Moral Courage

We are doing a project on moral courage. Moral courage is standing up for what you believe in, especially when you do it for the good of others, the greater good. We had to choose a person we thought was morally courageous and have 5-7 facts about that person. I chose Harriet Tubman. Here are my facts:

• Harriet Tubman was a slave who escaped her plantation in Maryland.
• She smuggled hundreds of slaves into the free states via the underground railroad, which was a network of safe houses or people who would let you stay at their house even if the people staying were runaway slaves.
  
• I think she is morally courageous because she risked her life many times to smuggle hundreds of slaves to freedom.
• She smuggled slaves for 10 years.
• She was a wanted criminal and by 1856, there was a $40,000 reward for Harriet Tubman's capture.
• She was born a slave and one of her most dangerous trips was to take her parents to freedom.
• In all of her trips to go bring slaves to freedom she never got caught.
  

The Wave-Character

I am writing a set of directions for how I solve a problem and one for how Laurie Saunders from the Wave solves a problem

Me

1. I go home and think about whether I was in the wrong or if the other person is.
2. If I'm in the wrong I go and apologize to the person.
3. If they're wrong, I'll confront the person ALONE.
4. If they don't listen, I'll confront them with one or two witnesses.
5. If they still don't I get a parent or teacher and confront the person with them.
6. Problem Solved!!!

Laurie Saunders

1. Talk to your best friend about the problem.
2. If she doesn't listen, try your boyfriend.
3. If he doesn't listen, try talking to your paper staff and write an article in the school paper.
4. When your boyfriend comes to, talk to him about possible solutions of the problem.
5. Confront your teacher and talk to him about a solution.
   
6. Let him solve it and try not to worry.
   
7. Problem Solved!!!
   

The Wave-Theme

I set up a playlist/link list of different songs that I feel represent some common feelings in the book. If you wait a few extra moments and if you have YouTube there is a music video/ picture collage towards the middle of the page. Hope you enjoy them!

• Help- The Beatles
• Revolution- The Beatles
• My Way- Frank Sinatra
• I Will Survive-Gloria Gaynor

1. I chose Help! by the Beatles because I feel like it represents Laurie's feelings when she felt like she was the only one who knew the truth about the Wave.
2. I chose Revolution by the Beatles because it says"You say you've got a real solution, well you know, we'd all love to see your plan." Those specific lyrics represent David and Laurie's skepticism about Mr. Ross's solution.
   
3. I chose My Way by Frank Sinatra because Mr. Ross planned to stop the Wave 'his way', and David and Laurie wanted Mr. Ross to do it 'their way'.
   
4. I chose I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor because I thought it reflected Laurie's feelings when she discovered the Wave was bad. She needed the support that she couldn't have because Amy didn't understand her problem with the Wave. But she survived.
   

Essential Wave Question

Why do people have a natural instinct to look for a leader?



I think people have a natural instinct to look for a leader because they need one. They want structure. They want rules. They like knowing they are safe and protected. If we don't have a leader there is chaos. Ben Ross started the Wave so he was the leader. He, being the leader also stopped the Wave. Hitler started World War 2, but he didn't stop it. He let it escalate as millions of people were killed. He made other countries stop it with violence. He was a hateful and conceited man. He thought he was doing what was right. On the other hand, Ben Ross just let power get to his head and the whole thing got out of hand.
People look for a leader to lead them in what's right. They like knowing that someone important is supporting it. They have to be convinced they're doing the right thing. In some cases, like the Holocaust, the people involved were being brainwashed into thinking they were doing the right thing. I think it is terrible when everyone is looking for a leader and the one they find convinces them to do the wrong thing, like Hitler. In conclusion people look for a leader because they feel they need one.

Writers Workshop

I wrote this piece in class and I really hope you enjoy it! I had tons of fun writing it.

Safety Patrol, the Monster, and a Burrito

The younger students with their unzipped jackets and their whining, were driving her crazy. Emily hated safety patrol. She had to stand out in the frosty morning wind every morning. Then at one-o-clock, she had to walk the kindergartners home. They always whined that they were cold, and when she suggested that they put on their jackets, they said that it made their necks itchy. It was a job that was supposed to be for two people but she had to do it herself. The only good thing was she got to skip 4^th period, which happened to be her least favorite subject, Spanish. She decided that one day she would tell the kindergartners that a monster was chasing them so they would stop lolly-gagging and dawdling and get home quickly so she could hang out at Starbucks in her extra time. The monster story worked perfectly for about a week, until one tragic Wednesday. That Wednesday, while Emily was at Starbucks, her mom came in. When Emily's mom found out what Emily did, she found the school's telephone number, called the principal, and arranged a meeting. At the meeting, Emily's mom told the principal what Emily did, and Principal Redding took Emily off safety patrol. Emily was so happy to be off safety patrol! The only thing was that she had to take Spanish now. She decided that when she learned Spanish, she would run away from home and move to Mexico, because she was already going to be grounded for life at home. She would speak Spanish, ride donkeys and live off of burritos and tacos! Ole`!