Rome Test Review

Today in class we reviewed the Rome test we took yesterday. We read through the questions one by one and then checked our answers. Since Karson and Rosemary were not in class yesterday they went out in the hallway to take it before we got started. Since we were on a two hour late bell we had a short class so that was all we were able to do. Tomorrow, we will be writing the essays for our exams.

Rome Test

Today in class we took the test on Rome. I thought I did pretty well on the test even though there were two or three questions I was unsure about. I think I at least got an "A" but I'm just not sure. I felt I was pretty prepared for the test, but again except for those few questions. This is the last test we will take in Western Civ before the final exam next week. If everyone finishes the test in enough time, Mr. Schick will go and grade the tests before the end of the class period. Mr. Schick was able to grade the tests and our class average was 84%. I got an 98% on the test; I only got one questions wrong. I knew there was one question that I was not sure about. We only have two classes after this, so tomorrow I think we will review for the exam and then on Thursday we will complete the essay portion of our exam.

Class on 5/22/15

Yesterday in class we did an overview of the big slideshow of Ancient Rome in order to study for the test on Tuesday. We talked about the exam, and the essay that goes along with it. Since Mr.Schick will be busy with the academic team after the exam, we are going to write the essay in class on Thursday. He is going to give us the questions ahead of time in order to prepare for the essay because we can't take notes with us for the essay. That was all we did in class and on Tuesday we will be taking the Rome test and afterwards, reviewing for the exam.

Last Day of Presentations

Today in class we finished presenting our projects on ancient Rome. The first group that went was Alyssa, Chesca, and Jessica and they made a pot. There presentation was pretty good, I like how they explained the process of making their pot and had pictures to go along with it. The next presentation was Rory, Dylan, Jeremiah, and Parker. They did a powerpoint on Gladiators and they did a good job of not just reading off the slides but they were faced towards the boards instead of facing towards the class. The last group to present was my group and I thought we did a pretty good job but when we were playing the game things got a little out of hand. Since we finished the presentations, tomorrow I think we are going to prepare for the test that we are going to have on Tuesday.

Presentations Day 2

Today in class we continued presenting our Rome projects. Three presentation were given today. Jayla went first, and she made a Roman pot. I thought she did a good job because she explained how she made the pot and she was knowledgeable about her subject. The second group to go was Alex and Arthur. They made a Roman temple and a presentation on architecture. I was very impressed with their project because they made the temple out of legos and I can only imagine how much time it took to make. The last group to present was Caitlin and Trish and they made journals and then dressed up like a plebeian/patrician. I really like their projects because they were so creative and you could tell they spent a lot of time researching life back in ancient Rome. Tomorrow is the last day to present projects and my group is going last.

Project Presentations Day1

Today we started to present our projects on Rome. The first group to go was Veronica, Rosemary, Zaire, and Megan and they did Roman food. They had a salad, pasta, and a cookie. Overall, I think they did a very good job, they were just a little unorganized. The second group to go was Steven, Evan, and Adam and they made a song to the tune of "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea. I thought the song was very good. It was humorous but informative. The last project that went was Paj and he did a presentation on the Colosseum and Circus Maximum. I thought it had a lot of information but he read off the slides and mumbled his word I could barely understand what he was saying. Tomorrow we will continue to present projects. 

BB King

Today in class we watched a video of BB King performing his song called "Why I sing the Blues", because he died last night. BB King is one of the most well know blues artists, and he influenced people like Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, and the Rolling Stones. After we watched the video we found out when we are presenting our projects. My group is the third group to present on Thursday. We were then given time to meet one last time with our groups before we start presenting on Tuesday.

Rome Pop Quiz

Today in class we had a pop quiz on Rome. Our class averaged a 72%, the other classes averaged a 77% and 68% on the quiz. I got a 90% on the pop quiz. After we took the pop quiz we were given time to work on our projects before we have to present them on Tuesday. My group is about 75% done we just have some little details to get done. The last thing we did in class today was go over the rubic and grading procedure for the projects. 

Rome Video Day 2

Today in class we finished the video we were watching about ancient Rome. We were able to get a better understanding of how the Patricians and Senate acted and the way Plebeians were treated. The Patricians were taking the Plebeians land, and ultimately making them poor. There was no middle class, you were either rich or poor. We were also able to see how voting in the Senate took place. The important people were able to speak, so they would stand up and give their opinion on what they should do. If the others stood up and clapped, that meant they were agreeing with them.  Since we finished the video today, I am not sure about what we will be doing tomorrow.

Ancient Rome Video

Today in class after Mr.Schick took 15 minutes to set up a video, we watched a video on ancient Rome. Mr.Schick also mentioned that the academic team competition next Saturday and asked if anyone was interested in doing it because it would barely cost any money. Mr.Schick suggested that Chesca, Karson, and I do it. I will have to see what I am doing next Saturday and see if I am available, but other than that I will consider doing it.

Class on 5.6.15

Today in class we continued to take notes on ancient Rome. Here are the notes:

Roman Legion
- 5000 soldiers (not for pay)
-Heavy infantry
-Recruited exclusively from Roman Citizens
-On horseback is cavalry
-Shield, sword, dagger, and armor and tunic

Punic Wars
- The Punic Wars (264-146 BCE)
-Rome vs. Carthage
-three wars
-First Punic War (264-241 BCE)
     -Naval battles for control of Sicily
     -Rome wins
-Second Punic War (218-201 BCE)
     -Carthaginian general Hannibal almost done impossible:taking Rome
     -Attacks Rome from the North 
     -Lays siege for 15 years but can not ever get to Rome
- Third Punic War (149-146 BCE)
     -Rome wanted to finally remove threat to Carthage
     -Scipio, Tiberius Gracchus, and others attacked the cit
     -Carthage was burned for 17 days
     -War ended- last 50,000 people in the city sold to slavery
    -Rest of Carthage's territories were annexed, made into Roman province of Africa.
 Economic Change, Social Upheaval 
- Slaves poured into Italy
-Second century BCE there were over a million slaves in Italy
-Small farmers lost their land to aristocrats

Class on 5.5.15

Today in class we took notes. The notes are below:

Patricians & Plebeians
- Rule of kings replaces by rule of two consuls
- Consuls are elected officials
-Term of office: one year
-Always aristocrats (patricians)
-Patricians traced their descent from a famous ancestor or "pater"- father
-Duties: dealing justice, making law, commanding the army
-One consuls could veto the other
-Fifth century B.C.E. patrician dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs.
-Plebs were 98% of the population
-How did the patricians dominate:
1. Plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office
2. Plebs were threatened with debt slavery
3. Plebs had no legal rights
-Plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trials
-Rome had no actual laws, just unwritten customs
-Patricians could interpret these to advantage
-Plebs refused to serve in the military until:
1. Laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables)
2. These laws (on tablets) were posted in public (450 B.C.E.)
3. Tribunes ("Tribal Leaders")

-SPQR- Sentatus Populusque Romanum
-Designates any decree or decision made by "the Roman Senate and people"
- Res publica- the people's affairs
-Democracy (the people's assembly and the tribunes)
-Aristocracy(the senate- approx. 300 people)
-Monarchy (consuls)
-Not a tyranny ( mistake- they don't want to repeat)

Gov't ancient Rome/ USA
-The US modeled their new government on the model used by ancient Romans
-Not exactly the same
-Both have three branches of government- executive, legislative, judicial
- Both have legal code

Rome                                             vs.                               US
                                               ~Executive~
 - two consuls                                                      - President & VP
-one year terms                                                   - Four year terms
-each has veto power                                           - Can veto proposed laws
-controls military                                                  - Commander-in-Chief
-could appoint dictator in crisis for 6 months

                                               ~Legislative~

-Senate- 300 people- Aristocrats-members for life               -Senate -100 senators-6year terms
-Assemblies-members for life                               - House Representatives- 435 members-2 year terms

                                                ~ Judicial~
-Praetors                                                              - Supreme court
-Chosen by centuriate assembly                          - Nine members
- one year terms                                                   - Appointed by the President confirmed by state
                                                                             - Lifetime terms

                                                ~Legal Code

- Twelve Tables                                                - Bill of Rights
- Only protected free born male citizens

Catch-up Day

My class is yet again ahead of the other classes, so we had a catch-up day. I was able to work on my math homework and I am now able to get my blog done for today. My group had started to get some of the little things on our project done since Mr.Schick finished the Roman powerpoint so hopefully we will have all the little details by the time we meet on Wednesday at Karson's house.

Grandparents Day

Today was Grandparents day, and in class we took notes. These are the notes from class:


Greeks
- They had colonies around the Mediterranean sea
- Romans borrowed: Religious beliefs, alphabet, much of their art, military techniques and weaponry
Latins
- first to settle
-descendants of Indo-Europeans
-settled on the banks of the river Tiber
-situated so trading ships-not far warfleets could navigate as far as Rome-no port
-Commercial  port, but not susceptible to attack
-built on seven hills
Drained a Swamp
- Many streams flowed into the Tiber
-There was a marshy area called the Forum, between Palatine and Capitoline hills
-Tarquin the prouds grandfather built the Cloaca Maximum (largest anicent drain) channeled water into the Tiber
Tarquin
- Lucius Tarquinas Superbus
-the seventh and final king of Rome
-known as Tarquin the arrogant
-a true tyrant, in old and modern sense
-Tarquin seized power like an old school tyrant

Project Meeting

Today in class we met with our groups to finalize our project idea. My groups project is going to be called "Are you smarter than a Gladiator?" and it will be a trivia board game. My group consists of Ellee, Karson, and I and we are going to start working on the project week on Wednesday and Thursday.

Baltimore Riot

No caption needed.

Today we had a class discussion on the Baltimore Riots. Mr. Schick also told us a few stories about when he was a kid, when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. We also shared some of our own thoughts about the situation as well, but I did not get to share so here is my opinion; I understand why people are upset and protesting, but it's not even considered protesting anymore, it has gotten out of control. The sad part about this is that it's not even about Freddie Gray anymore. People are taking advantage of the situation to go and rob stores. I could go on and on, but that is the jist of it.

Class on 4/24/15

Today in class we met with our groups for the upcoming project to discuss what we are doing. After lots of discussion my group consists of Karson, Ellee and I and we are going to make a board game. We are going to try and base it of "The Game of Life" but include some other things as well. It is going to take a lot of time and effort but we are all excited about this idea and can't wait to see how it turns out.

Class on 4/22/15

Today in class Mr. Schick finished grading our essays on Ancient Greece. So, we had time to work on any projects or homework that we had. Once he finished he handed them back and we all got our grades. My group got a 98%, so I am very happy about that. Then, Mr. Schick went over grammar, and how we did overall as a class. That was all we did in class today.

ChiCago

Today in class we starting taking notes on Ancient Rome. We had a guest visitor today and his name was ChiCago, (Mr. Schick) he is related to Flo-Rida. He came in and rapped for us about Ancient Rome. Half the class videotaped his performance, while the other half was to busy laughing. Other than that, these are the notes we took today:

Ancient Rome:
 - Ninth Century- Etrusans, Greeks & Latins made settlements near Tiber River
-The Latins first
City State and Empire:
- Italy and its peoples
   - Indo-European tribes moved into the Italian peninsula and some settled along the Tiber River creating the city-state known as Rome
-Romulus and Remus (How Rome came to be)
-Etruscan settled in north part of Italy
-Rome is set up as a city-state
-Romans influenced by Greeks (Gods, government, battle formation, etc...)
-Originally, Rome was a monarchy on the Etruscan model with a council of elders called the "Senate"
-500 B.C. the Romans overthrew their monarchy and established a "Republic"
-Since the Senate was populated only by patricians and plebians fought for a vote in Rome's government
-Each year the Senate elected two rulers, "consuls", who each served a term of one year
-As in the Greek city-states, The Romans would appoint a single dictator in times of war or conflict
-12 Tables
-Respublica- latin for "peoples affairs"
- Saw fighting for homeland as a duty
-476 B.C. Roman Empire came to and end

Catch-Up Day

Today in class since we were ahead of the other class we got to work on homework or any other projects we have due. We started off class today with taking a video of the class for Veronica since she wasn't there, so Mr. Schick used my phone and videotaped us. After we finished that I worked on my brainflex that I have due for Mr. Perry next friday. I really behind on it, so I'm glad Mr. Schick gave us some free time in class.

Project Ideas

Today in class we brainstormed project ideas for the Ancient Rome unit. There were a few good ideas and then some ideas that seemed a little crazy but overall I think we came up with some good ones. Adam wanted to have the class go out on the turf field and fight each other to the death, and then film it, and Rory wanted to do a clay-mation. However, Caitlin came up with a really good idea. She said that we could dress up as a god or goddess and then do like a current events show, for example: The View. I think some of the other girls and I are going to do that. That's all we did in class was discuss ideas for Ancient Rome projects, so maybe tomorrow in class we will get started with the lesson.

Allegory of the Cave

Today in class we watched the cartoon version of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. The video was about these four men who were chained up and all they could see was what was in front of them. Then, one of the men was unchained and what able to explore outside and see what life was really like. When that man came back and tried to explain, all the other men made fun of him and rejected him. After the video was over we discussed what we thought the video meant. Karson said she thought it represented close-minded people and Steven had agreed. However, Mr. Schick brought up a good point. Plato was the student of Socrates, so therefore the video was most likely about him. Socrates represented the man who was able to explore and learn things about the world that other people did not see, but ultimately he was punished for trying to share his knowledge with others. He was accused to corrupting the youth of Athens and disrespecting the gods, and was therefore sentenced to drinking poison hemlock. However, we also discussed that this could have also represented people today. We sit in front of the T.V. and believe what it says because that it what we know. But, we need to go and explore and find the real truth because Socrates is right, "The unexamined life is not worth living."

Test Review

Today in class we reviewed the test on Ancient Greece that we took before spring break. We went question by question and then discussed the answers. One of the questions that surprised me that someone got wrong was where was the Mississippi River was... I hope that that was just a mis-bubble. That was the only thing we were able to get done in class today because we also had an assembly today. A man named John O'leary spoke about his childhood accident in which he burned 98% of his body and was given a 1% chance of living. I'm not sure what we will be doing in class tomorrow, but I think we may be starting the unit on Ancient Greece.

Ancient Greece Test

Today in class we took the test on Ancient Greece, and turned in our essays. I thought overall it was pretty easy, but there were a few difficult questions. I felt pretty well prepared because I studied my notes and watched the video Mr. Schick gave us. Therefore, I feel pretty confident that I got an A.Mr. Schick was able to grade the tests in class and the class average was a 77.2, and I got a 90!

Last Day Essays

Today was the last day for finishing our essays. My group was able to finish writing the paper, so before we print it I'm going to go over it one more time. Tomorrow Mr. Schick comes back, so we have to turn in our papers and then we have to take a test on Ancient Greece.

Day 2 Essays

Yesterday in class we continued to work on our essays in class. I think about two groups have finished so far. My group only has about 200 words left and some editing. Hopefully we can get that done this weekend so we won't have to worry about getting it done for the rest of the week and we can focus on studying for the test on Wednesday.

Day 1 Essays

Today was the first day that Mr. Schick was not in class. Since our substitute did not show, Mrs. Zurkowski filled in. However, she would not let us meet with our group so it was very difficult to try and write/ organize our paper without talking to each other. We have finished a good part of the paper so hopefully by tomorrow we can be about halfway done heading into the weekend.

Day 3 Presentations

Today was the last day for the presentations on Ancient Greece. Veronica and Adam gave their presentation on Gods&Goddesses and their role in Mythology. The notes for that presentation are:

-Polythestic- belief in many gods
-Greek Gods resembled human
-Major Greek Gods are:
Zeus- god of the sky
Poseidon-God of the sea
Athena- goddess of wisdom/reason
Aphrodite- goddess of love & beauty
Hera- goddess of marriage & queen of olympus
Demeter- goddess of agriculture
Apollo- god of sun & prophecy
Artemis- goddess of hunt & forest
Ares- god of war
Hermes- god of messages
Hephaestus- god of fire and metal working
Hestia- goddess of hearth
Dionysus- god of wine(patron of arts)
Hades- god of wealth & underworld.

After they presented Dylan, Jeremiah, and Parker presented on the governments in Ancient Greece. These are my notes:

- Aristocracy form of government which power is a small ruling class
-Children inherit it
-Tyranny- one ruler (did as he pleased)
-People demanded a change
-Many tyrants ruled for short periods of time
-Not necessarily bad rulers, they just cared about themselves
-Democracy- first branch- ekklesia- similar to executive branch ekklesia was the first democratic constitution
-Boule-people were chosen by lots not by elections
-End of democracy 460 A.D.

After we finished the presentations were started taking notes on Mr. Schick's powerpoint

Philsopherlapalooza- Socrates
-Looked to science and logic for explanation of how the world worked
-The socratic method fostered critical thinking
-Socrates was charged with crimes-disrespecting the gods & corrupting the youth the athens
-He described himself  as a stinging gadfly, and Athens as a lazy old horse
-sentences to death by poison hemlock
Plato
-student and follower of socrates
- republic one of the most influential books ever written

Day 2 Presentations

Today in class we continued presenting our presentations on Ancient Greece. My group went first and we presented on Pericles and the Golden Age. I thought we did pretty well trying to explain things instead of just trying to just read right off the slide. After we went Zaire, Karson, and Jayla presented on Hoplites& Triremes: Warfare. These are the notes:

- Hoplite most common type of heavily armed foot soldier in Ancient Greece
-Armor made of bronze and other weapons
-1/3 to 1/2 of men were able to fight and buy needed materials
-Men up to 60 were called to fight
-Weapons included the Doru and Xiphos
-Used Phalanx formation
-Triremes which were ancient boats used by many civilizations
-Was a dominant warship and played a vital role in the Persian Wars
-Triremes were large in sized but were light enough to carry the crew back to shore.
-Rowers of the ships weren't slaves. They were free men

After they presented Chesca, Jessica and Alyssa presented on Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. These are notes for that presentation:
-Socrates classical greek philsopher
-Plato wrote about Socrates
-Socratic Method- series of questions are asked to help a person stimulate ideas.
-Aristotle- 384- 322 B.C.E
-Focused on the concept of logic
- Made contributions to physics, biology, logic, zoology etc..
Plato- 428 B.C.E in Athens
-Socrates was his mentor and guide
-Socratic Dialogue finding during time of 12 years in Italy, Egypt studying geometry and astronomy.
-Republic is his most influential work
-Influenced the importance of mathematics

The last presentation given today was by Alex and Arthur on Art and Architecture. These are the notes for that presentation:

-Three main orders which are Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian
-Doric looks simplest, formal and austre
-Ionic recognized by volute capital
-Slender/more organized
-Corinthian order is the most decorative (flowers& scrolls)
-more important the building used Corinthian
-Sculpture used to depict battles of mythology and rulers
-Made from marble
-Classical period- skill of sculptor dramatically increased
-Hellenistic period- peak of Greek sculpture- more realistic and natural
  

Day 1 Presentations

Yesterday in class we started presenting our slideshows. Caitlyn, Rosemary, and Trish presented first and their presentation was on Athens, Sparta and the Peloponnesian War. I didn't really get to take notes because they presented so quickly and didn't have time to write anything down. So, hopefully I will remember the most important parts. The second presentation was given by Evan, Steven, and Paj on Homer. I was able to get notes on Homer, so here they are:
-Born  800 B.C.E. Smyrna, Turkey
-Told stories of the Trojan War
-Brought Greece out of the Dark Age
-Godfather of culture of Greeks
-Many people think he didn't exist
-Some people think he is one person
-Some people think he is a group of people.
-Think he complied stories
-Illiad and the Odyssey were most famous poems
-Believed to have written entire epic cycle
-Died in 701 B.C.E.

That was all we got done in class and will resume presenting projects on Tuesday.

Class on 3/19/15

Today in class we continued taking notes on Ancient Greece.


Next in line
-With Hippias gone, Isogoras and Cleithenes (both aristocrats) engaged in a power stuggle
-Isogoras had support from other aristocrats and Sparta
-Cleisthenes had support from majority of Athenians

Isogoras Wins
- He ostracized Cleithenes
-Cleithenes supporters and athenian citizens revolt against Isogoras tyranny
-Trap Isogoras on acropolis for two days- on the third day he fled and was banished
-508 B.C.E. first time people rose up against government

Cleithenes and Democracy
- Cleisthenes- definitely a member of elite
-Very rich
-Insulated from the the "hoi polloi"
-A crafty politician

Class on 3/18/15

Today in class we took more notes on Ancient Greece.

Transformation of Government
-During the seventh and six centuries BCE, aristocrats ran the show in most of Greece.
-Rich people held much more influence in society, and held much more governmental power, than the middle class or the poor.

Aristocracy
-Aristocracy is rule by aristocrats
-Attended symposiums-which were meeting where the elite men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats and the company of heteras(courtesans) while discussing politics.

An exclusive club
-no women
-no middle class
-no slaves
-sometimes certain aristocrats who didn't have the right connections or who fell out of favor/were excluded. (Ostracized)

Tyrants seize control
-sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soliders) and set up an alternative form of government called tyranny
-Tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis
-modern meaning of tyrant: an abusive or oppressive ruler
-The Greek meaning of tyrant: someone who simply seized power (usually with hop-lite help)

Clash of the Tyrants
-Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 B.C.E.
-His brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh
-Eventually he was expelled from Athens (ostracized)
-In revenge, he began working with the Persian King Darius I, helping them invade Marathon.

Day 3 Ancient Project

I was not in class today because I had an orthodontist appointment.

Day 1 of Ancient Greek Projects

Today in class we started off class FaceTiming Mr. Schick's daughter. Since it was her birthday he sang happy birthday (sort of) and then got on with class. We started working on our powerpoints that are due next Friday. My group consists of Rory, Ellee and I and we are researching Pericles and the Golden Age. We haven't gotten really far because of limited time, but at least we have gotten started. The whole powerpoint needs to be 18-20 slides, and I am really worried about how we are going to split are topic so it can fit in 18-20 slides. Tomorrow I'm assuming that we are continuing on working on the projects, but I'm not sure how much class time Mr. Schick is going to give us. I have a feeling that we will have to do some of the project at home.

Birthdays and Class Project

"Pinto Boy"

Today was Trish's birthday so Mr. Schick gave her a bag of Cheetos and taped a candle to it so she could blow it out. Mr. Schick then gave Rory a huge can of pinto beans and had me take a picture of it. You can find that to the left. We then proceeded to take a short pop quiz on Ancient Greece which took about 2 minutes and was very easy. The last thing we did in class today was discuss a project that we will be working on for the next couple weeks. We had to get into groups of three and pick a topic. From there we have to make a powerpoint which is due next Friday and write an 1,000 word essay that is due on April 1st.

Mr. Schick Gone Blind

Today in class we continued taking notes on Ancient Greece and he got to hear some of the Odyssey by Homer himself! Homer (Mr. Schick) stumbled into the classroom, running into a few desks in the process. He sat down and blindly argued with a few of us and actually got into it with Adam. Homer then proceeded to stand up and send two desks flying, scared Adam, and sent the class into extreme laughter. Once he calmed himself he began to read his favorite part of the Odyssey. Homer read all the way until the end of class so that is all we did. The notes I took in class are below.

-Ionian sea also surrounds Greece along with the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea
-Ancient Greeks were skilled sailors and shipbuilders, also farmers, metalworkers, weavers and potters
-Had poor/limited resources so they needed to trade
-Only 20% of the land was arable
-Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives
-Could make wine from grapes, therefore they traded a lot of wine
-lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
-temperatures ranged from mid 40s to low 80s. It could get pretty hot in the summer but overall it was nice year round
Mycenaeans 
-Influence began around 2000 B.C.E.
-Located on rocky ridge, protected by 20 ft thick wall
-Mycenaeans dominated Greece from 1600 B.C.E-1200 B.C.E.
-Controlled trade in the region
-1400 B.C.E. Mycenaeans invaded Crete an absorbed Minan culture and language
-Around 1200 B.C.E. the "sea people" invaded Mycenae, and burnt places
-The Dorians moved into this region
-They were less advanced
-Trade based economy collapsed
-Writing disappeared for 400 years
Homer
- Greek oral tradition- stories passed by word of mouth
- Lived at the end of "Greek Dark Ages"
- Composed stories of Trojan War 750-700 B.C.E.
-The Illiad- one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans(Trojan War)
-The Odyssey- Odysseus attempt to return home but Poseidon kept throwing him off course
-Odyssey was 12,100 lines of dactylic hexameter
-Greek loved mythology and their Greek Gods and Goddesses
-"Homeric Question" Homer may have been a mythical creation himself
-Illiad and Odyssey may be culmination of storytelling
-Or Homer actually existed 

Cyber Day 3/6/15

Aristotle

Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher who was a student of Plato and studied under Socrates. He was born in 384 B.C. and died in 322 B.C.. He made contributions to logic, physics, mathematics, metaphysics, biology, botany, ethics, politics,  agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre. Aristotle was the first person to categorize human knowledge into groups, for example math and biology. Aristotle wrote around 200 works however, only about 31 have survived. Aristotle is also know for teaching Alexander the Great, and Phillip of Macedonia. Lastly, he founded a school in Athens called the Lyceum were he spent most of his time teaching and writing. Aristotle was considered "The Philosopher" and was also considered by most, to be one of the most influential men that ever lived.





Citations:
 "Aristotle." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 06 Mar. 2015.

"Aristotle." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. <http://www.iep.utm.edu/aristotl/>.

Cyber Day 3/5/15

 

1. Parthenon - A temple dedicated to the patron god of Athens, which was the goddess Athena; the goddess of wisdom. Located in Athens, Greece. Construction started in 447 B.C. and ended in 438 B.C. although small details were still being done until 432 B.C. The Parthenon was the most famous building designed in the Doric Order. The Doric order was a plain style, but very sturdy. The structure was made of limestone and the columns were made of marble. The Parthenon is still around today but severely damaged because of an attack back in the 1600s by the Venetians.

 2. Erechtheum- A temple dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. Located in Athens, Greece. It was built between 421 B.C and 405 B.C. The Erechthum was built in the Ionic Order. The Ionic Order was thinner and more elegant and had a scroll like design. However the Erechtheum is known mostly for its porch. It has 6 women as the pillars. The women were known as Caryatids, however it is unknown on who they represent.


     3. The Temple of Hephaestus- A temple dedicated to the god Hephaestus and, the god of metal working and craftsmanship. It is located in Athens, Greece. It was built in 450 B.C. and finished in 415 B.C. Similar to the Parthenon it is also built in the Doric Order. It is one of the most well preserved temple from Ancient Greece, and is still as big as it was when built. It was also made out of mostly marble.
 

Cyber Day Discussion

Today in class we talked about the impending weather and the assignments we will have if we have cyber days tomorrow and Friday. The cyber day assignment that we will have tomorrow if we are off is we will will have to research architecture in Greece. For example the Parthenon was the greatest building built back in Ancient Greece. The other cyber day assignment for Friday if we are off is either going to be on the philosophers or have to research what kinds of food they ate. We then asked questions about the assignments and watched Jayla and Dylan go back and forth with eachother. The rest of class we just kind of talked with eachother and hung out,  since it was short because of the two hour delay this morning.

  -----------The Parthenon

Ancient Greece

Today in class we started a unit on Ancient Greece. Personally, Ancient Greece is my favorite, Egypt is good, but nothing compares to Ancient Greece. Of course we took notes on the powerpoint like we always do, so here they are.


Ancient Greece
-Mesopotamia/ Tigris and Euphrates River
-Egypt/ Nile River
-India/ Indus River
-China Huang He River
-Mesopotmia means "Middle of the Earth"
-Greece is surrounded by water so it is a pennisula
-Capital of Greece is Athens
- Adriatic Sea is to the west, and Aegean Sea to the east
-Crete is an island south east
-Mountainous area, completely covered
-Very hard to travel because of mountains, usually have to sail
-1400 islands of the coast of Greece

Ancient Egypt Test

Today in class we took the test on Ancient Egypt. We had about eight minutes to review in class before we took the test, which was nice because of the cyber day yesterday and we were able to ask Mr. Schick questions about the test. The test was all multiple choice and there was 26 questions on the test. I thought I was well prepare for the test because I studied last night and of course when we reviewed before the test. I thought I did really well on the test there were only two questions that I was unsure of so, hopefully I did well. Mr. Schick was able to grade the test in class because they were scrantons, and I got a 92%. I am satisfied with that test score. The class average was a 87% so we had the highest average again out of three classes.

Cyber Day Once Again...

For cyber day we have to write five possible questions that could appear on the test tomorrow.

1. Egyptian life was centered around ________.
A. Tigris River
B. Euphrates River
C. Nile River
D. Mediterranean Sea

2. Egyptians believed in the ____________. And mummified bodies to preserve them for this post death journey.
Answer: Afterlife


3. Which way does the Nile River flow.
A. North to South
B. South to North
C. East to West
D. West to East


4. Every _________ the Nile river flooded, and every _________ it leaves behind rich soil.
 Answers: July;October


5. Egyptian astronomers created a __________ to make better sense of the seasonal cycles.
Answer: Calendar

Notes on Ancient Egypt

Today in class we took notes on Ancient Egypt. I missed the first couple slides of the powerpoint because I was making up the Guns, Germs and Steel test that the whole class took like two weeks ago but because of the snow I haven't been able to do it. I thought I did pretty well on the test there were a few tough questions, but overall I felt prepared for it. Back to Ancient Egypt here are the notes below that I took in class:


Land of the Pharaohs
-Upper Egypt was a 500 mile long strip of fertile land along the Nile.
-Lower Egypt was the wide land of the Nile delta, that emptied into the Mediterranean Sea.
-The Nile was the major provider of life for the Egyptians and was much revered in lore and writing.
-Around 3100 B.C. the two lands were united under a single king or "Pharaoh"
Government by a God-King
-Pharaoh was all powerful, worshipped as a god and intimately connected to the other major Egyptian gods and goddesses.
-Egyptian relied on a harmony and balance of universe, which was called "maat"
-Pharaohs had multiple wives and all financial and social success were through the palace.
-Women could inherit money and land and divorce their husbands though only a tiny ever wielded real political power.
Gods, Humans, and Everlasting Life
- Gods were often portrayed with animal heads or bodies
- Egyptians believed in an afterlife and mumified bodies to preserve them for this post-death journey.
-All souls would need to justify themselves at a point of death and be either sent to an after-world paradise, or the jaws of a monster.
The Writing of Words of God
-Earliest Egyptian writing formed in 3100 B.C. and were small pictures known as hieroglyphs
-Hieroglyphs represented religious words, or parts of words, and most commonly adorned temples.
-Hieratic script was shorthand developed by scribes and priests.
-Was usually written in ink on papyrus, which was made from mashed Nile reeds.
-Papyrus was stored in scrolls and these scrolls were the books of ancient Egypt.
Calendars and Sailboats
- Egyptian astronomers created a calendar with 12 months and 365 days to make better sense of the seasonal cycles.
-Due to excellent knowledge, Egyptian doctors wrote extensively on health issues and created potions and cures for a number of common ailments.
-Wooden sailboats were constructed to increase transport ability to the Nile.
Pyramids and Temples
-Massive stone tombs, originally covered in marble but marble was later stripped of during the Muslims conquest
-Stone sculptures and interior painting depicted humans and gods in a series of regulated poses, often in profile, were highly effective.

Worst Western Civ Class Ever

Today in class I almost cried. We have to build a pyramid on this online game. Karson and I took almost the entire class to finish. The grading rules were the first two teams to finish got A's the next two got B's, and if you finished in class you got a C. If you didn't finish you got a zero, but you could go home and finish it but still only get a C.This game was almost impossible, I have no idea how Paj and Evan finished so fast. I hope we don't ever have to do something like that again because next time I honestly will cry. The first 5 times that we did it Karson just did it on her computer and then after that I started on my computer. We should have started off by doing that, so that cost us time. At about 45 minutes in Mr. Schick showed us a short cut for the Nile River game which would have been nice to know to start out with. However, after about 15 tries (Combination of Karson and I) we finally finished with about 10 minutes to spare. In conclusion, as my title of this blog says, WORST WESTERN CIV CLASS EVER.

Cyber Day: Ancient Egyptian Inventions

1. Sails-  Sails/Sailing was the most important invention in Ancient Egypt because it allowed for transportation through the Nile River. This allowed for transportation of things that could not be transported on land because of distance or weight. This improved life for the Ancient Egyptians because it allowed easier and more efficient transportation to take place.

2. Calendar- A calendar was also an important invention in Ancient Egypt because it was the difference between life or death. Without the calendar the people had no idea when the Nile River would flood. Life in Ancient Egypt depended on the Nile River so, if it flooded and they weren't prepared for it, people could have died from famine.

3. Papyrus- Papyrus was an important invention in Ancient Egypt because the worlds first paper was invented using this. The Ancient Egyptians used this to keep track of all kinds of things like the days, when the Nile River would flood etc... The papyrus paper has allowed us to see what life was like in Ancient Egypt because it is very durable. This improved life for the Ancient Egyptians because it allowed them to again keep track of things and also invent a calendar.

4. Written Language- The Ancient Egyptians invented the first written language called hieroglyphics. This made it possible for the Egyptians to write and names and ideas. This improved life for the Ancient Egyptians because this helped them communicate, and talk about war, politics and culture.

5. Ox Drawn Plow- This invention cause a revolution in Ancient Egyptian agriculture. The Ox Drawn Plow made it easier and more efficient to plow lands. This improved life in Ancient Egypt because since it made it easier to plow fields that means they could plant and produce food quicker.

Ancient Egypt Presentation

Today in class we started going over the Ancient Egypt Prezi that we took notes on Tuesday for cyber day. I had already finished the prezi, so today's class was just clarifying the topics and noting what is important/what will be on the future test. But before we started doing that, the class had to finish reviewing the Guns, Germs, and Steel test that I haven't taken yet because I was absent last week. Therefore, I had to leave the classroom and roam the halls for ten minutes until they were done. But getting back to Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egypt is a very interesting topic to study, one of my favorites when I was in middle school. In seventh grade in my social studies class, that whole year was devoted to ancient civilizations, so I already have background knowledge on the topics we will be covering. Even though I enjoy Ancient Egypt, my overall favorite is Ancient Greece so I can't wait until we get to that unit. Tomorrow we will finish going over the prezi/taking notes in class tomorrow, I'm told it's something that you don't want to miss.



Here are extra notes that go along with my previous blog's notes:

-Nile flows south to north
-Cataract are the rough place in the river (consists of rocks-kind of like white water rafting)
-Nile is the worlds largest river, 4000 miles long
-Technological breakthroughs include irrigation, sailing, and baking bricks for building of pyramids.

CyberDay-Ancient Egypt Notes

I'M BACK!! I was not in class on Wednesday or Thursday due to a family emergency, but I am back now so here are the CyberDay notes on Ancient Egypt:

Geography:
-Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River
-The Nile River supplied water for drinking, for irrigation, for bathing and for transportation
-Every July it floods and every October it leaves behind rich soil
-The delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile soil
-Managing the river required technological breakthroughs in irrigation
Pyramids:
-The Great Sphinx of Giza was built 2555-2532 B.C
-It is a recumbent lion with a human head
-It is oldest monumental statue in the world
Pyramid Video:
-Inside the pyramid there is a King and Queen chamber
- Subterranean chamber lies beneath the pyramid
-Al Amun wanted to find a special entrance in to the Great Pyrmaid that would lead to treasure
-The sarcophagus of the Pharaoh is empty
Daily Life:
-Hierarchy: Pharaoh-Nobles/Priests-Soldiers-Scribes-Merchants-Artisans-Farmers-Slaves/Servents
-Slaves/Servants helped the wealthy with household and child-raising duties
-Raised wheat,barley,lentils, onions- benefited from irrigation of the Nile
-Artisans would carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the afterlife.
-Money and Barter system was used-merchants might accept bags of grain for payment-coinage came later
-Scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments.
-They wrote in hieroglyphs and hieratic
-Soldiers used wooden weapons (bow/arrow&spears) with bronze tips may ride chariots
-Upper Class, known as "White Kilt Class"(Priests, Engineers, Physicans)
Pharaohs
-The political and religious leader of the Egyptian people. Titles include "Lord of Two Lands" and "High Priest of Every Temple"
-"Lord of Two Lands" Pharaoh ruled Upper and Lower Egypt. Owned all lands, made laws,collected taxes, and defended Egypt from foreginers
-Hatshepsut was a woman who served as pharaoh
-Cleopatra VII also served as a pharaoh, but much later (51-30 B.C)
Gods and Goddesses
-Over 2000 gods and goddesses
- They "controlled" the lives of humans
John Green Video
-Ancient Egyptian Civilization lasted from 3000 B.C.E.- 332 B.C.E.
-Cities existed only along the Nile-made transporting goods easy
-Nile helped with bigger food surpluses
-Egyptians were buried with things that would be useful to them in the after life
-Old Kingdom (2649-2152 B.C.E.)
-Middle Kingdom (2040-1640 B.C.E.)
-New Kingdom (1550-1070 B.C.E.)
-Ra-God of Sun/Creation
-  Amun-Ra most widely recorded Egyptian God




 

Test Grades and Presentations

Yesterday in class Mr.Schick finally told us our grades from the test we took last week. However, he aren't going over the test until next week. Our class had the highest overall average of an 88.8%. Mr. Schick explained the system of the dings to the newbies, where one ding equals an "A" and two dings equals an "100%."I got two dings which was a little surprising to me, because there was one question I had to completely guess. After he told everyone their grades we got on with the presentations about the variable in Germs, Guns, and Steel. My group went first as promised and we did our presentations on Animals. I was a little disappointed the way our presentation went, only because there was some grammatical errors and the sound on the youtube video wasn't working. After we went we continued  on with the other presentations, I think we are almost through with everyone, but there is one or two presentations left which will presented on Tuesday.        

Doing a Little Work

Today in class we had to prepare a presentation on one of five subjects, on the variables in Germs, Guns and Steel. My group which consisted of Me, Karson, Veronica, Zaire, and Ellee got to pick first and we chose animals. At first we only had one mod to complete the assignment, and then present the next mod but Mr.Schick changed it so we had the whole class to work on it because there was no way some of us could get it done. We decided to make a power-point on our topic and we all had to split up the work because there was seven animals and only five of us. Mr.Schick even helped us by finding a youtube video that involves a goat, which everyone will see tomorrow;) We were able to complete our power point by the end of class with funny pictures and a little surprise:) Our group is kicking off the presentations so prepared because we are starting off with a bang!

Germs Guns and Steel 2/4/15

Today in class we finished watching Germs Guns and Steel. However, the first 20 minutes of class was taken up by Mr. Schick trying to fix the volume on the speaker/computer so we ended up having to use Evan's computer in order to finish watching it. The major points in the the rest of the video were:

-Making plaster from limestone, was a major technological advancement. (in Jordon, used plaster to insulate the wall to keep the wind etc... out.
-In Papa New Guinea they didn't have metal tools, because they didn't have a food surplus, which means they couldn't have specialists, which means no metal working, and therefore no metal tools.
-The Fertile Crescent's head start in farming could not continue because the climate was to dry and the ecology was deteriorating.
-America consumes 20 million tons of wheat a year- however wheat is not native to America, it is originally from the Fertile Crescent.

The conclusion that James Diamond came up with for answer the question, "Why white men have so much cargo and New Guineans have so little," was simply the geography. The New Guineans got the short end of the stick, and if American's had settled in New Guinea we would be in a similar situation.

Germs Guns and Steel Video 2/3/14

Today in class Veronica brought in donuts(: Everyone got four but I'm pretty sure Karson and I  had like eight. After donuts me continued watching Germs, Guns, and Steel. I think we are almost finished the video but it will take at least another class to finish.

These are the notes from the video so far:
-Sageo-found in sageo trees, can make into dough, doesn't last long, can't store, not nutritious
-People from Papa New Guinea have many talents that we don't have and vice versa.
-Barley&Wheat much better to plant and eat, gives nutrition.
-Draa - oldest settlement that people ever found.
-It had the world first grainary, which was a place to store grain.
-China- grew rice
-Americas- corn, squash, and beans
-Africa- sorghun and yams
- Biggest difference in farming inequality is GEOGRAPHIC LUCK
-Animal Domestication- controlling food and breeding.
-Goats and Sheep were first domesticated animals
-Ideal domesticated animals give birth in first couple years of life
-14 species of domesticated animals
-Goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, donkeys, bactrian camels, Arabian camels, water buffaloes, llamas, reindeer, yaks, mithams, baly cattle.
South American- llamas
-All other animals were from Asia, Europe, and North America
Cows, pigs, sheep, and goats were native to the middle east.

Class on 1/30/15

I will not be in class today because I will be out of town.

Test

Today in class we took a test on Prehistory civilization. It was fill in the blank, short answer and matching on a map and we were allowed to use our blogs. Overall, I think I did really good, however there was one answer I did not know. I had to take a guess because I really didn't know and Mr. Schick didn't let anyone turn in a test with any blanks on it. I felt like I was prepared for the test and studied well, but of course for that one question that I didn't think would be on the test. I think that might have been one of the most difficult test Mr. Schick has given so far. So hopefully I did well and Mr. Schick will be able to grade them quick because I'm anxious to know my grade.

"Mean Girls" and Test Review

We started off class today by commenting on what Mr.Schick was wearing which was pink and red and everyone said he was dressed like it was Valentines Day, then Mr.Schick said "On Wednesday we wear pink" which is a famous quote from the movie Mean Girls. Karson and I were in disbelief that this whole time Mr.Schick has been wearing pink on Wednesday's and we never noticed. He then explained that not only did he wear it because of the movie, bit it was also part of a senior prank a couple years ago and every since he has worn pink on Wednesday's, so Karson and I made an agreement to wear a pink headband on Wednesday's from now on. However, after that we started class and reviewed for the test we have tomorrow. As Mr.Schick went though the slideshow I went and starred everything that he said was important and is probably going to be on the test tomorrow which was:

-200,000 years ago a human species emerged in southwestern Africa
-Prehistory is the time when things were not written down
- Earliest prehistoric age is the Paleolithic Age
-Neolithic Age was marked by the advanced tool making and beginnings of agriculture.
-The Agriculture Revolution was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.
-Populations rose due to increased ability to care for young children
-Invention of the wheel and plow made it possible to produce enough food for storage.
-Mesopotamia was where Iraq, Iran and Syria are now.
-Sumer was the first civilization (located between the Tigris and Euphrates River)
-Sumerians invented the earliest form of writing, known as "cuneiform"
-World's first (surviving) epic was Sumerian "Epic of Gigamesh" told of the great flood.
-King Hammurabi of Babylon created a series of laws known as "Hammurabi's Code"
-Indo-Europeans were people who expanded away from the fertile crescent and introduced the horse to the near east.

Cookies and Persuasion

Today in class Veronica brought in homemade cookies which were fantastic. Then Veronica started to complain about having the test tomorrow when the other classes are taking it Thursday and Friday. Mr.Schick said that if we had a good discussion about Hammurabi's Code that our test would be changed until Thursday. So for the remainder of class we talked about Hammurabi's Code and some of the crazy laws that their were. For example, if a man striked a pregnant women and she loses her child he has to pay the mother ten shackles.($2.50) But, if the woman dies the man's daughter will be killed. Or if a son struck his father his hands shall be cut off. These are only a few of the crazy things that were on Hammurabi's Code. However, we were able to convince Mr.Schick to move the test until Thursday so now we all get another day to review:)

Mesopotamia Continued

Yesterday in class we finished the slides on the slideshow that are going to be on the test next Wednesday, and Mr.Schick went over some of the things that we learned on Thursday that were a little unclear. After that, we learned about Hammurabi's code. Hammurabi was the King of Babylon and he created a series of laws known as "Hammurabi's Code." This code was the first written set of laws that has been documented. I had previously learned about Hammurabi's Code back in seventh grade, but I only thought that there was ten laws so it was interesting to see and research the other 200 that I didn't know about, and some of them were pretty weird. For example, if a son were to strike his father his hand would be cut off, and if a man stole from a house or temple he shall be put to death. And with that here are the questions and definitions that Mr. Schick wanted us to complete.

When and where did human beings first emerge?
200,000 years ago a human species emerged in Southwestern Africa.

Why did the period known as "prehistory" end?

Prehistory was the time when things we not recorded, therefore once events were recorded the period know as "prehistory" ended.

What made the rise of civilization possible?

What made the rise of civilization possible was that a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.

Name some early technological innovations.

Some early technological innovations were the wheel, plow, and most importantly cuneiform.

How did hunter/gatherers live?

Who was King Hammurabi, and why was he important?

King Hammurabi was the King of Babylon, and he created a series of laws known as "Hammurabi's Code." Hammurabi's Code was the first written set of laws that has been documented.

Define these terms:

• prehistory-A period of time before things were written down/recorded.
• Paleolithic Age-The earliest prehistoric age (AKA: Old Stone Age)
• Neolithic Age- An age that was marked by advanced tool making and beginnings of agriculture.(AKA: New Stone Age)
• Agricultural Revolution-A shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.
• cuneiform-Earliest form of writing
• ziggurat-A Sumerian temple built on top of "mountain" of earth
• Indo-Europeans-people from grasslands of Russian Steppe who introduced the horse to the near east.( Expanded away from the fertile crescent.

From Prehistory Civilization

Today in class we started a taking notes on a new unit called "From Prehistory Civilization."(3000-1200 B.C) We couldn't get really far into the lesson because of the two hour delay this morning but we took notes on The Origins and "Ages" of Human Beings and The Agriculture Revolution. We will continue to take notes tomorrow. Down below are the notes we took today, I don't want to answer the questions and do the definitions until we have completely finished the slideshow because we haven't gone over all the information.

NOTES:




The Origins and "Ages" of Human Beings
- 200,ooo years ago a human species emerged in Southwestern Asia
-Prehistory is the time before the information was recorded
-Earliest prehistoric age is the Paleolithic age (Old Stone Age)
-Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) was marked by advanced tool making and beginnings of agriculture
-Initially, humans were part of migratory groups which hunted and gathered plants for food.

The Agriculture Revolution
- Shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture.
-Populations rose due to increased ability to care for young children
-Status of women was lowered
-Invention of the wheel and plow made it possible to produce enough food for storage
-Villagers were polytheists, worshiped multiple nature, human and animal gods. 

Mesopotamia
 - "Sumer" land between Tigris and Euphrates river
- Cities and towns founded 40,000 people
-Professions- priests, tradesmen, artisans, politicians, farmers.
 ****Stopped here, didn't finish slide
 

First Day of Western Civ

Today in class was the first day of Western Civ. Most of our original class stayed but a few people left.  Mr. Schick took role and a few of the new kids came in late and Mr. Schick told the class that Karson and I are the worst people in the class, which is true ;) All we did in class today was the same thing we did the first day of school but this time for the new kids. So everyone had to set up a blog and then send the URL to Mr. Schick but about half the class’s blogger.com wasn’t working including mine. So I did it when I got home. Also, Mr. Schick told us that we have to get a composition book, but I’m just going to use the same one I used for Human Geo. Since, my blogger wasn’t working I just talked with Karson and Veronica about our schedules. Overall though I think it will be a great class and a great semester.