca or potatoes.”

Tavarez said she and her older daughter often skipped meals to keep her grandson fed.

Collapsing Oil Prices

“We just can’t afford it,” she said. “How are we going to pay 4,000 bolivares ($9) for milk or 1,500 ($3) for rice?”

The late President Hugo Chavez first began talking about urban agriculture years ago, before the lines began stretching and prices started soaring. However, it never caught on in a nation that has traditionally imported 70 percent of all its goods. Venezuela was able to import so much because of its rich oil reserves. The country could export oil and use profits to import other necessities.

Collapsing oil prices have sapped the country’s ability to bring food in. As a result, Venezuela is now ripe for adopting the new practice, Ana Lucia Simons says. Simons is an official at Simon Rodriguez Experimental University, a state-run institute that has been charged with spreading the gospel of urban agriculture.

Crisis Brings Opportunity

“During times of great difficulty there are great opportunities,” Simons noted. Currently, she said, the El Nino weather phenomenon, global warming and political trickery are all hammering Venezuela's farmers.

“We have problems with water, we have problems with production and we have this induced war that has increased prices abysmally,” she said. “In this scenario, if you have a plantain tree, a yuca or tomato plant, it helps resolve your problem a little bit.”

President Maduro says the country needs to prepare for a foreign invasion. However, the real threat is likely to be in the guts of Venezuelans.

Ainda Olivo, a government worker who is also trying to spread urban agriculture programs, said there are many reasons to think they will be successful this time. There is unused land in the city, people are not working and money does not go as far as it once did.

“Before, we didn’t need to do this,” she said. “But as they say, necessity is the mother of invention.”

Reflection Questions:  Answer one question with at least three full sentences.  Read the description of the unit Sharing the Planet to help you answer the question.

1.  In the article that you read, what phrase from the Sharing the Planet description stands out most to you?  How is that phrase related to what you read?

2.  In the article that you read, explain what you understand about Venezuelan communities and the relationships within and between them.

3.  In the article that you read, explain how Venezuelans are struggling to share finite resources with other people and other living things. 

Force and Motion

Hi parents and kids!

Stop by Year 5 to see the experiments we did with rubber bands to learn about kinetic and potential energy!

Reflection Questions for Homework

  Hello my friends,

Here are the questions I would like you to answer in your PYP Notebook.  If you have a spare piece of paper you can do it there.  Make sure you follow the instructions about how many sentences.  If there are no instructions, write as much as you need.  Always use complete sentences.  Re-read your answers when you are done to edit them for spelling!

1.  How is a scientific law similar to and different from a law written by a government?  (3 sentences minimum)

2. Why is it more difficult to ride a bicycle uphill than downhill?

3. If a bus full of people breaks down, should everyone get out and push?  Why or why not? (2 sentences minimum)

4. Which law of motion was Newton's most important discovery about motion and why? (3 sentences minimum)

5.  What are three kinds of friction?  Give an example of each one using complete sentences.

6. What are two examples of kinetic energy you see in your home?

7. When a log burns, the potential energy of the log is converted into what kind of energy? (2 sentences)

8.  What are three things you want the judges to know about your project that makes your project totally unique!  (3 sentences)

Math and English Homework for June 8th

Math Homework:

(You do not need to rewrite the questions.  Just show your work.)

Multiplication and Division Word Problems:

1. Mr. Mason is buying a box of pencils for his Y5 students.  If a box has 48 pencils and he gives the same amount to each student, how many will each student get?

2. Ms. Carla is planting tomatoes in her garden. If each tomato plant produces 6 tomatoes and she has 12 plants in her garden, how many tomatoes will she get in total?

3. All the kids from ABA are meeting in the play area to watch the circus!  If there are 14 classes going,and each class has 25 students, how many students will be in the play area?

4. Ms. Fernanda is making treat bags for her birthday party.  If she is inviting 9 friends and has 200 pieces of candy, how many pieces will each friend get?  Each friend has to get an equal amount.

5. Guilherme Carvalho is selling candy bars to raise money for the hungry.  If he sells 18 candy bars at R$4 each, how much money will he raise?

Bonus:  How many candy bars will he have to sell to raise R$4.004.

This next part should be done in your language notebook.  Make sure you are putting titles on your pages.

English Word Work:

Change these sentences to the present tense.

1.  Felipe divided the candies into one thousand parts.

2.  Carol used thousandths to represent the candies.

3.  Daniel ate one thousandth of the candies.

4.  Eduarda G. lost six thousandths of the candies.

5.  Marina F. spoke to Fernando about the candies.

6.  I lost one hundredth of my money.

7.  I spoke for one sixth of the presentation.

8.  You spoke for five sixths of the presentation.

9.  You got six and five hundredths of the total.

10.  She got eleven dogs.

Conjugating Verbs:

  Remember what we learned about conjugating verbs.  The table is an example.  It shows the verb EAT in the present tense.  You can use it to remember what 1st, 2nd and 3rd person mean!

SINGULAR		PLURAL
1st person (I)	eat	1st person (We)	eat
2nd person (You)	eat	2nd person (You all)	eat
3rd person (He, She, It)	eats	3rd person (They)	eat

Copy the tables below in your notebook.  Make your work nice and neat.

Then complete the tables for the verbs: SPEAK, WRITE and BRING in the present tense and the past tense.  You will have six tables on your page.  

Requirements for Presentation

Music for Mr Wilson's Class

Homework for Friday June 3rd

Hello my movers and shakers of the future!

This first video is about a woman whose job is to design theme park attractions, just like you guys!  She is a mechanical engineer and a theme park designer. Listen carefully to the things she says!  Think about what you can add to your project to make it more appealing to the judges!  Also, pay attention to the words the presenters use and if there are any words you don't understand, write them on your SAZ Notes sheets or in your packet.

CLICK the button that says CC for subtitles.

The second is about some roller coasters in the United States.

Here are some famous Water Slides.  Listen carefully about the SAFETY CONCERNS that are raised.  You will need to talk about the safety features of your ride in order to convince the judges that your ride is safe!

Finally, here is a picture of what a really nice scale model, like the ones you made, can look like if you pay a lot of attention to beauty and details!