more Western Civ - with echoes of Human Geo

Okay, Section 6, you're up!  Your test on Prehistory and Mesopotamia is tomorrow!

When we are all done taking this test, we will move on to the next unit, which we will begin by watching a terrific video called Guns, Germs, and Steel.  Get ready!

First test of the semester... coming up!

Sections 3 and 4, you are testing tomorrow.


Section 6, your turn comes Friday.


My PowerPoint and your class notes should serve you well as you study tonight.

test schedule

Here is your schedule for the next few days.

Section 3

• Tuesday:  no class
• Wednesday: review
• Thursday: test

Section 4

• Tuesday:  Hammurabi's Code
• Wednesday:  review
• Thursday: test

Section 6

• Tuesday:  sub in class
• Wednesday:  review
• no class
• Friday: test

more snow!

I hope you enjoyed the day off!  Way up here in the north country, we still got only three inches or so of the white stuff, but that was still enough to shut down the Harford County school system.

More snow in the forecast for the overnight hours, too.  So what will that bring us tomorrow?  Two-hour late bell?  Pretty likely.  Another day off?  Maybe.  A normal bell?  Could happen.

What will that mean for your WestCiv class, in particular the test?

• If you are in Section 4 or Section 6, and we have school on Tuesday, we will have the test on Wednesday (but Section 3 will test on Thursday).  
• If we don't have class on Tuesday, we will all be able to review on Wednesday, and Sections 3 and 4 will test on Thursday (with Section 6 testing on Friday).

If that's too confusing, look at it this way:  every section will get a day to review, followed by the test the next day we have class.

In any case, stay warm, and be glad you're not a hunter/gatherer living outside!

questions to consider

When and where did human beings first emerge?

Why did the period known as "prehistory" end?

What made the rise of civilization possible?

Name some early technological innovations.

How did hunter/gatherers live?

Who was King Hammurabi, and why was he important?

Define these terms:

• prehistory
• Paleolithic Age
• Neolithic Age
• Agricultural Revolution
• cuneiform
• ziggurat
• Indo-Europeans

Find 'em on a map:

• Mesopotamia
• Fertile Crescent
• Sumer
• Mediterranean Sea
• Asia Minor
• Tigris River
• Euphrates River

If you can answer these questions, you are on your way to acing the first test of the semester, which will be given next Wednesday, January 28.  Be ready!

Welcome. Bienvenido. Willkommen. 欢迎. Bienvenue. ترحيب. Kuwakaribisha. καλωσόρισμα. Howdy.

Welcome to my blog for our Western Civilization class.  You will be referring to this blog often - for assignments, announcements, to see what we did in class that day, to view video, and much, much more.  Sometimes you will be checking just to read my words of wisdom.

I'll be reading your words of wisdom, too, since you will be keeping a blog.  If you took my Human Geo class, you already know how this works.  Blogging is a big part of your grade, so let's make sure you get off on the right foot.  Here are some suggestions for good blogkeeping.

• Bookmark/Favorite my blog, and put it in your Bookmarks bar.
• If you don't have one already, create your own Gmail account.  Make a note of your username and password.
• Create your own blog for Western Civ through blogger.com .
• Bookmark/Favorite your blog, and put it in your Bookmarks bar.
• Very important:  Email the web address for your blog to rschick@johncarroll.org .
• Make sure your postings will be in Eastern Time (Design  >  Settings  >  Language and formatting).

A crucial component of this course is your written contributions  You are expected to post to your blog whenever we have class - usually four times a week.  Your posting is due before midnight on that same night, except on Fridays, when the blog is due at midnight Saturday night.  You need to complete all the above steps so you don't fall behind right off the bat.  See me after school in Room 121 (the TV Studio) if you need help.