Creative Education Place

"In The Name Of Intolerance"

2007-08-02T16:56:00.001-07:00

By Ana Paula Prado Magalhães - Historian

On June 22^nd, Jean Charles de Menezes, Brazilian, 27 years old, was shot and killed by the Scotland Yard in London. According to the police, Jean was mistaken for terrorists after behaving suspiciously in the Stockwell underground station.

Jean has been living in England for about four years working as an electrician. He grew up in a farm in Gonzaga, located 650 kilometres (400 miles) Southwest of Brasília. Son of a bricklayer, Jean came from a poor family. After receiving a professional diploma from “The State School of São Sebastião” in São Paulo, he has decided to go to London in order to try a better life. A cousin of Jean said that one of his dreams was to save money to return to Gonzaga, where he had friends, parents and family.

The town of Gonzaga is in shock. People cannot understand how the British police could have chased and shot dead Jean without having clear evidence that he was really a terrorist. According to the Scotland Yard, Jean was wearing an winter jacket that could be hiding a bomb. He also failed to obey orders and jumped a ticket barrier. Vivian Figueiredo, One Jean’s cousins, has contradicted that information. In a press conference held in London, she said that Jean was wearing a jacket jeans and he has not jumped the ticket barrier.

So, why was he killed? In

Brazil

, the majority of the population agree that Jean was murdered in cold blood by the anti-terrorist police and it happened because of the British policy of intolerance and discrimination. Would the police have shot Jean if he looked like as a typical English person? Why did they shot to kill? Those are the questions that are in the Brazilians’mind today.

The sadness and indignation of the Brazilian society were showed in protests in front of the British Embassy in Brasília and the consulates in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Besides, Jean’s family has been receiving the Brazilian public opinion’s support regarding the possibility of filed suit against the Scotland Yard.

The reaction of the Brazilian people is understandable. Jean, like other Brazilians immigrants, embodies the dream of having a better life in a developed country. The poverty and the lack of opportunity in Brazil stimulate many Brazilians, especially from the poor and the middle classes, to go abroad with a view to changing their lives. Those people also help their parents, relatives and friends who are still in Brazil. In that sense, the death of Jean is also seen by the Brazilian population as the murder of a dream.

Regarding the Brazilian Government, it has taken an appropriate strong stance. After receiving the tragic news, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Celso Amorim, has talked, in person, to the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, in order to demand a complete inquiry into the case. In response to the accusation that Jean had a false visa, the Brazilian Government has reacted by stating that it is not a reason to kill a person.

All over the country, people have the same feeling. We, Brazilians, are against all kind of terrorism. However, we are also against that terrorism becomes an excuse to kill innocent people.

Future Projects

2007-08-02T16:54:00.001-07:00

Taking a Master Course in Education

Publication

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• “In the Name of Intolerance”
- 3 of August of 2005
- Sellan Notebook of Social Studies, Iceland
- www.sellan.is

Professional Experience in Brazil

2007-08-02T16:43:00.000-07:00

• Teacher of History, MV1 School
- Place: Tijuca, Rio De Janeiro
- Period: 2007/current days
- History teacher for secondary students.
- Elaboration and implementation of evaluation, materials and projects.

• Teacher of History, Baby Garden/MCM School
- Place: Tijuca, Rio De Janeiro
- Period: 2003/current days

- History teacher for secondary students.
- Elaboration and implementation of evaluation, contents, pedagogical materials and projects.
- Elaboration and implementation of outdoor education.

• Teacher Assistant of History, MOPI School (Temporary Contract)
- Place: Tijuca, Rio De Janeiro
- Period: March/June of 2004
- History teacher for secondary students.

• Teacher of History, Tourism and Culture, Carioca Association of Superior Education
(Temporary Contract)
- Place: Jacarepaguá, Rio De Janeiro
- Period: November/December of 2002
- Elaboration and conduction of History, Culture and Tourism lessons
for pupils of the tourism professional course.

International Profession Experience

2007-08-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

• Teacher Assistant

- Subjects: Culture and History
- International School of Uppsala - Sweden
- Period: March/June of 2005.

Languages

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• English: Advanced level
- Brasas English Course
- Period: 1995/1997
- Toefl Score (computer test): 250

• Spanish: Advanced level
- Cervantes Institute
- Period: 2006/current days

Academic Qualifications

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• Graduation in History
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Brasil
- Period: 1999 - 2002

• Summer Course in Special Education - Post-graduation level
• Seminary of Professional Development
- International Summer School, University of Oslo - Norway
- Period: July/August of 2004

• Course in Multicultural Education - Graduation level
- University of Uppsala - Sweden
- Period: January/May of 2005

Qualifications Resume

2007-08-02T16:25:00.001-07:00

• Four years of experience in teaching for secundary schools.
• Elaboration and implementation of lessons, evaluations and materials
for pupils with and without learning difficulties.
• Pedagogical Support for pupils with learning difficulties.
• Elaboration and implementation of multicultural projects.
• Elaboration and implementation of outdoor education.

Personal Datas

2007-08-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

Name: Ana Paula Prado Magalhães
Nationality: Brazilian
Profession: Teacher of History

Lesson 2: The Relations Among Places

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Objective: To discuss with the pupils the social, economic, cultural relations among places.

Groups: 11-14 years old

The Lesson

First Stage:
Each pupil will have a form concerning the description of his kingdom. This must have the name of the pupil. Example: Kingdom of Carlos II.

Second Stage:
The pupils will present the information about his kingdom for the group. The first form will juat have the positive points of the kingdom.

Third Stage:
The professor will give for each pupil a paper with a negative aspect of the kingdom. It is necessary to create different negative points for each kingdom. It is important that the pupils realize that the difficulties of one must be filled by the qualities of the other.

Fourth Stage:
The pupils will have to present the difficulty faced for his kingdom for the class. You should stimulate the group to decide the problems with the positive characteristics of the players. Exemplo: Kingdom 1 has a problem of food scarcity. Kingdom 2 had a production excess. Kingdom 1 will be able to solve its problem buying the excess of production of kingdom 2.

Fifth Stage:
You should repeat the fourth stage with new problems.

Sixth Stage:
You should debate with the pupils the relations established for theirs kingdoms throughout the dynamics.

Seventh Stage:
You should reads a text or whatch a movie about the subject.

Set of documents suggestion:
Program: City and Solutions
Canal: GloboNews
Date: 18/03/2007
Subject: Intermunicipais trusts
Objective: To discuss the politics, economic, cultural and social work relations among Brazilian cities.
It has access: http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Noticias/0,,GIM653561-7823-CONSORCIOS+INTERMUNICIPAIS,00.html

Pupils' version of the lesson:

“I liked very much. We learn to make goods exchange. The lesson was easier to understand” João Marcelo - 5ª series

“We learn how to make goods exchange. The lesson was easier since we experienced the relashionship among places.” Marina - 5ª series

“I liked because I learned the subject playing.” Fernanda - 5ª series

Lesson 1: Consumption and Consumerism

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*OBJECTIVE:

To discuss the difference between consumption and consumerism.
To debate the relation between desire and consumption.

* Students: 11-14 years old.
* Places: Classroom and Shopping Center.
* Recursos: Form, Texts, Trips.

* THE LESSON:

First Stage

You should explain the subject and the objectives of the lesson.

You should give a form for each pupil. That form must have the name of the pupil and the amount that the pupil will be able “to spend” in goods at the shopping.

Second Stage

Trip to the shopping. Each pupil will have to spend the amount estipulated by you in goods that interests him. He must write down in the form what he bought, the amount of it, the name of the store and the reason of the purchase.

Third Stage

Each pupil will present his registers to the class.

* Many pupils will “buy” products that they do not need. You should uses this moment to discuss the relation between desire and consumption. Its is interesting to show how the act of purchase is sometimes associated to the feeling of instantaneous happiness. Other pupils will “buy” things that they need. This is a good moment to debate the relation between necessity and consumption. It will be useful to talk about the difference between consumption and consumerism.

After the discussion, you should read a text about the subject.