Madeleine

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Welcome to Madeleine's Page.

I'm 13 and I am a Year 8 student at Woodleigh. I enjoy many various things including ballet, art, reading and cooking!! My goal this year in English is to learn how to structure my writing and improve my vocabulary.

Here is my first piece of work; My Bill Nugent Story.

** The Prisoners ** ** By William March **

I couldn’t believe what Corporal Foster had just told us. I thought he was joking. We were to shoot the prisoners that we had taken in that day in cold blood. “He wouldn’t do a thing like that, let alone making us do it, not a grim thing like that”, I protested. “Im prepared to shoot a man when my life is in danger, but to shoot a man in cold blood, this is raw, one of the rawest things I’ve ever heard of”. “You’ll get a court martial if you refuse orders, how’d you like that?” Corporal Foster blasted. I could see Private Walter Drury’s face turn the colour of sour peaches, when Corporal Foster announced the news; he looked like he was going to vomit. We were given orders by Corporal Foster to load up and check our guns. My stomach began churning as soon as he said “come on; let’s get it over and done with before dark”. On our way to the pit we picked our way over lush green trees that had collapsed from the battle they found themselves in. Deeper in the woods there was the sound of occasional booms and screams coming from the war front. I lingered behind the rest of my fellow men hoping that they would change their mind about whether to kill the prisoners or not. I could hear soft murmurs from the front of the group and the infrequent laugh from Corporal Foster as he made fun of the Germans.....“This is the only sort of handling a German can understand”! As we came to the trench, I noticed Private Drury’s Face was full of misery and torment. You couldn’t get behind those eyes that were the colour of the sea on a dark stormy night. “Ok boys” ordered Corporal Foster, “guns ready”. We took aim, but instead of hearing the clack clack of bullets being sprayed, we heard the thud of a gun being dropped on the floor of the woods. Private Drury’s face had gone even paler and he looked even sicker than before. He shouted to Corporal Foster, “I can’t, I won’t do this, and you can’t make me” and then he ran into the woods, the opposite way to which we came. We called and shouted for our fellow mate, but nothing was bringing him back. He had the guts to do leave despite what he may be facing in the future, while I just stayed behind. “There is no use” said Dick Mundy, “He’ll get what he bargained for”. While Private Drury had run away, the prisoners, eager to see what was happening, came out of the pit. They didn’t appear to fully comprehend what was going to happen to them. How could they believe that they were about to be murdered when they were unarmed and no threat whatsoever to their enemy. “Stop right there”, yelled Corporal Foster, “Stop right there”. “Alright, I want you all in single file”, “you first” he said to the smallest man who was still a boy.” “Ready”, he said to us.... “Take aim”.................The rest has been burned into my mind for me to endure for the rest of my life.

As told by Sea Lawyer Bill Nugent

In my Bill Nugent Story I aimed to pull the readers in. When we first read the story it was intriguing to find out how the language was in that time and how they told stories. When I started to write my story, It was hard to get into. The language was so different from ours today and this made it difficult to write the story. After a little bit of direction from my mum, I really got into it. This was a great task and I highly enjoyed it!!

This is my Bayeux Tapestry Report.

THe

Bayeux

Tapestry

By Madeleine Van Basten Batenburg

The Bayeux Tapestry is a work of art, containing parts of history, with mystery and suspense. Different opinions have varied over the years about the tapestry and its contents. It is old yet a modern way of telling history and is viewed by millions of people worldwide every year. Many facts still remain uncovered from the tapestry and discoveries about it yet to be made. Who made the Bayeux Tapestry? This question is often debated. There is a romantic story in which the wife of King William the Conqueror, Queen Matilda, made the tapestry with the help of her ladies in honour of her husband. The truth is that the tapestry was made in England, by Nuns in Canterbury. The style of the needlework was similar to the style of that in the English needle work. Recently, it took thirty five women to sew a replica of the Bayeux Tapestry. It only took a year for the replica to be made, however it took nine years for the real Bayeux Tapestry to be made. The reason the tapestry took so long was because they didn’t have the materials available immediately. They would have had to wait for the pattern, the needles and the thread to come. In the winter months it would be dark early, so their work on the tapestry would have been cut short. Bishops chose the most able embroiders to carry out the mammoth task of sewing the Bayeux Tapestry. The most talented embroiderers of the period were the noble Saxon women who had chosen to spend their life in a nunnery, or convent. Nuns of noble backgrounds spent much of their time on embroidery - menial tasks in the convent were given to lower class women. It is highly probable that these talented nuns, from various convents made the Bayeux tapestry. The Bayeux Tapestry was an Idea following the monumental win to the Normans. The leader of the Normans was William the Conquer and It is said they he was possibly routed into the English Tradition, following the Idea of the Bayeux Tapestry.

In many ways it is possible that the Bayeux Tapestry is biased and unreliable. In a section of the Bayeux Tapestry it shows the death of King Harold. The Tapestry lays out the death of King Harold “but in a wrong way” people will say. They Tapestry says that King Harold died by having an arrow through his eye. This death was very common in this time because it was a punishment for committing perjury. In the same section of the Tapestry it shows a solider lying on the ground with a sword in his stomach. Most people say that this is King Harold lying on the ground, but other people deny this theory and still remain loyal to their opinion. The Tapestry was only told in the Norman way and by the victors. This meant that viewers to the Tapestry could only see the Norman version of it. The people would have no idea of the other side of the battle and how the story would have been told from the English point of view. In many ways the Tapestry is primary evidence. The primary evidence in the Tapestry includes the Cloth that they used in that time, the dyes and the thread. Another piece of primary evidence is the words, which are spoken in Latin. The reason that Latin was used in the Tapestry was because it was the educational language of the time. Only certain people could read Latin in the community at that point in time. The cloth that they used is another item that is primary evidence. Questions about the dyes and threads have been made; how could they have been made? Where would they have been made? Who made them? These questions have been asked worldwide and some have yet to be answered. Secondary evidence is included within the Tapestry. The Tapestry was only told in the “Norman Way”. The Bayeux Tapestry was merely an idea which was to follow the immense win of the Normans; however the story that has made the Bayeux Tapestry would have had different perspectives from the enemies of the Normans. The story was passed down from the Norman battlers to the Priest’s who assigned the nuns onto the project of making the tapestry. The Tapestry was started two years after the Battle of Hastings concluded, which could possibly mean that the information from the battlefront took quite a while to filter down to the Priests.

Causes of King Harold’s death have been very relevant to the way in which we see history today. The Bayeux Tapestry suggests that King Harold died by having an arrow through his eye. This was a common punishment in the time for lying to God; also known as perjury. O ne of the major events told in the tapestry is the death of King Harold at the battle of Hastings. According to legend, King Harold died when an arrow pierced his eye, and a quick examination of the tapestry seems to confirm that story. However, a closer study of the illustration in question reveals two major problems with the theory. First, there is strong evidence to suggest that the figure in question is not, in fact, being struck in the eye by an arrow. Looking closely at the figure, it can be seen that the arrow seems to be lodged in the top of his helmet and not in his eye. In two other places if the Tapestry it shows other warriors being struck by arrows in the eyes. The do not seem to fall onto the ground as King Harold “supposedly did”. Another problem in the Bayeux Tapestry the figure under discussion may not be King Harold at all. It has long been assumed that this figure was Harold because the name Harold is embroidered directly over his head, but this probably has more to do with the space available for text than any attempt to match the name to the figure. More likely is that King Harold is the figure to the right of body with an arrow in his eye. This figure is being hacked at by a Norman knight. There were two possible causes of King Harold’s death. One was that he had an arrow through his eye and the second likely cause of his death was that he was hacked apart by a Norman warrior after having a sword through his leg. As was explained in the earlier paragraph, the second theory into King Harold’s death is most likely true. When King Harold “allegedly” got an arrow through his eye but it was said to have only gone through his helmet. The other theory surrounding his death was that he was lacerated apart after having a Normans Warrior’s sword go through him. Whichever way King Harold died it is doubtful that we will ever know which figure is King Harold and how he died. What theory is true of the death of King Harold? This question is asked globally. Many people believe two theories; one, that he had an arrow through his eye, two, that he was stabbed and had been hacked apart by a Norman solider. Numerous people have leaned towards the assumption that he was hacked apart by a Norman Solider. In one scene of the Bayeux Tapestry it shows King Harold “supposedly” being killed by having an arrow through his eye. This however was not King Harold but merely some other solider having an arrow through his eye. We will never know how King Harold died and who the other men in the tapestry really are. The Bayeux Tapestry is a work of art containing depth and obscurity. It is highly unlikely that will ever know the proper motivation for the making of the Tapestry and its contents. The Bayeux Tapestry will be in the minds of historians worldwide and they continue to unravel the mystery inside the Tapestry.

__//**MY ESSAY**//__

As the Roman Empire fell, a new beginning began to arise; Feudalism. Feudalism contained Plagues, Crusades and the Rise of Towns. In Europe peasants were the bulk of the population, many of them had direct loyalty to a noble. A noble would give protection to their peasant if there was an invasion in exchange for 10% of their crop. The peasants gave another 10% of their crops to the church; this left the peasant with only 80% of their crop. The Crusade; an ironic idea in the pope’s mind, he undermined the feudal system that he wanted to increase. The Pope greatly undermined the feudal system and this led to its end. The Pope called the fist crusade in 1090; he wanted 5,000 to join the first crusade, but eventually got 100,000 to “liberate” Jerusalem. Then the first crusade started. The peasants that he had bribed with money and a spot in heaven walked for years. What started off with 100,000 slowly decreased to 20,000. When they arrived in Jerusalem; to the peasant’s dismay, Jerusalem was already liberated. When in Jerusalem, the army discovered many new things. They saw that technology and hygiene were better. The people in Jerusalem knew more about science, maths, medicine and astrology. The peasants were starting to have questions and doubts. Why were they loyal to their noble and the Pope, and, if God was on their side, why did the Muslims live so better off? On their way back to their home country they took people who were said to be “Itinerant”; who were travelling or roaming. These people gave goods and stories, but they also gave disease, many of which included the Black Death, another reason why people’s belief in the feudal system ended. The Black Death; a terrible disease, killing many people, swept through the cities like it swept through the seas. The Black Death was a pandemic, a highly contagious disease that spread like wildfire. The disease’s first known case was in Sicily, Italy. It was carried from rats onto a ship that departed form a foreign country. When the ship docked at the city, the disease spread straight away, with nearly half the people in the city dead. The ship was ordered out of the dock, but what people didn’t realise was that the disease would spread across borders. Eventually, as the disease got out of hand, nobles and sometimes priests, fled from the city leaving the peasants to fend for themselves. The peasants were stuck there, nowhere to go. The tacit agreement between the peasants and the nobles was broken. The nobles were supposed to stay and keep the peasants safe as long as they worked for them. They were betrayed and left to die. As the population decreased the value of a peasant increased. As peasants died, the nobles had no one to work on the farms, to produce food for them, so they value of a peasant increase. The peasants saw this as a money making business, little did they know that the plague would soon get to them. Many deaths led to fewer workers which increased money, options and was another cause that led to the ending of the feudal system. The rise of towns progressed and concluded the end of feudalism. The rise of towns was a big factor that led to the end of feudalism. During the late years of feudalism, the famers discovered a new way of planting crops. It was called crop rotation. They would swap crops and put them into other grounds to increase the value and numbers of the yields. The increased food led to higher population which included craftsman, artisans and specialists. For the workers of the rising towns to boost buyers, they needed to place goods on a crossroad where there would be many customers. In the rising towns, power was controlled and there was established guilds and elected mayors to organise the towns. This led to the reduction of nobles. Power led to groups of people such as, schools and many forms of education. The increase of power, education and goods guided the way to the end of feudalism. What happens next? The renaissance was a flowering of political ideas, artistic ideas and scientific ideas.

**MY HERALDRY ASSIGMENT**

INTRODUCTION

Wow, how the term flies by! Term one is on the way out and it has been a very interesting and busy few months. The class has been challenged by having to write essays with time constraints, stories have been told as if around a campfire and preparations have begun for medieval day. In the midst of all of this, the Heraldry Assignment has been born. In order to complete this task, a shield has to be made representing each individual student and a summary needs to be included. So sit back, relax and read your way into the Madeleine van Basten Batenburg!

WHAT IS HERALDRY?

Heraldry is a special system of identification used in the Middle Ages to help identify knights on their battles. The system of Heraldry was mainly used in Egypt, England and Rome. The Bayeux Tapestry is considered to be a very important pre-heraldic document, although the designs on their shields are not considered to be an accurate representation. The system of Heraldry was a much-needed form of identification in the middle Ages.

My Challenge

My challenge is to create a shield that simply and clearly represents me. Within my shield, I have incorporated who I am as a person and what I love to do. One of the greatest challenges I faced with making my shield was the colours. The shields in the Middle Ages only had certain colours; Red, green, blue, gold, black and white; these were the only colours that they were allowed to use. As I am making a cushion, it was really hard to find gold material so I replaced it with a strong yellow coloured fabric. After that hiccup I continued on with my shield and it not only looks great but represents me.

  MY SYMBOLS


 * LION ||


 * CUPCAKES ||


 * HEART ||


 * DANCING SYMBOLS ||

**COLOURS **

o Red o Blue o <span style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Gold (Yellow) o <span style="color: lime; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Green o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Black o <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">White

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Why I chose these colours. **

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The main colours I have included in my shield are blue, green and red. Each of these colours represents me for what I like and what characterises me. I chose blue to be one of my key colours because it represents my love of the sea. I love going to the beach and experiencing all it has to offer; from the warm sand in my toes to the sound of the waves and all its creatures within. Green was also a major colour within my shield due to my connection with nature. I feel at home in the ‘great outdoors’ and this could mean anything from visiting a National Park to bouncing on our trampoline at home in the sun. The last of my main colours is red. Red is bold, bloody and it jumps out at you were ever you see it. It can represent love and warmth or danger depending on the situation. For me, it’s a colour that means love and life. Black, white and yellow are represented in small sections and these colours are simply because I like them.

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">SYMBOLS **

o <span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Cupcakes o <span style="color: yellow; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Lion o <span style="color: #ff3399; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Dancing shoes o <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Love heart

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Why I chose these symbols. **

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The symbols that I chose each represent me for who I am and what I love to do. The cupcakes were a symbol for my love of cooking. I enjoy cooking and love to see people eating the dishes I create. It gives me an enormous amount of pleasure. The lion is bold and brave and not afraid and I see myself within those characteristics. The pointe shoes and dancing star on my shield show my love of dance and my ultimate goal in dancing which is going on pointe and being on stage. My dancing schedule is always busy but helps me find a balance in my life. The heart is my final symbol and, like the lion, the heart represents my personality as being warm, loveable with the ability to return love. Every symbol on my shield is an immense representation of me.

**<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Where the shield is going to go **

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The shield is going to be my shadow. I will take it to every hums library reading session and put it on **my** chair. Therefore no one will dare to sit on my chair and they will know that it is a property of Madeleine.

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The Making of the Shield

<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">STEP 1: BUY THE FABRIC

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The first step in making my shield was to go and buy the fabric. Mum and I took a lovely trip to the Spotlight in Frankston to go and buy it. We selected a 100 cotton thread fabric so when I was sewing it, it would not rip. After purchasing our fabric we went home and I began to sew.

<span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">STEP 2: CUT OUT PATTERN

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">After coming home from Spotlight I began to work on my shield. I cut out the pattern and then the fabric to my desired shape. After pinning my patterns I threaded the sewing machine up and began to sew.

<span style="color: #7030a0; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">STEP 3: START SEWING THE PIECES TOGETHER

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">With most of the pieces sewn, I ironed on my symbols. This took a while as the glue refused to stick! Then I began the fun job of stuffing.

<span style="color: #00b050; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">STEP 4: START STUFFING!

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">As the making of the shield came to a conclusion, my mother got the hard task of sewing the small bit at the top where the stuffing went in. At last, the shield was complete. <span style="color: #ffc000; font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">STEP 5: ENJOY WHAT YOU HAVE CREATED

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 306.0pt; tabstops: 306.0pt;">After three hours of making the shield, it was finished. I had so much fun making the shield and can’t wait for another crafty task to come along. =ANALYSIS 1- HORROR STORY OF JININI= <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">As Ole Ma told the story of Jinini, the children’s interpretations of it varied differently. The boys were mesmerised, so much that their eyes began to form to the shape of moons. Nona, who had had callused hands from putting wood on the fire knew that the story was directed as her. The fire spat at her in disgust as if using personification. Nona scuffed her feet in the warm sand, she knew what was coming. After hearing the conclusion to the story, the boy’s behaviour changed from adventurous to scared. The memory of Ole Ma’s story continued as Nona boiled the billy, and was told to make tea. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">ANALYSIS 2- THE DOLLHOUSE <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">The author uses a variety of different techniques to illustrate the reality of the dragon. The daughter creates a scene of the mummy and daddy protecting her and the dollhouse from the fierce dragon. This scene later becomes the story. At the beginning of the story Mary’s belief does not mirror that of her mother. As the mother’s character is brought to the reader later in the story, the reader’s reaction to her is changed. Initially, she is portrayed as a mother who does not care about her daughter’s imagination, but as the story continues on, her character changes and cares even less. The author of the story uses many quotes to describe the mother’s reaction to her daughter. In the middle of the story, the daughter is left alone while her mother goes out with someone; this is when the daughter is woken by dustbins toppling over with a resounding crash. She sits up in her bed and knows something is up. She lights the “magic light, that nothing can hurt her with” and peers around the room. This quote creates a visual image in the reader’s head about what it would be like to be the girl. The girl screams and peers down the hall. As she walks down the hall, the dragon’s shadow comes towards her from behind. “A giant shadow crept along the wall behind”. This quote is one of the many techniques used to describe the dragon’s power over the girl. The girl’s belief in the story that she created continues to grow as the author uses more anthropomorphism to describe the end of the story. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">ANALYSIS 3- DAEDALUS AND ICARUS <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Why are there different versions of the same story? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">There are simple and elaborate takes on the story to grasp the attention of the reader regardless of their own personal background. A young man of 22 could relate to Icarus’s character as a “rash, headstrong youth, bulletproof and daring”. While an older man could relate to the character of Daedalus as wise man whose name means “cunning worker”. The different takes of the story attract a variety of readers and each of the readers find something within themselves that relates to the characters within the story. Take 4 would entice a younger audience because of Icarus’s recklessness and the reader’s capability to understand Icarus’s mind. While Task 3 would appeal to a much older audience as it describes the characteristics of Daedalus and what he enjoys to do. The diverse takes of the story allow the reader‘s to see both characters through different eyes. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">CROSSING THE DIVIDE ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 115%; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">CROSSING THE DIVIDE

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">We stand here on the other side of town, afraid to go across <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">They look at us, like we’re different, like they’re the boss <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">We don’t like it, being treated like this <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">But we don’t say anything because of what happened to Miss Kris <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">She got killed, with a dagger and an axe <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">All because she spoke up, and she’s black <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Our elders say it’s over and done <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">But I don’t think so, we need to stay, and fight for our sons <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">This war is over, some people say <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">But the sky still remains grey <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">Some elders have died, some have cried <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Berlin Sans FB',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">But all they needed to do was Cross the divide

=﻿= <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #00b0f0; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 21px; line-height: 115%; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Communication Proposal <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What wrong with the world? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Where do I begin? Homelessness, taxes and rising prices, that’s just in Australia! Poverty and Global Warming are a major concern around the world. These are huge issues involving politics, scientists etc. The issue that I want to change is a little closer to home. The subject that I have chosen is why Australia so focused on sport? All you ever see on the news is sport, sport, sport, you rarely ever see ballets, broadways and musicals. That’s what I am here to explain to my fellow peers. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What’s my passion? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">For my communication project, my passion is to talk to peers about the way they see art. Most Australians are so focused on sport and the way it influences our society. But no one really notices the art aspect of society. There are so many wonderful dramas, ballets, broadways and other musicals for people to enjoy as much as football gives them pleasure. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What are my skills? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">My skills relate to my hobbies and what I like to do. I enjoy public speaking, dancing and talking to my peers about subjects that I have interest in. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">What I propose to do? ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">I propose to educate my peers about the beauty of the arts as well as sport. To dig this idea into my fellow peer’s heads, I plan to run a ballet DVD session for people to experience the beauty of. I also want to make posters on how the arts program is as relevant as Australian sports.
 * COMMUNICATION PROPOSAL**
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 115%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Run my class, with schedule yet to be decided ||


 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 115%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Design my posters and start to plan my class ||

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Timeline ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px; line-height: 115%; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">Find out a poster printing place and find a ballet DVD to play on the day of my presentation. ||

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">My Self-Assessment ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">To be filled out after I complete my project ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">By Madeleine Van Basten Batenburg ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**AZTEC REPORT** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"> ** The ** ** Aztec ** ** Report ** ** By Madeleine Van Basten Batenburg 8A ** **The period of the Aztec Civilisation** The Aztecs were a civilisation of sacrifices, innovative ideas and war. In search of a new place to live, the Aztecs travelled down to South American from their homeland in Northern American in 1100AD. The Aztecs found a new place and fought off the civilisation before them to sustain their position. Here they developed a new civilisation and began to build a city; Tenochtitlan. As they began to build their society, people were off exploring the world; people who would soon discover South America and the Aztecs. Cortes discovered South America and the Aztecs, as well as the products that they had; gold and chocolate. He took these new products back to his homeland and brought a larger army. **Comparative Timeline** **English Mesoamerican**
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Did I achieve what I wanted to achieve? ** ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Was I successful in telling my peers about my beliefs? ** ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: auto;">Did I, as doer of the project feel like I got somewhere? ** ||
 * < <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"> Y/N ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"> Y/N  ||< <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;"> Y/N  ||
 * This map shows the Aztec Civilisation. The green section in this diagram represents the parts of Mexico that may have been under the influence of the Aztecs Rule. The orange section shows the Aztec Empire. There were many regions within Mexico and nearly all of these regions had their own tribes. ||
 * 1100- The Aztec moved from their homeland. ||
 * 1325- Tenochtitlan was founded. ||


 * 1440-Moctezuma sent armies to conquer lands ||


 * 1066- Invasion of England By William, Duke of Normandy. Battle of Hastings ||


 * 476- Roman Empire fell ||


 * 1519- Cortes comes to The Aztecs land. He kills Moctezuma II. ||


 * 1469- Moctezuma dies. ||


 * 1486- Ahuizotu becomes ruler. Aztecs expand into Maya territories. ||


 * 1502-Moctezuma II become ruler. ||


 * 1521- Cuitlahuac elected ruler. Tenochtitlan destroyed. ||


 * 1522-Tenochtitlan rebuilt. The city was named Mexico City and was declared capital of the New Spain. ||


 * 1347- Black Death starts. ||


 * 1476- Caxton sets up a printing press in Westminster ||


 * 1517- Martin Luther fixes his 95 theses on church door at Wittenberg – regarded as start of the Reformation ||


 * 1400’s- Renaissance begins ||


 * 1077- Possible completion of the Bayeux Tapestry ||

**The Social and Political Structure of the Aztec Society** The social and political structure of the Aztec society was the same in every region, tribe and communities. The political aspect of society was ruled by leaders. Mesoamerican city-states were ruled by leaders with three separate tasks. Many of the careers that the state leaders undertook were army commanders, law makers and priests, most of these people were men. Many people believed that to have the gift to be a law maker, priest or army commanders they would have been a descended of a God. The ordinary men who didn’t have jobs such as grand as the priest, commanders and law makers took jobs of farmers, fisherman and craft workers. Mesoamerican women played a part in society but not as immense as those of their husbands. Women were to tend to the livestock and children and make the clothes for the family. The Maya Women were the women that had religious duties to tend to but they did not contribute to society as much as their husband's jobs did. The education in the Aztec time wasn’t as it is today. The Aztec children didn’t go to school, they were taught at home by parents, priest and warriors. At the age of four, boys helped carry water and firewood. Two years later they would be learning to fish and take goods to the markets. Girls were generally taught at home. They began spinning at four and by the age of twelve were behind the stove cooking. Girl’s education was training for marriage, although noble girls spent a year at 12 or 13 helping in the temples. Some of the girls trained became priestesses. The Mesoamerican people had a great way of educating without the requirements that we have today.
 * 1452-Tenochtitlan destroyed by floods ||
 * These pictures represent the jobs of ordinary men in the Aztec period. ||
 * This was a common punishment if children did not behave. ||

**The great city of Tenochtitlan** The city of Tenochtitlan was an island in the Lake Texcoco in the central valley of Mexico. The city was founded around AD1325 and soon grew into one of the largest cities in the world. The city was divided into four districts; Flowery Place, Mosquito Fen, Heron’s Home and the Sacred Prescient. Between these four districts there were more than 200,000 people. The Great City of Tenochtitlan is buried under the modern Mexico. As the picture shows, all the districts were connected to each other by canals and causeways of pounded earth. Pounded earth was a local material that was used to make the canals and causeways as well as the houses. People who lived in the city used local materials to build as there was no wheeled transport for carrying materials long distances. Stone was the most expensive and longest lasting building material. Most homes in the city were simply. A very small part of the cities houses contained chairs, tables, curtains and carpets. Jars, baskets and woven mats were the only storage and decorative items in the house. Most of the homes were L-shaped. The Aztecs homes were a first step into what our homes are today. **The Religion of the Aztecs** The Aztec’s religion was based on sacrifice to their Gods. They believed to sacrifice people would keep their Gods happy and if they didn’t, the Sun would die and the world would come to an end. Religion was a very important part of the daily lives of the Aztec people and it was fiercely guarded. Their beliefs that their actions could either please or displease the [|Aztec gods], led them to capture and offer people as human sacrifices. They offered human sacrifices all year long and even killed their slaves. The Aztecs did terrible things to their sacrifices. They pulled out sacrifice’s and captive’s fingers to draw blood or threw them into the holy water. The Aztecs pricked their ear lobes each morning and collected two drops of blood to give to the Gods. During the celebration of the completion of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan in 1487, it was estimated that 20,000 victims were sacrificed; it took four days to kill them all. The Aztecs’ beliefs were extreme; they believed both in Heaven and Hell. To be exact, for the Aztecs there were thirteen heavens and nine hells. They also believed that the Sun wrestled with darkness every night. The Aztec religion drove them to create and build striking temples to please their many Gods. Ceremonial temples were called Teocalli and these temples included pools for ceremonial cleaning, places for the priests to live and gardens to hold skulls. The Aztecs worshiped nearly 1000 Gods. The most important God to the Aztecs was the Sun God. In the Aztec culture, their belief in afterlife was strong. However, unlike in many Western religions where ones' afterlife depends on how they lived, the Aztecs believed that how you died determined where you would end up. Individuals would immediately go to the sun god after death if they died fighting in a war. Women who died while giving birth to a child also enjoyed this privilege. Individuals, who died for any other reason, had to travel through the underworld before reaching the resting place of the dead. The Aztecs had bizarre ways of interpreting the Gods. **The expansion of the Aztec empire** The motive for the expansion of the Aztec empire was war. As newcomers, the Aztecs had won their homeland by fighting against the people who were based on the Aztec future homeland. After their first battle win, the Aztecs relied on war to keep gaining land to live on. Without these resources secured through war, the Aztec empire would have collapsed. During the 1400’s, the Aztec empire grew rapidly, until the Aztecs ruled most of Mexico. The determination to conquer new territory was led by rulers Itzcoatl, Moctezuma, Ilhuicamina and Axayacatl. Each new ruler had to start his reign with a battle. It was his duty to win fame and glory by conquering new territory and seizing enemy captives. Conquered cities were often controlled by garrisons of Aztec soldiers and linked to the government in Tenochtitlan by a large number of officials such as tax collectors and scribes. The size of Tenochtitlan meant that the city needed steady supplies of tribute to feed their citizens. War was a great source of captives. The Aztecs believed that thousands of people had to be sacrificed each year. Some of the Aztecs were cannibals. In some religious ceremonies, the Aztecs ate the arms and legs of sacrificed prisoners.
 * This is a drawing of an Aztec mother and father educating their children. ||
 * This Oil Painting Reproduction is said to have been a similar representation of the city of Tenochtitlan. ||
 * This is a classic representation of an Ancient Aztec home. There is only one room and this contains most of the family’s belongings. ||
 * This was one of the temples in the city of Tenochtitlan. ||
 * This is an old Aztec painting showing the clothes and weapons used for war. ||
 * This is a diagram showing the conquering of Mexico under Aztec rule. Most of Mexico was conquered by numerous rulers. ||

** The fall of the Aztecs ** The fall of The Aztecs was a display of the end of sacrifices, a new ruler and a new name. By the end of the Aztec empire, the civilisation had conquered most of Mexico.
 * This is a diagram showing the conquering of Mexico under Aztec rule. Most of Mexico was conquered by numerous rulers. ||
 * This image shows Cuauhtémoc (last king of the Aztecs) surrendering to Cortes ||

The story of the invasion of Mexico is one with a lot of drama. The Spanish wanted the wealth of the Aztecs and this was an excuse to start a war. The start of the invasion began after Cortes heard that the Aztecs had killed two Spanish messengers. In retaliation Cortes decided to seize Moctezuma. As Cortes arrived, he smashed statues of Aztec gods and ordered Moctezuma to put an end to human sacrifices. Cortes was a hypocrite. The Aztecs were horrified as they heard that Cortes had a chief buried alive for killing the messengers. Further news brought that another Spanish expedition had landed on the coast and was coming to arrest Cortes. The leader left the city with some of his troops to sort out the threat. While the leader had left, the other Spanish army tried to stop an important Aztec ceremony which provoked the Aztecs into attack. When Cortes returned he found all his men slain. Cortes told Moctezuma to calm his people, but the emperor was eventually stoned to death by his own people. Cortes tried to leave after the attack on his men by the Aztecs. He decided that he and the army would have to leave at night, but as they crept away, the military was confronted by a huge Aztec army. Cortes lost half his men during the battle and thousands of his Mexican allies. Eventually he reached the coast. Here he collected aids and launched a war on the Aztec city. His army nearly contained nearly 1,000 Spanish and they decided to march over Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs could hold on no longer and as a result, the Spanish invaded the city and killed the inhabitants. Cortes was appointed Governor of New Spain. He then returned to the old Spain and was ignored by the king. His death in 1547 was after a time of considerable unhappiness and bitterness. With the fall of Tenochtitlan the Aztec resistance ended. **Bibliography** Macdonald, F., (1998) __Step into the Aztec World,__ New York. Wood, T. (1992), __The Aztecs__, Hamlin, London. Detrates, J, (1992), __What Do We Know About The Aztecs,__ Simon and Schuster, London. All about History. 2011. [], (accessed 29/05/11 Beyond Books, 2007, [] , (accessed 31/05/11)  Blue Kitchen, 2008, [] , (accessed 31/05/11)  (Unknown), 2000, [] , (accessed 31/05/11)  Aztec History.com [] , 2011, (accessed 31/05/11) =  Cuauhtémoc surrenders to Cortés, []  = =  , 2011, (accessed 8/6/11)  =  Ms Billet, Ms Billett, 2011, (accessed since we started the Aztec Report)
 * This picture shows the beginning of the battle between the Aztecs and the Spanish. ||

TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN

** TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN- TASK 1 ** **Homer puts three choices to the group; try to rescue their families (even though it is very dangerous and unlikely to succeed) inflict damage on the ‘enemy’ or sit tight and stay alive. In your opinion what should the group have done?** My opinion of what the group should have done would have varied if I had been in the circumstance of a war. My belief on what the group should have done was stay and sit tight. Even though the country was being invaded and people were being innocently murdered if they did not follow an order, the group should of stayed put. If the collection of teenagers were to inflict damage on the enemy, they, would most likely be a later target for the enemy to attack. The families of the teenagers would want their children to be safe and most probably not participate in the killing if the enemy. Homers idea was one that was considered in the book but would not have been contemplated if I had been in the situation of war. **Ellie is relieved that she ‘probably’ has not killed anyone in the bridge explosion. However, she understands that her intention was ‘to do whatever was necessary’ and therefore it was only luck that resulted in no lives being lost. Is murder wrong in war?** I believe that murder is not wrong in war. Murder is a terrible thing; and if one human being is endangering the life of another I believe that the person who life is being jeopardised has a right to kill the person who is threatening mortality on them. In the book John Marsden describes Ellie as being almost “relieved” that she did not kill anybody in the bridge explosion, however, as explained in the question, Ellie understands that her intentions were necessary, and that it was luck that no lives were lost. However after significant changes occur Ellie’s mind and mentality towards what she must do to save her friends and her loved ones changes. **Ellie killed people when she caused the first explosion and when she ‘saved’ Lee. Would the enemy have been justified if they had refused to treat Corrie because of this?** I believe that the enemy had a good reason to refuse to treat Corrie. If you look at it from the point of view of an eye for an eye, then, Ellie killing the enemy with her explosion, be it intentional or not then the enemy have every to disregard the life of Corrie. The Geneva Conventions state that any prisoner in captivity is entitled to a certain standard of care whilst be incarcerated. If no one knew Australia was being invaded the enemy don’t have to fear any repercussions from not abiding by the Geneva Conventions. **Robyn ‘could understand’ why the ‘enemy’ had invaded. They claimed they were “addressing imbalances within the region.” They had very little. Australia had a great deal. They were going to ‘divide up the farms’ for their people and give Australians the ‘menial’ jobs. This would have resulted in a role reversal. Is that role reversal any less fair than the original situation where Australia was ‘rich’ and wouldn’t ‘share’ their wealth?** Yes. Australia can be considered a rich country, but the countries wealth didn’t begin from when the country was first discovered. Australia is a rich country because all its citizens have worked hard to make it what it is today. No one gave the Australians established farms, it was through their own toil that they were built. Why should the invaders be allowed to steal from our country because they feel hard done by? The enemy taking the farms and leaving the Australians to do the menial jobs isn’t exactly sharing. A fair exchange would be Australia being such a vast country offering land to the enemy to develop as they wish with their own people. **Why would ‘other countries’ be ‘less likely’ to become involved in a ‘clean war’? Forty people died in one area in this ‘clean war.’ Is there such a thing as a ‘clean war’?** For my creative response to one of my questions, I had a small interview with my mum about her opinions on clean war. **In your opinion what is a clean war?** A clean war is where people don’t get killed and property isn’t damaged. **Do you think that there is such thing as a clean war?** No. Because if you could get what you want without killing people or doing damage to the enemy then both parties would have come to an agreement about the situation. And if this is the case then this shows that the parties can communicate diplomatically and that war isn’t necessary. **If you were one of the countries leaders and you knew a war was arising, would you try and talk to the enemy suggesting they make a clean war or no war at all?** I would suggest no war at all because I believe that a clean war cannot exist. **Do you think a war that has had fewer casualties is a clean war?** No. A casualty is a casualty. One casualty is just as bad as a thousand. As soon as there is one death it just confirms that war is an act of extreme violence between two countries, tribes etc. **If a clean war was to arise, do you think that it would be one that has fewer countries participating in it?** Yes, because I don’t think countries would participate in a clean war and without a show of force possibly leading to death and destruction. A country going to war wouldn’t believe that they could achieve what they wanted without acts of extreme violence. Perhaps some leaders need to show how powerful their country is to satisfy their own ego. **My opinion** I believe that there is no such thing as a clean war. When you say war to most people they would most likely think of blood and fighting. I think that any war that involves people, weapons and killings is not a clean war. Even if the number of casualties is a lower amount then in other wars, this is not ok if people just assume that it is a clean war.

** Who is the leader of the group? **  Nearly everyone in the group showed a side of leadership and courage. As the violence around the teenagers escalated, Ellie’s leadership changed. At the beginning, before the enemy realised that the teenagers were after them, Ellie was a leader who didn’t really think about her morals. This changed as the story progressed with Ellie finding she was capable of committing murder. Robyn’s leadership throughout the story was quite different to Ellie’s. Robyn was always concerned for other people; asking if Lee was “ok” when they were “flying down the dirt road”. During the time in the truck, Robyn seemed to almost be optimistic while Ellie was desperately trying to move the truck. Ellie comments to herself that it is “unusual for Robyn to show her emotions” after Robyn looked at Ellie with a scared look on her face. Robyn’s leadership is one that is very different to Ellie’s. Homer’s leadership is not the comforting one. His physical leadership is one that no one else can accomplish. He suggests three points to the group; they can sit tight, try and get their families or do something to help the “good” guys. Homer’s leadership allows him to make smart decisions without his bad boy influence. ** Who, in the group, shows remarkable courage? **  Everyone in the group shows remarkable courage at some point in time during the book. Before the thought of everyone’s courage we need to find out what is “remarkable courage”. Remarkable courage can be a smorgasbord of things, from going on a walk at night, even though you are afraid of the dark or holding a spider. In Tomorrow When The War Began, everyone has an individual remarkable courage that comes out at a different part in the book. The courage that Robyn showed throughout the book was one of the bravest out of the whole group. Robyn looks after Lee after he has been shot and gives him and injection for his wound. Ellie comments to herself that they nearly every time they say needle, they lose Robyn; she faints. Robyn’s bravery leads to her becoming a different person. Judgements are another criteria that need to be considered. Ellie’s judgement is different to Homer’s judgement. Before the invasion Homer is portrayed as a bad boy who doesn’t care what people think of him and is almost in his own world. But, as the war begins, his judgement changes. The judgements between Ellie and Homer give a different reaction as they are faced with physical and particularly mental challenges. ** Ellie is concerned by Chris’ morality; she’s concerned that if the romantic relationship breaks up there will be tension in the group. What tests of their friendship do you see lie ahead for the group? **  The group is confronted with a lot of challenges and tests throughout their time at war. As well as the tests that Ellie is faced with, she is also concerned about Chris’ morality. Chris almost seems that he is in his own little world. He doesn’t seem concerned that a war is arising and he couldn’t care less about his safety or any of the groups. How far is Chris going to go with brining his souvenirs? Ellie stresses about the situation because it wasn’t “essential” for Chris to bring smokes and grog. As well as Chris on Ellie’s mind she also has tension with Lee and the other people in the group. After Ellie kissed Lee, the writer describes the awkwardness between them. Ellie had “hardly spoken” to Lee after their kiss. Just a small thing like this shows tension between the teenagers. Another challenge for the group would be their respect for each other and their sources of food, weapons and medical material. What would happen if one of the teenagers fell ill or had been shot like Corrie? If a few members of the group got sick, they couldn’t just leave them on the front doorstep of the hospital. Surely the enemy might notice something suspicious, of how random hurt teenagers appear. How long will the war last? They will certainly run out of food, wont they? And in another circumstances, what would happen if one of the members of the group were sick of war and having to fight and murder people all the time? What would happen if they wanted to surrender to the invaders? And, could the person who surrendered, keep the secret that the rest of the group were still on the run? The group is faced with a variety of different challenges and with this comes tension, stress and other mixed feelings. ** Why do you think Marsden included the story of Christie in the novel? **  I believe that Marsden included the story of Christie for the readers to have a better understanding and knowledge of what the teenagers were going through. Christie was a hermit; considered an outcast from society. His background story was that he killed his wife and son and the bush fire that came through hid the evidence. There was another story that the bushfire came through and Christie’s son and wife were badly burnt. After seeing the state of their condition, he killed them to put them out of their misery. His wife’s mother believed Christie, which is hard to consider as mother in laws are classified as being “horrible” to their daughter’s husbands. No one really knew the true story of what had happened to Christie’s son and wife. Did Christie really feel that bad about killing his wife that he moved away from society? The teenagers can relate to Christie, as they are isolated from everyone and everything. They have to consider a few things. Would their parents want them to go to war and sacrifice their lives for the communities, or would they want them to stay put? The inclusion of Christie in the story has different reaction from everyone’s point of view. ** Which character do you think undergoes the most change? Explain the journey that your character underwent during the novel? **  The character that blossomed and underwent the most changes was Ellie. At the beginning of the book, Ellie was just your typical teenager; concerned about boys, finishing school and wondering what she was going to do with her life. But, as the war began to arise, Ellie’s character began to change. Ellie now found that she had the ability to commit murder under the guise of doing it to protect herself and her group. Could Ellie have ever done that before? At the beginning of the book, Ellie was elected leader. This type of leadership was a very different one to the kind of leader Ellie became at the end of the book. During the explosions, killings and a few of the members getting lost, Ellie’s leadership thinking changed from a teenager’s mind to a person who thought what to do, when to do it and the ramifications of her decisions as leader. Ellie’s transformation from that of innocent teenager to the strong leader she became was one that stood out for me. ** Ellie at one stage outlines what she sees as “Homer’s genius” – was Homer a ‘genius’ for coming up with the plans to ‘rescue’ Lee and to destroy the bridge? **  Homer’s bad boy reputation didn’t stop him coming up with ideas such as destroying the bridge and saving Lee. Before Homer’s “genius” plan, the group listened to a transmission revealing that one of the three main ports being used to deposit soldiers into the country is near Cobbler’s Bay, the only exit from which is the Heron Bridge, which, after discussion, the group made a plan to destroy. Homer and the rest of the group plan to put a petrol tanker under the bridge and set it alight, making a giant gap in the bridge, which would not allow the enemy to bring in supplies and troops. Before the bridge explosion even came to Homer’s mind, there was one other problem he had to fix, saving Lee. Lee was badly shot and couldn’t walk on his injured leg. The group (mainly Homer) had to devise a plan to rescue Lee, get supplies and not be seen. They decided to use one of those big commercial trucks to drive into where Lee was hurt, pick him up and go. Their plan didn’t quite go to its plan though! They just managed to get Lee into the trucks claw before the “bullets started clattering”. Homer’s “genius” plans are some that helped the group save what is most important to them. ** Ellie worries that she might become ‘like a war criminal’ because of the acts she’s committing. She says she uses “a sense within [her]” to determine what was “good or bad”. Was Ellie a ‘good’ person? **  Ellie’s judgements on herself as being either a good or bad person are different to the judgements the reader makes about her action. Ellie made the right decision regarding some of the acts of violence that happened in the book. In the first explosion where Ellie set a petrol tank on fire, herself, Kevin and Corrie were in danger. Crossing back to another task about murder during war; a clean war. If one person’s life is in danger they have the right to kill that person. Ellie did the right thing in that situation where three lives were in immediate danger. The other explosions and killings that Ellie caused were not “bad”. Ellie determines what is and isn’t right and what risks the group should and should not take. Ellie’s decisions throughout the whole book and war were ones that were used with a gut feeling and sense. ** When Ellie finds Chris asleep on sentry duty she loses her temper with him. She understands why sleeping sentries should be ‘shot’. She becomes ‘logical, cold-blooded and merciless’. Later she says, “I guess he atoned.” Did Chris belong in the group? **  Chris’ position in the group was one of question. Chris did not seem as concerned as the others that a war was arising and that they were being hunted. Chris is always laid back bringing “grog and smokes” with him on his journey. Did Chris really care that there was a war going on, or was he just going to wait until the enemy captured him and sent him to the showground’s? Nobody really knows this question until they get deeper into the book. Every one of the group members had their own plans and knew exactly what to do at what time. They all helped and agreed with each other. Chris joining the group is almost a throw off of that balance as he is a person who is less concerned with what is happening around him and more concerned about what is pulsing through his veins. Chris fell asleep on sentry duty and Ellie lost her temper with him. She was clearly stressed and stress can do terrible things to the mind without the person realising it. Ellie held the gun at Chris and threatened to shoot him. Luckily, the other members of the group noticed the commotion and stopped Ellie. With Chris’ mentality and attitude he did not belong in the group.