May 28

Today was my last class of Western Civilization and my last class with Mr. Schick. I  am glad that I had Mr. Schick and I enjoyed his class.  He was probably one of the most funniest teachers I have had and it helped being in his favorite class.  Instead of having a party, like most of my other class, we took the essay portion of the final exam today. Mr. Schick gave us the topics so we could prepare for the three essays.  I wrote all the essays last night, so I felt good after class was over. I finished just in time. I feel confident that I did well. Mr. Schick had these cute little blue notebooks that we wrote the essays in. It kind of felt like being in second grade again with the small notebooks that had wide spacing. I feel confident that I did well and will be preparing for the scantron portion by studying old test. Sad to say this but I think this is my last blog. I will miss my class, Mr. Schick, and all the good laughs we had: "Just grab some land." "Are you crying?" and all the rhythms Mr. Schick says before the test. Also all the pinto boy jokes and Jayla being late and her answering the phone... It was a great second semester!!

May 27

Today in class we went over the Rome test. I got to see the one question that I got it wrong. Most people got that one wrong. I am fine with my score. Tonight I will prepare for the exam in class tomorrow. I would be lying if I told you I am not nervous. But I will be fine. I would rather write the essays tomorrow than on Wednesday when I will take the rest of the exam.

May 26

Today we took our last test on Rome. I thought it was pretty easy. One or two that I guessed on, but most I knew. Like always Mr. Schick had some funny answers and questions. I am going to miss him next year. Tonight I will start preparing my essay. Not sure which ones I will do. I am glad that we only have to write three of them. Also we will be writing them in class and not during our exam time. This gives me more time to get the multiple choice questions done. I ended up getting a 98%.

May 22

Today we went over the schedule for the rest of the year. We also went over the Powerpoint. Mr. Schick is going to add more slides over the weekend and post the exam topics. We will have to write three out of the four essays. Here are the notes I took today in class:

"Crossing the Rubicon"

• after the victory, Julius wants to go to Rome and have a celebration to take power 
• senate says no, stop at the Rubicon and only take your elite soldiers to Rome
• but he choose to talk into Rome with all his soldiers  
• he made his decision when crossing the Rubicon 
• the senate gets him into the Senate Chamber and stabs him to death  

May 21

Today in class we finished the presentations. My group went today. I think we did well and people thought the pot looked really good. Today there was also a project on Gladiators and a trivia game. The Gladiators group made a cool model of a battle scene and the trivia game board was neat and creative.  Everyone did a great job on their project. I think we all deserve As. The test was moved to Tuesday and Mr. Schick started to talk about the exam. Instead of having to write an essay on the exam day, we will be doing it in class on Thursday. We are going to discuss it and Mr. Schick is going to post the topic over the weekend so we can take the notes. The notes are not only a good study guide for the essay, but also the multiple choice questions.

May 20

The projects continued today. Three more groups present. Jayla showed us her Roman pot, and we also heard two diary entries- one from a patrician and one from a plebeian. I think the best presentation so far was Alex and Arthur's lego model. They did an amazing job and they also had a powerpoint with a good amount of facts. They really involved the class, making jokes here and there. I hope our presentation is as good as theirs tomorrow.  

May 19

Today in class, we started the presentations. I enjoyed the food, but I wish that it was later in the day. I am not one to eat pasta and salad at 8 in the morning. Overall, I think they deserve an A on their three course meal with a traditional drink.  Just a suggestion, maybe have a little bit more history. The second presentation was great. I thought the song really followed what we were learning about. David's powerpoint had a lot of good information, but it was kinda boring compared to food and music. I think today was a great start! My group is preparing to go on Thursday.

May 15

Since Mr. Schick is from Chicago, he likes the blues. BB King passed away last night, so Mr. Schick showed our class a song from one of his concerts. I have heard his songs before because my dad is a guitar player. I still enjoyed it. Mr. Schick gave us the rest of class to work on our projects. While we worked on the projects, Mr. Schick played some more songs. Today was a good class.

May 14

Today was an hour late bell, so the times of the mods where different. Mr. Schick must have forgot what bell we were on because Dylan and Parker had to go to his room and get him. So that basically took up a whole. Then the second mod we continued the powerpoint:

Poor Plebs

How do you keep the plebs happy?

• The poet Juvenal said the people "anxiously hopes for two things: bread and circuses"
• bread (free grains from the state) and entertainment (Circus Maximus, Colosseum)
• the government gave this to them partly to keep them alive, but more to distract them, while the government took their land 

A Change in Rule

• Tiberius Gracchus recognized the advantages of courting the plebeians (even though he was eventually killed by the Senate) 
• military generals worked that angle- lead an army that conquers land, then gives them a share in spoils 
• soldiers' loyalty was to their military leader, not to Rome or the Republic (in it for the money) 

Nobody Did That Better Than Caesar 

• Julius Caesar (100- 44 BCE) 
• highly successful- conquered the huge territory of Gaul (France)  
• fought with his own soldiers in battle 

He Could Play the Game of Politics

• made the common folks happy 
• made friends in high places 

- Pompey (a general who conquered Syria and Palestine) 

- Crassus  (the richest man in Rome, one of the richest man in history)

• these three men formed the First Triumvirate- "rule of three men" 
• made this to rule and gain power 

Jessica, Alyssa, and I glazed the pot today with a clear shinny coat. The glaze will make the pot darker too. Once the pot is fired, it will be done. 

May 13

Today in class, we had a pop quiz. I did not do well on it. I definitely have to study the branches of government of both the United States and ancient Rome.  The last question made everyone crack up. "Just grab some land!" While Mr. Schick was grading the quiz, we were allowed to work on our project. My group worked on the powerpoint.  We still have to write the paper and finish the powerpoint. Tomorrow during mods 7 and 8 we will finish our pot.

May 12

Today in class we finished watching the video on Rome. I personally think that he was a little power hunger, but he wanted the power to protect the people, not to rule over them. I do not think it was right for the senate to immediately go out and beat him to death. If it really was a Republic, they would have put him on trial or question him before killing. I am glad we watch movies in class, especially this one. It really made that time come to life and easier to understand.  

May 8

Mr. Schick was not here today, so we were able to work on our project. Alyssa, Jess, and I started the powerpoint and  the one page essay. We got about 10 slides down. We also check on our pot and told the art teacher that it has to be ready by May 18. He said  that the pot will be done before that.

May 7

Today in class, we watched a video on Rome. It followed the powperpoint perfectly. It brought what we are learning about to life and it gave us a day off of note taking. Mr. Schick also explained the academic completion coming up. He wants me to join a team. I personally don't think I am good at trivia, especially with date, but well see. He has some sample questions that he will give me.

May 6

That's A Roman legion, clear as day

• 5000 soldiers, not in it for pay (not yet) 
• the Roman army's elite heavy infantry 
• recruited exclusively from Roman citizens 

The Punic War 

• 264-146 BCE
• Rome vs. Carthage 
• three different wars 

 First Punic War 

• fought over who is going to control the sea routs 
• 264-241 BCE 
• naval battles for control of the strategically located island of Sicily 
• Rome wins this one 
• fought on war ships 

Second Punic War 

• 218- 201 BCE 
• 29 year old Carthaginian general Hannibal almost takes over Rome
• attacks Rome from the North after crossing Iberia (Spain) and the Alps
• lays siege to much of the peninsula for 15 years, but he could never make it into Rome
• Rome won 

Third Punic War 

• 149-146 BCE
• Rome wanted to remove the threat of Carthage 
• Scipio, Tiberius Gracchus, and other mercilessly attacked the city 
• Carthage was burned for 17 days; the city's walls and buildings were destroyed 
• when war ended, the last 50,000 people became slaves
• rest of territories were annexed, and made into the Roman province of Africa (became part of the Roman Empire)

Economic Change, Social Upheaval

• slaves poured into Italy (50,000 Carthaginians, 150,000 Greeks, ect.)
• by the end of the second century BCE, there were over a million of slaves in Italy
• small farmers lost their land to aristocrats (for little or no money) if they couldn't pay their debts, sometimes because the men of the farm were fighting in battles
• slaves did the work on the farms for the rich
• the big farms became massive estates called latifundia

May 5

Rule of the king is replaced by the rule of two consuls ("gotta be better than one") 

• consuls are elected officials 
• term of office: one year- ten years later could run again 
• always aristocrats (patricians) 
• patrician traced their descent from a famous ancestor or pater ("Father")
• duties: dealing justice, making law, commanding the army
• one consul could veto the other (reducing the power of the individual) 

A Challenge from the "regular folks" 

• 5th century BCE- patrician dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs ("people")  
• plebs were 98% of the population 
• how did the patricians dominate? 

- plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office 

- plebs were threatened with debt slavery 

-plebs had no legal rights 

"No legal rights," you say?

• plebs were victims of discriminatory decisions in judicial trails
• Rome had no actual laws, just unwritten customs
• Patricians could interpret these on their own advantage 

So, plebs refused to serve in the military until... 

• laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables)
• these laws (on tablets) were posted in public (in 450 BCE) 
• tribunes ("tribal leaders") were elected 

SPQR- Senatus Populusque Romanum

• designates any decree or decision made by "the Roman Senate and People"

Res publica- means the people's affairs 

brand new republic, ready to run, 

• democracy (the people's assembly and the tribunes)
• aristocracy (the senate - approx. 300 members) 
• plus monarchy (the consuls) 
• not a tyranny 

Gov't.: ancient Roman vs. USA 

• originally, the US modeled their new gov. on the model used by ancient Romans 
• both had three branches of government - executive, legislative, judicial
• both have legal code- Twelve Tables, Constitution, Bill of Rights 

Executive

Rome: 

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

USA:

• President and VP 
• four year terms 
• can veto proposed laws 
• Commander- in- Chief 

Legislative

SPQR:

• Senate - 300 members- aristocrats- members for life
• Assemblies- members for life 

USA: 

• Senate- 100 senators (2 from each state- six year term) 
• House of Representatives (435 members -two year terms) 

Judicial

SPQR:

• Praetors 
• chosen by the Centuriate Assembly
• one year term 

USA: 

• Supreme Court 
• nine members 
• appointed by the President, confirmed by the Senate
• lifetime terms 

Legal code

Twelve Tables 

• publically  displayed 
•  gave rights to plebeians, not just aristocrats
• only protected free-born male citizens (not women) 

Bill of Rights 

• First ten amendments of the constitution  

May 1

Jessica, Alyssa, and I made the pot today during mods 5 through 8. Mr. Schick was kind enough to let us work through his class. We got the basic shape of the pot. On Monday, we will make the handles and the top and bottom stand of the pot. We will decorate the pot too. Then the pot will be done and we will make a powerpoint with information and facts on pottery in ancient Rome. So while we did this, the other students in the class where allowed to do homework.  So today was a great day to get a big chunk of our project done.

April 30

Notes:

Etruscans

• came from the north-central part of the peninsula 
• metalworkers, artists, architects
• two foundation myths: Virgil's Aeneid (Where Aeneas escapes from Troy), plus the story of remus and Romulus

Greeks 

• had many colonies around the Mediterranean Sea 
• Romans borrowed ideas: religious beliefs, alphabet, much of their art, military techniques and weaponry 

Latins

• descendants of Indo-Europeans (India and Europe) 
• settled on the banks of the Tiber
• situated so trading ships- but not war fleets- could navigate as far as Rome, but no further
• a commercial port, but not susceptible to attack
• built on seven hills

Drained a Swamp

• 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 (large ancient drain), which channeled water into the Tiber

Fun Fact: 

Urban legend says Washington DC was built on a swamp- but only about 2% was actually swampland - however, Constitution Avenue is located on what used to be called Tiber Creek

Now Tarquin's kinda proud 

• Lucius Tarquinias Superbus 
• the seventh and final king of Rome 
• known as Tarquin the Proud (sometimes referred to as Tarquin the Arrogant) 
• a true tyrant, in the old and modern sense of the word 

Today was Grandparents Day. I missed some of this class, so I am not sure how far the class got in the powerpoint. 

April 29

Today Mr. Schick let us work on our projects. We all decided to make the pot Friday, since tomorrow is Grandparents day. Mr. Guadreau has a pattern that we are going to use to decorate the pot. After we finish the pot, it will have to dry for a couple of days. During this time we will make the poster and write the small essay. Then after the pot is dry, we will use a rock to make the pot shine.

April 28

Today in class we talked about the riots in Baltimore. After discussing for an hour and 15 minutes, I think that both sides did wrong things. The white cops should not have killed someone, but the blacks should not be burning down buildings. I can't believe that no one has died. Hope the violence ends soon.  I saw some of the news last night. I saw the Grey family speaking, saying they never wanted this violence and neither did Freddie.

April 24

Today Mr. Schick gave us the class to work on our projects. Alyssa, Jessica, and I talked to Mr. Gaudreau. We should him a picture of an idea we have. He said he has all the materials that we will need and are welcome to use them. We agreed on next Thursday to meet and make the pot. Hopefully it will look something like this:

April 23

Veronica brought in donuts today. I also talked to Mr. Gaudreau and he loves the idea. One day after school we will stay and make the pot in Mr. Guadreau's room. Now the next step is picking the pot. In class, we took notes on a powerpoint on the rap:

Rome

• centered around Tiber River 
• located near the sea 
• on top of a hill- they could see their enemies coming 
• took years to drain the swamp before building 
• had somewhat of a sanitary system

Tarquin the Proud 

• ruled from 534-510 BC
• last king of Rome
• is thought to have killed a family member 
• his son raped a women who is highly respected
• she later committed suicide because she felt guilty
• Tarquin did not punish his son  
• was later kicked out of Rome for this 
• influenced their type of government- didn't want another cruel king 
• democracy, aristocracy, monarchy: combination of these became their new government 
• first step towards plebeians having rights was when the list of laws became public

April 22

For the first part of the class, we were allowed to do homework, while Mr. Schick graded the last of the thousand word essay.  Thanks to that I got my math homework done. I was surprised with how well we did.  Next time, we have to make sure we read thoroughly for grammar errors. Jessica, Alyssa, and I still have to ask to Mr. Gaudreau if we can use the kiln for our project.

April 21

Today in class, Mr. Schick wrapped to Low. It was hilarious. We also started the powerpoint on Rome.

Notes:

• 9th century B.C: Etruscans, Latin, and Greeks move into Italy
• Tiber River middle of the Peninsula- centrally located 

Italy and its people:

• Indo-European tribes moved into the Italian peninsula and some settled along the Tiber River creating the city-state known as Rome 
• Rome made up the mythical story of Remus and Romulus (Twin brothers who were put to death in a river, taken by a mother wolf, nature always came to take care of the brothers, Romulus killed Remus in adult hood over the location of their city-state, Romulus named the city-state after himself- Rome)
• The Etruscan people, originally from the east, had settled in Northern Italy and influenced early Rome
• Influenced also by the Greeks in the South- learned the alphabet, city-state organization, and gods  

Roman Republic:

• originally was a monarchy- based on the Etruscan model with a council of elders called the "Senate"
• 500 BC Romans established a Republic 
• Senate was filled with patricians (aristocratic men)
• the plebeians (ordinary citizens) fought for a vote 
• each year the Senate elected two rulers, "Consuls," who served a term one year 
• Like the Greeks, the Romans would appoint a single dictator in times of war or conflict

Tarquin the Proud:

• was too harsh so the Romans ran him out of town 
• influenced their decision of government
• no one person had too much power
• 12 tables or tablets- a set of laws that was created and made public so the aristocrats could not make up laws in order to arrest the ordinary people  
• Respublica- people's business 

Roman Legion:

• solders wanted to fight for their civilization; they were proud of it
• didn't fight for money
• 5,000 soldiers
• poor farmers would fight with their farmer's equipment 
• crucification was a popular punishment at the time 

April 17

Today in class, we tried to think of an idea for our Roman Project.  That did not go so well.  Mr. Schick denied all our ideas. Jessica spilt half of my water bottle on herself. She is currently soaking wet and cold.  We may possible make pottery, even though we are the least artistic people. Jessica has this kit thing that she got on Christmas. This will be our first time using it, so we are going to try and get together this weekend to test it out.

April 16

Today in class, we started talking about what the next unit will be on and ideas for a project. I am glad to hear that we will  be able to pretty much pick our project and our group. I  know for sure that I do not want to write a paper or make a powerpoint. Like Mr. Schick said I want to make this memorable and enjoyable.

April 15

Today in class, we watched a video clip on the Allegory of the Cave. Mr. Schick was having technical difficulties in the beginning of class. When watching the video, I thought it was a weird punishment in ancient Greek. After, Mr. Schick explained that it was a allegory. The story was symbolism for something else. It has a deeper meaning. In class, we gave thoughts as to what it symbolized. Students guessed poverty, which is what I thought it was until Mr. Schick point out a good point. The author of the Allegory was Plato, who was the student of Socrates. Socrates was executed for enlightening the youth and disrespecting the gods; therefore, it would make more sense that Plato was symbolizing Socrates's death, rather than poverty.

April 14

Today in class, we went over the test. The class was shorter than normal because there was a assembly. I did not do as well as I hoped, but hopefully the Ancient Greece Paper will help. Glad Mr. Schick is back.

April 1

Today in class we took the Ancient Greece test and handed in our essays. The test was 50 multiple choice questions.  I thought overall it was fair, but challenging. Mr. Schick was able to grade them before the mod ended so I know what I got. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I will bring it up. Next time I need to study more, especially the dates. Have a happy spring break!!!!

March 31

Today in class we finished the paper. My plan did not work out. Instead I finished the paper and corrected the errors. I was not able to watch the video, but I will tonight. That will be my way of studying for the test. I think the test will be hard, but hopefully my 100% will continue. I am sure he had fun visiting his daughter, but I am glad Mr.Schick will be back in class.

March 27

Today in class I worked on my paper. I got about half way with my section of the paper in class and will work on it tonight after practice. Alyssa got her section done, but Jess is still working on Aristotle. She says she will get it done this weekend and so will I. So Tuesday we will watch the video in class in preparation for our test the next day. I think I have three test on Wednesday, so the review in class will really help.

March 26

Today in class we started our 1.000 word paper. We have not gotten that far.  We will all work on it this weekend and hopefully get it done. So we have time during class to watch the video. We have a plan on how the paper will look and  divided the work. I am writing the paragraph on Plato. Jess is writing about Aristotle and Alyssa has Socrates. Together we will write the introduction and the conclusion paragraph.  Hope Mr. Schick is having fun in Europe with his daughter while we are in class writing a paper.

March 25

Today in class we finished presenting here are my final notes:

Gods and goddesses

• polytheism- belief in more than one god 
• gods resembled human forms and had similar human characteristics
• Pantheon- the hall of fame of gods

Zeus- god of sky and thunder, king of gods overthrew his father
Poseidon- god of sea, second patron god of Athens
Athena- guardian of Athens, goddesses of reason and wisdom, daughter of Zeus
Aphrodite- goddess of love and beauty
Hera- goddess of marriage and queen of Olympus, wife/ sister of Zeus
Demeter- goddess of agriculture, in charge of seasons
Apollo- god of sun,  skilled at bow and arrow, twin of Artemis, son of Leo and Zeus
Artemis- twin of Apollo, goddess of the hunt, protector of childbirth and labor
Ares- god of war- the bad side, was hated by parents, considered a coward
Hermes- god of trade and sports
Hephaestus- god of fire, only ugly god, mainly worshiped in Athens
Dionysus- god of fertility and wine, patron of the arts, either really nice or really mean
Hades- god of wealth, ruler of the underworld, one of the three major gods


Government

      Aristocracy

• aristocracy: form of government in which power is in the hands of a small privileged, ruling class
• titles: duke, duchess, baron, baroness
• children inherited wealth and power 
• did not like under class people 
• Solon stopped this government 
• overall is looked as a problem for Athens 
• used power only for their benefit 

     Tyranny

• tyranny: government ruled by one ruler 
• did not care about people 
• middle class and military tried to make changes
• made changes to laws once in power
• ruled for short periods of time
• not always evil

     Democracy

• started in 508 BCE
• ekklesia- Executive branch - 5,000 men would meet 40 times a year, any men were allowed to attend, chosen by lotteries not elections 
• ended 406 BC  Pericles 
• turned into aristocracy

March 24

Today in class, more groups presented, but not all of them have. My group went and I think we did pretty well. Here are some notes that I took:

Athens, Sparta, and the Peloponnesian War

• Capital of Greece: Athens
• Top class: aristocrats, Middle: farmers, Lowest: slaves 
• 2 meals a day
• education for males started at age 5 to 14 
• women did house work and husbands were chosen for them
• Sparta Top class: women, Middle: farmers, Lowest: helots - slaves
• had to be in the military for 40 or 60 years
• Sparta males would "borrow" wives
• fought in a phalanx position 
• Peloponnesian War- April 4th 431 BCE ended April 25th 404 BCE 
• Divided into three wars: Archidamian War, Sicilian War, and Decelean War 
• Athenians hid behind a huge wall which isn't a bad idea until a plague came and killed tons of solders

Homer

• born 800 BC in Smyrna, Turkey 
• told stories about the Trojan War
• brought Greeks out of the "Dark Age"
• brought Greeks back into writing 
• his existence is a mystery because not many details on his life was written down
• Iliad and Odyssey 
• iliad is about the Trojan War - ended when Zeus and Hector made a peace treaty
• Odyssey is about Odysseus and how Poseidon got in his way (storms/ cyclopes) 
• Homer's death is unknown but he died in Ios, Greece

Pericles 

• comes from wealthy family 
• born in 495 BC 
• brought democracy to Athens 
• passed laws that allowed the poor to attend plays
• cared about his solders healthy and safety 
• died in 429 BC from the plague 
• was a military leader in Athens

Golden Age

• the Parthenon was built 
• tragedies and comedies plays 
• ended when the Peloponnesian War started 

War

• hoplite: most common type of heavily armed foot- solder 
• 1/2 of men in ancient Greece are thought to have fought 
• received military training 
• all men over the age of 60 were called to fight 
• two common weapons:  doru- long wooden spear and xiphos- short sword 
•  Phalanx formation- eight people in a row and then numerous rows thick 
• triremes- a large boat used for war
•  tri- because it has three rows of oars
• Thucydides, an Athenian General, was into science not gods 
• the crew could carry these triremes onto land even though it was a large ship 
• it was really fast because it was made from pine and fur
• used in the Persian War

Architecture

• Doric: simplest, formal; used in mainland Greece and Italy 
• Ionic:  more decorative and slender (looks like a scroll at the top)
• Corinthian: most decorative; flower design (Most modern people like it); used for really fancy and important buildings 
• the different orders could be mixed together 
• sculptures were made form bronze and marble 
• they were inspired by Egyptians 
• Classical period - skill went up and became more realistic 
• Hellenistic period- more emotion and details; best skill period in sculpting

March 20

 Today we started presenting our powerpoints. Each group was supposed to be given five minutes today to present, but the first group to go had so much info that it took up half of class. So only two groups went. For the groups that didn't go, Mr. Schick is going to look at the info on the slides and give us a grade off of that. Then on Tuesday we will present and depending on how well we present our grade will go up or down. Hope fully my group will do well presenting and have points added. I forgot my book in school, but I did take some notes on the projects.

March 19

Cleisthenes and Isagoras (508 BCE)

• when Hippias left, Isagoras and Cleisthenes (both aristocrats) engaged in a power struggle 
• Isagoras had support from aristocrats and Sparta 
• Cleisthenes had support from most of Athens 
• Isagoras became tyrant 
• he ostracizes Cleisthenes 
• Cleisthenes's supporters and Athenian citizens revolted against Isagoras's tyranny
• they trapped Isagoras on the acropolis for two days- on the third day he fled and was banished 

Cleisthenes and Democracy 

• Cleisthenes was a member of the elite 
• very rich
• insulated from the "hoi polloi"
• a crafty politician 

And we started to watch the video that we will watch when Mr. Schick is away. 

March 18

Today we continued the Ancient Greece powerpoint. There are the notes I took:

• 7th & 6th centuries BCE aristocrats ran most of Greece
• aristocrat: wealthy/ noble person 
• influenced society and had more governmental power

Aristocracy:

• aristocracy is ruled by aristocrats
• they attended symposiums (meetings where the  elite men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats and the company of hetaeras (courtesans) while discussion politics 
• women were for entertainment, had no say in decision making 
• an exclusive club- no women (except the "entertainment"), no middle class or slaves. and sometimes even aristocrats would be excluded because they didn't have the right connections or fell out of favor

Tyranny:

• sometimes they would form alliances with hoplites ( well-armed soldiers) and set up an alternative form of gov't called a tyranny
• a tyrant is 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 w/ hoplite help) 

Hippias:

• tyrant who rules from 527 to 510 BCE 
• his brother was murdered, and his rule became harsh 
• eventually he was expelled from Athens (ostracized)
• in revenge, he began working w/ the Persian Kind Darius I, helping them invade Marathon 
• if he was killed, it would have been more honorable because he did for his cause

March 17

Today is Jessica Bauer's Birthday!!!! Happy Birthday Jess!!!! She brought in brownies. Thanks Jess. After eating the brownies, we worked on the powerpoint. We are really close to being done the powerpoint. We will probably finish it tonight and start getting  our ideas for the paper tomorrow. We focused in class and really got a lot done. I think today was our last class time to work on the powerpoint, but if all of us work on the project for about 15 minutes touching up tonight. It will be done. I think we had a total of 22 slides, a decent number. Hopefully Mr. Schick will like it.

March 13

The whole class period was devoted to working on our powerpoints with our groups. Alyssa, Jessica, and I got about 5 more slides done I think and made changes to the ones we had. Jessica for got her computer, but she helped Alyssa. Jessica and Alyssa are working on Socrates and Aristotle. I am making the slides on Plato. I have five slides done and will work this weekend to finish my part of the project. We will then all together take the info from the powerpoint and write a thousand word paper. We hope to get it done as soon as possible so we will be able to relax in class.

March 12

Today Mr. Schick's daughter turned 20. She facetimed us in class and that took about the whole first mod. We sang her Happy Birthday. ! That was Alyssa. During the second mod, we set up our powerpoint and started working on it. Jessica, Alyssa, and I got about 3 or 4 slides done. I was working on Plato and Jess and Alyssa were working on Socrates. Again we talked about what we are going to do when Mr. Schick leaves. He will be gone for four days I think. We will either work on our paper or watch a video.  It is recommended that we watch the video because Mr. Schick will be teaching/testing from it.

March 11

We went over the Ancient Greece powerpoint today in class, reviewing the location of Crete and the parts of the Mediterranean Sea. Then took a pop quiz on it. I thought it was really easy. We also talked about our upcoming project. We will be making a powerpoint and write a paper with a group of three. The paper is due April 1 and we will have a test that day on Ancient Greece. I am with Jessica and Alyssa. Our powerpoint and paper will be on Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (topic 6). Oh also Mr. Schick scared Alyssa and she literally jumped.

March 10

Mr. Schick was Homer and read his favorite part of the Odyssey to us. Since Homer is blind, Mr. Schick ran into the desks.

More Notes:

• Ionian Sea is South of the Adriatic Sea
• Famers, metalworkers, weavers, potters 
• 14000 Islands, mountainous plateu 
•  fertile valleys cover one quarter of the peninsula, 20%  arable- suitable for farming 
• diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives
• lack of resources most likely led to Greek Civilization because they traded and could sail and travel around trading their wine and olives 
• temps = mid. 40s in the winter to low 80s in summer 

Mycenaeans:

• their influence began around 2000 BCE
• located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 - foot thick wall 
• Mycenaean kings dominated Greece from  1600-1200 BCE
• controlled trade in the region 
• 1400 BCE - invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan  culture and language
• 1200 BCE- mysterious "sea people" invaded Mycenae and burnt many palaces (the sea people also invaded Egypt)

Dorians:

• moved into the war-torn region 
• didn't write down and records for 400 years 
• far less advanced 
• no trading nor sailing; the trade-based economy collapsed 

Homer:

• the storyteller 
• Greek oral tradition- stories passed on by talking 
• lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Age" 
• composed stories on the Trojan War c 750-700 BCE 
• The lliad - probably one of the last conquest of the Mycenaeans ( the Trojan War) 
• The Odyssey- Odysseus attempt to return home, being thwarted by the angry god of the sea, Poseidon (won a war, was trying to get home to his son and wife) 
• The Odyssey is 12,110 lines of rhyme
• Not sure if Homer exist- "Homeric question"- may have been a mythical creation or heroic figure
• lliad and Odyssey  may be the culmination of many generations of storytelling 
• not sure if the Trojan War happened either 

Cyber Day- March 6

Plato

Early life:

 Given the name Aristocles, Plato was born in 428 BCE in Athens. He grew up under the care of his mother and stepdad,  Pyrilampes. His real father died when he was young. His nickname Plato came from the word Platon, meaning "board"because he had a board body structure. At a young age he started studying music and poetry in various schools.  When he meet Socrates, he knew was going to be his mentor and guide him in his studies. This early education would be the basis of his contributions in philosophy.  In 409 BC to 404 BC,  Plato joined the military. After his service, he became a member of the Athenian oligarchy. Fighting in the war and being a ruler of the city was to much violence for him so he resigned his position. When terms where better in Athenian government, he hoped to continue his political career, but the execution of Socrates in 399 BC changed his mind from being a leader to leaving Athens.

Socratic Dialogues:

  For the next twelve years, Plato would travel to places like Italy and Egypt, studying religion, geometry, and astronomy. He wrote down his findings and teachings of Socrates in works that are called the Socratic Dialogues. Apology, Crito, Laches, and Major are just a few of the numerous works he wrote during this time period. He returned to Athens in 387 BC where he founded the first European university. The Academy offered astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Plato hoped it would allow thinkers to come together and work toward a better government in Greek cities.

"Middle" or Transitional Period:

  From 387 to 361 BC is known as Plato's "middle" or transitional period. During this stage of his life, he composed Meno, Euthydemus, Menexenus, Phaedrus, and many other books. The difference between these books and his earlier ones are these ones start to contain his own opinion on philosophy. Also, Socrates is still mentioned in them, but as a fictional character. Finally, they discuss  his method of hypothesis. Plato's most influential work, Republic, was written when he was in his middle ages. The book explains the virtues of justice, courage, and wisdom. It also gives directions on how to live a good life and what the afterlife is like. The book then goes on to talk about the education of citizens, the formation of the government, and the soul's nature. Overall the book contains almost all the thoughts and opinions of Plato.

 Mentor:

   In 367 BC, Plato was asked to be a personal teacher to Dionysus II, who was the current ruler of Syracuse.  Plato accepted the position, but was disappointed when it wasn't in philosophy. He taught the leader until 365 BC when he had to go to battle. Plato returned to Athens around the time Aristotle was studying at the Academy. In 361 BC he returned to Syracuse. This time he had a even worse time teaching Dionysus II. He left as soon as possible and spent the rest of his life writing at the Academy.

Later Dialogues:

  His finally years at the Academy is when he wrote the Later Dialogues. They included Parmenides, Theatetus, Timaeus, Critias. Socrates played a minor role throughout the works. The focus was art, dance, music, poetry, architecture, and drama. In conclusion, they wrap up all of Plato's thoughts in the philosophy of mathematics, politics, and religion.

Impact:

 Plato died in 347 BC. He left the Academy in the ownership of his sister's son Speusippus. The Academy was a school for those of higher learning. The university was closed in 529 CE by the Emperor Justinian. Plato influenced the education theory, especially in the importance of mathematics, and areas in logic and philosophy.

Cyber Day - March 5

Ancient Greek Architecture

1. Parthenon of Athens 

When and where:  5th century BC  (447- 438 BC) on the Acropolis of Athens, high rocky hill that overlooks the city

Style: Doric Order, meaning the tops of the columns are plain in design, but includes Ionic architectural features

Materials: ivory and gold, costing 469 silver talents which is about 5 million US dollars

Architectural details:  inside is the Statue of Athena Parthenons; sculpted by Phidias with the help of  Pericles, Kalamis, Ictinus, and Calibrates; 13,400 stones  

Purpose: built as a thank you for the goddesses for their success especially Athena the goddess of  wisdom and military victory; also built to show off power and wealth of Athens

2. Theater of Delphi / Temple of Apollo 

When and where: 4th century BC in Athens on the mountain of Parnassos

Style: Doric order

Materials: limestone and stone

Architectural details:  The theater which is higher above the Temple has a stage in the shape of  a full circle; seats 5,000 spectators; the temple has been built three times, 6 columns in the front and 15 on the sides

Purpose: to perform and watch early forms of theater; the temple is name after a noble Athenian family

3. Ancient Stadium 

Where and when: 330-320 BC in Nemea

Materials: clay running track that was 178 meters long; stone

Architectural details: holds 30,000 people; spectators sat on stone seats or grass hills on the side; judges would sit on a raised platform

Purpose:  hosted the Panhellenic Games every two years



The ancient Greeks had three different styles of columns to build temples: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian.

Doric: The top of the columns were plan in design, but sturdy. This style was found in the mainlands of Greece.

Ionic: The tops look like a scroll on the sides and have a more elegant look to them. These types of columns where found in eastern Greece and the islands.

Corinthian: The tops had a flowery look to them and were complex. This style is very rare in Greece, but is used in Roman works.

March 4

Today in class we talked about up coming cyber assignments. Mr. Schick thinks that we will have both Thursday and Friday off. I think he is right. We are supposed to have a layer of ice and then 6 to 10 inches of snow on top. For our assignment, we will have to look up philosophers and architecture in Ancient Greece. We will have to find important facts and write them in our own words. Finally we have to include a picture.  We also talked about shoveling. I don't have to shovel any snow. My driveway gets plowed. But I hope we get a lot because Jess has to shovel her drive way.

March 3

Today we started our chapter on Ancient Greece.

The world's greatest civilizations are all located on rivers: (this helps with the farming, drinking,  cleaning, transportation, and food)
Mesopotamia - Tigris and Euphrates River
Egypt - The Nile River
India - Indus River
China - Huang He River

Capital: Athens

Location and Geography of Greece:
-  by the Mediterranean Sea (means Middle of the Earth)
-  between Italy and Turkey
- made up of more than 1400 islands
- topography: mountains that run from coast to coast
- faster to sail around the whole Island rather than walking across
- on the west side of Greece is the Adriatic Sea and on the east side Aegean Sea
- Crete is a major island off of the peninsula  of Greece

Greece is divided in city-states separated by the mountains
they only worshipped their city-state no ruler over all

February 27

Today we took our third test on Ancient Egypt. We have been studying this for about two weeks I think. I thought it was easy even though I really didn't study as much as I usually do. There were 26 multiple questions. There were a couple of questions on the pyramid challenge. Mr. Schick is currently grading the test.  Jessica is playing a game on her computer that looks boring and Alyssa is listening to music. Mr. Schick's tests are a whole lot easier than Mr. Teter's test. Doesn't matter about how much I studied because I got a hundred. Hope to keep it up.

Cyber day- February 26

5 Questions 

1. When was the Great Sphinx of Giza built?

           A) 2555-2532 BC

           B) 2532-2555 BC

           C) 2645-2625 BC

           D) 2625-2645 BC 

2. In what month did the Nile River flood? 

           A) October 

           B) June

           C) July 

           D) November 

3. What was Egyptian harmony and balanced of the universe called? 

           A) Nirvana 

           B) Maat 

           C) Gods and goddesses  

           D)Ra 

4. Who made up the "white kilt class" of ancient Egypt? 

          A) slaves and servants

          B) priest, physicians, and engineers  

          C) famers and artisans 

          D) merchants and scribes 

5. What material was used to cover the pyramids before the Muslim conquest? 

          A) limestone

          B) mud bricks 

          C) granite 

          D) marble 

February 25

Government by a God-King

• Pharaoh- all powerful, worshipped as a god and intimately connected to the other Egyptian gods and goddesses
• relied on harmony and balance of the universe called "maat"
• Pharaohs had multiple wives, and all routes of financial and social success were through the palace 
•  Women could inherit land and money,and divorce their husbands, only few ever had real political power
• 
  

Gods, Humans. and Everlasting Life

• gods were often portrayed with animal heads or bodies
• believed in an afterlife and mummified bodies to preserve them for this post-death journey
• all souls would need to justify themselves at the point of death and be either sent to an after world of paradise or the jaws of a monster 

The Writings of the Word of God

• earliest Egyptian writing formed c. 3100 B.C. and were small pictures known as hieroglyphs 
• Hieroglyphs represented religious words, or parts of words, and most commonly adorned temples
• Hieratic script was a shorthand developed by scribes and priest
• It was usually written in ink on papyrus, which was made from mashed Nile reeds
• Papyrus was stored in scrolls and these scrolls were the books of ancient Egypt.

Calendars and Sailboats

• astronomers created a calendar with 12 months and 365 days, using the moon
• doctors wrote extensively on health issues and created potions and cures for a number of common ailments
• wooded sailboats were constructed to increase transport ability on the Nile
• 
  

Pyramids and Temples

• pyramids: massive stone tombs, originally covered in marble but was later stripped off during the Muslim conquest
• Stone sculptures and interior painting depicted humans and gods  in a series of regulated poses, often in profile and without perspective, but were highly effective

February 24

Today in class we built pyramids online. My partner was Ellee.  It was the most stressful thing I have ever done. I completed the pyramid third so we got a B on the project. In building the pyramid, many important choices were need to be correct in order for the pyramid to be built in time. Choices included the angle of the pyramid, the location, the workers, and the material used to build it. Also how many times the works were fed and what food they would eat. One of the last decisions was how you would reward them. The hardest part was steering the boat up the Nile in time. After about ten tries I got it! That was not fun, Mr. Schick!!

Cyber day- February 20

Ancient Egyptian Technological Breakthroughs:

1. Hieroglyphics- Hieroglyphics helped control the large Kingdom by writing laws and letters. Also, they were used to keep accurate records of different events. If the Egyptians didn't invent this writing system, then we would not know much about how they lived and what life was like. 
   
2. Papyrus Sheets- The Egyptians learned how to make a material from the papyrus plant that could be written on.  On the papyrus sheets, they wrote important documents and religious text. Since the weather is dry, the documents have been preserved in good conditions. Thus giving us another way to learn how civilization grew. 
   
3. Boats- The Egyptians built boats out of wood. They were used to transport cattle, farming supplies, and people across Egypt. This allowed the Kingdom to connect and work together. 
   
4. Physicians and Doctors- Back then they didn't just believe that all illness came from the evil spirits and the cure was a religious treatment, but they could use herbs and natural resource to produce medication. The Egyptians were the first to identify and name organs like the heart and the lungs. We know all these advancements came from them because they wrote down their findings on the papyrus sheets in hieroglyphics.  
   
    
5. Shaduf- The shaduf was a device used by farmers to water their crops. The device would collect water from the Nile and then the farmer would fling the water to spread it across the field. This helped the farmer to keep the fields moist so the harvest would be plentiful. 
   

February 19

 More Ancient Egypt Notes

1. The Nile 

•  flows from the South to the North 
• Three rivers come together and form it
• world's longest river (4,000 miles) 
• has 5 cataracts- a large waterfall
• Delta is at the end of the river by the Mediterranean Sea
• no pollution in the river, even though they bathed in it 

Pyramids 

Daily Life 

Cyber day- February 17

Notes on Ancient Egypt: 

Geography

• centered around the Nile River
• provided water for drinking, irrigating, bathing, and transportation
• every July it floods
• every October it leaves behind rich soil
• delta is a broad, marshy triangular area of fertile silt
• managing the river required technological breakthrough in irrigation

Pyramids

• the Great Sphinx of Giza (built 2555-2532 BC) 

           -a recumbent lion with a human's head 

           -oldest monumental statue in the world 

Daily Life 

1. slaves and servants 
2. farmers
3. artisans
4. merchants
5. scribes
6. soldiers
7. government officials
8. Pharaoh

• slaves/servants helped the wealthy w/ household and child raising duties
• farmers raised wheat, barley, lentils, onions (benefitted from the Nile)
• artisans would carve statues and reliefs showing military battles and scenes on the after life
• money/ barter system was used- merchants might accept bags of grain from payment- coinage came about
• scribes kept records, told stories, wrote poetry, described anatomy and medical treatments (wrote in hieroglyphs and hieratic)
• soldiers used wooden weapons w/ bronze tips and might ride chariots
• upper class "white kilt class" - priest, physicians, and engineers

Pharaohs

• the political and religious leaders of the Egyptian people, holding the titles: 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest  of Every Temple'
•  'Lord of the Two Lands' means the pharaoh was the ruler of Upper and Lower Egypt
• owned all land. made laws, collected taxes, and defended Egypt against foreigners
• Hatshepsut was a women who served as pharaoh
• Cleopatra VII also served as pharaoh, but much later (51-30 BC)

Gods and Goddesses

• over 2,000 gods and goddesses 
• they "controlled" the lives of humans 

Old Kingdom 2649-2152 BCE

Middle Kingdom 2040-1640 BCE

New Kingdom 1550-1070 BCE

February 12

 Today in class, we went over the two test we have taken this year. It was an easy class. Mr. Schick told us to keep the test for the final exam at the end of the year. Most of the questions will appear on the final. Next we will learn about ancient Egypt, but first I get to enjoy a four-day weekend.  It is supposed to snow on Tuesday so there is a possibility that we could have a five or six day weekend. That would be nice. I want it to snow so I can go sledding.

February 11

Today we took our second test for West Civ. It was 25 multiple choice questions on a scantron. No essay questions. All the questions on the test were about the video we watched and Jared Diamond. I thought the test was easy. Mr. Schick was able to grade them before the class ended. I got a 100%. Yay me. I guessed on one, but overall I remembered everything else.  I like the way Mr. Schick teaches and that we have little test frequently.  Unlike when we have one big test a month. Next we are learning about ancient Egypt. I hope we watch another video. I really liked the Jared Diamond video. I learned a lot and it helped me understand the time period.  

February 6

 Today in class, Alyssa and I presented our PowerPoint, while Jessica and Megan worked at the computer. Jessica put truck instead of trunk in one of the sentences. It was hard not to laugh at Alyssa while I was reading. I think the class like our presentation, but I we should have put more photos of people with smallpox. Two other groups presented and there are two more to go. Glad we got ours down today. We have a test on Tuesday on the video we watched in class. I think i will do well on it because I took good notes.

February 5

In class today, we picked a topic and had to make a presentation on it.  I was grouped with Alyssa, Jessica, and Megan. Our topic was smallpox and how it influenced the Native Americans. The Europeans brought the disease over to the Americas, causing 20% of the Indians population to die. The method of treatment the Indians used actually increased morality. There is no cure for smallpox. The symptoms are flue-like and then red spots form in the mouth, hand, and arm. Which then turn into blisters and eventually cause deep scars. We made a PowerPoint with pictures and animations, containing this information and more.  Tomorrow Alyssa and I will present in front of the class.

February 4

We finished the video. There are the last set of notes on the video: In Jordan, people start making plaster from limestone. The plaster would seal up cracks to help control the temperature in the home. This was a big advancement in understanding and control fire. This would eventually lead to steal. Because of the geography, New Guineans could not produce a surplus of food which caused no technological advancement. They spent there time looking for food and had no time to do anything else.

Fertile Crescent:
-became dry from all the farming, so people left
- traveled east and west because there were similar climates and vegetation  (knew skills and how to survive in certain climates)
- this movement spread farming and trade of skills, goods, animals, and crops (if this didn't happen America would not be at all what it is like today)
- Americans eat 21 million tons of wheat per year

The answer to the Cargo Question:
Geographical luck. If you guys had what my people started out with, then you would be the ones with all the cargo.

I liked this movie and hope we watch more.

February 3

We continued watching the video. There are some more notes: Sago trees where used by New Guineans for food. They wood chop down the tree and it would take 3-4 days to process into dough that was not very nutrias and didn't have a lot of protein. A tree would produce 70 pounds, but the it could not be stored for very long. They also eat roots from a plant, bananas, and spiders. This caused the New Guineans to continue on having the hunter/gather lifestyle. Each day they would spend looking for food. They didn't have a food source that could be stored for long periods of time like barley, wheat, and rice.  These grains very more nutrias then sago. Draa is the oldest permeant civilization founded. In Draa, the first granaries were used to store wheat. They were the First farmers in the world. They planted the barley and wheat close to their village which was near a water source. After harvesting, they would replant the biggest, strongest, healthiest seeds. This is called plant cultivation or domestication.

China- Rice
Middle East- wheat and barely
Americas- corn, squash, and beans
Africa - sorghum, millet, yams
Papua New Guinea- roots and bananas

Geography Luck: 
-If you had nutrias grains that can be stored, you would thrive.
-Climate
- Location (could trade)
-Animals

Wealth of America would no the same if we lived off of bananas, spiders, and sago.  New Guineans were at a disadvantage in location, farming, and animals.  They could were on a remote island, no easily stored grain, and only had pigs for domestication.

 Domestication  
-animals were used for: farming, meat, milk, and clothes (reliable source of food year round)
-goats and sheep were the first animals to be domesticated
- out of 2 million species of animals , 14 species (that way over 100 pounds) are domesticated

1. goats
2. sheep
3. pigs
4. cows
5. horses
6. donkeys
7. bakterm camels
8. Arabian camels 
9. water buffalo
10.  llamas
11. reindeer
12. yacks
13. mittens 
14. vali cattle

South America: llamas; Asia, Africa, Europe: other 13; Middle East: native cows, pigs, sheep, and goats

Carnivores animals were harder to domesticate.

Ideal animals- mature and reproduce at the age 1 or 2  

For social animals (heads), they controlled the Alpha leader then have control over whole heard

January 29

Today in class we watched a movie called Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. Jared Diamond is a scientists who grew up loving birds. The movie took place in Papua New Guinea, a country whose citizens still living like hunters/ gathers. They still will like this because they are secluded. The people are not starving, not unhappy, and are satisfied with what they have. Two important questions that come during the movie are What separates the haves from the have nots? and Why do white men have so much cargo and we New Guineans have so little? They can't believe that there is boxed cereal and canned food. So whites took advantage and made them think that they are genetically better which is the reason why they have so much cargo. Whites also call them stupid. Jared Diamond disagrees with this and claims that they are intelligent in their way of living. They can go in harsh climates and survive. Something Diamond could have never done. They are geniuses in there own way.
Jared also give three reasons why some civilizations have progressed? 

1. Advanced technology 
2. Large populations 
3. Well-organized work force 

The New Guineans are one of the few civilizations that still live like this. I enjoyed watching the movie and learning about this unique way of living. 

January 29

Today was the first test of West. Civ. and the first one I took made by Mr. Schick.  He lets us use our blog, which was nice. Luckily I had a lot of vocab words on my blog.  Now I know I need to write all my notes in my blog. If he is taking off for spelling, then I may not have done as good as I thought I did.  I think overall I did well on it and feel good about it.  It was fair and it was what I was expecting.  I wish I was a better speller.

January 28

Today was a review day for our first test tomorrow. On Wednesdays, we have West Civ last mod. By the time the class was ready to start, I had to leave for a basketball game against McDonogh.

Fourth class

For some reason it seemed like there was a lot of people absent form class today. We talked about Hammurabi's Code of Laws and how some of the laws are still in use. I found it interesting that a lot of them related to Laws in the Bible. A lot can be learned form the laws about the early civilizations. There was a divide between classes, men had more respect then women, and medical procedures took place. The test was moved from Wednesday to Thursday.

Third Class

Today I had my tenth or eleventh shadow. Her name was Kendra and she said her favorite class was West Civ. Mr. Schick offered Jessica's grapes to her. Every single class I have sat in a different seat. We continued going over the PowerPoint on prehistory and Mesopotamia. We learned that the Sumerians divided the hour into sixty minutes and the minute into sixty seconds. They also created a calendar based on the moon cycles and built ziggurats to worship their numerous gods in. Another, important person is King Hammurabi who created the first documented series of laws called the Hammurabi Code. At the end of class, we looked up some of the laws. A couple were curl and disturbing. I learned from the laws that they had regulation on marriage and divorce. I was surprised that marriage and divorce was a thing all the way back then. The last group we talked about were the Indo- Europeans who were a group of people from the grasslands of the Russian steppe. They were the first to introduce the horse. I like the way Mr. Schick teaches and hope to do well on the first test on Wednesday.

Prehistory notes

When and where did human beings first emerge? 
200,000 years ago human beings emerged in southwestern Africa.

Why did the period known as "prehistory" end? 
The period of prehistory ended when people started writing things down.

What made the rise of civilization possible?
Settling down in permeant shelters and agriculture made the rise of civilization. It allowed the women to nurture their babies and provided a more food for more children.
 
Name some early technological innovations.
Some early technological innovations are the wheel, the plow, and the spear.

How did hunter/gathers live? 
Hunter/gathers were nomadic, meaning they moved from place to place. They followed the animals, their main food source, living in caves or under some branches.

Who was King Hammurabi, and why was he important?
King Hammurabi was the king of Babylonia and he created a series of laws known as “Hammurabi’s Code." These laws included “an eye for an eye” and regulations of marriage, divorce, and punishments for all sorts of crimes.

Prehistory: the time before things were written down

Paleolithic Age: (Old Stone Age) the earliest prehistoric age

Neolithic Age: (New Stone Age) marked by the making of tools and the start of agriculture

Agricultural Revolution: (Neolithic Revolution) the shift from hunting/gathering to more permanent settlements centered on agriculture (beginning in southwestern Asia)

cuneiform: the earliest form of writing, invented by the Sumerians

ziggurat: a Sumerian temple built on top of a "mountain" of earth

Indo-Europeans: people from the grasslands of the Russian steppe who introduced the horse to the Near East, also called the Hittites, settled in Asia Minor

My first day

Today was my first day of Western Civ and I was late. Today was my first time this year being late and of course I had a new semester two class first mod. In class, I tired to set up my blogger but for some reason it did not work. I got it to work when I got home. This is my first blog and I hope to get better at it during this semester.