Cyber School

Today, not in class, we discussed our thoughts on cyber school. I agree with some of them and disagree on others. I agree that students and teachers are facing some tough challenges with online learning. In my drawing class, my teacher couldn't get an online call to work. She kept trying to delay the call, but eventually she canceled our meeting time. Also, sometimes I don't understand some of my classes (not yours) instructions. For example, I had to email my Spanish teacher for some clarification, and she helped me. Cyber school, distance learning, self-quarantine, and remote education are very new to all of us. I am getting tired of sitting in the house, waiting for the day to be over so that I can do it all over again the next day. As students, we have to take more leadership and think more outside of the box now. The teachers give us work and we have to finish it. Teachers have to work a lot harder grading work, explaining the work that we're supposed to do, and plan their lesson for the next day. However, I think that I still have an easy way to access help from a teacher. Many teachers will set up a chat for any questions about the lesson. Luckily, we have spring break next week even though we won't be able to go out and hang with friends.

Plague of Athens Compared to COVID-19

Today, not in class, we compared the plague that hit Athens after the Peloponnesian war with COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Of course, the big difference between the two is location. The Athenian plague originated in Africa whereas COVID-19 originated in China. Below are more facts about both diseases.

Plague of Athens:

• killed 25% of Athens population
  infected 75,000-100,000 of Athenians
• plague is caused by some diseases such as influenza, typhoid fever, bubonic plague, smallpox, measles, and many more.
• affects people of different age groups and genders (not targeted on specific age group/gender)

COVID-19:

• killed about 23,588 people in the world
• about 519,899 are infected in the world (China, Italy, and the U.S are the countries with the most cases in order from greatest to least)
• Symptoms include fever, tiredness, and a dry cough
• affects mainly older people and those with medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, and/or heart disease.

Similarities between the two:

• massive damage to the world
• weakened the strength of the people and the government
• both occurred during an important event with their government/army
• very deadly

Links: 

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19787658
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15081502
• https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries
• https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses#:~:text=symptoms

Philip II, Alexander the Great, and Darius III

Today, not in class, we researched three different historical figures: Philip II, Alexander the Great, and Darius III. Below are facts about each person. They all shared one important thing in common.
They all tried to beat each other in battle. Alexander and Philip tried to defeat Darius in the Persian war, and Darius tried to defeat them but failed.

Philip II:
He was a king and military commander of Macedonia. Philip turned Macedonia from a weak, undisciplined army to a strong military force, and he also used bribery, warfare, and other certain threats to expand his kingdom. He had two main goals at the time: safeguard Macedonia's borders and reorganize their army. Over the years, he increased the army from 10,000 to 24,000 and grew the cavalry from 600 to 3,500. One of Philip's exes, Pausanias, stabbed Philip to death.

Link:https://www.ancient.eu/Philip_II_of_Macedon/

Alexander the Great:
He was born and was mainly raised under the influence of his mom. When Philip married Cleopatra, him and Alex had an argument. Once Philip was assassinated, Alex got the throne. Alex then began the great Persian expedition. Alex conquered city by city until he faced his greatest enemy, Darius. He beat Darius in the battle and conquered Phoenicia, Egypt, and Babylon. Alex then went on to India and conquered it. After that, he wanted to continue his expedition, but his troops refused, forcing Alex to go home. It is said that Alex died of a fever aggravated from drinking a lot, but many think that Aristotle, his old mentor, poisoned him.

Link: https://www.sparknotes.com/biography/alexander/summary/

Darius III:
He started ruling in 336 BC right when Persia started losing great control. Darius had to strengthen his army in preparation of Alexander the Great's army. It is said that he failed this mission during the fall of Persia in 330 BC. Bagoas, a eunuch, attempted to poison Darius, but Darius was too smart to fall for that trick. Instead, he actually had Bagoas drink his own poison. During his first war with Alexander, he was defeated and fled his family, who later became royalty in Alex's kingdom. During the second battle, he was defeated again. When he tried to flee, however, he was killed by of his commanders of the Persian army.

Link: http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/MiddleEast/DariusIII.html

Alexander the Great and Bucephalus

Today, not in class, we took notes on Alexander the Great and his stallion, Bucephalus. Below are the notes on their relationship. Here is the link to where I got this information from: https://www.blackstallionwinery.com/assets/client/File/The%20Story%20of%20Bucephalus_poster.pdf and https://www.colorado.edu/classics/2018/06/19/alexander-and-bucephalus. I wish I had a horse, but I don't. My neighbor has cows that are right near my backyard though:)

Bucephalus and Alexander the Great had a "great" relationship. Bucephalus' breeding is known to be the "best Thessalian strain" from the famous breeding region in Thessaly, Greece. The horse has a massive head with a black coat. Alexander won the horse when he was 12 years old from a wager with his dad, Philip II. Before buying the horse, Bucephalus was not a peaceful horse; he was an untamable stallion. Alexander's dad didn't want to buy it because of its temper, but Alexander said he could tame it. If he couldn't, Alex would pay for the horse himself. He spoke with a gentle tone and kept it from looking at its shadow to ease its temper. Alex was ecstatic and named his horse Bucephalus. His dad, Philip, was so proud of his accomplishment that he told Alex that he would get a kingdom, for Macedonia was too small for Alexander the Great. For two years, they rode together in battles and the creation of his city. Sadly, Bucephalus died in 326 BC from battle wounds. This was also Alex's last fight. After the death of his best friend, Alex founded a city and named it after his stallion.

Cyber Day Thoughts

Today, not in class, we talked about how cyber school was going. For me, it's going pretty well. I'm getting about 5-6 hours of work per day. I normally start at 10am and end at around 3pm. Then, I follow my schedule and do the work in that class during its class time, so that I stay on schedule. The subject that requires the most work is either math or biology. Both of them are really time consuming. Western Civ's work is pretty relaxing. It usually takes me about half an hour to do this. English and Intro to Drawing takes about 45 minutes. Spanish and bible take about 30 minutes. The most relaxing class is probably Intro to Drawing. I can peacefully draw my objects without any distraction. At. first when Mr. Schick gave me my assignment, I saw the video clip, and I thought I was going to have to watch all 55 minutes of it. Luckily, I only had to watch a small portion of it. It was very interesting though.

The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization- Episode 3: Empire of the Mind (part 2)

Today, not in class, we took notes on more of the video, The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization- Episode 3: Empire of the Mind (3 minutes of it). This online learning is pretty good so far. As of right now, there was only one day where I had a lot of work. Below are the notes from today's part of the video.

The Athenians are beginning to question traditional beliefs after their leader, Pericles, died of the plague. If good people are gone too soon, then what's the point in being good rather than evil. Socrates decided to trust his instincts and conscience rather than the anyone else. He thought that he couldn't trust what others had to say at this period of time. However, he was only one voice going up against the rest of the Athenian leaders, and he couldn't persuade the rest of the assembly. He was condemned to drinking hemlock poisoning (a terrible and painful way to go). it was a bad loss for Athens war effort.

The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization- Episode 3: Empire of the Mind (part 1)

Today, not in class, we watched a video on ancient Greece. We took notes on about 7 minutes of the video that focuses on Pericles strategy for defeating the Spartans in the Peloponnesian war. Below are the notes from today's video and a link to the video.

While Socrates was debating on certain issues, Athens was in war mode. The Spartans invaded the town of Athens and burned their farmland. The Athenians couldn't do anything about the Spartans; they could only watch from a distance as Sparta burned their land. Even though they wanted to attack immediately on Sparta, Pericles convinced them to stick to the plan. After a year into the war, Athens suffered a huge setback, the plague. Symptoms of the plague included redness and inflammation of the eyes, uncontrollable diarrhea, fevers, and thirst. Athens beginning to have doubts about the war. "Why be good, if the good and evil die just as easily?" The plague killed over a third of Athens, including Pericles. Pericles fought until he could fight no longer. They tried everything from potions and magic to a charm necklace. Unfortunately, he died in 429 BC. Pericles wanted to make Athens into the Mediterranean's greatest power, but his plan brought disease and death instead. After his death, people realized that he had provided protection and wisdom to Athens. Now without a leader, citizens began to fight for power. They would do whatever it takes to gain leadership. The Athenians now faced a new and terrifying potential, "the potential to slide into mob rule.

The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization- Episode 3: Empire of the Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08UtxuyI9ok&t=1107s

Pericles

Today, not in class, we read pg. 134-139 in the comfort and safety of our own home. It was the first day on cyber class, and I think it went ok. For others, it might not have went well. Below are the answers (in paragraph form) from today's assignment.

Pericles was a wise statesman who led Athens during most of the golden age period. He was honest and fair, and he held onto support for 32 years. He was a good politician, speaker, and general. He dominated the Athenian lifestyle from 461-429 BC which is often called the age of Pericles. He had three goals:

• strengthen democracy
• hold and strengthen the empire
• glorify Athens

Direct democracy is a form of government in which citizens rule directly and not through representatives. Pericles was very proud of the start of the Athenian direct democracy. Instead of only male, land owning citizens acting as speakers, all citizens could speak. The Delian League was the alliance of the Greek city-states led by Athens in the time period of 478 BC. Their goal was to liberate Greek cities from the Persian rule and for defense to attack the Persians later on in time.

Online learning

Today in class, we talked about what's going to happen over the next 2 weeks (possibly more). Mr. Schick says that we will still type up our blogs every day that we have class. Since the teachers are instructed to give at least one assignment a day, he is going to have us read or watch a video or something, and then answer questions in our blog. right now, I don't. have a problem with online learning, but I think it will pretty boring eventually. I'm going to miss seeing my friends every weekday, but safety first. He said that we're probably not going to be live streaming with him and the rest of the class. He also said that the work won't be too intense, which is good because now all my stress can be with biology. Since we'll be working still the next two weeks, it will still count as a regular day, meaning that we won't have to lose our spring break (unless they shut down school for another 2 weeks). Goodbye John Carroll (for now).

Corona Virus Attacks

Today in class, we talked about the Corona Virus. Mr. Schick provided us with very useful information about the Corona virus. Some of it I already knew like where it originated from: China. But there was a lot of info I didn't know. He gave us very useful tips for how to properly wash our hands. Below are the tips. He also told us that there would be a faculty meeting tomorrow at 12:45 after school on how to handle the situation. Later on, in the day, we received an email telling us that we will be learning online from March 16-27 (two whole weeks). Not only did they cancel in-school learning, but they also canceled all spring sports activities and the musical. This means that I won't be able to play golf with John Carroll for two weeks. But you got to do what you got to do to stay safe. One thing that has changed since the Corona Virus started is my perspective on the hand sanitizers in each classroom. I used to only use the sanitizer in the beginning and end of my day. Now, I use it before and after every class. This Corona Virus doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

How to Wash Your Hands Properly:

1. Get soap
2. Rub your hands together and sing happy birthday (at a nice pace and in your head) two times around
3. Wash and rinse off the residue from your hands
4. Get paper towels and dry your hands
5. Get. one more paper towel and use it to open the door of the bathroom entrance/exit
6. Dispose of your paper towel in the nearest trash can.

The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization Episode 1: Revolution (Part 2)

Today in class, we watched the rest of the video. It was very interesting. Mr. Canter was substitute. He is the German teacher at John Carroll. Below are the rest of the notes from today's video.

• "What was inside the pot was worth more than the actual pot."
• Potters had no self-respect; they were unenvied all throughout Athens.
• The Athenians had tasted freedom for the first time in 508 BC.
• At this time, Cleisthenes' world changed to an equal power government.
• Hippias (Peisistratos' son) took over after his father died.
• he started out fair, but then turned into a tyrant after his brother was murdered
• Not only did he torture the accused murderer, but he also tortured the family of the accused.
• Cleisthenes planned on overthrowing Hippias
• He trapped Hippias and banished him away from Athens forever.
• 776 BC- Olympic games were founded (huge event)
• Before Cleisthenes time, the only ruling people could participate; almost everyone could go.
• The women, however, weren't allowed to go in.
• Isagoras won and seized control over Athens.
• The Athenians trapped Isagorus on the third day and banished him.
• For the first time, they seized power for themselves.
• However, the Persian empire was worried they would cause a threat to their government, and they began plotting their attack.
• "Cleisthenes democracy, hardly born, was now to face its greatest test."

The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization- Episode 1: Revolution (part 1)

Today in class, we watched a video on ancient Greece. It talked about Clesithenes and Pisistratus. Tomorrow, I think we are going to finish the video. It has about 25 minutes left. It's called The Ancient Greeks: Crucible of Civilization- episode 1. Below are the notes from today's video and the link to the video. Once you know the basis of the video, it makes better sense.

• 508 B.C- when the Greeks started to revolt against their government; the start of democracy.
• 570 B.C- Cleisthenes was born
• Herodotus- first of many great Greek historians
• Aristocrat- member of the ruling class; not only loaded with money, but also with power.
• acropolis- a citadel or fortified part of an ancient Greek city typically built on a hill
• The life expectancy in Athens was 15 years of age
• Helots- a member of a class of serfs (slaves) in ancient Sparta
• "Everyone is destined to be a hero"
• Pisistratus- a man without doubt; politician; he reduced taxes and provided free loans.

The Ancient greeks: Crucible of Civilization- Episode 1: Revolution

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2tFoTa-i6w

Aristotle

Today in class, we took a pop quiz. I'm pretty sure I got a 100%. Below are the notes we took from today's class. We had a peaceful class mod. It was pretty cool until I looked at my biology test grade. This weekend, I'm helping build the set for my old school's play Frozen. It looks pretty cool, and I'm excited. Their opening night is March 12, 2020 (next week).

• Aristotle- student of Plato at the Academy
• helped foster ideas of Athens as an intellectual destination
• his school-- the Lyceum--focused on. cooperative research- building on his knowledge gathered from all over the world
• dreamt of having the sum of mankind's knowledge easily accessed in one location

Aristotle didn't invent the internet, but he wrote extensively on such topics as...

• logic-- physics-- biology
• ethics-- politics-- rhetoric
• motion-- theatre-- poetry
• metaphysics--psychology-- dreams-- and on and on...

Aristotle also tutored Alexander the Great who will rise in Greece.

Socrates and Plato

Today in class, we took notes on Socrates and Plato both in the textbook and on Mr. Schick's power point. Below are the notes from today's class.

Socrates

• looked to science and logic (not the mythological gods) for an explanation of how the world works; believed the absolute standards did exist for truth and justice.
• the Socratic method fostered critical thinking
• "the unexamined life was not worth living"
• brought to trial for corrupting the youth and impiety (disrespecting the gods).
• at the trial, he described himself as a gadfly and Athens as a lazy old horse.
• didn't plead guilty; in fact, he asked for free dinners for life.
• found guilty by the Athenian jury and was sentenced to death by drinking hemlock poisoning.

Plato

• student and follower of Socrates
• ideal society- citizens would fall naturally in 3 groups: farmers and artisans, warriors, and the ruling class.
• wrote out Socrates' teaching, and described his trial in Apology.
• Republic was Socrates' discussion of justice and the ideal state- on. of the most influential books on philosophy ever written; includes the Allegory of the Cave.

Persian War

Today in class, we took notes on the Greeks and the Persians. Below are the notes from today.

• Spartans were known for their tough, ruthless infantry.
• infantry- soldiers who fought on land.
• Spartan boys trained from the time they were seven.
• Athens had a great infantry too, but nothing could compare with their navy; the most effective weapon was the trireme.
• Trireme- technological ship; fastest ship at the time.
• the phalanx- close rank dense grouping of warriors.
• armed with long spears and interlocking shields.
• soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy until they broke through their ranks.
• Persian Empire vs. Greece- Persian empire was way bigger than Greece.
• Persians have a huge army and nearly unlimited resources.

Greek Army

• iron weapons meant ordinary citizens could afford to bear arms.
• foot soldiers (hoplites) trained from an early age.
• armed with spears, swords, and shields.
• often fought in phalanx formation
• "home field" advantage
• motivated to preserve democracy.

Persian army

• first archers (damage from a distance)
• then Calvary (they disrupt communication between generals and soldiers)
• then lightly armored infantry (carried spears, swords, and bows)
• large numbers
• professional army (soldiers for hire or mercenaries)

Greek Gods

Today in class, we reviewed our test. I did pretty well on the test (better than the last one). We also talked about the Greek gods and goddesses. Below is a list of some of the most common gods and goddesses that we covered.

• Poseidon (sea god)- interfered with Odysseus' journey.
• Aphrodite (love god)- had lovers of both gods and men.
• Dionysus (wine god)- son of Zeus and of Semele (the human princess).
• Zeus- ruler of heaven and Earth; father of Athena; god of the sky, weather, lightning, thunder, law, order, and justice; had a short temper and would throw lightning bolts when angered.
• Athena- goddess of wisdom, skills, warfare (and peace), intelligence, battle strategy, and handicrafts; was born from Zeus' head and was fully formed and armored; special patron of heroes such as Odysseus; patron of Athens.
• Apollo- god of music, arts, knowledge, and healing.
• Poseidon- god of the sea, rivers, floods, and earthquakes; brother of Zeus.
• Aphrodite- goddess of love, beauty, desire, and sexuality; her lovers were Ares, Adonis, and Anchises.
• Demeter- goddess of grain, harvest, and agriculture; Zeus' sister (what a big family).