Today in class we watched a couple of videos about Baltimore and Los Angeles. The Baltimore video was pretty bad but the Los Angeles video was a lot better. We watched the videos because it was given us an idea of what we are going to do with our project. The videos were funny and enjoyable.

Today in class we did a review of Ancient Greece. We went over our notes and shared what we have. Devin was the teacher for the day and we told us what info we should have in our notes. I had most of the notes that was said in class. We made sure that we know the types of government and the difference between Athens and Sparta. Athens had infantry but Sparta had a navy.

Citiizens and Communities: The Greek City-State

Citizens and Communities: The Greek City-State
Acropolis-the high fortified citadel and religious center of an ancient Greek town.
The Greek city-states were first developed at exactly the time the Assyrians were reaching for power westward from Mesopotamia.
Hoplite-a heavily armed and armored citizen soldier of ancient Greece.
Phalanx-a unit of several hundred hoplites, who closed ranks by joining shields when approaching the enemy.
Monarchy-a state in which supreme power is held by a single, usually hereditary ruler (a monarch).
Oligarchy-a state in which supreme power is held by a small group.
Triremes-massive fighting vessels with 3 banks of oars, used to ram or board enemy ships.
Tyranny-rule by a self-proclaimed dictator (a tyrant).
Democracy-in ancient Greece, a form of government in which all adult male citizens were entitled to make part in decision making.
Sparta
The Spartans were the descendants of Greeks who had conquered part of the southern mainland, the territory of Laconia.
Helots-noncitizens forced to work for landholders in the ancient city-state of Sparta.
Athens
The Athenian homeland was the peninsula of Attica in the central region of mainland Greece.
Aristocrats-members of prominent and long-established Athenian families.
In the sixth century B.C., the Persians conquered a realm that stretched from the borders of India to the Nile and the Aegean.
The state covered the cost of official salaries by court fines, custom duties, an annual tax on aliens, and various sales taxes.
Ostracism-banishment for ten years by majority vote of the Athenian Assembly.
Aliens
The fifty thousand or so resident aliens were a very varied group.
Some were wealthy businessmen, or independent women.
Slaves
The hundred thousand or so slaves in Athens were also a very diverse group.
Not all of them live lives of total subjection and powerlessness.

Ancient Greece

Geography of Greece
Mountainous peninsula
-Mountains cover 3/4
Approximately 1,400 islands in the Aegean and Ionian Seas
Location shaped its culture
Skilled sailors
poor natural resources
Difficult to unite the Ancient Greeks because of the terrain; developed small, independent communities
Approximately 20% suitable for farming
Fertile valleys cover 1/4 of peninsula
Because of geography the Greek diet consists of grains, grapes, and olives
Lack of resources most likely led to Greek colonization
Temperatures range from 48 degrees in the winter to 80 degrees in the summer
Mycenaens
Began around 2000 B.C.
Located on a rocky ridge and protected by a 20 ft. thick wall
Kings dominated Greece from 1600-1200 B.C.
-Controlled trade in the region
1400 B.C. Mycenaens invade Crete and absorbed Minoan culture and language
Culture in Decline
Around 1200 B.C. sea people began to invade Mycenae and burnt palace after palace
The Dorians moved into the war-torn region
-Far less advanced
-Economy collapsed
-Writing disappeared for 400 years
Known as the Dark Ages of Greek History
Homer and Myths
Stories were passed on by word of mouth
Homer lived at the end of the "Greek Dark Age"
Recorded stories of the Trojan War in The Iliad and The Odyssey written 750-700 B.C.
Trojan War was one of the last conquests of the Mycenaens
-Odyssey was 12,110 lines of dactylic hexameter

Today in class we had auditions for whoever could a teacher. We also went over some notes that we already learned. We just reviewed everything to make sure that we have all the information. The class was fun because we were teaching the info to other students and they made it go by fast.

Today in class we went over the test. We went over the answer and made corrections. I am happy with my grade but I thought I could get a better grade. We could keep the test because some of the info that was on the test could be on the final.

Building a pyramid

Today in class we played this game where we have to build a pyramid. It seemed fairly easy but everything you choose played a part on ho your pyramid went. It was hard because it was a lot of things you have to do to make it work. We had to complete the pyramid within the class period. It took me a couple of tries but I finally chose everything correctly and I finally was able to build a pyramid.