The Causes of the French Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3AxmBgqYg
more background information about the French Revolution
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u3AxmBgqYg
Monday, November 12, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Martin Luther and the Protestant reformation in Germany
Today you learned about Martin Luther and the Protestant reformation. Remember at this time in European the Catholic Church headed by the Popes was the only type of Christianity around. The Pope claimed complete control over peoples religious lives. Priests in the Catholic church were meant to tell the people what Christianity was and how to be a good Christian because few people could read the Bible themselves, for two reason, one- few people could read and books were so expensive and difficult to make.
When the printing press was invented books became easies to make and cheap and more people learned to read. A German Catholic priest named Martin Luther after reading the Bible became frustrated with the contradiction between the type of Christianity the Church was teaching and what the Bible taught. He was also upset with the church selling indulgences to finance the building of its expensive buildings and art work. One day Martin Luther wrote down 95 issues that he disagreed with the the church about and nailed the paper to the Church in the City of Worms in Germany. This was only meant to challenge the Church to change but int the end the Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther from the Church. This was the birth of the Protestant reformation.
Wartch these video clips about Martin Luther and write your opinion of this man and his desire to challenge the Catholic Church.
Site about Martin Luther's life watch then
Catholic selling of indulgences and Luther response the 95 thesis nailed to the church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSmv3kcwcus
Luther facing trial by the Catholic church leaders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF5b-6R9FVA
Luther after he leaves the Catholic Church and creates Lutheranism ( a type of Protestantism)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDNtN4tQb5k
When the printing press was invented books became easies to make and cheap and more people learned to read. A German Catholic priest named Martin Luther after reading the Bible became frustrated with the contradiction between the type of Christianity the Church was teaching and what the Bible taught. He was also upset with the church selling indulgences to finance the building of its expensive buildings and art work. One day Martin Luther wrote down 95 issues that he disagreed with the the church about and nailed the paper to the Church in the City of Worms in Germany. This was only meant to challenge the Church to change but int the end the Pope Leo X excommunicated Luther from the Church. This was the birth of the Protestant reformation.
Wartch these video clips about Martin Luther and write your opinion of this man and his desire to challenge the Catholic Church.
Site about Martin Luther's life watch then
Catholic selling of indulgences and Luther response the 95 thesis nailed to the church
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSmv3kcwcus
Luther facing trial by the Catholic church leaders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF5b-6R9FVA
Luther after he leaves the Catholic Church and creates Lutheranism ( a type of Protestantism)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDNtN4tQb5k
Monday, October 22, 2007
England as a nation and the begining of English democracy
Ladies and gentlemen, today you studied how the English nation came to be. The land we today call England was invaded over several centuries by the original Celts and later Angles and Saxon people both coming from northern Germany. These Angles and Saxons brought with them their language, culture and traditions. England itself gets its name from the "land of the Angles" Angle-land=England. Danish Vikings also traveled there and mixed with the Anglo-Saxons.
However in 1066 a French Viking or Norman from the region of Normandy in norther France led his armies across the English channel and eventually conquered the Anglo-Saxons. He eventually took over all of England and brought the French language and culture and feudal system with him. This strange mix of peoples are the where the English nation begins
later in 1215, the nobles angry at King John from wasting their money force the King to sign the Magna Carta the foundation document of English democracy. This document reduced the power of the King and provided the English people with rights and freedoms. Later the English would also create the beginnings of the legislative representation by creating the Parliament, this also weakened the power of the Kings of England. In France however the Capetian Kings created another organizations the Estates-General, while the French kings pretended that the Estates General were free, the fact was that the clergy and the nobility held almost all the power and the French people had no guarantee of rights, like the people of England did.
compare and contrast the rights and freedoms in the magana carta to the US bill of rights
http://www.billofrights.com/MagnaCarta.htm
you have to read both and tell me what they have in common and what is different.
However in 1066 a French Viking or Norman from the region of Normandy in norther France led his armies across the English channel and eventually conquered the Anglo-Saxons. He eventually took over all of England and brought the French language and culture and feudal system with him. This strange mix of peoples are the where the English nation begins
later in 1215, the nobles angry at King John from wasting their money force the King to sign the Magna Carta the foundation document of English democracy. This document reduced the power of the King and provided the English people with rights and freedoms. Later the English would also create the beginnings of the legislative representation by creating the Parliament, this also weakened the power of the Kings of England. In France however the Capetian Kings created another organizations the Estates-General, while the French kings pretended that the Estates General were free, the fact was that the clergy and the nobility held almost all the power and the French people had no guarantee of rights, like the people of England did.
compare and contrast the rights and freedoms in the magana carta to the US bill of rights
http://www.billofrights.com/MagnaCarta.htm
you have to read both and tell me what they have in common and what is different.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Europe in the Middle Ages and the Catholic Church
Ladies and gentleman, I'm sorry to be absent today, as you know I wasn't feeling well yesterday and it only got worse, so instead of giving you my fever I decide to stay home. But as you know we have been talking about the middle ages in Europe.
Life in Europe during the Middle Ages was very different from today. The system of feudalism was in place which allowed for Kings, the nobility and Catholic church officials to have most of the power to govern while the vast majority of the populations stayed in the farm and worked. Those peasants who were treated like slaves by the lord of the manners, lived hard lives as serfs. At the same time knights owed allegiance and and protection to the nobles and the King.
Knights lived a high moral code called chivalry. This way of life meant that Knights had to spend most of the time in the year practicing for combats by attending tournaments and working their way as a knights apprentice: first as a page and later as a squire then a full fledged knight. These knights had to to look out for their lords, had to be religious and show great respect to women. Knights were such an important part of life in the middle ages that the literature was almost all about their brave battles or their romantic journeys to save the fair ladies at this time.
The Catholic Church as along with the monarchy the most powerful institution in Europe at the time. The Pope was in charge of the religious matters of all European kingdoms while several kings looked after the political needs of the kingdom. Most Europeans, except for a few Jewish communities, weer Catholic and took their religion very seriously.
One of these popes, Urban II claimed that Christian European knights and should go on a crusade to retake Jerusalem form the Muslims. You will remember the the land of Israel was holy to the Jews and was the birth place of Jesus. Jews were eventual kicked out of Israel by the Romans in ancient times which allowed Arab Muslims to come into the land and rename it Palestine. The Christian Europeans were very upset that the holy shrines of Christianity were controlled by Muslims. These Christian knights and other under the Popes command traveled to Palestine to retake it from the Muslim. Along the way many Jews in Europe were killed by Christians. Eventual after some time of fighting the Christian armies defeated the Muslims and took the city of Jerusalem. The strained relationship between Christians and Muslims begins in this unfortunate period in history.
cool video about feudalism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdfCruKzAGQ
Life in Europe during the Middle Ages was very different from today. The system of feudalism was in place which allowed for Kings, the nobility and Catholic church officials to have most of the power to govern while the vast majority of the populations stayed in the farm and worked. Those peasants who were treated like slaves by the lord of the manners, lived hard lives as serfs. At the same time knights owed allegiance and and protection to the nobles and the King.
Knights lived a high moral code called chivalry. This way of life meant that Knights had to spend most of the time in the year practicing for combats by attending tournaments and working their way as a knights apprentice: first as a page and later as a squire then a full fledged knight. These knights had to to look out for their lords, had to be religious and show great respect to women. Knights were such an important part of life in the middle ages that the literature was almost all about their brave battles or their romantic journeys to save the fair ladies at this time.
The Catholic Church as along with the monarchy the most powerful institution in Europe at the time. The Pope was in charge of the religious matters of all European kingdoms while several kings looked after the political needs of the kingdom. Most Europeans, except for a few Jewish communities, weer Catholic and took their religion very seriously.
One of these popes, Urban II claimed that Christian European knights and should go on a crusade to retake Jerusalem form the Muslims. You will remember the the land of Israel was holy to the Jews and was the birth place of Jesus. Jews were eventual kicked out of Israel by the Romans in ancient times which allowed Arab Muslims to come into the land and rename it Palestine. The Christian Europeans were very upset that the holy shrines of Christianity were controlled by Muslims. These Christian knights and other under the Popes command traveled to Palestine to retake it from the Muslim. Along the way many Jews in Europe were killed by Christians. Eventual after some time of fighting the Christian armies defeated the Muslims and took the city of Jerusalem. The strained relationship between Christians and Muslims begins in this unfortunate period in history.
cool video about feudalism
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdfCruKzAGQ
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The Muslim world, Sunni-Shia divide, yesterday and today
As you learned last week the religion of Islam has 5 main "pillars" of belief. 1Faith the there is one god and that Mohammad was a prophet. 2. prayer 5 times a day. 3. alms or charity to the poor. 4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan and 5. pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to see the Kaaba, all Muslims agree on the importance of those 5 pillars of faith.
There are some big disagreements in Islam though, eventually, Mohammad died and leadership of the Muslim world was the responsibility of the Caliphs. Most Muslims agreed with the election of the first Caliph to lead the Muslims, Uthman after the death of Mohammad. Those who believed that the leader of the religion should be elected as by tribal custom were called Sunni. Other Muslims didn't think that Uthman should led the Muslims and instead backed Mohammad's cousin Ali to led them, those Muslims are called Shia. Ever since this initial disagreement about who should led after Mohammad's death Sunni and Shia Muslims have disagreed. Through the Islamic dynasties of the Ummayads, the Abbasid and the Fatimid, Sunnis and Muslims have fought one another.
Why does this matter today you may ask. In the Middle East in Iraq, the populations is divided between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Most Iraqis are Shia Arabs, but there are also a some Sunni Arabs and Kurds, also Muslim. Since the toppling of Saddam Husein's government by the US army, much of the fighting in Iraq has been going on between Shia and Sunni Iraqi Muslims. Each side has committed terrorist acts against each other in effect continuing to fight over the same questions over leadership in the Islamic world. Today many young people are going to Iraq to support the Iraqi government and are getting caught in the cross fire between Sunni and Shia groups. You may have friends or family there are serving in Iraq yourself. So you see that history isn't just something that happened along time ago, we live with history everyday, whether we want to or not, these issues affect our lives as Americans.
There are some big disagreements in Islam though, eventually, Mohammad died and leadership of the Muslim world was the responsibility of the Caliphs. Most Muslims agreed with the election of the first Caliph to lead the Muslims, Uthman after the death of Mohammad. Those who believed that the leader of the religion should be elected as by tribal custom were called Sunni. Other Muslims didn't think that Uthman should led the Muslims and instead backed Mohammad's cousin Ali to led them, those Muslims are called Shia. Ever since this initial disagreement about who should led after Mohammad's death Sunni and Shia Muslims have disagreed. Through the Islamic dynasties of the Ummayads, the Abbasid and the Fatimid, Sunnis and Muslims have fought one another.
Why does this matter today you may ask. In the Middle East in Iraq, the populations is divided between Sunni and Shia Muslims. Most Iraqis are Shia Arabs, but there are also a some Sunni Arabs and Kurds, also Muslim. Since the toppling of Saddam Husein's government by the US army, much of the fighting in Iraq has been going on between Shia and Sunni Iraqi Muslims. Each side has committed terrorist acts against each other in effect continuing to fight over the same questions over leadership in the Islamic world. Today many young people are going to Iraq to support the Iraqi government and are getting caught in the cross fire between Sunni and Shia groups. You may have friends or family there are serving in Iraq yourself. So you see that history isn't just something that happened along time ago, we live with history everyday, whether we want to or not, these issues affect our lives as Americans.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Islam and its spread through the Middle East and North Africa
We are leaving the ancient era of world history and moving into the middle ages, roughly 600 to 1500. Today you will be learning about Islam and the middle East. Like Judaism, and Christianity, Islam is a monotheistic religion. Around 600, in the trading city of Mecca in the what is today Saudi Arabia, a man named Muhammad, claimed to have received revelations for God (Allah in Arabic) through the angel Gabriel. These revelations contained in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, guide Muslim faith. There are 5 main points or pillars of the the Islamic religion, you will learn about these in the information below. One of these pillars is that all Muslims should fast during the month of Ramadan and should make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once to see the Kaba.
Islam grew slowly but soon after several military wins more and more Arabs converted from polytheism to Islam. Later, Islam would spread from the Arabia all over the Middle East and North Africa. The land of Israel, once home to the Jews, was conquered by the Muslims as well as parts of Christian Europe. Despite this for much of its history Jews and Muslims got along well. Christians and Muslims would continue to be at odds with one another for military and economic power. The high level of culture and science of the Muslim world will eventually be overturned by armies of European Christians during a series of wars called the Crusades. We will discuss the crusades later.
As allways, when we learn about religions my goal is to introduce you to other peoples beliefs while teaching to respect your own.
learn more about Islam
http://www.islam101.com/
This is a video with song from the letters of the Arabic alphabet that teaches Islamic terms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L-GOHa5-YQ
Islam grew slowly but soon after several military wins more and more Arabs converted from polytheism to Islam. Later, Islam would spread from the Arabia all over the Middle East and North Africa. The land of Israel, once home to the Jews, was conquered by the Muslims as well as parts of Christian Europe. Despite this for much of its history Jews and Muslims got along well. Christians and Muslims would continue to be at odds with one another for military and economic power. The high level of culture and science of the Muslim world will eventually be overturned by armies of European Christians during a series of wars called the Crusades. We will discuss the crusades later.
As allways, when we learn about religions my goal is to introduce you to other peoples beliefs while teaching to respect your own.
learn more about Islam
http://www.islam101.com/
This is a video with song from the letters of the Arabic alphabet that teaches Islamic terms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L-GOHa5-YQ
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
TEST ON THURSDAY 20 questions short answer and fill in the blank
Ladies and gentlemen, we are finishing our study of mans beginnings in Africa, river valley civilizations, Judaism, Greece, Rome, Christianity, Africa, India, Hinduism, Buddhism, and China. All of these ancient civilizations are very different and at the same time similar to one another, they all form the foundation background for our further study of world history. Please remember to study for your test on Thursday. As I have said before if you think you can get by just looking at your notes for all of the answers on the test, you are wrong. You won't have enough time. You have to have reviewed this information if you intended to do well on the test. The test will consist of 20 questions fill in the blank and or short answers. You know how my tests are now, the responsibility to prepare for this test is yours.
We will be having a review on Wednesday, for which each students was to come to class with 10 quality questions to share. If you and your class do not take advantage of these review sessions, we won't have them in the future. So please come to class prepared to review, ask questions to clarify and misunderstandings you may have and study on your own or in groups this evening in preparation for the test. Like I said in class, you are all intelligent- that's not the issue, but you also need to be organized and disciplined in order to do well in this class. good luck and study hard.
We will be having a review on Wednesday, for which each students was to come to class with 10 quality questions to share. If you and your class do not take advantage of these review sessions, we won't have them in the future. So please come to class prepared to review, ask questions to clarify and misunderstandings you may have and study on your own or in groups this evening in preparation for the test. Like I said in class, you are all intelligent- that's not the issue, but you also need to be organized and disciplined in order to do well in this class. good luck and study hard.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
China: Early societies, Confucianism and the Qin dynasty
The name China means "middle kingdom" because the Chinese, with their 5,000 year old history, have always thought of themselves as the center of civilization. Like the other river civilizations that we have talked about in class Chinese civilization begins in the the land between the Chiang Jiang river and the Huang He river. There, early Chinese grew rice and wheat and eventually developed advanced societies.
Before China was united into one single empire it was a hodge podge of several separate kingdoms. The first dynasty that historians know information about is the Shang. During the Shang dynasty, the beginnings of what we associate with Chinese culture begin. The Chinese written and spoken language and the concept of a powerful King who rule according to the "mandate of Heaven" are introduced.
Later because the Shang were not living up to Heavens dictates, the Shang lost the authority to rule and we conquered by the Zhou. It is at the end of the Zhou period when the greatest teacher or morality in Asia, Confucius, teaches the people.
Confucius' teachings, which would later be called Confucianism basically says that when everyone in society acts according to their proper rule peace and harmony reigns. Confucius taught about the five relationships which must be kept in balance to create social harmony.
While Confucius was important in ancient China, he was not the only teacher. Lao Zi taught the Dao De Jing advising people to follow what he called the "Dao" or the way of inaction. Today many people in China and around Asia base their morality on these teachings as well as Buddhism which eventually was brought to China through cultural diffusion.
After the Zhou also lost control of the people and the "mandate of heaven" the King of Qin was able to bring order to the warring states and unite them all under one government once and for all. In 221 BC the Qin Emperor or Qin Shir Huangdi, united all of China under one government, made a common language, money system, laws, and generally made China what it is today. The Qin Emperor also began the work on what would become the Great Wall of China in an attempt to keep invaders from the north of China (present day Mongolia) from attacking. He also had a massive terracotta (clay) army built around what would become his tomb to protect him after his death. His son proved incompetent which led to the destruction of the Qin dynasty. Years later, after some fighting Wang Mang would reunite China under the Han.
This explains how the Five relationships work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn7grjTpcNA
see how the First Emporer of China united the country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRizdgGDzbI
learn about the Great Wall of China
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY7yJ7JWFU
Before China was united into one single empire it was a hodge podge of several separate kingdoms. The first dynasty that historians know information about is the Shang. During the Shang dynasty, the beginnings of what we associate with Chinese culture begin. The Chinese written and spoken language and the concept of a powerful King who rule according to the "mandate of Heaven" are introduced.
Later because the Shang were not living up to Heavens dictates, the Shang lost the authority to rule and we conquered by the Zhou. It is at the end of the Zhou period when the greatest teacher or morality in Asia, Confucius, teaches the people.
Confucius' teachings, which would later be called Confucianism basically says that when everyone in society acts according to their proper rule peace and harmony reigns. Confucius taught about the five relationships which must be kept in balance to create social harmony.
While Confucius was important in ancient China, he was not the only teacher. Lao Zi taught the Dao De Jing advising people to follow what he called the "Dao" or the way of inaction. Today many people in China and around Asia base their morality on these teachings as well as Buddhism which eventually was brought to China through cultural diffusion.
After the Zhou also lost control of the people and the "mandate of heaven" the King of Qin was able to bring order to the warring states and unite them all under one government once and for all. In 221 BC the Qin Emperor or Qin Shir Huangdi, united all of China under one government, made a common language, money system, laws, and generally made China what it is today. The Qin Emperor also began the work on what would become the Great Wall of China in an attempt to keep invaders from the north of China (present day Mongolia) from attacking. He also had a massive terracotta (clay) army built around what would become his tomb to protect him after his death. His son proved incompetent which led to the destruction of the Qin dynasty. Years later, after some fighting Wang Mang would reunite China under the Han.
This explains how the Five relationships work
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn7grjTpcNA
see how the First Emporer of China united the country
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRizdgGDzbI
learn about the Great Wall of China
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY7yJ7JWFU
Monday, October 1, 2007
Siddharta Guatuma:The Buddha
Yesterday in class, we discussed the Aryan invasion of the Indus River valley and how the Aryans dominated the original inhabitants of India. We also discussed how these Indians create a social caste system based on race and class. The Hindu religion, we learned as found in the Vedas and the Upanishads supported the caste system. We also discussed some other core beliefs of Hinduism, the belief in reincarnation, karma, and the three most important Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
It is in this conservative Hindu cultural mix that around the year 500 BC in a small kingdom along the present day India-Nepal border a child was born the the King and Queen. You are going to notice many similarities with the story of the Buddha and that of Jesus. Both men were historical fugues that changed world history. Christianity will dominate European culture while the religion that Siddhartha Gautama developed will similarly effect Asian societies.
In class today we discussed
1. Siddhartha as a young child and the what the priest said about his future.
2. Siddhartha's parents attempts to keep him from knowledge of life's problems
3. How Sidhhartha eventually, by accident comes to realize what he will come to call the Four Noble Truths.
4.How he leaves his comfortable life and beings a life of self denial in the forests for 6 years
5. How he comes to a realization of the the Middle way and eventually reaching enlightenment and ultimately nirvana.
By the end of class you should be able to explain in your own words the story of Siddhartha's enlightenment according to Buddhism. As always we discuss religion the purpose is to expose you to others beliefs while respecting your own.
These 5 short clips will give you a deeper understanding of the Buddha, please watch them in descending order.
1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcD3yutwkWA
2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvaoBiirOtk&mode=related&search=
3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1QVQlBaYG8&mode=related&search=
4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eavgDUjTLFU&mode=related&search=
5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P80JJrf55Eo&mode=related&search=
It is in this conservative Hindu cultural mix that around the year 500 BC in a small kingdom along the present day India-Nepal border a child was born the the King and Queen. You are going to notice many similarities with the story of the Buddha and that of Jesus. Both men were historical fugues that changed world history. Christianity will dominate European culture while the religion that Siddhartha Gautama developed will similarly effect Asian societies.
In class today we discussed
1. Siddhartha as a young child and the what the priest said about his future.
2. Siddhartha's parents attempts to keep him from knowledge of life's problems
3. How Sidhhartha eventually, by accident comes to realize what he will come to call the Four Noble Truths.
4.How he leaves his comfortable life and beings a life of self denial in the forests for 6 years
5. How he comes to a realization of the the Middle way and eventually reaching enlightenment and ultimately nirvana.
By the end of class you should be able to explain in your own words the story of Siddhartha's enlightenment according to Buddhism. As always we discuss religion the purpose is to expose you to others beliefs while respecting your own.
These 5 short clips will give you a deeper understanding of the Buddha, please watch them in descending order.
1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcD3yutwkWA
2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvaoBiirOtk&mode=related&search=
3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1QVQlBaYG8&mode=related&search=
4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eavgDUjTLFU&mode=related&search=
5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P80JJrf55Eo&mode=related&search=
Sunday, September 30, 2007
India and Hinduism: Why it matters today.
We are continuing our study of the ancient world by leaving Europe and Africa and examining a region you may know less about; Asia- specifically ancient India and its Hindu culture and later Buddhism which begins in India. We will also talk briefly about the Gupta empire, the high point of native Indian culture. Please remember you are to read these links and watch these videos for class. Remember, the test your received was a "practice run" so that you are prepared for what is expected of you in the future. If you have not been keeping of with the information on the websites or your notes, it is your responsibility to change that behavior.
why does all of this matter any way you may ask? India is one of the most important economic blocs in the world, every day thousands of American jobs are being sent to India. In the future you will have to compete for jobs with people from India not just people in your neighborhood. You have to have the basic background knowledge about this important world culture if you expect to get hired by companies that do business overseas.
watch these videos to learn more about Hinduism
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RKE7enkhZyo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lEJNbdn9t20&mode=related&search=
Gupta empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_Empire
life and teaching of the Buddha "the enlightened one"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
why does all of this matter any way you may ask? India is one of the most important economic blocs in the world, every day thousands of American jobs are being sent to India. In the future you will have to compete for jobs with people from India not just people in your neighborhood. You have to have the basic background knowledge about this important world culture if you expect to get hired by companies that do business overseas.
watch these videos to learn more about Hinduism
http://youtube.com/watch?v=RKE7enkhZyo
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lEJNbdn9t20&mode=related&search=
Gupta empire
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_Empire
life and teaching of the Buddha "the enlightened one"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
TEST on THURSDAY. Students in Africa study by streetlight
You have to see this, I'm enjoying teaching this world history class, but some students have been complaining about having to do readings and my high expectations for you. Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that you can learn to understand and enjoy history. History is the story of humanity, in all its diversity. In America you have so many advantages that people in other countries don't have, remember that when you are studying for your test. We have gone over this information and I expect great things from you. Please read this article about what students in Africa have to do just to get an education and then take a moment to really think about how seriously you take the opportunities you have not just in history but in all of your classes.
Students in Africa study outside under street lights because there is little electricity in their homes. These students do not make excuses, they find a way. They realize that THEY are responsible for their education. Excuses and complaining get you nothing in life.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6990034.stm
Students in Africa study outside under street lights because there is little electricity in their homes. These students do not make excuses, they find a way. They realize that THEY are responsible for their education. Excuses and complaining get you nothing in life.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6990034.stm
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Foundations of Sub-Sharan African civilizations West Africa (Nok), the Bantus and East Africa (Aksum)
Western (European) culture is based on the religion and ethics of Judaism and Christianity and the law, art, architecture, language and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome. At the same time that Western culture was developing around the Mediterranean sea area, other cultures were developing in Africa. You have already read and learned about the importance of ancient Egypt and the Nile River Valley, but other cultures also shaped African society.
The Nok culture of West Africa along the Niger River is perhaps the oldest know advanced culture in sub-Saharan Africa. The town of Djenne-Djeno was an important trading and iron smelting area. The Nok displayed the five aspects of culture just as the ancient Romans and Greeks did, expect they used griots to to record information as they did not develop a written language.
Years later around present day Cameroon, the Bantu "the people" migrated from their traditional homeland and spread all through sub-Saharan Africa in search for new farmland. Today, almost 2/3 of Black Africans are descendants of these early Bantu travelers. Please remember that the Bantu are not one tribe, but instead a group of over 400 separate tribal groups who share a common background, language and ancestry. At the same time that the Bantu were migrating in the south and west of Africa, Semites crossed from Arabia to East Africa and develop the Kingdom of Aksum in modern day Ethiopia. Aksum will become a powerful Christian empire in Eastern Africa and will develop its own writing system under King Ezana.
see and hear Akon's video Mama Africa to gain a greater appreciation for the continent and its people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9YE8dHMxvw&mode=related&search=
learn more about the Bantu peoples of Africa and their contributions to world history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu
Bantu are not the only peoples of sub-Sharan Africa, Semites (people related the the Arabs and Jews of the Middle East) intermarry with Africans and found the Kingdom of Aksum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSEUM8QUt3g
The Nok culture of West Africa along the Niger River is perhaps the oldest know advanced culture in sub-Saharan Africa. The town of Djenne-Djeno was an important trading and iron smelting area. The Nok displayed the five aspects of culture just as the ancient Romans and Greeks did, expect they used griots to to record information as they did not develop a written language.
Years later around present day Cameroon, the Bantu "the people" migrated from their traditional homeland and spread all through sub-Saharan Africa in search for new farmland. Today, almost 2/3 of Black Africans are descendants of these early Bantu travelers. Please remember that the Bantu are not one tribe, but instead a group of over 400 separate tribal groups who share a common background, language and ancestry. At the same time that the Bantu were migrating in the south and west of Africa, Semites crossed from Arabia to East Africa and develop the Kingdom of Aksum in modern day Ethiopia. Aksum will become a powerful Christian empire in Eastern Africa and will develop its own writing system under King Ezana.
see and hear Akon's video Mama Africa to gain a greater appreciation for the continent and its people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9YE8dHMxvw&mode=related&search=
learn more about the Bantu peoples of Africa and their contributions to world history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bantu
Bantu are not the only peoples of sub-Sharan Africa, Semites (people related the the Arabs and Jews of the Middle East) intermarry with Africans and found the Kingdom of Aksum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSEUM8QUt3g
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Fall of the Roman Empire: Why did it happen?
A Jewish convert to the new religion Christianity named Paul had was most responsible for shaping the beliefs early Christianity. A Christian Jew, Paul also had Roman citizenship therefore he was able to leave the land of Israel and spread the ideas and beliefs of Christianity throughout the Empire. Soon, Christian communities become established in many of the large cities in the Roman Empire. While the vast majority of Jews continued to follow the teachings of the Torah and practice Judaism in Israel, Christianity grows throughout the Empire.
The polytheist emperors of Rome worried that Christianity, which taught pacifism, would turn the emperor weak. The Roman Empire's leaders at first persecuted Christians out of fear. Later, under the Constantine in 321 the Roman Emperor gave up fighting against the Christians and adopts the religion as the official religion throughout the Empire. The Christians established the Catholic Church in Rome. All later Christian churches will eventually break off from this Church. Soon after Christianity is made the official religion of the Empire, the Roman Empire is destroyed by outside nations, by the Germanic tribes from the North. Historians have debated why the Roman Empire was destroyed for generations.
you will read some of the most logical reasons bellow.
possible reason for the fall of the Empire
http://killeenroos.com/1/Romefall.htm
The polytheist emperors of Rome worried that Christianity, which taught pacifism, would turn the emperor weak. The Roman Empire's leaders at first persecuted Christians out of fear. Later, under the Constantine in 321 the Roman Emperor gave up fighting against the Christians and adopts the religion as the official religion throughout the Empire. The Christians established the Catholic Church in Rome. All later Christian churches will eventually break off from this Church. Soon after Christianity is made the official religion of the Empire, the Roman Empire is destroyed by outside nations, by the Germanic tribes from the North. Historians have debated why the Roman Empire was destroyed for generations.
you will read some of the most logical reasons bellow.
possible reason for the fall of the Empire
http://killeenroos.com/1/Romefall.htm
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Roman Empire, Jesus and Christianity
the Romans were influenced through cultural diffusion by the Greeks. The Greeks brought their culture to Italy through their colonies. Eventually the city of Rome developed into a kingdom and takes over all of Italy. Later, the strong Roman army will fight with other peoples all over the Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Wherever the Romans go they bring with them their Roman culture, language (Latin) and way off life.
Julius Cesar a famous general will over throw the Republic and turn Rome into and empire. The Roman Empire will take over the land of Israel. The Jews don't like living under the Roman occupation. Some Jews leave and settle into different parts of the Empire and adopt aspects of Roman life, others stay true to their Judaism. A Jew named Yoshua (Jesus in English) begins preaching about God in Israel. Some Jews are drawn to his teachings. His teachings were based in Judaism. The Romans become worried however that this popular Jewish teacher may be trouble for them so the Romans had Jesus executed on a cross.
Christians believe that Jesus came back to life after he was killed and that he was the Messiah (the promised Jewish savior, in Greek he is called Christos or Christ) Jews recognize Jesus as a teacher but not the Messiah. Soon, Jesus' friends began meeting regularly to discuss the teachings of Jesus and to share his teachings with others. Early Christians eventual split off from Judaism and begin a new religion based on the teachings of Jesus and his 12 apostles and their writings , the New Testament. Christianity leaves Israel and travel quickly to many parts of the Roman Empire, which is why today Christianity is the worlds biggest religion.
the founding of ancient Rome
http://www.roman-empire.net/founding/found-index.html
the Roman Forum
http://www.roman-empire.net/diverse/rome-model-01.html
video
http://www.roman-empire.net/videos/index.html
Who was Jesus?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/
Early Christianity
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/
your assignment: PICK ONE you my write a 5 paragraph essay about either. what new information you have learned about ancient Rome. OR about what you have learned about Christianity. If you want to use other websites like wikipedia for information that is fine but no copying or you will not receive credit for the assignment.
Julius Cesar a famous general will over throw the Republic and turn Rome into and empire. The Roman Empire will take over the land of Israel. The Jews don't like living under the Roman occupation. Some Jews leave and settle into different parts of the Empire and adopt aspects of Roman life, others stay true to their Judaism. A Jew named Yoshua (Jesus in English) begins preaching about God in Israel. Some Jews are drawn to his teachings. His teachings were based in Judaism. The Romans become worried however that this popular Jewish teacher may be trouble for them so the Romans had Jesus executed on a cross.
Christians believe that Jesus came back to life after he was killed and that he was the Messiah (the promised Jewish savior, in Greek he is called Christos or Christ) Jews recognize Jesus as a teacher but not the Messiah. Soon, Jesus' friends began meeting regularly to discuss the teachings of Jesus and to share his teachings with others. Early Christians eventual split off from Judaism and begin a new religion based on the teachings of Jesus and his 12 apostles and their writings , the New Testament. Christianity leaves Israel and travel quickly to many parts of the Roman Empire, which is why today Christianity is the worlds biggest religion.
the founding of ancient Rome
http://www.roman-empire.net/founding/found-index.html
the Roman Forum
http://www.roman-empire.net/diverse/rome-model-01.html
video
http://www.roman-empire.net/videos/index.html
Who was Jesus?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/
Early Christianity
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/
your assignment: PICK ONE you my write a 5 paragraph essay about either. what new information you have learned about ancient Rome. OR about what you have learned about Christianity. If you want to use other websites like wikipedia for information that is fine but no copying or you will not receive credit for the assignment.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Origins of Judaism and the Jews (Abraham to Moses and the eviction from the land of Israel)
In class yesterday we talked about the origins of the Jewish people. Though Jews make only a tiny fraction of the worlds population, but their influence on Western civilization has been great. For most of early mans history people were polytheist, worshipers of many different Gods. According to Jewish tradition around 1948 BCE a man in Mesopotamia received a revelation from what he understood to be from the "One God." Abraham brought the world the idea of monotheism.
Through the covenant the these ideas about ethical monotheism challenged and would eventually change the way people thought about religion. Moses is remembered as the greatest leader of the Jewish people when he led his people from slavery in Egypt and for teaching the Jewish people the Torah. Eventually, the Jewish people founded a country, Israel and built a temple to their God in Jerusalem. Years later, the Jewish people will be uprooted from the land, first by the Babylonians, but in the end they would return to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.
Then the Roman Empire that you will read about next eventually in the year 70 will destroy the Jewish temple at Jerusalem and force all the the Jewish people out of Israel.
Jews are scattered all over the world, most Jews will eventually go to Europe and bring their religion and culture there and but some Jews go to other parts of the Middle East and Africa. Where every they go, Jews brought the ideas of monotheism with them. The land that was Israel is renamed Palestine and eventually Arabs will move in and take over, but we will deal with that episode in history at a later time.
(Important: Your personal religious beliefs are not on trial in this paper) what I want to know is according to these sources or others that you may have do you think that Judaism has had an effect on world culture and if so what has that effect been. Want you to write a five paragraph essay detailing what that effect has or has not been using facts from these or other readings to form a clear argument. Have a good weekend.
read more about Abraham, father of monotheism
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/abraham.html
read more about Moses, important figure in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/moses.html
See sites of Jerusalem
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts+About+Israel/State/JERUSALEM.htm
see a reconstruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod%27s_Temple
optional: this is the link to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel
http://www.imj.org.il/
Through the covenant the these ideas about ethical monotheism challenged and would eventually change the way people thought about religion. Moses is remembered as the greatest leader of the Jewish people when he led his people from slavery in Egypt and for teaching the Jewish people the Torah. Eventually, the Jewish people founded a country, Israel and built a temple to their God in Jerusalem. Years later, the Jewish people will be uprooted from the land, first by the Babylonians, but in the end they would return to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple.
Then the Roman Empire that you will read about next eventually in the year 70 will destroy the Jewish temple at Jerusalem and force all the the Jewish people out of Israel.
Jews are scattered all over the world, most Jews will eventually go to Europe and bring their religion and culture there and but some Jews go to other parts of the Middle East and Africa. Where every they go, Jews brought the ideas of monotheism with them. The land that was Israel is renamed Palestine and eventually Arabs will move in and take over, but we will deal with that episode in history at a later time.
(Important: Your personal religious beliefs are not on trial in this paper) what I want to know is according to these sources or others that you may have do you think that Judaism has had an effect on world culture and if so what has that effect been. Want you to write a five paragraph essay detailing what that effect has or has not been using facts from these or other readings to form a clear argument. Have a good weekend.
read more about Abraham, father of monotheism
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/abraham.html
read more about Moses, important figure in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/moses.html
See sites of Jerusalem
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Facts+About+Israel/State/JERUSALEM.htm
see a reconstruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herod%27s_Temple
optional: this is the link to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, Israel
http://www.imj.org.il/
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Egypt and Mesopotanian ideas influence the Greek city states, which in turn become the foundation of Western Civilization
You have learned about man's earliest movements out of Africa and the development of civilizations along rivers. Human communities eventually develop agriculture. With abundant food, people no longer had to be nomadic and instead could settle in permanent villages. The need for water for crops meant that these communities formed around river valleys.
We have talked about river valley civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Indus (India), and China. While all of these cultures are very different from on another in many ways, all of these river valley civilizations develop the five aspects needed for civilization. These should be in your notes, they may be on the test. In additional these different cultures all learned about new ideas from the cultures around them and incorporate those ideas into their cultures through cultural diffusion.
While ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian Ur developed into important cultural centers, other cultures began to develop in Europe. The Greek civilization took took early complex societies to the next level of development. The Greek city-states (most importantly Athens and Sparta) developed the foundation of Western Civilization. Greek language, religion (the gods and goddesses of mythology), sports (the Olympic games), arts, music, science, and government would have a great effect on the our world today. The city of Athens was the first to develop democracy (demos=the people, aucrocy=government)--citizens using voting to decide their leaders. In so many ways, many of modern America's institutions and culture are based on the early Greek model.
Get to know more about the Ancient Greeks: click and read about Athens, Festivals and Games, Daily life, and Gods and Goddesses (remember, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and Sumerians were polytheists)
http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/
Learn more about Democracy in the Greek city-state of Athens:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_01.shtml
Compare and contrast ancient Greek Democracy versus modern American democracy:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_03.shtml
This YouTube clip examines the rule of athletes, specifically boxing (remember, the Greeks invented the Olympics to honor the god Zeus):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yshV0LERye0
Write a one page page 5 paragraph paper explaining how the Greeks have influenced our American society. You can compare and contrast the differences between these two us and the Greeks. Feel free to give your opinion about which society you'd rather live in and way and why. While you are encouraged to express your opinion, make sure that you base your ideas on facts taken from these sources or others that you may find yourself on line.
We have talked about river valley civilizations in Egypt, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Indus (India), and China. While all of these cultures are very different from on another in many ways, all of these river valley civilizations develop the five aspects needed for civilization. These should be in your notes, they may be on the test. In additional these different cultures all learned about new ideas from the cultures around them and incorporate those ideas into their cultures through cultural diffusion.
While ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian Ur developed into important cultural centers, other cultures began to develop in Europe. The Greek civilization took took early complex societies to the next level of development. The Greek city-states (most importantly Athens and Sparta) developed the foundation of Western Civilization. Greek language, religion (the gods and goddesses of mythology), sports (the Olympic games), arts, music, science, and government would have a great effect on the our world today. The city of Athens was the first to develop democracy (demos=the people, aucrocy=government)--citizens using voting to decide their leaders. In so many ways, many of modern America's institutions and culture are based on the early Greek model.
Get to know more about the Ancient Greeks: click and read about Athens, Festivals and Games, Daily life, and Gods and Goddesses (remember, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and Sumerians were polytheists)
http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/
Learn more about Democracy in the Greek city-state of Athens:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_01.shtml
Compare and contrast ancient Greek Democracy versus modern American democracy:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/greeks/greekdemocracy_03.shtml
This YouTube clip examines the rule of athletes, specifically boxing (remember, the Greeks invented the Olympics to honor the god Zeus):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yshV0LERye0
Write a one page page 5 paragraph paper explaining how the Greeks have influenced our American society. You can compare and contrast the differences between these two us and the Greeks. Feel free to give your opinion about which society you'd rather live in and way and why. While you are encouraged to express your opinion, make sure that you base your ideas on facts taken from these sources or others that you may find yourself on line.
Monday, September 10, 2007
River civilization: Egypt and the Nile river
The agricultural revolution and domestication of animals led to settled village life mostly along rivers, since farms need a steady source of water for crops. Societies with a dependable source of food experience population growth, which makes possibel the creation of the worlds earliest cities. Egypt is one of the first of these river valley civilizations.
Read about life along the Nile river and Egyptian civilization:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section3.shtml
Watch these be prepared to talk about what them in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w1x8nVD4xs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZKMzU207MM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czISLzICp9s
Read about life along the Nile river and Egyptian civilization:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/index_section3.shtml
Watch these be prepared to talk about what them in class:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w1x8nVD4xs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZKMzU207MM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czISLzICp9s
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Early humans leave the lakes region of Africa
Welcome to Mr M's school blog. You can use this blog to know what is going on in class, what readings need to be done, and links to websites that you will need to read for class.
www.historyguide.org/guide/study.html
1.2 why study history
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/2chapter1.shtml
Be sure to read origins, homo sapiens out of Africa, from hunting to farming, and skills and tools. It would be in your best interest to print these out and bring them to class, be prepared to discuss what you have learned.
www.historyguide.org/guide/study.html
1.2 why study history
www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/2chapter1.shtml
Be sure to read origins, homo sapiens out of Africa, from hunting to farming, and skills and tools. It would be in your best interest to print these out and bring them to class, be prepared to discuss what you have learned.
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