Ancient Greece Project Presentation

Today was the day my group presented our project on Ancient Greece government. We all wore our togas (they were actually bed sheets) and presented the way we all wanted to. We were worried we would be over the time limit, that the information would be hard to understand, and the discussion would be awkward or confusing. After doing the project, I think all of those worries ended up going well. I'm pretty sure our time was around 6 minutes and 30 seconds, so we were perfectly in the time limit. Some other people in our class said that they understood most of the information which makes me really happy that could understand what we were saying. Our discussion during the project went really well and was entertaining to everyone. Since our project was today, Mr. Schick hasn't put in our grades yet, but I think we did really well.

Last Day of Ancient Greece Project Prep

Today was our last day for preparing our project on Ancient Greece government. Brianne and I wrote our flashcards in class first and then Mr. Schick let us go out into the hallway to practice our presentation. We all practice what Brianne is going to say and what we will say and do while she is talking about our background and accomplishments. Then, we practiced our discussion with each other and how we will talk about our government. We are going second tomorrow and I'm really excited to do this project with some of my best friends.  

Ancient Greece Project Work

In today's class, we worked on our project on Ancient Greece. Mr. Schick gave us another day in class to work on our projects. I think this will help every group because it gives us time to be together in person to work on the projects. Today we figured out exactly what we are going to do for a presentation and exactly what each of us will be saying. Brianne will be talking about the backgrounds and accomplishments of the certain kings or president. Everyone else will be talking about the government of their certain place. Since Cullen and I are Sparta, we will be talking about the government in Sparta and how it is the best government in Sparta. This is the same with Joey for Athens and Caleb for Macedonia. We also decided that we will be wearing togas with different accessories to be able to differentiate between the different leaders.  

Ancient Greece Test: Section 1 and 2

Today in class, we took our test on Ancient Greece. Mr. Schick told us that our next unit will be the second part of Greece with Alexander the Great. Caleb asked this and then Mr. Schick told us a story. He said that he went to the doctors for a shot and his doctor had a very interesting accent. Then, Mr. Schick asked where he went to high school and the doctor said he went to Macedonia, which is a place in Greece. It's pretty funny because that is what we just took a test on. Going back to the test, I think it was pretty good and I think I did pretty well. There were some questions I wasn't completely confident in because I wasn't in class yesterday due to Pippin. I got the notes from Caleb, but I'm not sure about some questions. Overall, it was really simple and easy. 

Absent In Class But Got Notes of Powerpoint

• Cleisthenes
• member of elite, very rich, crafty politician
• saw value of middle class, not women
• let middle class vote in gov
• citizens could participate, but only 1/5 were citizens (free adult male property owners born in Athens)
• Direct Democracy
• city-state ruled by citizens
• rule-based on citizens
• majority rules
• in agora, citizens argued, made speeches, then voted w/ white (yes) and black (no) stones
• first practiced in Athens under Cleisthenes by around 500 BCE
• Gods and Goddesses
• Poseidon (god of the sea) interfered with Odysseus trying to return home
• Aphrodite (goddess of love) had lovers of both gods and men
• Dionysus (god of wine) was son of Zeus (a god) and of Semele (a human princess)
• Zeus - ruler of heaven and earth; father of Athena; god of the sky, weather, thunder, lightning, law, order, and justice; Had a temper and was known to hurl thunderbolts
• Athena - goddess of wisdom, skill, warfare, peace, intelligence, battle strategy, and handicrafts; she was born from Zeus' head fully formed and armored; patron of heroes and of Athens (city named after her)
• War
• warlike people; especially Spartans
• Spartans known for tough, ruthless, infantry: soldiers who fought on land
• Spartan boys trained since 7
• Athens - great infantry, but better navy
• trireme: most effective weapon
• teach marvel/ breakthru
• fastest ships
• rowed up to 170 men on 3 levels
• could be a battering ram
• agile and fast
• Phalinx group w/ long spires used ground defense
• Persian War
• Persians huge army, nearly unlimited resources
• Greeks fought for homeland; Persians were mercenaries

More Ancient Greece Powerpoint Notes

• some essential government terms
• polis: fundamental political unit, made up of a city and the surrounding countryside
• politics (affairs of the cities), policy, political, etc.
• monarchy: rule by a single person (a king, in Greece)
• aristocracy: rule by a small group of noble, very rich, landowning families
• oligarchy: wealthy groups, dissatisfied with aristocratic rule, who seized power (often with military help)
• tyrant: powerful individual who seized control by appealing to the common people for support
• aristocracy
• aristocrats: members of the ruling class
• 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 discussing politics
• politics - and exclusive club
• no women (except for entertainment)
• no middle class, 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”?
• tyrants
• tyrants seize control
• sometimes aristocrats would form alliances with hoplites (well-armed soldiers) and set up an alternative form of gov called a tyranny
• tyrant: someone who rules outside the framework of the polis
• modern meaning: an abusive or oppressive ruler
• the Greek meaning: someone who simply seized power (usually with hoplite help)
• rules, codes, and laws
• Draco (621 BCE)
• all Athenians (rich or poor) are equal under the law
• but death is the punishment for many crimes
• debt slavery is OK (work as a slave to repay debts)
• Solon’s reforms (594 BCE)
• outlaws debt slavery
• all Athenian citizens can speak at the assembly
• any citizen can press charges against wrongdoers
• eventually leading to Cleisthenes
• more reforms (around 500 BCE):
• allowed all citizens to submit laws for debate at the assembly
• created the Council of Five Hundred (members chosen at random, to counsel the assembly)
• can you see this leading to democracy?
• but only free adult male property owners born in Athens were considered citizens
• no women, slaves, “foreigners”
• Isagoras vs. Cleisthenes
• Cleisthenes’ supporters - and the ordinary Athenian citizens! - revolt against Isagoras’ tyranny
• they trap Isagoras on the Acropolis for two days - on the third day he fled and was banished
• 508 BCE

Ancient Greece Project Work

In class today, Mr. Shick let us take this class period to all work together on our Ancient Greece project. Brianne, Joey, Caleb, Cullen, and I all sat together to go over the main game plan. I was getting really stressed out about this project because it's not super strict which means there are no hardcore guidelines. It's actually really nice because we have so much room for creativity. We figured out who we each are specifically. Brianne is still the citizen narrator, I am Cleomenes III of Sparta, Cullen is Leonidas II of Sparta, Caleb is Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Joey is Pericles of Athens. We also decided that Brianne will make a powerpoint of the different places of Ancient Greece and the different kings that we are. We also all decided to wear togas during our presentation to really capture the everyday life of the Ancient Greeks.

Ancient Greece Project

In class today, Mr. Schick assigned us an Ancient Greece project. It's a group project where each group can pick any kind of topic that is focused on Greece. For example, one group can do their project on Greek food and another group can do their project on Greek architecture. The project is 200 point in total with different parts worth different parts. One part of the project is a one page paper, which I think will be pretty easy since it's only one page and double spaced. The paper will about how we made our project like how we created and/or built our project. Mr. Schick said that depending on what your project depends on that part of the project. Another part of the project is the presentation, which is educating the rest of the class on our topic of Ancient Greece. My group is Brianne, Caleb, Joey, Cullen, and I. I'm really excited to work with them because it will be fun and because we have a really interesting idea. We each are going to be kings (Brianne is the narrator though) and talk about the different governments and the wars between the different places in Greece. I think this project will be awesome!

Odysseus Questions Classwork

1. How long did it take Odysseus to return home from the Trojan War?
      - It took Odysseus 10 years to return home from the Trojan War.
2. According to Google Maps, how long should this trip have taken?
     - According to Google Maps, this trip should have taken 2 weeks.
3. According to archeological evidence, when did the Trojan War occur?
     - According to archeological evidence, the Trojan War occurred in the 12th century BCE.
4. When did Homer compose The Odyssey?
     - Homer composed The Odyssey in the 8th century BCE.
5. What is the definition of “epic poem”?
     - The definition of “epic poem” is a long, narrative poem; on a serious subject; written in a grand or elevated           style; centered on a larger-than-life hero.
6. Who is Odysseus’ wife?
     - Odysseus’ wife is Penelope. 
7. Who is Odysseus’ son?
     - Odysseus’ son is Telemachus.
8. What happens in the cave of the Cyclops?
     - Odysseus enters the cyclop's cave and starts to eat its large amounts of goat cheese. Odysseus expects              that the Cyclops will ok with it because hospitality is a very common thing to do in Greece. However, the                Cyclops is very mad and starts to eat Odysseus' men.
9. Is Odysseus a hero? Why or why not?
     - Odysseus is a hero because he is a very smart and persuasive speaker. However, he is not perfect. He lies          to many people, cheats on his wife, and gets most of his men killed because he is self-centered.
10. What is considered one of the most beautiful lines in all of Homer?
     - "And so she too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband, her white arms round him, pressed as though forever."

More Powerpoint Notes

Today, we continued to take notes on Mr. Schick's powerpoint on Greece.

• Geography + Significance
• fertile valley covers 1/4 of the peninsula
• about 20% is arable (suitable for farming)
• Greek diet: consists of grains, grapes, olives, fish
• lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
• temperature
• the mid-40s
• winter: low 80s
• summer: hot
• Mycenaeans
• influence began 2000 BCE
• Mycenae located on a rocky ridge on Peloponnesus
• protected by 20 ft thick wall
• Mycenaen kings dominated Greece (1600-1100 BCE)
• 1400 BCE: Mycenaeans invaded Crete and absorbed Minoan culture (writing system, language, art, politics, literature, religion)
• "Sea People" & Dorians
• 1200 BCE: mysterious "sea people" began to invade Mycenae + burnt everything
• then, Dorians moved into the war-torn region, dominating 1150-750 BCE
• Dorians were for less advanced
• trade-based economy collapsed
• writing disappeared for 400 years
• Trojan War
• Greeks fought many wars
• Trojan War: fought around 1200 BCE
• part of Greek mythology bc gods + goddess
• Athens, Aphrodite, Hera was given "apple of discord"
• Paris judged Aphrodite as "fairest"
• Aphrodite made Helen fall in love w/ Paris, who took her back to Troy
• people didn't believe if war actually real bc detailed involvement of gods
• Homer the Bard
• Greek oral tradition: stories passed by word
• lived at end of "Greek Dark Ages"
• lliad: possibly last conquests of Mycenaens (the Trojan War)
• Odyssey: Odysseus attempts return home after Trojan War --> being bothered by Posiden
• 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter
• blind --> tell whole stories from head
• might be real???

Powerpoint Notes

We didn't start class right away because Mr. Schick had to set up cameras for Holocaust Day today. While he was gone, we started working on on the textbook notes that we were doing some day before. Then, when Mr. Schick came back from setting up the cameras, he started talking about Holocaust Day and how he thinks it's very interesting and important. He said he's really appreciative that the survivors come to speak to all of the seniors, so we don't lose their stories. I think it's really interesting and super cool to learn about. After Mr. Schick was done talking about Holocaust Day, we started taking notes on his powerpoint of Greece. Our new unit is Ancient Greece and I'm so excited to learn about it. Here are the notes on the powerpoint we took today: 

• Great Civilizations/Key Rivers
• Mesopotamia - Tigris + Euphrates Rivers
• Egypt - Nile River
• India - Indus River
• China - Huang He River
• Greece's Geography
• location: east of Italy, north of Egypt
• topography: lots of mountains
• More Geography + Its Significance
• mountainous peninsula (covers 3/4 of Greece)
• about 2000 islands in the Ionian and Aegean Sea
• this combination shaped Greece
• many skilled sailors + shipbuilders
• also farmers, metalworkers, weavers, potters
• had poor/limited natural resources --> so have to trade
• was difficult to unite ancient Greeks bc of terrain
• developed small, independent communities (city-states)
• what they were loyal to

Egypt Test & Textbook Notes

In class today, we took our test on Egypt. There were fifteen questions on the test, so it wasn't very hard. However, I only go a 70/75. This grade is 93%, so it's not bad at all. 93% is a very good grade, but I wish I did just a little better to get 100%. After we took the quiz, we started to take notes from the textbook on our new unit, Greece. We didn't go over the notes, so I don't know if these notes are what we are focusing on. 

• chapter 5: Classical Greece (2000 BC - 300 BC)
• in the Greek city-state of Athens, a new form of government developed, democracy --> citizens exercised power
• Alexander the Great spread Greek culture throughout much of Asia. Greek, Egyptian, and Asian cultures then blended to create a Hellenistic culture
• Athens assumed control of a defense league and eventually built it into an empire. Later, Alexander conquered the Persian Empire and beyond to create a vast new empire of his own
• timeline:
• 2000 BC: Minoan civilization prospers
• 1500 BC: Mycenaen culture thrives on Greek mainland
• 1200 BC: Trojan war takes place
• 750 BC: Greek city-states flourish
• 479 BC: Greece triumphs in Persian Wars
• 334 BC: Alexander starts to build his empire
• chapter 5 section 1: Cultures of the Mountains and the Sea
• main idea: the roots of Greek culture are based on the interaction of the Mycenaen, Minoan, and Dorian cultures
• why it matters now: the seeds of much of western cultural heritage were planted during this time period

Review for the Egypt Test

In class today, we reviewed for our test on Egypt is on Thursday because we don't have class tomorrow. First, we finished the worksheet on Egypt from a little bit ago. We only answered the questions that we needed to for the test. On that worksheet, we only need to know five of the questions on the back and all of the definitions on the front of the worksheet. Also, we finished the powerpoint and reviewed it too. Since I wrote the rest of the powerpoint last night, I'll just study from that blog. I'm not that nervous about the test because I think I know the material pretty well. I am still nervous though because it is still a test, but I think I'll do well. To study, I'll read my blogs, read my notes, and go through the powerpoint again. I really enjoy the topic of Egypt because of mummification too.

Powerpoint Notes

In class today, we took more notes on Egypt because we have a quiz tomorrow. I'm not sure if we do have a quiz tomorrow though, because we were unable to finish the powerpoint. However, the powerpoint was on his blog, so I finished to be able to study, so if we don't I'll be extra prepared. Here are the notes we took today:

• Land of Pharaohs
• the Nile and the "Two Lands"
• Upper Egypt: 500m long strip of fertile land along the Nile; mountain level
• Lower Egypt: wide land of Nile delta, emptying into Med. Sea; sea level
• the Nile was a major provider of life for the Egyptians and was much reserved in lore and writing
• around 3100 BC the two lands were united under a single king or "pharaoh" (Narmer)
• 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 harmony and balance of the universe, which they called "maat" (personified by the goddess Maat; ideological opposite of Isfet)
• pharaohs had multiple wives and all routes to financial and social success were thru the palace
• women could inherit money + land and divorce their husbands, though only a tiny few ever wielded real political power
• Gods, Humans, Everlasting Life
• gods 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
• all souls would need to justify themselves at the point of death and be either sent to an after-world paradise, or the jaws of a monster
• Writing of Words of God
• earliest Egyptian writing formed c 3100 BC and were small pictures known as hieroglyphics
• Egyptian 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
• Jean Francois Champollion found the code of Rosetta Stone
• Calenders and Sailboats
• Egyptian astronomers created a calendar with 12 months and 365 days to make better sense of the seasonal cycle
• Egyptians were able to create potions and cures
• wooden sailboats were constructed to increase transportation ability on the Nile
• Pyramids and Temples
• pyramids: massive stone tombs, originally covered in marble, but the marble was later stripped off during the Muslim conquest
• Temple of Amon at Karnak: the largest religious building in the world, also made out of huge blocks of stone
• 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