3/23/11

     Today we took a test and ate Smarties.  I was told by some that the test was extremely hard.  When Mr. Schick showed us the format I thought it kind of complicated at first, but the test turned out to be not real bad.  The test was actually very fair.  It was a matching test with areas, buildings, items, and people that were to be matched with descriptions.  It was fair because if you payed attention in class you did well and that is how all tests should be because that is how you can tell if people listened to and understand the concepts being taught.

3/21/11

     Today we continued with the movie.  Athens formed a form of their own empire called the Dalian League.  This was like a friendly conquer and the people of these areas were like their allies.  Pericles was born into an aristocratic family and knew what people wanted.  He made a real focus on things like art to get the culture and economy going.  He had a huge building called the Parthenon built on top of the Acropolis.  It was a huge monument dedicated to Athena and was the most expensive and awesome building of the time.  Under Pericles many things were done for the first time.  Drama was also invented at this time.  They had huge theatres carved on the side of hills where thousands of people would go to watch plays.  There were two types of drama; comedies and tragedies.  Pericles made one mistake.  He proposed war with Sparta because Sparta was up there with Athens and he wanted to eliminate them.  The proposal was accepted by the people.  They made a mistake going to war with Sparta when they lost.  

3/18/11

Today we just watched the movie all class.  While Themistocles had power in Athens, Xerxes had power in Persia after Darius died.  Themistocles knew that Persia was still a threat.  He had shops called triremes built which were ships that can ram holes in other ships.  He got a bill past that helped him build a lot of them.  Athens then had the best Navy.  Xerxes wanted revenge so he invaded Athens.  Athens was evacuated.  The women and children went north and the men went to an island with the whole navy.  Athens was invaded when there was no one there and took it.  Themistocles then sent a servant to tell Xerxes where they were and that they were week.  Athens had lured the Persian ships into a thin area where they destroyed.  The Athenians then retook Athens and prospered.

3/17/11

Today we got off track right away.  We were suppose to go off track anyway.  We started talking about the recent events that have occurred in Japan.  We also watched some footage that a guy took for six minutes of the tsunami.  We also talked about the Nuclear situation over there.  So we then continued to talk about the movie.  We then continued watching it.  After Cleisthlenese took power the Olympics started in Olympia.  A man named Isagoris then decided that he wanted to have power.  He got the Spartans to help him.  Cleisthlenese was then captured along with many others and then banished from Athens.  The people then rebelled and captured Isagoris.  They called back Cleisthlenese to help them and rule.  Cleisthlenese came up with democracy.  The people could vote and speak about what they wanted done.  Cleisthlenese later died and other people took over.  There was suddenly word of a Persian attack on Greece at Marathon.  Pheideppeees then was famous for running  140 miles in 2 days to Sparta to ask for help.  They said no.  Darius had power in Persia at the time.  The Athenian citizens fought along with Hoplites which were the best soldiers and beat Persia in the battle of Marathon.  Themistocles was then voted into power and was the first ruler that was not at one point an aristocrat.  That is it for today.

3/16/11

     Today Mr. Schick decided that we were going to start over watching the movie so that we could stop in the movie at certain points and explain things.  So we watched the movie during the whole class while we stopped the movie to get spellings and have discussions about what was happening.  Athens was built on and around an Acropolis.  Cleisthenese was an aristocrat.  In the early days of Greece the aristocrats controlled the common citizens.  Cleisthenese's brother in law rolled into town with a tall woman that he claimed to be Athena and took control.    He gave Athens a chance to prosper and they did when he lowered taxes and allowed them to take out loans.  Greece was then a good trading country.  During this time they also developed a unique style of art.  Pisistratus then died and his son Hippias took over.  Hippias did well until his brother was murdered and he went crazy.  The Athenians then lost their rights and had problems.  Cleisthenese then decided to try to overthrow Hippias and was successful.  That is it for today.

3/14/11

     Today we went over the movie that we watched on Friday.  The movie was called The Greeks.  We started summarizing what we watched.  We basically started to clear up the orders of the events and the people that played major roles in them.  I pretty much got what happened.  The names just confused me.  It was a series of people going into and out of power before the people got total control and gave one man the responsibility of figuring the government out.  They finally came up with democracy.

3/11/11

     Today we watched a movie called The Greeks.  Mr. Schick was not here; so the movie was a little confusing especially when it came to all of the names.  I took the best notes I could it One Note.  The movie has been so far about how the Greeks became so elite.  The Greeks invented a lot of things that we use and do today and that our country models.  The Greeks went from oppression to not being oppressed a couple times.  They then finally got a good leader back who made up democracy which worked extremely well.  They invented politics, history, and philosiphy.

3/10/11

     Today we went over what we will be studying next again.  We will be studying Greece.  This was the second day that we spent on Greece.  Today we shared our Google Docs Presentations.  I had to research Xerxes.  He was the one that conquered Greece temporarily.  He led Persia during the famous battle at Thermopylea.  He had problems in Asia so he pulled all of his troops out and the Greeks regained control.  Other people had other events and people that led up to Xerxes and his Empire.  There were battles talked about like Marathon.  There were people talked about like Darius who happens to be Xerxes father that started the war.

3/9/11

Today class was very short but productive.  First Mr. Schick told us about a "boring" class that he is taking.  Then he continued on to read a story of the Greeks and the Persians fighting.  The story was about the Persians making a ridiculous bridge to Greece and then them fighting.  Greece had to unite to fight them.  It took a lot of political strategy.  It was an extremely hard fight that Greece well strategized.  It was a story that involved a lot of advancement in warfare, politics, history, and civilization.  We were then assigned a project on Google Docs.  I have to do a slide on Xerxes.

3/7/11

     I can't necessarily write a hundred words about what we did in class today because we took a test.  I think that I did amazing on it.  So...  That's about it.

3/4/11

     Today in class Mr. Schick showed us a Power Point about modern Egypt.  The Power Point was a good snap shot of what has happened that has led up to the current situation.  It went from basically World War 1 till current day.  Their economy consists of oil, natural gas, tourism,and agriculture on their 3% of their land that is arable.  They grow some good crops and their best crop is cotton.  They have the biggest middle east population.  They have the third biggest population in Africa.  They are 90% Muslim and 10% Coptic Christian. 5th worst country in the world for tolerating religious freedom.  They are the12th worst in the world in religious violence.  Egypt was once UN territory.  Egypt was then declared a republic.  They were then ruled by Gamal Nasser who nationalized Suez Canal the forms allegiance with Soviet Union.  Anwar Sadat came into power after Nasser died and allied with the US, and attacked Israel over Sinai Peninsula, but later made peace.  Sadat was then assassinated in 1981.  Hosni Mumbarak then took over, who kept alliance with the US(helped us in the Iraq war); he was accused of corruption, human rights violations, political persecution; driven from office by mass demonstrations last month.  Egypt is currently run by temporary military junta.  Elections are scheduled for September 2011.People want Mubarak arrested for all kinds of crimes including stealing billions from the government. 

 

3/3/11

     Today was a good class.  Mr. Schick went over what we did yesterday.  We also finished the second half of the Prezi.  We went over a lot more about the priests and the pharaohs.  We also talked about women pharaohs in depth.  We talked about how they had rights and were not discriminated against.  We also talked about how slaves and servants weren't treated like more recent slaves.  We also talked about how the soldiers were set up for battle.  They used wooden bows and arrows, and spears.  Once they started using bronze they started putting bronze tips on their weapons.  They also would ride in chariots.  Then Mr. Schick let us go, which was awesome.

3/2/11

     Today we went over what is going to be on the next test.  The first category is the Geography.  We basically have to know what effects the Nile had on their technology, culture, civilization, and way of life.  We also have to know about daily life of the Egyptians.  We have to know about the social hierarchy and the money system.  We also have to know about the Gods and Goddesses.  We also need to know about the pyramids.  So to sum up the ancient Egypt part we have to know how all of the elements put together created the ultimate civilization.

     We also have to know about modern Egypt and the revolution.  We need to remember the conversation with Sarah.