Final Exam Project

Michele Colucci

World Cultures

Block 2

June 1st, 2016

 These pictures represent Latin Americas Rainforest: The Amazon. It is important to be

aware about what is going on in the world. The Amazon Rainforest is very important for the

entire world, it provides oxygen worldwide. Unfortunately, it is endangered. The first picture is

one of the first pretty pictures that pops up when the forest is searched. It is not all that pretty
anymore destruction of the forest has been going on for a while now. The Amazon should look

just as pretty as it used to be. The second picture is showing a man mining in a cave. Gold

mining companies thrive in the poor forest hungry for the money that gold carries for them in

their tough poverty filled times. People will do anything for money. The third picture is of one

of the many oil spills in the amazon. The water is polluted causing death/ extinction in fish, and

even death/ sickness in people it is poisoning the forest dry, and shows no benefit at all why they

would keep doing it except money. The fourth picture is of the deforestation scars on the forest

caused by almost everything combined. Companies feel the need to take parts of the forest down

in order to have room for their nasty work that still kills the forest. Talk about a double whammy.

The fifth picture is of the organization known as the green peace. They are the ones trying to

protect the forest when it seems like no one else will because they understand that the Amazon

forests life affects the entire world. If not taken care of who knows what problems will end up

happening down the road. I picked these 5 pictures to represent the horror that is hidden in the

Amazon Rainforest. Gold mining, Oil spills, and deforestation are just some of the things that

have made the once thriving forest full of life, turned into a battle field of pure greed. The forest

should look like the first picture inside and out.

Latin America is sadly fighting off poverty. The unemployment rate is high. The people

of Latin America have gone to the most extreme ways in order to bring food on the table for

their families. Ripping down the innocent Amazon rainforest is one of the most popular ways of

getting money. Another way is that some scum are working child prostitution centers in order for

themselves to get money and for the underage children can get money as well. In order for the

forest to live on as well as the people, there must be solutions to this horrific problem. It has

gotten out of control to the point that poverty is affecting the Amazon Rainforest. The rainforest
as said before is important towards the entire world. It provides oxygen worldwide, and if it is

completely torn down the ozone layer will be damaged. Gold mining, Deforestation, and Oil

spills are all killing the forest quickly and if the damage does not stop we will lose the forest

forever. It is important to be aware with what is going on in the world so we know if we can

help. If the U.S steps in and tries to resolve the issue, it could help big time with trying to protect

the forest and help Latin America with their poverty issue.

Latin America was home to different groups of people in ancient times. This is important

for us to know because the groups that lived there contributed to the culture that Latin America

has now. The oldest and most influential group was known as the olmecs. The olmecs were so

influential that the other groups like the aztecs, and toltecs followed in their footsteps. Sure they

were all different in some way but most of the ancient groups pointed back to the olmecs being

the base. It is important for us to comprehend how the beautiful Latin America came to be.

It is also important to know about other countries for our own safety if we ever plan to go

there. There is a current uprising of gangs, shootings, and child prostitution rings. If someone

wants to go there they must be aware of what is going on in Latin America. This could possibly

prevent people from going, but it is better to not go and be aware than to go and be unaware and

potentially in danger. Drugs are also on the rise so if a family is planning to visit there they might

want to wait off until it is safe. No one wants to go to a country that is currently struggling with

gangs and shootings blindly or it could be very dangerous.

It is important to be aware of other countries for our own benefits. Safety is very

important, if something bad is going on in one country, like the countries in Latin America

dealing with shootings and gangs, we want to be aware so that we do not put ourselves in
unnecessary danger. Also, it is important so that we can understand the peoples struggles and

culture more. It does affect all of us whether we realize it or not.

 Russia has always been head to head with the United States and both nations seem to

never get along. On our end we see them as a tough, strict, and mean nation. But we need to

know and understand about other countries outside of our own. Russia has its own history. In the

first picture, there is a man named Vladimir Lenin. He was the founding father of communism in

Russia. The people adored him and he was a very influential leader. The second picture is of a

man named Stalin. He was a dictator who ruled after Lenins death, despite Lenins wishes not to

have Stalin rule because of his violent behavior. Stalin swayed his way into the big leagues and

ended up being a harsh and cruel ruler just as Lenin was afraid of. The third picture is that of

genocide. This is what Stalin has caused throughout Russia. Killing people to strike fear in the

others. Millions died, and he was the cause of it all. The fourth picture is of Lenins funeral. He

was sick for a long while but the people never knew. When he died it was a big surprise and the

nation all wept together. He was a very respected leader in his time, and to this day. The russians

put him on display so they will always remember him. The fifth picture is of the current

president of Russia: Vladimir Putin, and the current president of the U.S: Barack Obama. This is

showing how these two nations have not been on the same terms for centuries. There have been

huge power struggles between both, and to this day they still suspect one another for a trick or

two up the others sleeves. I picked these pictures to represent Russia because in order to

understand different countries outside our own, we need to look at some of the well-known

leaders who ruled over the countries. Also, this helps us understand what they caused, and if it

was a good or bad influence on the people so we can understand them.

Russia has had its own struggles in history just like the U.S. The nation was too power

hungry all the time, and this was their big weakness. Russia wanted to be apart of the CKOTWC

more than anything so that they could bathe in their power. During this time the U.S also wanted
to gain more power. This was one of the big competitions between U.S. and Russia. Who would

have more power over the other? That was the big question. Russia, however did not make it into

the CKOTWC. The reason for this was because Stalin was in power. The other nations could see

that he was a power hungry and cruel dictator. If they gave him more power, than his atrocities

would be worldwide. Now we can understand why Russia was so frustrated with wanting more

power. Stalin was declined even more power than he already had, so this frustrated him, and the

rest of russia, not knowing that he was really the reason for all of their suffering.

Russias people have suffered majorly when Stalin was dicator. It is important that we

know so we can understand the Russians more. When Stalin was in power he became a cruel

leader. He would make sure to eliminate anyone who threatened his authority. Also, he let

thousands of poor village people starve, and locked up thousands of people in prison cells to

confess to crimes they never committed. That wasn't the only thing, the innocent prisoners were

tortured to death. Some were just straight up slaughtered by the police force that Stalin

controlled. Being a leader means to serve the people and make sure that they are happy. He did

the complete opposite and his point of authority went way over his head. He even got one of his

wives to kill herself, or so they say, because he was afraid that she would expose him of his true

cruel nature as leader. At the time of course all of this was secret, and the people still respected

him. But he betrayed all of those people including Lenin. Lenin knew this sort of thing would

happen which is why he wanted someone else to be elected. The man he wanted to be elected

was named Leon Trotsky. Stalin made sure to take care of his rival and humiliated him by

banning him from being in the country, to later sending his workers to end his rival once and for

all. It is important to understand other countries problems so we can see them more as a nation
not just our rival. Thankfully, the people of the U.S never had a problem with a leader like that

before.

If we understand other countries struggles than we will be able to learn from what has

happened. In 1939 Stalin met with Hitler. They signed a treaty that stated that Russia would not

be attacked by Hitlers army. Stalin felt relieved and proud that he and Hitler were on good

terms. He let his guard down, and let the germans take him by surprise. Instead of staying true to

their treaty, Hitlers army attacked Russia. Since Stalin was not cautious at all, thinking that he

dodged the bullet, it caused an attack and a lot of people died. This was basically the start of

world war 2. It teaches us as the U.S spectating all of this to not let our guards down even if a

treaty is made with that country. They could use it as a way to get us off guard and then swoop in

and wipe us out.

Understanding another country is important. It helps us understand them more as people

for the struggles that they went through. It also helps the U.S. to learn from their mistakes and

make sure that mistakes are not repeated. Being too power hungry, or not being cautious enough

can cost the lives of thousands of innocent people. A nation cannot excel unless they are aware of

their surroundings, and what is happening with other countries.

 Europe is another beautiful Continent. It is home to different types of cultures in each of

its countries. It is important to understand and respect others cultures if planning to travel to a

different country. The first picture is of Scotland. Scotland not too long ago was trying to fight

for its own independence. They felt that they could rule themselves better than anyone could. In

the end they did not become independent because they would not have all the benefits the United

Kingdom would have given them. The second picture is of a girl named Zlata Filipovic. She

wrote a diary about the wars she was experiencing as a child. It was very eye opening and

disturbing to the people. This benefited her in the end. No one is going to turn their head away

from a kid suffering through war so bad that suicide seems to be the only option to them. It was

so disturbingly sad for a little girl, or just anyone to have to deal with the war and never knowing

if you could be the next victim or someone you love. The third picture is of the armenian

genocide. This is a genocide that does not get enough credit. The turks who were responsible for

this terrible atrocity still to this day deny having anything to do with the genocide, and basically
pretend that it never happened. The armenians were beaten to death, raped, shot, and everything

in between. If the turks owned up to it than it would not be still such a big issue. The fourth

picture is of Turkey. Turkey was at one point trying to become independent just like Scotland

was. Unfortunately, since their slate is not clean the odds are slim to none that it would ever even

be considered. This is where they should have stepped up and atoned for their sins. But instead

they pretend that they had nothing to do with the genocide. No one is going to trust a country to

rule itself if they have blood stained hands and refuse that they do when everyone already knows.

The fifth picture is of the Bosnian war. This war was between 3 Bosnian groups, and the

yugoslav army. There was a clash between the Croats, Serbs, and Bosnian muslims. It was a very

violent war and lasted for years. This was the war that Zlata Filipovic had to go through as a

child. I picked these pictures to represent Europe because in order to understand someones

culture you need to understand the struggles that they faced which made them who they are

today.

Understanding and respecting others cultures is a good way to learn by traveling.

Scotland was a beautiful country in Europe, and it was what my unit 2 performance task was on.

Traveling all the way to a different country, like Scotland, is a great way to understand different

cultures. Scotland had different things in their culture that made them who they were. If planning

to travel to a different country, than researching what they do and do not like is a great way to

make sure you earn their respect. What we see as fine might be unacceptable for them.

Scotlands different customs, accents, dress, food, and celebrations are all what makes them have

their own unique culture. For example, on a special night called Burns night. They celebrate

while eating haggis. Haggis is one of the dishes that Scotland is known for. Traveling there and

experiencing their culture first hand is the best way in my opinion to understand it.
 Everything that happens to a certain country throughout history helps to create their

culture. It is what makes everyone in this world different. The struggles they face are different

from ours. The Armenian genocide is an example. The Turks killed, and made the poor

Armenians suffer. They did not accept them for their having their own culture, and not being like

the Turks. They did not care to understand or respect the Armenian culture for who they were. If

people do not respect ones culture they can cause wars, fights, or just plain destroy one another.

The Armenians tried desperately to fight back but still suffered on a whole other scale. Even to

this day the Turks do not respect the Armenians. They will not open their sewn shut mouths to

confess. They turned into the bad guys which was unnecessary. If they just lived peacefully along

the Armenians and respected them, there would not be so many problems.

Understanding/Respecting other cultures is what people have to do whether they like it or

not. It is apart of life. There will be times in anyone's life when they have to deal with someone

who does not have the same culture as another like at the workplace, family, friends, school, and

etc. There is always going to be someone who does not believe the same things that another

believes. Scotland wanted to be independent from the United Kingdom because they felt as if

their culture did not need to associate with the rest of the United Kingdom. They felt as if their

culture was the right one. But they did not have any real beneficial reason to be on their own.

If they struggled they would not have the United Kingdoms support. So they did not end up

being independent. They have to learn to deal with other cultures in the United Kingdom because

they all receive benefits from being together. It is apart of life to have to deal with other cultures,

since no one is the same.

It is important to learn how to understand and respect other cultures. Traveling is a great

way to see the world and really learn hands on what other cultures are like. Just having to face
the fact that you will never be able to get away from everyone elses cultures is another reason. It

is what makes us, us and we all are supposed to support each other no matter what. Also,

understanding another cultures struggles throughout history helps for us to reflect on ourselves

and learn to respect one anothers culture. This way we will not make the same mistakes that

other cultures made when thinking that their culture is the right one. No culture is right we

all are allowed to believe, and be who we want to be.

Works Cited
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Web. 06 June 2016.

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Forest - BBC Wildlife Animal Documentary."YouTube. YouTube, 02 Dec. 2015. Web. 06 June 2016

"Peru Declares State Of Emergency After Oil Spills From Pipeline Leaks In The Amazon Rainforest."

Indiatimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2016.

http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2009/mining-profit-africa%E2%80%99s-people

"Amazon Rainforest News: Deforestation of Amazon Lowest for 22 Years."Amazon Rainforest News:

Deforestation of Amazon Lowest for 22 Years. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2016

"Vladimir Lenin." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 06 June 2016.

Ransome, Arthur. "The Day All Moscow Came to Bury Lenin." The Guardian. Guardian News and

Media, 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 06 June 2016

Perring, Rebecca. "US vs Russia Military Showdown Is INEVITABLE Top MI6 Chief Warns." Daily

Express World RSS. N.p., 08 Oct. 2015. Web. 06 June 2016

"Zlata Filipovi Bersaksi Dalam Catatan Harian." N.p., 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 06 June 2016

"Why Does Turkey Continue to Deny Armenian Genocide? - The Boston Globe." BostonGlobe.com.

N.p., n.d. Web. 06 June 2016