Tying it all together: Engineering an Empire - China

One of the most challenging things about this course is that we break up the history of the various regions of the world, returning to them time and time again. The history of China is a perfect example of this. I think that, whenever possible, it is helpful to tie the history together so that we can develop our understanding of the continuities and changes that empires/countries/regions undergo. We are currently studying the Tang and Song dynasties. How does this history flow out of Han and all that came before?

The video embedded here - Engineering an Empire: China - does a pretty good job at helping us get a big picture view of this Chinese history. It is by no means comprehensive. It uses engineering projects as a guide through history, so you will see a great deal of coverage on things like the Great Wall. It begins with the Warring States period, and moves beyond the Song (by only about 10 minutes).

Your homework tonight is to watch the video. Really watch it! Focus! You should have received a viewing guide in class (can also be downloaded here). Complete during and after watching the video, and be prepared to turn it in tomorrow. If you consider copying the answers from a classmate, rather than watching the video yourself, you should know that I am considering a short Knowledge Check based on it. Do the right thing. Besides, it is an interesting and informative presentation, and it will help with your understanding of the history.

Remember: You also need to read pages 278-285.

India and Southeast Asia - Chapter Quiz Tomorrow!

The end is near! The end of the 1st nine weeks that is.

I'll keep this blog post brief so that you can get back to studying for tomorrow's quiz.  This is your opportunity to finish on a high note.  Don't miss it.

I have put together a pretty detailed review sheet for this chapter. You can find it by clicking here.  As I suggested in class today, use the sheet as a checklist to identify things that you need to go back and review.

I'm also embedding the video that we watched a part of today.  In addition to providing a lot of information about the development of Buddhism in India, it also (in the final 25 minutes or so) tells the story of Ashoka's reign.

The Mauryan Empire, Ashoka, and Buddhism

We've spend the last two days discussing the development of empire in early India. Remember, what we cover in class is a portion of the required content. You must get into the textbook and do the reading. I really enjoyed today's discussion about the founding of the Mauryan Empire. As the first unification of the subcontinent - at least most of it - it is central to any understanding of India's origins. Digging into Ashoka's Rock and Pillar Edicts provides us with insight into how the early empire was governed. As I mentioned in closing today, we must view primary sources with a cautious eye. Was Ashoka's battlefield conversion as advertised, or was it political expediency? This an important question to ask when studying the Edicts, and one that we can only leads us only to speculation.

I am always happy when I have an opportunity to share to one of John Green's Crash Course videos.  I believe that the episode on Buddha and Ashoka provides a great overview of what we have covered  over the past two days.





 Tonight's homework is to finish the reading in the current chapter. However, feel free to take the weekend to complete the reading. We will be in the media center tomorrow talking history fair.

Related Links:

PBS: The Story of India
The Edicts of King Ashoka

Chapter 5 Quiz Tomorrow!

How much of this week's reading have you completed?  How well has your note taking gone? We'll get answers to those questions tomorrow.

Here is the list that I posted on Edmodo this afternoon.  While not a comprehensive list of everything covered on the quiz, it does cover quite a bit of ground.

If you have the time, you may want to relax while watching the Crash Course episode on China.

 

"The Word and the Sword" - Andrew Marr's History of the World

If today's Knowledge Check quiz is an accurate picture of how well you all are retaining the readings, we are making big steps in the right direction.  Remember, there is no substitute for close reading and detailed notes.

After our quiz, we watched about 40 minutes Andrew Marr's History of the World (Episode 3): The Word and the Sword.  It covers some really important themes from our class, including the intersection of religion and politics during the Age of Empires.  It begins with India, which we will get to in chapter 6.  Most importantly, at least this week, is its coverage of Han China and Rome.

If you did not get a chance to see it or if you would like to watch the full episode, follow the link or watch it right here.

BBC.Andrew.Marr.s.History.of.the.World.3of8.The.Word.and.the.Sword.PDTV.XviD.MVGroup.org from daniela marão on Vimeo.

Tonight and Beyond
 Tonight's reading assignment will take us to page 151, and the end of the sections on Rome.

If you have a chance to get ahead, I'll be assigning the remainder of the chapter tomorrow.  Remember, a big part of our focus in this chapter is the comparison of the Roman Empire and the Han Empire.

Our chapter quiz this time will take two days, one for the multiple choice and one for the essay.  Begin preparing now!

Day 26 - Kicking off Chapter 4 . . . and History Fair!

Wednesday Recap
Sorry! I have missed a few days here on the blog, but I'm BACK!

We kick-off Chapter 4 - Greece and Iran 1000-30 BCE - with tonight's chapter preview.  The beginning of each chapter is always a new beginning, so to speak.  With each chapter, more and more of you are getting the hang of how to approach the reading and note taking.  I handed out the notecard term list today, and you can also find it by clicking here. 

Grades for the Chapter 3 (open-note/book) quiz are now up on parent portal. Grades are definitely moving in the right direction.  How well you do on the quiz at the end of chapter 4 will, in large part, be determined by how well you approach the reading and note taking beginning tonight.

SOAPS
Make sure that you come class tomorrow prepared to discuss the "SOAPing" of the protests documents in chapter 3.

History Fair 2014!
Our history fair journey begins today.  Here are a few resources that you may find helpful as you consider topics and categories.

2014 NHD Theme Sheet - Rights & Responsibilities

Sample Topics

Mr. Veliz's LHS History Fair Website

NHD Website

HF Homework - Click here for the HF Topic and Category Selection Form

As you work through this process, please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help.

Day 18 - Notecards and Paragraph Summaries

Be diligent!  Work at mastering the art of note taking.

You should be reading through the Aegean World tonight, taking careful notes, writing paragraph summaries, and building your notecards.  If you do this well, it will pay off on test day.

Looking Ahead
This weekend's reading assignment will be the Assyrian Empire and Israel.  Manage your time wisely.  Monday reading assignment will be to finish the chapter.

Day 17 - Previewing Chapter 13

Wednesday Recap
Today we learned that we would be adding a couple of new elements to our note-taking process.  While it may take a little getting used to, I believe that it will pay off in the long run.

As with anything else, the time spent and the attention paid to taking quality notes - either notecards or

journals - will determine how useful they will be.  Pay attention to the notecard structure.  You will be graded on the quality of your notecards and journal entries.

We also covered our new chapter preview procedure.  You should have the requirements taped into your notebooks.


Tonight in APWH
Buy notecards! Lots of notecards!

Tonight is chapter three preview night.  Complete the term side of each of the 26 notecards for this chapter, and go through the chapter preview process.

We'll take a look at them tomorrow.  I'll also be checking chapter two notes tomorrow, so be prepared.

Day 16 - #TransformationTuesday

I joked around in one of my AP classes today about making today #transformationtuesday with our chapter two quiz. For many of you it was exactly that.

More than half of the students in my two AP classes scored either an A or B, with another bunch moving up to a C. We are definitely moving in the right direction.

We'll get started with chapter three tomorrow. We'll be incorporating a couple elements into our reading routine.

Enjoy the night off.


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Day 15 - Chapter 2 Quiz Tomorrow

Sorry that I didn't get anything up here earlier. It's been a busy afternoon and evening.

Make sure you get enough sleep tonight.

I'll put up the thesis info tomorrow.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 14 - The Search for Order in China

Friday Recap
Today's reading on the search for order in China should help you better understand the three approaches discussed - Legalism, Confucianism, and Daoism.  If you would like to use the reading again, you can find it by clicking here. It can also be found on Edmodo.

We did not, as a class, watch the Crash Course episode on China. However, it is pretty good and I encourage you to give it a go.

 

 This Weekend in APWH
With a chapter quiz coming up on Tuesday, what you should do this weekend should be obvious - STUDY!  Rereading the chapter would not be a bad idea, but make sure you also review using the study guide that I've created.

As I mentioned in class today, I encourage you to form a study group - or at least a partnership.  Meet at a Starbucks, meet online in a Google Hangout, meet somewhere.  This class will be more manageable if you team up with a group of classmates.  If there is anything that I can do to help make that happen, please let me know.

Day 13 - Scoring the C & C

Thursday Recap
For homework last night you were to write a compare and contrast based on, at least in part, our study of The Mandate of Heaven.  Today in class, you had an opportunity to grade your own essay based on the actual essay rubric that exam readers (and your teacher) will use.  I believe that this kind of exercise can be extremely valuable.  It is important to learn to access our own work.

I also gave you the opportunity to grade a classmate's essay.  As I have said several times already, using each other as learning partners is almost essential to your success in AP World.  Figure out who belongs in your study group and start meeting with them regularly.

Tonight
No new material tonight!

That should not mean that you do nothing tonight related to APWH.  We have a chapter 2 quiz scheduled for Tuesday.  Right now is a great time to begin reviewing/rereading the chapter, and studying your notes.

Day 12 - A good day to discuss the Mandate.

Wednesday Recap
 I hope that you all found our class discussion of the Mandate of Heaven interesting and helpful.  Admittedly, it is not an easy document to grasp the first time through.  Having an opportunity to work through the questions for analysis with a small group of your peers should help clarify some things.

I urge you to read through the article How to Read a Secondary Source that I shared with you today.  One of the most important skills that you should take away is being able to handle complex text.  This is a skill that must be learned and practiced.

Tonight in APWH
Another of the most important skills to take away from this class is to become a proficient writer.  We have an opportunity tonight to move in that direction.

I want you to address question 8 of the Questions for Analysis with a compare and contrast essay.  Choose either Egypt or Mesopotamia to compare with China.  Remember the feedback that I gave you after our last C&C essay.  The document can be found on Edmodo.

The Chapter 2 Quiz will be next Tuesday (I know that I said Monday in class).

Day 11 - The Mandate of Heaven

Tuesday Recap
Today's Knowledge Check quiz looked a little better.  Keep working everyday to get better at the reading and note taking.  As I reemphasized today in class, this is not a primarily lecture driven class with the content delivered each day in class.  There is just too much to cover in way too little time.  There will be lectures but they will cover a small percentage of the required content.  You must become proficient at acquiring the content through the readings.

I touched on the idea of periodization today.  This is an important concept in the study of history, in that it helps us compartmentalize the vast amounts of content into more easily digestible chunks.

With the Labor Day holiday yesterday, we missed out on our Writing Workshop.  To make up for that - at least a little - I gave you all the Power Words for Writing handout.  Don't lose it! These words take us down the road of lifting the level of writing we produce.  Use the list every time you write an essay.  The words will become part of your expanding vocabulary.

Finally, we started to dip into document five in our reader - The Mandate of Heaven.  We will continue to work through the Questions for Analysis tomorrow, and spend a little time discussing as a class.  For a short but informative video on the Mandate, click here. 

Tonight for Homework
Based on today's knowledge check, do you feel as though you should spend more time in the first half of the chapter?  If so, it will be worth the extra time.

I also need you to finish the reading for chapter two - Nubia and the Americas.  Don't skip over the section entitled Comparative Perspectives. 

Day 10 - A few days late.

Sorry that I didn't post on Friday. I guess that I started thinking about the long weekend a little too early.

Recap
I hope that everyone walked away from Friday's review of our first chapter quiz with renewed sense of awareness about this course.  Rather than sad faces, we should have taken away a more accurate picture of what is required to do well in APWH.

This Weekend
Well, it is time to jump into Chapter Two.

This weekend, make sure you are reading pages 38-51 in the textbook.

Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend.

Day 9 - I can see the long weekend from here!

Thursday Recap
I am glad that we have our first real quiz behind us.  I expect that many of you found it really difficult.  Don't worry!  You will get better at this; and as you do, tests and quizzes will become more manageable.

We will spend some time reviewing this first quiz, and you will have an opportunity to improve your grade.

Tonight!!
Lincoln Trojans Football - Game 1 - Tonight!  I hope that some of you are able to make it out to tonight's football game.  Our reading load for tonight is relatively light, so take advantage by going out to support our team, cheerleaders, and band.

Whatever you decide to do tonight, please come to class prepared to discuss Hammurabi's Code.  Pay attention to the Questions for Analysis, they will drive our discussion.  The document is in the same PDF as Gilgamesh.

Your reading assignment for this weekend is Chapter 2 in the textbook, Pages 38-50.  You can find the PDF on Edmodo.

Enjoy your Thursday evening!

Day 8 - The eve of our first test (quiz).

Wednesday Recap
I really enjoyed our discussion  today on the Epic of Gilgamesh. I hope that you found it as stimulating as I did.  As I pointed out at near the end of our discussion, as historians we need to did below the surface and beyond the good story to determine the document's significance in our study of the period.

Document analysis is a key part of this course and we will have lots of opportunities to practice.

Quiz Tomorrow
We will take our first chapter length quiz.  I just put the finishing touches on it this afternoon.  It will consist of 50 multiple choice questions. No free response tomorrow! I must tell you that I think you will find it challenging. Study hard and get a good night's rest.

Day 7 - All about primary sources!

Tuesday Recap
Doing history is about digging into and through the record left behind and the artifacts the remain as evidence of events of the past.  This is where history comes alive.  I hope that this year you gain an appreciation for  and an interest in history by doing history.

Today in class, we read a portion of the Prologue from our class document reader - The Human Record.  The two most important things to take away from class today is an understanding of point of view (POV) and the six Ws - What, Who, Whom, Why, Where, and When.  These are the tools we need to effectively analyze primary sources.

Tuesday Evening with Gilgamesh
This evening, I want you to dig into the challenging Epic of Gilgamesh.  Rather than go into any detail here, I want you to explore the resources provided for you and come to class tomorrow prepared to discuss what you've learned.

Before tackling the document, I want you to go the Gilgamesh website by clicking here. While there are lots of interesting things to explore at this site, I want you to focus on the video. 

After watching the video, download the PDF containing the document and carefully read/analyze it.  Don't forget the Six Ws.  Stop when you get to document two, The Judgements of Hammurabi.  The document can be downloaded by clicking here.

Reminder:  Our chapter one quiz has been moved to Thursday.

Day 6 - Monday Writing Workshop

Monday Recap
Today was the first of what I hope will be a weekly Writing Workshop Monday. The idea is to have one day to focus on writing skills, sometime in general but usually targeted to one of the three essays that you will write as part of the AP exam in May.

Today we went over the composition of the AP exam, and it became clear how important those three essays will be to your overall success in this course.

We then settled in to write a very basic compare and contrast essay on the three river valley civilizations covered in chapter one of our textbook.  These will be graded but not as a major essay grade. Instead, they will be calculated as a classwork assignment.

Today, you also heard one of the "slogans" that I will continue to shout throughout this school year:

If you Plan More, you can Write Less.

What should I do tonight for APWH?
I'm giving you a bit of a break on reading tonight, but I certainly hope that you do not take the night off completely.  Remember, we are having our first Chapter Quiz on Wednesday.  At the very least, you should spend time cleaning up and reviewing your notes.

Many of you have found the Crash Course videos helpful in pulling together everything that you've read on the Agricultural Revolution and the River valley Civilizations.  I won't be assigning the episodes covering the Indus River Valley and Nile River Civilizations.  I am, however, embedding them below in case you would like to use them tonight or in the future to review what you've learned.  This would be a very good idea.

Episode #2 Indus Valley Civilization


Episode #4 Ancient Egypt

The end of a good first week.

Well, we made through the first week.  Everyone looked a little tired today, so make sure you are getting enough rest.  The weekend is a great time to catch-up with our sleep.  It also a great time for those that have a busy weekly schedule to get ahead with our reading.  I don't have any specific assignments to give you right now (I'll be doing that this weekend), but I can tell you that we'll get deep into chapter 2 of the textbook next week.

Recap
We had our first quick quiz today, and I know that it was scary for some of you.  I hope that you use these quick quizzes to inform the way that you approach reading and note taking.

We made it through the first two-thirds of Chapter One - hunter-gatherers, the agricultural revolution, and Mesopotamia.  How well did you do?  Do you feel that you've done a good job reading and taking notes?  If so, GREAT!  If not, use this weekend wisely.

This Weekend in APWH

• First, finish reading Chapter One in the textbook.  This will take us through Egypt and the Indus Valley Civilization.  As you near the end of the chapter, pay attention to the Comparative Perspectives on page 34 and chapter summary.  You may also want to make sure that you have all of the Key Terms covered in your notes.
• You will also need to watch Crash Course in World History - Ancient Mesopotamia.  I have embedded the video below, or follow the link if that works better for you.
• You need to access the viewing guide by clicking here.
• I recommend that you watch the episode through once before taking any notes or completing the viewing guide.  Then watch it a second time, pausing when needed to take notes and answer the questions.
• Enjoy! This is great stuff.

Day 4 - Talking History

Day 4 Recap
I was so happy to get down to talking history today.  There is so much that goes on during this opening week that it is refreshing to finally get started with our course.

What is a civilization?  That was the big question that we touched on in class today.  Our text provides a handy list of eight characteristics that civilizations exhibit.

This is a good place to remind you that we will not cover in class all of the material from your reading.  You are, however, responsible for EVERYTHING.

Each of you should have gotten off to a good start with labeling the map.  Let's keep those maps in our notebooks for now, as I think that we will need to refer to them again soon.

If you didn't get a chance to finish it in class, make sure that your complete your short essay addressing the following question.  Why do you believe peoples settled where they did?

Be ready for class tomorrow.
In addition to those items mentioned above, make sure that you complete tonight's reading - pages 14-22.

We will begin class tomorrow with a short video on the Agricultural Revolution that I think you will enjoy.

Remember:  Successful people take great notes.

Day 3 - Getting down to business

Recap of Today
I was so nice to finally get down today to the business of our history class.  While it may have seemed more like geography than a history class, history works hand in hand with geography. As I said in class, you can't fully appreciate or understand historical events or periods without having a grasp of the relevant geography.

We will continue with the geography theme tomorrow and try to tie it in with tonight's reading.

To Do Tonight
If you have not already done so, please get your student profile done and set up your Edmodo account.

Tonight's reading assignment is pages 2-14 in our textbook.  Please be mindful of the required note taking strategy. While it may take some getting used to, I think that it will help you build the habit and skill of taking notes.

For those that have not yet received a book, the PDF file is on Edmodo.  Let me know immediately if you have difficulty accessing it.

Allow me to reiterate the importance of keeping current with your reading.  Do not fall behind!

Now, lets go out and expand those mental maps!

Day 2 - Done!

I hope everyone is beginning to feel a little more comfortable moving around campus.

We were given lots of good information at today's 9th grade assembly, and I hope you take what was said to heart. I don't expect that you guys will run into many disciplinary problems, but many will have to quickly adjust to the high school workload. I also want to encourage you each to get involved with something extracurricular. There are many clubs that will begin to hold meetings in the coming weeks. Join something!

Today's Recap

• Today we walked through the sign-up process for Edmodo.  This is going to be an important tool this year.
•  You learned about my expectations with regard to note taking.  We will use a modified Cornell notes format.  Look under the Tools 4 Students link at my website for the presentation used in class today.

 Stuff To Do Tonight

•  Make sure that you go to Edmodo.com tonight and setup you account with the group code provided in class.
• If you have not yet turned in a syllabus confirmation sheet, please do so tomorrow. If you have not yet completed the online student profile, do that now.
• We will get moving with the meat of this course beginning tomorrow.  Get some rest!

Don't forget about Remind 101 texting service.  Text  @mrveliz to (860) 899-1370.

And we're off!

Well, we're off and running for the 2013-14 school year.  I hope everyone enjoyed their first day, for most their first day at Lincoln High School.  It's amazing how even with nearly 2300 students moving around campus, everything went pretty well today.

As mentioned in class today, this will be the place to visit each day to keep yourself moving in the right direction.

What did we do today?
Today, through our review of the course syllabus, we covered most of the class expectations and course requirements.  We had a quick overview of the technological tools that are at your disposal, including the course website and this blog.  We will continue to expand on all of this as we move forward.

What do we need to do tonight?

• If you received a paper syllabus today, please review it with a parent/guardian and return the signed confirmation sheet tomorrow.
• You also need to complete the online Student Profile.

I look forward to seeing each of you tomorrow.

Back to School

Allow me to be among the first to welcome you to Lincoln High School. As many of you know, I am also new to Lincoln - having spent the past six years teaching preAP U.S. History at Swift Creek MS.

As you will read in the course syllabus, we will be using a "flipped-classroom" this year in AP World History. This means that most of the history content that you need to learn - people, places, dates, etc. - will be done through your homework assignments. We will take what you've learned and apply it to our in-class activities. These activities will take a number of forms - essays, class discussions, small group discussions and much more.

Because we will not be covering in class all of what you need to know, it is imperative that you not allow yourself to fall behind. This blog will serve as a daily diary of what we have done in class and what you are expected to do at home. You should get in the habit of visiting this space as soon as you sit down to begin your history homework.

Don't worry! I will remind you often about what you need to do to succeed in your first AP course.

I hope that you are as excited about this school year as I am. I can't wait to see you all Monday morning.