1/30/13

Today in class we had a "pop" quiz today. Mr. Schick was gone for about 20 minutes taking pictures so we had time to study but I don't think I did so hot because I was absent the day the power point was presented so I didn't have too many notes. After the pop quiz we were given an in class assignment but we only had 6 minutes so I am finishing it right now. We have to read pages 20 to 29 and we have to take "light notes." This means only write down what really pops out to you and what you really think is important, not just every little  thing. So I have to finish that now so everyone have fun finishing their homework!

Was Jared Diamond right with his theory of "geographic luck"?

Yes. I totally 100 percent believe this is true. The textbook says you need a successful system of cultivating plants, taming animals, and the ability to create technology that will help the plants and animals adapt to human needs (this is called the agricultural revolution). Well how can you have these things if you're little is set up in the middle of a desert that is suffering from drought. The cultivation of plants would be impossible considering there would be no soil and the land would be so dry that it would be impossible to plant anything, the desert would be deserted (pardon the pun) of animals because there would be no food, especially if the animal is a herbivore and there are no green life anywhere, and the technology that you make would be completely useless since you have no plants or animals...enough said. What a successful civilization needs is luck. Geographic luck to be specific. You want to have your civilization in a place like the fertile crescent where you can raise sheep and cows and horses and use them to their abilities. You can use their fur/wool to make clothing, you can use them for a food resource, you can use them for whatever they produce such as milk. And then they have babies and the process starts all over again. You need a place where you can plant wheat to make bread. or corn, squash, yams, rice, etc. The list is endless. You see if you don't have geographic luck maybe you will be forced into becoming a migrant worker. In my opinion I'd much rather settle down and have some time to make some pottery and stuff because I have a system worked out and I have extra time to do things like that. I would want to have time to learn from other civilizations about how they run their little village and I would want to have time to trade with them and become an advanced civilization for my day (And I'm acting like if I lived a long long time ago). So that is why I think Jared Diamond is right and I think if the textbook had a voice it would also agree.

1/24/13

Today in class I was assigned a seat. I sit behind Ricky and in front of Tim. We watched a video on John Green and then discussed it more. The video was about domestication and the ups and downs of agriculture and the early civilizations It was a very entertaining video and it was definitely a lot to take in. I think I got the jest of it though. I know a lot about John Green because Savannah King (my BFF) always talked about him so his name was very familiar to me when we watched the video. I'm actually really looking forward to class tomorrow so see everyone tomorrow! : D

1/23/13

I wasn't in school on this day because I went to PA to visit my poppy for his birthday. We redecorated this room to make it feel more homey and I ended up getting a job at his home! A few times a month I'm going to drive up to PA to get involved with the activity center so the nice old people won't be bored all day. So I get to see my poppy more, and get more service hours, and I get to do fun things with them. THEY ARE SO ADORABLE!!! I'm so excited!

1/17/13

I know this blog is late for anyone reading it but my computer had been in the tech lab for a couple of days. So what did we do on Friday? Well I'm still getting used to Western Civ and being in a new room with a new class but so far I like it. We did some reading in the textbook and we highlighted a couple things. We talked about prehistory- the time before things were written down in history. We also talked about how civilizations started to form and progress in food supply and how to build shelters. Well after more than one civilizations formed they started to learn from each other. So they either collaborated and exchanged information and traded with them or they went to war and just tried to completely take over. Overall it was a pretty interesting class.

First Day of Class

Today was our first day of Western Civilization. We received our textbooks and wrote our names on our books. After that Mr. Schick explained about the blog. I had the blog from last semester in human geo but I had to make a new one for Western Civ. He explained to everybody that we have to blog every night, 130 words, before 12 o’clock, every night, for the rest of the semester. The blog is really important, as it was last semester, so I’m going make the best effort to post every night again. I designed my blog and I’m still trying to find out how to get the fish tank -_-. I need the fish tank. At the end of class, after I sent my URL to Mr. Schick’s email, Mr. Schick answered people’s questions and I started my blog since I knew what to do because of having him last semester. It was an overall easygoing and fun class.