Morgan

__Our Visit to the Third Grade__
Visiting the third grade class was a fun and educational experience. We went to their class in an attempt to teach them about the effects that the atomic bomb had on Hiroshima, but they ended up teaching us things instead. I learned about the story of Sadako Sasaki and about the thousand paper cranes that she folded in the hopes that they would cure her of leukemia; a cancer caused by the radiation of the atomic bomb. Peace was the main theme of our visits and with the eight and nine year-olds being so young and innocent it was an easy topic to discuss. The third graders thought of peace as more of an object or feeling than an ideal. They thought of peace as having a shape, taste, and smell. One kid said that peace looked like animals playing and another thought it felt like playing with friends. Peace seems like such an easy concept when you look at it through a child's eyes. It really makes one ask: Why can't we have peace in the world everyday?

__Peace One Day__
Every year on September 21st, Peace Day is celebrated around the world. On this day, created by Jeremy Gilley, cease-fires exist and children are fed and immunized. People everywhere try to make a difference on the 21st. Some give out food, others help raise money for a good cause, and some just try to get along with family,colleagues, and co-workers. If we all do something to make a difference in the world, no matter how small, then we really will have "peace one day".

Watch a video about how the idea for a day of peace and unity came about and what it means:
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__The Story of Sadako__
Even though Sadako Sasaki was only two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945, the bomb still had a huge impact on her. When she was eleven she was diagnosed with leukemia, a common after-affect of the atomic bomb. As the story goes, a friend reminded her of the Japanese legend that if she folded 1,000 paper cranes she was granted a wish. While Sadako was in the hospital she got to work folding paper cranes out of any material she could find, like bandages or wrapping paper from other patient's gifts. One version of the story says that she fell short of her goal by 356, having made only 644 before her death. Another version says that she made a total of 1,300 cranes. Today, there is a children's peace monument in the Hiroshima Peace Park dedicated to the story of Sadako. At the foot of the monument is a plaque that reads: //This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.//



__How to Make a Paper Crane__
After learning about the story of __Sadako and The Thousand Paper Cranes__ by Eleanor Coerr, the International Relations class tried their hand at folding a paper crane. Though difficult at first (the third graders seemed to catch on faster than I did), I eventually got the hang of it and now can't walk by a square piece of paper without folding it into a paper crane. Don't take my word for it, try making a paper crane yourself!

__Think About It: Peace Quotations__
//"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding."// --Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

//"There was never a good war or a bad peace."// --Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

//"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it."// --Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962

//"If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other."// --Mother Theresa (1910-1997)

__Sources__

 * Neuhaus, Peter. "Peace Quotes." __Nuclear Age Peace Foundation__. 2007. Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. 23 Sep 2007 <[|http://www.wagingpeace.org/index.htm>.]
 * Andy. "Discover the Fastest Way to Fold One Thousand Cranes." __Pieces and Creases__. 09 June 1999. 23 Sep 2007 <[|http://library.thinkquest.org/5402/discover.html>.]
 * "Peace." 11 September 2007. Wikispaces. 23 Sep 2007 .
 * Atendido, Robert. "Children's Memorial." __Wikepedia__. 04 April 2007. 23 Sep 2007 <[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Childrensmemorial.jpg>.]