Top 10 Percent Graduating Essay Example For Students

Top 10 Percent Graduating Essay Top Ten PercentGraduating top ten percent is a hard road filled with four years of all nighters, study sessions, and countless hours at the library. To graduate with this honor not only brings pride to ones parents but it also gives the student a special privilege. The top ten percent rule passed in 1997 (House Bill 588) by the 75th legislator automatically accepts these students to any public Texas University. While this may seem like a noble idea on the surface, in retrospect this gives an unfair advantage to the rest of the graduating class. Texas government believes that the top ten percent rule will encourage students to work harder in high school and increase the amount of minorities accepted into a public Texas University. Instead, it works against other hard working students who did not achieve top ten percent status but have other outstanding achievements. I believe that this rule excludes many deserving students and cause parents as well as public school systems to do irrat ional things to circumnavigate a well intentioned but poorly thought out bill. This rule should be abolished for the good of the future students. We will write a custom essay on Top 10 Percent Graduating specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now A great deal of hard working students who have made it their goal to attend the University of Texas at Austin are rejected solely on the basis that they are not in the top ten percent of their respected school. In the article ?Student Run Into to Ten Percent Law? published in the Houston Chronicle, a promising 17-year-old student who wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps by attending the University of Texas was reject purely on the grounds that he was not in the top ten percent of his class. The rejection letter stated that his ?academic record did not meet the required competitive level?(Nissimov, 1a) but his accomplishments such as maintaining a 3.94 grade point average and scoring a 1240 on his SAT (180 points above the national average) clearly states otherwise. His only draw back was attending a very academically competitive high school. His grade point average would have easily placed him in the top ten percent in many other schools but at the high school he attended, it on ly managed to secure him a spot in the top 30 percent. The top ten percent rule has caused students, parents, and schools to do outrageous things to get students in the top ten percent of their class. In some instances, parents were forced to move out of their home and or illegally place their children into a less competitive and less challenging school by falsifying their address. In the article ?Dumbing Down of the Education Plaguing Texas and the Nation.? By Marc Levin, states that ?There have been reports of parents transferring their children to inferior high schools to give them a better chance of graduating it the top ten percent, thereby receiving automatic admission to UT and AM. This outgrowth of the top ten percent rule provides a clear example of how leveling can bring an entire educational system down to the lowest common denominator.?(Levin, 2) These students may achieve the top ten percent status but in essence, they sacrifice the better education that they could have received. There have been cases in some schools that ha ve squeezed extra student in the top ten percent. At Westlake High School, 63 of the 491 seniors were in the top ten percent, but the math clearly shows us that in actuality that would make it 12.8 percent. ?Ms. Faske, the schools college career counselor, concedes that the school did inflate some students class rank.?Golden, 1) Another instance was at Lyndon Baines Johnson High School where 15 percent of the seniors managed to with the top ten percent status. .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 , .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .postImageUrl , .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 , .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:hover , .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:visited , .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:active { border:0!important; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:active , .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858 .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9c451f004ec3f5f5f3b7cab77666f858:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Is Ethnography A Suitable Meth EssayThe outcome of so many students accepted through the top ten percent automatic admission rule is that there is little room left for regular admission. As a result of this, many students end up in the provisional program offered here at UT Austin. The requirement for acceptance through the provisional program is that students are required to take 12 credit hours in the subjects of mathematics, science, social science, and English. They must pass all of their classes with no incompletes and must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.25. The provisional program is considered a tough and lengthy program but Br. Hall, a professor of Bio logy at UT, best describes it by stating the ?the provisional program is basically 9 weeks of cramming.?(Hall) The students who do make it into UT under the provisional program are faced with another dilemma; they are automatically placed in the school of liberal arts. This poses a problem for many of the students who want to pursue a degree in a major outside of liberal arts because the requirements to transfer into another major are extremely high. This controversial subject brings along with it much heated debate on whether the top ten percent rule helps bring an increase of minorities into our Texas Universities. National leading newspapers such as USA today have written, ?The top ten percent rule has had successful results because it promotes racial diversity, and it still rewards hard work and merit.?(Evans, 2) The actual statistics of the amount of minorities accepted in the top ten percent contradicts this statement. ?In 1999, blacks accounted for 4 percent of the undergraduate population, the same as in 1996. Hispanics accounted for 14 percent of the undergraduate students today in 1999, also the same as in 1996.?(Nissimov, 20a) One of the goals of the top ten percent rule was to racially diversify our schools but the numbers still remains stagnant, unchanged in the value of minorities accepted for the past three years. House Bill 588 passed in 1997 was indented to promote diligence, hard work and to eliminate discrimination. This bill was created to promote equality and to allow everyone with the same opportunities but instead it does more damage than does good. The top ten percent rule has made students, parents, and schools to do things that they normally would not do such as escalating 15 percent of the senior class into the top ten percent. Students who are truly deserving of being admitted into a good school never get the chance because this rule single handedly counts them out. The top ten percent rule automatically accepts the top ten percent of the graduating senior each year but in retrospect, it rejects 90 percent of hopeful college freshmen. BibliographyEvans, Margo. Personal essay. 15 July. 2000. Golden, Daniel. Some High School Fringle To Cram Kids Into Top 10%. 15, May 2000(http://www.asqdelaware.org). Levin, Marc. Dumbing Down of Education Plaguing Texas and Nation. HoustonReview 5 June 1999 (http://www.houstonrewiew.com/articles/36.html). Nissimov, Ron. Students run into top 10 percent law. Houston Chronicle 4, June. 2000:1a, 20aGovernmental Issues

College Farewell Party Themes

College Farewell Party Themes If you or someone you know is heading off to college, a college farewell party can be a fun way to celebrate the start of an exciting new chapter. The following themes can all help to make sure a farewell party is the perfect balance of celebration, acknowledgment, and fun. Book Theme   Dont think nerdy; think scholarly. A book-themed party can provide all kinds of creative ideas, whether its a write-the-next-chapter-of-your-life idea or one that focuses on the academic nature of college. Additionally, decorating with books can be easy on the budget, as you (and your friends and neighbors) likely already have a ton of books you can use for centerpieces and the like. State Theme If youre going to college in a new state, consider making that states history and reputation the theme. Places like Hawaii, New York, California, and even Idaho all have strong identities that you can use. Additionally, look into a state (or even specific colleges) history for more ideas. Sports-Team Theme If your school is known, for example, for a great football team, that can easily become your farewell party theme. Similarly, if youre going to college in a town with famous professional teams like Boston those can also be adapted to a party theme as well. Course-of-Study Theme If you want to be a doctor, consider a party that revolves around those working in the medical field; childrens playsets of doctors coats and stethoscopes can easily become quick centerpieces and decorations. If you want to be a teacher, consider decorating with apples, books, chalkboards, and the like. Using what you want to study, or a job youd like to have after you graduate  can be a smart starting place for party themes. Off-to-See-the-World Theme This can be especially good if youre interested in studying abroad or majoring in something like international relations. The theme can easily carry over, too, with global maps, globes, and other world-theme decor. For an extra fun touch, see if someone can make an ice cream bombe that looks like the earth! What-Will-You-Become? Theme Conversely, however, some students go off to college as undeclared majors and have no idea what they want to study. If this is the case, use the party as a chance to explore the possibilities of what someone can do while theyre away at school. Ask guests to write down their predictions for the future. Put out a crystal ball that sets the theme of what the future might hold. Sometimes the unknown itself can be a perfect farewell party theme. Role Model Theme If you, for example, a woman who is going off to study science, use the opportunity to acknowledge those who helped pave your path. Similarly, if you want to go to college so you can help your community or become politically active, find and display information about role models who helped you set your goals. It can be a great way for you to remind yourself of your internal motivations while also helping party guests learn about people they might not have heard about before. College/University Theme This one is so easy and yet so many folks dont even think about it. Plan your theme around the college youll be attending. Use school colors for things like plates and decorations; have key people wear shirts advertising the name of your future college or university; ask to have a cake decorated with the logo of your school. Its easy and fun and can help everyone celebrate your excitement. Ready-to-Bloom Theme If you love flowers, gardening, nature, or environmental issues, having an off-to-bloom! theme can be original and creative. You can use small plants or even seed packets for decorations and party gifts. You can use the analogy of heading off to college as the start of someone really opening up and becoming him- or herself. This theme offers a lot of funky ideas for the right creative mind. But given how much growth and change happens during ones time in college, it can also be the perfect farewell party theme at the perfect time.

How to Write an Internship Motivation Essay. 7 Steps

How to Write an Internship Motivation Essay. 7 Steps Internship Motivation Letter Guideline Motivation letter or essay aims to show that you want to work as an intern at school, university or a particular company. It is a great chance to show the potential employer why you are a good fit, giving insight into your personality and aspirations. Such a letter is more profound and thoughtful than a simple CV so it can render more details and information. A good quality motivation essay can distinguish you from other applicants and greatly improve your chances of getting the internship. Apart from a motivation application letter, you may also be asked to write an essay after finishing the internship. Such a letter must be a sort of a report, which reflects your experience, advantages of the company, internship’s impact on your personality and various aspects of life. Here are the most popular topics for personal internship statements: Explain how taking part in our internship meets your academic or career goals; What classes or programs you have taken, what experience you have to make you the best fit for the program; Give an example of situations, when your initiative helped to solve an issue. Almost every topic for an internship essay concentrates on the qualities and experience you have to become the best candidate for the chosen program. Tips for writing an internship essay Internship letters are not that different from other types of application essays. Your main goal is to explain what makes you a good candidate for the program and telling the potential employer about your achievements, academic results, and other important information. In this article, we have prepared a list of the most useful steps for achieving your goals. Step 1 The first sentence of your essay should grab the attention of the reader. Bear in mind that your introduction must intrigue the audience and make them willing to learn more about you. Remember that the potential employer has to read hundreds of essays, so yours must stand out from the first line. For example, start with an example of why you are the best candidate, backing it with numbers or achievements. Step 2 Finish your introductory section with a powerful thesis statement. It is very important because your thesis gives direction to the rest of the letter. It should concentrate on the internship you are willing to have. For example, you want to apply for a medical internship. In such a case your thesis should be as follows: ‘Because of my previous volunteering experience working with injured people and a strong desire to help those in need, I have developed a strong interest in your program. It will help me to improve my compassion and focus-on-details even more.’ Step 3 Don’t focus only on the internship advantages. Try to write at least several sentences about how you can contribute to the company or the university. Tell them what personal treats and experience will improve the place of your internship. Step 4 One of the most common mistakes applicants make is mentioning the same skills, which they have provided in a CV. Of course, it is highly recommended to discuss your strong sides in the essay, but you need to provide new details instead of simply repeating those, which were stated in your CV. Step 5 Not depending on the internship type, its schedule and payment, you must persuade the board that you will treat it with all seriousness, performing all the tasks in the best way. It is crucial to show that you will approach the internship like a real job and persuade the employer that it’s an excellent opportunity to achieve your academic goals and start a career. Step 6 Try to avoid common phrases and clichà ©s. Instead of paraphrasing sentences, you have found on motivation letter examples, try to mention your skills and achievements, which would make you a great intern. Step 7 Pay careful attention to the employer’s guidelines. Most of them provide potential candidates with strict instructions. They may concern formatting of the page, including spacing, word count and margins. It is important to compose your letter according to those demands. If the quantity of words is not stated, then try not to exceed 500 words. It is more than enough to tell about yourself and not to bore the reader.

Research Problem of Coca-Cola Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Research Problem of Coca-Cola - Case Study Example Therefore, this called for a change of strategies by Coca-Cola and their option was to introduce a new product that offered the same feature like their competitors. In this case, they had to conduct a research in order to introduce a new product to market. Â  After the investigation, they identified that Pepsi was offering a product that had a sweeter taste and this contributed to a growth in the preference resulting in increased market share. Coca-Cola commenced a research project, whereby they spent two years and $4million prior to settling on a new formula. They conducted 200, 000 taste test on the final formula and a blind test, whose results were sixty percent of the consumers choosing the new formula over the old one. In fact, fifty-two percent of the customers choose it over Pepsi, and this was an indication that new coke would assist in dealing with the problem of losing the market share to Pepsi. Â  There was a narrow definition of the research problem by Coca-Cola, given that the research emphasized on the taste only and ignored the feelings of the customers in relation to replacing the old Coke with a New Coke. Therefore, Coca-Cola Company should have investigated on other intangibles such as the band name, history, packaging, cultural heritage, and reputation. In fact, they forgot that the symbolic meaning of coke was more important to the consumers than the taste. Moreover, Coca-Cola should have focused on the conducting a marketing research considering these emotions. Furthermore, there was a poor judgment during interpretation of research planning strategies by the managers. Â  

Partnerships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Partnerships - Essay Example opriate information may indicate that it is better for the organization to adapt ways that would eliminate any existing limitations instead of remaining independent. This brings the idea of partnership. In addition, an organization can empower its employees through sharing information with them. This would help the employees in making the most appropriate decisions concerning partnerships since they have adequate information beforehand. Moreover, empowerment through creation of clear goals as well as objectives would aid in empowering the employees to make goal-oriented decisions. For instance, the employees might suggest establishment of partnerships as the main way of realizing specific goals as they are well informed on the goals of the organization. Furthermore, creating an environment that encourages making mistakes through taking risks would also be helpful in establishment of partnerships. This would encourage the employees to try new things with the customers and encourage ot hers to do the same. However, berating an individual for trying something would keep others from doing the same and hamper creativity and development in the organization. From an experience perspective, my employer does not punish or even yell at us, the employees, for having introduced a customer to a new idea and asking them to try it. Instead, my employer encourages us to continue trying new things and rewards those successful in developing new ideas. This has extended to the point that risk taking is a competitive advantage that our organization uses to compete in the

Hemingway and Symbolism Essay -- essays papers

Hemingway and Symbolism Ernest Hemingway and Symbolism Ernest Miller Hemingway is a well-known American author who wrote in the twentieth century. He has written several novels such as, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and The Old Man and the Sea. The Sun Also Rises was finished on April1, 1926 and was published in October of 1926. The Sun Also Rises was Hemingway's expression of his own life. He had changed the names of his friends and some of the details, but the real identities of the characters were obvious to anyone in Paris. The Sun Also Rises encapsulates the angst of the post-World War I generation, know as the Lost Generation. This poignantly beautiful story of a group of American and English expatriates on a sojourn from Paris to Pamplona represents a dramatic step forward for Hemingway's evolving style. Featuring Left Bank Paris in the 1920's and brutally realistic descriptions of bullfighting in Spain, the story is about the flamboyant Lady Brett Ashley and the hapless Jake Barnes. Ernest Miller Hemingway is an American author who has penned several novels and short stories; one of his works is The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway was raised with the conservative Midwestern values of strong religion, hard work, physical fitness and self determination; if one adhered to these parameters, he was taught, he would be ensured of success in whatever field he chose . As a boy, he was taught by his father to hunt and fish. When he wasn't hunting or fishing his mother taught him the finer points of music. Hemingway never had a knack for music and suffered through choir practices and cello lessons, however the musical knowledge he acquired from his mo... ...ause the baby will ruin both of their lives. Next is the character of the woman who shows contrast, and supports the qualities of â€Å"the girl†. She is called â€Å"the woman† because she is older, and the reader is to assume, wiser, and experienced. The â€Å"girl† talks about â€Å"having a fine time† and â€Å"trying new drinks† which shows that she is still young, living a life of ease, experiencing a lot of things, where as the woman brings these â€Å"new drinks† to the girl. This displays the woman as mature, older, and experienced because she is working instead of â€Å"trying new drinks†, and â€Å"having a fine time.† She is no longer yound leisurely trying new drinks, she is working trying to earn a living. She is an indirect supportive device of the theme in that she the opposite image of what the girl is. The woman further defines the symbolic qualities of the girl, in other words.

They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky

About the Book Benjamin, Alepho, and Benson were raised among the Dinka tribe of Sudan. Theirs was an insulated, close-knit world of grass-roofed cottages, cattle herders, and tribal councils. The lions and pythons that prowled beyond the village fences were the greatest threat they knew. All that changed the night the government-armed Murahiliin began attacking their villages. Amid the chaos, screams, conflagration, and gunfire, five-year-old Benson and seven-year-old Benjamin fled into the dark night. Two years later, Alepho, age seven, was forced to do the same.Between 1987 and 1989, thousands of other young Sudanese boys did likewise, joining this stream of child refugees that became known as the Lost Boys. Their journey would take them over one thousand miles across a war-ravaged country, through landmine-sown paths, crocodile-infested waters, and grotesque extremes of hunger, thirst, and disease. The refugee camps they eventually filtered through offered little respite from the brutality they were fleeing. In They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky, Benson, Alepho, and Benjamin, by turn, recount their experiences along this unthinkable journey.This is a captivating memoir of Sudan and a powerful portrait of war as seen through the eyes of children. And it is, in the end, an inspiring and unforgettable tale of three young boys who, cast against all elements, had the will, the tenacity, and the very good luck to survive. TEACHING AND READING GUIDE In the Classroom This disarmingly intimate memoir delves beyond headlines to bring readers deep into the heart of the Sudanese conflict – and into the flight of three children determined to escape it. It deciphers Sudan’s struggle from the inside. Who is fighting it? Why?Who are the victims? How did these boys survive without food, without family, for so long? At the same time, the journey of Benson, Alephonsion, and Benjamin over these many years and these thousand miles reveals how small minds comprehe nd and process the violence of war. Their story also begs the question: Can and should the international community intervene? What can be done? Pre-Reading Activity Have students bring in recent news articles and clippings regarding developments in Sudan. Try to piece together the conflict from these accounts and clippings. Discuss the history of Sudan’s war.How do the students feel about the conflict? What do they think it is like to grow up during wartime? You may also invite them to bring in articles regarding intervention or immigration. Do they think intervention important? How do they feel about refugees, like the Lost Boys, seeking asylum in this country? USING THIS GUIDE To the Teacher: Reading and Understanding the Story examines the reader’s comprehension and retention of the book itself, and of the war as Benson, Alepho, and Benjamin relate it. Students should refer to the narrative to answer these questions.Themes and Context encourages students to use the book as a lens into larger ideas, events, and issues. These questions encourage students to think freely and independently on the war in Sudan and the broader moral and political debates stemming from it. Teaching Ideas offers course-specific projects, essays, and discussion questions for classes: English/Language Arts, Geography, History, Science, and Social Studies. READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE STORY Definitions Ask students to define the following terms with reference to the book: Dinka; SPLA; refugee; jihad; genocide; murahiliin; UNHCR. ComprehensionLook at a map of Africa. Locate Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Kenya. Identify the Nile River. Find Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum. Try to locate Bhar al Ghazal (the region where the Dinka live). Before this phase of the Sudanese war, a treaty had brokered peace between northern and southern Sudan. What was the name of this treaty? (See Judy Bernstein’s introduction. ) Describe the landscape in which the authors grew up. What was their village life like? Benson recalls first learning of the war around village fires. What does he learn from the tribe elders? For much of his journey, Benson wears red shorts.Where did he get these? They are almost ruined one night. What happens to them? Why does he treasure these shorts so much? Along their journey, Benson, Benjamin, and Alepho meet many kind family and friends. Who is Monyde? Who is Yier? Why are they important in this story? Despite their clear desperation and young age, time and again the boys find villages turning them away, denying them food, and directing them back into enemy hands. Why do the villages do this? Yier recalls the government storming Wau Wau University. â€Å"We were led to the dorms and questioned: Do you know the leader of the rebels, ______? What was the name of this leader? As the refugee camp takes shape at Panyido, the UN begins sending food relief. What do they send? How does this diet differ from the usual Dinka diet? What are some of its mis-intended consequences? (see p. 92) Benson writes â€Å"I have many bad memories that I will never erase from my brain† but of these, the flight from Panyido stands out. Why were the Sudanese forced to leave Panyido (Ethiopia)? The refugees had only one means back into Sudan. What was it? What were the perils of this flight? Who was Mr. Hyena? Why did the refugees call him that?Name two positive aspects of Kakuma life for the Lost Boys. Name two negative aspects of it. At Kakuma, refugees receive food in the form of grain rations. Though the rations are small, many still end up selling some portion of these at the market. Why do they do this? What are the consequences when the camp learns of this underground grain market? The journey through the refugee camps and finally, to America introduces the Lost Boys to a new language (words like â€Å"dessert† and â€Å"because†), a new culture, and many new things. Recall two episodes where the authors en counter new objects or concepts.Describe their initial reaction in each instance. BROADER THEMES AND QUESTIONS FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP. Robert E. Lee once said â€Å"What a cruel thing is war†¦ to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors. † After reading this book, do you think this is always the case? How does war impact families? How does it shape friendships? What qualities does it bring out in people throughout the story? RITES AND INITIATIONS. â€Å"My mother wore the radiating scarification mark on her forehead as a sign of her bravery† remembers Benson. Rites and initiations are important aspects of the Dinka culture.Explain two different cultural initiations common to the Dinka. What is the role of such rites in a culture? Do you know of any such rites, initiations, and/or identifying marks in your own family or culture? GROWING UP. Though torn from their homes and their families, the Lost Boys were still very much children. From their e arly childhood in the village to their adolescence in the refugee camps, we watch them grow up in this story. Can you relate to any of their experiences growing up? What about the games they play? How do they view and interact with the opposite sex? How do their views of education relate to your own?How do their perceptions of adults and authority figures change through the story? THE â€Å"OTHER†. Benson’s father attempts to describe the enemy to his children. He explains: â€Å"The government troops are Arabs and call themselves Muslims. The Arabs wear a long white dress with a large handkerchief tied on their ears†¦They speak a strange language that we cannot understand. † But when he continues he says: â€Å"You must beware. Some of the Muslims are traitors from Dinka tribes; they speak the way we do. † Imagine Benson’s confusion. Are friends and allies easily distinguished in war?Consider how we try to describe and define people â€Å"ot her† than our peers and ourselves. Do physical traits define who we are and who we are not? Link this idea to recent other conflicts and wars: Rwanda; Vietnam; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. LIFE AS A REFUGEE. Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya is the light at the end of a long and dark journey for the Lost Boys. They risk everything and endure unspeakable pain, hunger and thirst, just to enter the camp. Yet the camp presents them with its own menaces and challenges. After several years in the camp Benson decides he hates it than â€Å"more than anyplace. What makes him say is this? How do the Kenyans and the camp administrators treat the refugees? What is life like as a refugee? SPIN. Joseph Goebbels, the Propaganda Minister in Nazi Germany, once declared: â€Å"We have made the Reich by propaganda. † Throughout They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky, we see government and rebel forces alike manipulating facts and media to their own ends. Consider the role of propaganda in the book. How and why do you think leaders use propaganda? What is its purpose? What is its impact? Have you ever heard of or encountered propaganda in your own media? What about in the government?GEOGRAPHY AND CULTURE. When the Sudanese government institutes Sharia law over all of Sudan, the Dinka tribes grow angry. Benson recalls the village elders complaining: â€Å"We have too much to do with our cattle, our plantations and hunting†¦. † What is Sharia Law? What are some of the reasons the southerners resist it? What role do you think physical and geographic constraints play in determining the ideals and traditions of a community? TEACHING IDEAS English/Language Arts Ask students if they know of any immigrants, in their family or community, who came to the US from another country?Have them interview these individuals about their journey and present that person’s story to the class. Allow students to decide the medium for their presentation. For example, they ca n create a video-audio montage, enact it before the class, or rewrite that person’s story as a first-person narrative. Immigration and interventionism make major news headlines these days. Have students select one of these issues and research both sides of the debate. Then have them select a position, write a position statement on the issue, and then team up to â€Å"debate† the issue in class. Have students create a Kakuma Camp newspaper.Possible sections could include: Arts and Leisure, Sports, International News, Op-Eds, Marketplace (which could include articles on food rations or the state of trading in the Kenyan marketplace). Geography Make a map of Sudan. Have students chart out the major cities, rivers, mountains, and deserts. Have them demarcate the northern/southern divide and indicate the primary religion, resources, and activities of each region. â€Å"Piecing together Africa†. As the boys recall the landscapes they cross in they journey, they reveal Africa to be a land of rich and varied terrain – far more so than American students sometimes think.Create a large outline map of Africa. Cut out the countries and divide these among the students. After researching their country(s), students should report back with their cutout clearly indicating the major physical and geographic traits of that area. Now reassemble the map (preferably on a large surface). Have the students examine the reassembled map and try to understand the great geographic differences and divides of this continent. The southern tribes resist Sharia Law because, in part, as farmers and cattle-herders: â€Å"We don’t have time to pray five times a day. Have students research Islamic countries and report back on the major geographic features of these countries. What are the major resources, commodities, and products of these nations? Does physical geography correlate to cultural geography? Ask them what role they think geography played in shaping tra its of their own communities. History Colonization, violence, and civil war represent only a part of Sudan’s history. Create a Sudanese cultural timeline around the classroom. Assign students to specific periods in Sudanese history and ask them to research major events and cultural elements in that era.Have them create posters and/or dioramas replete with images and any objects they might find that illuminate their portion of the Sudanese timeline. History is always being created, and sometimes revised, by its sources. In August of 2005, John Garang died in a plane crash in Sudan. Have students locate accounts of this plane crash. Be sure they consult a variety of news media publications: left, right, American, British, African, Sudanese. Have them read the different accounts out loud to the class. Do these vary at all in facts or in tone? Discuss the importance of noting, and cross-referencing, sources in historical research.Science â€Å"We were all heads and hipbones. â⠂¬  Along the journey, the boys describe unimaginable hunger, such that they become like â€Å"stoneheads† teetering along. Investigate the impact of hunger on the human body. What are the caloric needs of the body? How does hunger impact body functions? How does it affect mental capacity? Have students consider their own diets and create caloric scales. Balance their daily intake of calories versus those the boys received (through their rations) at Kakuma. Have students identify the major illnesses and diseases that appear in this story (e. g. ehydration, snake bite, yellow fever, dysentery). Have them create a medical chart of these diseases. What are the causes? What are the symptoms? What is the treatment? Social Studies The UN is a large and complex organization. Have the students research and create an organizational chart of the UN system. How is it organized? How is it governed? How is funded? Where do groups like the UNHRC fit in this scheme? How are such subsidiary bodies programs administered, funded, and maintained? Have students read the UN Convention on the Crime of Genocide. What organizations report on instances of genocide today?Find examples of such reports in recent times. Distribute a template to the students and have them complete a rights report on one of these recent crises. Though governments, and economists, dislike them, underground economies can be necessities – at least to the producers and consumers within them. Why do the Kakuma refugees sell some of their precious rations? Why does the UN consider this wrong? Have students consider the case of Kakuma trading and set up a mock trial/debate that argues the social and economic consequences of such markets within aid-dependent economies.