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11/19/08 American Studies WWI Essay

New technology is the main change for fighting and war structure during WWI. During the Civil War, the typical war tactics consisted of open field battles, marching, cavalry and canons. Throughout WWI, all of these strategies went down the drain, for technology advanced significantly over the past several decades. We cannot stop the constant revolution in technology for the reason that there will always be that progression; the change is inevitable. The advancement of technology in WWI, such as [|poison gas], [|submarine], and [|machine guns], greatly affected the fighting style and structure of war forever for the better. Poison gas was first introduced by France in August of 1914. It was originally in the form of a grenade and caused the victim minor burns and teary eyes, but as time went on and technology developed, poison gases were used for different reasons. There are different types of poison gas such as, tear gas, chlorine gas, and mustard gas. Tear gas is self-explanatory; it was thrown into trenches and used to blind the enemy. Mustard gas was not intended as a killing agent but instead was used to harass and disable the enemy and pollute the battlefield (GermanNotes.com). The last of the 3 major gases was [|Chlorine gas]. This was the first poison gas created with the intent to kill. It had the highest fatality rate of the gases. Poison gases were extremely strong tactics used during the war. This was the perfect way to defeat the opposing soldiers in a way that has never been seen before.media type="youtube" key="g24GtNYJbzU" height="344" width="425" Like poison gases, submarines were another extremely innovative and advanced technological weapon used in the Great War. Submarines were initially used in the Civil War; however, they were not a big hit and failed quickly. Submarines, also known as U-Boats, are named by types and used by firing torpedoes at the target. Some kinds of these U-Boats are: Type II, Type XII, Type IX, or a Type XXI. Submarines became popular in the early 1900’s. A world-renowned event with a U-Boat was the sinking of the Lusitania, a British ocean liner, carrying almost 2,000 passengers. When a German U-Boat shot down the Lusitania using unrestricted submarine warfare, the US was furious. Using a submarine isn’t as easy as just gliding under the water in a giant metal vehicle firing torpedoes. A topic that not many people think of is the fact that water pressure around the U-Boat is one of the biggest enemies to the Submarine itself. “Probably the greatest peril to the submarine is that of sinking too far. If it gets below the greatest depth for which it is built it will be crushed by the pressure of the water (Prout, New York Times). The submarine will always be used all through wars throughout the future, for its excessive importance in the seas. The third and new weapon of technology to be introduced in WWI is the machine gun. This was a weapon that was nearly impossible to defend against. [|Sir Hiram Maxim], the creator of machine gun, certainly knew that the invention of this weapon would change warfare forever. During the Civil War, soldiers would line up and shoot their muskets at a rate of 3 bullets per minute. A machine gun could fire 400-600 bullets per minute (Duffy, 2007). Undoubtedly, an army would rather have a gun that shoots about 150 times more efficiently than a rifle. The machine gun stopped the tactic of marching soldiers. In the 1850’s, soldiers marched towards each other “till you see the whites of their eyes” (Prescott). A machine gun would easily take out an entire regiment with ease and still have more ammo for another brigade behind them. The machine gun was such a popular/powerful weapon that the German army operated over 1,000 machine guns by the end of the war. The machine was good for maximum defense and offense at same time. If multiple machine guns were placed at the peak of a trench, a soldier could be shielded by the trench as well as using the gun to attack the enemies. Weapons back in the early 20th century would not stand a chance against the weapons that we utilize today. Although poison gas, submarines, and machine guns were the superior weaponry during the early 1900’s, the arms that the military or army uses today have over 80 years of technology advancement over the WWI weapons. Although we have different weapons today then back in WWI, the US would not have been able to created such advanced weapons without the artillery that was designed decades ago. Missiles, nuclear bombs, machine guns and tanks today are of a caliber that people in the early 1900’s did not understand or even know existed. Works Cited Duffy, Michael. "Weapons of War: Machine Guns." First World War.com. 23 Nov. 2008 . "Poison Gas in WWI." German Notes. 2008. 17 Nov. 2008 . Prout, Col H. "Submarine Warfare." New York Times 18 Oct. 1902. ProQuest. 23 Nov. 2008.


 * Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.**

Memories and past experiences serve as a rail, a guiding support, for people in an effort to succeed in the present. People not only learn from the past, but the very act of going through something provides experience for a person who is to "move up the ladder of success and achievement". Some view failed experiences as a hinderance to future success. This is very untrue because history has a tendency of repeating itself, and in recognizing past failures, one can learn how to successfully approach similar situations in the future. An example of this is looking back in history to WWI. Sedition acts at this time allowed for the imprisonment of anyone who voiced an opinion against the president, or against the war. America recognized this shady time in its past, and instead of covering it up in a movement towards a more democratic nation, these acts were published in textbooks and taught to students. Americans saw the poor judgement of this situation and later with the war in Iraq, approached "patriotism" differently. With this present war, those adverse to the war are able to voice their opinions without fear of imprisonment or death. In seeing the undemocratic ways of an earlier era, America was able to recognize the bad and try to reform it. If the Sedition Acts had been forgotten then what is to say that they wouldn't come back? Remembering the failed times insures that improvement is possible. In my personal experience, I have found that the very act of living through something not only matures me, but also provides skills and knowledge. In remembering past events, I am able to use them as reference, and sometimes assurance. A personal example, somewhat juvenile, but also effective, is when my first pet died. I was devastated and wanted to just clear my mind of the event, but I didn't. After time, I recovered, but maintained the memory of this horrible tragedy. Later in life, another pet died. I looked back to that memory as a guide and learned from it that in time I would be fine and to just hang on. In this situation, a memory served as a reference and catalyzed in my personal growth and recovery. Memories, good or bad, assist people in obtaining success. Whether used as reference for guidance, or lessons on what not to do, past experiences can only offer a gap between the steps on the ladder of success. Forgetting the past can and will only erase experience and knowledge from a person and in affect hinder one in seeking achievement. In looking at historical repeats and personal events, it is clear that old memories can only aid in success.

The essay above I would score at most a 4. The grammar was mediocre as well as the syntax. The length was not too short, but could've been longer if more analysis was added. Also, there were a few spelling mistakes.

Adolf Hitler was the dictator of Germany from 1933-1945. Hitler’s rise to power began in July of 1921 when he was named the leader of the Nazi Party, also known as the [|National Socialists German Workers Party]. He was an exceptionally good speaker; in February of 1921, he spoke at Munich in front of a crowd exceeding 6,000 people (The History Place, Paragraph 1). He was considered a genius because of his ways of persuasion and his confidence in speaking in front of mass amounts of people. Although Adolf Hitler was thought to be a clever leader, he was actually, on the inside, one of the most disgusting men in history. In January of 1933, he became chancellor of a coalition government. All of his beliefs consisted of anything having to do with anti-Jewish laws. There is no sole reason for Hitler’s hatred on record, but it is said to have come from generations of parents prejudice against the Jews. His anti-Semitism was to such an extreme that in 1933, Hitler had the [|Gestapo], the German police, to arrest anyone they thought that was against the Nazi Party (The Rise of Totalitarianism, Paragraph 4). Mostly Jews were arrested and they were brought to prison camps or [|concentration camps] where more likely than not they would end up dead. Over 6 million Jews died under the reign of Hitler. Spartacus Educational wrote a brief summary about how on April 30, 1945, Hitler took his own life by a combination of cyanide poison and a gunshot. Everything he did was for his passion of expanding the country of Germany.

Works Cited "Adolf Hitler." __Spartacus Educational - Home Page__. 05 Feb. 2009 .

"BBC - History - Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)." __BBC - Homepage__. 03 Feb. 2009 .

__Infoplease: Encyclopedia, Almanac, Atlas, Biographies, Dictionary, Thesaurus. Free online reference, research & homework help. — Infoplease.com__. 04 Feb. 2009 http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0858633.html.

"The Rise of Adolf Hitler." __The History Place__. 03 Feb. 2009 .

"Totalitarianism." __Fresno Unified School District__. 03 Feb. 2009 .

PART 1

You Will have 30 minutes to complete the writing task. Take a Few Minutes to think about the task and to plan what you want to say before you begin to write. You may use the prewriting/planning space to plan your text, but your prewriting will not be scored. **Only your writing on the lined pages of your answer sheet will be scored.** Do your best to make your writing clear and well organized. Keep your purpose in mind as your write and use your checklist. You must use a No. 2 pencil. You may either print or write your final copy. You may //not// use a dictonary or any other reference materials during the test. However, you may use the Writer's Checklist. If you finish before the time is called, review what you have written using the Writer's Checklist to read critically and improve what you have written.
 * Directions:** Today you are going to take part of the High School Proficiency Assessment for Language Arts Literacy. The assessment contains different types of text and different activities. In the first part of the test, you will look at a picture and then complete a writing task. In this activity, you have an opportunity to demonstrate how well you can organize and express your ideas in written text. Refer to the Writer's Checklist of important points to remember as you write. Educators who read your writing will consider these important points when they read and score your writing.



An ancient proverb says, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Regardless of the artist's original intent, what we see in the picture can be very different from what others can see. What story does this picture tell you? Use your imagination and experience to speculate about what is happening. Then write your story.

PART 2

You Will have 50 minutes for this part of the test**.**
 * Directions:** In this part of the test, you will read a persuasive passage and then respond to the multiple-choice and open-ended questions that follow it. You may look back at the passage and make notes in the margin if you like, but you must record your answers on your answer sheet.

How do you think kids would feel if school didn’t start until later in the day? If schools were to start later in the morning, and end later in the day, kids would greatly benefit the average 8-9 hours of sleep. Schools should consider changing their hours. Schools should start later in the morning because then students would be able to get the regular 8-9 hours of sleep that they need. There are many advantages to this. First off, kids would be in a better mood in the morning. This would mean that students would get along better with both peers and teachers. Another reason would be that students would have more energy in the morning. This means that students would be able to pay better attention in class and actually stay awake through their classes and lessons. Another reason would be that they would be able to get a better start to the day. This is good because starting the day off on the right foot could put a student in a good mood and possibly keep them that way. Not only will kids be able to get more sleep at night, but they will also have a chance at getting better grades. There are a few good reasons supporting this idea. One would be that kids would have extra time to do homework before school. This is a huge advantage because if a student had an activity after school the night before or if they didn’t have enough time to finish everything, they could finish it in the morning and still get a good grade for it. A second way that could help their grades would be that with the extra time in the morning, they can study for a quiz or test and then that would give them a much higher chance of doing good on the quiz or test they take. One last way starting school later could help student’s grades would be that the extra sleep would most likely help the brain and then kids would be able to understand the lesson better. This would help the students grades because if you understand something, the homework, quiz, and tests on it would be easier then resulting in good grades on work. In addition to better grades, students would be able to stay out later doing different activities. One of the advantages to this would be that students wouldn’t have to worry about getting home early enough to study or do homework when they could do it in the morning. This is nice because then both parents and students wouldn’t have to worry so much about the time. Another advantage to this would be that if any activities were to run late, no one would have to worry about rushing home and cramming everything in. This means there might even be less arguments at home. Another way letting kids stay out later is an advantage because they’ll be able to have more fun as a kid. This way instead of remembering all the nights of cramming everything in, they can look back on how much fun they had even when they did have school the next day. Schools should change their hours. Later school hours could result in kids getting more sleep, better grades, and being able to stay out later. Both students and teachers shouldn’t have to get up so early. I’m sure many people would be with me saying that school shouldn’t have to start until atleast 9:30 a.m.  __Directions for open-ended questions 11 and 12__: Write your response in the space provided on the answer sheet.

11. This is a persuasive essay discussing why the school day should start at 9:30 am. While reading the passage, it seems like the author is really into what point he is trying to make. They use a more fiery tone then a calm one, as they seem to be determined in changing your mind. One reason the author states that the time should be changed is because students would be in a better mood in the morning. “This means that students would be able to get along better with their peers or teachers”. Another reason the author states is that students would get better grades from the change. “One would be that kids would have extra time to do homework before school”. 12. Many students opinions differ on this topic. No I do not think that school should start at 9:30. One reason for this is because it complicates family’s schedule in the morning. Most parents have to go to work just as early as students so the students wouldn’t have many ways of getting to school. Also, I like to get school over with so having it early rather then later is a plus for me; I also don’t think that there are many pros to changing the school time.
 * In what tone does the authors voice sound while reading the essay?
 * Identify two different reasons the author tries to persuade the reader to start the school day at 9:30 am.
 * In your own opinion, do you think that the school day should start at 9:30 am?
 * Give two of your own reasons on why or why not you agree?

Directions: **In this part of the test, you will red a narrative passage and then respond to the multiple-choice and open-ended questions that follow it. You may look back at the passage and make notes in the margin if you like, but you must record your answers on your answer sheet. You Will have 50 minutes for this part of the test**.
 * PART 3**

//From// "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu"
The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned on--always a wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded. I had never before heard pure applause in a ballpark. No calling, no whistling, just an ocean of handclaps, minute after minute, burst after burst, crowding and running together in continuous succession like the pushes of surf at the edge of the sand. It was a sombre and considered tumult. There was not a boo in it. It seemed to renew itself out of a shifting set of memories as the Kid, the Marine, the veteran of feuds and failures and injuries, the friend of children, and the enduring old pro evolved down the bright tunnel of twenty-two summers toward this moment. At last, the umpire signalled for Fisher to pitch; with the other players, he had been frozen in position. Only Williams had moved during the ovation, switching his bat impatiently, ignoring everything except his cherished task. Fisher wound up, and the applause sank into a hush. Understand that we were a crowd of rational people. We knew that a home run cannot be produced at will; the right pitch must be perfectly met and luck must ride with the ball. Three innings before, we had seen a brave effort fail. The air was soggy, the season was exhausted. Nevertheless, there will always lurk, around the corner in a pocket of our knowledge of the odds, an indefensible hope, and this was one of the times, which you now and then find in sports, when a density of expectation hangs in the air and plucks an event out of the future. Fisher, after his unsettling wait, was wide with the first pitch. He put the second one over, and Williams swung mightily and missed. The crowd grunted, seeing that classic swing, so long and smooth and quick, exposed. Fisher threw the third time, Williams swung again, and there it was. The ball climbed on a diagonal line into the vast volume of air over center field. From my angle, behind third base, the ball seemed less an object in flight than the tip of a towering, motionless construct, like the Eiffel Tower or the Tappan Zee Bridge. It was in the books while it was still in the sky. Brandt ran back to the deepest corner of the outfield grass, the ball descended beyond his reach and struck in the crotch where the bullpen met the wall, bounced chunkily, and vanished. Like a feather caught in a vortex, Williams ran around the square of bases at the center of our beseeching screaming. He ran as he always ran out home runs--hurriedly, unsmiling, head down, as if our praise were a storm of rain to get out of. He didn’t tip his cap. Though we thumped, wept, and chanted "We want Ted" for minutes after he hid in the dugout, he did not come back. Our noise for some seconds passed beyond excitement into a kind of immense open anguish, a wailing, a cry to be saved. But immortality is nontransferable. The papers said that the other players, and even the umpires on the field, begged him to come out and acknowledge us in some way, but he refused. Gods do not answer letters.  __Directions for open-ended questions 11 and 12__: **Write your response in the space provided on the answer sheet.
 * by John Updike**

11. This is a narrative telling about the career ending at-bat and his surroundings during the time.**
 * Identify two ways in which the author shows in how modest Williams actually was?
 * Do you think that the way that the fans were acting put a positive influence on Ted Williams?

Ted Williams was a modest baseball player during the night of his last at-bat. One way in which the author shows this is when Williams was running the bases, he didn’t cheer or wave his arms in the air, but he ran the bases just like any other home run. Another way was later when the fans were all cheering for Williams, he didn’t come out of the dugout or tip his cap. He refused to come out and acknowledge his avid fans. I think that the fans did have a positive influence on Williams even though he didn’t show it. It probably gave him assurance that he wasn’t just a washed up player now.

12. The narrative shows the respect that players have for the game. One time my friend didn’t have enough money to pay for lunch so I stepped in and lent him money so that he didn’t have to work it off. I knew it was a good deed that I did because he was praising me but it seemed like nothing big at all.
 * Was there ever a time where you were modest about something you knew was a good thing?
 * Give two specific details about the time.

The NAACP (Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored People) was founded on February 12, 1909. Some of the main members of the NAACP are Julian Bond, Roslyn Brock, Benjamin Jealous and Jesse Turner Jr. Some of the main goals of this association is to ensure political, educational, social, and economic equality of all citizens. Also, they tried to achieve equality or rights and eliminate race prejudice among all citizens as well as remove all barriers of racial discrimination. Their main goal though, was to educate American citizens of their constitutional rights. 

 The hippy counterculture of the 1960’s to early 1970’s lived in a world of their own. They were the [|baby boomer]gen  eration that has grown into late teens, and they wanted to be independent and live by their own rules. Their might in numbers, influential personalities and independence caused them to be strong counterpoints to American society. Hippies r ebelled against traditional institutions, middle class values and the [|Vietnam War]. They believed in peace, so war was going against their beliefs; they just wanted peace, love, and personal freedom.

The Hippy counterculture was filled with extremely laid back, teenagers/young adults. They used psychedelic drugs such as LSD, or Marijuana. They were longhaired, tie-dyed t-shirts, and were as far outside of the established system as possible. Overtime however, the hippies started to die down during the mid 70’s. There are still [|modern day hippies], and they had an everlasting impact on today’s society. Their protests helped pass civil rights acts. If you were to live in a commune, there would be some advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages would be that there would always be someone to back you up and help you with whatever you need. Disadvantages, however, could be like that you never really know what its like to be an individual.

New music in the 60’s and 70’s help people express their feelings as well. Rock n Roll, [|R&B], and Folk music were all ways to convey emotions. Examples of such bands were, [|Grateful Dead], The Doors, or Pink Floyd. People were not used to the different types of music and it was just a new style that people could follow. It was not the traditional music that people have been hearing from the 20’s through 50’s. The part of the hippie counterculture that made them who they are was their fashion, slogans and symbols. They wore tye-dye shirts that were usually used to make statements, jeans and bandanas. The main slogans they used went along with their main symbol. “Peace. Love.”, and the symbol was the peace sign.