Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Research on Bridge Collapse/Repair

Friday, August 03, 2007
Bridge collapse points to national problem
By Eric Kelderman, Stateline.org Staff Writer, and Chris Hamby, Special to Stateline.org

(Updated at 10:05 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3, EDT)

The Minnesota bridge that collapsed this week is just one of 73,518 "structurally deficient" bridges across the country that state and federal inspectors have deemed in need of significant repairs. While the total failure of a busy bridge is shocking, the problem of deteriorating bridges and not enough money to fix them all is well-documented.

At the time of the collapse Aug. 1, some lanes of the 40-year-old span of Interstate 35 over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis were closed while construction workers made surface repairs. But there were several flaws that in 1990 landed the 458-foot bridge over the Mississippi River on a list of "structurally deficient" structures compiled by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

That rating means "significant load-carrying elements of the bridge are found to be in poor or worse condition" and "typically require significant maintenance and repair to remain in service." The designation does not mean a bridge is necessarily unsafe, according to the FHWA.

The cause of the collapse, which killed at least five motorists and injured nearly 80, is not yet known. At least 8 people still were reported missing. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) was quoted as saying the bridge had been inspected in both 2005 and 2006 and was not slated to be replaced until 2020. Pawlenty now has ordered a statewide inspection of all bridges with a similar design, although it is not known how many other similar bridges there are, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters also called on states to immediately inspect any steel deck truss bridges similar to the I-35 structure.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R), in an interview on MSNBC's Hardball Thursday (Aug. 2), predicted that every governor now would order similar inspections for all major infrastructure.

The tragedy highlights a nationwide problem of deteriorating bridges -- as well as roads -- that states and the federal government are struggling to maintain in the face of fast-rising costs of construction and the shrinking value of gasoline taxes.

More than 26 percent of the nation's bridges were rated either structurally deficient, meaning the Minnesota bridge and more than 73,000 others were in need of major repairs, or "functionally obsolete," a group of 79,427 bridges deemed no longer adequate for the amount of traffic they carry. It would cost an estimated $9.4 billion a year for 20 years to bring all of the existing bridges up to date, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers.

In fact, Minnesota's bridges fare well when compared with the rest of the states: 12 percent of the state's bridges were rated deficient or obsolete, according to 2006 FHWA data. Only Arizona has a smaller percentage of bridges needing major repairs.

Oklahoma has the highest percentage of bridges rated structurally deficient -- 27 percent. More than half of the bridges in Rhode Island and Massachusetts were rated either deficient or obsolete, according to the federal figures.

Bridges are just one piece of the transportation network strained by long-term neglect, a steady increase in the number of drivers, a stagnant source of funding and rampant inflation of road-building costs, according to a March 2007 study by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

The biggest hurdle to improving roads is that federal gasoline taxes, which pay for more than 45 percent of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, have not been raised since 1993 and are not even sufficient to cover the spending in the 2005 federal transportation law. While gasoline prices have skyrocketed to more than $3 a gallon, federal taxes to support road work have not because the 18.4-cent federal tax is added on each gallon -- not each dollar -- of gas sold. Federal gas taxes will fall $11 billion short of planned road projects by 2009, but the gap could be as big as $19 billion the following year, AASHTO found.

A longer-term problem is that the cost of building and fixing roads has grown rapidly in recent years. Between the last gas-tax hike in 1993 and 2015, construction costs will have increased by more than 70 percent, according to AASHTO. Federal gas taxes would have to go up at least 3 cents by 2009 and 7 cents more by 2015 just to maintain the current highway system and keep pace with the fast-rising cost of roads, the association estimates.

Instead of raising the federal gasoline tax, U.S. Sens. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) introduced a bill, just hours before the Minnesota bridge catastrophe, to create an independent national bank to provide government financing for major infrastructure projects.

Some states have been willing to raise taxes for road construction. Fifteen states have hiked fees at the pump since 1997, according to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.

But in the face of high gasoline prices, Minnesota's Pawlenty vetoed a $5 billion transportation package this year that would have been financed in part with a 5-cent hike in the state's 22-cent gas tax, last raised in 1988. In 2006 voters passed a ballot initiative to dedicate increased vehicle registration fees for transportation projects.

Pennsylvania, with one of the highest percentages of structurally deficient bridges, increased money for bridge repairs from $250 million to $600 million last year, Gov. Ed Rendell (D) told Stateline.org Aug. 2 at the opening of the annual Capitolbeat conference for statehouse reporters and editors. "Despite that, we can barely make a dent in bridge repair. To repair all 5,900 bridges would cost $8 billion," he said.

Noting that economic competitors such as Japan and Germany have undertaken massive infrastructure repairs, Rendell said the U.S. government also should invest in a massive repair program that states would have to help support to fix bridges and roads but also water and sewage infrastructure.

This year, Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman (R) vetoed a $19 million increase in transportation funding that would have been paid for with a 1.8-cent increase in that state's 28-cent gas tax. Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) and Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) both worked to scuttle bills to increase gas taxes for road construction.

Ridge told Hardball: "There's not a governor and state legislature on an annual basis that doesn't go through the political torment and anguish every year about how to pay for these things. Everybody knows there's a need and everybody is kind of reluctant to raise taxes."

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Government Security Graded

Feds get C- security grade but Defense fails, DHS gets a D by ZDNet's Richard Koman -- The conventional wisdom is that the federal government deserves failing grades for computer security. After all, the big VA breach of a year ago has been followed by many more stories of agencies losing computers, suffering data breaches and failing to encrypt sensitive data. Today a House committee handed out security report cards for all [...]

Will America Be a Second Rate Power?

Universities Pressure Presidential Candidates for Science Debate

3/13/2008

By Dian Schaffhauser

Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon University, Temple University, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, and a number of other institutions of higher education, as well as museums and private companies, have called on the presidential candidates to participate in a science-focused debate on technology, climate change, health policy, and education.

"What we need is a debate focusing on how we're going to move this nation ahead in terms of the global economy and high quality jobs, tackling clean energy and climate change, reinvigorating science and math education, and solving our health care system," said debate organizer Shawn Lawrence Otto, CEO of Science Debate 2008. The grass roots debate has been scheduled for April 18 at The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia.

Among business leaders calling for the forward-thinking debate is Intel Chairman Craig Barrett. "This is not a niche debate," said Barrett. "The future economic success of the United States depends on out-performing the competition with smart people and smart ideas. Without the best education system and aggressive investments in basic research and development, we will become a second-rate economic power. With its outstanding universities and transforming economy, Pennsylvania is a perfect place for this discussion, and we hope the candidates for president take this very seriously."

At the time of this writing, no candidates had announced their participation.

Organized by a couple of out of work screenwriters, ScienceDebate2008.com signers represent 140 American universities.

Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business. Send your higher education technology news to her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.

Cf. Dian Schaffhauser, "Universities Pressure Presidential Candidates for Science Debate," Campus Technology, 3/13/2008, http://www.campustechnology.com/article.aspx?aid=59863

Monday, March 17, 2008

Chapter 5 Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Chapter 5 Ancient Rome and the Rise of Christianity: 509 B.C.–A.D. 476




Chapter Preview

Learn

Chapter Focus Question

How did Rome grow from a single city to a huge, diverse

empire?

The Roman World Takes Shape

From Republic to Empire

The Roman Achievement

The Rise of Christianity

The Long Decline

Section 1 The Roman World Takes Shape
Objectives

*

Describe the physical and cultural settings in which Roman civilization arose.
*

Outline how the Roman republic was structured and governed.
*

Understand the rights and religious practices that characterized Roman society.
*

Explain how the Roman republic grew and maintained its conquests.

Terms, People, and Places

Etruscans

republic

patrician

consul

dictator

plebeian

tribune

veto

legion

Note Taking

Chapter 5, Section 1
Roman Civilization Arises in Italy

Map
Ancient Italy About 500 B.C.
Map Skills

At the time the state of Rome was founded, the Romans’ many neighbors on the Italian peninsula included other speakers of Italic languages such as Latin.

1. Locate
(a) Rome (b) Apennine Mountains (c) Mediterranean Sea (d) Carthage (e) Tiber River

2. Region
Based on this map, which group would you think most influenced the Romans? Explain.

3. Make Generalizations
What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages of living near a variety of different peoples?

Checkpoint (s)

How did geography influence the origins and expansion of Rome?

How did the membership of the senate change over time?

What social rights did Roman women have?

Infographic
The Roman Cursus Honorum

HW
SECTION 1 Assessment

Note Taking
Reading Skill: Identify Causes and Effects
2. Use your completed cause-and-effect chart to answer the Focus Question: What values formed the basis of Roman society and government?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking
Summarize
3. Describe the cultural setting in which Rome developed.
Identify Central Issues
4. In both Roman politics and Roman society, equality was prized. Describe an example of Romans achieving political or social equality.
Recognize Cause and Effect
5. What were two reasons for Rome’s success in expanding its power across Italy?

EC
Writing About History

Section 2 From Republic to Empire
Objectives

*

Understand how the Roman republic grew through a series of conquests.
*

Identify the events leading to the decline of the Roman republic.
*

Describe the nature of the new age that dawned with the Roman empire.

Terms, People, and Places

imperialism

latifundia

Tiberius Gracchus

Gaius Gracchus

Julius Caesar

Augustus

census

Hadrian

Note Taking

Map

Growth of Roman Power to 44 B.C.

Map Skills

Although Hannibal (below) posed a challenge, the Roman republic gradually gained control of lands around the Mediterranean Sea through conquest and diplomacy.

1. Locate
(a) Spain (b) Gaul (c) Asia Minor (d) Macedonia (e) Pyrenees Mountains

2. Region

During what period did Asia Minor come under Roman control?

3. Synthesize Information

What does this map tell you about the outcome of the Punic Wars with Carthage, which lasted from 264 B.C. to 146 B.C.?

Checkpoint (s)

What challenges did Rome face while building an empire around the Mediterranean Sea?

What central issue sparked the warfare that eventually led to the decline of Rome?

How did Augustus lay the foundation for stable government in the Roman empire?

Biography

Julius Caesar

The bold rise to power of Julius Caesar (100 B.C. [?]–44 B.C.) echoed his boldness on the battlefield (at left). His brilliant conquest of Gaul made him enormously popular. Romans were thrilled by reports of his many victories, which added great riches and huge territories to the empire. In nine years of campaigning, Caesar lost only two battles. His tactics in Gaul are still studied at military academies today.

When Caesar, in defiance of Pompey’s orders, crossed the Rubicon River from Gaul back into Italy, he said, “iacta alea est,” or “the die is cast,” meaning there was no turning back. Today, people use the phrase “crossing the Rubicon” to mean making a decision from which there is no turning back. Painters and writers such as William Shakespeare have also immortalized Caesar in their works.

In what different ways did Caesar leave a lasting impact on the world?

HW
SECTION 2 Assessment

Note Taking
Reading Skill: Recognize Multiple Causes
2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: What factors led to the decline of the Roman republic and the rise of the Roman empire?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking
Make Comparisons
3. Compare the positive and negative results of conquest for Rome. Which do you think had the most impact?

Predict Consequences
4. Do you think the reforms Caesar enacted would have been enough to maintain the Roman republic, had he not been killed?

Analyze Information
5. How do you think the founders of the Roman republic would have viewed the government of the Roman empire?

EC
Writing About History

Section 3 The Roman Achievement
Objectives

*

Summarize the works of Roman literary figures, historians, and philosophers.
*

Describe the art and architecture developed by the Romans.
*

Understand how the Romans applied science and mathematics for practical use.
*

Explain how Rome’s legal codes protected everyone in the empire.

Terms, People, and Places

Virgil

satirize

mosaic

engineering

aqueduct

Ptolemy

Note Taking

Primary Source

In this passage, Livy (shown below) comments on the importance of studying history. In what ways does he say we can learn from history?

“. . . in history you have a record of the infinite variety of human experience plainly set out for all to see; and in that record you can find for yourself and your country both examples and warnings: fine things to take as models, base things, rotten through and through, to avoid.”

—Livy, The History of Rome

Checkpoint

How did Roman writers promote patriotism?

How did Roman architecture differ from Greek architecture?

Who in the Roman empire engaged in scientific research? Who put science to practical use?

What were the basic principles of Roman law?

Infographic
Remnants of Roman Daily Life

HW
SECTION 3 Assessment

Note Taking
Reading Skill: Understand Effects
2. Use your completed concept web to answer the Focus Question: How did advances in arts, learning, and the law show the Romans’ high regard for cultural and political achievements?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking
Make Generalizations
3. How did Greek culture influence the development of Roman civilization?

Synthesize Information
4. How did Romans use science and mathematics to improve life in the empire?

Determine Relevance
5. Give two examples of how Roman principles of law affect life in the United States today.

EC
Writing About History

Section 4 The Rise of Christianity
Objectives

*

Understand the diverse religions included in the early Roman empire.
*

Summarize the teachings of Jesus and how they were spread.
*

Outline the development of the early Christian Church.

Terms, People, and Places

messiah

apostle

Paul

martyr

Constantine

clergy

bishop

patriarch

pope

heresy

Augustine

Note Taking

Checkpoint

What was Rome’s policy toward most of the religions in the empire?

What aspects of Jesus’ message were unique?

What factors enabled Christianity to spread throughout the Roman empire?

How was the early Christian clergy organized?

Primary Source

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus (below) summarized his ethical message, which echoed Jewish ideas of mercy and sympathy for the poor and helpless. What does he say is the reward for being merciful?

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

—Matthew 5:5–9

Map Skills

Aided by the work of Paul and other missionaries, Christianity gradually spread across the Roman empire.

1. Locate

(a) Jerusalem (b) Ephesus (c) Antioch (d) Constantinople (e) Alexandria

2. Movement

In what areas did Paul travel on his first journey?

3. Analyze Information

How did the extent of Christianity in A.D. 325 compare to that in A.D. 476? Was there a significant difference?

Biography
Peter

As the chief apostle, Peter (d. A.D. 64(?)) devoted his life to spreading the teachings of Jesus. He had been born with the name Simon, but according to the New Testament Jesus changed his name, saying, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.”

Peter became a missionary and is said to have later become the first bishop of both Antioch and Rome. However, his devotion to Jesus and Christianity cost him his life. Tradition tells of Peter’s persecution under the Roman emperor Nero. In one account, when Peter learns he is to be crucified, he insists on being turned upside down, saying he is not worthy of dying in the same way that Jesus had. What does Peter’s behavior indicate about his devotion to his faith?

Chart Skills

HW
SECTION 4 Assessment

Note Taking
Reading Skill: Understand Effects

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How did Christianity emerge and then spread to become the official religion of the Roman empire?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking
Identify Central Issues
3. Why were many Jews unhappy under Roman rule even though the Romans were tolerant of their religion?

Synthesize Information
4. What were three basic teachings of Jesus?

Summarize
5. What practices and organizational structures helped establish the early Christian Church?

EC
Writing About History

Section 5 The Long Decline
Objectives

*

Explain how and why the Roman empire divided.
*

Describe how waves of invaders contributed to the decline of the Roman empire.
*

Identify the various types of problems that led to the fall of Rome.

Terms, People, and Places

Diocletian

inflation

Constantinople

Huns

mercenary

Note Taking

Infographic
Redefining the Empire

Checkpoint (s)

How do you think Rome’s unstable government affected the economy?

How did the Hun invasion weaken the Roman empire?

What social problems contributed to the decline of the Roman empire?

Comparing Viewpoints
What Kind of Downfall?

Historians have long held that the “fall of Rome” was an important historical event, but they argue over many details.

Critical Thinking What about Rome’s end most surprises Gibbons? How does Brown differ with Gibbons on this point?

HW
SECTION 5 Assessment

Note Taking
Reading Skill: Recognize Multiple Causes
2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How did military, political, social, and economic factors combine to cause the fall of the western Roman empire?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking
Summarize
3. Describe the crisis that afflicted the Roman empire after the Pax Romana ended. How did Diocletian try to resolve the crisis?

Express Problems Clearly
4. How did the successes of invaders such as the Huns reveal the fading power of the Roman empire?

Identify Central Issues
5. What features of the western Roman empire survived after the year 476?

EC
Writing About History

Monday, March 10, 2008

Chapter 4 Ancient Greece

Chapter 4 Ancient Greece: 1750 B.C.–133 B.C.

Section 1 Early People of the Aegean
Objectives

*

Identify the influences on Minoan culture and how the civilization prospered.
*

Summarize how Mycenaeans ruled the sea trade and started the Trojan War.
*

Describe the works of Homer and their influence on Greek culture.

Terms, People, and Places-

Knossos

shrine

fresco

Trojan War

strait

Homer

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How does the art at Knossos reflect Minoan culture?

How did trade shape Mycenaean society?

What do Homer’s epics reveal about Greek culture?

HW
SECTION 1 Assessment

Identify Main Ideas

2. Use your completed table to answer the Focus Question: How did the Minoans and Mycenaens shape early Greek civilizations?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Determine Relevance

3. How did trade contribute to the development of the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures?

Draw Inferences

4. What values of the ancient Greeks are found in the poems of Homer?

Demonstrate Reasoned Judgment

5. Do you think the epics of Homer are a reliable source of information about the history of the ancient Greeks? Why or why not?

EC
Writing About History

Section 2 The Rise of Greek City-States
Objectives

*

Understand how geography influenced the Greek city-states.
*

Define the three types of government that developed in the Greek city-states.
*

Explain how Sparta and Athens differed.
*

Identify the culture and values shared by Greeks.

Terms, People, and Places

polis

acropolis

citizen

monarchy

aristocracy

oligarchy

phalanx

Sparta

Athens

democracy

tyrant

legislature

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How did the sea contribute to Greek commerce?

How was a city-state shaped by its citizenry?

Why was discipline important to Spartans?

How was democracy limited in Athens?

What factors united the city-states of Greece?

How did the geography of Greece differ from that of other ancient civilizations?

Primary Source
Spartan Education
Describe the Spartan student dress code. What was its purpose?

Map
Ancient Greek civilization was shaped by rugged mountainous terrain and the surrounding seas. These geographic features worked as both a barrier and a link.

1.

Locate

(a) Greece (b) Crete (c) Mycenae (d) Athens (e) Sparta (f) Aegean Sea (g) Peloponnesus

2.

Region

How did the geography of Greece present obstacles to unity?

3.

Analyze Information

WH
SECTION 2 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed outline to answer the Focus Question: How did government and culture develop as Greek city-states grew?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. How did geography influence the development of Greece?

Synthesize Information

4. Why do you think the three different forms of government evolved over time?

Draw Conclusions

5. (a) In what ways was Athenian democracy limited? Hint (b) Despite such limits, Athens is still admired as an early model of democracy. Why do you think this is the case?

EC
Writing About History

Section 3 Conflict in the Greek World
Objectives

*

Summarize how the Persian Wars affected Greece.
*

Explain how Pericles instituted a direct democracy in Athens.
*

Understand the causes and effects of the Peloponnesian War.

Terms, People, and Places

alliance

Pericles

direct democracy

stipend

jury

ostracism

Note Taking

Map Skills

When the Persian empire attacked Greece, the Greek city-states briefly joined forces to defend their ­independence.

1.

Locate

(a) Athens (b) Sparta (c) Marathon (d) Thermopylae (e) Salamis

2.

Movement

Describe the routes of the Persian army and navy toward the city-state of Athens.

3.

Making Inferences

Why do you think Xerxes’ fleet hugged the Greek coastline instead of sailing directly across the Aegean Sea?

Checkpoint (s)

What factors led to the Persian defeat?

Describe Pericles’s influence on Athens.

How did conflict lead to the decline of Athens?

HW
SECTION 3 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed table to answer the Focus Question: How did war with invaders and conflict among Greeks affect the city-states?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. How did the Persian Wars affect the Greek city-states?

Analyze Information

4. How did Pericles contribute to Athenian greatness?

Demonstrate Reasoned Judgement

5. Do you think the process of ostracism is fair or unfair? Explain.

Recognize Cause and Effect

6. How did the growth of Athenian power lead to war?

EC
Writing About History

Section 4 The Glory That Was Greece
Objectives

*

Analyze the political and ethical ideas developed by Greek philosophers.
*

Understand how balance and order governed Greek art and architecture.
*

Identify the themes explored by Greek writers and historians.

Terms, People, and Places

philosopher

logic


rhetoric

Socrates

Plato

Aristotle

Parthenon

tragedy

comedy

Herodotus

Note Taking

Biography
Socrates

Contrasting with his glorified image in Jacques-Louis David’s painting The Death of Socrates (above), to most Athenians, Socrates (469 B.C.–399 B.C.) was not an impressive figure. Tradition tells us that his clothes were untidy and he made a poor living. But young men loved to watch him as he questioned citizens and led them to contradict themselves.

Many Athenians felt that Socrates was annoying, but Plato had a different view of his teacher. He called Socrates “the wisest, justest, and best of all I have ever known.” As for Socrates himself, he knew what he was doing. When he was put on trial, he told the jury, “All day long and in all places I am always fastening upon you, stirring you and persuading you and reproaching you. You will not easily find another like me.”

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” How did his actions support this idea?

Checkpoint (s)

Why might some of the philosophers’ ideas be a threat to Greek tradition?

How did Greek art reflect the idea of an ideal form?

How was drama used to influence Greek society?

Why is Herodotus considered the “Father of History”?

HW
SECTION 4 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed concept web to answer the Focus Question: How did Greek thinkers, artists, and writers explore the nature of the universe and people’s place in it?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Make Generalizations

3. (a) Why did Plato reject democracy? Hint (b) Describe the ideal form of government set forth in Plato’s Republic.

Summarize

4. What standards of beauty did Greek artists follow?

Analyze Information

5. (a) How were Greek plays performed? Hint (b) What were the topics of Greek poetry and plays?

Identify Central Issues

6. Why do you think research and avoiding bias is important to the writing of history?

EC
Writing About History

Section 5 Alexander and the Hellenistic Age
Objectives

*

Explain how Alexander the Great built an extensive empire.
*

Describe the empire’s cultural impact.
*

Identify individuals who contributed to Hellenistic civilization.

Terms, People, and Places

Alexander the Great

Philip II

assassination

assimilate

Alexandria

Pythagoras

heliocentric

Archimedes

Hippocrates

Note Taking

Map Skills

The ambitions of Alexander the Great led him to conquer lands across an expansive area.

1.

Locate

(a) Mediterranean Sea (b) Arabian Sea (c) Indus River (d) Nile River (e) Euphrates River (f) Babylon

2.

Region

Locate the map entitled Assyria, Persia, and the Phoenician Colonies, which appears in an earlier chapter. (a) Which of the empires was largest? (b) Which parts of Alexander’s empire had not been part of the Persian empire?

3.

Predicting Consequences

Judging from this map, do you think Alexander’s empire would be difficult to keep united? Explain your reasoning.

Checkpoint (s)

Why was Alexander the Great able to conquer the Persian empire?

How did Alexander encourage the blending of cultures?

In what fields did Hellenistic civilization make advancements?

Primary Source

The methods ancient Greek doctors used to diagnose disease are so unlike those of today that scholars find many ancient Greek medical writings difficult to decipher. However, the ancient Greek code of ethics—the Hippocratic oath—is still used by medical professionals today.

“I will use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment; I will abstain from harming or wronging any man by it. . . .

Whatever I see or hear, professionally, or privately, which ought not to be divulged, I will keep secret. . .

If, therefore, I observe this oath and do not violate it, may I prosper both in my life and in my profession, earning good repute among all men for all time.”

Why do you think the Hippocratic oath has continued through the centuries as a guide to doctors?

HW
SECTION 5 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed outline to answer the Focus Question: How did Alexander the Great expand his empire and spread Greek culture throughout the realm?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. What was the extent of Alexander’s vast empire and how did he acquire it?

Synthesize Information

4. How did Alexander’s conquests lead to a new civilization?

Recognize Ideologies

5. What new ideas did the Stoics introduce?

Draw Conclusions

6. Why do you think the Hippocratic oath is considered a medical advance?

EC
Writing About History

Book Cover Project Results

Book Cover Project results and student #

1st Place 32
2nd Place 36
3rd Place 33
Honorable Mention 55

Thursday, March 06, 2008

McNamara, on the Gulf of Tonkin states: "It didn't happen."

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, in a clip from "The Fog of War," explaining the context of the Gulf of Tonkin incident that was used as the excuse for starting the Vietnam War. McNamara concludes: "It didn't happen."

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

The Military Industrial Complex

President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned Americans in his exit speech on 17 January 1961 about the military industrial complex. He was concerned that Americans would lose their liberties.


What You Can Do from the film, "Why We Fight" consists of interviews with leading figures on the current American military-industrial complex.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Mario Savio & Kent State

This is a clip of Mario Savio from 1964.


"There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!"


Mario Savio


In addition, there is a contemporary application based on the inspiration of Savio.


Chris Goodman is a young man who states he is willing to get arrested in his push for quality education. He reads his acceptance speech for the Mario Savio Youth Activist Award at the Algebra Project's 25 year anniversary forum. Chris won this award for his work with the Algebra Project.


Likewise, this is a short summary of the events that occurred at Kent State.

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Primary vs. Secondary Sources

What's the Difference Between Them?

Primary Sources Secondary Sources
Definition: Main text or work that you are discussing, actual data or research results, or historical documents, or first-hand testimony

Examples:
Diaries, journals, speeches, interviews, letters, memos, manuscripts, memoirs, autobiographies, government records, records of organizations (e.g., minutes, reports, correspondence).

Published materials (books and journal/newspaper articles) written at the time of a particular event.

Documentary: photographs, audio recordings, movies, or videos.

Public opinion polls, field notes, scientific experiments, artifacts.

Reprinted primary sources (often in reference books).

Maps, oral histories, postcards, court records, paintings, sculptures, consumer surveys, patents, schematic drawing, technical reports, personal accounts, jewelry, private papers, deeds, wills, proceedings, census data.

Secondary Sources

Definition:
Records generated by an event but generally written by non-participants in the event. Based on or derived from primary sources--but the most important point is that they have been interpreted, or analyzed.

Examples:
Encyclopedias, chronologies, fact books.

Biographies, monographs, dissertations.

General histories.

Most journal articles (except those discussed under primary sources).

Most published books (except those discussed under primary sources) such as textbooks.

Neanderthals On Trial, Video Vocabulary

Neanderthals on Trial
Video Vocabulary
Dr. Smith

Name: __________________________________________________________
Per: _______________

1. Neanderthals
2. Neander Valley
3. DNA
4. colleagues
5. mitochondria
6. lineage
7. mutation
8. paleoanthropology
9. excavation
10. exquisite
11. symbolic
12. self-awareness
13. salvage
14. mosaic
15. adaptation
16. anthropology
17. anatomy
18. kin
19. clan
20. genetic
21. hominid
22. interbreed
23. polarization
24. occipital
25. Tayacian
26. flint
27. hearth
28. prey
29. archaic
30. digital
31. laser
32. statistics
33. perpendicular
34. illusion