The Battle of Hastings Game

The Battle of Hastings game is a simple strategy game when you can either be Harold Godwinson or Duke William of Normandy. The game gives you choices for what you can do and you need to select the right choices to win. If you have studied the Battle of Hastings you can win very easily because the right choices are the ones which are historically accurate. I enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing that my historical information was accurate and winning the game. Whilst playing the game I learned how clever you have to be in a battle strategically because if you were William you needed to know just what choices and what risks you should take that would lead to victory. In the Battle of Hastings Harold Godwinson had just arrived at Hastings having walked 200 miles North to fend off Harald Hardrada, King of Norway. His men were tired and weak and barley fit for battle. Harold posted his men on the hill outside Hastings and made a shield wall. This benefited them because it meant the Normans needed to charge up the hill into the shield wall. Sometime in the battle, the Normans thought that William had been killed, and they started to retreat, and the English started to run after them. Then, William stood up and said he was not dead, and to keep fighting and the English were out in the open now and were caught unawares. William used this strategy many times and he eventually succeeded in killing Harold and won the Battle of Hastings. This game is a valuable learning experience because it gives you choices and it helps you see the logic and reasons for why a certain choice did not workout.

Catherine Called Birdy, What's it All About?

Catherine Called Birdy, the historical fiction novel by Karen Cushman, is about a simple knights daughter dealing with the difficult life of the medieval times and the restrictions of being a lady. This novel deals with the themes of, freedom of marriage, gender suppression and the control of ambition. Catherine longs to be able to marry who she pleases, like the villagers. This is seen all throughout the book when she gets rid of all her suitors and wants to marry George or Geoffry, but knows she cannot because they do not have the certain amount of wealth that her father wants his son-in-law to have. Catherine is under great gender suppression. She cannot do anything because of her lady training. This stands out in the novel wheb she cannot stand more lady tasks and wonders why lady's cannot climb trees or throw stones into the river. The control of ambition relates to Catherines suppression. Because she is a woman she is not allowed to do anything apart from being a lady. In the novel, she always wishes to become a monk or a crusader.
All in all the medieval times were an extremely tough time, especialy for noble lady's. Catherine has a lack of freedom to marry whoever she wants, she is suppresed and she cannot fuful her lifes dreams. They are in the middle between the villagers who can do what they want and the royalty, who also can do whatever they want. Where Catherine is, the fathers treat the lady's like chattle.

Shmuel

"Who is that?" I thought, looking at the chubby figure walking towards me. He's not on this side of the fence. Oh no! could he be a soldier? I thought I was safe from them here! But I was relieved to see that it was just a boy walking towards me. I must admit, I was frightened- not as much now- but he would surly be coming to bully me. As if I wasn't weak enough already. But again I was relieved that when he reached me, he just sat down on his side of the fence. "Hello," he said, looking at me in a strange way- as if I were an alien. He spoke with a foreign accent, but he had kind eyes, even though I knew he was a German. I was curious, so I said, "Hello," back...

10 Questions about the Holocaust

1. Go to the site and to the Education for students section. Click on the antisemitism section. Describe the look on the peoples faces in the cartoon.

2.What does Antisemitism mean?

3.Go back to the page before this and click on the next category; Life for the Jews in Europe before the Holocaust. How many Jews lived in Europe before the Holocaust?

4.What country in Europe had the largest Jewish population?

5. Click on the small map. read the paragraph. Where did the Jews mostly occupy?

6. How many Jews were in Russia(Soviet Union) at the time?

7. Go back to the Education Page and click on the next category, Nazi rise to power. Click on the Reichstag Fire. Describe what happened.
8. Go to the 5th paragraph. How did the propaganda go in Hitlers favor?

9. Go back one page. Click on the poster. Why do you think Hitler put up posters like this?

10. Overall, why do you think the people liked Hitler?

Jason and the Argonauts Answers

Question 1: I think That Jason and the Argonauts fits very well with the cycle of a hero but it is in a different order. First, he is born, and his uncle Pelias tries to kill him but he fails. Then, after being taught by Chiron, he sets off to to get his kingdom back from Pelias but Pelias sends him to get the golden fleece, which is the call to adventure. Before this, Chiron teaches him, which is the helper part. Jason crosses the threshold by building and setting sail on the Argo, his boat. One of the tests he faced on his journey was when he tried to get through the clashing rocks before the island which held the golden fleece, after he had recruited the Argonauts. Before this though, he ad to find helpers, which were the Argonauts he recruited through out his journey. The final battle was when Jason fought Medea to get the fleece, then, once he had retrieved the fleece, he escaped on the Argo. He then returns to his right full kingdom and shows Pelias the fleece, the return and elixir stage. Finally he becomes king of his home, the home stage.

Question 2: I think they have represented the hero accurately but in other myths I have read the hero was not so drippy; in the cartoon version of Jason and the Argonauts Jason was very dependent on other people, and like the documentary said, he was more normal than someone like Odysseus or Hercules. I think the helpers, or the Argonauts in this case, were smarter than in other myths like the myth about Odysseus. In that myth they just followed Odysseus blindly where ever he went.

Question 3: I think that the Argo and some of it's voyages could have been real. I don't think Jason and the Argonauts or the quest for the golden fleece were real though. But the documentary we watched in class proved that a ship like the Argo could be made, and the same materials used in the myth were found. Also many of the places the Argo was said to have travelled exist, such as Lemnos and the Clashing Rocks, so a great journey through those places could have existed weather it be an explorer, or a writer inventing stories about the places.

Curiosity, safe, or dangorous?

The African myth, Orphan Boy, and the Greek myth, Pandora, warn us of how curiosity can often challenge authority. In the myth, Orphan Boy, the boy could be described as the one with authority, and the old man could be humanity. The old man challenges the boys authority by following him even when the boy told him not to, he was just too curious, this led to the suffering of humanity. In Pandora, the god, Zeus, sent a box to Pandora to punish Prometheus' brother for being curious about humans. This myth shows 2 sets of evidence for my thesis because Pandora could not resist opening the box, and that led to the suffering of humanity as well. Why did those in power squash those with questions? Is it because they are afraid of rebellion? Or do they just not want to get suggestions from there followers?

My name

My Name

Why was I named Daniel? Because my mom and dad liked it that’s why! They had no idea that it meant, “God is my judge” in Hebrew, or “Attractive” in Irish. They just thought, “let’s name him Daniel” my sister on the other hand, who was 6 at the time, decided she wanted to call me, “Buzzy Bee” After 12 years, I still can’t imagine why.
From when I was about one, I was called “Foo” at home. I think it was my brother who home happily yodeling “Little rabbit foo foo” so I guess it just stuck with me but after 7 years I had had enough. I thought I was manly enough to be called Daniel at home as well as in public.
Now back to when I was named Daniel. Apparently my parents named me Daniel because it was common, but not that common and it sounded a bit conservative and smooth, not like “Brick” or “Thud”
What about my last name, Beaumont? Well for a start, Beaumont is French for beautiful mountain and I’m from New Zealand. I suppose way back when, I had a French relative who climbed a mountain. I think Beaumont is a nice, smooth name as well and I think Daniel Beaumont fits all right, not like Thud Beaumont.
Over the past few years I have really just started to think about my name, and I’ve realized that I quite like it. I think I suit it. And I think it suits me. So I think my parents made a great choice.