6-3-11

  Today in class we went over our tests on the rise and fall of the Roman empire. Then we watched a short video about the Asian carp from Ohio that jump up to ten feet in the air. Monday will be our last class since we don't have it on Tuesdays. We should be reviewing for our final then which will be on Wednesday on Guns, Germs, and Steel, Papua New Guinea, Greece, and Rome.

6-2-11

  Today we took our test on the rise and fall of the Roman empire. The class average was around an 83% so we all did pretty well. With the extra credit, I got an A on the test. For the remaining time in class we just watched videos from Monte Python which was really random. There's only 2 more classes left for this year before the final exam so we are going to use that class time to review.

6-1-11

Since our test was postponed we spent today's class reviewing our notes and worksheets. Our test will now be tomorrow, June 2nd on the rise and fall of Rome's empire. Then on Friday and Monday we will just be reviewing for the final, which will be next week.

5-26 and 5-27

  I was not in Western Civ class either of these days. According to Mr. Schick, they completed and reviewed a worksheet which will be useful for a quiz or test on Wednesday, June 1st. Since their is no school on Monday due to Memorial Day and our section doesn't meet on Tuesdays, our next class will be on Wednesday. So I need to get notes from another student so I can do well on the quiz.

5-25-11

(B.) Diocletian and (C.) Constantine were Rome's greatest emperors because they saved it by helping it survive for another 200 years.

(D.) Eastern Empire- the Greek-speaking half of Rome with the most great cities and trade centers and they were wealthier as well.

(E.) Western Empire- the Latin-speaking half of Rome that was not nearly as successful as the eastern empire.

(G.) Edict of Milan- the statement made by Constantine that granted freedom of religion to Christians.

(H.) Constantinople- the name of the city of Constantine.

(J.) Huns- a Germanic tribe that advanced against Rome in 452 A.D.

(M.) Attila- the leader of the Huns who made them more dangerous than ever.

(N.) Leo I- the first truly powerful Pope of Rome.

1. The economic problems that the empire faced in the 3rd century were disrupted trade, drained gold and silver, and meager harvests.

2. By the 3rd century, Rome's army had changed since the days of the republic by the soldiers fighting strictly for money and not patriotism.

3. (a.) The important religious change that Constantine brought about in the empire was that he accepted Christianity. (b.) The political change he brought was that he founded a new capital.

4. (a.) Germanic tribes invaded the empire in the 400s because it was still widely regarded as the center of civilization.
    (b.) The empire was unable to drive the invaders out because a traitor opened up the gates of Rome.

5. (a.) Three reasons why Diocletian should be considered a successful emperor are he improved administration by dividing the empire into the Greek-speaking east and the Latin-speaking west, he used price and and wage controls to beat inflation, and he secured the boundaries of the empire.
(b.) However, he might be considered a failure because his plans for the succession failed, wages for new troops added to the already crushing load of taxes, and price controls failed.

5-20, 5-23, and 5-24 2011

On Friday Mr. Schick wasn't there, but we got to use all of class to work on our essay papers about the Roman empire and Roman republic. Yesterday, on Monday Mr. Schick took a look at our first drafts and let us work on our papers some more. There is no class today since it's a Tuesday, but our final copy of our essays are due tomorrow.

5-19-11

  Today we took our test on Roman empire. Before that we were allowed to study for a little bit and then finished our tests by the end of the 1st mod. Then for the 2nd mod Mr. Schick let us work on our new project. The new project will be a 500 word paper on the differences of the Roman empire and the Roman republic. We will also have a lot of time to work on it tomorrow in class. The paper will be due on Monday, May 23rd.

5-18-11

  In 66 A.D. a group of Jews called Zealots tried to rebel, but Roman troops put them down and burned their temple (except for one wall). The Western Wall today is the holiest of all Jewish shrines. Half a million Jews died because of the rebellion.

  The Romans were harsh towards those who didn't believe and worship the same as them. This was especially Christians  who were viewed as followers of a new, upstart religion. They were often used for "entertainment" purposes in the Colosseum. Despite the oppression, Christianity grew quickly-by 200 A.D. Around 10% of people in the Roman empire were Christians.

5-17-11

No Western Civ class today because it's a Tuesday!

5-16-11

  Octavian (Caesar Augustus) was the 1st emperor. Begins at Pax Romana (a period of peace and prosperity), he built roads, aqueducts, and set up civil service to take care of roads, the grain supply, even a postal service. Augustus died at age 76 in 14 A.D. and passed him power to Tiberius.

  Jesus was a Roman citizen and a practicing Jew. At 30, he began his ministry preaching to the poor in the empire, and reaching out to outsiders. His statements made the Romans nervous, and they began to plan his execution. The governor of the Roman providence of Judea, Pontius Pilate, sent Jesus to death by crucifixion.

  Paul told the world about Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and message. He wrote letters to many of those he spoke to which are a part of the New Testament. If not for the efforts of Paul, it is likely that Jesus remains an obscure preacher, instead of the central figure of the world's largest religion.  

  As Augustus' stepson and adopted son, Tiberius succeeded Octavian. Although a great general, he was a dark, somber, reclusive, and reluctant emperor. He referred to the Senate as "men fit to be slaves". Germanicus started out as Tiberius's ally, since he quelled a legion mutiny, but when it looked like he would succeed Tiberius, he got paranoid and had Germanicus killed. He died in 37 A.D. at the age of 77, giving his power to Caligula.

  In addition to being Germanicus's son, he was Tiberius' adopted grandson and great-nephew, putting him next in line for emperor. He started off well by granting bonuses and then started to fight with the Senate. He claimed to be a God, and had statues displayed in many places, including the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. He abused his power and was assassinated by his own aides in 41 B.C.

  Claudius was next in line. He was ostracized by his family because of his disabilities, he was the last adult male in his family when Caligula was killed. He had an awful marriage to Messalina, who was quite often unfaithful to him so Claudius had her and her lover Silius killed.

 

5-13-11

  Tiberius was Augustus' step-son and he took over after Augustus died. He craved power and people feared him. He was one of Rome's greatest generals and laid he foundation for the northern frontier. People said that he was a very depressed and negative person. Tiberius' adopted grandson then took over.

  Caligula was the son of Germanicus. Germanicus died from what what was believed to be poison sent from the emperor. When he was little, he was loved by all of the soldiers in the army. His real name was Gaius, but his nickname was Caligula which means "little soldier's boot" in Roman. Once he started his reign as emperor, he started to go crazy and was soon disliked by many people.  He was murdered by his closest allies.

  Claudious was next in line to be emperor after Coligula's murder. Since infancy, he was disfigured, and the center of all jokes. Once he became emperor, he made very good changes to Rome and was quickly loved by all of the people. His wife had multiple affairs with servants, and as much as it hurt him Cladious ordered for her to be murdered.

5-11-11

  Today in class we started watching a video about the Roman empire. We didn't get to finish it yet, but we will probably finish it tomorrow. We had to write down our notes on the movie on a piece of paper instead of typing it on the computer.

  By the year 14, Spain, Africa, Syria, and Greece were controlled by Rome. Tiberius took over after Augustus passed away. Tiberius was Augustus' step-son, however he was not Augustus' first choice to inherit the thrown. Augustus was in his 50's when he began his reign.

  Germanicus was sent by to settle down the soldiers in the legion. His son was named Coligula (which meant Bootsy) and he was favored by all of the soldiers. 5 years later, Germanicus died. He was believed to be poisoned as an order from the emperor.

5-10-11

No Western Civ class today cause it's Tuesday. Tomorrow we will start something new which will probably be one of the last units we do this year.

5-9-11

  Today in class we reviewed our past 2 tests together and got our grades back for them. The first was on ancient Greece and the most recent was on ancient Rome. We will probably need them to study for the final next month. Luckily, I got an A on both on them. Since there is no Western Civ class for our class on Tuesdays, we will probably start a new unit on Wednesday.

5-6-11

  Today in class we had a test on ancient Rome. It was just matching and there was 30 questions. I think I did well, but I know I didn't get a 100. Yeah and I was the last one to finish as usual. Our next class is Monday, May 9th and there is no homework for this class over the weekend. Next class we will probably start a new unit.

5-5-11

Today in class everybody presented their PowerPoint slides about the Rome rap. We took notes since we will be having a test tomorrow on everything we have been learning about ancient Rome.


  The Romans took most of their writing from the Etruscans, since they first had a written language. The Latins had a huge influence on the world. They were the dominant and civilized people on this area of the Tiber River. The people got angry and drove Tarquin out of Rome because he was starting to act like a dictator (last king they ever had). After that they came up with the republican government.

  The city of Rome was built on a drained-out swamp. Patricians dominated Roman cities. Democracy is very big on equality and freedom. The consuls had to agree on everything to make decisions. Aristocracy people were high class and very rich. A monarchy had a single ruler; usually passed down the power. 

  Around 6,000 soldiers made up legions. Carthage is located in Africa. Julius Caesar played a critical role in the change of Rome from a republic to an empire. He was appointed dictator for 10 years in 47 B.C. The First Triumvirate alliance was made in 60 B.C. He entered the alliance with Crassus and Pompey which was to dominate Roman politics for several years. The Rubicon River is a shallow river in Northeast Italy. 

  When Julius Caesar crossed that river it was considered an act of war. Caesar was proclaimed "dictator in perpetuity". He was assassinated by a group of senators; they hoped to restore the constitutional government of the Republic. That didn't only not work, but it resulted in a series of civil wars. Caesar was stabbed on the Ides of March (holiday of the month) on March 15th in 44 B.C. in the Theater of Pompey. The senators were afraid he was getting too powerful. 

  The alliance between Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus was called the 2nd triumvirate. Octavius was related to Caesar. The Roman road system was more than 400,000 km of roads and built like walls. Those roads were built so that the army and goods could be transported easier. Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium. 

5-4-11

Today in class Mr. Schick wasn't there so we spent all of class working on our PowerPoint presentations with out partners; we will present tomorrow or Friday.

5-3-11

No Western Civ class today.

5-2-11

Today Caitlin and I paired up to work on a PowerPoint about Mr. Schick's Rome rap. We will present them on Wednesday since we don't have this class tomorrow.

4-29-11

 Julius Caesar










 Tiber River






 Roman Legion





 Crassus







 Octavian






 Mark Antony






 Cleopatra





 Pompey







 Hannibal

4-28-11

  The two consuls could veto each other and could serve for one year and then couldn't run again for 10 years. They wanted to make sure one person or group didn't gain too much power. They commanded the army and they were a monarchy.

  The type of people that serve in the Senate were an exclusive group of people. It started out with 100 people; that's how many are in the Senate today. This is an aristocracy.

  The Assembly represented a democracy. They voted and attempt to pass laws. They didn't have equally as much power as the consuls and Senate.

  The office of the dictator was a military person who was in charge. He could immediately raise taxes, discharge the army, etc. This position was not always filled, it was only used for times of crisis. The dictator would stay their for 6 months or until the crisis was over.

4-27-11

Today in class we took a short quiz based on last night's homework and then went over some notes.

  Tarquin the Proud was a tyrant who ceased too much power for himself and the people literally ran him out of town. The people set up their own government called a republic. The United States is a Republic. Patricians were a class of privileged families that had more money and higher social and political class than "ordinary" families. Plebeians were the middle class and included farmers, artisans, merchants, etc. The Patricians and plebeians often fought with each other.

  A legion was made up of about 4,000 to 6,000 men. The two big elements of the legion was calvary and infantry. Calvary was horses and infantry were foot soldiers. There were 80 people in the century.


Our homework was to read and answer another set of questions about ancient Rome.


Define:

A.  Consuls- two officials in the place of a king who commanded the army and directed the government.

B.  Veto- to overrule a decision made by others.

C.  Senate- the aristocratic branch of Rome's government made up of 100 patricians.

D.  Assembly- the democratic side of Roman government made up of all citizen-soldiers; they had less power than the Senate.

E.  Dictator- a leader who had absolute power to make laws and command the army.

F.  Mercenary- a soldier who fights in any country's army for pay.


Answer:

1. (a.) Many plebeians were dissatisfied with Rome's government in the early years of the republic because they didn't have lots of rights.
    (b.) They won reforms by refusing to fight in the Roman army until the patricians agreed to the reforms.
    (c.) The changes they brought in Roman government where that they gained access to many political offices and obtained more favorable laws.

2. Romans considered they had a balanced government because they had created laws (the 12 Tables) that agreed with the plebians and patricians and have a government system.

3. Once Rome had conquered most of Italy, the Roman government won the support of the conquered people by giving them the status of half-citizens; the people enjoyed having the rights of a Roman citizen except the right to vote.

4. (a.) At the start of the Punic Wars, Carthage might have appeared the stronger power because it was 3 times larger in size than Rome, they had a huge navy of 500 ships, were incredibly wealthy, and like Rome they also had the advantage of location near the midpoint of the Mediterranean Sea.

    (b.) Rome was the victor because they could draw on a reserve of more than 500,000 troops, their troops were generally more reliable, and warfare was a Roman specialty. Luck also favored the Romans since a Carthage ship washed up on their shore before battle.

5. The Battle of Zama was a major turning point in history because it made Rome the greatest empire in the world.

6. (a.) The Greeks at first welcomed Roman armies because they freed them from the rule of Philip V of Macedon.

    (b.) The Greek attitude changed because the Romans started interfering with Greek politics, crushing all opposition to rulers favored by Rome; the Roman power became very ruthless.

4-26-11

Today in class Mr. Schick came back to school from being sick....but he was in a pretty depressing mood. So he just assigned us some pages to read and questions about it that we have to answer.

Define: 

A.  Republic- a political unit that is not ruled by a monarch and in which citizens with the right to vote choose their leaders. 

B.  Gravitas-discipline, strength, and loyalty. 

C.  Pater familias- the eldest man and owner of the household; also called "father of the family".  

D.  Toga- an uncomfortable garment that every Roman wore which required no tailoring. 

E.  Patrician- a class of privileged families.  

F.  Plebeian- the class of common people such as farmers, artisans, and merchants.  

G.  Legion- a massive military unit. 

H. Century- 60 smaller groups that make up the legion.  

Identify: 

A.  Italy- the super-power country consisting of Rome and the Apennines. 

B.  Rome- at the height of it's power, Rome was called the "capital of the world" controlling the entire Mediterranean Sea and extracting taxes from and tribute from people on the three continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe. 

C.  Romulus- he was born the son of a god and while he fought with his twin brother he wound up killing him. 

D.  Palatine Hill-  the center of the city of Rome because Romulus had chosen that hilltop. 

E.  Alps- a mountain range in Southern Europe, extending from France through Switzerland and Italy. 

F.  Tiber River- this river located in Rome was where many key trade routes between Northern and Southern  Italy met. 

G.  Apennines- a lower mountain range that runs down the length of Italy.  

H.  Latins- the first group to settle in Italy wandering across the Alps to into Italy around 1,000 B.C. 

I.  Etruscans-   a third group of settlers that entered Italy between 1,200 and 800 B.C. 

J.  Forum- a valley that became the heart of Roman political life.  

Answer: 

1. Geography helped Rome because it was built on hilltops which made it easier to defend, and the Tiber River provided a means of transportation and fresh water for the people as well as a hot spot for trade. 

2. The Latins, Greeks, and Etruscans were all important to Rome's development. The Latins started Rome as a settlement of shepherds and sheep with hand spun clothing. Then when the Greeks came and brought their prosperous and commercially active civilization with them. Finally, the Etruscans carried over their writing system and architecture to Italy. 

3. The values of early Roman society were mostly strength, honor, and their families. 

4. (a.) The Roman household was organized with the oldest male wearing the pants in the family. He actually owned all family property and could sell a family member into slavery if he wanted to. He could also kill any of his family members without penalty and spoke for his family in political matters. 

    (b.) The freedoms that women had in the family and society were that they were citizens, with the right to own property and testify in court, however at home she had to sit upright in a chair while eating dinner even though her husband could recline on the couch during that time. 

5. The army was linked to Roman society because the army formed a integral part of the lives and hearts of the people bringing them honor and power. 

4-20-11

Today in class we took our test on Ancient Greece even though Mr.Schick wasn't there. I thought it was pretty easy. No class until next Tuesday because of Easter break!

4-19-11

Since it's Tuesday I don't have Western Civ. When we come back tomorrow we will take our test on Ancient Greece.

4-18-11

  Today we spent the entire class reviewing for our test on Wednesday since we don't have Western Civ class tomorrow. Our test will consist of 25-30 multiple choice questions and one essay. We reviewed everybody's main ideas of their presentations so we would have good notes to study from.

4-15-11

  Today in class we watched a video about Alexander the Great.

  Alexander the Great was inspired to conquer the world from a young age. His mom told him that he was the son of the god Accelies; he never really got along with his real dad. He received his horse Bucephuleus when he was a young boy. His horse was really wild when he first got him but he knew that he could tame him.

  Alexander became the ruler of Greece at age 25. The first battle he fought against the Persians in India was the worst and bloodiest battle he had ever been in. He never once lost a fight and he died at age 32 after conquering everything in a really short time.

4-14-11

  Today in class we finally finished watching and taking notes on the Ancient Greece video.

  Socrates didn't care about his appearance, but only in the mind. He was the leader of a revolution in thinking. It had began far to the east of Greece in Babylon, the start of astronomy. Astronomy spread to current day Turkey. In Greece they started to calculate the movement of the moon and stars. Theres started measuring angles and position of the sun and later wrote the first book on how to sail at night using the stars as navigation.

  Socrates was not interested in the stars and moon. He was more interested in studying the minds of people. He came up with reason, logic, and theory. He loved the city; he walked around there all day talking and debating with whoever he could. He thought that everybody should form their own opinions of things and determine right and wrong for themselves. He was very well known for the quote, "The unexamined life is not worth living".

  During this time Sparta invaded Athens and burned all of their crops. The only thing the Athenians did was watch from the city wall with Pericles as their leader. The city state soon received a giant plague, sweeping out 1/3 of the people, including Pericles. He had planned to make Athens a bigger super power, but all he brought them was sickness and death.

  Neither side of Athens or Sparta were able to defeat each other. Sicily asked Greece for protection and help from another city state associated with Sparta. Greece decided to help them and used 10,000 of their soldiers. It was a long time before anybody heard anything back and then nothing came at all. Athens and Sicily badly lost. Two fleets of tryrines were destroyed and 50,000 Athenian and Sicily soldiers were either killed or taken prisoner. With their navy force diminished, enemies of Athens knew it was time to take over.

  The people were starving and so they decided to go to Athena, but she offered no help. In 404 B.C. Athens surrendered to the Spartan leader Lysander. The Athenians navy was pretty much destroyed except for an exception of 12 ships.

  The people thought that Socrates was the reason why Athens had lost so badly. He always questioned the supremency  of Athens's future. Socrates was arrested and was tried by a jury of some of his fellow citizens. Socrates didn't show any fear; he was actually kinda stubborn. He was sentenced to death from a poison called Hemlock.


 

4-13-11

  Today in class we finished up the class presentations with Jordan and Olivia. Both did Power points; Olivia's was on Homer and Jordan's was on Alexander the Great's reign.



Jordan:

T of F Alexander the Great ruled Asia Minor, Persia, Egypt, Greece, and some of India.
Answer: True

T or F He had his men marry Persian women to make the two cultures get along.
Answer: True

T or F There is no suspicion to how Alexander died.
Answer: False

85%



Olivia:

T or F Legend has it that Homer was blind.
Answer: True

Which two stories were Homer most famous for?
Answer: The Iliad and Odyssey

T or F Some Greeks didn't fully believe that Homer was real.
Answer: True

95%

4-12-11

My section never has class on Tuesdays, so there's nothing to post about.

4-11-11

Today Brynly, Megan and Vinny presented their projects. Olivia and Jordan are the only people left to go on Wednesday. 

Brynly: 

How many tribes were formed by the people of Athens and Attica?

Answer: 10

What were the 3 styles of sculptures?

Answer: Severe, Classical, and Fourth century 

Who was the King of Macedon?

Answer: Alexander the Great 

100% 

Megan:

What was one of the main formation used for battles?

Answer: Phalanx (a strong and effective rectangular mass guarded by shields)

What was another name for a shield?

Answer: Aspis 

What were the two main weapons used in battle?

Answer: Spear and Xiphos 

100% 

Vinny: 

Which philosopher was on trial for treason?

Answer: Socrates

True or False: Socrates didn't come up with the theory that the world was not at the center of the universe. False 

True or False: Socrates was sentenced to death for blasphemy against the gods. True  

95% 

4-8-11

  Today in class Sam, Alana, Brad, and I presented our presentations. Sam did her project on Greek theater with a power point, and Alana did Greek poets with a scrapbook. Brad's project was an essay about Greek architecture, and I created a power point on Pericles and the Golden Age. 

 Sam:

Where were the 2 theaters located?

Answer: Delphi and Dionysus

Who was the son of Zeus and god of fertility and wine?

Answer: Dionysus 

What were the 3 types of drama?

Answer:  Comedy, Tragedy, and Satyr

Which play was considered the "font of all literature"?

Answer: Comedy 

 100% 

Alana:

What did people do if they couldn't read or write?

Answer: They memorized poems by word of mouth

T or F Did some poets make up stories and songs on the spot? 
Answer: True

Who was one of the greatest female poets of anicent Greece?

Answer: Zapo

How many volumes of work did Zapo have?

Answer: 9

 100%  

Brad: 

What was the earliest and plainest Greek architectural style?

Answer: Doric 

What is the most decorative and modern style?

Answer: Corinthian

What kind of architecture had the most influence on Greek architecture?

Answer: Roman 

What is the symbol of ancient Greece?

Answer: The Parthenon

 100% 

4-7-11

  Today in class Kevin, Morgan, Haley, and Tasha presented. Kevin did a rap about math and science and Morgan had a Power Point and quiz for her topic on Alexander's youth. Haley explained the Parthenon she built and Tasha presented her Power Point about the great philosophers. 

Kevin:

Who invented geometry?

Answer: Euclid

Who came up with pie and the right triangle theory?

Answer:  Pythagoras

Who was the first person to come up with the concept that the earth was round?

Answer: Eratosthenes

100% 

Morgan:

What was the name of Alexander the Great's horse whom he named a city after?

Answer: Bucephalus 

Who was the captain of the Macedonian army at age 16?

Answer: Alexander the Great

Why was Alexander called "The Great"?

Answer: He was able to conquer the world

100% 

Haley:

What kind of construction was the Parthenon?

Answer: Doric style

Where is the Parthenon located?

Answer: On the Acropolis

Who built the Parthenon?

Answer: Pericles  

90% 

Tasha: 

What were the 5 categories of study?

Answer: Logic, Physical works, Psychological works, Philosophical works, and natural history 

Who were some of the great philosophers?

Answer: Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates

Who was one of the most powerful thinkers in history?

Answer: Socrates

What was the method of question-and-answer called?

Answer: The Socratic Method

100% 

4-6-11

  Today in class we continued presenting our projects. Julia and Zach presented today. Julia made a power point and Zach wrote an essay. Julia also brought in food for the class. We will continue to have 2 to 3 people present every day until the projects are finished.

Julia: 

What were the 3 main styles of Ancient Greek art?

Answer: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian

What was the most respected art form in Ancient Greek history?

Answer: Paintings 

What 3 things did Ancient Greek art consist of?

Answer: Paintings, Architecture, and Sculptures

What were the most commonly used colors on pottery? 

Answer: Black, red, white and yellow  

100%

Zach: 

Who was allowed to participate in the Olympic games?

Answer: Free men who lived in the city states

How long was the 1st Olympic games?

Answer: One day which eventually grew to 5 days

How long did the participants have to train for the Olympic games?

Answer: 10 months 


90%

4-5-11

  No Western Civ class today. Tomorrow we will continue presenting our Ancient Greece projects.

4-4-11

  Today we started presenting our projects to the class. We spend pretty much the first mod reviewing what we have learned to just refresh our memories after being off for spring break. Then we had the people who made food present first. Caitlin was the only one that got to complete her presentation. We have to come up with 3 questions that would be good to put on a test so the following are for Caitlin's presentation: 


How long did the Peloponnesian War last?

Answer: 27 years

Who fought in the Peloponnesian War?

Answer: Sparta and Athens

Who was the main person responsible for the Peloponnesian War?

Answer: Pericles 

Caitlin did her presentation on the Peloponnesian War and handed out her red and white cupcakes to represent Athens and Sparta. Then Tasha cut the awesome cake she made for us but she didn't have time to present her project. So, Tasha and the rest of us will present on Wednesday. 

3-25-11

  Today in class we didn't really do anything. Mr. Schick gave us back all of our past tests and briefly discussed our projects. Then he just gave us donuts and everybody talked about really random things, but it was probably the best Western Civ class we have ever had. We definitely have interesting people in our class. The grades for the 3rd quarter do end today though and now we are off for spring break. This week's blog post is the last grade for the 3rd quarter, and the 4th quarter starts the day we come back from break.

3-24-11

  Today in class Mr. Schick went over yesterday's quiz with us. Brynly and Kevin got A's just like me, and our class average was a 75. We all were allowed to keep the quiz papers, so we wrote down the answers on them to help us later for finals. Then Mr. Schick gave us a project to do over spring break. It's due the day we come back, April 3rd. We picked our topics today in class, and mine was the Golden Age/Age of Pericles. I'm planning to just be original with my project by doing a PowerPoint Presentation although we are allowed to do a variety of different presentations.

3-23-11

  Today in class we took a quiz on ancient Greece. Tomorrow we will continue watching the movie and taking notes. It was fairly easy, but it took me awhile because I have so many notes on my blog (I'm going to try and cut my posts down some from now on). I was pretty worried about not finishing, but it was ok because Mr. Schick let me come right after school to finish it. It was definitely worth it though, because I got an A! Now the last grade for the 3rd quarter will be for our weekly blog posts. Hopefully, good grades on these two final things will push me out of a B+ to a 90, an A.

3-22-11

It's a Tuesday, so there is no Western Civ class. Tomorrow we might have a quiz before the 3rd quarter grades end.

3-21-11

  Pericles was the leader of Athens at the height of it's power. He was born in one of Athens's most elite families. He knew that the people wanted a city built to fit an empire. He created a Parthenon, a enormous building with a statue of Athena in the center. It cost more $1 billion and used than 20,000 tons of marble. The statue of Athena was very tall and made of gold, silver, and ivory with jewels. Friezes were narrow pieces of marble about 2/3 inches thick. This statue is no longer in existence. There was a wall of carved marble on the outside.

  Aspasia was the 2nd wife of Pericles. She was smart, well spoken, and beautiful, but she was pretty much a prostitute. She wasn't from Athens, but was allowed to participate in actual conversations. This sparked a lot of drama in Athens.

  The home of popular entertainment was the theater. Athenians invented drama and theater. There were two types of plays: drama and comedy. The drama plays were typically called tragedies. Theaters were built in every great city.

  Pericles wanted to make Athens the leader of the Mediterranean. Sparta was the only other Greek state that could still match Athens in power. Victory over Sparta would make them the undisputed leader. Huberis is a Greek word that means an excessive pride and arrogance to be the best and do it all. The Athenians were not one to turn down a fight, so they went to fight Sparta.

3-18-11

 Today in class we still took notes on this same movie. 

  Before democracy, nobody would even think about a common person who did not grow up an aristocrat. Themistocles was one of Athens's greatest leader. He formed a strategy involving the trireme-a state of the art ancient ship It was very narrow and sort of used like a missile. 170 men were on this boat at one time, and there was over 200 of these in their navy. This ship had a unique structure that was very useful for fighting. One shot to the enemy's boat with this could take out another ship. However, they were very expensive. Athens would have never gotten them, but in 331 B.C. Athens found 100 talents of gold. The people wanted to use these riches to divide among themselves, but Themistocles wanted to buy ships with it. 

  Darius died in 486 B.C., and his son Xerxes took over. He was a Persian king. He wanted to get revenge on Athens once and for all. He got troops from every corner of his empire. Word got to Greece that this would be occurring. In 480 B.C., the Persian Army set out for Greece. Xerxes was confident of victory. Panic gripped the city of Athens. An oracle is somebody who can communicate with the gods and foresee the future, so they went to Delphi to easy their tension. People came from all over the world to see Delphi. The Athenians asked what they could do to protect themselves, but the oracle told them that their future was doomed; it couldn't have been more negative. The people were upset by this because they thought that even the gods had dissented them. Themistocles did not panic. 

  Themistocles order for the people to meet at Slamamis and evacuate Athens. When the Persians got to the abandoned Greece, the went to the Acropolis and burnt it down along with their temples. Themistocles had a plan to fight the Persians on sea rather than land. He knew that Athens wouldn't win if they fought on land. He sent somebody into the Persian camp to put Xerxes into his trap, and it worked. The Persian navy was 4X the amount of the Athenians. Once the Persians got to Salamis, they knew that they had been tricked, seeing the Athenians lined up ready to fight. The Persians were too far in to turn around once they got here, so the Athenians took it to them, and showed no mercy. The Persians lost 200 ships in this battle. Athens was victorious. 

  The Delian league had become Athen's empire. It was a city for a vast trading network. It was like the New York city of our time. The Athenians had access to a privileged life. 

3-17-11

Today we started off class with watching a video about the tsunami in Japan, and then continued taking notes on the second half of the movie again.

  In the year 527 B.C. the tyrant Pisistratus died and his son Hippias took over. Pisistratus made friends with the commoners and cut back taxes. In 514 B.C. Hippias' brother was murdered. Hippias ordered new executions and became a even more brutal tyrant because of the way his brother died. Cliesthenes tried to overthrow Hippias for himself and his family. He thought this would be a great achievement. He was successful and Hippias was banned from Greece. By 510 B.C. Cleisthenes was one of the greatest heroes.

  In 776 B.C. the Olympic games were created. It was a change for any Greek to show his heroic ability. Chariot racing, running, and wrestling were the common games. About 40,000 Greeks would gather to watch. At first, only the rich people could particiate, but soon after every male was allowed to play.

  Isagoris was another Athenin aristocrat. He knew he couldn't gain power on his own so he turned outside of Athens for support, to Sparta. He was an old friend of theirs. It was clear he was going to turn Athens into a Spartan state. He ruled from a high point in the city. The first targets were the other aristocrats, Cliesthenes most of all. Athens was rocked by a revolt from the people against Isagoris. He and the Spartans had to blockade themselves on the top of the Acropolis, but even then they couldn't escape the Athenians. It took him three days to finally surrender. This is the first time the common people overthrew their ruler. 508 B.C. was Athens first step to power and glory.

  When Cliesthenes returned to Athens, he had to create a government system that would be beneficial for the future of the Athenians. In the shadow of the Acropolis, the people of Athens could gather to discuss their government. Every 9 days the people would gather and discuss the changes to Athens. This varied from the price of figs and the building of roads. This was the first time democracy was done. When everybody voted, different colored rock would be put into a jar. A white rock is yes and a black rock is no.Every common person could now voice their opinion and make a difference.  

  Pheideppedes quest was not for glory, but survival. In the early 5th century, the Persians were the greatest Empire. Now Athens were gaining power and the Persians wanted to destroy them. For Pheideppedes and the Athens it would mean destruction of their entire way of life. News of the invasion of Greece by the Persians spread like wildfire. Greece didn't really have an army. The hop lites were the closest thing they had to an army. The rest of the warriors for Greece were common Athenian men. However, they were outnumbered 2 to 1.

  Pheideppedes ran 140 miles in just 2 days and the help he was seeking was denied from Sparta. This meant the Athenians would have to go into this alone. He never imagined that the Greeks would win against the Persians, but they did. The Athenins killed over 6,000 Persians in one day.

3-16-11

Today in class we watched the same movie about Ancient Greece to take more notes on.

 The people turned on their leader Cleisthenes in 508 B.C. in Greece and made a government for themselves. He was not a man of the people. An aristocrat is a member of the ruling class, and from an early age that's what he was said to be. Acropolis is the name of the big outcropping where Greece is. This was a really good place for a village because they could see their enemies coming for them from a distance. Life expectancy at birth was about 15 years at this time. The cirizens were slaves, but they might as well have been because they didn't have a lot of money. They were considered to be the "middle class".

  Egypt and Persia were the thriving civilizations. Greece was divided into city states because of all of the mountains, each with it's own culture. They didn't always get along. They would fight over trade dollars and mess with each other.The Corinthians dominated Greek trade. The state that had military power and were a threat to Greece was Sparta. Their lives centered around war and they had few possessions. Their cloaks were read to conceal their enemy's blood. Arate is the theory of doing the absolute best you can and taking pride in it. The Iliad (a story of the Trojan War) and the Odyssey were the most inspiring stories back then composed by Homer. Heroes were terrific achieves, determined to achieve success at all times. A tyrant was a person who overthrew the government.

  Pisistratus was Cleisthenes' brother-in-law. He was very intelligent and wanted to have power over Greece. He turned to the common Athenians and then rose to power. The eastern Mediterrean was the greatest markplace of the world. Everybody we willing to trade for Athenian oil. People traded gold, silver, fish, and other items for all around. The Athenian potters took great pride in their work, even though they weren't high in society.

3-15-11

Since today is a Tuesday, there is no Western Civ class for my section.

3-14-11

  Today in class we reviewed the notes we took we learned on Friday and took some new ones. "Crucible of Civilization" was the name of the movie we watched. A crucible is a vessel made of material that doesn't melt easily, it was used for touching items of high temperatures. The Greeks were a "crucible" of civilization because powerful, social, political, and intellectual powers came together. Nobody did what the Greeks did before they came along.

  Cleisthenes was born an aristocrat. If your an aristocrat, your money gets passed down from one generation to the next. He let other people help him make decisions, and to helped spread the wealth for all of the people. He was always inspired by ancient Greek stories. Any of the stories that needed to be told back around 700 B.C. were told by word of mouth. The most famous poems the Iliad and Odyssey were written by Homer.

  Greece was a mountainous peninsula. It was hard to get around from one place to another. The mountains were about 6/7,000 feet and really rocky. They covered 3/4 of Greece. There are approximately 1,400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. It's location shaped it's culture. A lot of people who lived here were very skilled sailors.

  However, they had poor natural resources. It was difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain; they developed small, independent communities. Only about 20% of the land was suitable for farming. Fertile valleys cover 1/4 of the peninsula. Due to their geography, the Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives. Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization. Temperatures range from 48 degrees in the winter to 80 degrees in the summer. This made them year-round active people.

  Mycenaeans began around 2,000 B.C. Mycenae is located in a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 ft. thick wall. Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from 1,600-1,200 B.C. and they controlled trade in the region. In 1,400 B.C. Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language. Around 1,200 B.C., sea people began to invade Mycenae and burnt down palace after palace. The Dorians moved into the war-torn region. It was far less advanced, their economy collapsed, and writing disappeared for 400 years when the Dorians were in charge.

  Homer lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Ages". He recored stories of the Trojn War in the Iliad and Odyssey (at about 750-700 B.C.) . The Trojan War was probably one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans. Arete means virtue and excellence. Epics are narrative poems celebrating heroic deeds. Myths were created to explain creation. Zeus is the leader of the gods, Hera is Zeus' wife, and Athena is the goddess of wisdom.

3-11-11

Today in class we watched and took notes on a video about Ancient Greece while Mr. Schick was away on the Senior Retreat.

  Clystinese was the ruler of Greece. Born around 570 B.C. From his earliest days he was taught that he was an aristocrat and a ruler. Athens was built around bare rock, and was home to farmers and tradesmen. There was no science or modern medicine and reading and writing were very rare. The life expectancy was under 15 years old. The common Athenians were unfairly controlled by the aristocrats.  At this time, it didn't seem like they would be a great imperial empire. The Corinthians dominated Greek trade. 

  The state with military power that looked like they would dominate over all was Sparta. All Spartans had red capes to show off their enemy's blood. The Spartans were always a threat to the Greeks. The Iliad and Odyssey written by Homer were the two most important stories back then. Clystinese wasn't the only one to take those stories to heart. Greece is bounded by the Persian Empire, Egypt, and the Romans. You were considered more of a hero the more you killed men and deflowered women. 

  The eastern Mediterranean  was the greatest market in the world to trade. Good flew in and out of the Athenian harbor. Potters were considered the lowest of the low; no respect. They made incredible designs and patterns but potters still received no popularity. Clystinese died around 524 B.C. so his son Hippyas took over. Once his brother was killed, the tyrants became much worse in attitude knowing that he wasn't at all happy. 

  The first Oylmpics games were made in 776 B.C. They were created to prove who was a true hero. The sports included running and chariot racing. People from all over came to see these games. The old rule for battle was to get what you can and fight to show that you can win. The Athenin people decided to take their future into their own hands and started a revolution in 508 B.C. This was Athens first step to power and glory. The people had turned on their rulers and made power for themselves. 

3-10-11

  Today in class we went through our slideshow with our created slides. We spent the entire class referring from Mr. Schick's book to our slides, learning more about the Persian wars. Mr. Schick told us that he would not be in class tomorrow, due to him going on the Senior Retreat. He will leave us with a sub who will put in a movie for us to watch about ancient Greece. We are to take notes during the movie and then post them to our blog later for homework. Mr. Schick will probably be back on Monday so we will go over more about it then.

3-9-11

  Today in class Mr. Schick started out by reading a little piece of a book about the Persians and Spartans to us. Then we all got a number and then used it to receive our assignment topics. Everybody then started one their one to two slides about their topic, which was put on Google Docs so they are all together. If we didn't finish, we were to finish it for homework since it's due tomorrow. My topic was on Leonidas, a 5th century military Spartan king.

3-8-11

Today is a Tuesday, so no class again. We will we starting a brand new unit tomorrow.

3-7-11

  Today in class we took our test on ancient Egypt. The test was composed of 20 multiple choice questions, three short answers, and we had to pick one essay to do. Our test took up the entire class, so there are no notes to post. There is no Western Civ class tomorrow. On Wednesday, we will probably start a new unit.

3-4-11

The test for our class is on Monday, March 7, 2011. So today in class we finished up reviewing everything we need to know for our test. 


  We mainly talked about what drives Egypt's economy. This includes tourism, oil, natural gas and manufacturing. With agriculture, the Egyptians were making the most of their arable land (3%) by producing cotton, rice, wheat, and fava beans. The dam controlled the flooding of the Nile and increased the amount of reclaimed land. The old pattern of dealing with the Nile (inundation), peret (land emerges from the flood), and shomu (water is short) has changed since the 1970 building of the Aswan High Dam.  


 Egypt has 79 million people; biggest population of Middle Eastern nations. It's also the 3rd biggest African country behind Nigeria and Ethiopia. Their official language is Arabic and 90% of the people are Muslim but most of the rest are Christian. Egypt is ranked 12th in religious violence; 5th worst for religious freedom.   

3-3-11

  Today in class we did some more review for our test. Soldiers used wooden weapons (bow & arrows) with bronze tips and might have rode chariots. The upper class were known as the "white kilt class" and they were priests, doctors, and engineers. Pharaoh was the political and religious leader of the Egyptian people, holding many titles such as "Lord of the Two Lands". The pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt. He owned all land, made up taxes, etc. Hatshepsut was a woman who served as pharaoh, and Cleopatra VII also served as pharaoh, but much later (51-30 BC). 

3-2-11

  Today in class we reviewed notes about Ancient Egypt. Mr. Schick told us that we are having a test on Monday, March 7, 2011.

 Egyptian life is centered around the Nile River. It is located near the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. They used it for multiple things such as drinking water, transportation, irrigating, and for bathing. The Egyptians were probably the first people in the world to invent a boat and a sail. The Nile flows North (only in the river in the world that does) and every July it floods, then every October it leaves behind rich soil. Managing the river required technological breakthroughs in irrigation. The Egyptians probably the first people in the world to have a calendar (or a good track of time)in order to be able to know when the floods where coming. 

  Slaves/Servants helped the wealthy with household and child raising duties. Farmers raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions and benefited from irrigation from the Nile. Artisans/Craftsmen carved statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes in the afterlife. The money/barter system was used; merchants might accept bags of grain for payment, but later coinage came about. Scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry describing anatomy and medical treatments; they wrote in hieroglyphic and in hieratic.  

  The Great Sphinx of Giza was built 2555/2532 B.C. The structure is a recumbent lion with a human's head. 

The oldest monumental statue in the world still in existence and good shape.