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