American Beauty

Please read the first page of Jon Johansen's article at http://www.nzlistener.co.nz/issue/3552/features/11195/american_beauty_.html and answer the following questions:

1. Write a bibliographic entry for the article. Follow this format: Author name, Article title, Journal name, date, volume, issue number.

2. Why does Jonson begin his article with a poem by Langston Hughes? How does the poem relate to Jonson's topic?

3. In the poem, why does the speaker have to eat in the kitchen?

4. Why does Jonson put the phrase "War on Terror" in quotes?

5. Jonson uses alliteration in his third paragraph. Write down the two phrases that employ alliteration.

6. Who or what is "Billary"? (Clue: think of past presidents of the US and Obama's main rival for the Democratic Presidential candidate nomination).

7. When did Black voters in the southern US states finally get full and fair voting rights?

8. Name one book written by Barack Obama.

9. The extract from the article ends with a metaphor. What is the image conveyed by this metaphor? How does it develop Jonson's key idea?

10. For Johnson what makes makes Obama's success different from that of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice?

11. What would be the historic significance of Barack Obama becoming the next president of the United States? Think of three reasons why this would be an historic event.

Essay Competition

NGĀRIMU VC and 28th (MĀORI) BATTALION MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
ESSAY COMPETITION 2008

The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board Essay Competition has been an annual event since 1948. All New Zealand Māori students in Years 7 to 13 are urged to participate, with the aim of increasing fluency in written English and Māori.

GUIDELINES

1. Students must be in Years 7 to 13 and of New Zealand Māori descent.

2. All entries must be typed and in hard copy format, 1.5 Line Spacing; the student's name, year and school name and address must be printed clearly on every page. Only legible handwritten entries will be accepted.

3. The competition does not need to be run under examination conditions but entries must be the original work of the students. The use of research material is encouraged with any direct quotations attributed to the source.

4. All entries must meet the following minimum word requirement:
800 words for Year 7-8 students;
1000 words for Year 9-10 students; and
1200 words for year 11-13 students.
The word count must appear on the student’s manuscript.

5. Each essay entry must have a completed cover sheet (see attached).

SECTIONS

6. There are six sections: Junior English and Māori (Years 7 & 8); Intermediate English and Māori (Years 9 & 10); and Senior English and Māori (Years 11-13).

TOPICS

7. The topics by section are as follows:

Year 7-8 Māori

1. Whiria tētahi o ēnei toa – Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngarimu, Haane Manahi rānei, ā, whakamāramahia te pānga o ā rāua mahi pakanga ki te hunga tamariki o tēnei rau tau.

2. Ki a koe he aha te tikanga o te rā whakamaumahara i ngā hoia, ara te rā o ANZAC.

3. Ki ō whakaaro, he aha te take kei te waiatatia tonutia e te iwi Māori i ngā waiata i titohia mō Te Hokowhitu a Tū 28?

Year 7-8 English

1. Choose one of these war heroes – Te Moananui a Kiwa Ngarimu, or Haane Manahi and describe the relevance of their war exploits for tamariki of the 21st century.

2. What does ANZAC day mean to you?

3. Why do you think that songs composed for the 28 Maori Battalion are still being performed today?

Year 9-10 Māori

1. Whiria tētahi tīpuna ō tō hapū, iwi rānei, ā, whakamārama mai i ngā āhuatanga hautū o tēnei tīpuna me tana pānga ki a koutou ko tō whānau.

2. Whakamāramatia ngā āhuatanga whawhai o Tumatauenga i hāpaitia e ngā hoia o te Hokowhitu ā Tū 28 me te whakamahinga o ērā āhuatanga i te wā i hoki mai rātau ki te kāinga.

3. Whakamārama mai i te hiranga o te waiata me te haka ki ngā hoia o te Hokowhitu ā Tū 28.

Year 9-10 English

1. Choose an ancestor of your hapu or iwi and describe the leadership qualities of this person and the influence that they have had on you and your whanau today.

2. Describe the positive leadership qualities of the men of the 28 (Maori) Battalion and assess how these were used when the men came home from war.

3. Describe the importance of song and haka for men of the 28 (Maori) Battalion.

Year 11-13 Māori

1. Torutoru noa iho nga morehu o te Hokowhitu ā Tū 28 e ora tonu ana. Inā mate ai te katoa, mā hea tā koutou whakatipuranga e mahara ai ki a rātau?

2. The Price of Citizenship he tuhinga tēnei i tuhia e Tā Apirana Ngata. Ki ō whakaaro he aha te ngako, kua tutuki hoki rānei ngā wawata i wawatatia i roto i te tuhinga nei?

3. I riro i a Kāpara Wiremu Apiata i te Ripeka Wikitoria mo āna mahi tino māia ki Afghanistan. Whakamārama mai i roto i āu ake kupu i te take he tauira pai a Wiremu mō te hunga rangatahi i roto o Aotearoa i ēnei rā.

Year 11-13 English

1. There are only a small number of survivors of the 28 (Maori) Battalion still alive today. When the last soldier passes how will your generation maintain the memory of the 28 (Maori) Battalion?

2. Sir Apirana Ngata published an essay called The Price of Citizenship. What do you think were the important messages in the essay and how far have these been achieved today?

3. Corporal Wiremu Apiata won the Victoria Cross for outstanding bravery in Afghanistan. Describe in your own words, the importance of Willie as a role model for young Maori in Aotearoa today.

TIMELINE

8. All entries must be received by the Ministry of Education by 26 September 2008.

9. Prize-winners’ schools will be notified by 8 December 2008.

Prize Values

10. Prizes will be awarded to successful students and their school based on the following:
1st 2nd 3rd
Junior Māori $200.00 $100.00 $75.00
Junior English $200.00 $100.00 $75.00
Intermediate Māori $300.00 $150.00 $75.00
Intermediate English $300.00 $150.00 $75.00
Senior Māori $450.00 $200.00 $75.00
Senior English $450.00 $200.00 $75.00

11. All entries and enquiries should directed to:

Lani Goldsmith
Ngarimu VC and 28th Māori Battalion Essay Competition
Group Māori
Ministry of Education
Phone: 04 463 8957
Email: lani.goldsmith@minedu.govt.nz

Downloads
Essay competition cover sheet