First West Civ. Test and "Gun Germs and Steel!" Video

On Friday's class 1/30 I made up my West Civ test which was a very interesting experience. Mr. Schick pulled a desk into the hallway right by the classroom. I have made up tests in the past but the teachers have never made me make up the test in the hallway. I thought the test was very easy because I studied hard and very well for the test. I studied since Saturday for the test so I felt ready for the test and I was glad that I did not have to use my blog at all. I had the option of using my blog but luckily I did not have too. I think I did pretty well on the test. After I came in from finishing my test, Mr. Schick showed us a video called "Gun Germs and Steel!" I thought so far the video was very interesting. I thought it was neat to see people living with the land and not using any technology. I was amazed at how great they were with living in the wild and being so great at it. If you put me in the wild with no technology and just my wit ends and what I've seen on survivor shows I would be out of luck so I give anybody who can live in the forest a huge thumbs up. 

Sick Day :(

Today was my final sick day. I have finally recovered from the flu. I barely have a voice left but I will be back tomorrow. I have been studying since Saturday for the test and I have used quizlet and I answer the questions over and over.

When and Where did humans first emerge?- 200,000 years ago and Southwestern Africa

Why did the prehistoric era end?- The Neolithic Age began, People started to move from the Fertile Crescent to find more permanent settlements based on agriculture (Agricultural Revolution), People started to write things down and realize that finding a meal did not have to consume their whole day, and etc

What made the rise of civilization possible? People invented the wheel, plow, and spear (The spear helped them kill animals faster and not have to spend the whole day finding a meal), Population started to increase due a better ability to care for children, People could do different jobs such as be priests or be housewives and certain people could go kill animals

Some early technological innovations?- The plow, wheel, and spear

How did hunters/gatherers live?- Hunters/Gatherers used the plow, wheel, and spear to produce enough food for storage. Hunters/Gatherers would go and find food for everyone

Who was King Hammurabi and why was he important? He was King of Babylon and he created the Hammurabi's Codes. His set of laws were seen as an "eye for an eye"

Pre-History: The era before anything was written down

Paleolithic Age: old stone age, earliest prehistoric age

Neolithic Age: new stone age, people started to become civilized, people moved to find more permanent solutions based on agriculture (agricultural revolution)

Cuneiform: The earliest form of writing developed by Sumerians 

Ziggurats:  a Sumerian temple built on top of a “mountain” of earth 

Indo-Europeans: People from grass-lands, these people moved from the fertile crescent

Sumerians created a story called "Epic of Gilgamesh" which was about a great flood 

Sumerians created the first calender based off of moon cycles

I have studied really hard for this test and I know everything so I feel like I have prepared very well for the first test of the semester. I am ready for Mr. Schick's first test.

Another Sick Day :(

Today I was not in class again due to the flu once again. I should be back in school tomorrow hopefully. I can't wait to get out of the house and go to school since I have been trapped in my house since Saturday with the exception of going out to go to the hospital.

Sick Day :(

Today I was not in class due to a bad case of the flu. 

Snow Day

Today we had no school today due to the snow storm!

Chapter 1 Notes- Prehistory to Civilization 3000-1200 B.C.

Chapter 1: From Prehistory to Civilization 3000-1200 B.C.

Before Civilization: The Pre-Historic Era

The origins and "Ages" of Human Beings

Prehistory is the time before anything was written down 

200,000 years ago a human species emerged in Southwestern Africa

14,000 years ago, a worldwide human race existed

Earliest prehistoric age is the Paleolithic Age (Old Stone Age)

Neolithic  Age ( New Stone Age) was marked by advanced tool marking and the beginnings of agriculture 

Initially, humans were parts of migratory groups which hunted, fished and gathered plants for food

The Prehistoric Era

The Agriculture Revolution

Also known as the Neolithic Revolution, this was a shift from itinerant hunting/gathering to more permanent settlement centered on agriculture (beginning in Southwestern Asia)

Populations rose due to increased ability to care for young children

 Hierarchies appeared in village life; the status of women was lowered as women were confined to more domestic duties

Invention of wheel and plow made it possible to produce enough food for storage

Villagers were polytheists, worshipped multiple nature, human and animal goals

The Earliest Cities: Mesopotamia 

The district known as Sumer occupied the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers

Population increased dramatically to new irrigation techniques 

Cities and towns were founded, some with as many as 40,000 inhabitants

First Day of Western Civ!

Today was the first day of Western Civilization and it was also my first day with Mr. Schick as my teacher. Last semester I had Mr. Teter for Human Geography. I am looking forward to what will happen as the semester goes on, from today's class I can tell I am going to really like Western Civilization with Mr. Schick. Today we made blogs, or at least we attempted to make new blogs. More than half of the class could not make their blogs due to the awful wifi this morning. Hopefully tomorrow we have better luck with wifi.