The International Space Station is the topic I have decided to investigate

The ISS in orbit above Earth

The International Space Station (ISS) is an excellent example of global cooperation. The building of the ISS was taken on by a variety of countries. Each node or laboratory was constructed by a different country, or through the cooperation of two countries. Then, they are usually taken into space on one of the American space shuttles. A few of them though, were taken up by Russian rockets. Most modules are made by NASA in the United States, but they have also been made by Russia, Japan, Italy, and other countries in Europe under the direction of the European Space Agency. In all, the ISS is primarily operated by 15 different countries, mostly from North America and Europe.

The Canadarm2 is an example that shows international cooperation aboard the ISS

The Canadarm2 (yes that's how it's spelled) was built by Canada, of course, for the International Space Station. It is used to assist the astronauts (or cosmonauts if they're Russian) in space walks around the outside of the station and is used to remotely move payloads around the outside of the station from the inside. The Canadarm2 has seven different joints and has the ability to handle loads of about 116,000 kilograms, which is the weight of the Space Shuttle. Canada also constructed Canadarms for all of the U.S. Space Shuttles. Something interesting about the Canadarm2 is that it has the ability to move to other predetermined locations around the outside of the station, unlike the Canadarm in the Space Shuttles that have one end permanently fixed. This allows it to have a greater range of motion to complete tasks in many different areas of the station.

Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the ISS

If you look at the larger picture of the above image through the link provided, you will notice the Canadarm, the U.S. made Space Shuttle Atlantis, and the European Space Agency(ESA) module to the right. The module the Shuttle is docked to is European made with the aid of the United States. The module on the left of the docking module is the Japanese made experimentation module. It took many different trips to compile all of the modules together to form the ISS. Each one was taken up by a separate Space Shuttle and pieced together by the astronauts with the aid of the Canadarm.

The different components of the ISS separated by country

The ISS contains about 70 major components and several hundred minor components in all. The components were build in cooperation with the five main space agencies- NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Russian Federal Space Agency (RKA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the European Space Agency (ESA). The ISS contains six laboratories, two American, one European, one Japanese, and two Russian that are shared among all users of the ISS. There are also two Russian Crew Return Vehicles (CRVs), each holding three people each, that serve as a means of escape in case any problems should arise on the station. All of the parts of the ISS were constructed with the cooperation of the five major space agencies in order that all parts be compatible.




A group portrait of the Shuttle mission STS-131 crew (in light blue) and the crew of the ISS

The crews of each space station mission also show international cooperation. This picture is a good example. Of the group there were, 8 Americans, 3 Russians, and 2 Japanese astronauts. There has always been at least one American and one Russian ISS crew members aboard the station in its lifetime. Also, there are always at least two members aboard the station at all times. The use of the International Space Station has brought together many different countries to be able to study the mysteries of space and collaborate on scientific research.

Ive learned that leaders in many nations of the world face complex problems that they feel can't be solved without international action or cooperation

The Ugandan military continues to hunt for Joseph Kony


The fight against Chinese Internet addiciton will be a hard one

There are many problems that countries of the world face that they feel need the support of the global community in order that they are solved. One such problem is in Uganda, where they are trying to hunt down the Lord's Resistance Army. This rebel group, led by Joseph Kony, kidnaps children from African villages and trains them to kill and commit other crimes under the direction of Kony. The Ugandan military is strapped for resources to help hunt down this rebel group and its leader. They have resorted to using former L.R.A members to assist them in their search. The Ugandan military has also asked for the help of other countries in this search, including the United States, who is currently giving military aid. The help of other countries is crucial in the speedy capture of this band of rebels due to the limited resources of the Ugandan military. Another problem I have learned about this semester is the issue of Internet addiction in China. China, like many other technologically advanced countries in the world, face this growing problem. It is estimated that about 17 million people in China face the problem of Internet addiction. This takes away many hours of productivity from these people's lives and creates medical problems that are caused by too much computer use. While it is not absolutely necessary for this problem to be solved by international cooperation, it would certainly help facilitate a speedier solution for a problem that many countries in the world face today.

I understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed through analysis of primary sources of many kinds

A primary source is something such as a letter, artifact, or other piece of evidence from the time period that is being studied that helps you better understand what life was like in that time or that helps you to learn more about events that happened during that time period. These sources can help you to understand how people though and what their motivation was for doing what they did or how they addressed the problems that they had. These sources are only real primary sources if they were created during the period that they discuss. Primary sources are the most useful in groups of related evidence; since, you cannot make a developed conclusion based on only one piece of evidence. Also, different people can get different conclusions even if they are using the same primary sources in their research.



An advertisement for Singer sewing machines

This advertisement shows how the quality of life has changed in foreign countries that have imported Singer Sewing machines, made by an American company that is actually still around today. This advertisement is an excellent example of the spread of western culture and ideals during the New Imperialism. The people in Southern Africa, like those shown in the picture above, and also those in the rest of Africa, had been greatly influenced by the western world during the time of the New Imperialism. As a result of this contact, much of Africa started adopting some western ways and using a variety of western products, as shown in the advertisement. I obtained this information and this image from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in a photo gallery on the website of an American History 102 class at the
University of Wisconsin. I think that these are credible sources because they are certified institutions of the State of Wisconsin and are well know research facilities.



A political cartoon that shows the what the U. S. believes it did in the New Imperialism

This political cartoon shows how the United States believes it has improved the lives of these lands which they acquired during the New Imperialism. I do think that they helped to improve the lives of these areas; however, I am not sure whether or not the people that lived there were as receptive to the United States at first. This cartoon says that these areas were under the oppression of other countries, and the United States helped them to become unoppressed and gave them things like education and other benefits. This is how the United States acted in the New Imperialism.I obtained this information and this image from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in a photo gallery on the website of an American History 102 class at the
University of Wisconsin. I believe that this is a reliable source because I am sure that it is checked constantly for accuracy, being a reputable organisation under the state of Wisconsin.



The industrial power of the West helped it to gain a foothold during the New Imperialism

The New Imperialism was driven by several factors, one of which was economic gain. European manufactures needed new markets to sell their goods. They also needed a greater supply of resources to make their products. This industrial incentive that drove them was also greatly tied to their technological advantage over other areas of the world. The western world would not have been able to gain the advantage over other areas had it not been for their improved economies and technology. The image about shows a young man working in a textile factory. This relates to the New Imperialism by showing how labor in western countries was trending to a more advanced manufacturing state involving the use of machinery and production lines for increased performance and output, thus giving them an advantage over places that had not yet started using such techniques.I obtained this information and this image from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin in a photo gallery on the website of an American History 102 class at the University of Wisconsin. I think that this is a reliable sources because the State Historical Society of Wisconsin has been around more than 160 years as a reputable history source.



Commodore Matthew Perry's flag that he flew from the USS Missouri on his trip to Japan in 1853

Commodore Matthew Perry was instrumental in the opening of Japan's ports to the rest of the world, greatly influencing trade and Japan's later involved role in the New Imperialism. The flag above was flown on the USS Missouri when Commodore Perry entered Edo (Tokyo) Bay in 1853. His mission was to open Japan's ports and secure trading rights for the United States. This move was brought on by the United States, fearing that it would loose valuable trading markets after other countries like Great Britain and Portugal had already made substantial advances into the Asian market. His visit resulted in Japan eventually becoming a big player in the global marketplace, and it also began to seek an overseas empire during the New Imperialism and later. I believe that the source used to gather this information is reputable due to the folowing quote, "The New World Encyclopedia is intended for use by teachers and students who are drawn to the ease of use of Wikipedia, but are concerned about quality, consistency, and core values. New World Encyclopedia combines the great benefits of open source internet media with those of traditional and careful editorial supervision by scholars. Here we have the benefit of hyperlinks and greater detail found on-line encyclopedias, combined with the traditional review of facts, grammar, and values." The image originated in Life Magazine, a well known reputable source of information.

I have become more knowledgeable about the world

A view of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from space.

This year, we have discussed many currents events and global issues. Most recently, we discussed how the Ugandan military is using former rebels from the Lord's Resistance Army to hunt down their old leader, Joseph Kony. The L.R.A is using abducted children to murder and terrorize local villages, and many in the region are concerned about them. This army contributes to the destabilization of the region and creates a humanitarian crisis, so much so that the United States has even aided in fighting this problem. Another issue in the world is the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. This effects not only the environment, but all those whose work depends on the Gulf for things like fishing or tourism. Many have been working on fixing this growing problem, but as of yet, nobody has come up with a solution.




German soldiers in World War I


So many events happened in the Twentieth Century. The first part of the Century was dominated by the New Imperialism. This involved the dominance of the Western world over places in Africa and Asia. Included in this is the emergence of new forms of rule, including colonies, protectorates, and spheres of influence. It also saw the spread of Western culture, languages, and ideas to other parts of the world. Another huge event in the Twentieth Century was World War I. This influenced many aspects of life in this century. It took millions of lives, drastically changed the map of Europe, and created new states of government, including the rise of communism in Russia. The war greatly fueled nationalism and even helped to start World War II.




Race is not a accurate way to categorize people and has no scientific basis.

Today, the peoples of the world are categorized into race. Race is not a scientific category, but people are put into different groups based on how they appear or how they act, regardless of where they actually come from. The traits that people associate a certain race with are actually not even paired on the same gene. The same "race" does not have the same traits throughout all of its peoples. The human race is not even divided into subspecies because we haven't been around that long. The category of race cannot be used to categorize people because you cannot lump people into categories based solely on how they appear, and it has no basis in science.



A view of Mt. Everest

During the year, we have also discussed many places on Earth. One of the places we focused on is Mt. Everest. Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on Earth and is situated between Tibet and China. There is a mix of cultures at Mt. Everest, between the native people that live there and the foreign visitors that come to climb. We also learned about many different countries in our PowerPoint projects. I learned that China actually does have a president as a communist government; however, he does not have much power and is more of a ceremonial figure. I have also learned about the pirates in Somalia and how they are robing passing cargo ships because they have nowhere left to turn to get money.




Festivals are very popular in Japan and are celebrated throughout the year

Of all the world's cultures we studied, the Japanese culture was my favorite. We learned that in Japan, bowing is a normal sign of respect, the lower the bow, the more respect being given. Also, when a Japanese business man closes his eyes during a presentation, it is likely to mean that he is thinking about it, not just merely bored. Festivals, called "matsuri" in Japanese, are very big in Japan and happen at many times of the year. Most of them started as a result of a religious holiday, but many have become secular and are celebrated mostly just for the fun of it. Anyone can join in these festivals, regardless of religion.

Ugandan Rebels

This article discusses the attempts of the Uganda military to hunt down the leader of a rebel group, called the Lord's Resistance Army, that kidnaps children and forces them to commit horrible atrocities for their leader, Joseph Kony. I think that the Ugandan military's strategy of using former rebels to track down the leader of the L.R.A. really makes sense. They are the people that would best know the kinds of tactics that he would use to escape detection, and they would have a better idea of where he might go or what he might do next. The article made a good point, though, about whether or not the former rebels could be trusted after they had just been committing horrible acts of violence just years before. In the end; however, I think that this move will help the Ugandan military since the rebels are already trained, so the military won't have to enlist additional men and spend the time training them that they would have had to otherwise.

Chinese Internet Addiction

A Internet Cafe in China, many are open 24 hours a day.

China has tried to curb Internet addiciton by installing blocks to some online games that stop players under 18 from playing a certain number of hours.


The problem that I would like to discuss is Internet addiction. Here in China, there are over 290 million Internet users. Seventy percent of them are under the age of 30. Tao Ran, a Chinese psychologist in Beijing, estimates that 3 to 4 percent of Chinese net users are addicted. This equates to about 17 million people in China. This problem not only affects China. Many high-tech countries around the world, including the United States, Japan, and South Korea face this growing problem. People who are Internet addicts spend many hours a day playing online multi-player games such as World of Warcraft, Counterstrike, and others. This takes away many hours of productivity from these peoples' lives and distracts them from their work or school. It also effects their heath, as many addicts spend so much time on the computer that they don't eat or sleep properly. Solving this problem will help to increase productivity in communities around the world, including China, and will help to lessen the health risks associated with this condition.


Image Sources:
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2007/12/17/375/blog_interrupted_dont_hold_your_breath_waiting_for_the_next_installment
http://blawg.lehmanlaw.com/english/index.php?date=200711

Japan Project Topic

I am going to make a powerpoint about the celebration of festivals in Japan. These are very important events in Japan and are celebrated throughout the year. I am going to have an audience of college students studing abroad informing them on what to expect come festival time.

Picture Source- http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Yomise%28Yatai%29.JPG