Name:

Unit Reflection: Research Writing Human Rights

To conclude the unit, please reflect on your learning in Quarter 1.

1. What was this quarter all about?

This quarter was about are human rights, during this quarter we talked about the UDHR
and how it is related to us, after that we had a debate about being pro and con UDHR. After
that we had to make are own essay about a certain topic and relate it if possible, to cultural
clashes or any other clashes of that sort. After we were done making the essay, we had to
make a presentation for 4-5 minutes about are project, I enjoyed it and I think the other
students did too. On the side note, while we were doing all this, we also had to read a book,
and give a brief summary about the book in another essay. I chose the book Black Like
me, which is about a white man who decides to change his skin color to investigate the
rural African-American population in the 1960s

2. What are three of the most important things you learned in English class this
quarter?
a. UDHR
b. Speech
c. Human Rights

Below are some statements and questions that were meant to frame our unit. Discuss these
ideas in your groups and follow the instructions to respond. Your responses will help me
refine the unit planner and activities for Quarter 1. Email the completed reflections to me
by Friday, October 3.

3. Does your research this quarter support the following statement? (Yes or no). In the
chart, list some examples from the research topics represented in your group.
STATEMENT OF INQUIRY: The cultural expression of beliefs, values, attitudes and
language in communities may lead to human rights abuses as differences and
misunderstandings between cultural and ethnic communities can result in oppression
and abuses of power.

Clashing cultural or ethnic
communities
Expression of beliefs,
values, attitudes, and
language that caused the
clash
Resulting
misunderstandings,
human rights abuses, or
oppression
African Americans and
Caucasian Americans
Superiority because of race African Americans were
discriminated against.
Economic Poverty in Congo Not enough food for the
children and Adults in Congo
Political: Communist and
Democratic Ideology
Protests against government Protesters are thrown into
working camps for life and
can not leave.
Religious The fight between the Sunni
and the Shiite Muslims
Causes skirmishes and
religious restrictions in
certain areas

4. Based on examples from your research, how is language (spoken, visual and
written) used to promote human rights abuses, past and present?
From are research I found out that language, written, spoken or scene, are a part of human
rights abuses, for example, visual examples of Nazi Germany: They put of posters saying
that the Jewish Germans are not real Germans and that they were plotting to overthrow
Germany. It also said that if you were a true German you would not help them out and not
to even shakes hand with them, this was a form of propaganda that they used through
visual language.

5. Based on examples from your research, how is language used to stop human rights
abuses?
From my research people who speak out and are good at public speech have a strong
personality, for example my topic was about Martin Luther King Jr. He was very good at
public speech and he helped against racism in the United States, he helped stop human
rights abuses because he spoke out against to thousands of people at a time, he had a total
of about 1,000 speeches and his most famous was his I Have a Dream speech he made
while in Washington D.C. Also, another way he stopped the human rights abuses is when
he went on peaceful protests. This showed the Caucasian Americans and showed them it
was not right the way they were being treated. And because people could see how large
the protests were, it shows that it was a real problem at that time period.

6. Are all human rights abuses fundamentally based on cultural differences and
perspectives? If not, what are other factors?
Not all of the human rights abuses are based on cultural differences, but there are many
different types of reasons why it could happen, for example, for Martin Luther King Jr. and
other African Americans at that time period, it was not because of a cultural class, but
because prior to that, it was passed down from generation to generation that they are
below us, because of slavery. Another example is because of Political reasons, such as in
china, if someone protests against communism this is not a cultural difference but a
political one, and the result of this is if you get caught, you will be sent into camps where
you have hard labor and you will not be able to leave.