Rome Test

We took our test on Ancient Rome today in class. I think that I was very well prepared for this test because we reviewed in class a lot and went over the power point many times. I also think that the song Mr. Schick made up helped because it made me remember certain facts that I probably would've forgotten otherwise. The song helped me with a few questions and I think it was a good idea to make it. I don't know what my grade on the test is yet, but I'm hoping it will boost my grade up right before finals.

Rome Test Review

Since our test about Rome is on Tuesday, we reviewed today in class. The test was moved from today to Tuesday so that we had more time to prepare. We reviewed the Rome Powerpoint again and took some more notes. I think that I need to study the political details more than anything so I took good notes on that when we reviewed it. If everything studies and looks over our notes, I think we can all do well on the test.

Presentation day 3

The last three groups presented their projects in class today. First, Alayna and Delaney presented their powerpoint and Mosaic. We had to grade everyone based on how we thought they did and write it down on a piece of paper for Mr. Schick. Second, Ariana presented her poster and the Pantheon model that she build. Last, Josh, Adam, and Adam presented their wall that they built out of clay and the powerpoint they made. To end class, Mr. Schick talked about how his daughter started a job yesterday and got her name in the paper.

Absent

I wasn't in class today because I was absent.

Presentation day 1

Me and Kacey presented our project first today. We think it turned out really well and we will get a good grade. The Libum was good but it wasn't as good as when we took it out of the oven at first but they were still good. We also presented our pottery which turned out well. After we saw a roman painting that someone painted by hand. Last, we saw a Roman aqueduct that was made and demonstrated. We only got to share three of the projects today.

More work on our Project

Mr. Schick gave us more time today to work on our project. Kacey wasn't here today, so I finished the research for our trifold to work on this weekend. I also worked on the paper we have to write to go with the trifold and project. I found information and cites on the Ancient Roman drinking vessel and what foods the rich and poor ate. We were given the whole class to do the project.

Pop quiz

In class we had a pop quiz on Ancient Rome. I did well and only got one question wrong about tribunes. After we took the quiz, we went over it and Mr. Schick went to grade it. For the rest of the class, we were allowed to work on our projects. Me and Kacey did some more research on Roman culture to put on our trifold.

Student Teachers

Today, We had a shadow from Calvert Hall and Mr. Schick had students teach the class. Kelsey and Jude were the first ones to teach and they started going over the Rome powerpoint. After awhile, Mr.Schick had them stop because they weren't explaining well. The next students to teach were Stevie and Hunter who did a better job explaining. Going over the powerpoint again took the whole class.

Tiberius Video

In class today, Mr. Schick had us watch the rest of the video we started on Thursday about Tiberius. In the video, Tiberius tries to get elected as tribune because he wants to get the poor people's land back. The senate doesn't like how much power he's getting and as he gets power, they do everything they can to stop him. Eventually, the senate makes up a rumor that Tiberius wants to be the King so that the people start to dislike him. They believe the rumor and the senate kills Tiberius after his term is over. They beat him to death and dump his body in the river to decay.

Project

Mr. Schick wasn't in class today so we had a sub and we worked more on our project. Me and Kacey did some research about Roman Culture to put on our trifold. We went to check if Mr. Gadreau was available but when he wasn't, we came back to decide which pot we are making after school today. We also looked up the recipes for the food we would like the make and the information to print out/ write on our poster.

More about Rome

• 5,000 Soldiers in a Legion
• Roman army's elite heavy infantry 
• recruited exclusively from Roman citizens
• Group of eighty is a century
• on horseback is the cavalry

After the Punic Wars...

• Slaves poured into Italy
• By the end of the second century, there were over one million slaves in Italy
• Small farmers lost their land to aristocrats if they couldn't pay their debt, sometimes because the men of the house were fighting in battle
• Slaves did the work on the farms for the rich
• the big farms became massive estates called latifundia 

Rome notes continued

3 branches of government
Rome

• Executive: 
• two consuls
• one year terms
• each has veto power
• controls military
• appoint dictator in crisis for six-month term

United States

• President (VP)
• four year terms
• veto proposed laws
• commander-in-chief 

Rome

• Legislative: 
• Senate
• 300 people
• aristocrats
• members for life
• Assemblies
• members for life

United States

• Senate
• 100 senators (2 per state)
• 6 term years
• House of Representatives 
• 435 members 
• 2 year terms

Rome

• Judicial: 
• Praetors 
• chosen by Centuriate Assembly
• One term years

United States

• Supreme Court 
• nine members
• appointed by the president
• confirmed by the senate
• lifetime terms

Twelve Tables (Tablets)

• Publicly displayed
• gave rights to plebians, not aristocrats
• Only protected free-born males

Bill of Rights

• 10 amendments to Constitution 
• Women were not included at first

Rome notes

Today in class we took these notes:

• Estruscans: 
• came from North-central
• metalworkers, artists, architects
• Greeks: 
• had many colonies around mediterranean sea
• Romans borrowed ideas from them, such as:
• religious beliefs
• alphabet
• much of their art
• military
• techniques
• weaponry
• Latins: 
• descendants of indo-Europeans 
• settled on the banks of the Tiber
• situated so trading ships could navigate as far as Rome
• built on the seven hills (palatine) 
• many streams flowed into the Tiber 
• There was a marshy area called the Forum, between palatine and Capitoline hills
• Tarquin the Proud's grandfather built the Cloaca Maxima into the Tiber 
• Lucuis Tarquinias Superbus 
• The seventh final King of Rome
• Known as Tarquin the Proud (Tarquin the arrogant) 
• True tyrant, in the old and modern sense
• Tarquin was driven out and the people decided they didn't want any more kings
• there is a painting of sextus attacking Lucretia called "the rape of Lucretia" 
• Rule of kings is replaced by rule of two consuls
• elected officials 
• one term: one year
• almost always aristocrats
• duties: dealing justice, making law, commanding army 
• one consul could veto another 
• fifthe century BCE - patrician dominance of government was challenged by the plebs 
• plebs were 98% of population 
• How did patricians dominate?
• Plebs served in the army
• couldn't serve in the army
• couldn't hold office
• threatened by debt slavery
• no legal rights
• Rome had no laws, just unwritten customs 
• Patricians could interpret laws to their advantage 
• Plebs refused to serve in the military until... 
• laws were written out (Twelve Tablets) 
• laws were posted in public 
• tribunes were elected 

Project

In class Mr.Schick let us plan out our projects more like we did the other day. We had to tell him who we were working with and what we were doing. Me and Kacey are doing our project on culture so we are going to cook some food, show or make some art, and maybe even bring in some of the clothes they wore. We think it will turn out very well if it works out.

Baltimore Riots

Today in class we talked about the Baltimore riots where people are burning things and robbing stores. Everyone shared their opinions on the situation and we talked about what was happening and watched videos. We also discussed the riots that are supposed to happen on Thursday but decided that we don't think they will happen. The discussion took up the whole class.

Circus Maximus and Aqueducts

Mr. Schick had us do research today about 4 topics: Colosseums, Circus Maximus, Roman Forum, and Aqueducts. I worked with Kacey and she researched Colosseums and Roman Forum, I took these notes on Circus Maximus and Aqueducts.

Circus Maximus

• First Celebration of the consualia in honor of Consus, the Roman god of granary
• Could hold a quarter of a million people
• It was used primarily for chariot racing but sometimes for hunts and mock battles 
• Built in the 6th century B.C 
• It was twice destroyed by fire and the stands collapsed at least twice, killing many people
• 620 meters long and 120 meters wide 

Aqueducts

• Local governments decided to build 
• Bridge that brings water in and out
• First built in 312 B.C
• Used for indoor sewage 
• Brought water in and out of Rome 
• Was used to carry waste out and bring drinking water in
• Miles long

Colosseum 

• Seated 50,000-80,000 people
• Largest Amphitheater in the world 
• Construction started in 70 AD
• It takes up 6 acres of land
• Slaves and woman were seated in the upper bleachers and senators were seated near the floor area
• A place of honor was reserved for the editor - person who funded and arranged the games (often the emperor) 

Project day

Today in class we were allowed to work on our projects. Me and Kacey decided that we were going to do our project on Roman culture. We are going to recreate some of the Roman art, make some Roman food, and maybe show how the Roman woman dressed. We haven't planned it out completely but we should be able to start working on it soon.

Chi cago

In class today, Mr. Schick brought in Chi cago as a special guest. He made up his own lyrics to the song Low and it was all about Rome. We can use the lyrics to the song to study for our test. We also took some more notes about Rome. We learned about a leader named Tiberius who was run out of Rome because he was a tyrant who was becoming too powerful. Since Mr. Schick's song took up most of class, we didn't learn much new material.

Roman Expansion

In class we talked about how the Romans used to take over areas and most of the time, instead of kicking them out, they would become allies. Rome was a military culture who conquered many areas around Italy. We also talked about the Punic wars and Hannibal who invaded Rome with his soldiers. They went around and through the mountains so they could attack the Romans from the back but eventually the Romans destroyed them.

Rome

• Ninth Century - Etruscans move to Italy 
• The Etruscans, Latins, and Greeks were the first to settle in Italy
• There were Greek colonies in Italy 
• Indo-European tribes settled along the Tiber River
• Remus and Romulus were in a myth where they were raised by a wolf. There was an argument and Romulus won which is where the name Rome came from
• Etruscans were an early influence on the Romans
• Romans were also influenced by Greeks (alphabet, and city-state organization)
• Rome was originally a Monarchy 
• they had a council of elders called the "Senate" 
• each year, the senate elected two rulers "consuls" who served for one year
• Romans would appoint a dictator in times of war/conflict
• Patriarchs - rich men who were in charge (aristocrat men)
• Plebians - Middle class citizens
• The Roman republic: the Senate and the People
• Plebians gained power in the Senate by electing "tribunes" 
• Twelve Tablets - laws that were written and posted in 450 B.C
• Republican Values: 
• Romans had strong values and a connection to the gods
• it was every citizen's duty to participate in government and war (except women) 
• Married women were revered and highly honored and called "matrons"

Allegory of the Cave Discussion

In class we finished the video about Plato's Allegory of the cave. It is about prisoners who sit in a cave and their heads are chained so that they can only see one way. They only see what the people who control them want them to see. One of the prisoners gets released and can finally see things differently in the world. He tries to tell the others of his enlightenment but they don't believe him because they are stuck with their own perspectives. We related this to Socrates and many social issues because people aren't willing to look at various perspectives and sides of a story or subject.

The Allegory of the Cave

We didn't do that much in class today. For most of the time, we talked about and looked at the films that Mr. Schick has helped with. We also talked about the people he has met and he told us some stories. After we did that, we watched a short video to finish class which was about Plato's Allegory of the Cave. The video prepared us for what we will learn about in class tomorrow.

Greek Test Review

Today in class we went over the test on Greece that we took before Spring break. We went around the room and had to say the answers without our scantron because Mr. Schick wanted us to use our brains. I remembered more information than I thought I would when it was my turn. I did well on the test but not as well as I would have liked. I will need to use this test to study for our final.

Test on Greece

Today was our test on Ancient Greece. Some of the things that were on it were about Homer, the Greek gods and goddesses, and about life in Ancient Greece. I think I did well on the beginning and on the part about the Greek Gods. But I don't think I did well on the part where we had to match up the statement with the philosopher. I didn't study the information on the philosophers very well. Overall, I did my best and I hope I got a decent grade. 

Essay Day 3

Today in class we finished our essay about Homer. We only had a little bit to do but we added more paragraphs and cleaned up grammar. After that, we started watching the video and preparing for tomorrow's test. I don't think I need to study the big things but I need to study the powerpoint and the small details that we didn't spend that much time on. I think this project helped me prepare for the test tomorrow.

Essay Day 2

Today in class, Alayna, Kacey, and I continued working on our essay. We are almost done because we did about 2 pages last night and a page today. We each wrote about that we did our slides on but we needed to add more so we started to research some new topics and topics we already had. We should we finishing tomorrow and starting to study for our test.

Essay

Yesterday in class, we started working on our essays. Kacey, Alayna and I did about half of our essay on Homer. I thought it was difficult because we needed more information that what was in our powerpoint but I think we are doing good so far. We aren't done yet, but we will be done by Monday's class. Hopefully, next week will just be editing the essay and studying for our test.

More on Greek Powerpoint

Fighting Spartans

• Greeks were war-like - Especially Spartans 
• Spartans were known for their tough, ruthless infantry 
• Spartan boys started training at the age of seven 

Naval Power

• Athens had a great infantry but nothing compared to their navy 
• Most effective weapon: Trireme 
• technological marvel
• fastest ship in the world at the time
• rowed by about 170 men on 3 levels
• could be used as a battering ram
• agile; fast

Phalanx: Close-ranked, dense grouping of warriors

• armed with long spears and interlocking shields 
• soldiers advanced slowly toward their enemy until they broke through their ranks

Philosopherlapalooza - Socrates

• looked at science and logic (not gods) for explanation about the world
• the socratic method fostered critical thinking
• socrates was charged with serious crimes: 
• impiety (disrespecting the gods)
• corrupting the youth
• he described himself as a stinging gadfly, and the Athens as a lazy horse
• did not deny what he did
• found guilty; sentenced to death by drinking hemlock

Plato

• student and follower of socrates 
• wrote socrates' teachings 
• republic was socrates' discussion

Aristotle 

• student of Plato 
• Helped foster Athens as an intellectual destination
• his school focused on cooperative research 
• didn't invent the internet but had a dream of the idea
• tutored Alexander the Great

More Greek Powerpoint

Today in class we took more notes on the Greek Powerpoint:

• With Hippias gone, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (aristocrats) got in a power struggle
• Isagorus had support from other aristocrats and Sparta
• Cleisthenes had support from most Athenians 
• Isagorus wins: He ostracizes Cleisthenes 
• They trap Isagorus on the acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished
• Cleisthenes - A member of the elite
• Very rich
• Insulated from the "hoi polloi" 
• A crafty politician 
• Saw the value of tapping into the talents of the non-aristocrats

Gods and Goddesses 

• Poseidon (god of the sea) interfered with Odysseus trying to return home
• Aphrodite (goddess of love) had lovers of both gods and men
• Dionysus (god of wine) was son of Zeus (Greek god) and Semele (Human princess) 
• Zeus - ruler of heaven and earth; Had a temper and tended to throw thunder bolts
• Athena - Goddess of war, battle, and wisdom; Born from Zeus; The patron of Athens; A special patron of heroes
• Apollo - god of music (moon); Twin sister Artemis (sun); Zeus was his father
• Poseidon - god of water; brother of Zeus
• Aphrodite - goddess of love, beauty, desire, and sexuality
• Demeter - god of grain, and harvest; Zeus's sister

Presentations

Today in class we finished the group presentations and talked about the essay we have to write. Kacey, Alayna and I presented our powerpoint on Homer's Life and Teachings. The other groups that presented today were "Three Great Philosophers", and "warfare land and sea". After the presentations, Mr. Schick explained that we would have 3 days in class to work on the project with our groups.

Tyranny

Transformation of Government

• During the 6th and 7th centuries BCE, the aristocrats were in charge of Greece
• Aristocracy is a rule by aristocrats
• Aristocrats attended meetings where men enjoyed wine, poetry, performances, and the company of hetaeras (courtesans/escorts) while talking about politics

An exclusive club

• In the club there were no:
•  women (except entertainment)
• middle class
• slaves
• certain people who had been kicked out or angered other aristocrats 

Tyrants seize control

• Some aristocrats formed alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers), 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 leader
• Greek meaning of tyrant: Someone who seized power 

Clash of the tyrants

• Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE 
• His brother was murdered and his rule became harsh
• He was expelled from Athens (ostracized) 
• In revenge, he began with the Persian King Darius I, helping them invade Marathon 

Project

Today in class Mr. Schick wasn't there so we got to work on our Ancient Greece projects and take some more notes on the Ancient Greece powerpoint. I spent most of the time working on the project about the life and writings of Homer. I did three slides, Homer's writing style, Homer's teachings, and Epic poetry. I didn't finish so I had to finish it at home but I got most of it done.

Absent

Today I wasn't in class because I was coming home from Virginia Beach.

Pop quiz and Gumby

Today in class we reviewed the powerpoint on Greece quickly. After that, we took a pop quiz which I got a 905% on. When we finished the quiz, Mr. Schick told us stories about when he was in school like two incidents that happened with Gumby. The one landed in his teacher's coffee, and the other one he hit the nun with. After this, we talked about when our group project is and what we have to do for it. It was an entertaining class.

Group Project

Meredith Engelhaupt
Kacey Newman
Alayna Meekins
Topic: The Life and Writings of Homer

Today in class, we looked at the reviews that students gave Mr. Schick as a teacher. Some of them he thought were funny and he read them to us. After this, we looked at videos of babies crying because Mr. Schick always asks people if they're crying. To end class, we talked about the group project we have to do. I'm in a group with Kacey and Alayna and we have to do the topic "The Life and Writings of Homer". Everyone picked their topics out of a hat. After we picked our topics and groups, class was over.

Greece part 2

In class we continued taking these notes on Greece:

• Mountains covered 3/4 of Greece
• It was a peninsula surrounded on 3 sides by water
• 1,400 islands were located on the seas
• The Greeks were skilled sailers and shipbuilders
• They had poor/limited natural resources 
• Difficult to unite- independent communities
• Grew grapes, grains, and olives
• Only 20% of land is arable (suitable for farming)
• Lack of resources led to colonization
• Temperature ranged from the mid 40's in Winter to the low 80's in the Summer

Some early people- first, Mycenaeans 

• Influence began around 2000 BCE 
• Mycenae is located on a rocky-ridge and protected by a 20 foot wall
• Dominated Greece from 1600-1200 BCE 
• 1400 BCE- Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture/language
• 1200 BCE- The "sea people" began to invade Mycenae, and burnt palaces. So, the Dorians moved into this region
• The Dorians were less advanced 
• Trade-based economy collapsed 
• Writing disappeared for 400 years

Homer

• Greek Oral Tradition- Stories passed down by word of mouth
• Homer lived in the dark ages and told stories of the Trojan war
• The lliad- One of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans 
• The Odyssey- Odysseus attempted to return home, being thwarted by Poseidon 
• 12,110 lines of Dactylic Hexameter
• The "Homeric Question" - Homer may have been a mythical creation
• Blind wandering minstrel; Heroic figure

Socrates

Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher who was credited as one of the founders of western philosophy. He was born in 470 BC and died when he was 71 years old in 399 BC. He tried to establish an ethical system based on human reason rather than theological doctrine. He thought that human choice was motivated by desire for happiness. Socrates used something called the socratic method where he asked questions in order to stimulate thinking. He was accused of corrupting the youth and worshipping false gods so he was sentenced to death. He was put in prison and when given the chance to escape he refused. He was forced to drink Hemlock (poison) and died.

Cyber class

Today in class, we talked about cyber days and what Mr. Schick thinks will happen in the future. He thinks we will eventually have cyber days on video chat at a certain time. Mr. Schick also thinks that one day, they will just video chat for school all the time. We talked about many things that might happen in the future like having a chip implanted into your neck when you're a newborn. Another thing we talked about is if you think of a song or something you want someone to hear, you can look into their eyes and they can hear it too. We discussed more things like this until class was over.

Greece

Today we went over our test from the other day on Ancient Egypt. After that, we took these notes on Greece:

• The world's greatest civilizations are all located on rivers
• Mesopotamia is located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
• Egypt is located on the Nile river
• India is located on the Indus river
• China is located on the Huang He river
• Greece is located between the Ionian and Aegean seas
• Rivers provided key essentials for a great civilization like bathing, irrigation, fishing, drinking, and transportation)
• Water is a dependable source
• Greece is between Italy and Turkey, South of Yugoslavia
• 1,400 islands surround Greece 
• Greece has many mountains which makes it easier to sail around than travel across
• The Greeks are very skilled sailers, navigators, and ship building
• Terra means "Earth" and Mediterranean means "Middle of the Earth"
• Greece goes into the Mediterranean sea

March 2nd Cyberday

1. Note the significance of Greece's location.

• Greece is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, the Ionian Sea, and the Aegean Sea which gives them access to a place for fishing, bathing, and transportation. 

2. Describe Greece's topography. 

• Greece has a mountain range called the Pindus which runs from North to South down the middle of Greece, dividing the peninsula into 4 geographic regions. 

3. Look at Greece's surroundings. 

• Greece is surrounded by water on three sides, and 80% is covered by mountain ranges. 

4. How would all this effect their culture?

• The location of Greece caused the people who settled there to be independent from other civilizations and people who used and took advantage of the water. They traded lots of goods and grew things like olives for olive oil and grapes for wine. 

5. What bodies of water surround Greece?

• Greece is surrounded by 3 bodies of water. The Mediterranean Sea, The Ionian Sea, and the Aegean Sea. 

6. What large island is to the South/Southeast?

• Crete is located at the Southern edge of the Aegean Sea, Southeast of Greece. 

7. Describe where Athens and Sparta are located relating to the sea, and to each other. 

• Athens and Sparta are both located in the South near the Mediterranean sea. Athens is located in the Southeast region of Greece, and Sparta is located in the Southwest region. 

Test on Egypt

Today in class, we had to take a test on Ancient Egypt. I thought it would be really hard so I studied and we studied for the first 15 minutes of class. Some questions I didn't know the answer to but most of them I thought I answered correctly. Some of the questions were things like "The Nile provides everything except..." or "Who was one female Pharaoh of Egypt?" or "Who out of these is the highest on the social ladder?". Some of the ones I guessed on were questions like "How long is the Nile River?". Mr. Schick is going to grade them so I will find out how well I did in a couple minutes.

Land of the Pharaohs Notes

The Nile and the "Two Lands"

• Upper Egypt had higher elevation and Lower Egypt emptied into the Mediterranean Sea
• The Nile was the major provider of life
• around 3100 BC, the two lands were united by one Pharaoh 
• Pharaoh was all powerful, worshipped as a god and intimately connected to the other major gods/goddesses 
• Egyptians relied on a harmony and balance of the universe called "maat"
• Pharaohs had multiple wives 
• Women could inherit money, land, and divorce their husbands, though few wielded true political power
• Earliest Egyptian writing formed 3100 BC and were small pictures called hieroglyphs
• Hieroglyphs represented religious words, or parts of words and most commonly adorned temples
• Hieratic script was shorthand developed by scribes and priests 
• Egyptian astronomers created a calendar with 12 months and 365 days
• Egyptian doctors wrote extensively on health issues and created potions/cures
• Wooden sailboats allowed people to transport things on the Nile 
• Pyramids were massive stone tools, originally covered in marble but the marble was stripped off 

Pyramid Building

Today in class, we had to play a game where we build a Pyramid. We got to work in partners and the first two pairs got an A, the next two got a B, if you finished in class you got a C and if you didn't finish, you got a 0. I worked with Kacey and we got an A. It was hard and frustrating but we got it done second. The thing that frustrated everyone the most was the Nile Expedition but me and Kacey knew that you could click "Finish Game". To start the game, you had to pick a location, materials, and workforce. It kept firing us because we didn't pick the right workforce. It took us a couple tries but we finally got it right and built the Pyramid.

Prezi videos

Pyramid Quest
  In this video, a man went to look for treasure in the Pyramids. With him, he brought stonemasons, engineers, and architects. Scribes said the treasure was in the Great Pyramid so he set up camp there. He went inside and didn't find anything, which made him mad and confused him. What he didn't know, is that there is more to the Pyramid than what he saw. There are many chambers and tunnels that we have discovered today.

Mummification
  In this video, they talk about mummification and why the Egyptians created it. Mummification was created to preserve bodies for the afterlife. To make a mummy, they first take out certain organs. Next, they cover the body in salt and then let it sit for 40 days. After this, they put oils on the body, and linens were glued on. They put the mummy on a wooden board and but a pouch on it's chest. Finally, they put a cover on it.

About Egypt
 In this video, They talk about the Ancient Egypt Civilization which was from 3000 BC - 332 AD. The Nile River shaped the world view of the Egyptians. It flooded every Summer which left rich soil for farming. When Egyptians died, they were buried with something special to them to take to the afterlife with them. Ancient Egypt had 3 time periods: the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom.

Technological Developments of the Ancient Egyptians

1. The invention of Sun clocks and Water clocks: Obelisks were built in 3500 BC by the Egyptians. Shadows formed a sundial which allowed people to divide the day into 2 parts. They could also show the year's shortest and longest days. One of the first water clocks was found in the tomb of Amenhotep I who started using them around 325 BC. They were made of stone and had slanted sides which let water drip at a constant rate or bowls that filled with water at a constant rate to determine time. These inventions were important because they made it possible to tell time.



2. The invention of the Ox-drawn plows: The first Ox-drawn plows were made in 2500 BC. It required the domestication of animals and skilled metal working. These plows made farming easier and quicker.



3.  The invention of Hieroglyphic Writing: Hieroglyphics were invented by the Egyptians in 4000 BC. The Egyptians called them "the words of God" and they were mostly used by priests at that time. Hieroglyphics are written in either rows or columns and can be read from left to right, or right to left depending of the direction the human and animal heads face. Hieroglyphics allowed people to communicate without using words.



4. The invention of Paper: The first paper was woven from marsh grass called Cyperous Papyrus. Papyrus is where the name for paper came from. It was invented by the Egyptians in 3000 BC. The plant stem was cut into strips and softened, then they were soaked in water and put under a mat. The mat was pounded into thin sheets of paper. The invention of paper gave the Egyptians something to put hieroglyphics on.



5. The invention of Pyramids: Generally, it took about a decade to construct a pyramid. It was traditional for a Pharaoh to start building a pyramid when he takes the throne because it could take his entire reign. Pyramids were some of the most fascinating structures to ever be built.

Test

Today in class I took the test about the Guns, Germs, and Steel video. We went over it and I think I did well. After we went over the answers to the test, we went over the Prezi on Egypt again and took notes. We looked at some of the drawings that Egyptians did which were draw from the side in 2D. We also learned that they had many gods and goddesses with heads of animals because humans were a powerful species but animals could do things humans couldn't. Egyptians drew things that showed the afterlife which is one belief of their culture.

Prezi on Egypt

Ancient Egypt

• Pharaohs were the political religious leaders of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: Lord of the Two Lands and High Priest of Every Temple
• Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River. It had water for drinking, irrigation, bathing and transportation
• Every July, the Nile River floods and every October it leaves behind rich soil
• The Delta is a triangular area of fertile silt 
• Managing the river required new irrigation techniques 
• The Great Sphinx of Giza is a recumbent lion with a human's head that was built from 2555-2532BC. It's the oldest monumental statue in the world
• Pharaohs were the highest in ranking. Next was Government officials (nobles, Priests), Soldiers, Scribes, Merchants, Artisans, Farmers, Then Slaves and Servants 
• Slaves and Servants helped the wealthy with household and childraising duties
• they raised wheat, barley, lentils, and onions
• Artisans carved statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the afterlife 
• They used a money/barter system: Merchants might accept bags of grain for payment but eventually, coinage came out
• Scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy, and medical treatments 
• They wrote in Hieroglyphs and in hieratic 
• Soldiers used wooden weapons like bow and arrows or spears with gold tips and sometimes rode chariots 
• Upper class was known as the White Kilt Class. This class included Priests, Physicians, and engineers 
• The Pharaoh was the leader of Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. He owned all the land, made all the laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners 
• Hatshepsut was a women who served the as the Pharaoh 
• Cleopatra VII served as the Pharaoh from 51-30BC
• There were over 2000 gods and goddesses who "controlled" the lives of humans

Guns, Germs and Steel video 2

For the first part of class we had a lockdown drill and a shelter-in-place drill. We had to turn off the lights, lock the door, and silently sit against the wall. For the second part of class we continued the video and took more notes:

• Learning how to make steel was a big technological breakthrough 
• Understanding how to work with fire was the first step to forging steel 
• Certain rocks can be used to make steel when they are heated to the right temperature 
• New Guinea didn't have metal tools
• New Guinea didn't advance because they spent too much time farming and trying to feed themselves
• When people moved out of the Middle East, they tended to move East or South putting them in the same geographical conditions
• In the 16th century, people took things from the fertile crescent to the new world

Guns, Germs and steel

Today we watched the Guns, Germs and Steel video and took notes:

• In China, they grew rice
• Before people traveled easily, they got whatever crops were native to where they were born
• In the Americas, they grew corn
• Corn, squash, and beans can be stored easily and dried out
• South Africa had sorghum, millet and yams
• New Guinea had some of the earliest farmers 
• New Guinea crops couldn't be stored and were low in protein so they sometimes ate giant spiders for protein, vitamins, and minerals
• People with the most productive crops were the most productive farmers. The people with the most productive crops had geographic luck
• Humans started to domesticate and breed animals to eat and get supplies from
• Communities that domesticated animals could also use the animals to fertilize their crops
• Goats and Sheep were the first animals to be domesticated
• 168 out of 2,000,000 animals were attempted to be domesticated
• They don't domesticate reptiles, birds, fish, insects, or carnivores
• Goats, Sheep, Pigs, Cows, Horses, Donkeys, Bactrian Camels, Arabian Camels, Water Buffalo, Llamas, Reindeer, Yaks, Mithan, and Bali Cattle are the only 14 useful domesticated animals
• Cows, Sheep, and Goats are native to the Middle East

Test

Today in class I took my test. For some of them I had to guess because I didn't know them but I think I did okay. The first couple pages were fill in the blank which seemed difficult for me. Then, the short answer questions were mostly easy answers. The back of the test was the map; I got all of the map questions correct. The test was a good one overall and I think I did okay except for a couple.

Absent

I wasn't in class again yesterday because I was still sick.

Sick day

I wasn't in class today because I'm sick

Study day

Mr. Schick wasn't here today so we had a day to review for the test we have on Friday. I looked at the notes I took last week and made a quizlet. I think that I have to study at home if I want to get a good grade. Some of the things I studied were the old and new stone ages, the invention of new things, and Mesopotamia. The old stone age was the paleolithic age and the new stone age was the neolithic age. The neolithic age included the start of farming/agriculture and the invention of the wheel and plow. The last thing I studied was that in Mesopotamia, Sumer is located between two rivers, and how new irrigation techniques increased the population. Cities and towns were founded and food storage allowed people to have different jobs. Sumerians invented writing known as cuneiform.

The Prehistoric Era

• The prehistoric age is a paleolithic age (old stone age)
• Neolithic age (New stone Age) was marked by advanced tool making and the beginnings of agriculture
• Initially, humans were part of migratory groups which hunted, fished, and gathered plants
• the agricultural/neolithic revolution was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture
• populations rose due to increased ability to care for children
• status of women was lowered as they were confined to domestic duties
• villagers were polytheists, worshipped multiple nature, human, and animal gods
• invention of the wheel and plow produced food for storage

Mesopotamia

• Summer was was located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers 
• new irrigation techniques increased population 
• cities and towns were founded
• better food storage allowed diversity in professions: priests, tradesmen, farmers 
• kings emerged as well as "city-state" 
• Sumerians invented writing known as "cuneiform"

First day

On our first day of class, Mr. Schick told all the new people information about his class like blogging, and having to get a spiral notebook. Since I had him last semester I already knew that. He also told us that this semester we won't be allowed to use our computers as much. Last semester, we got the worst grades out of all the classes he taught. There were a lot of new people in the class this semester and there weren't as many people I knew. After we talked about the class, we got to just relax and talk until the bell rang.