Emma's Blog

Today in class we watched a presentation and it took the majority of the class because we have shorter classes today due to the assembly that we had. We were supposed to present first today but one person our group won't be here so we are now presenting on Monday.

Today in class we were preparing for our presentation tomorrow. We have to write a one page essay and that is what we are working on now. We also have to prepare a slide presentation. Tomorrow we have to present our project but we are the first ones to go. When I get home I have to work on my object that I am bringing into school for the presentation tomorrow.

Today I didn't go to school because I am sick.

Today in class we took a chapter test and I like I did pretty good on it. At first when the tests were handed out I got nervous, but now after taking the test I feel very confident. Before the test we got a few minutes to look over our notes and that is what helped me a lot during the test because looking at my notes before taking the tests helps me know it even better. I am hoping a get an A or a high B on the test that I just took.

Today in class we reviewed a powerpoint for the test tomorrow. The first title is politics- an exclusive club. Some of the rules are no women (except the "entertainment". No middle class, and 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". The next title is Tyrants seize control.Sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers), and set up an alternative form of gov't called a tyranny. Tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis. Draco (621 BCE). All Athenians (rich or poor) are equal under the law . But death is the punishment for many crimes.

Today in class we took notes on a powerpoint for an upcoming test that is on Friday. The first title is government terms. Polis is a fundamental political unit, made up of a city and the surrounding countryside. Monarchy is ruled by a single person (a King, in Greece). Aristocracy is ruled by a small group of noble, very rich, landowning families. Oligarchy is wealthy groups, dissatisfied with aristocratic rule, who seized power (often with military help). Tyrant is a powerful individual who seized control by appealing to the common people for support. Aristocrats are members of the ruling class. They attend symposiums, meetings where the elite men would enjoy wine and poetry, performances by dancers and acrobats, and the company of hetaeras  (courtesans) while discussing politics.

Today in class we started our projects. We are trying to figure out if we are either going to dress up or bring in an object. I am going to bring in an object and takes pictures when I am creating the object so I can show the whole class how I made it. We have to create an essay with our partners to share for the project. We might make a powerpoint to show the class as well but we aren't sure yet. The god that I am doing is Ares and I am going to create a symbol and bring it into class for my presentation.

Today in class we had a sub so we answered questions that Mr. Schick gave to us. 1. It took Odysseus ten years to return back home from the Trojan war. 2. The trip back home should have taken only two weeks. 3. Some people say that the Trojan War occurred in the 8th century, but the Greeks thought that it occurred in the 13th century. 4. Homer composed The Odyssey in 750 B.C. 5. An epic poem is a long, narrative poem that is usually about heroic deeds and events that are significant to the culture of the poet. 6. Odysseus' wife is Penelope. 7. Odysseus' son is Telemachus. 8. When he was leading his flock of sheep into a cave, he rolled a huge stone into the opening of the cave to close the entrance. The Cyclops got angry and grabbed two of the men, smashed their heads against the rocks, ate them, and fell asleep. 9. I think Odysseus is a hero because he survives in many situations that an ordinary person would not have. He is also a leader because his men lo...

Today in class we went over the powerpoint and took notes in our notebooks. We took notes on pg. 118-126. The Main Idea is Cultural Interaction- The roots of Greek culture are based on interaction of the Mycenaean, Minoan, and Dorian Cultures. The seeds of much of western culture heritage were planted during this time period. Some of the terms and names are Mycenaean, Trojan War, Dorian, Homer, and myth. In ancient times, Greece was not a united country. The trojan War was fought around 1200 BCE. Greek oral tradition stories were passed on by word of mouth. Homer lived at the end of these "Greek Dark Ages".

Greece is a mountainous peninsula. Mountains cover three-quarters of Greece. There are about 2000 islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas. This combination shaped Greece's culture. They had many skilled sailors and shipbuilders. Also farmers, metalworkers, weavers, and potters. They had poor/ limited natural resources, so they needed to trade. It was difficult to unite the ancient Greeks because of the terrain. They developed small, independent communities (city-states). That's who they were loyal to. (Ancient) Greece is the Word. Mesopotamia- Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Egypt- Nile River, India- Indus River, and China- Huang He River. Culture of the Mountains and the Sea. Topography talks about mountains.

Today in class we came in and studied for ten minutes. After we studied we took the test that was out of 75 points. I had a good feeling I did good on it. Once they were graded, Mr. Schick put it on veracross and I got a 70/75 which is a 93%. After we took the test we started to read and take notes on pg. 118-126. The first note I took was the first title of the page which was "Unit 2 New Directions in Government and Society 2000 B.C.-A.D. 700". The next note I took was the timeline and in 200 B.C.- Minoan civilization prospers on Crete (Minoan vase). 1780 B.C.- Hammurabi issues code of laws and in 1500 B.C.- Mycen culture thrives on Greek mainland. 1472 B.C.- Hatshepsut, woman pharaoh, begins her reign. (Head from statue of Hatshepsut).

Today in class we finished up the slide presentation for a review so we can take the test on Thursday since we don't have class tomorrow. After we finished the slides we watched a video of the mummification process. A few notes from the slide presentation is the title of slide which is "God's, Humans, and Everlasting Life. God's were often portrayed with animal heads or bodies. Egyptians believed in an afterlife (ka), and they mummified bodies to preserve them for this post-death journey. The next title is "The Writing of the Words of God". Earliest Egyptian writing formed c. 3100 B.C. and were small pictures known as hieroglyphics. Egyptians script was usually written in ink on papyrus, which was made from mashed Nile reeds. Papyrus, the precursor to paper, was stored in scrolls and these scrolls were the books of ancient Egypt.

The title of the first slide was "Land of the Pharaoh's". Upper Egypt was a 500 mile long strip of fertile land along the Nile: Lower Egypt was the wide land of the Nile delta, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile was the major provider of life for the Egyptians and was much Revered in lore and writing. Around 3100 B.C. the two lands were united under a single king or "pharaoh". The next title was "Government by a God-king". Pharaoh was all powerful, worshipped as a god, and intimately connected to the other major Egyptian gods and goddesses. Egyptians relied on a harmony and balance of the universe, which they called "maat".