SQ3R Geography

East Africa has many different geographical features. East Africa has many highlands as well plains, but East Africa is mainly known for the Great Rift Valley. Most of the East African population lives on highlands, as more vegetation grows there. Mt. Kilimanjaro is 5,895 meters, and stands in Kenya. There are many elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, and flamingos. To protect wild life in East Africa, a national park was established in Tanzania. Africa's largest lake, Lake Victoria, is also in East Africa. The highlands are very wet and rainy, and the plains are very dry.

Scramble for Africa

1. Our strategy was to get all the land with the places that had the resources we needed, as well as the places that the other teams needed.
2. The factors we considered were what resources we needed and where they were found, as well as what the other teams may need. 3. I think that all the teams may have won in their own way, as most of them got the places they wanted, though some countries had more land than the other.
4. As I said, most of the countries got the places they wanted, but had less than others. By going by who had the least land, I'd have to say that Spain lost.

Cartoon

The main visual elements of this cartoon are Africa, and the massive footprint. I think the footprint symbolizes the mark Europe left on Africa, and the artist sees it as a very negative thing, as the footprint takes over almost all of Africa. Also, the land under the shoe print is very cracked and dry, making it seem like the Europeans took their resources, and stripped them of their necessities.

SQ3R Modern Africa

Today in East Africa, you'll find skyscrapers in the capital cities of countries like Tanzania and Kenya, but then also nomadic herders roaming through Somalia. Most of the East African countries economies heavily rely on agriculture. For example, Sudan's economy is based almost entirely on agriculture, and Ethiopia, who has never been ruled by another foreign country, exports coffee, livestock, and oilseeds. Other countries also depend on tourism.

Feedback- Pros ad Cons of Imperialism

Positives

• Often boosted the economy of the country.
• Helped colonize and modernize Africa.
• Newer machinery was brought to Africa.
• Schools were developed.
• Health care was brought in.
• Stable Governement was enforced.

Negatives

• Africans were taken as slaves to other parts of the world.
• Many were killed.
• Sometimes, the original culture of a place was overtaken by Western culture.
• When the Westerners left, countries like Rwanda broke out into Civil War.

East Africa History

The earlier civilizations in Eastern Africa were well developed. Later on, Islam and Christianity influences life in East Africa. The arrival of Europeans, trade, ethnic conflict, and independence also influenced life in East Africa. About AD 300, Christianity was first introduced to Ethiopia. Around AD 700, Islam was the major religion Egypt, and spread to northern Sudan. Eastern Africa was a big part in slave trade. By the late 1700's, Zanzibar, an East African island, became an international slave-trade center. After slavery was ended, the British gained control over most of East Africa. In the early 1960's, most east African countries gained independence from European rule.

The European rule has played a major role in East Africa. French is the official language in Rwanda, Burundi, and Djibouti. English is the main language in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. African languages are also spoken in Eastern Africa. Swahili is spoken in Tanzania and Kenya, as well as English. Somalians speak Somali, and Ethiopians speak Amharic.
Religions in East Africa vary greatly. A lot of East Africans follow animist religions, which means they believe the natural world contains spirits. Some religions are combined with animist worship, such as Christianity. Islam is also practiced.

To Be A Slave- Can We Trust?

I think for the most part we can trust what Julius Lester is saying in To Be a Slave. I think that because he's using letters and stories directly from slaves. And also, since most of the accounts from the slaves are very similar, I also think most of it is true. Then again, we haven't heard the side of the story from the slave owners, but I don't think all the slaves came together.

After doing more research about Julius Lester, I am beginning to wonder how much you can trust him, as he is an African American and his ancestors were slaves. He may have used accounts of real slaves in his book, but he used maybe a hundred or two of the thousands of slaves there were.

5 Themes of Geography

I think this image shows the 5 themes of geography. Movement, because it shows people moving around the place, and walking to and from the park. This shows region because, not all places have blue skies and green trees, due to pollution and things. Human-environment interation as people are buying and eating food, and if you look close, there are some people putting the wrappers in places other than bins.
The picture's location is Central Park, New York.
Place, because as I said earlier, the green trees and blue skies show that it's in an unpolluted place, which is something not all places have. Also, the statue and architecture of the walls and things make it unique as well.

http://aguyinnewyork.com/images/2005photos/CentralPark103005.JPG

Feedback

Evaluate this quote, “Violence leads to more violence.” Use evidence from Julius Caesar and current world events to support or reject.

In my opinion, the quote "violence leads to more violence" is true. In Julius Caesar after the conspirators kill Caesar, the citizens plot to kill the conspirators- or at least that how it seemed up to the point we had read to. Also in our everyday lives, usually when you hurt someone, like punch them or something, they punch back. That's just how it works at our age. And in the world, when one country bombs another country, they usually fight back.I think this statement is definitely true.

Brutus's Dilemma

If I were Brutus, and had to choose between my country and my friend, then I'd choose my friend. I would do so because I think you can always change a person. Even though Caesar may be becoming too powerful, you can always change his opinion. I think that by having Brutus's support, Caesar would be able to become the change that all the conspirators want him to be. Also the people aren't positive that he will become an evil dictator, and because of that, they can also try to steer his mind in the right direction. Brutus and Caesar were also good friends for a very long time, so Brutus probably knows the true Caesar, if it's not the big dictator that he's portraying. If Brutus is a loyal friend, he wouldn't let down Caesar like that. Brutus should stay loyal to his friend, and try to change him instead of killing him.

Leadership

In 8th grade, I don't think there are any student leaders, as everyone gives their own input whenever necessary. There are some people who step up a bit more than others, like the SLAMS members, but I wouldn't call them "leaders." I would say the qualities of a good leader would be someone who is willing to take time out of their own life, and work at making things better for other people, as well as helping others, and being a good example for others. I don't think anyone in the 8th grade really does that.

Imperialism

When comparing the 4 cases of Imperialism that we talked about in class, India, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast India, there are a lot of similarities. First of all, when overthrowing another country or empire, they were all after one thing; the natural resources of the country they were overthrowing. When they ran out of resources they would travel to different countries abundant in that certain resource, like Britain did with India for cotton. Also, sometimes the domination was to gain more respect, to be the first to overthrow that specific country, to gain "glory", as Mr. Coyle put it. Also, in some cases they were trying to spread God, or at least used God as an excuse to go into a different country. Strong countries would overthrow the weaker countries mostly by bringing armies, or by changing the economy. Sometimes countries would change culturally, like in the case of India. In all cases that we studied, the domination brought on new leadership. In India and Southeast Asia, there was a case of hunger and better school and health care.

First Quarter Feedback/Second Quarter Goals

My first quarter goals were to keep up with my homework, and to really understand what we were learning in class. In terms of my homework, I turned in all but one assignment, which was a big improvement from last year. I hope by the end of next quarter I'll turn in everything :]. When it comes to my second goal, I think I achieved that, too, except for some little things and the economic stuff. There was a lot of information in a little amount of time, and I think I just got really confused, but as I think about what we learned more, I think I'm starting to understand more as well.
One of my second quarter goals is to get better at Socratic Seminars. I talk once in awhile, but I really want to get more involved in them more. But that is where my second goal comes in :] Once again, I would like to really understand what we do in class. I tried last semester, but as I said, I didn't completely understand everything. I really would like to try to pay more attention in class as well, as that will probably help too.

In your blog please analyze the above cartoon which was originally published in the New York Times on June 10, 1911.
As part of your analysis please address the following:
What are the main visual elements?
What issue is this political cartoon about?
What is the cartoonist’s opinion on this issue?
What evidence in the cartoon leads you to believe that the author feels this way?
What other techniques could the cartoonist have used to make this cartoon more persuasive?

The main visual elements of this cartoon would have to be the big man with the ribbon that says "capitalism", the man he is holding labeled "labor" and the bags of money below that say "profits from child labor". Obviously, this cartoon is about Capitalism, and how unfair it is. The big man seems to be shaking money out of the laborer, and then has bags and bags of money from child labor. The cartoonist doesn't seem to like the idea of capitalism, and makes it seem like the only people who benefit it are the owners of companies, not the workers. I think he also finds the factory owners greedy. I think this because of how he makes the man shaking the laborer so much larger, and how the man is shaking the laborer's money on the bags and bags of money he already has.

image from:http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/laborpress/images/Socialist Voice

Feedback

This week marks the mid-point of the first quarter. Please review your humanities goals for the quarter (posted on your BLOG) and evaluate how well you are meeting them at this point. Revise your goals if you need to.

My first goal was to keep up with my homework, and so far I've been doing well. I've had everything turned in on time, and finished everything else by the due date. I hope to keep this up throughout the year. My second goal was to really understand what we're learning in class, and again, I've been trying my best to do that. When I didn't understand something, I went home and researched it some more on my own time, which has really helped me in class. I also hope to keep this up as the year progresses.

Industrial Revolution Pros/Cons

One of our essential questions this quarter is: What is the “net effect” of the Industrial Revolution? To begin thinking about this question please begin to create a list of positives and negatives of the Industrial Revolution. Make sure you explain yourself well enough that a person not familiar with the IR would be able to understand your ideas from reading your post.


Pros

• In the beginning, more women and children were needed to work, so more people had jobs which meant more money.
• Industries began to boom, causing entire countries to become wealthier.
• When machines were introduced, products could be made more efficiently, for a cheaper price.
• Faster transportation, so goods could be transported quicker and goods could be solder faster.
  

Cons

• Because machines produced goods faster, more people lost their jobs.
• Children were forced to work, because of their small size, so they were forced to climb into machines, which was very dangerous.
• Countries became polluted due to excess use of coal.
• Destroyed arable land to make factories.
  

Factory Game 2

The next day, we had a competition. Who had created the best "toy"? After selecting the best, we had a new task. To create an assembly line, and recreate the same figure. We were in competition with the rest of the 8th grade humanities classes. I was taken out to the hall by Mr. Coyle. I was the "manager" of the assembly line. We win the competition, I get a soda, we lose, my grade goes down. Oh, dear.
We began. Everyone was so busy talking, and nothing was being made. It took 10 minutes before we actually made anything; but after that we were making little bears by the minute. We could've worked more efficiently, if no one had talked.
I think the second day was a better way of making product, because each person was doing a little part. The first day, we each had to do everything, so it took longer. Though our second day's work was messier, it was produced at a quicker rate, which is what was expected.

Factory Game 1

Our task? To envision ourselves as peasants way back when, and to create a "toy" for our little brother's birthday. We each received a sheet of paper with little cutout pieces, and those were our materials, along with glue and crayons. We had 15 minutes. We all sat, carefully cutting our pieces out, debating whether to make a bear or a pig. I'll make a rabbit.
"What are you making?"
"I'm not sure, how about you?"
Soon enough the time was up, and no one was finished. We were to take our projects home and complete them, using the same materials.

A Roller Coaster Ride

The roller coaster is inside of a cave. All around is darkness, like night. The cart we are sitting in begins to move. It is too late to turn back. The cart's bottom scrapes against the tracks. Screeeeech. My heart begins to beat faster and faster. The candy apple red cart begins to move at a steady pace. Splash, splash. The water below the tracks begins to splash against the pitch blackness of the cave walls. A musty smell fills the air, almost like we are out to sea in a ship from Columbus's time. I can taste the ocean in my mouth. I begin to feel sick. Maybe riding the roller coaster wasn't the best idea. The cart begins to move faster. Chug, chug, chug. We are out of the cave, into the blinding sunlight. Oh, fresh air. We being to move upwards. I see a long trail of tracks. I look over the cart, and I remember. I am afraid of heights. Deathly. Afraid of heights. I close my eyes. The cart stops for a second. I calm down. Suddenly, a gush of ice cold air blows onto my face. AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! All around me, people are screaming. My heart is close to exploding. The cart is crying out for help, the friction is so strong. I truly believe I am going to die. Please don't let me die; I'm too young, I silently pray to myself. The wind stops blowing. I open my eyes. It's over. I am alive. I congratulate my self and take a few calming breaths. Inhale, exhale. I turn to look at my companion.
"Let's go again."

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” Inventions are usually created in order to make living easier. Things like the airplane, telephone, and cotton gin were invented to make tasks simpler. The airplane was invented to make travelling great distances quicker. The telephone was created to pass messages without have to leave the benefit of your home. The cotton gin was invented to make a task usually done by 100 people, so that only a person was needed to run the machine. All in all, inventions are invented to make living more efficient.

Image from: http://flickr.com/photos/whocaresz/419033340/

How I Learn Best.

I learn best visually. When I read something, I tend to understand and process the information better than if I just listen to someone talk about the subject. Also, when just listening I always seem to lose focus and my mind begins to "wander." I enjoy reading in my free time, so carrying that into class is something I would prefer to do rather than listening to lectures. I also like to learn by doing simulations or activities, because they stand out in my mind when I think back, rather than just hearing lectures. I think class would be easier for me, personally, if we were to get up and move around more, and also if we read more material about our subjects.

Feedback :]

The first two weeks of school was full of a lot of things, but the main two highlights would have to be seeing my friends again after two months, and meeting my teachers.

I think Humanities will be great. I have a lot of friends in Humanities, which is always a plus. Also, it's a pretty laid-back class. I think Humanities will be the class I look forward most to going to. We'll see what it's like a few more months into the school year, though.

I didn't do so well in Humanities last year. I have issues with keeping up with my homework. One big goal I've set for myself is to make sure I'm doing my homework, and turning it in on time. The other thing I'm going to try to accomplish by the end of the quarter is to really understand what's happening. When I was younger, I did the minimum of what I had to. I would really like to try to understand more of what I learn.

My Gang

My friends, my "gang". When I'm at school, and even outside of school, I mainly hang out with a group of about 6 people. There's Isabelle, my best buddy. We do everything together, all the way to buying pet fish. At least we plan on it. There's also Kartik and Sebastien. Me and Kartik like to joke around a lot, but me and Seb just fight. He's still my friend, though. Then there's also Casey and Jon. Casey is in a lot my classes. We've had some great bonding time! HAHAHA. No. Just kidding. Jon is in a lot of my classes, too. He always makes me laugh. He's a good person to have around. Most of the time. There's also Michaela. We met in Humanities class in 7th grade. We got in a lot of trouble. Not cool. But that's okay.
My friends are GRRRRRREAT. Just like Frosted Flakes. I almost love my friends as much as frosted flakes, too.