Projects and Papers Finished!

Yay!, I just finished the last part of Zaire, Jayla, and I's essay paper on the Triremes and Hoplites. We will have to print out a copy of it and hand it in tomorrow to Mr Schick. It is 1,365 words so I think the splitting up of the work really helped us all put in our own parts of the story. I'm not 100% sure but I haven't checked Mr Schick's website today, but I'm pretty sure I remember reading that our test on ancient Greece is tomorrow when Mr Schick finally returns. I'm excited to hear about how the Netherlands were with his daughter. I better take home my book tonight and study off the website's link to the power point. I really want to do well on this test. (I'm also very happy that tomorrow is the last day before spring break!!!!) Wish me luck!

Papers In Progress Part 2

Today is the second day without Mr Schick and we are supposed to continue watching the video and writing our papers. Zaire and I's plan is working perfectly of splitting up the work. Jayla is going to finish her paragraph today on the phalanxes and I come right after her with the Triremes tomorrow on my Saturday. I will continue watching the video now in class. Yesterday I got to the part about the Spartans and their war based community. They took over most of the land surrounding them and when they did they would make the people of the country be their slaves. They called these people slaves helots and every once and while the Spartans would declare war on them. This showed their dominance over them as a strong war nation. This is all I have for right now but I will report more on Monday and start studying for the test.

Papers In Progress

Today was the first day of Mr Schick's vacation to go see his daughter at her college in Europe. We will have a substitute for the rest of the week and we will be working on our 1,000 word paper. Zaire, Jayla, and I have decided to take turns writing parts of the paper. Zaire said she would start the paper off with the hoplites because she was the one who knew the most about them for the power point. Either tonight or tomorrow I will continue the paper to talk about the major war weapon the triremes and after I do that Jayla will finish it off on phalanxes. We also have to watch a video before Mr Schick returns but I will probably watch that on my ride to Pennsylvania this weekend. I think splitting up the paper will help us all put an equal effort into the project so no one feels like they're doing all the work. I'm glad I didn't have to start off because I have a huge English paper to write tonight due tomorrow morning. I will most likely work on my part of the paper tomorrow during our class. I will now start the video we need to watch while Zaire works on her paragraph of the paper. Hoping for an A!

The Worst Day of My Life

I don't even know how I'm typing right now because of how upset I am. If you have not heard yet, one of the most important and loved members of One Direction has left the band due to depression. It's the best thing for him but I'm still very sad for him to go. I thought I should share that but in other news we finished up the projects in class today. First was Veronica and Adam telling us about the mythology of Greece. Greeks were polytheistic and their religion was developed around 700 BC. These gods and goddesses resembled human form and showed human feelings like anger and jealousy. The major deities of the Greek Pantheon were Zeus, Poseidon, Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestro, Hermes, and Hesita. Zeus was the God of the sky and is the King of the Gods. He over threw his father for the thrown and he made his sons compete for it. Poseidon was the god of the sea and was forced to build the walls of Troy as a punishment but later destroyed them with a sea monster. He controls the oceans and waters with his emotions so you wouldn't want to sail on Poseidon's Monday. We went over all the other Gods but I'm going to skip to one of the most important Hades. Hades was the god of wealth and the ruler of the underworld and he myself is not the representation of death. He was one of the three major gods to the Greeks. Then Parker, Dylan, and Jeremiah went and talked about the Government of Greece which we have also have been studying in regular class. We discussed Aristocracy and the birth of Democracy and then after that we took some notes from Mr Schick's power point. We discussed the famous philosophers of ancient Greece and how they are still influential today. Tomorrow I think we will continue the notes on Mr Schick's powerpoint. Until then good luck to Zayn.

Presentation Day

Today my group presented our project on Hoplites and Triremes. We had a group go before us that explained Pericles and the Golden Age. Pericles was the leader of Greece during the time of the war between Greece and Sparta. Sparta has won that war due to their upper hand in military strength and due to the plague striking the Athenians. Today we started off our presentation with Zaire explaining Hoplites and their formations in war. Hoplites were soldiers who were healthy enough to buy their own amor and a lot of it. Their formations were absolutely spectacular with the way they had the next line ready to drop their spears down and attack. Hoplites usually had shields that also protected their neighbor and they also had large breast plates. Heaves were almost like shin guards worn on their shins and they also had helmets upon their head to protect themselves from danger. Then we went on to Triremes with me and Jayla throw into a couple of slides. We all did pretty equal work by the way which I am very happy about. Triremes were the nuclear war weapon of the time of the Persian war. They were large ancient galley boats used for warfare, trade, and piracy. They were called Triremes because they had three sets of oars. The ship was very light weight and could glide across the water swiftly and quickly. The ship itself was used to bash into the side of other boats to jump on board and steal stuff. These boats were very advanced architecture to the Greeks and helped defeat the Persians in a battle. Next we learned about philosophers from another group and art and architecture from another group we learned a lot of things that were gonna be on the test coming up. Hopefully I'll be able to remember them.

Leaders In Greece

Today we went on with our notes about the leaders of Greece. As I ended yesterday Hippias was ostracized and a new leader had to be chosen. Two other aristocrats were put in line for power and the power ended up going to another tyrant named Isagoras. Isagoras tried to banish the more favored aristocrat for power Cleisthenes. The people of Athens were so angered by their new leader for the couple years he was in power and revolted against him. This was one of the first acts of democracy in our known history. They trapped Isagoras on top of the acropolis for two days then he fled and was banished. The year 503 BCE was one of the most important years for the history of democracy. Cleisthenes was a member of a very elite rich family and was insulated from the Hoi polli. Even though he was definitely not one of the people he was a pretty crafty politician. We also talked about the impending weather that might be coming our way tomorrow and the possibility of a cyber day. We discussed our projects that are due soon and our activities that we will be doing when Mr Schick is gone. That's all for today and all for our notes.

Todays Notes

Today I will be typing my notes we take in class into my blog because I'll be getting home very late night so I want to get my blog out of the way. We are still learning the topic of Ancient Greece so here we go!
Transformation of Government
-during the seventh and sixth centuries BCE, aristocrats ran the show in most of Greece
-Rich people held much more influence in society, and held much more governmental power, than the middle class or the poor
Aristocracy
-aristocracy is rule by aristocrats
-the attached symposiums meetings where the elite mean would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats, and the company of hetaeras while discussing politics (almost like underground strip clubs and shows with escorts)
An Exclusive Club
-no women except the entertainment
-no middle class
-certainly, no slaves
-sometimes, even certain aristocrats (who didn't have the right connections or who fell out of favor) were excluded
-what to do if you're on the outside
ostracized 
Tyrants Seize Control
-sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers)  and set up alternative form of government called a tyranny
-tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis
-modern meaning of tyrant: an abusive or oppressive ruler
-the greek meaning of tyrant: someone who simply seized power (usually with hoplite help)
UPDATE: Mr Schick just threw water everywhere cool.
Clash of the Tyrants
-Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 to 510 BCE
-his brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh
-eventually he was expelled fromAthens
-in revenge, he began working with the Persian king Darius I, helping then invade Marathon
And that's all for today!

Projects in Progress Part 2

Today we finished the google docs power point on Greek protection. I did a couple slides because I really wanted to help since I wasn't there all last week to start it. Visit Zaire, Jayla, and I's google docs to check it out before we present it next week to get a couple notes. I think most people finished today because we had the whole first mod to do the entire thing. My group added visual aids for the texts we put into our slides and I think it looks really good. I think we'll have a test soon on this material so I'm gonna start studying now. We haven't taken any other notes this week so I really don't have anything else to put. I look forward to presenting this project and I'm pretty sure we'll take more notes tomorrow so until then.

Projects in Progress

I found out that in class on Friday we started are new google docs project on ancient Greece. I wasn't there because I was still sick but I'm coming back Monday because I'm feeling much better. I heard such thing as a pop quiz lurking around but maybe not. I guess I will look over my notes just in case. Can't wait to come back and get all caught up only work.

Absent Again

I cannot seem to shake this illness I have but hopefully I'll be back tomorrow. Jayla had informed me that we were introduced to some projects in the future for the topic of Greece. I'm in a group with Jayla and Zaire for I'm guessing a power point project. We also have a paper due on April 1st and apparently it's not a joke. I want to go back to school tomorrow but I'm still not sure if I'm going to be able to. Let's hope for the best.

Slowly But Surely

I am still recovering from being sick so I was out once again today. For my blog today I'm going to attach the notes we took in class yesterday. Here we go!

Ionian sea also surrounds Greece along with the Adriatic Sea and Aegean Sea

-Ancient Greeks were skilled sailors and shipbuilders, also farmers, metalworkers, weavers and potters

-Had poor/limited resources so they needed to trade

-Only 20% of the land was arable

-Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives

-Could make wine from grapes, therefore they traded a lot of wine

-lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization

-temperatures ranged from mid 40s to low 80s. It could get pretty hot in the summer but overall it was nice year round

Mycenaeans 

-Influence began around 2000 B.C.E.

-Located on rocky ridge, protected by 20 ft thick wall

-Mycenaeans dominated Greece from 1600 B.C.E-1200 B.C.E.

-Controlled trade in the region

-1400 B.C.E. Mycenaeans invaded Crete an absorbed Minan culture and language

-Around 1200 B.C.E. the "sea people" invaded Mycenae, and burnt places

-The Dorians moved into this region

-They were less advanced

-Trade based economy collapsed

-Writing disappeared for 400 years

Homer

- Greek oral tradition- stories passed by word of mouth

- Lived at the end of "Greek Dark Ages"

- Composed stories of Trojan War 750-700 B.C.E.

-The Illiad- one of the last conquests of the Mycenaeans(Trojan War)

-The Odyssey- Odysseus attempt to return home but Poseidon kept throwing him off course

-Odyssey was 12,100 lines of dactylic hexameter

-Greek loved mythology and their Greek Gods and Goddesses

-"Homeric Question" Homer may have been a mythical creation himself

-Illiad and Odyssey may be culmination of storytelling

-Or Homer actually existed

Sick Day

I have been sick the past few days and could not make it to class today. I am having Kendall and Jessica send me the notes we take in class today but I think I have a pretty good idea what they're about from Mr Schick's last blog. It says a lot about how the Greeks really lived on the water and that's why they weren't really united as a country. It's too bad, maybe if they would've created even more profound inventions if they were united.

Socrates

Today for our cyber blog we are supposed to report about a famous Greek philosopher and I picked Socrates. He was such a great philosopher that he created other famous Greek philosophers like Plato and Xenophon. Socrates had married a girl much younger than him which gave him an "image" that not many liked. His wife gave birth to three kids but he was criticized by many for leaving his sons in a rather tragic way later in his life. Socrates actually started his life as a great stonecutter following after his father who actually contributed to stones used in the Parthenon. He claimed to only really dedicate himself to his true calling; discussing philosophy. Socrates even served as a soldier in different battles and even saved some people's lives. One of Socrates' most famous lines of philosophy was, "The unexamined life is not worth living". My class studied this phrase earlier in the year and you basically have to come up with a meaning that means something to you. I thought this statement meant that you need to actually live before you die. Do something with your life that makes you happy and explore the world. Discover new adventures and find different truths to different mysteries. I take great interest in this statement because of its may different possible out comes and admire Socrates profound mind. But not many other found his teachings to be so amazing. Government thought his teachings were corrupting the minds of the youth and dishonoring the city and main "truths" such as beliefs in gods and goddesses. They put him on trial and told him that if he could convince his towns people that he is not guilty he would be let go. Socrates could have won those people over in 5 minutes with his words and convincing theories. But he thought that his people already had their minds made up so he might as well just state his ideas for everyone to hear. They pronounced him guilty and sentenced him to killing himself by hemlock. Hemlock is a deadly poison that slowly and painfully shuts down your body and it is not a pretty process. Socrates' loved ones made an escape for him that was full proof for him to escape the death sentence. He turned them down and told them that he wanted to do what his people decided. He looked at them as he tipped back the poison and died in front of his loved ones eyes. Socrates' teachings are still studied today and reflected on because of their profound meanings. I think Socrates could have been one of the brightest minds in history but also a very stubborn one. Greek philosophy is one of the most fascinating subjects in history to me and I hope I get to learn more about it in the future.

Famous Greek Architecture

Today for our cyber assignments we had to look up and give some facts about some famous Greek architecture. First one I found was the Acropolis which isn't just one building, but many buildings in the same area. The group of buildings is built at the top of rocky hill to represent being closer to the gods. There were many other acropolises this one was so significant that it didn't need to specified. The Acropolis has maintained a pretty good condition over the years even after being built for over thousands of years. Walls still stand and large stone poles still stand tall. This acropolis was built as temples to honor the gods and goddesses and were sometimes used as a place of hiding if they were under attack. Athena was the main goddess honored in this building. But this building did not just have one temple it had many others to worship. Next I discovered the monument of Olympia. There isn't that much left of it but there are still some poles stand and foundation laying on the ground. Now I know what you're thinking, yes Olympia is known for being the birthplace for the Olympic Games. But it is also know for so much more, such as the place where the god Zeus overcame his fatherly figure Cronus and took his throne. This made this place a big place of honor for Zeus and his victory. Even since ancient times, they had done things such as foot races and other sports over a course of days like todays Olympics. Not much stands of the place of the building but you can still see the temple that honors Zeus. Finally I looked over the building of the Temple of Artemis. This Building is absolutely magnificent with how much is still standing and how huge it is. The look of all the stone poles and carvings amaze me and I don't know how people did this in ancient times. This temple honors the goddess of Artemis who is the goddess of war. I can't believe how artistic and technologically advanced the Greeks were and their buildings show their superior knowledge. Now down below I'm going to post some pictures of these amazing buildings in the order that I explained them. Enjoy!

Cyber Day Assignments

Today we had a very short class due to the delay this morning and the Wednesday short schedule. We took the class to talk about the Cyber Day assignments that will probably be in our future. The weather man is calling for a lot of snow tonight which could freeze and get us off tomorrow and maybe even Friday. I am really hoping for both days but I'm not looking forward to all the cyber work. I'm gonna start most of it tonight and take all my books home I might need. Mr Schick discussed that he would be posting our assignments on his blog tomorrow and possibly Friday. They would maybe be on the Greeks buildings, philosophers, or even some Greek recipes. I was going to do them all tonight but I guess I'll have to do them over the days because Mr Schick said we have to one for every day we have the assignment. I want to get most of my work done today so I don't get hammered over the few days. Fingers crossed for off tomorrow and Friday!

Greece Is the Word

Today we started our class of by checking the answers on our Ancient Egypt chapter test. I got an 88% on the test which was the class average and our class had the highest class average. Then we were introduced to our new lesson of Greece! I'm so excited to start this unit because I absolutely LOVE learning about ancient Greece even after studying their work for two years. Mr Schick said we wouldn't be touching much on the mythology of Greece but oh my gosh I love read their stories. Greek mythology was my main eighth grade study and I love reading and understanding their adventures whether they were real or not. What we mainly went over today was Greece topography on a powerpoint. Greece has at least 1,400 islands off its coast and is also a peninsula surrounded by the Mediterranean. Mediterranean actually means the middle of the Earth which the Greeks thought they were because they were so awesome. Most people were fishermen and built boats to take advantage of the peninsula. Kind of strange but Greece is a pretty mountainous area if you looked at a topography map. Even though Greece was a very advanced nation, they did not act like a nation. Sparta and Athens fought a lot and Greece stood more on the grounds of supporting your "county" more than your country. Greece was considered the peak of civilization and if things kept going like they did we might have been more advanced than we are now. I cannot wait to continue this lesson tomorrow and I'm so happy we are taking a whole month to learn it!