September Post
I set my ultimate goal for my Signature project. I'm planning to write a research paper on World War II. I love learning about different people and how they live. World War II is one of the most tragic histories in the world yet it is very interesting and important to know such past tragedy and the complicated nature of people. I haven’t decided on a specific topic to research. Active brainstorming is crucial to compose a fine thesis.
October Post
There are some famous historical figures who are involved in World War II. Some of them caused the war while others fought against the people who caused the war. It is interesting to think what made the people think and act differently and what the normal people in Germany thought during that period.
It is kind of hard to spare my time to spend on doing my Signature work regularly. I think not having a regular Signature block makes my research process very challenging.
It is kind of hard to spare my time to spend on doing my Signature work regularly. I think not having a regular Signature block makes my research process very challenging.
November Post
Now I'm trying to narrow the topic down. Since World War II is a very broad topic, there are so many ways to approach the research. To start making a thesis, I had a meeting with Ms. Bendall. Having a conversation with her, I could organize my thoughts. She also helped me find good sources that help brainstorming for my research paper. I’m planning to research on the side of White Rose, the Nazis resistance, the Nazis, and the ordinary German people.
December Post
This is not quite related to what I'm planning for my project but I watched a French drama, A French Village. The drama isn’t about the German situation during World War II but it includes some form of resistances like the local communist groups fought against the Nazis.
January Post 1
One of the factors that caused different perceptions among different groups of people is the economic class. Sophie and Hans Scholl, the founders of the Nazis resistance group of Germany, the White Rose, were raised in the upper-middle class family. Also, it is highly likely that many students of the University of Munich shared similar economic circumstances with Sophie and Hans and thus they are well-educated groups of people. These economic classes and education status usually allowed people to access media from other countries and be aware that the Nazis are not the answer for the hardship they were facing before. This makes sense because fascism (Nazism is one form of fascism) initially targeted the middle-working class, closer to the lower class.
January Post 2
I had my first Signature meeting today. In the class, I shared my project with the class and I also got a chance to listen to their projects and the processes. I think I can spend my time more regularly doing my Signature works this semester because I have Signature blocks now.
I've been reading some sources about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. A janitor from the University of Munich found that Sophie and Hans were the group spreading the resistance flyers. The janitor was a supporter of the Nazis and I figured that the janitor reflects the middle-working class, which can prove that fascism targeted those who are less educated and working class rather than upper-middle and educated class.
I've been reading some sources about Sophie Scholl and the White Rose. A janitor from the University of Munich found that Sophie and Hans were the group spreading the resistance flyers. The janitor was a supporter of the Nazis and I figured that the janitor reflects the middle-working class, which can prove that fascism targeted those who are less educated and working class rather than upper-middle and educated class.
February Post
Half of my project should have been done by February but I couldn’t and I also had to change my plan. I updated my timeline for the project in my portfolio. My new goal is to have at least a rough thesis by the end of February and get most of the sources. If it’s possible, it would be great to have some outline for the paper.
I found another resistance group against the Nazis Germany called Kreisau Circle. Like the White Rose, the founder of the circle is a well-educated jurist Helmuth James Von Moltke. Also, many of the members in the circle were highly educated who might be upper-middle class people including lawyers, economists, and more. I believe that this can prove my point that the people have better chances of education can have more critical thinking ability and could use it against the Nazis. Also, the Kreisau Circle was somewhat involved with socialism which I think might add another layer of complexity on my research progress. While upper-middle could criticize and fight against the Nazis with the educational opportunities, the Nazis also focused on education mostly for brainwashing young people. I’m not sure how these two types of educational systems simultaneously existed (it is possible that they might not even exist together; there might be a chronological difference between those systems). It would be helpful to figure that out and both private and public educational systems in the third reich.
I found another resistance group against the Nazis Germany called Kreisau Circle. Like the White Rose, the founder of the circle is a well-educated jurist Helmuth James Von Moltke. Also, many of the members in the circle were highly educated who might be upper-middle class people including lawyers, economists, and more. I believe that this can prove my point that the people have better chances of education can have more critical thinking ability and could use it against the Nazis. Also, the Kreisau Circle was somewhat involved with socialism which I think might add another layer of complexity on my research progress. While upper-middle could criticize and fight against the Nazis with the educational opportunities, the Nazis also focused on education mostly for brainwashing young people. I’m not sure how these two types of educational systems simultaneously existed (it is possible that they might not even exist together; there might be a chronological difference between those systems). It would be helpful to figure that out and both private and public educational systems in the third reich.