Agenda: Friday, October 14, 2011

Quote of the Day: "If you can not explain it simply, you do not know it well enough." - Albert Einstein

Learning Targets:
* What is a DBQ?
* How did Roman perspective of the northern nomads ("Barbarians") change over time?

Agenda:
1. Timed Writing DBQ. Students will have the entire period to complete the essay.
2. After the DBQ is turned in students can start working on Stayer Chapter 8 "Commerce and Culture" 500-1500

Monday - QUIZ Chapter 8
TEST on Chapter 8 is next Friday


Weekend time...

DBQ Posters!

To view all of the DBQ posters from Thursday, click the picture above or this link: Thursday DBQ Posters.

Check out all the great DBQ Poster Pics from World History AP here: Link to the pics

Agenda: Wed/Thu Oct 12/13, 2011

Quote of the Day: "Rome wasn't built in a day." (neither was the skill needed to write a great DBQ!) - Roman Proverb (and Mr. Duez)

Learning Targets:
* What is a DBQ?
* How do I WHAP the DBQ?
* Who are the Barbarians & what did the Romans think of them?

Agenda:
1. DO NOW: "What is your thesis for the Romans & Barbarians DBQ Question?" (5 minutes to think and write it)
2. Mr. Duez will explain the Rubric for grading a DBQ.
3. Students will work in groups to create a Modified DBQ Poster. They will:

1. Discuss the question and the documents in their group.
2. At the top of the poster, write out the Question ("Romans & Barbarians: How did the Romans view the Barbarians and did their opinion change over time?")
3. Cut out 8 documents (you may use some of the visual sources that I will provide as well). Group them into categories to help your thesis. (may use the same document in multiple groups)
4. Under or next to each of the groups - write an analysis of the group/documents.
5. Create a unified thesis statement that answers the question and is agreed upon by the poster group. Write that thesis at the bottom of the poster.

Use APPARTS where necessary to help. Remember that "Time" is an important factor.
We will post these inside and outside of the classroom today and tomorrow. Mr. Duez will take pictures of them and post those to the website to aid in prep for the written timed writing on Friday.

FRIDAY: Timed-writing DBQ in class on Friday.
MONDAY: Quiz for Chapter 8
Next Friday: TEST for Chapter 8

Agenda: Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Quote of the Week:  "I am learning all the time.  The tombstone will be my diploma."  - Eartha Kitt

Learning Targets:
* What is a DBQ?
* How do I WHAP it?
* Who are Barbarians & what did the Romans think of them?

Agenda:
1. DO NOW - Students will pick up a Romans & Barbarians DBQ packet from the front desk. They will need to read through it and analyze the directions, documents, and the prompt.
Students who did not take the test on Friday will be given the test at this time.
2. How do I WHAP the DBQ? - Mr. Duez will discuss what a World History DBQ is and how it is written and scored.
3. Rubric Explained. - Mr. Duez will go over the rubric for DBQs and explain how the DBQ on Friday will be scored.

We are working on preparing for our DBQ on Friday.

The Romans and Barbarians DBQ will be used and students will do a timed writing in class on Friday.

Quiz on Chapter 8 next Monday.


Videos on Barbarians...
The Vandals: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgAZt65tjHo&feature=related
The Huns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQYigCUcZjg&feature=related
The Goths: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcuVJUKZvx4&feature=related
The Lombards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5teZY13KW2w&feature=youtu.be

WHAP DBQ Rubric

WHAP DBQ Rubric

DBQ - How to WHAP the DBQ!

WHAP the DBQ

Chapter 8 Strayer - Learning Targets

WHAP Chapter8 Targets

DBQ Romans and Barbarians

Romans and Barbarians DBQ

Hope you had a a great weekend...

Hopefully you had a nice chance to rest, relax, and stretch out for a bit this weekend.

Suki always gets her 8 to 20 hours of sleep in a day.

We had a fantastic weekend. It was also my wife's birthday. So Aidan and I made sure Momma Duez had a wonderful weekend.

"Eat at Chuy's You Will."

We also went to a fantastic new place called "Jus Mac." It is exactly what it's called... just macaroni and cheese. But done right and at least a dozen ways. Check out their website here (they are located in the Heights, just off 610 North a few miles west of the 45 North exit): Jus Mac

Mrs. Duez got the chili mac, Aidan got jus mac, I had bbq brisket mac. Delicious!

Of course we also took in the season opening hockey game for our defending Western Conference Champion Houston Aeros at Toyota Center last night. The boys won 4-1 and it was really a cool weekend to see so many of last year's Aeros players and coaches do well for their parent team the Minnesota Wild. :) (oh yeah, and my Pittsburgh Penguins had a great weekend as well.) We aren't going to discuss the Houston Texans game right now and spoil the fun.

I highly recommend Aeros hockey games. It is an inexpensive, fun, and fast-paced sport. 

Aidan got to meet Chili - the awesome Aeros mascot. 

Hopefully you also had a nice "Strayer-free" and restful weekend. We are going to get back to work on writing this week. And you'll be able to start your study of Chapter 8 - Commerce and Culture - Silk Roads, Sand Roads, and Sea Roads (plus, some American roads). The quiz for Chapter 8 isn't for a whole 'nother week. :)

Steve Jobs Commencement Speech at Stanford University 2005

I've never been a big Apple fan. But, I am a definite fan of the commencement address that Steve Jobs gave in 2005 at Stanford. It is amazing. If you have never seen it, today might be a good day to hear this powerful and very inspirational speech.


Rest in Peace Steve Jobs. Today is indeed the end of an era.

‎"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything just falls away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."- Steve Jobs

Chapter 7 Document Study

WHAP CH7 Document Study

Chapter 7 Strayer Big Question #3

WHAP Chapter7 Big Picture3

Chavín de Huántar Video Clip

Chavín de Huántar, dating back to 1500 BC, was a center for ritual and pilgrimage with extensive trade and communication contacts that exerted control through non-violent means, but today the site is threatened by poor drainage, structural instability, inadequate site maintenance and endemic poverty.  Global Heritage Fund's (GHF) goals at the site are to support Master Planning, conservation of the most critically endangered structures above- and below ground and increase opportunities for the local community.  Partners on this project include Stanford University, Instituto Nacional de Cultura (INC), the town of Chavín de Huántar and Asociacion Ancash.

Great video clip (3:46) that shows what the Chavin cult location in Peru is like today. Fascinating how people are working so hard to try to keep it from degrading. We probably won't have time to watch this in class so I wanted to be sure you had a chance to check it out here. It is definitely worth the few minutes to try to understand this very unique and quite unknown ancient people. (click the picture below to open the video clip)

Great video clip on the Bantu Peoples of Africa

We may not have time to watch much of this in class. But, I wanted to share it here (click on the picture below to pop open the video clip):

If you click forward on the bar at the bottom to 21:12 you will see the portion about the Bantu Peoples, their migration and language. The entire video is pretty great, but this portion matches Chapter 7 and really brings to life the Bantu Peoples.

This would be a great documentary video to watch for extra credit this six week's period if that interests you!

Chapter 7 - Big Picture #2

WHAP Chapter7 Big Picture2

Agenda: Friday, Oct. 7, 2011

Quote of the Day: "Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are." - Chinese proverb

My awesome cat Suki resting with her Momma. Take a break this weekend, you deserve it!

Learning Targets:
      •  To make students aware of classical civilizations that evolved outside of the more well-known civilizations of Eurasia
      •  To explore the development of civilizations in Africa and the Americas

      •  To consider the factors that make civilizations develop in some regions but not in others

      •  To raise the possibility of complex civilizations without any recognizable centralized control

Agenda:
1. Collect Essays (Students needed to write one of the Big Question Essays for 10% of their test grade today. They could write the others for extra credit.)
2. TEST Chapter 7
3. REST - No Strayer next week. No Quiz next week. No Test next week. Writing next week. ;)

See you on Tuesday!

Agenda: Wed/Thu Oct. 6/7, 2011

Quote of the Day: "Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends." - Shirley MacLaine

Learning Targets:
      •  To make students aware of classical civilizations that evolved outside of the more well-known civilizations of Eurasia
      •  To explore the development of civilizations in Africa and the Americas

      •  To consider the factors that make civilizations develop in some regions but not in others

      •  To raise the possibility of complex civilizations without any recognizable centralized control

Agenda:
1. DO NOW: Discuss the second big picture question of the chapter. (5 min. to read the prompt and analyze quietly at the bell, 10 min. to discuss as a class)

Chapter 7 – Classical Era Variations - Big Picture Question #2
“The particular cultures and societies of Africa and of the Americas discussed in this chapter developed largely in isolation from one another.” 

What evidence would support this statement, and what might challenge it?

2. Document Study. (40 min. total) We'll do a quick rotation in groups through 3 documents from Chapter 7. If you are absent from class on the block day, I would be sure you familiarize yourself with these documents for Friday's test. The documents to know are:

(The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea - already covered in class on Monday)

I. Document 7.2 Making of an Axumite Empire "Inscription on a Stone Throne" p. 309

II. Visual Source 7.1 Shield Jaguar & Lady Xok: A Royal Couple of Yaxchilan (Maya) p. 316-317

III. Visual Source 7.4 The Ball Game p. 321

We will rotate through each document with 10 minutes to read and discuss in your group for each doc. Then we'll take 10 quick minutes to review them all with the whole class together.

3. Jared Diamond Returns! Video Clip from Guns, Germs and Steel - Bantu Peoples (15 minutes). 

4. Discuss the third big picture question of the chapter (15 min).

Chapter 7 – Classical Era Variations - Big Picture Question #2

What generated change in the histories of Africa and the Americas during the classical era?

5. Video - Engineering an Empire Maya and Teotihuacán (Beginning of Engineering an Empire Aztecs) - see clips below- (for remainder of the period, probably 20 min)

"Hello. I'm Peter Weller."

For the TEST on Friday, students will answer one of the 3 big picture questions for this chapter. They must bring the essay into class to be turned in before the test. Students may do the other two essays for extra credit on the test. 

Check out Engineering an Empire Maya & Teohuacan below the link:

Agenda: Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011

Quote of the Day: "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."  - Maya Angelou 

Learning Targets:
      •  To make students aware of classical civilizations that evolved outside of the more well-known civilizations of Eurasia

      •  To explore the development of civilizations in Africa and the Americas

      •  To consider the factors that make civilizations develop in some regions but not in others

      •  To raise the possibility of complex civilizations without any recognizable centralized control

Agenda:
1. DO NOW Question - Big Picture Question #1 (we didn't finish it entirely on Monday): 

Chapter 7 – Classical Era Variations - Big Picture Question #1

“The histories of Africa and the Americas during the classical era largely resemble those of Eurasia.” 

Do you agree with this statement? Explain why or why not.

2. The Olmecs Video.

3. Engineering an Empire - Maya. 

For the TEST on Friday, students will answer one of the 3 big picture questions for this chapter. They must bring the essay into class to be turned in before the test. Students may do the other two essays for extra credit on the test. 


Check out Engineering an Empire - Maya by clicking the link below:

Chapter 7 - Big Picture Question #1

Chapter 7 – Classical Era Variations - Big Picture Question #1
“The histories of Africa and the Americas during the classical era largely resemble those of Eurasia.”
Do you agree with this statement? Explain why or why not.

WHAP Chapter7 Big Picture1

Agenda: Monday October 3, 2011

Quote of the Day: "You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Mills

Learning Targets:

• Are the histories of Africa and the Americas during the classical era similar or different from one another?
• How can studying a source document explain what a culture was like?

Agenda:
1. Reading Check Quiz Chapter 7. Students may use their notes.
2. Students will read the document The Periplus of the Erthraean Sea and answer these 2 questions:

  *According to this text, why is the Axumite port of Adulis significant?
  *What evidence does the Periplus provide about Axum’s cultural and economic ties to the larger world?
3. With the time remaining students will discuss the first Big Picture Question for Chapter 7: 
    1. "The histories of Africa and the Americas during the classical era largely resemble those of Eurasia." Do you agree with this statement? Explain why or why not.

For the TEST on Friday, students will answer one of the 3 big picture questions for this chapter. They must bring the essay into class to be turned in before the test. Students may do the other two essays for extra credit on the test.