Ancient India

You picked up a handout and a Chromebook.  You used the Chromebook to read the packet since the books are getting pretty rough.

Greeks & Persians

We corrected the Greece work in class today.  MANY of you did NOT HAVE COMPLETED WORK!!!  This is a problem, especially if you want to earn a credit for this course.  Please do not waste our time. I am always available before school if you have questions or need help (and I will be available after school beginning October 7th).

I assigned your first extra credit opportunity, the "Plato Essay" asking for your response to the following segment from the Plato reading activity we did in class on Monday (due next Friday):

It compares to his idea that the especially wise people should make the decisions over the soldiers and workers. Do you agree with Plato or disagree? In 1820 Thomas Jefferson took a different opinion when he wrote in a letter, "I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise that control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion." Jefferson seems to think that a much larger number of people are capable of a high enough level of education to make the important decisions. 

We started class with Crash Course 05 The Persians & The Greeks (embedded below):

Greatness & WIL 1.3

So, you watched a video (embedded below) and took notes of what positive & negative actions & characteristics Alexander exhibited - what made him "the Great" anyway?  Your Greece work must be completed by the beginning of class tomorrow.  You had 3+ days to work, so I expect them to be done - perfectly.  We'll go over them all in class tomorrow.

WIL 1.3 Legacy

A legacy includes the entirety of one's life.  But we can only include a tiny fraction when eulogizing and remembering someone.  Can a person's good deeds outweigh any and all evil deeds committed earlier or later in life?  Basically, does the good outweigh the bad when looking back on and judging someone's life?

Exam 1.1

You took your first exam in class today.  Anyone who has an excused absence has one week to make it up before or after school - you MUST let me know a day in advance!  Enjoy the beautiful weekend!

Exam 1.1 Change

I have decided to remove Greece from tomorrow's exam, focusing mainly on Prehistory through Ancient Egypt.  Please Read through chapters 1 & 2 and focus on learning & knowing about the following:

• Agriculture & Food Production
• Alphabet & Writing purpose?
• Anthropology
• civilizations characteristics & rise of
• Conquest, Process of
• Egypt
• Unification
• Religion
• Hieroglyphs
• Rise & Fall of Empire cause(s)
• Historical Periods
• Fertile Crescent
• Fire, use of
• Hammurabi
• Hanging Gardens of Babylon
• Homo sapiens sapiens origins & migration
• Hunter-Gatherer Societies
• “Lucy”
• Neolithic 
• Nile River
• Paleolithic Age
• Phoenicians
• Writing purpose?

You CAN use your notes, so come prepared!  We'll fold in Greece, Rome for Exam 1.2 and add in religions after that.

The Greeks!

So, you worked on some organization handouts related to the Greece chapter in the textbook.  I also had you pick up the map handouts in order to better understand why Ancient Greece is important to study and know about...SIZE DOES MATTER!!!  We'll go over everything as a mini-review on Thursday for Friday's exam.

Exam 1.1 will cover everything studied thus far; prehistoric eras, civilization (concept & establishment of - think "rivers"), Mesopotamia, Egypt, & Greece.

Tues:  Greece Vid (& Extra Credit 1.1 Announced!)
Weds:  Greece Work & Democracy
Thurs:  Go over Greece Work & Review Earlier Material
Fri: Exam 1.1

Clickers

We simply went through the process of test-taking via the clicker system.  I had hoped to also introduce the Chromebook procedure, but they were not available...grrr.

Basically, you picked up your assigned clicker (yes, you have a specific clicker assigned to you), tried it out while submitting an answer to a technology survey, and then returned them.  Simple.  Although, it wasn't.  We had a glitch at times as we went through the process, but it was running smoothly by the end of the day and will be fine for next week's exam.

Remembering 9-11

I showed you the events of the morning of September 11, 2001.  It was chaotic, confusing, sad, and the biggest turning point in US affairs during your lifetime.  The attack, and our response(s), have shaped how you see and experience the world every day.



You can visit the HistoryChannel site that documents that day as well as I have ever seen.

Below is the Airspace of that morning, showing you how quickly all aircraft were landed when the order came in to do so.

Ancient Egypt & WIL 1.2

We reviewed the questions presented over the previous two days, then read about the "Nile River: Then & Now" after which you identified the answers to the concluding questions.

I hope you can pick up the enthusiasm I have for history - it has always been fascinating and truly captivated my passion, which directly led to me becoming a teacher.  The beauty of history is that, while it already happened, we can always discover new information, perspectives, and artifacts....which can either reinforce or produce exciting new interpretations.

We ended class with another Crash Course (#4 Ancient Egypt).  We are RACING through 6000 years of history and we must follow a district-mandated sequence and pedagogy (style & substance) that only increases the hectic pacing.  Some of you have groaned at John Green...but stick wit hit.  He is GOOD and the information (content & delivery) will grow on you and make you understand things in a new (& better?) way.

 

Ancient Egypt & EC 1.1

We watched a documentary (embedded below) on ancient Egypt that also addressed the concept of archaeology.  There were no guided questions, but you were focus on how we interpret relics in order to recreate what life was like in the (in this case, distant) past.

With the remaining time, I offered your first extra credit opportunity (EC 1.1)...the Ancient Egypt Movie Pitch, which requires three completed components: (Due Friday 9-19)

1. Brainstorm all of the things related to Ancient Egypt that come to mind.  We made a partial list in class.  What else could you add?
2. Develop a movie pitch.  Writers and directors usually have 1-5 minutes to explain an idea to producers in order to secure funding and get the green light to further develop their film.  Develop a full story.  You must have a protagonist (main star) and there must be some sort of conflict.  There must be a beginning, middle, and end, along with some big moments (big action sequence, revealed secret, scary setting, etc.).  It should be no more than a page long; 2-3 paragraphs MAXIMUM.
3. Design and Create a movie poster for the story.  Must be on a large sheet of paper - color or B&W is OK.  Try to incorporate images from your pitched movie as well as some sort of slogan or tag line.