Middle Ages Video Projects

This project assignment is designed to reinforce and demonstrate the content and concepts learned during our World History unit covering the Middle Ages.

Over the course of this project, students will work in assigned teams of 3-4, to create a short video, mimicking John Green’s “Crash Course” history series.  Our classes have watched several of these insightful and often humorous videos as introductions to new units.  Now is your chance to recreate this style of educational video in order to reflect your deepest understanding of the time period.

Requirements:

1.  Minimum of one topic per team member, which they will present on screen.

2.  Fully written script to be followed precisely.

3.  Must include: Feudal System, Crusades, and Plague

Carefully Consider:

·      Set, setting, or background

·      Graphics, maps, text – “in camera” or through editing software.

·      Microphone sound – loud or close.

·      Sound effects

·      Multi-camera views, with editing.

·      Pace and clarity of voice.

·      Pace and clarity of ideas.

Keep in Mind:

·      Your team can utilize any knowledge, software, or hardware available to you.  Be creative.  Think outside the box.  Think big.   Follow John’s “formula”.   Watch/ learn.

·      A portion of the assessment is teamwork as well as independence.

·      Collaboration outside of class is sometimes encouraged, sometimes necessary.

Schedule

Wed 30          Project Lesson                

Thu 1              Research/idea development

Fri 2                Scripting  (HW: Script writing)

Tue 6              Scripting

Wed 7             Filming

Thu 8              Filming

Fri 9                Filming / Editing

Tue 13            Editing

Wed 14          Editing / Final touches

Thu 15           Presentation of films

Fri 16             Presentation of films

Illuminated Manuscripts Project

This creative project is intended to reinforce the importance of the written word and growing influence of books during the middle ages.  Each student will create one page that stylistically mimics one from a historical illuminated manuscript.

In order to do this, each student must come prepared on Wednesday with a poem.  This can be one that you have written prior to or specifically for this project.  Or, this can be one by another poet.  However, it MUST BE A POEM.

ATTENTION 1ST PERIOD:  We simplified this option for clarity.  Your text MUST BE A POEM.

The poem text should be reflective of the importance and seriousness of a project like this. In other words, your chosen poem should not be of a joking manner.  How you write the text is up to your style.  Calligraphy is not required but some of you may want to try this.

Consider imagery that will be a part of this page.  Keep in mind that imagery from manuscripts most often thematically reflected the topics in the text.  Although it was not always an exact depiction of the text, it was clearly related.  For instance, poems about nature, might include flora and fauna.  Marine life might decorate a page about living near Puget Sound.  Although I will have reference books and images, I highly encourage you to do a brief image search online tonight to get an idea of what your page might look like.

We will begin Wednesday with time to create a rough draft version.  The rest of the day will be for beginning the official draft.

I will provide each student with one piece of "parchment" for the final copy.  I also have available for sharing, a few calligraphy markers and water colors.

I encourage you to consider other materials that you are free to bring from home.  This might include, paints, colored pencils, markers, pastels, "gold" markers, calligraphy pens, etc.

Schedule:
Tuesday - Lesson
Wednesday - Preliminary Design / Begin Official Copy
Thursday - Full day to work
Friday - Full day to work (Substitute Mr. T.)

Due Date:  Tuesday, April 15th.

Weekend Work

Ok folks, I have a few things to remind you of for next week so I hope you're checking this blog.

1.  If you have been absent at all this week, we have been watching "Guns Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond".  You can cut and past the following link in order to watch the video and take notes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojU31yHDqiM

2.  Starting on Tuesday, we will be having assessments on a few different topics.  Look over your notes on the following:
a) Empires
b) Guns Germs and Steel
c) Revisiting the "Cultural Terms Review"

Pass the word to anyone that may not see this blog post.

Mr. Sieling

Population Growth & Networks of Exchange

Today we continued our exploration of Population Growth and Networks of Exchange.  You should have two handouts going home with you for the weekend.  Your first task is to finish watching the rest of the power point presentation on the subjects (link below).  Then you need to complete both handouts.  You do not need to use full sentences but you do want to show me your deepest understanding and critical thinking.

Mr. Sieling

Power Point
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/units/four/panorama/slides/BE4_pan.ppt

Research Schedule Update

Okay everyone, after reflecting on our progress and approach to the work on our Comparison Essays, I have decided to alter our work schedule.  Full Rough Drafts, double spaced (including bibliographies) are now due on Thursday.  You MUST have this printed out and ready for Peer Edits on that day.  Please do not try to print it at school that day.  Print you papers on Wednesday night, at the latest.

Tuesday 28th          Lesson: Introductions, Conclusions, Images.  Write
Wednesday 29th     Write
Thursday 30th        Rough Draft Due.  Peer Edit
Friday 31st             Write

Tuesday 4th            Final Draft Due.

Essay Conclusions

Conclusions

About conclusions

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.
The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.
Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion.

• Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go:
  
  You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass.
  Friend: So what?
  You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen.
  Friend: Why should anybody care?
  You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally.
  You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
  
• Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
  
• Synthesize, don’t summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
  
• Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
  
• Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.
  
• Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.
  

Strategies to avoid

• Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
  
• Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
  
• Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
  
• Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
  
• Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.
  

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

1. The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
   
2. The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” him with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
   
3. The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
   
4. The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.
   

In Simpler terms, consider these simple steps.
Effective conclusions

• Reflect on how your topic relates to larger issues (in the novel, in society, in history)
  
• Show how your topic affects the reader’s life
  
• Evaluate the concepts you have presented
  
• Issue a call for action on the part of your audience
  
• Ask questions generated by your findings
  
• Make predictions
  
• Recommend a solution
  
• Connect back to introduction, esp. if you used a metaphor, anecdote, or vivid image
  
• Give a personal statement about the topic
  

Essay Introductions

How to Write a Research Introduction

The introduction to a research paper can be the most challenging part of the paper to write. Introductions are generally half a page in length, though they can run longer if the topic requires additional information. They usually begin with supporting statements, and end with a description of your hypothesis. They offer a theoretical context to a paper, allowing readers to understand the reasoning behind your work. Well-written introductions set the tone for the paper, catch the reader's interest, and communicate the hypothesis or thesis statement.

Steps

Begin the opening paragraph with a few sentences containing supporting information about your topic. Give the reader an idea of what issue you will be discussing, such as, "Just a few years ago, the term "virtual reference" had little meaning to many librarians." Immediately opening with your main argument can be too abrupt.
• For a scientific research paper, you can begin with a discussion of the significance of your study, and then lead into the rationale behind your experimental model and how it met your objectives.
• A Humanities based paper is best suited by the "funnel" or "inverted pyramid" technique. To use this approach, start with some general background information on your subject, becoming more narrow and specific in focus as you work toward a description of your hypothesis.
Place the thesis statement or hypothesis in the final sentence of your introduction's first paragraph. An example of such a closing sentence is, "A librarian can add the warmth and personal touch to an online interaction that an automated search engine cannot." You may need to write multiple sentences to explain your thesis.
• You want to make the objective of your paper clear in the first paragraph, because while an introduction can run several paragraphs in length, it will confuse readers if you introduce your topic in subsequent paragraphs.
Continue your introduction by acquainting your audience with the major points of your paper, and your objectives and results in a scientific paper, in the order they will appear. This lets the reader know what to expect.
Consider other "starters" for your introduction if your initial approach doesn't fit well with your topic.
• Anecdotes, quotations, recent debates, or timely news stories can also be compelling ways to begin a research paper.
• You can also introduce certain topics by comparing or contrasting 2 people, events, or ideas.
Evaluate your writing. Read your introduction, and then read your conclusion. Make sure there is a fluid transition between them.

Never use personal pronouns in your introduction, such as "I," "me," "we," "us," "my," "mine," or "our." Don't make pronouncements, such as "I am going to explain why global warming is destroying animal habitats." This is a hallmark of an inexperienced writer.

• Don't overwhelm the reader with an overabundance of information. Keep the introduction as concise as possible by saving specific details for the body of your paper.
• Avoid emotional or sensational introductions; these can create distrust in the reader.
  

Sample Scientific Research Introduction

Throughout the 20th century, our views of life on other planets has drastically changed. It was once thought to be an impossibility, as all we had seen of space showed us a barren landscape unfit for anything we would recognize as life. But, in the 21st century, our telescopes continue to discover planets in what we deem “habitable zones,” the small bands in solar systems in which a planet’s temperature is ideal to support life. Planets such as the newly discovered Planet KOI 172.02 may hold the key to discovering life outside of Earth.

Sample Research Introduction for Humanities

Dedicated scholars have been studying language and culture in parallel ever since the connection between the two was first established. Recently, though, new studies have emerged to provide data on the little-known subsections of language and culture: speakers of blended languages, often referred to as pidgin English or Spanglish. These communities are often fluent in their native language and partially fluent in another, which means they are generally able to function normally within their own communities speaking only a combination of the two.

The Dreaded Introductory Paragraph

Writing the introductory paragraph can be a frustrating and slow process -- but it doesn't have to be.  If you planned your paper out, then most of the introductory paragraph is already written.  Now you just need a beginning and an end.

Beginning Sentence(s)		Here's your chance to introduce your topic and grab your reader's attention.  NEVER start your paper saying, "In this paper, I will" or "This paper is about." Start strong.  In your research, have you come across an odd factoid or interesting quote? Try starting your paper with that.  How about starting with an anecdotal story or humor?
Middle Sentences		Usually, the middle sentences cover the points in your paper.  Since you've already planned which order to write the points, you already know which order to place them in your introductory paragraph.  You don't have to include every single point, but make sure the important ones get in there.
Ending Sentence		All the previous sentences have been building up to this: your thesis. Your thesis statement expresses the overall idea of your paper and show where you stand on the topic.  Indiana University has a great tutorial for writing thesis statements.

Example

Here's an introductory paragraph for a paper I wrote.  I started the paper with a factoid, then presented each main point of my paper and then ended with my thesis statement.

Comparison Essay Work Schedule

Comparison Essay Work Schedule

Wednesday 15th     Lesson: Thesis Statements, Assignment Structure, Rubric
Thursday 16th        Lesson: Research, Analysis, Instructions
Friday 17th             Research

Monday 20th          NO SCHOOL
Tuesday 21st           Lesson: Citations,
Wednesday 22nd    Research
Thursday 23rd        Lesson: Plagiarism, Signal Phrases.  Research or Write.
Friday 24th             Lesson: Introduction. Write

Tuesday 28th          Lesson: Conclusion.  Write
Wednesday 29th     Rough Draft Due.  Peer Edit
Thursday 30th        Write
Friday 31st             Write

Tuesday 4th            Final Draft Due.

Comparison Essay Rubric

Comparison Essay Rubric
	5 Points	4 Points	3 Points
Requirements: Proper heading, title, Times New Roman, 12 pt, margins, 1-2 pgs.	All requirements and approximately 2 pages long	Most requirements and is at least 1 ½ pages long	Missing many requirements and/or is less than 1 ½ pages long
Thesis Statement	Clearly outlines all elements of the intended comparisons. (see example #4 of your hand out)	Outlines the similarities and differences and some supportive details. (see example #3)	Outlines the similarities and differences but lacks real supportive details. (see example #2)
Comparison	Includes two strong similarities and one strong differences Clearly addresses possible reasons for each with supportive evidence.	Includes two basic similarities and two basic differences. Basic reasons for each with basic supportive evidence.	Does not include all required similarities and differences or lacks strong reasons for each or each or supportive evidence.
Content and Detail	Supportive details and evidence throughout	Some supportive details and evidence.	Lacks much detail and evidence.
Organization and Clarity	Clearly organized. Each paragraph has purposeful focus. . Makes effective transitions. Clear, compelling introduction Conclusion effectively synthesizes major points of the main argument. Student voice evident throughout Formal: avoids contractions and personal pronouns	Clearly organized. Each paragraph has purposeful focus. Some awkward or abrupt transitions. Clear introduction Conclusion is adequately constructed. Student voice is sometimes evident. Has some contractions and/or personal pronouns	Structure is difficult to follow. Many awkward transitions Unclear introduction and/or conclusion Lack student voice Has many contractions and/or personal pronouns
Citations	Accurate format Clear signal phrases Purposefully reinforce content 4 – 6 citations	Accurate format Adequate signal phrases General connection to content 2 – 3 citations	Inaccurate format Lacks signal phrases Not clearly connected to content Lacks proper citations
Bibliography	Demonstrates thorough research More than 10 references	Demonstrates adequate research 6 – 9 references	Demonstrates minimal research 3 – 5 references
Images	Strongly reinforces essay content Included in the body of the paper	Adequately reinforces essay content Not in the body	Not clearly related or reinforcing Not in the body

Comparision Essay Instructions

Compare/Contrast Essay

Write an essay in which you compare and contrast two of the ancient river valley civilizations across at least two categories. You should:

• Have a comprehensive, analytical and explicit thesis
• Include ample historical evidence and detail to support your thesis
• Address all parts of the question
• Make at least two direct, relevant comparisons
• Include both similarities and differences
• Analyze the cause of the similarities and differences (at least for each category, more is better)

How to organize:

Introductory paragraph that includes a clearly stated thesis.

A Thesis Statement is a detailed preview of the opinion you hope to prove and the specific points you intend to use to support this opinion. It is a road map for the reader. They should have a clear idea of where the paper is going to take them and what they might see along the way.

Needs Improvement
Example thesis 1: Ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia had many similarities, but also some differences. (Example of an unacceptable thesis. Why?)

Good
Example thesis 2: Ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia had similar economics and religion, but differed in politics.

Better
Example thesis 3: Ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia had similar economics and religion, but differed in politics because of the power of the pharaohs.

Best
Example thesis 4: Ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia had similar economics and religion due to cultural diffusion in ancient west Asia, but differed in politics because the Nile River served to strengthen the power of the pharaohs.

One Method
In the above example, the first paragraph would compare economics in Egypt and China, the second would compare religion in Egypt and China, and the third paragraph would contrast Egypt and China in politics. Be sure to explain a specific reason for at least one similarity or differences.

Essay should end with a conclusion paragraph. Restate your thesis and explain how you proved it.

In your essay, use transition words: but, however, although, though in contrast, alternatively

Early Civilizations: A Comparison Research Paper

Early Civilizations:

A Comparison Research Paper

In order to explore more fully the cultures of the worlds earliest civilizations, each of you will research two separate civilizations culminating in a paper which compares and contrasts significant aspects of each. Your paper will include at least two strong comparisons and one contrasts supported by your research. Below are general instructions and information that we will elaborate upon in class.

Instructions

1. Chose One Early Civilization to pair with your assigned civilization: Mesopotamia, Babylon, Egypt, Crete, India, China, Meso-America.

2. Chose at least two Topics or Categories to compare and/or contrast for each of your civilizations. Consider the Characteristics of Civilization or other commonalities of early civilizations that we have learned about in class.

3. Research each civilization and take notes on their similarities and differences.

4. Narrow down your list to the 2 most important similarities and one most important differences, or how their similarities differ.

5. Develop a Thesis sentence.

6. Write an introduction, body, and conclusion.

7. Peer edit a rough draft.

8. Complete the final draft.

Format

1. Paper length: 2 pages in the body of the report. Your report should be a minimum of 1 page and a maximum of 2 pages, not counting the bibliography and visual(s). The body of the report will include your introduction, the text of your report, and a conclusion.

2. Paper format: Typed, Times New Roman type face (not bold/italic), single space, 12 point type, margins of 1” on all sides. Do not use personal pronouns or contractions such as don’t or can’t; instead use do not or cannot.

3. References and Citations: Minimum of 3 references (you should use more). A minimum of two citations must be included in the body of the paper and in the bibliography using MLA reference style. (See Section 3, “Guide to References”.) Refer to the rubric for the best practices.

4. Bibliography: A Bibliography is an alphabetical list of sources you used in preparing your paper. They are a list of all of the sources you have used in the process of researching your work. The bibliography is a separate page at the end of the report and does not count toward the length of the assignment.

5. Visuals: At least one good quality visual in the body of your report (photograph, map, chart,etc.). The visual does not count toward the page requirement. Visuals should clearly relate to your report topic and help to explain it. Clearly identify and cite the source and content of each visual in the text on the page that the image appears.

IMPORTANT: As you take notes, put quote marks (“) around information you copy from the source so you will know these are the exact words of the source. This will help you avoid plagiarism.

Now that we've started Reseach

Okay folks, it's been a while since our last blog post but we're getting into some pretty complex work with our research essays so I think it would help to have a little material here for reference.

By now, almost all of you have been assigned one civilization to pair with one of your choice.  We have discussed the goals and instructions of the research assignment and you have had one day to do research in class.  Over the long weekend you were supposed to continue to do a little more research.

This week, we will learn about "in-text citations", "signal phrases", and plagiarism.  We will have more time to research in class as well as in-class writing time.  Next week, we should be ready to do peer edits and finish up this project.

For now, I will do my best to post copies of the hand-outs you are also receiving in class.

Family Cultural Meal

The objective of this assignment is to compile three traditional recipes based on culinary dishes your family might make from their culture, heritage, or ethnic background.

The intention of this assignment is that you will both learn about your family culture/heritage and reinforce what we have learned about agriculture, domestication, and regional diets, and "cultural universals". 

I expect you all to discuss this assignment with your families.  They will know, many times, better than you, what dishes would be a good representation of your family heritage.  As we discussed, many factors can influence traditional meals including: ethnicity, place/region, religion, and personal beliefs.

If your family does not have a strong cultural culinary tradition to call upon, don't worry, many of us might feel this way.  In that case, discuss with your parents your family background, then research three recipes that would be a part of that heritage.  For me, that would be a German heritage, based on the historical culture of my adoptive parents.

Your job is to write out the complete list of ingredients (the recipe) to a three course meal - appetizer, main course, and desert.  It is important that you have 3 dishes but not necessarily of this type.  Some cultures are less know for deserts so maybe you could have two main dishes.  Understand?

You do not need to write out full instructions of how to cook the dish but this would be a nice touch, at least to explain as part of your presentation.  I have also found in the past that pictures of each dish have been nice for myself and others to understand fully your meal.

To be clear, YOU SHOULD NOT ACTUALLY MAKE THE FOOD OR BRING IT TO SCHOOL. We will try and have a day when this will be possible, but not on Monday.  However, as I told several classes, if you have something easily distributed, that does not require dishes or utensils and will not create a mess, you could bring in something to share with your class.  Baklava was something that we discussed.

We will present our recipes in class on Monday.

Have fun.

"Cave Painting" Reflection

By the time we reached 4th period, it was clear that enough students could benifit from one more class period of painting time, rather than meeting after school.  For this reason, all class will use Monday to finish up your paintings OR complete your Reflections.

Reflection Instructions
Answer both of the following prompts.
Your final draft should be well thought out and disucussed with high level language, descriptions and examples.  You are practicing this in LA as well.

A complete reflection will have a proper heading, title, 12 point font, single spaced, and be 3/4 of a page in minimum length.

Reflection Prompts
1.  How successful do you feel your image is, based on the goals of the project?

• Does it clearly represent modern world culture or our society?
• Is it a good representation of "symbolic language"?  IN other words, does it clearly communicate the idea of concept you chose.

2.  What do you think and/or feel  about the whole project process?  For instance, consider:

• Your effort towards the design concept as well as artisitc craftsmanship
• Your enjoyment of combining art and history
• What you learned upon reflection
• etc.

Decoding the Meaning

Decoding the Meaning

Scholars have put forward the following explanations for the art described above. All of these theories have followers, but no single one has been generally accepted. They are listed in chronological order, starting with the earliest.

•    Theory 1: Art for art’s sake. People of the paleolithic era were excellent big-game hunters, who consistently brought home large amounts of food. So they did not need to work very hard and had plenty of leisure time. They spent some of this time producing artistic decorations for pleasure.

•    Theory 2: Sympathetic magic. The idea that making an image of something gives the maker power over that which is imaged and that what is done to an image affects whatever the image represents has been characteristic of a number of societies. Depicting wounded or incomplete animals or drawing lines over or obliterating pictures of animals was a way actually to create wounded, dead, or weakened animals, thereby helping to feed the band. Showing animals in their prime may help produce and give power over such animals. Statues of women with exaggerated breasts, buttocks, and bellies may be intended to represent pregnancy, thereby helping to create pregnant women and add new members to the band.

•    Theory 3: Handbook of information about hunting. Abstract figures and shapes show tracks, droppings, and marks made by deer rubbing their antlers on trees. Details of the animal images sometimes show which prey were desirable and which were dangerous. Art during this time may have been a teaching tool. Exposing young people to it taught them lessons about the hunt. Painting may also have been a kind of information storage system—a remote forerunner of CD-ROMS!

•    Theory 4: Vision quest for spirit-animals. Paleolithic people may have thought of walls and floors of caves as boundaries between this world and the spirit-world, which many spirit-animals inhabited. A shaman, or specialist in communicating and interpreting supernatural phenomena, could, according to belief, get in touch with spirit-animals while under the influence of sensory deprivation (dark, silence, isolation), hallucinogenic drugs, or pain (handprints on cave walls sometimes show mutilated hand prints). Geometric images may be interpreted as similar to what we know of the early stages of trance. Most features of cave art can be related to altered states of consciousness known from various societies in later historical periods.

Scholars have also given radically different explanations for specific kinds of art. For example, female or “Venus” figurines have been variously interpreted as:

•    Fertility magic—showing figures of women as pregnant to help make women pregnant. •    Erotic objects for men. •    Forerunners of the mother-goddesses of later times.
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/    Page 26
World History for Us All    Big Era 2 - Panorama Unit

•    Female ancestor figures in societies where descent and inheritance were reckoned through women.

•    Objects by which women communicated ideas and messages to one another. Stencils of handprints, which have appeared in large numbers cave walls or rocks in Europe,
Australia, and the Americas, have been interpreted as:

•    An effort to seal the hand to the world of spirits that lies behind the wall or to reach through the wall to enter that world.

•    The artist’s signature. •    The message, “I was here!” (Like carving one’s initials into a surface or painting graffiti.) •    A territorial claim on the part of a group.

"The Only Survivors"

The Only Survivors is a an assignment intended to reinforce our lessons in Symbolic Language and Collective Learning.  What knowledge and skills do the members of you immediate family currently possess which would become useful, or even vital in surviving in a new a challenging world?

SCENARIO

As we learned in class, disaster has struck the world you knew.  Nearly all people perished in a world-wide catastrophe which destroyed all electronics and anything that runs on electricity.  In the void created by the lack of order and law enforcement, a ruthless faction of extremists rose to power.  It was their belief that literature and the overabundance of information had led to the downfall of life as they had known it.  In response, they seized and destroyed all books, documents, and forms of recorded knowledge.  All your family has now are the skills and knowledge learned and passed down to them, prior to these events.

Your assignment is to make a list of the skills and knowledge that each of you family members posses.  Consider anything that they know, are good at, or can do to help your family to survive in all conditions.  Young and old, we all have something to contribute.

At least half of your assignment should be written in narrative/paragraph form.  Describe how these skills and knowledge are going to help you family? What specific situation are they useful for?  Use the example below for a guide of how your paper might look.

DUE:  Monday October, 14th

Amy Anderson

10/4/11

History Period 3

The Only Survivors

 

List of Family Resources-

Makenzie (Sister)-

• Knows how to ride a horse and all about horses
• She plays club soccer
• Knows how to swim
  Jim (Dad)-

• Knows A LOT about plant life/ animals
• Knows how to hunt
• Has read about native Americans and their ways to survive
• Could make fire and shelter
• Knows how to swim

Michelle (Mom)

• I great at communicating and bringing groups together
• Has knowledge about how people think and act
• Can hunt
• Knows how to swim

Amy (Me)-

• Can hunt
• Knows a little about plant life
• Has the ability to be nimble
• Knows how to swim

My family would have a good chance of survival. My dad has a lot of experience with plant life and would be able to help sustain my family’s nutritional needs for quite a while. He also knows how to hunt and use weapons. This is a very useful skill and could be used to fend off predators and keep our protein levels high so that we could keep moving through the physical exertion that would be needed to survive. He could also have a very high chance of making fire and a shelter so that we could migrate with the herds of whatever was being hunted. My mom’s communication skills could help in being a big part of bringing our family and community closer. My sister Makenzie and I are both very nimble and have good stamina to be able to climb trees and run down some animals. My whole family knows how to swim so water travel would not be as dangerous. Fishing would also be possible. Some of the things that we could not do are given advanced medical treatment and also repairing technology to create something new.

If another thousand people survived in Olympia plus my family, those people would hopefully have skills that involve medical and technology building. There would also hopefully be high schoolers that could potentially be molded into this new environment and produce further generations to help reestablish our new environment. Some of the technology that would be needed to survive would be heating and lighting. Being able to survive without extra light would be almost impossible. The work that would be needed to get done would take longer than the daylight outside. Medical equipment and knowledge would be greatly needed to cure the sick and for future wound that could occur while using manual labor or being attacked by predators. Doctors and scientist would also be of use to collaborate on ideas for curing diseases that might start an epidemic and destroy all of the civilization.

For those of you who were absent on Friday, I am posting the video we watched.  It is called "Becoming Human".  Please watch until about 23:00 and take notes.  My notes on the video are still on the board.  You can copy them and add your own details.

I will ask you to complete the last two questions from the review sheet on Tuesday.

"Becoming Human"
Part 1.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/becoming-human.html

Taking Notes

On Wednesday, while the 8th graders were off at camp, the 7th graders learned all about taking good notes.  As we now know, this can be a daunting task for new students but one that we will practice a lot in the next few months and throughout the year.

The assignment, Due Monday, is our first step in taking notes and learning which style works best for you.  All of you took notes on the instructions.  However, I am leaving them here as well, in case you need them.

Instructions
1.  Read and take notes on the National Geographic article of your choice.
2.  You do not need to read the entire article (although you can) but should read at least 3-4 pages in order to get a good idea of what the article is about.
3.  Pull out and take notes on the main ideas and important details, as we learned.
4.  You should have about a full page of notes when finished.
5.  Due Monday.

My Personal Timeline

For this assignment, you will be creating a timeline of the major events in your life, so far. This can include any event that you deem important to your life. Consider the list below for ideas but do not limit yourself to the ideas on this list. You are an individual with unique experiences. Let us know what they are.

These timelines will be displayed in the NOVA hallways, so please take your time and patiences to complete them with quality work. How you complete them is up to you but think creatively and keep in mind that they are to be displayed. Write large, clear, and legibly. Consider using color in some way.

Possible events

birth

“firsts” tooth, stitches

birth of siblings

death of love ones/pets

big moves

awards or accomplishments

rights of passage

Please consider talking with your parents. They will certainly be able to help you remember special events in your life. Sometimes, they will have a much better memory of them than you.

Requirements

Minimum of 10 events

Name, date, and Period (lower right, back side)

Due Tuesday

Welcome to World History 2013

 World History

2013-2014

Description

World History is a study of who we are within the context of the people, places and events that shaped mankind. The course is designed to develop a solid and well rounded understanding of a global history through essential questions highlighting representative themes across a broad scope, from the migration of early humans to the middle ages.

Course Goals

Names and dates are a essential element of any history lesson. This is unavoidable but should not be feared. For some students, retention of this information is dreaded. However, for our class, these facts are only a part of understanding World History. As a primary goal, our class material will focus on a strong understanding of historical themes, concepts, and connections seen within a context of the people, places, times, and events that have influenced who we are today. It is our goal to understand this greater picture as thoroughly as possible so that the details become more a part of our collective knowledge rather than learning through rote memorization.

Topics
Perspectives in time
Who are we and how did we get here?
What do we know about early modern humans?
How did societies develop?
What are the effects of cultural exchange?
How did early societies organize?
What influenced major change during the Middle Ages?

Course Content

To meet our goals, students will read, write, infer, analyze, discuss, debate and create examples of how the history of the world has transpired. This class does not rely upon a textbook. Instead, a variety of resources will be called upon to instigate and augment classroom activities and discussions, including: fiction and non-fiction literature, primary and secondary source material, film, and internet resources.

Homework & Projects

Students should expect at least one reading assignment and one written assignment per week. There will be at least one extended research paper or essay assigned each trimester. Additionally, each trimester will include one construction project and one oral presentation, either formal or informal.

Participation

This class is interactive. In addition to individual work, we will be very active in group assignments, projects, class readings and definitely discussions. Class participation is expected in all areas and is paramount to successfully understanding the intricacies of our study. Active participation can cement true retention of the material. However, the greatest outcome of participation can be a genuine enthusiasm for what history can mean to you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Sieling

Contact

Email: jsieling@novaschool.org