February 28, 2011

Today in class we attempted to go over the test on Papua New Guinea that we took forever ago. I got an 85% on it which isn't too bad. But, after about 4 questions into the test Billy made Mr.Schick mad and so we didn't do anything for the rest of the class. It was a little bit scary! Then after school I had lacrosse and I'm really happy because I made JV. I cannot really write much else about today except that Papua New Guinea will be on the final exam.

February 24, 2011

Today in class Mr.Schick explained to us how we will be skyping with a girl from Egypt in class tomorrow.I thought he meant that she was coming to class tomorrow to visit and now I feel really stupid. The girl's name is Sarah and for a while the internet in Egypt was down because of the riots but now she is posting again. In Egypt they have "elections" but basically they are a joke. You are not allowed to organize a new political party other then the one that is already created. The people in Egypt started the riots because another country close to them over threw their leader. After our discussion, we watched a video on Egypt.

10 Questions to ask Sarah from Egypt

1. Is there one main thing that makes you regret living in Egypt?
2. Has your everyday life changed since the riots started?
3. Were you scared when you went to the riots?
4. Do you know any people that wanted Mubarak to stay Egypt's leader?
5. What was the worst thing you have seen in the past few weeks?
6. Did the riots occur near your home?
7. Does all of your family have the same opinion on Mubarak as you do?
8. Do you regret going to the riots?
9. Did you see anyone get arrested while you were at the riot?
10. Have you talked to anyone who doesn't want a Mubarak out of office? How did they react to your opinion?

February 23, 2011

Today in class Christy, Cole, and Gracie performed their raps for the class. Kamau tried to perform his but he couldnt find the music or something. After that we talked about what is going on in Egypt and Libya. Murabak is the ruler in Egypt and he has been for the past 30 years so they are revolting. We watched a video on a woman named Gigi who is from Egypt. Her family is fairly wealthy and she graduated from college and even spent a few years in California. They people are saying Murabak is a father figure but others think he has been there too long and they want him out.

Egyptian Rap

In Egypt they sure do have alot
You wanna build a pyramid? Pick a spot
Their mummifying those queens and kings
The farmers and craftsmen are making things
They've got water in the Nile
But going there sure does take a while
Sphinx and Pharaohs guard the people
There usually built up high, like a steeple
Granite or limestone?
Granite takes so long to use you'll be nothing but bone
Some days we have feasts because were beasts
Do you think we have alot of food? We have the least
But were the most skilled in the land, Word!

February 18, 2011

Today in class we had to build a pyramid online which was really really hard. But Katie and I were the first ones done so we got a 100. Its really nice out today, especially since its February so spring is coming soon. After school today I leave for New York for the whole weekend which I'm really excited about. But when Katie and I were building our pyramids it said we killed the king which is kind of weird considering we didn't do anything!

February 17,2011

Today in class Mr.Schick explained why he wasnt in class for the past few days and I think I almost threw up. there story made me get a lump in my throat it was so scary and gross! But that is all we did the whole mod so I don't have anything to write about.

February 15, 2011

Today in class Mrs. Zurkowski was our sub because Mr. Schick wasn't here. Katie and I used to her earphones and we listened to music while we started to make a PowerPoint. Our PowerPoint is from all of the notes we took on how to build pyramid and what is inside of a pyramid. Our PowerPoint is really pretty and factual and we should defiantly get a 100% because its awesome.

February 14, 2011

Today is Valentine's days and we got candy from Cristy. Today Katie and I continued doing our research on pyramids in Egypt. We researched what is inside of pyramids and what each part was used for. The King's chamber is the biggest room, then there is the queens room which is pretty big also, and is connected to the King's chamber. There are many hidden passages and compartments, and also rooms inside of the pyramid. Pyramids height decreases over time probably due to erosion.

February 11, 2011- Egypt

Inside the Egyptian Pyramid-
http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/inside/
King's Chamber- Consists of an empty sarcophagus. The floor and walls are smooth and the floor is usually made of pink granite. The Egyptians designed  this chamber to withstand alot of weight and pressure, they did this by building five low-roof chambers that are covered by big bricks. This keeps the room from crumbling inward.
Grand Gallery- The walls are made of polished sandstone and it has steps leading to the king's chamber or the queen's chamber.
Shafts- The shafts allow air to come into the king's chamber, the shafts were built as "a path to the stars" which allowed the Pharaoh's soul to escape.
Queen's Chamber- Located under the king's chamber, and it is slightly smaller. It is closed to the public.
Underground Chamber-Oldest chamber in the pyramid, never completed, low levels of oxygen

Major Egyptian Pyramids-
http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/information/
The Great Pyramid of Egypt- 146 meters tall, but time has worn it down to138 meters. Made up of 2 million blocks of limestone. Belonged to the Pharaoh Khufu, and it once held his body.
Khafre Pyramid- 53 degree angle, 148.5 meters tall, stands on the northern side of the Gaza Plateau
Menkarue's Pyramid-66.5 meters tall angle is 51 degrees. Pyramid was not complete when Menkarue died so his son Shepseskaf.


Building The Pyramids-
http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/building/
There are only theories of how the pyramids were built. Some of the theories are by moving large blocks and stones under logs then they just repeat the cycle. In order to place the stones in the right place they must have used a ramp that went around the pyramids sides. Its estimated that the Great Pyramid took almost 20 years to build.

Ancient Egypt-
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/egypt/pyramids.htm
The ancient pyramids were built to hold the pharaoh's body after it was mummified . The tombs were designed to protect their bodies and their belongings. Most of the pyramids in Egypt are built to the west of the Nile River. The dry desert is a good spot because it keeps the bodies and the belongings from decomposing and rising. The Sphinx protects the Pyramid of Giza, it has the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh. The Egyptians believed that when they died they made a journey to another world to start a new life, called the afterlife.

Facts on Egypt-
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/egypt/mummies.htm
How were mummies made-

1. The body is washed and purified 
2. All organs were removed except for the heart
3. Body was filled with stuffing
4. The body was covered with natron
5. After 40-50 days the stuffing was removed
6. Body was wrapped in linen, called a shroud
7. The body was placed in a stone coffin called a sarcophagus

Natorn is a natural salt

Feb. 10, 2011- Essay Question

A. Describe the transition of hunter-gatherers to farmers.


        In ancient civilization there were no jobs such as doctors, lawyers, and teachers like we have today in the 21st century. Thousands of years ago there were significantly different jobs. The world was not as technologically advanced a thousand years ago like it is now. Now we have have computers and cell phones to communicate which is part of the reason why our country is so advanced and stable. Countries such as Papua New Guinea, how ever, do not use cell phones or computers, the residents of Papua New Guinea live their lives the way they did thousands of years ago.
        In order to obtain food thousands of years ago people did not have grocery stores, they had to find their food on their own by hunting and gathering or farming. In the middle east, around the area of The Fertile Crescent their soil and land used to be very plentiful and filled with great trees, plants, and animals that they could use as food. There was one huge problem with hunting and gathering though, the food would eventually run out over time. After all of the fruits from the trees and bushes were gathered and after the men had killed all of the animals it was time to move on and find a new places to live where there was food to eat. After time went on people in the middle eastern countries were able to adapt the concept of farming from other countries. All they had to do was plant food and take care of it until it grew and then you could harvest it and store it for longer periods of time. This concept was great for countries, they could use their animals to drag the plows, they could grow food to feed their families and it would be nutritious. Unfortunately for the people living in the fertile crescent one year a huge change in the climate occurred. The climate change took away all of the water and food that was once so plentiful. The fertile soil that produced amazing crops was ruined. Therefore, the people there had to migrate again.
        The transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers was a huge advancement in the world. Without the concept of farming there probably would not be as many people on earth as there are today, due to the lack of nutrition many people would have died. Farming is still used in the 21st century in many countries throughout the world. It is even still used in America, the most technologically advanced country in the world. The transition from hunting and gathering to farming was a very helpful idea that shaped the world to be the way it is to this day.

February 9, 2011

Today in class we reviewed for the test that we are having tomorrow. Mr. Schick asked us what we thought would be on the test and what some good questions to ask would be and he put some of the ones we named onto the test. The people in Papua New Guinea have to worry about what animals they are going to kill for the day, what berries aren't poisonous and where can they find leaves and other types of vegetation. Papua New Guinea doesn't have geographical luck because of where they are located. The have a tropical like climate that usually doesnt have very much rain or rich soil to use in order to farm. That is why alot of the people in Papua New Guinea cut down trees and get to the middle of the and get out the stuff called Sago. Sago is not nutritional and cannot be preserved for long periods of time.

February 7,2011

The parts of Papua New Guinea that we saw in the movie Guns, Germs, and Steel are poor and don't send out any cargo and also dont receive any cargo into their country. Jarred Diamond explains that due to their geographical location they did not succeed as well as America did technology wise. The capital of New Guinea is Port Moresby. Port Moresby is in Tok Pisin and is the largest city in Papua New Guinea and they made relationships with the Gulf people. The Gulf people and the people from Papua New Guinea go on Hiri expeditions together where large groups of men go in canoes and take clay pots to various places. Port Moresby also has an airport. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Moresby
The second largest city in Papua New Guinea is Lae. Lae is a major place for transportation and became famous when Ameila Earhart flew out of an airport there and was never seen again after her plane crashed. The LAe International Hotel has hosted some famous political figures in the past few years. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lae
In present day New Guinea the population is about 5, 940,775 and the majority are between the ages of 15 and 64. The birth rate is 27.57/1,000 population and the life expectancy is 65.75. When looking at jobs in Papua New Guinea the agricultural percentage of jobs is 85%. 85% of farmers is almost all of the population, that is why Papua New Guinea is very different from the United States. There are barely any large towns or cities in Papua New Guinea, which is the opposite of the U.S. Papua New Guinea has been living basically the same way for the past thousands of years. Draa' was the first village in human history and scientist found the first granary http://www.workmall.com/wfb2010/papua_new_guinea/index.html

Facts on Papua, New Guinea

1. About 6 million people

2. Second largest island in the world

3. Between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean which is east of Indonesia

4. 54th largest country in the world

5. Slightly larger than California

6. Their climate is tropical, only a slight transition in temperature during the season changes

7. Mostly mountains and coastal and rolling foothills

8. Natural Resources are gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber oil, and fisheries

9. Arable land is .49%

10. Natural hazards are volcanoes, it is severe

11. Ranked 105 for population

12. Population growth rate is ranked 51 in the world

13. Birthrate is 53rd in the world

14. Deathrate is 148 in the world

15. The infant mortality rate is 44.59 / 1,000 live births

16. Ranked 43 for AIDS/ HIV in the world

17. Major infectious diseases- very high

18. Their ethnic groups are Melanesian, Papuan, Negrito, Micronesian, and Polynesian

19. Roman Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran are the two biggest religions 

20. Speak Tok Pisin, English, and Hiri Motu over 1/ 10 of the languages in the world are spoken in New Guinea

21. Capital is Port Moresby

22. The head of the government is the Prime Minister, Sam Abal (monarchy)

23. The unemployment rate is 1.8%

24. Main line telephone use is 156 in the world

25. Cellular use is 147 in the world

26. 562 airports

27. Have to be 16 to enter the military

February 4, 2011

The Fertile Crescent was home to some of the best crops and farm animals in the ancient world. The Fertile Crescent had a huge head start because of their geographical surroundings. There were rows of houses in a place in The Fertile Crescent and people found it to be very technological because they were developing houses. As the villages grew, more people could grow crops and help out on the farm. Making plaster for homes out of limestone was a huge technological advance since they knew how to use fire and how to make it useful. Since the food surplus in New Guinea was basically non existent it was hard for them to advance technologically because they spent too much time trying to figure out how to feed themselves. The Fertile Crescent has now lost its head start, it was abandoned because they had a weakness. Their climate was too dry and too hard to farm, the water was overused and the trees has all been cut down. Places to the east and west of The Fertile Crescent such as the Mediterranean and other Asian places were good places for them to migrate to. The Fertile Crescent had similar weather and climate as to the places they migrated to. Once the crops and animals of the Fertile Crescent reached Egypt there was an "explosion" of civilization. Suddenly, there was enough food to feed armies of people, the rich, the princes, and various other people. In the 16th century the same crops and animals were taken to the new world (Americas). The modern America would have been impossible to achieve without the concepts of farming and animals. Diamond has been criticized for not noticing the huge aspects that people played in the technological advance in America. New Guinea did not have the same raw materials as other countries, which is one of the reasons they did not advance. The people of New Guinea have the ingenuity to advance in the world, but their geographical luck was not good.

February 3, 2011

Cows, pigs, sheep, and goats are from the Middle East, they are all big live stock animals. These animals are so useful to people now because they provide people with meat, hide, fur, and they can also be useful on farms to drag the plow. Without countries having these animals they would not be nearly as successful or developed. One of the reasons New Guinea isn't developed like other countries such as North America is because the only domesticated animals in their country are pigs. The pigs cannot provide fur, and they are also not strong enough to pull a plow.

February 2, 2011

Today in class we continued to watch Guns, Germs, and Steel. The people in New Guinea never advanced in society like America and other countries did. The crops that the farmers plants in New Guinea have barely and protein or nutrition. Diamond thinks that another reason could be because of geographic luck, Americans have an advantage over New Guineans because there crops are more nutritious. Scientists have discovered that Americans deal with animals in a better way that the people in New Guinea do. The Americans use the meat, the milk, and the fur of animals while the people in New Guinea are not nearly as resourceful. The invention of the plow helped before the industrial revelation and that helped the Americas. The plow allowed the farmers to grow more food and feed more people. In New Guinea the only animal they really had were pigs and pigs could not pull plows, or provide their hide or fur. Countries want a large meat eating animal that can kill other animals and get more nutrition. People think that zebras could be just as useful as a horse, but they have tempers. Diamond counted 148 animals that weigh over 100 pounds. The 14 domesticated animals are : goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, donkeys, 2 kinds of camels, water buffalo, llamas, mithan, reindeer, yaks, and bali cattle. Asia, Europe and South America are home of the most domesticated animals.