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

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."

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.

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

Book Cover Project: 7 March 2008

World History Book Cover Project
Due: 7 March 2008

This project will demand creativity and self-expression. You will cover your WH textbook in a manner that shows who you are and what you think WH is. Wouldn't it be more pleasant to see a well designed book cover when doing those long nights of HW? Of course it would, so design a book cover that will brighten and enlighten yourself and those around you. This project will be distinctively you. This is your first small project and if you listen and follow directions, you will score easy points.

Requirements
The textbook must be covered in a way that is protected from wear and tear.
The cover can be made out of anything that you want, but it must be funcitonal (i.e., the book must open, the book must still fit in your locker).
Please no edible covers or glitter that will fall off over time.
The cover must be durable enought to survive the semester without any major casualities.
So that our World does not become History, at least one item on the book covere must be recycled. (5 bonus points if it is all recycled).
Your name, the name of the class, and class period must be clearly displayed somewhere on the cover.
On the due date 7 March 2008, you will present your textbook to the class and briefly explain what you did.

Grading Rubric:
Project: 60 Points

Clear World History elements 10 points
Clear personality elements 10 points
One recycled item 10 points
Clear Name, Subject, Period, Room 10 points
Overall Appearance (neat and creative) 10 points
Presentation to the class 10 points

Total 60 Points

Atomic Learning Workshop on Blogging

An excellent blogging workshop is offered by Atomic Learning.

Chapter 3 Ancient India and China

Chapter 3 Ancient India and China: 2600 B.C.–A.D. 550

Chapter Preview

Learn

Chapter Focus Question

In what ways did the civilizations and empires of ancient India and China lay long-lasting social and political foundations?

Early Civilizations of India and Pakistan

Hinduism and Buddhism

Powerful Empires of India

Rise of Civilization in China

Strong Rulers Unite China

Section 1 Early Civilizations of India and Pakistan
Objectives

*

Describe the Indian subcontinent’s geography.
*

Understand the clues archaeology has provided about the rise and fall of the Indus civilization.
*

Analyze the main characteristics of the Aryan civilization and the Vedic Age.
*

Explain what ancient Indian epics reveal about Aryan life.

Terms, People, and Places

subcontinent

plateau

monsoon

Harappa

Mohenjo-Daro

veneration

Vedas

rajah

Indra

brahman

mystic

acculturation

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How has geography affected where people live in the Indian subcontinent?

What evidence shows that Indus civilization included a well-organized government?

How were Aryan society and government structured?

What types of values are revealed in Indian epics?

Map Skills

The earliest civilization in the Indian subcontinent developed in the Indus Valley.

1. Locate

(a) Himalayas (b) Deccan (c) Indus River (d) Ganges River (e) Harappa

2. Place

What natural features did people benefit from by living in the Indus River valley?

3. Make Comparisons

How do you think the Narmada River valley would have compared to the Indus River valley as a site for a civilization to develop?

Biography

Mortimer Wheeler

Much of what we know about Indus civilization comes from the work of Sir Mortimer Wheeler (1890–1976), who directed the excavations of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the 1940s. Previously, Wheeler had led one of England’s first university archaeology departments, run a museum, and headed the first archaeological excavation to use trained volunteers rather than untrained laborers.

As well, through publications and frequent appearances on popular radio and television shows, Wheeler inspired thousands of people to visit his research sites. Indeed, Wheeler succeeded in fascinating the public with the work of archaeologists.

What did Wheeler contribute to archaeology?

Primary Source

Primary Source (2nd one in this section)

The gods’ creation of the universe is described in the Rig Veda. It says they divided the body of Purusha, the first man, into four parts to create the four social groups of ancient India. Which parts of the body became the warriors?

HW
SECTION 1 Assessment

Reading Skill: Recognize Sequence

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How have scholars learned about India’s first two civilizations, the Indus and the Aryan?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Analyze Information

3. Describe two ways in which geography and climate have influenced the people of the Indian subcontinent.

Recognize Sufficient Evidence

4. What types of evidence do you think archaeologists should look for to explain how the Indus civilization declined and became unknown to the world for 4,000 years?

Draw Conclusions

5. How reliably do you think epic literature tells us about Aryan life?

EC
Writing About History

Section 2 Hinduism and Buddhism
Objectives

*

Outline the essential beliefs of Hinduism.
*

Analyze how the caste system shaped India.
*

Understand the key teachings of the Buddha.
*

Explore how Buddhism grew and changed as it spread beyond India.

Terms, People, and Places

atman

moksha

reincarnation

karma

dharma

ahimsa

caste

Siddhartha Gautama

Four Noble Truths

Eightfold Path

nirvana

sect

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How do the Hindu gods relate to brahman?

How did caste provide a sense of order in society?

What did Gautama hope to learn when he left home?

How do you think the collecting of the Buddha’s teachings helped the religion to spread beyond India?

Map Skills

Missionaries and merchants spread Buddhism to many parts of Asia. It still thrives there today—though it is not practiced much in India.

1. Locate

(a) India (b) China (c) Sri Lanka (d) Korea

2. Movement

How did Buddhism spread to Japan?

3. Synthesize Information

Looking at both maps, which arrows on the large map do you think represent the spread of Theravada Buddhism?

HW
SECTION 2 Assessment

Note Taking

Reading Skill: Recognize Sequence

2. Use your completed flowchart to answer the Focus Question: In what ways were religion and society intertwined in ancient India?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. Explain the roles of karma, dharma, and reincarnation in the process of achieving moksha. Hint

Analyze Information

4. What aspects of the caste system relate to basic Hindu beliefs?

Recognize Ideologies

5. According to the Buddha, how can people escape worldly suffering?

Draw Conclusions

6. What about Mahayana teachings do you think appealed to many people?

Writing About History

Section 3 Powerful Empires of India
Objectives

*

Analyze how Maurya rulers created a strong central government for their empire.
*

Explore the kingdoms that arose across the Deccan.
*

Explain why the period of Gupta rule in India is considered a golden age.
*

Understand how family and village life shaped Indian society.

Terms, People, and Places

Chandragupta Maurya

dissent

Asoka

missionary

golden age

decimal system

joint family

dowry

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How did Chandragupta organize Maurya government?

How do you think trade helped link the separate kingdoms of the Deccan?

How did religion influence learning and the arts in Gupta India?

Describe the structure of a typical Indian family.

Map Skills

Maurya and Gupta emperors were able to unite much of India under their rule.

1. Locate

(a) Ganges River (b) Indus River (c) Tamil Kingdoms (d) Hindu Kush (e) Nalanda

2. Movement

How did geography limit the northward expansion of both empires?

3. Analyze Information

What region of the Indian subcontinent remained separate from both the Maurya and the Gupta empires?

HW
SECTION 3 Assessment

Reading Skill: Recognize Sequence

2. Use your completed timeline to answer the Focus Question: In what ways did Maurya and Gupta rulers achieve peace and order for ancient India?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Make Comparisons

3. Compare the approaches of Chandragupta and Asoka to ruling the Maurya empire.

Analyze Information

4. Describe three achievements of the Gupta period that made it a golden age.

Recognize Ideologies

5. How did the roles played by family and village in Indian life reveal the value of placing the needs of the community or group above those of the individual?

EC
Writing About History

Section 4 Rise of Civilization in China
Objectives

*

Understand how geography influenced early Chinese civilization.
*

Analyze how Chinese culture took shape under the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
*

Describe the religions and belief systems that developed in early China.
*

List some achievements made in early China.

Terms, People, and Places

loess

clan

dynastic cycle

feudalism

Confucius

Laozi

philosophy

filial piety

oracle bone

character

calligraphy

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

In what different ways did people live in ancient China?

How was China governed during the Shang dynasty?

Explain three ways that China expanded during the Zhou dynasty.

What did early Chinese communities do to ensure good harvests?

Explain the different ways in which Confucianism and Daoism taught that people should live their lives.

For what purpose did writing begin in China?

Map

Shang and Zhou Civilizations

Map Skills

Today, China extends west from the Pacific Ocean deep into central Asia. Its first civilizations existed in the eastern part of the modern-day country.

1. Locate

(a) Chang River (b) Gobi (c) Huang River (d) Anyang

2. Place

What physical features acted as obstacles to contact outside China?

3. Draw Inferences

In which directions from China do you think it was easiest for the Chinese to make contact with other people? Why?

Confucius

Confucius (551 B.C.–479 B.C.) decided at an early age to dedicate himself to education and public service. He felt that educated people had a responsibility to serve in government so that they could translate their good ideas into action.

As a teacher, Confucius spread education to both rich and poor. He inspired thousands of followers with his guidelines about the proper way to live. As a public servant, he did not fare so well, however. His high standards of conduct often brought him into conflict with corrupt officials. According to Confucius, “The superior man understands righteousness. The inferior man understands profit.”

Why do you think people were inspired by Confucius’ teachings?

HW
SECTION 4 Assessment

Reading Skill: Recognize Sequence

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: What characteristics defined the civilization that developed in China under its early rulers?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. What geographic challenges did China’s early rulers face when trying to unite China or make alliances with peoples outside of China?

Synthesize Information

4. What were the characteristics of the Shang and Zhou government and social structure?

Analyze Information

5. What aspects of Confucianism and Daoism do you think contributed to their long-lasting influence?

Draw Inferences

6. How do the various cultural developments of early China still affect the lives of people today?

EC
Writing About History

Section 5 Strong Rulers Unite China
Objectives

*

Understand how Shi Huangdi unified China and established a Legalist government.
*

Describe how Han rulers strengthened the economy and government of China.
*

Outline why the Han period is considered a golden age of Chinese civilization.
*

Analyze why many Chinese people accepted Buddhist ideas.

Terms, People, and Places

Shi Huangdi

Wudi

monopoly

expansionism

civil servant

warlord

acupuncture

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

What kind of government did Legalists favor?

How did Han emperors further economic growth?

What sorts of achievements made the Han period a golden age?

Why did Buddhism appeal to many people in China?

Map

Qin and Han Empires

Map Skills

Under the Qin and Han dynasties, Chinese rule expanded significantly, as did the Great Wall (pictured below).

1. Locate

(a) Great Wall (b) Qin empire (c) Han empire (d) Chengdu (e) Takla Makan Desert

2. Place

What natural barriers helped protect China from invaders?

3. Draw Conclusions

How did the Great Wall’s placement relate to the extent of the empires? What does this tell you about where invaders came from?

HW
SECTION 5 Assessment

Reading Skill: Recognize Sequence

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How did powerful emperors unite much of China and bring about a golden age of cultural achievements?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. What were three steps Shi Huangdi took to unify China?

Demonstrate Reasoned Judgment

4. What aspects of the civil service system do you think allowed it to last for such a great length of time?

Determine Relevance

5. Select three achievements made during the Han period and describe why you think they were significant advancements.

EC
Writing About History

Definition of Blu-ray

Blu-ray Disc: Cf. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Blu-ray Disc

Blu-ray Disc (also known as Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage media format. Its main uses are high-definition video and data storage. The disc has the same dimensions as a standard DVD or CD.

The name Blu-ray Disc is derived from the blue-violet laser used to read and write this type of disc. Because of its shorter wavelength (405 nm), substantially more data can be stored on a Blu-ray Disc than on the DVD format, which uses a red (650 nm) laser. A Dual Layer Blu-ray Disc can store 50 GB, almost six times the capacity of a dual layer DVD.

Blu-ray was developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association, a group of companies representing consumer electronics, computer hardware, and motion picture production. The standard is covered by several patents belonging to different companies. As of March 2007, a joint licensing agreement for all the relevant patents had not yet been finalized.

As of February 19, 2008, more than 450 Blu-ray Disc titles have been released in the United States, and more than 250 in Japan.

Blu-ray was locked in a format war against HD DVD until the format emerged as the winner on February 19, 2008 when Toshiba — the main driving force behind HD DVD — announced it would no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. Some analysts believe that Sony's PlayStation 3 video game console played an important role in the format war, believing it acted as a catalyst for Blu-ray Disc, as the PlayStation 3 used a Blu-ray disc drive as its primary source of media-reading technology. They also credited Sony's more thorough and influential marketing campaign. It must also be noted, that Blu-ray players can reproduce AVCHD content, recorded by modern high definition camcorders, while HD DVD could not.

Strace and Thursday's Pep Rally

Strace et. al. at Thursday's Pep Rally.

Yorba Linda Public Library 2008 Teen Film Festival

"Iraq War" is an entry by Nolan Mendoza in the Yorba Linda Public Library 2008 Teen Film Festival.

Free DreamSpark Tools from Microsoft

Microsoft has offered its development and design tools to students for free and in a move announced yesterday the company will open these tools to as many as many as 1 billion high school and college students.

The Microsoft tools, in the DreamSpark program, is available to 35 million college students in the U.S., China, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.

The tools are ones that young people can build a career around or they can just build fun software for themselves. The basics of good software architecture and the data structures have been consistent for the last 30 years and therefore the skills of design and recognizing good code, is a valuable skill to have for the 21st Century.

DreamSpark is available to students of technology, design, math science and engineering, and students can access Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition, Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, and XNA Game Studio 2.0. As a part of the package students are also eligible for a free 12-month academic membership to the XNA Creators Club.

The program will also include Microsoft's Expression Studio design tools, including Expression Web, Expression Blend, Expression Design and Expression Media. Students also can access SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition and Windows Server Standard Edition for free.

The timetable for roll-out of the program is six months when Microsoft plans to expand DreamSpark to college students in Australia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, and more countries in the Americas, Asia and Europe. The program will be extended to high school students by the third quarter of 2008.

Microsoft works with academic institutions, governments, and student organizations, such as the International Student Identity Card Association, to ensure the necessary local student identity-verification technology infrastructure exists to provide access to DreamSpark.

Birth of Civilization, Video Vocabulary

Birth of Civilization

Name: _________________________________________________________________ Per.: ___________

1. civilization

2. city

3. metropolis

4. monuments

5. transportation

6. urban

7. artifacts

8. scholarship

9. levy

10. amenities

11. origins

12. agriculture

13. peasant

14. Near East

15. Mesopotamia

16. alluvial

17. torrents

18. Sumerian

19. city-state

20. hegemony

21. Sargon

22. Syria

23. Mediterranean

24. centralized

25. Ur

26. ziggarat

27. Persian

28. Nineveh

29. Amorites

30. Hammurabi

31. cultivation

32. Tigris/Euphrates

33. Menes

34. dynasty

35. rural

36. Aswan

37. Indus

38. Pakistan

39. Indo-European

40. Harappa

41. Mohenjodaro (Larkana District, Sindh, Pakistan)

42. Huang

43. steppes

44. Shang

45. ritual

46. scribes

47. Babylon

48. Nebuchadnezzar

49. Hanging Gardens

50. Cheops

51. hierarchy

52. differentiation

53. bureaucrats

54. specialization

55. craftsmen

56. utilitarian

57. diadem

58. priests

59. Lagash

60. pictographs

61. cuneiform

62. script

63. Linear A & B

64. calendar

65. formulae

66. equations

67. Crete

68. Minoan

69. Mesomerican

70. metallurgy

71. oligarchy

72. democracy

73. dichotomy

1950 Original airing of Defense film, "Duck and Cover"

This a typical Cold War film, "Duck and Cover."

Duck and Cover was a suggested method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear detonation which the United States government taught to generations of United States school children from the late 1940s into the 1980s. This was supposed to protect them in the event of an unexpected nuclear attack which, they were told, could come at any time without warning. Immediately after they saw a flash they had to stop what they were doing and get on the ground under some cover—such as a table, or at least next to a wall—and assume the fetal position, lying face-down and covering their heads with their hands. Similar instructions were given in 1964 in the United Kingdom by Civil Defence Information Bulletin No. 5. and, in the 1980s, by the Protect and Survive series.

Critics have said that this training would be of little, if any, help in the event of thermonuclear war, and had little effect other than promoting a state of unease and paranoia.

The United States' monopoly on nuclear weapons was broken in 1949 when the Soviet Union tested its first nuclear device, and many in the government and public perceived that the United States was more vulnerable than it ever had been before. Duck-and-cover exercises had quickly become a part of Civil Defense drills that every American citizen, from kids to the elderly, practiced so as to be ready in the event of nuclear war. In 1950, during the first big Civil Defense push of the Cold War; the movie Duck and Cover was produced (by the Federal Civil Defense Administration) for school showings in 1951. At the time, it was believed the main dangers of a Hiroshima-type nuclear blast were from heat and blast damage: radioactive fallout itself was not clearly identified until 1954, after the Castle Bravo nuclear-weapon test in the Marshall Islands caused sickness and death in Japanese fishermen on the Lucky Dragon fishing vessel.

Chapter 2 Sections 2-5

Section 2 Invaders, Traders, and Empire Builders

Terms, People, and Places

Sargon

Hammurabi

codify

civil law

criminal law

Nebuchadnezzar

barter economy

money economy

Zoroaster

colony

alphabet

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How do civil law and criminal law differ?

Name a significant contribution made by the Hittites, Assyrians, and Babylonians after each group’s conquest in the Middle East.

What are two steps that Darius took to unite the Persian Empire?

How has the Phoenician development of an alphabet been a lasting contribution to civilization?

Map Skills

Money and Economics

HW

SECTION 2 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Main Ideas

2. Use your completed table to answer the Focus Question: How did various strong rulers unite the lands of the Fertile Crescent into well-organized empires?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Demonstrate Reasoned Judgment

3. What do you think was the most important achievement of Sargon? Of Hammurabi? Why?

Draw Inferences

4. How do you think the Persian policy of tolerance helped the empire grow so large?

Draw Conclusions

5. One effect of warfare and conquest was that knowledge and beliefs spread among different peoples. How else did people of the ancient Middle East spread their ideas?

EC

Writing About History

Section 3 Kingdom on the Nile

Terms, People, and Places

cataract

delta

dynasty

pharaoh

bureaucracy

vizier

Hatshepsut

Thutmose III

Ramses II

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How did the yearly floods of the Nile influence life in ancient Egypt?

How was Egyptian government structured during the Old Kingdom?

In what ways was the Middle Kingdom turbulent?

What role did Egyptian conquest of others play during Egypt’s New Kingdom?

Map Skills

Biography

For what reasons do you think Hatshepsut wanted to leave a record of her accomplishments?

HW
SECTION 3 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed outline to answer the Focus Question: How did the Nile influence the rise of the powerful civilization of Egypt?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Summarize

3. How did the Nile play a crucial role in uniting Egypt?

Analyze Information

4. What knowledge did Egyptians gain from their conquerors the Hyksos? How do you think this helped them later on?

Draw Conclusions

5. What types of information about ancient Egypt can we learn from colossal monuments such as the Great Pyramids or the building projects of Hatshepsut and Ramses II?

EC
Writing About History

Section 4 Egyptian Civilization
Terms, People, and Places

Amon-Re

Osiris

Isis

Akhenaton

mummification

hieroglyphics

papyrus

decipher

Rosetta Stone

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

Which details about the Egyptian gods show the importance of agriculture to Egyptian society?

How did mummification reflect Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife?

Which social class grew in size as a result of trade and warfare?

Describe three advances in learning made by the ancient Egyptians.

What art forms were common in ancient Egypt?

Primary Source

HW
SECTION 4 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How did religion and learning play important roles in ancient Egyptian civilization?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Predict Consequences

3. Egyptians believed that their pharaohs received the right to rule from Amon-Re. How do you think replacing him with the god Aton would have affected the authority of the pharaohs?

Make Comparisons

4. How do the Book of the Dead and the tomb of Tutankhamen offer different types of information about Egyptian views of the afterlife?

Summarize

5. What jobs were Egyptian women allowed to hold? What jobs were they not allowed to hold?

Analyze Information

6. Considering the materials that ancient Egyptians used to create their writing and art, what do you think are the challenges of locating examples of them today?

EC
Writing About History

Section 5 Roots of Judaism

Terms, People, and Places

monotheistic

Torah

Abraham

covenant

Moses

David

Solomon

patriarchal

Sabbath

prophet

ethics

Diaspora

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

How did the beliefs of ancient Israelites differ from those of other nearby peoples?

According to the Torah, where did the Israelites go once they left Egypt? What was special to them about this place?

How did the prophets help Jews uphold the law?

HW
SECTION 5 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Supporting Details

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How did the worship of only one god shape Judaism?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Recognize Ideologies

3. Which events recorded in the Torah reflect the Israelite belief that God had a plan for the people of Israel?

Summarize

4. At which points in its early history was Israel unified, divided, or ruled by outsiders?

Categorize

5. What types of laws does Judaism uphold?

EC
Writing About History

Sumerian Astronomy

This is a video on Sumerian astronomy.

Chapter 2 Section 1 City-States of Ancient Sumer

Chapter 2 Section 1 City-States of Ancient Sumer

Terms, People, and Places

Fertile Crescent

Mesopotamia

Sumer

The Epic of Gilgamesh

hierarchy

ziggurat

cuneiform

Note Taking

Checkpoint (s)

What geographic characteristics made the Fertile Crescent a good place for civilization to develop?

How was Sumerian society structured?

What advances did the Sumerians make in mathematics and astronomy?

Map Skills

The Story of the Stars

HW, SECTION 1 Assessment

Reading Skill: Identify Main Ideas

2. Use your completed concept web to answer the Focus Question: What were the characteristics of the world’s first civilization?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Draw Inferences

3. Sumerians faced significant geographic challenges, such as floods. How do you think facing these challenges played a role in the formation of a strong government?

Determine Relevance

4. How might the invention of cuneiform writing have strengthened Sumerian government and religious practices?

Analyze Information

5. Describe ways in which later peoples built on Sumerian learning. Would this have been possible without the invention of writing?

Writing About History

Freeciv Illustrates Chapter 1, Section 3

Graphic source: Wikimedia Commons.

Freeciv is a multiplayer, turn-based strategy game for workstations and personal computers inspired by the commercial proprietary Sid Meier's Civilization series. The latest stable version of Freeciv is 2.1.3, released on January 23, 2008. The game's default settings are closest to Civilization 2, both in gameplay and graphics (including the units and the isometric grid).

Freeciv is included with most desktop Linux distributions, and continually rated as one of the best available free/open source games. Released under the GNU General Public License, Freeciv is free software.

Description

Players take the role of a tribe leader in 4000 BC and have to guide their people through the centuries. Over time, new technologies are discovered, which allow the construction of new city buildings and the deployment of new units. Players can wage war on one another or form diplomatic relationships.

The game ends when one civilization has eradicated all others, accomplished the goal of space colonization, or at a certain deadline. If more than one civilization remains at the deadline, the player with the highest score wins. Points are awarded for the size of a civilization, its wealth, and cultural and scientific advances.

Freeciv can be downloaded for free here.

Agenda Chapter 1 Section 3 Beginnings of Civilization

Section 3 Beginnings of Civilization
Objectives

*

Analyze the conditions under which the first cities and civilizations arose.
*

Outline the basic features that define civilization.
*

Understand the ways in which civilizations have changed over time.

Terms, People, and Places

surplus

traditional economy

civilization

steppe

polytheistic

artisan

pictograph

scribe

cultural diffusion

city-state

empire

Note Taking

Checkpoint (3) in section.

In what ways were river valleys ideal locations for civilizations to develop?

What roles did governments play in early civilizations?

How have different types of challenges encouraged peoples and civilizations to change over time?

SECTION 3 Assessment

Reading Skill: Summarize

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How did the world’s first civilizations arise and develop?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Make Comparisons

3. How were the conditions under which early civilizations developed in Asia and Africa different from those of the Americas?

Synthesize Information

4. In early civilizations, how did religion influence government and social classes?

Identify Central Issues

5. (a) Give three examples of cultural change in early civilizations. Hint(b) Give two examples of cultural diffusion today.

EC
Writing About History
Quick Write: Make an Outline

Chapter 1 Section 2 Turning Point: The Neolithic Revolution

Ch. 1 Section 2 Turning Point: The Neolithic Revolution

Terms, People, and Places

Old Stone Age

Paleolithic Period

New Stone Age

Neolithic Period

nomad

animism

Neolithic Revolution

domesticate

Çatalhüyük
Jericho

Note Taking

Checkpoint (3 in section).

What skills did Old Stone Age people develop in order to adapt their surroundings to their needs?

What major lifestyle changes did farming allow people to make?

What new technologies did people invent as a result of agriculture?

HW
SECTION 2 Assessment

Reading Skill: Summarize

2. Use your completed chart to answer the Focus Question: How was the introduction of agriculture a turning point in prehistory?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Predict Consequences

3. How do you think the development of spoken language influenced people’s development of skills and religious beliefs?

Determine Relevance

4. How are our lives today affected by the Neolithic Revolution that occurred 11,000 years ago?

Make Comparisons

5. How was settled village life different from nomadic life? Consider population size, social status, and technology in your answer.

Writing About History
Quick Write: Gather Information

Agenda Honors WH I

Chapter 1 Foundations of Civilization : Prehistory–300 B.C.

Section 1 Understanding Our Past

Terms, People, and Places

prehistory

historian

artifact

anthropology

culture

archaeology

Mary Leakey

Louis Leakey

Olduvai Gorge

technology

Donald Johanson

Note Taking

Checkpoint (3 in section)

What kinds of evidence do historians use to study the past?

What types of evidence do anthropologists and archaeologists study to learn about prehistory?

What have anthropologists learned about the use of tools during prehistory?

Biography

Louis Leakey

Louis Leakey (1903–1972) was born in Kenya, where his English parents lived with the Kikuyu people. Leakey was initiated as a Kikuyu warrior at age 13 and continued to speak the Kikuyu language for many years after leaving Kenya. Leakey moved to England to attend Cambridge University, where he studied anthropology. Afterward, he returned to East Africa to search for the remains of early humans. He and his wife, Mary, found many tools, bones, and other artifacts. In later life, he traveled all over the world, lecturing and raising funds for new research projects. Leakey’s enthusiasm inspired a generation of anthropologists. Why might someone devote his or her life to studying early humans?

Mary Leakey

Mary Leakey (1913–1996) was born in London, England. During her childhood, she traveled throughout Europe and visited numerous prehistoric sites, which increased her interest in the fields of archaeology and geology. Because of her natural artistic talent, Leakey began working as an illustrator at archaeological sites during her teenage years. In particular, she focused on drawing Stone Age tools. Through this work, she met Louis Leakey, whom she married in 1936. Together they spent 30 years digging for early humans in East Africa. Mary Leakey found many remains that have become key to our understanding of early hominids. How did Mary Leakey become interested in studying the ancient past?

HW
SECTION 1 Assessment

Reading Skill: Summarize

2. Use your completed concept web and table to answer the Focus Question: What have scholars learned about the ancestors of humans, and how have they done so?

Comprehension and Critical Thinking

Express Problems Clearly

3. What types of obstacles do historians have to overcome to give a straightforward account of events? How do you think they might do this?

Analyze Information

4. In what ways do archaeologists work with new technologies and other scholars in their work?

Synthesize Information

5. Describe the story that anthropologists think the bones and tools they have discovered reveal about prehistory. Hint

EC
Writing About History
Quick Write: Explore a Topic

6C55BE72F39D2AFF7EE4 Enroll in Course 211-01 1st Period Honors World History I Spring 2008 textbook site

Class/Group and Student Information

Teacher name: Dr. Smith
Class/Group name: 211-01 Per. 1 Honors WH I Spring 2008

Class access code: 6C55BE72F39D2AFF7EE4
When you enroll or register, type the access code exactly as shown above.
Use all uppercase letters, and include dashes.

Student Name:

User Name:

Registration/Enrollment Instructions
First time users:
To register in SuccessNet:

1. Go to www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
2. Click Register
3. On the first screen, type the class access code above in the access code field.
4. Follow the instructions to register, and write your user name on the blank line above exactly as you typed it.
5. At the end of registration process, the SuccessNet login page appears.
6. Log in by typing your user name and password.

Existing users:
To enroll in this class:

1. Go to www.pearsonsuccessnet.com.
2. Log in by typing your existing user name and password.
3. From your Home Page, click My Account.
4. Click Add Class/Group
5. Follow the instructions, and use the class access code above to enroll in this class or group.

Back to School Night

Back to School Night: 29 January 2008

World History I and AP Government according to the Social Studies Standards of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

COURSE GUIDELINES AND INFORMATION

a) Lesson Plans, Homework, course information can always be found on my blog:
http://gmicksmithsocialstudies.blogspot.com/

b) World History Online textbook, notices, assignments:
http://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com/

c) World History Textbook Code/Student Information
Period 1: TBA

d) Page for collaboration:
http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/gmicksmith/gmicksmith.cfm

e) Course information and additional content can always be heard on my Podcast:
http://www.gcast.com/u/gmicksmith/

f) Grades can always be found on:
http://www.gradeconnect.com/

Listed below are expectations for the class.

1. Be in your seat and prepared for class when the bell rings with pencil/pen, notebook, and textbook(s), or any other assigned materials.
2. Obtain permission by raising your hand before speaking, or leaving your seat for any reason once the bell rings.
3. Follow directions and complete all assignments on time.
4. Remain alert, awake, and on task during the entire class period.
5. Above all, respect yourself, your teacher, and others and their possessions.

Grading Calculation is a “Straight Point Based” system. I do not calculate grades on GradeConnect, the programming algorithms perform this task automatically, and all I do is accurately enter the student points earned.

I adhere to a policy of PDP (Positive Daily Performance), which is based on my understanding that lifetime success arises out of what you do, day in and day out. Being prepared and ready to apply yourself with your school materials everyday is crucial.

Absence Policy on Test Day or any class work:
If you are absent for a test/quiz it is your responsibility to make arrangements with me to take it. This is scheduled the day after you return to school. Points will be deducted each day you fail to do make up work.




Contact Information and Brief Biography

Dr. G. Mick Smith, Room #267, and contact info: gmicksmith@muchomail.com (fastest and direct contact), 215.276.2300 (slower, indirect contact).

Dr. Smith earned his PhD in History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was also awarded a Masters degree in History from UCLA, and he obtained a second Masters in Theology. Smith was a Johannes Quasten Scholar in Patristics at The Catholic University of America and he holds a Distance Learning Administrator’s Certificate from Texas A&M University and the Center for Distance Learning Research. He has published over 110 mostly peer-reviewed publications in history, technology and education, and computing. Dr. Smith has been President of the American Association for History and Computing. Smith has also taught at colleges on the Left and Right Coasts as well as locally at Northeast Catholic High School, Lansdale Catholic, Villa Maria Academy, Phila Academy, and Hahnemann University. At Cardinal Dougherty Smith is Assistant Chair of the Technology Committee and Moderator of Mock Trial. Dr. Smith is a widower and a full-time single parent; he wrote his first novel about parenting the greatest daughter ever born.

Intro to Ottoman Empire

An introduction and summary of the Ottoman Empire.

"Teach the Children," Crosby, Stills, and Nash: A Contemporary Application

"Teach the Children" is an anti-war song made famous during the Vietnam conflict by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. This is the same group who memorialized the four students killed at Kent State by National Guardsmen in the song "Ohio."

India Transformed

India does not need to be considered a developing country but one that is transformed.

In The Words of Muslim Clerics

The ideas of Muslim clerics in their own words.

Middle Eastern Children

The children are our future.

Material to Finish Course: Cold War and Following

In addition to Chapter 30 The Cold War 1945-1991, you should be prepared to consider Chapter 31 Section 4, The Modern Middle East; Chapter 32 Section 3 Conflicts in the Middle East; Chapter 33 China and India: Two Giants of Asia; Chapter 34 Section 2 Globalization; and, Chapter 34 Section 4 Security. With these sections, we will finish the course.

"China: Emerging Powers" Video

China: Emerging Powers video

1. communist
2. capitalism
3. IBM
4. CPB
5. standing army
6. restrained
7. Beijing
8. modernization
9. represssion
10. contradiction
11. superpower
12. nuclear
13. Cultural Revolution
14. Mao
15. Red Guard
16. commune
17. peasant
18. will power
19. fortitude
20. endurance
21. social status
22. crux
23. wisdom
24. legacy
25. nostalgia
26. revolution
27. investment
28. Gobi Desert
29. backbone
30. destiny
31. Shanghai
32. cosmetics
33. corridors
34. skyscraper
35. country bumpkins
36. investors
37. chaos
38. commodity
39. aspirations
40. regulator
41. market economy
42. innovation
43. PhD
44. socialism
45. monument
46. assembly line
47. utopia
48. cradle to grave
49. "jumping into the sea"
50. pioneering
51. radical
52. reform
53. dislocation
54. private sector
55. state sector
56. abject poverty
57. enterprises
58. national college entrance exam
59. cropland
60. residency
61. migrants
62. harvest
63. defraud
64. insignia
65. racketeering
66. license
67. disparity
68. hazardous
69. structures
70. covenant
71. bankrupt
72. manufacturing
73. conglomerate
74. poultry
75. incubator
76. charcoal
77. mechanized
78. feed (for animals)
79. traitor
80. kilometers
81. ration
82. patriotic
83. undermining
84. uncensored
85. environmental protection
86. dialogue
87. ideology
88. disco
89. waltz
90. foxtrot
91. rock 'n' roll
92. decadent
93. dissidents
94. Tianamen Square
95. alienation
96. corruption
97. human rights
98. Gallup Poll
99. reverberate

How Many U.S. Troops Are On Okinawa?

Okinawa measures 454 square miles, almost exactly the size of Los Angeles. Although World War II ended with the Japanese surrender in 1945, the island still contains 39 U.S. bases.
42,962 Americans troops inhabit the island (Source: Okinawa: Asia's Last Colony, pp. 34-64.
Chalmers Johnson, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire).

For comparison's sake, the U.S. Troop level in Iraq during December 2007 was 160,000.

The United States maintains 3,731 military installations worldwide.
Source:
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
BASE STRUCTURE REPORT, 2006.

Please comment on the "Impossible Journey"

I noticed this thoughtful piece on YouTube and I am eliciting your comments.

It was posted on YouTube by: Luis Lomeli, MD.

From the ghetto to medical school is an impossible journey.

For a long time, I have studied our failing inner city public schools. It is a social tragedy that half of Latinos and African Americans fail to finish high school. There are many elements that contribute to the academic failure of so many students. Of those that graduate, when tested by me, most cannot add ½ + ¼. The usual response is 2/6 when it should be ¾.

When students are asked to solve X to the third power, when X is equal to 2, the students too often seem lost. When educated that 2x2x2 can be written as 2 with the exponent 3 and therefore the solution is 8, they begin to readily see the need for exponents. If E = MC squared, I then explain that it means that energy contained in a very small amount mass gives a lot of energy since C is the speed of light (300,000 miles per second). When I add that this equation, E = MCxC, was first described by Einstein circa 1905 as a fundamental physical law, they become intrigued. If I ask why is it that we first see lighting and only later we hear the thunder, the curiosity heightens when I explain that sound travels very slowly, at .2 miles per second. Therefore we see lightning almost instantaneously due to the fast speed of light.

Too often history and government are taught in a manner that would make most of us say, "forget it." Last week I met a student that was doing well in the sciences but failing U.S. History. It didn't make sense. Apparently, she had been asked to memorize the names of all U.S. Presidents. What was the point? This student knew very little about how important Alexander Hamilton, a founding father, was in the development of the United States. The student knew nothing about Vietnam or the current Iraq war. When I asked this student to tell me about a few important constitutional amendments, she was clueless. When I discussed the importance of the First Amendment in regard to the freedom of speech, press and right to peaceably assembly, she was keenly interested. When I added that if she were arrested, the Fifth Amendment gives her the right not to self incriminate, she said, "Why don't they teach us those things at school?"

I ask students that are failing, "How does it feel to fail each test you take?" "It doesn't feel good" is the usual response. Therefore, if students aren't properly educated and engaged, how are they to thrive?

If we were to assume that a student's home environment is not suitable for learning, we would make big a leap in public education. Family dysfunction in the inner cities and ghettoes is problematic and leads students to under achieve. If a schools cannot properly teach the required subjects during the school time, when help is available, then they should reassess their function.

A socialized public education is not punished retroactively if students fail to learn or graduate. I was exposed to dismal public school systems in Compton, Lawndale and later in Highland Park California. So how did I educate myself?
There were two public school teachers that greatly influenced me. Mr. Stiff at Walton Junior High School made me stay after school so that he could teach me grammar. In high school, at Franklin Senior High School, the math teacher, Mrs. Gainder, once said to me, "Young man, educate yourself; the physical work you do in construction will wear your body down before you're 40."

While in the U.S. Army I decided to memorize a small dictionary. Since I had not read much in the United States, I figured that my vocabulary had to be limited compared to those kids raised in affluent homes. In addition, I taught myself algebra and grammar.

I remember how frightened I was when I learned that I had to learn to convert cubic inches to cubic centimeters. "There is nothing to fear more than fear itself." Soon I fell in love with the physical sciences, but I always had a disdain for some non-scientific courses.

So to get from the ghetto to a medical school, there is a lot you need to learn. For instance, what is XX÷ X? It is X. Let's give X the number 2, then 2x2 ÷ 2 = 2. What is X ÷ X? It is 1. How do we apply the latter question into a general scheme? Any number X divided by itself is one as long as X is not zero. Therefore, 7 is divided by 7 is 1; 9 divided by 9 is 1; we can say that 7/7 = 9/9 = 1. Let's use this information in science. If one inch is equal to 2.54 cm, how many centimeters (cm) are equal to 8 inches? 8 inch x 2.54 cm/1 inch = 20.32 cm. You must notice that the inch units cancel each other out and you end up with centimeters only. You can see me using this logic when I work out the amount of medicine I must give to a very sick patient.

In closing, most of what I do today is self-thought, including the Art of Medicine. Develop a passion for learning and you'll surprise yourself. Most ghetto schools are failing society.




Luis Lomeli MD/Beta

Author: Employers Must Ease Way for Next Generation

Author: Employers Must Ease Way for Next Generation
Heather Havenstein


December 17, 2007 (Computerworld) In his 1997 book, Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation, author Don Tapscott predicted that the children of baby boomers would become enormously influential as the first generation to grow up surrounded by high-tech tools and toys.

Tapscott’s latest book, Grown Up Digital, revisits the so-called Net generation — those born between the late 1970s and early 1990s — and finds that their unique attitudes and aptitudes are already invading the workplace. The book is due out next year.

Tapscott said his research has found that the Net generation offers unique talents to employers, who will have to adapt hiring and workplace processes to effectively recruit and retain them.

The research included interviews with more than 11,000 of the 80 million members of the Net generation in a $4 million study.

Tapscott contended that high-profile knocks against the children of baby boomers — that they are a generation that’s uninformed, lazy and looking to move up the corporate ladder without putting in the required blood, sweat and tears — are wrong.

The group’s work habits, he said, are just different from those of their parents, because they have been profoundly influenced by technologies like instant messaging, video games, mobile phones and search engines.

“These kids’ brains are actually wired differently,” Tapscott said. “Their IQs are up by all the measures we have. This is the smartest generation ever. They are highly motivated and bring a new kind of culture.” And some, he noted, are quitting their jobs when they bump up against a traditional corporate culture.

Tapscott said that the research showed that companies must accommodate the new generation’s need for speed — real-time instant messaging conversation is its core communication method. The preference for quick, peer-to-peer interaction can be stifled by a traditional corporate hierarchy and work processes, he said.

The new workforce also wants to take advantage of mobile technology, which provides a freedom that “has become like oxygen” to them, Tapscott said.

The desire for freedom and balance can be exploited for competitive gain, he noted. Companies, for example, could use collaboration technologies in virtual teaming arrangements, allowing Net generation workers to satisfy their need to socialize with peers worldwide.

Based on the research, Tapscott also suggested that companies do the following:

* Provide a healthy amount of project work that offers cyclical, intensive projects.

* Set up opportunities for young workers to quickly present their ideas to managers.

* Encourage informal relationships between managers and workers.

If You Do Not Resemble the Young People in this Story, You Will Have Difficulty in the Workforce

IT Faces Stiff Challenge From Emerging Workforce
Heather Havenstein


December 17, 2007 (Computerworld) Chris Scalet realized that the next generation of workers will likely require drastically different IT tools and policies as he watched his 20-year-old daughter studying for college classes recently.

Scalet, senior vice president and CIO at Merck & Co., noticed that she simultaneously studied, listened to her iPod, sent text messages and browsed through pages of the Facebook online social network.

“How she will work in the future will be very different from how we work today,” Scalet said. “She is going to expect [collaboration] tools... to be able to work. We don’t think that way today as corporations. We think, as baby boomers, [about a] very traditional, structured, formal [work process].”
David Berry
David Berry
Scalet is among a growing number of IT executives looking at what changes need to be made to adequately meet the needs of the 80 million children of baby boomers, who are just now entering the workforce.

Businesses must quickly find a way to adapt to new technologies that will be essential in what Don Tapscott calls “the next-generation enterprise.” Tapscott is co- author of Wiki­nomics (Portfolio Hardcover, 2006), a book about how the Internet and mass collaboration are about to dramatically affect the global economy.

“Collaboration models are going to dominate the 21st century marketplace,” he predicted. “If you don’t understand that, you’re going to fail.”

Though Scalet said it’s too early to say exactly how technology will have to evolve, he agreed that CIOs must “think very differently about how to build future capabilities.”

“This next generation of employees will pull corporations toward it,” he said. If companies lack the technology demanded by the new workers, “they will pack up and go someplace that does. IT has to take a leadership role.”

But, warned David Berry, senior vice president and CIO at cosmetics company Coty Inc., such new technologies still must fall within corporate IT parameters in areas like security and governance.

Berry said he is already working to determine which of the new collaboration technologies can fit into a corporate environment — and which cannot.

“Social networks, for example, in a nonworkplace environment might be OK, but what about managing it when litigation steps in?” Berry said. “Most companies are not geared to handle [social networks]. It is hard enough to handle inappropriate use of the Internet in the workplace.”

New York-based Coty is using instant messaging and online forums, and it is gearing up to roll out a corporate portal with access to instant messaging, e-mail and company news, Berry said. He acknowledged that the effort so far is “sort of a Yahoo” first-generation Internet approach to technology that may seem “stale” to the younger set. Therefore, he added, the company is also integrating forums, wikis and RSS feeds into the mix.

Berry noted that as time goes on, IT managers will have to play the “good guy, bad guy” role in managing the rollout of these technologies. “It is also our responsibility to train the younger people in the proper use of technologies, to respect policy and process, and not only have fun with the new technologies,” he said

Managers must also consider the cost of rolling out the new technologies. “The younger folks haven’t had to deal with ROI or capital investments,” Berry said.

‘A Lot of Cool Stuff’

Brian Fetherstonhaugh, chairman and CEO of Ogilvy­One Worldwide, said that the New York-based direct marketing firm is looking for ways to blend traditional work methods and new technologies through its three-year-old entry-level associate training program.

Fetherstonhaugh acknowledged that he had underestimated the needs of younger workers until he began meeting monthly with new employees in the associate program.

“The issue of talent and finding and keeping it is critical,” he noted. “Their patience is different. Their appetite for work and play is extremely high.” The new workers “know a lot of cool stuff we don’t know.”

At Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based Merck, some workers maintain that the emerging technologies will be “a huge part of our business in the future,” said Scalet. Others, however, believe that the new tools are “a fad that will pass,” he added.

But while Merck is trying to identify the middle ground between those two camps, Scalet is sure that the company will have to find a way to support the technology demands of the baby boomers’ children. “There are 80 million potential workers who are coming at us with these types of capabilities,” he noted. “We’re going to have to deal with that.”

Executives are encouraging Merck employees to experiment with social networks, which Scalet said could lead to a dramatic change in the company’s method for solving problems.

The future model could involve electronically sharing a business problem with anyone with Web access “and letting 15,000 people solve it in an hour,” he said. “That potentially is a very powerful model.”

Mock Trial Info

Dear 2008 Mock Trial Competition Participants:

Several passes were recently donated to Temple-LEAP for Mock
Trial participants to attend a special screening of the
exciting new movie "The Great Debaters". The movie is an
inspirational story of an debate team from a historically
black college during the Depression that overcomes odds to
participate in a national debate competition. The movie
will
surely be a good learning tool for Mock Trial participants.

Two students from each school can attend. The screening will
be held at the Pearl Theatre @ Avenue North, 1600 North
Broad Street (near Broad and Cecil B. Moore) on Wednesday,
December 19, 2007 at 7:00 pm. Preference for passes will be
given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to this
year's competition by attending the Mock Trial Camp in
October. The passes will be distributed on a first come,
first served basis.

Please contact the Temple-LEAP office via e-mail
(leap@temple.edu) with the names of the two students
attending from your school. One pass admits two students.
Passes will be available for pickup Tuesday, December 18 and
Wednesday December 19, 2007 from 3-5 pm at the Temple Law
School front desk. Please do not pick up passes until you
have received confirmation from the Temple LEAP office.
Temple LEAP Project
215-204-1887
215-204-8948
leap@temple.edu

Mickey Mouse Clone and Palestinian Children Advocate Violence and Death

New videos have been posted with a popular T.V. character Mickey Mouse clone and Palestinian children advocating violence and death.

"Emerging Powers: India"

India Vocabulary

“Emerging Powers: India”

Two quotes to consider from the video:
“You can’t just sit on your backside.”
“Perform or fail.”

1. Enlightenment
2. state-controlled
3. capitalism
4. competitors
5. populism
6. socialism
7. free-market
8. ex-patriots
9. optimism
10. opportunity
11. nostalgia
12. Silicon Valley
13. manpower
14. bureaucracy
15. liberalized
16. restraints
17. independence
18. colony
19. Gandhi
20. licenses
21. complacent
22. crisis
23. radical
24. export
25. bankrupt
26. Nehru
27. barriers
28. investment
29. monopoly
30. gracious
31. satellite
32. realm
33. conceive
34. media
35. global economy
36. multi-nationals
37. horoscope
38. BBC
39. cricket
40. cobras
41. fermentation
42. kabobs
43. tandori
44. curry
45. upwardly mobile
46. executive
47. grooming
48. etiquette
49. living standards
50. commercial
51. microcosm
52. shack
53. vendor
54. rural
55. urban
56. enterprising
57. transistor
58. prototype
59. components
60. saris
61. Sikh
62. private sector
63. MBA
64. “red tape”
65. import duties
66. cottage industry
67. abject poverty
68. rupis
69. protectionism
70. regulation
71. brokerage
72. capitalization
73. Kashmir
74. Bangalore

"Emerging Powers: India"

India Vocabulary

“Emerging Powers: India”

Two quotes to consider from the video:
“You can’t just sit on your backside.”
“Perform or fail.”

1. Enlightenment
2. state-controlled
3. capitalism
4. competitors
5. populism
6. socialism
7. free-market
8. ex-patriots
9. optimism
10. opportunity
11. nostalgia
12. Silicon Valley
13. manpower
14. bureaucracy
15. liberalized
16. restraints
17. independence
18. colony
19. Gandhi
20. licenses
21. complacent
22. crisis
23. radical
24. export
25. bankrupt
26. Nehru
27. barriers
28. investment
29. monopoly
30. gracious
31. satellite
32. realm
33. conceive
34. media
35. global economy
36. multi-nationals
37. horoscope
38. BBC
39. cricket
40. cobras
41. fermentation
42. kabobs
43. tandori
44. curry
45. upwardly mobile
46. executive
47. grooming
48. etiquette
49. living standards
50. commercial
51. microcosm
52. shack
53. vendor
54. rural
55. urban
56. enterprising
57. transistor
58. prototype
59. components
60. saris
61. Sikh
62. private sector
63. MBA
64. “red tape”
65. import duties
66. cottage industry
67. abject poverty
68. rupis
69. protectionism
70. regulation
71. brokerage
72. capitalization
73. Kashmir
74. Bangalore

Jobs in Government Technology

Get informed on the role autonomous machines will play in the future of the public sector. Will robots be making decisions in your agency?

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency thinks so.

Change the way your agency looks at recruiting and retaining public sector IT professionals via Missouri's virtual world talent search.

Watch Virtual Recruiting

Revolutionize your public safety with emerging technologies recently implemented by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Gadget Gurus

Fight climate change, improve the local environment and conserve energy in your city. 740 mayors have signed the Climate Protection Agreement. Is your city on board?

Watch U.S. Conference of Mayors Highlights

Philadelphia (Public) Schools Benefit from Wireless Computer Access

Philadelphia schools reap Wi-Fi benefits
Matt Hamblen


December 06, 2007 (Computerworld) Just as the Philadelphia public schools are starting to reap the benefits of a $40 million Wi-Fi project that puts wireless Internet access within reach of 170,000 students, an upgrade to new 802.11n technology is being contemplated for next fall.

The Wi-Fi deployment to all 268 Philadelphia schools, which was finished over the summer, is considered one of the largest Wi-Fi projects anywhere on the globe, according to Meru Networks, one of the vendors that has worked with Avaya Inc. on the project.

The wireless initiative started in early 2003. Updates, including faster 802.11n technology, were expected at the outset to occur every three to four years, subject to funding and technology advances, said Bob Westall, deputy CIO for the city's School District of Philadelphia.

Wi-Fi technology over the 802.11 a/b/g specifications has been instrumental in giving "functional 1 to 1" access of computing to all students, since it allows students to use laptop computers rotated from classroom to classroom on carts, he said.

In an e-mail, Westall called Wi-Fi a "powerful foundation of technology" that supports bandwidth intensive online curriculum, a curriculum management system, digital libraries and a parent-teacher collaboration portal.

A staff of 11,000 can also access operations and administrative applications. The applications include voice, data and video media, Meru officials said.

The district spent about $40 million to wire the schools and buy Wi-Fi gear, Westall said, with about 75% of the cost subsidized by the federal E-Rate program.

Westall said the district plans to incorporate 802.11n technology during the first cycle of equipment replacement, which is expected to start next fall. He did not provide any other details on costs or a deployment schedule.

A Meru spokeswoman said that "potentially" the faster speed 802.11n technology could be installed by Meru in about 170 schools of a total of 268 over one to two years. Meru recently announced it had provisioned 90 of the schools as of last summer with 14,000 access points contained in 7,000 Meru Network Radio Switches.

That switch, the RS4000, features air traffic control technology that Meru said has been ideal for converged voice, data and video applications especially in areas with many users.

Meru officials said they were also able to use the technology to help prevent interference from nearby Wi-Fi signals emitted from equipment used by the city government for its massive municipal Wi-Fi deployment.

The project was originally started with Avaya working with Proxim Wireless Corp., which led to wiring of about 178 schools, but the district and Avaya determined that Meru's technology "would better adapt and scale to the district's needs," Westall said. Proxim could not be reached to comment.

When Meru started on the project about two years ago, 802.11n and even 802.11 Draft N had not been developed as a specification, the Meru spokeswoman added.

Phil Belanger, an analyst at Novarum Inc., said Meru has been a strong leader in promoting Draft N Wi-Fi technology. The Meru Radio Switch is innovative for providing higher bandwidth capacity in zones with many users, unlike many competitors, he added, making it a suitable implementation at the Philadelphia School District.

Cf. Philadelphia Public Schools and Wi-Fi Access.

WW I information

A good source of information on WW I and Trenches on the Web are available online.

All Quiet On the Western Front, Video Worksheet

Originally posted: Monday, January 15, 2007
U.S. Navy video hit and "All Quiet On The Western Front."

U.S. Navy video a hit on YouTube

Blogger Victoria Revay writes:
"The U.S. Navy's latest propaganda video on YouTube was the third most watched video last week on the popular video site. It even beat out videos of Lonelygirl15, Britney and Donald Trump. But what is more surprising is the debate these series of videos have started. Since the U.S. government posted an anti-drug campaign video in September [2006], debates about terrorism, the war in Iraq, the U.S. and Europe have been left in over 1,600 comments attached to the videos."
http://www.nowpublic.com/u_s_navy_video_a_hit_on_youtube

I am seeking your ideas on the question of comparing "All Quiet On The Western Front," and this more recent Navy video. The comparison is worth ten (10) points.

What is the view of the military that emerges in each visual presentation?
U.S. Navy video

"All Quiet on the Western Front," Film Worksheet

Name: ____________________________________________________ Per.: _____

The film "All Quiet on the Western Front" is a classic Hollywood adaptation of Erich Remarque's novel. It takes a hard look at the tragedy of war using World War I as its backdrop. You may use the back of this sheet to answer the questions.

As you watch the movie, please answer the following questions:

1. What is the title of this film?

2. When was the novel written?

3. Who wrote the original novel?

4. Why did the students join the Army?

5. What job or occupation did the mailman (Himmelstoess) have?

6. Was he particularly cruel to these recruits? Give an example.

7. How did the solders get back at Himmelstoess?

8. How were conditions at the Western Front different from their expectations in training camp?

9. What was the impact of the shelling on the new recruits?

10. What happened after the bombardment?

11. What happened to Kemmerich's boots?

12. How did the doctors' react to Kemmerich's plight?

13. What sport did Kemmerich participate in before the war?

14. In the attack, what effect did the machine gun have on the recruit's ideas of the glory of war and individual heroism?

15. How many of the company died in this first battle?

16. How do you know?

17. Why were they able to eat so well finally?

18. In this film, what is Kat’ “baptism?”

19. During the war, is "God still in his heaven?"

20. Why was Kat going to shoot the new recruit?

21. What does the arrival of many coffins signal?

22. What was the pattern of a battle? What preceded the attack? What followed it?

23. What is Kat's rank?

24. During the war, which is a better weapon, a bayonet that the recruits got in training, or the shovel (spade) they got on the battlefield?

25. What is the Vocabulary word that describes the horrible things that happen during war?

26. How was Sgt. Himmelstoess received when he arrived at the front?

27. What do the men want Himmelstoess to jump into?

28. What is a latrine?

29. How did Himmelstoess react to battle conditions?

30. What happened to Paul Baumer when he found himself in a shell hole in No Man's Land with the French soldier?

31. Was it more difficult for Paul to kill the French soldier in the foxhole? Why or why not?

32. Why does Paul ask for forgiveness?

33. Who got a medal for his actions during battle? Paul or Himmelstoess?

34. Why did the French girls - ostensibly the enemy - accept the German soldiers?

35. After four years of war, how has the German home front been affected? Were there still the parades, crowded streets, and joyous sounds of going off to war?

36. What were the attitudes of the men in the beer hall? Did the men think Germany was losing the war? Were they willing to listen to what Paul had to say?

37. How does Paul Baumer confront his former teacher?

38. What was a Catholic infirmary (hospital) known for?

39. What does it indicate if the orderlies take a hospital patient’s clothes?

40. After Paul is wounded, what did his fellow patient, Albert, try do do?

41. What did Albert ask for?

42. What was he going to do with this item?

43. How has the company changed during Paul's absence?

44. How many students were in Paul’s class in high school? How many students from Paul’s class died in the war?

45. How many went missing?

46. How many went to the “nut house?”

47. When Paul writes, what is his “real home?”

48. When Paul meets with Kemmerich’s mother, does he lie to her? Why or why not?

49. What is ironic about the date of Kat's and Paul's deaths? [Note: The war ended on November 11, 1918.]

50. Describe the attitude of this movie towards World War I and all wars.





Extra Credit
Design a German WW I propaganda poster. Examples may be found at (and there is one class example by Eddie Lantigua): http://www.worldwar1.com/posters.htm.

Why Not Attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, While Still in High School?

The significance for High Schools and the MIT OpenCourseWare initiative is that MIT is extending their offerings to the secondary level.

More than 60% of those people who accessed MIT were from Asian countries but it would make sense that Americans can take advantage of this unprecedented access to knowledge.

The outreach to High Schools by MIT is called "Highlights for High School," which aims to bolster high school education through free and open course materials, from complete curricula and syllabi to videos, lecture notes, and animations.

You can not earn a diploma online but you can access MIT courses.

Highlights for High School is also known as OpenCourseWare Secondary Education, or OCW SE.

On the new site, there are thousands of resources designed just for high school teachers and students, including:

* 15,000 lecture notes;
* 1,800 syllabi;
* 2,600 videos, audio clips, and animations taken from actual MIT courses;
* 9,000 assignments; and
* 900 assessments.

The reason MIT put the materials online is clear.

"As has been well documented, the [United States] needs to invest more in secondary education, particularly in STEM fields. MIT as a leading institution of science and technology has an obligation to help address the issue,"

said Thomas Magnanti, former dean of the School of Engineering at MIT, who chaired the committee that developed Highlights for High School.

Cf. Highlights for High School

Would You Like to Take Classes at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology?

MIT puts entire curriculum online
Linda Rosencrance


December 04, 2007 (Computerworld) MIT has put its entire curriculum of 1,800 undergraduate and graduate courses online, making the courses available for free to any user with an Internet connection and a Web browser.

First announced in 2001, MIT's OpenCourseWare includes syllabuses, homework assignments, exams, reference materials and video lectures when available. The information is published under an open license that allows for reuse, distribution and modification of the materials for noncommercial purposes, said OCW spokesman Steve Carson.

"There are lecture notes, exams, homework assignments from about 15,000 lectures, about 9,000 homework assignments, 900 exams. And with the homework assignments and exams, about 40% of them include the solutions, so you can check your work and see how well you've done," Carson said. "For many of the courses, we've been able to add certain types of special enhancements. If there's a simulation or animation that the faculty member has created, we've included that."

An estimated 35 million people have accessed OCW course materials since the program's inception, Carson said.

"There's been a lot of traffic from China, India and South Korea," he said. "Sixty percent of users are from the outside the United States. And nearly 600 courses have been translated into [other] languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese and Thai."

Carson said MIT has also provided more than 120 local copies of the OCW site to universities in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa where bandwidth is tight.

In addition, 160 universities from countries and regions around the world, including Spain, China, Japan, Africa, Australia, Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia, have also published an estimated 5,000 courses, he said.

To date, the project has cost $29 million -- much less than the $100 million price tag that had been projected. Funding was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ab Initio Software Corp. and MIT, Carson said.

Carson said MIT expects to add 50 new courses each year.

Rising Cost of Gas

Date, Gallons, and Cost

3 Dec. '06, 12.714, $30.50

2 Dec. '07, 12.067, $37.40

Internet Evolution

A plethora of opinion can be found on Internet Evolution.