In Class Essays

Today in class, we had to write our essay portion of our westciv exam. We had to choose three essays to write out of about five. I chose the one about what Jared Diamond's theory of "geographic luck" was about and how it applied to what civilization is like today. I though that essay was one of the easiest ones because the answer to it was easy and I already had a good idea as to what I was going to write. The second essay I chose was the one about the differences and similarities of ancient Rome and ancient Greece. You also had to talk about the type of entertainment and culture that ancient Rome and ancient Greece had. That essay was kind of easy I mean it was a little harder to write because I had to remember things about ancient Greece and we talked about that a while ago. The third essay I chose was one I did on the last exam which was the one about Socrates and his famous quote about life. I already knew what to write for this essay also because I already did it before and we talked a lot about it in the first and second semester. The essay writing wasn't as bad as I thought, but we really needed more time and maybe another class to finish because there was a lot of writing in the whole combination of the three essays. I also didn't think it was really fair that we had to write three and another class had to only write two essays. I am just happy it's over with and done.

3RD DAY OF PRESENTATIONS

Today in class, it was the last day of our Rome project presentations. We have a smaller class so only two groups needed to go today and that was my group and Suky and Christina's. Sky's group went first and they made a drawing to go along with ancient Rome of the plebeians and patricians. I think they did a really good job on the drawing it was really neat. They also made a video on YouTube that described the Colosseum and it talked and read the facts to you which I thought was a unique idea and it was a really good video and wasn't too short or too long. They also had a third part of the project where they made a model of the Colosseum and it was really well built and it was big enough to look like an actual model of the Colosseum. Katie and I's project was good too I think we presented it well and I am just happy we are done with the projects and that the presentations are over with.

2ND DAY OF PRESENTATIONS

Today in class, it was the second day of presentations and again we had to grade the groups that went today and there were three groups that presented. The first group was Chris' group and they made a model of the Colosseum and made a cake that the Romans who were rich named the patricians would eat during the time there were doing something for a special occasion. I really liked the cake and how they made the model. The second group was Reece's group and they made a video on a fight going on between the Romans and a barbarian. I think that it was far too short and they didn't really explain anything so I felt like there wasn't much done to that project. The third group was Jack's group and they built a catapult and had a program to go with it explaining the parts of the catapult and other facts about how it was used in ancient Rome. We went outside to test it and I think that they did a good job on how they built it. It was really well done. Tomorrow is the third day of presentations and I want to see what else the other groups did.

1ST DAY OF PRESENTATIONS

Today in class, it was the first day of presentations for our class. There were three presentations presented today. The first group was Gabby and Meghan who did a powerpoint and made pottery on the ancient pottery of Rome. I think they did really well presenting the powerpoint and explaining what types of pottery were more significant in ancient Rome. I also like the pottery they made with clay and how they glazed it and had it painted. The second group was Gabi's group and they made a program about the Circus Maximus. I really liked the idea they had to make a program because no one else would really think about doing something like that. It was very creative and the information was organized really well on the program. The third group was Sammi's group and they did a tri-fold and made a model of the Pantheon. I thought the board looked presentable with the pictures and the information. I also liked the model of the Pantheon. I think, for the first day, all the groups that went did well and had good ideas for this project.

5-15-15

Yesterday in class, we finished watching the Rome video we were watching earlier this week. Some of us started to watch it last week, but I never really got a chance to watch it. It was about Tiberius Gracchus and how after his father died, he was the one expected to be just like his father and put Rome in a good place. He went to war with Rome's enemies at the time and made a truce with them and the Senate of Rome didn't agree with that so they started to hate Tiberius and wanted him dead so they eventually ended up murdering him and turned him away from the Assembly and his people. When he died, there was no funeral for him, they just put his body in the Tiber river and that was the end of Tiberius Gracchus.

NOTES FROM POWERPOINT OF ANCIENT ROME

Notes - 
     
Poor Plebs

1. The poet Juvenal, said the people of ancient Rome (plebs) "anxiously hopes for two things: bread and circuses"
2. Bread and the entertainment which was the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum, partly to keep them alive, and partly to keep them quiet 
3. Tiberius Gracchus recognized the advantages of courting the plebians
4. Military generals worked that angle and lead an army that conquers a land, then give them a share in the spoils
5. Soldiers' loyalty was to their military leader, not necessarily to Rome or the Republic

Julius Caesar

1. Lived from (100-44 BCE)
2. Highly successful general 
3. He conquered the huge territory of Gaul
4. Made common folks happy
5. Made friends in high places
6. Pompey (a general who conquered Syria and Palestine)
7. Crassus (the richest man in Rome, one of the richest men in all history)
8. These three men formed the First Triumvirate ("rule of three men")

POP QUIZ

Today in class, we had a pop quiz which was very unexpected and everyone was worried about it because there is so much information on Rome so no one knew what it would be on. I only got one wrong which made me really happy and I was really thankful because I need any good grade I can get. We also worked on our project which is stressing me out because it is due in two days ad there is a lot of work to get done in other classes too and I just feel like I have to make time that really isn't there. I am going to work on as much as I can tonight so tomorrow night I won't have anything to do since I know I will have a lot of homework tomorrow night.

VIDEOO

Today in class, we started re-watching the Rome video we watched on our own last week. I think we watched it again so we could review it and the project and test are very close by so we need to start reviewing for what is to come and our exams start soon so it is really important to start studying and getting ready since a lot of this month is going to be hard because it is really busy. Almost every class I have just keeps getting more stressful because of our exams and the end of school is near. It is going to be a crazy next few weeks so I am hoping that I get a good final grade for this class and do well on the final project.

Absent

Yesterday I wasn't in class because I had an orthodontist appointment.

Rome Video

Today in class, we watched a video on Rome and it was about the battles the ancient Romans fought and their lifestyle. Rome's lifestyle was very different from other ancient groups such as Greece and Egypt. We already had units on those countries and what their center of life was like Egypt having the Nile River as the center. Rome had pretty evil kings in its time when people were ruled by kings and that was before they had a different form of government that they wanted to try. They never went back to having kings rule them, because they didn't like the way the kings would run things. So, they decided to have their own form of government and have ruling on their own terms. This changed everything and we even use their ancient form of government today. It is a little different though because it has evolved over the years. Rome changed the way we do things today.

5-6-15

Today in class we reviewed the powerpoint again as usual and took more notes. There are so many notes I thought we were actually almost done with this unit on Rome. I think it is such a big unit for this class because the school year is almost over and it will be the last thing we have a test on and have our last big project on. It is a lot of work, but I feel like it's not that bad because in my other classes it is the same and there is still a lot to have done before the end of the year. I hope it will be fine though and the rest of the year will be as smooth as it can be.

TAKING MORE NOTES

Today in class, we took more notes off the powerpoint we usually work with. There were a lot more than I expected to take today and there was a lot of information to learn and look over. We are mostly going through the rap like one line at a time and taking notes on the things we need to know from the information provided in the rap song. There is a lot to know just from one line of the rap, I didn't realize it until it was all laid out in a powerpoint and we have been analyzing each day. I hope we work on our projects during our next class though because I think we need some more class time to work on it.

1920's junior project

Yesterday in class, we learned about many important people from the 1920's by going to the second floor during the first mod. This project was one for the juniors who were in Mr. Hollin's class. They had to dress up as their person that they did research on and tell everyone who wanted to hear about them their life story. I think it was a neat project that you have the chance to do when your a junior. Everyone that I talked too knew the story that they were supposed to tell very well and I think they did a good job on their project. I thought it was a really interesting project too because I have never seen anything like it before. I learned a lot from the people that talked about women's rights and the actors in the 1920's. I hope to do the same project maybe when I am a junior. 

4-30-15

Today in class, we took some notes on the powerpoint that we were taking notes on last week. We didn't have that many to take today but still took some and it wasn't that bad. I think everyone hates when we take notes because sometimes we have to take a lot and I kind of like taking notes on the computer in One Note better than handwriting them. We talked about the story of Tarquin and his wife Tullia who were apparently the power couple in a bad way of Rome because of the horrible things they did and what their son Sextus did. It was a sad story because of how bad these people were, but eventually they were overthrown and forced out of Rome which resulted in the government we have today.

Working on Project

Today in class, we worked on our project and decided on what we were doing for it like our final decision on it and everyone had to tell what they were doing so we knew and were prepared for when everyone's time came to present. Katie and I worked on getting our information together and get the facts we needed since our project is about ancient Roman architecture. The buildings we are focusing are the Circus Maximus, the Aqueducts, the Roman Forum, the Roman Parthenon, and the colusseum and we are focusing mostly on that structure more than any other one. We are going to present this by making a tri-fold and a mini model of the colosseum.

FACTS ABOUT ANCIENT ROMAN ARCHITECTURE

    - Circus Maximus http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/circusmaximus.htm 

• largest stadium in ancient Rome
• popular chariot races were held there for almost  a thousand years
• used for events such as gladiator combats
• the last race was held in 549 AD
• it was also used for processions

- Colosseum http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/colosseum

• located east of the Roman Forum
• the largest amphitheater in Rome
• used for four centuries 
• By the 20th century, nearly two-thirds of it was destroyed
• measures from 620 feet by 513 feet

- Aqueducts http://www.unrv.com/culture/roman-aqueducts.php 

• a waterway system
• first evidence of Roman engineering
• built from stone and brick
• built to carry the flow of water to Rome
• there were 30 miles of arched structures

- Roman Forum http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome/sights/historic/roman-forum

• Rome's showpiece centre
• developed in the 7th century
• fell into disrepair after the fall of the Roman Empire
• known as the "cow field" in the middle ages
• district of temples and basilicas

4-24-15

Today in class we worked on our project and thought about more ideas for what we could do for this project. I am working with Katie and she wasn't there but the first time we talked about this project, we kind of came up with an idea on what we wanted to do. We are not that sure since we don't want to do a video or anything like writing a paper or do a powerpoint because then we wouldn't get the best grade because it shows that we didn't put that much effort into it. So we decided to do a tri-fold poster and put our information about Rome on the board in a creative way. We weren't so sure if that would be enough so we also wanted to make a model of one of the famous Roman buildings in those days. Katie said she thinks she will be able to make it from something like popsicle sticks or something like that. I wasn't sure how to make it so since she said that and we can make it different and unique not just like we did it in like five seconds. I hope it works out because we need a good grade on this project since my grade isn't where I want it to be. I think that failing that one test we took ruined my whole grade even though the last project with the essay and powerpoint we did our grade was good which was a 90. I was happy about that since it brought my grade up a little and since this project is a lot more, hopefully we will do great on it and get a 100.

MORE OF THE ROME POWERPOINT

Today in class we took more notes from the powerpoint and talked about the Punic war involving Hannibal and Carthage against Rome. We also analyzed the lyrics from the rap we heard yesterday that will help us study for our test.

4-22-15

Today in class we took more notes and went over the powerpoint. Mr. Schick also performed a rap about Rome.

Ancient Rome

Today in class, we started a new unit which is ancient Rome. We haven't talked about the projects since Friday, but I think we will later on but in the time being, we will take notes on the ancient Rome powerpoint and learn about ancient Rome and its government. Also, how Rome's government was the Senate and how it was a monarchy and we have the same type of government in the US today. There are some things that were changed about how to control the government but it is pretty similar to the one ancient Rome had. That is what we talked about mostly today, and I think on Wednesday, we will take more notes and learn more about the culture of ancient Rome.

NEW PROJECT

Yesterday in class, we talked about our new assignment which is going to be another project. I was surprised by this because we just completed a project and an essay. But, I think it will be fine and this might be the last one of the year. This project has to be about Rome but we are allowed to do any kind of project that we want to do. You can also have a group or try to work by yourself if you wanted to. I chose to work with Katie again and try to make a tri-fold poster on ancient Rome. We also have to think of something else to add to it so it won't be so simple. Katie said she will try and see if she can build a small model of one of the important buildings in ancient Rome. We still need some time to think about this because we aren't completely sure on how it will all work. I know we will have our full idea soon. We will start thinking about it soon and working on it as soon as we can. 

Plato Video

Today in class, we watched a video about perspective kind of and it was really weird to me. It was about these prisoners and they were chained in this dark room for life and all they did was look in one way and watch shadows all day and night. They didn't know anything about the outside world, all they knew was what they saw in the dark room and that was it. One day, one of the prisoners were granted to go into the real world and see what it was like. He was very confused because he didn't know anything about the real world but loved it. When he went back into the dark room, he realized it was all and illusion and the other prisoners laughed at him because he finally had a mind of his own. It had a symbolism behind it all, about how people are brainwashed and don't know anything for themselves until they realize things about the real world.

Absent

Today I was absent because I wasn't feeling well at all last night and all morning. I just felt really sick and couldn't come to school today.

4-13-15

Today in class, we went over the test we took before spring break. We took the test the actual day before our break started and I really wish it was later or earlier because it was hard to focus with spring break on my mind. That was also why I couldn't really concentrate and had many tests that same day which didn't help. I felt like it was an overall overwhelming day and I wish I would've gotten a better grade. I got a 78 on it and it didn't make my day better or off to a good start at all. I just need to do better on the next test to keep my grade at a good level and where I want it to be. 

Test

Today in class, we took the final test on ancient Greece. There was a lot of information on it and a lot we had to study. I don't know how I did because I feel like my grade is not good. I am worried about it because I have tried to get a good grade in this class even higher than my grade right now which is a high B. I hope I didn't do to bad and we will have work that can make the test up if I didn't do too well. 

3-30-15

Today in class, we did the finishing touches of our essays that are due Wednesday. My group already finished over the weekend but we wanted to like look over it and edit it just to make sure it was ready to be turned in. I think the only problem was some paragraphs we needed to rewrite because we weren't happy with it and wanted to change it. Other than that, we also needed to make a works cited page from the links we used for research or if we used our powerpoint for points we wanted to put in our paragraphs. I was pretty pleased with the whole essay because I am just happy we are done and it is over with. We just need to take a test on Wednesday and I am worried because there is a lot of stuff we need to know for the test and I hope I will be ready by then. I just need to study the times I can until Wednesday to get a good grade.

1,000 WORD ESSAY

Today in class, we started writing our 1,000 word essay. I think the class started to work on it yesterday but I wasn't there so I didn't do any last night because I already had another essay for english to write. This is kind of why I have been stressed because there are just so many things due before spring break like I have said and I was worried because we only have like 3 days left until and I am hoping there won't be a huge workload because this week we have had so much work. I am just glad because today is Friday and now we can have a break before next week and the three days that will be a bit much with the work I feel like and then we go on break so then we will have a time to relax from all the last second work we might get. 

Absent

I was absent today and wasn't in class. I know today was the first day we were supposed to work on our 1,000 word essay. I didn't come to school because I had a doctor's appointment and decided I was only going to be in school for like two classes so I decided to stay home. I really wished I could've been there today though to work on the projects that we have do before we are off for spring break, there is still time left though so I am hoping that I will use time management well and I won't be stressed. I feel like I kind of will be because there is just a lot of work to be done and turned in but I think it will be okay and everything will work out smoothly.

TODAY'S CLASS

Today in class, we continued once again with the powerpoint on ancient Greece with information that will help us with our test. There were so many notes we had to copy today so I am guessing that our test is going to be a big one. Our test is on the day before spring break and I think there will be a lot of studying that will need to be done. I really hope it will be easy though and not that bad because I fee like there are so many assignments being due like next week which isn't far away. It is crazy because we are almost on spring break and I have so many things to get done its like I have no time. We also have to watch a video in order to be prepared to take a test which is an hour long. I feel like the next week is going to be really stressful but then we have a break so that will be well needed and good because we can all relax and have the week and a half off. I just know I need to work hard and do my best on all these assignments coming my way even though it will take time along with other things I need to get done. I know it will be hectic, but I am going to get through this and get good grades on the assignments that are going to be turned in and completed before we go on spring break.

PRESENTATIONS

Yesterday, in class we started to present our powerpoints we have been working on for the past week. This is a big grade that is going in and we haven't had a project yet due for this semester. I know that last semester we did a powerpoint also on the country we picked, but this one was different because all the categories had to do with Greece and I think it was fairly easy. I felt like it was a fair project but I don't know if presenting was easy. I say that because we had to like explain the slides but I felt like my group did a good job on our slides and already had the information in our own words. That is why I felt like it was kind of difficult because there wasn't much to like explain since our information was clear and it was all displayed on the slide well and written well. I think the groups did well when they presented, I mean some were better than others but overall everyone did well and I also thought our group did well and we got a good grade.

EVEN MORE NOTES ON GREECE POWERPOINT

Today in class, we continued taking notes on the Greece powerpoint. I know that there is going to be so much on this test because we have still been taking notes but I feel like if we have to take notes again, then we would only do it for one more day. Tomorrow we are starting presentations because we finally finished our projects and I am thankful because there are so many things we need to complete like the essay coming up and we have a test the last day before break. So I think it is great because we are going at a good pace with what we are doing. Here are some more notes we took today:
- with Hippias gone, Isagoras and Cliesthenes (both of them being aristocrats) engaged in a power struggle
- Isagoras had support from some fellow aristocrats, plus from Sparta
- Cliesthenes had support of the majority of Athenians 
- He ostracizes Cliesthenes - Isagoras
- Cliesthenes' supporters - and the ordinary Athenian citizens!!!! - revolt against Isagoras' tyranny
- They trapped Isagoras on the acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished 
- 508 BCE! YES!!!!

More Greece Notes

Today in class, we didn't work on our powerpoints because our last day in class for that was on Monday. We are almost done our powerpoint which of course is good because it is due on Friday and our presentations start that day too. I think I only have like two slides to complete before we are completely finished! I hope we get a really good grade because maybe this could bring my grade up to an A+. We continued taking notes from the Greece powerpoint because there were slides added and we needed the notes for the test. Here are some of the notes from today:
- Aristocracy is rule by aristocrats
- they had meetings and enjoyed poetry and wine
- no women (except for entertainment)
- no middle class
- sometimes some aristocrats were excluded if they fell out of favor
- Tyranny existed and some tyrants were harsh
- Hippias was one of them and he ruled from 527 to 510 BCE
- when his brother was murdered, his ruling became harsh
- he was eventually expelled from Athens
- In revenge, he worked with the Persian king Darius I, helping them invade Marathon
- tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis 

Powerpoint Project

Today in class, I came back and started to work on our powerpoint project. I knew about it yesterday and my group and theme because I checked the class blog. I have ancient Greek art and architecture with Sydney and Katie. I kind of wished we had another theme because I don't know it's not that bad but I would have liked to do more research on Socrates and Plato. I think we are doing pretty well on our powerpoint so far anyway though because we did many slides in only like two classes. I started working on the art portion of the project because Katie and Sydney already did most of the architecture parts and like different structures the Greeks built. I started working on the pottery the ancient Greeks made for their use not for show. I was almost finished but kind of wanted to finish next week because it isn't due until Friday. I know next week is going to be busy because the quarter ends and all so I am hoping it is easy to finish and we get an A.

ABSENT

Today I wasn't in class because I was sick. I got up this morning and just wasn't feeling it. I was going to go in later today, but decided against it so I could go tomorrow and feel better by this weekend. 

POP QUIZ AND THE REST OF NOTES ON GREECE

Today in class, we reviewed the powerpoint on Greece and finished the notes on Homer. Here are the rest of the notes:
- Greek oral tradition - stories passed by word of mouth
- Lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Ages"
- Composed stories of the Trojan War
- The Illiad - one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans (Trojan War)
- The Odyssey - Odysseus attempt to return home, being thwarted by the angry god of the sea, Posedian
- The Odyssey - 12,110 lines 
- The "Homeric question"- Homer may have been a mythical creation himself
- A blind wandering mistrel; an heroic figure
- Illiad and Odyssey may have been the culmination of many generations of storytelling 
- OR MAYBE HE DID ACTUALLY EXIST!!!!!!!

We also had a surprise pop quiz today which I thought was a joke at first but it wasn't. Everyone did actually and it was weird because there were no signs even at the beginning of class that we would even have one. We only had ten questions but the questions were on a powerpoint and we only literally had 10 seconds to answer each one. After we were done, we reviewed it together and got to know the right answers which determined how we did. I WAS SO HAPPY BECAUSE I GOT AN A!!!!!!! 

Ancient Greece Is The Word

Today in class we finally took notes on the ancient Greece powerpoint from one of our cyber day assignments. We all had to look through this powerpoint before so we have seen it before and we know what was on the slides. I think there are more slides added though and our next class we are going to talk about Homer and his life so we aren't quite done yet. So here are some of the notes we took today:
- The Ionian Sea is southwest of Greece
- Terra means "Earth"
- Crete is an island in Greece
- 3/4 of Greece are mountains 
- Almost 1,400 islands are in the Adriatic, Ionian, and Aegean Sea 
- Greece was arable - good for farming 
- Only 20% was suitable for farming
- Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives
- Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
- Climate was different back then it is today
- Invented the Olympic Games 
- Mycenaeans new group of people who were around Greece
- Dorians also the "sea people"

Socrates

Socrates was one of the greatest philosophers of his time. He was Greek and was one of the founders of Western philosophy. He is known from the writings of two of his former students, Plato and Xenophon. Socrates was also known for his famous Socratic Method that was a series of questions to his students to hear what they have to say and get their opinion instead of just listening to his. He wasn't just a famous philosopher, he earned his living by being a master stonecutter. He originally took this profession over from his father Sophroniscus. Socrates crafted the Three Graces which were near the Acropolis at that time. However, according to ancient texts he did not continue this after retiring. He also served in the Athenian army during three campaigns. Socrates was not considered an idiot because of how involved he was with his community and Athens. Socrates life seemed to be full and lively because of everything he did, but his death was just the opposite. He was accused of corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens and introducing strange gods. During his trial, he tried to defend himself in the best way he thought he could. He said all he did in his life he was satisfied with and if no one could see that, than he would rather be dead. He could get out because his friends said they could sneak him out of Athens, but he refused and stayed true to himself. He was sentenced to drinking poison hemlock and was known as a great philosopher who died for what he believed in. 

Ancient Greece Architecture

Once again it is another cyber day. Today we have to look up three structures that were built in ancient Greece. We also need to have a picture for each one and explain each of them. Here are the ones I picked:

The Acropolis - This building is not single but it is many temples on a hill overlooking Athens. The word Acropolis means the highest city. The Acropolis was built between about 447-438 BC. The Acropolis was also the temple built for the goddess of the city. 

The Olympia - This structure was one of the most important sanctuaries in ancient Greece. It was also the birthplace of the Olympic Games. There are many stories as to how the Olympic games began, most of them start with Zeus and how he fought to seize the throne. The Olympia was probably built around 460 BC. 

The Erechtheum - Another important structure that was also a temple and it was on the north side of the Acropolis. The Erechtheum was built between 421 and 407 BC. The name was from one of the Greek hero named Erichthonius.    

CYBER DAY TOMORROW

Today in class we had a very short class because we had 2 hrs.late and it was a Wednesday bell. We kind of talked about cyber days and why we have them and how they work. Since it's our first year having them, I feel like it was good to discuss about them because I didn't know some things about them before until today. Like how we have to have at least 45 mins of work for each subject which I think is way too much I mean we don't have that many hours in the day and really it depends when you get up and start working on the homework you have for that day. I really think they should change that like next year because I am not a fan of cyber days I don't know they are just annoying and sometimes there is so much work that needs to be completed in one day. There is a big chance that tomorrow will be one and I hope it is the last because spring starts in a few weeks!

Ancient Greece

Today is another Cyber Day and our assignment today is to take notes on the ancient Greece powerpoint and answer some of the questions that are on some of the slides. Here are the notes on the ancient Greece powerpoint:

- The world's greatest civilizations were located on rivers 
- For example, Mesopotamia / Tigris and Euphrates rivers 
- Another example would be Egypt / The Nile River 
- Greece is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa
- Greece shares a border with Albania 
- Overall, Greece shares with many countries around it 
- This could create a problem with their culture because they might feel like they don't have their own culture since so many surround the country and share cultures
- The bodies of water that surround Greece are the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea
- The large island that is south of Greece is Crete
- Athens is located on the central plain of Attica
- Sparta is located on the Peloponnesus Peninsula 

Egyptian Test

On Friday, we took the Egyptian test. I wish I would've known about it in advance so I could have studied and tried my best to get a good grade. It was just the opposite of that. I did terrible, the worst grade I have ever gotten on a test in this class. Of course I was really upset because it brought my grade down a great amount and it was just bad. I actually couldn't believe the grade when I saw it because I studied before I took it and also I thought the test wasn't that bad. I guess I really wasn't ready because the results were bad. Let's just say that Friday was a bad day for me overall. I hope I can get this grade back up to where I want it and I can forget about this grade for good.

Five Questions for the test

Today is a Cyber Day and we have the assignment to create 5 questions that we think will be on the test for tomorrow. I'm going to do this in sort of a list thing. So I will list the questions I think will be on the test. These are the five questions I think would be used in the test somehow.

1. What is the Nile River used for?

2. Name the social pyramid in order starting with the Pharaoh. 

3. What was most important to Egyptian life?

4. Where does the Nile River flow from?

5. In what month of every year does the Nile flood?

Pyramid Building Game

Today in class we had this assignment where we had to play this pyramid building game. You had to work in pairs which I think was definitely for the better because the game had so many tricks to it and it was hard to finally win. The first two groups would get an A and the two second groups would get a B and so on. Katie and I got an A! I was really surprised we finally beat the game and I'm really happy because that A helped our grade. It was great because you just feel so much better when you win and it makes you happy. I really don't ever want to do something like that again because it just creates so much stress and it's annoying. I don't know it was okay in the end because our grade was good but it was weird and overall I guess it was just something that was supposed to be for fun even though it was still graded. 

Notes on the three videos

Today in class we had an independent assignment and had to watch three videos and take notes on each of them. The first video talked about one of the Egyptian inventions, the pyramids. The pyramids were the wonder of the world and everyone loved how they looked and thought how amazing they were. The pyramids were built as tombs for the Egyptian's god and goddesses and even their kings and queens who ruled in their time. The video also talked about the Great Sphinx and how it was built. The Great Sphinx is also another wonder of the world and so many people were and still are amazed by it. Sadly, there were cannons that launched at it so it does have a big dent near the front, but it is still there and many people go to see it today. The first video overall talked about the architecture that existed during the time of the Egyptians. They sort of started a revolution because the Egyptians always built great big structures. They did this because they thought it was the best way to repay their gods for what they did for them. The second video was about mummification and why they preserved the pharaohs. They took the organs and intestines out of the body to get it ready for the afterlife. The body was also covered in silk and left for forty days to let out all the moisture. There was also a type of embalming oil that went on the body to preserve it better. Then there was the linen strips that went on last to cover the body. The tomb was decorated with hieroglyphs and probably signs that represented the personality of the deceased person. The third video was hosted by John Green and he talked about Egypt overall. He talked mostly about the great history of Egypt and how the pyramids are the last existing things from the Egyptians. He also talked about the social pyramid like the slaves and the pharaohs. I thought the video was pretty interesting because it was like taught in a way that was fun and not slow and boring.

Egyptian Inventions

1) One invention the Egyptians created was hieroglyphs and it was their first type of writing. They also created mathematical problems and numbers after hieroglyphs came along.

2) Another invention that is still famous and popular even today was the pyramids. The pyramids were built in the time span of 2589 and 2504 BC. They were built because they were tombs for the pharaohs and queens.

3) Another invention that is very useful today that the Egyptians invented was the calendar. The calendar helps us know what day it is and organize things when we have plans. The calendar also tells you the holidays and other information on the days in the year.

4) Another weird invention that I discovered was the Egyptians invented the first type of breath mints. They always had to deal with poor dental health because they didn't have dentists or oral surgeons. These first mints were a combination of frankincense, myrrh, and cinnamon boiled with honey.

5) Egyptians also invented the plow. Even though historians were never sure where the plow came from or who invented it, evidence suggests that Sumerians and Egyptians were the first two societies that used the plow around 4000 BC.

Some notes from the Prezi Presentation

Today in class, we went back to finishing our notes on Egypt. We started from the beginning by reviewing and writing down the notes that we didn't have yet. I had most of the notes because we were almost done but there were a lot for this presentation I thought because usually it really isn't that much but there was quite a bit. It wasn't that bad though but there will be some studying for the next test for sure. I have had these notes for a while now but I want to put some of them in my blog.. Here are SOME of them.

Geography
- Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River
- The Nile River flows from south to north
- They used the Nile River for water for drinking, irrigating, bathing, and transportation
- Every July the Nile floods
- Every October it leaves behind rich soil
- The delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile silt
- Managing the river required technological breakthroughs in irrigation

Society Pyramid (order)
- Pharaoh
- Government officials, nobles, priests
- Soldiers
- Scribes
- Merchants
- Artisans
- Farmers
- Slaves and servants

2-18-15

Today in class, we reviewed the test we took like two weeks ago on Guns, Germs, and Steel. That was the test that I was worried about because I thought I failed in my mind. When I got my real grade back, I was upset because I wasn't happy with what I got at all. I got a 76! That was pretty bad for me and my last test I did well on and was happy because my grade was so good. Now, I hate that my grade is at a B again because I want to end this quarter with as many A's as I possibly can have. I only want to have 2 B's at the most. I really want to try even harder now because when you get a bad grade on something, you learn to do better and study next time if you didn't the first time. I think I have learned that over the times it has happened to me. I just want to do really well on this next test which I think will be on Egypt because hopefully it can bring up my grade to an A like I have wanted and it will stay that way.

Ancient Egypt

Today in class we started a new unit and it is on ancient Egypt. We took a lot of notes today more than usual I think and we learned a lot about Egypt, things I didn't know for sure. We categorized our notes by having sections on what we were learning. Like one category was the daily life of the people in Egypt and the society pyramid which was the list on what part of society was more important. The most respected person in Egypt was the Pharaoh which makes sense because people would just bow down to the Pharaoh since he was the ruler of Egypt and people had to respect the Pharaoh because if not, they would probably be put to death someway or be put in prison. I think that's kind of crazy because it was like a dictatorship rather than a president sort of thing and obviously that's pretty messed up because the society probably felt trapped but then again they didn't really know any better because this happened many many years ago and people just started out and they also lived in a desert which was on the other side of the world from where everywhere else was. Most of the places in the world were probably not discovered. We also learned about the geography around Egypt and the importance of the Nile River. People who lived in Egypt used the Nile River because it was like the only river near them and helped them do many things and survive at the most. Tomorrow, I think we will finish our notes and learn more about the life of the Egyptians in ancient Egypt.

Test Today

Today we took the Guns, Germs and Steel test. I was worried about it while I was trying to study because I wasn't sure what would be on the test and if it would be multiple choice or not. I don't think I did bad because that's not what I wanted to show on the test because I am trying to keep my grade the way it is. Last semester, I had a B as my final grade and I think I should've had an A. I'm just worried because I hope I at least got a 90 on this test because if I didn't it will bring my grade down and make me really upset because one of my goals for this semester and quarter is to have straight A's or having only 2 B's. I think we will find our grade out by late tomorrow and I am hoping the result is fair.

Test Monday!!!

Yesterday in class, we finally got to know our grades from the first West Civ test we took. I thought I did good on the test overall, and I was nervous to know what I got it. I finally found out and got a ding! I got a 93! I was really happy because my grade is really good in this class already and I wanted to keep it that way obviously. We also reviewed for our test on Guns, Germs, and Steel that we have on Monday. I kind of thought that we wouldn't have it this early, I mean I thought maybe we would review a little more and than have the test on Wednesday. I hope it will be easy though because I don't know it's kind of harder to have a test on a Monday and study over the weekend. I think it will be okay though and I get an A+ because I need it to keep my grade good and have a good grade in this class.

2-5-15

Today in class, we finally finished the guns, germs, and steel video. We did only watch part one but everything was answered in the end anyway. The big question was why does a white man have more cargo or belongings than a colored man or the people of Paupa New Guinea. Jared Diamond spent many years in New Guinea to find this out and other things like the way of life people lead in New Guinea. He went there to see how they live and experience the hunter-gather lifestyle they lead even in this century. The people of New Guinea lead this type of lifestyle because they don't know about the lifestyle most people live today. They also aren't as geographically lucky as other people are and were. For example, the people who lived on the Fertile Crescent were very fortunate because civilization began in a great way there and growing food was easy and they also had two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, which gave them a great amount of water for anything they needed. The Fertile Crescent was the start of a great civilization and changed the way people lived.

2-4-15

Today in class, we continued to watch Guns, Germs, and Steel again. We still aren't quite finished yet and I think we are only on part one so there is probably another part we will watch after the first part. We are still taking a good amount of notes mostly about domestication. We wrote down how many animals in the world could be domesticated which was about 14 different species. Some species were water buffalo, llamas, cows, pigs, etc. I thought there would be way more than just 14. It seemed weird since there are so many animals in the world even though some of the species are extinct. It was interesting to learn about that because I never knew that. I think we will finish the first part of the video tomorrow and finish taking notes.

2-2-15

Today in class, we continued watching the guns, germs, and steel video. We only watched about 10 minutes because at first, the video wasn't working no matter how many times someone tried to open and play the video. It worked close to the last 10 minutes of class so we didn't have as many notes to take as I thought. We took notes on plant domestication and animal domestication and how domestication created civilization. Also, we took notes on some countries and the most valuable crops they grew a period of time that helped that specific country and made that country a lot of money. For example, China had rice and the Americas had corn. There were other countries but I couldn't remember what was the main crop that boosted their economies. I think by Wednesday, we will have finished the video and the notes will be on our next test.

Guns, Germs, and Steel

Yesterday in class, we watched a documentary type video about how guns, germs, and steel have created modern civilization. It's a history video about this guy named Jared Diamond and he goes to this place somewhere near Australia called Paupa New Guinea. It is a place where many people live and survive. I say this because they live a hunter-gather lifestyle even in this century. They have just been used to living this since the beginning of time and never had a civilization more advanced than what they have. They seem pretty happy with what they have because they don't know what the rest of the world is like. That is nice because you should be happy. They are very smart people because I don't know about you but if I was put into the forest with nothing and had to survive for a few days, there is no way I could do it to be honest. The video is pretty interesting when you listen to it and what they are talking about. We aren't finished watching it yet but we will be on Monday or when we get back I think.

After the test

Today in class, we took the first test of our west civ class. I thought it was really fair because we were able to use our blog and the notes we took on there. I was happy because I've had a goal of making this new blog good and copying my notes. You never know when you will be able to use your blog on the test and it helps a lot. Even if i didn't have my blog I think that I would've done really well because it was easy and short even though the short essays were kind of a lot to write in them. I thought it was okay and I hope I got a really good grade.

Test on the first unit

Today in class, we reviewed for our test we have tomorrow. The test is on our first unit and all about Mesopotamia. We have to know kind of a lot, but I think and hope it will be easy. It isn't that easy to learn these types of things because it can be pretty boring at times. I feel like sometimes it's hard to try and sit there and pay attention because it isn't always what I want to learn. I am kind of nervous about how the test will be and I hope it's easy for me so I get a good grade.

Mesopotamia

Yesterday in class, we continued with the powerpoint and taking more notes. I feel like for this unit, there are so many notes to take and a lot to know for the test. Maybe it's just me but I think so I don't know really, I'm just kind of worried about studying for the test but I think it will be fine as long as we have a day of class where we specifically go over everything we need to know for the test and leave out any extra information. But of course we still keep that in our minds for when we will talk about it again. Anyway, here are the notes I took for Friday's class:

- The earliest cities, Mesopotamia, the population increased dramatically due to new irrigation techniques
- The district, Sumer occupied the land between Tigris and Euphrates rivers
- Cities and towns were founded 40,000 inhabitants
- Better food storage allowed for diversity in professions
- Kings emerged also family dynasties and the "city-state"
- Sumerians invented the earliest form of writing, known as "cuniform"
- A pantheon of Sumerian gods and goddesses emerged, with many of the dieties representing the natural elements of the world
- The world's first (surviving) epic was the Sumerian "Epic of Gilgamesh" which told of a great flood
- Sumerians made calendar based on moon cycles
- They also divided the hours into 60 min and the minutes into 60 sec
- The Ziggurat was a Sumerian temple built on top of a "mountain" of earth
- Wandering nomads drove herds of domesticated animals in many areas, especially to the south of Sumer in Arabia
- King Hammurabi of Babylon created a series of laws known as "Hammurabi's code" - laws that included "an eye for an eye" and regulations of marriage, divorce, and punishments for all sorts of crimes
- Indo-European were people from the grasslands of the Russian steppe who introduced the horse to the Near East
- The war-like Indo-European tribe known as the Hittites settled in Asia Minor
- The Hittites had a lucrative trade in metals and conquered nearly all of their neighbors, even threatening Egypt

Prehistoric Era

Today in class we learned about the prehistoric era and the time of 3000-1200 B.C. This is our very first unit of West Civ class and it pretty much sums up the first humans to walk the earth and how civilization was born. Here are the notes I took today:

- The origins and "Ages" of human beings
- 200,000 years ago a human species emerged in southwestern Africa
- 14,000 years ago, a worldwide human race existed
- The earliest prehistoric age was also called the Paleolithic age or the old stone age
- The Neolithic age or the new stone age was marked by advanced tool making and the beginnings of agriculture
- The Prehistoric Era was also called the Agricultural Revolution and the Neolithic Revolution
- The population goes up in high numbers
- Hierarchies appeared in village life
- The time of the invention of wheel and plow
- Villagers were polytheists, worshipped multiple nature, also human and animal gods
- The fertile crescent was were civilization began

First Westciv Class

Today we had our first western civilization class of the new semester. Some people switched classes and had a different teacher or just changed and have different people in their new class. I stayed in the same class and had the same teacher which was good because I liked that class, even though there are different people in my class now, I think that's good because you always need a new change. We all had to create new blogs today for western civ. Some people never had a blog so they had to make one and get a gmail. I think it was way easier this time to make a new blog than it was last time setting it up because I remember in August when I made my first one, I was having trouble. I think almost everyone was to be honest but it was just much quicker and that was better. I'm excited for this class and what we will learn.