Final Day of Essay Writing!!!!!

Today in class we reported to classroom 111 for  our teacher. My group is done our essay, we are just adding our citations and printing it out mod 4. I think we have an excellent paper, we have all worked equally and hard on this paper and I'm hoping for an A. I think our group deserves one because we all put a lot of effort and hard work into our paper. Tonight I'm going to study and watch the video on Ancient Greece and get prepared for the test tomorrow on Ancient Greece. 

       TOMORROW MR. SCHICK RETURNS :D

Substitute # 2

Today in class we had another sub and we worked on our essay. My group is almost done our essay

Substitute Day #1

Today in class we had our first sub which was Ms. Zurkowski. We got to work on our papers, which was really nice. My group is doing really good so far, we are a good bit into our essay. I'm estimating we will be done in two days. Overall it was a good class. 

Farewell to our beloved Mr. Schick, have a safe flight!!!

Today was our last day with Mr. Schick for a bit, he is going to visit his daughter in the Netherlands. We will have subs for the rest of week which I like because we get a few days in class to work on our papers with our group members. (I'm not happy because you're leaving Mr. Schick I just appreciate that we get to work on essays). The last two groups presented their projects and did a great job. I have a lot of homework still left (English homework *sobbing*) so I don't have time to post my notes. I'll probably wind up this weekend editing this post and adding my three pages of notes (heads up haha)

Have fun in the Netherlands Mr. Schick, we all shall wait for your glorious triumphant return back to the states. *P.S* Don't lose your passport.  

Presentations!!.. again

Today in class two more groups presented their projects, Greece Art and Architecture, and Pericles and the Golden Age. I took notes on some of the important things that were in their presentations, here are the notes I took:
-Plays were written around 430 BC
-Tragedies and comedies 
-Performed on special occasions 
-Plato invented logic
-Golden Age ended because Athens wanted to become stronger and wanted Athens to become weaker
-Hoplites- the most common type of heavily armed foot soldier in ancient Greece
-Hoplites armor weighed 70 pounds
-1/3 to 1/2 of the men in Ancient Greece are estimated to have been able to fight and buy the needed materials for war
-Triremes- ancient boat called tremes because it has three banks of oars and was pretty fast, even though they were large it was light enough for the crew to carry back to shore
-Socrates lived from 470-399 BC
-Socratic Method- forces people to examine their own beliefs
-Socratic Method influenced scientific method
-Socrates was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock 
-Aristotle lived from 384-322 BC
-Aristotle and Plato didn't get along well 
-Aristotle's theory of deduction 
-Plato born in 428 BCE and died in 387 BCE 
-Plato joined the army from 409-404 BC 
-Plato studied religion, geometry, and astronomy in Italy and Egypt
-Doric order, Ionic order, corinthian order were three famous architecture frames 
-Doric- simplest 
-Ionic- more decorative
-Corinthian- common style
-Sculptures major part of the arts
-Sculptures were mainly made out of marble and bronze
-Greek art was inspired by Egyptians
-Classical period sculptures got better and did realistic human actions and facial expressions
-Hellenistic period focused more on emotions and details of sculpture 

Presentations

Today in class my group presented our project on Athens, Sparta, and the Peloponnesian War. Our presentation went really well, Mr. Schick really liked it and I got compliments from two classmates on our Google slides powerpoint. Mr. Schick decided that these presentations will go on Quarter 3, which I'm really happy about. I have a 93 right now currently and the 100 points will raise my grade higher. Over all, class today went really well.

Will We Have Another Cyber Day on the First Day of Spring?!

Today in class we took notes and Mr. Schick got a hair cut.. best of luck of speech and debate!!! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT hahaha. I hope we don't have another cyber day or else I might just cry. Anyway here's todays notes:

-After Hippias was gone, Cleisthenes (aristocrats) engaged in a power struggle
-Isagoras has support from some aristocrats plus from Sparta
-Cleisthenes had support of the majority of Athens

Who wins you are  asking... CLEISTHENES TAKES HOME THE GOLD MEDAL!!!

-Cleisthenes supporters revolted against Isagoras tyranny and showed them who's boss!
-They trapped Isagoras on the Acropolis for 2-days and on the 3rd day he fled and then was banished

Do you love democracy?.. Will then 508 BCE is you favorite year!!! 

Cleisthenes and Democracy:
-Member of elite
-Very rich 
-Insulated from  "hoi polloi"
-Crafty politician

Cleisthenes-                               Hippias-
          

The Secret VIP Club of Ancient Greece... ssh!

Today in class we took more notes on Ancient Greece, and Steve and Mr. Schick has a catfight with water and got it all over the place! It was so funny! Anyway here are some notes we took today in class:

Aristocrats: -During 6th and 7th BCE aristocrats ran the "show" in Greece
-Rich people have more power over middle class and poor
-Aristocracy- ruled by aristocrats
-Symposiums were their meetings
-At the meetings the elite men would basically get drunk on wine., listen to poetry, dance and acrobat performances, and hetaeras (courtesans) while talking about politics
 -This club was exclusive
-No women were allowed inside except for the "entertainers"
-No middle class people and no slaves
-Certain aristocrats (didn't have right connections or fell out of favor)

Tyrants: Seize Control 
-Sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers) and set up alternative form of gov't called a tyranny 
-Tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis 
*-Modern meaning of tyrant an abusive or oppressive ruler
-Greek meaning- someone who simply seized power (with hoplite help)

Clash of Tyrants:
-Hippias was a tyrant who ruled from 527 BC-510 BCE
-His brother was murdered and his rule became harsh, and his expelled from Athens (He went on a killing spree killing anyone who was involved, the murders, and their families, and anyone who benefited from it. He did it because he was scared that they would come after him next) 
-In revenge, he began working with the Persian king Darius I, helping them invade Marathon 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today in class we got to work to our projects all morning. I'm grateful that Mr. Schick let us work on our projects. My group should be done on Thursday. I'm going to do about three/four slides tonight and I should be done my portion tonight, more likely tomorrow. 

Thanks Mr. Schick for the lovely puppy picture.

Catch Up Day and Broken Keypad!

Today we had a catch up day and we were able to work on our Ancient Greece project. I unfortunately had the pleasure of going to the Tech Lab. Right before west civ I dropped my computer while I was at my locker along with all my books. I was trying to put my laptop charger into my locker and then my hand slipped and BANG there goes my computer! Thank goodness for Mr. Russell, my computer is temporarily fixed for now, but eventually I will have to send my computer out. Our project I think is going really well! I think we are at a great place with our slides. We will have more done by the end of this weekend! 

Happy 20th Birthday to Mr. Schick's Daughter!

Today in class we facetimed Mr. Schick's daughter who is currently in France. Today it's her 20th birthday! After we finished our facetime session with Mr. Schick's daughter we started to work on our project. We started working on the Athens and Sparta portion of the project. The project is looking good so far and will get better as we put more time in and work on it more. I'm excited to see the final project of the project. 

Pop Quiz and Greece Project!

Today in class we finished up our powerpoint (temporarily) on Greece. Mr. Schick talked to us about what we are going to do up till when he leaves and and what we will be doing when he gets back. Today we got assigned this HUGE project but I'm looking forward to starting the project! I'm in a group with Rosemary and Trish and we got topic #2 which is Athens, Sparta, and the Peloponnesian War. Im excited for this project! 

               This is.. well the picture says it all.. literally! 
                    

                    This is Athens

                   

Mr. Schick is now Homer from Greece... WHAT?

Today in class we continued the powerpoint on Ancient Greece. Mr. Schick had a show to put on for us. Suddenly he's a teacher and then he's blind and he's Homer. It was hilarious! It made my Tuesday. Mr. Schick is a really good actor. Any way here's the notes we took in class:

-Ionian Sea is south of Greece
-People in Greece either built ships, farmers, metal workers, weavers, and potters
-They had poor/limited natural resources so they needed to trade
-Fertile valleys cover one quarter of the peninsula only 20% is suitable for farming
-Their diet consists of grains, grapes, olives
-Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
-The weather was mid-40's in the winter and mid 80's in the summer
-Mycenaeans started around 2000 BCE and they dominated Greece from 1600-1200 BCE *controlled trade in the region*
 -1400 BCE the Mycenaeans invaded the island of Crete and took in the Minoan culture and language
-Dorians- the mysterious "sea people"
-About 2000 BCE they invaded the Mycenaeans and burnt palace after palace
-Dorians were far less advanced, the trade-based economy dropped, writing disappeared for 400 years (they never wrote anything down anyway) 
-Homer was a blind storyteller who existed in the "Greek Dark Ages" era were they wrote nothing down 
-Wrote Trojan War stories 750-700 BCe 
-He wrote "The Odyssey" and "The Illiad" 
-The Odyssey is 12,110 lines and is written in Dactylic Hexameter (long phrase then short phrase.. pattern continues)
-People wonder if Homer really existed "Homeric Question"
-People think that Homer might have been a mythical creature himself or he actually existed and he was just that awesome? I think he did exist and he was just so awesome it was beyond our human minds.

Special note to Mr. Schick, just want to say you really made my day today. That was hilarious, such a great actor. 

This is Homer from TV...                       

 This is actually Homer!
                       

           


 This is a map of Greece

                    

And Mr. Schick since you love Greek wine... here you go. A website all about Greek wine! Your welcome: http://www.allaboutgreekwine.com/

Cyber Day 6.0!

Today for our 6TH cyber day assignment (who's counting anyway?) Mr. Schick is having us research on one of Greece's famous ancient philosophers. I chose Socrates because I've learnt about him before and he really intrigues me. I'm excited to learn more about him.

                                         Socrates                                                                 

Socrates lived from 470 BCE- 399 BCE. He lived in Athens, Greece. Sophroniscus and Phaenarete a Athenian stone mason and midwife, were his parents. When Socrates got  older he married a woman named Xanthippe and then had three sons. Their sons were Lamprocles, Sophroniscus, and Menexenus. Besides philosophy Socrates earned money for his family by       teaching. Socrates wasn't involved much in raising his sons, he showed more care in the development of the young Athenian boys. Since Socrates lived in Athens he was required to serve in the military, he served in the infantry. Socrates called     his philosophy method, the "Socratic Method". Socrates thought philosophy should get results for the greatest well-being of society. He wanted to develop an ethical system that relates on human logic rather than theological doctrines. Socrates believed Athens was a classroom, so he went around asking questions trying to find political and ethical truths. The jury of Athens did not like Socrates because he challenged what the Greeks believed and knew. The jury decided to execute Socrates with hemlock. His friend tried to bribe the judge with just exiling Socrates. Plato was one of Socrates students who continued his legacy. Socrates didn't write anything down, Plato his student wrote everything down. Plato wrote a book called the Phaedrus on Socrates and everything he did.   
         Plato
                                                                                                                                   

                          Socrates's execution 


                        

Cyber Day IV!

Today we have yet another dreaded cyber day. As much as I hate cyber days, I love them because now they won't take from our spring break or have us stay in school until June 20th or something. Today's assignment Mr. Schick is having us research on three Ancient Greek buildings, write a short paragraph on it, and post pictures with it as well. I think this is an easy assignment, but I will put a lot of effort into it so I get the full 20 points for my grade.

                                     The Acropolis

                                       
The word Acropolis means "high city". An Acropolis is many temples built on a hill that watch over the city of Athens. Pericles ruled Athens from 461 BC- 429 BC when he died. Pericles was in charge of the building of the Acropolis. One temple is the Propylaea which is built in honor of Athena Nike. Athena was the goddess of victory. Her temple was used as Athens treasury, the people of Athens would store their money there. The next temple was the Erechtheum, this was not a common Greek temple because of its design. The Erechtheum is dedicated to Poseidon, the god of seas. His temple was built with two levels instead on one, they did this because the ground was not even. The Parthenon is the biggest temple on the Acropolis. The reason why this is the most important temple is because it is dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of the city. The temple was huge, there were 8 columns in the front and 17 columns on each side! The temple was also covered with beautiful sculptures, which are now at the British Museum. In the Parthenon there is a 12 meter high statue of the Athena Parthenos. Fun Fact, the statue had 1 ton of gold in it and it costed the same amount as the building!

                                      Olympia
                                   

This is one of the most important sanctuaries in Greece. When we hear the word Olympia, the first thing that comes to mind is the Olympic Games. The first games occurred in 776 B.C. In 471 B.C. the games were now a five day event. The games included boxing, pentathlon (long jumping, discus,  sprint, javelin, and wrestling), horse and chariot racing, and pancrateon ( free-style fighting), and track events. The main buildings include: the Temple of Zeus, Philippeion, and the stadium . With Zeus's temple we can really only see the south colonnade because an earthquake destroyed some of it. Olympia started to be built about 4,500 years ago and 3,000 years ago the sanctuary was built. In 476 B.C. after the Greeks defeated the Perusians, they decided to build a temple in dedication to Zeus. When the started to build this almighty temple, they decided that they wanted the temple to stand out from anything and everything. Fun fact, they say that the first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C., but archaeological evidence says otherwise. The evidence states that it could not have happened until a little before 700 B.C. after the stadium and hippodrome was built.

                                   Greek Theatre
                                    
They would build theatres on the slope of a hill, so they could get great elevation in the last few rows of seats. The steps would get covered in marble. They divide the auditorium with broad concentric belts called diazomata. They used diazomatas as lobbies and they had eleven rows of seats separating them. Where you sat was arranged by your rank and other things. The rows closest to the orchestra were reserved for members of the council and the rest were for the public. Fun fact, greek theatre began with festivals honoring the gods and goddesses. With greek theatre the architecture of the theatre was the orchestra, the scene, and the main one which was the Koilon.

Just want to say, Mr. Schick, I loved this assignment. I really enjoyed learning about the different things the Greeks made and came up with!