STAB 2017

Last Friday, the students played the role of Athenian citizens tasked with determining the budget for their proud city-state.  They had to evaluate and prioritize several important projects, including painting the Parthenon, expanding the school, and strengthening the army and navy in order to defend against a possible Spartan attack. The Core 2 group of Lily, Ford, Zara, Whitley  and  Biruk did an absolutely stellar job on the assignment. Their listening and communication skills were exemplary, and they correctly analyzed the historical necessity of the various projects. Great job, men and women of Athens!

Cameron  and  Alexa : Why didn't the ancient Greeks always vote secretly, like we do nowadays? Henry : Do you agree with Pericles' opinion that participating in government is as important as defending your country? Lilly B. ,  Ellen ,  Dylan  and  Lili B. : Why did the ancient Greeks not let women participate in democracy? Kelsey : Do you think the women in ancient Athens liked having a democracy, even though they couldn't participate?           Waller had a great answer: " The women had a love/hate relationship with democracy. They realized that they had a great new kind of government, but they also realized they were excluded. BUT, at least the men were not making laws that were unfair to the women. " Wynter : When people argued about their ideas in ancient Athens, were they respectful to each other? Fletcher : In ancient Athens, why did they need so many people (6,000!) to hold a vote?   Davis : Does Greece continues to use...

As we begin to study ancient Greece, the students are preparing maps of the Mediterranean Sea region. Looking at the colorful map above (made by Carter V. ), how many large peninsulas do you see that jut out from Europe into the Mediterranean Sea?

Today we discussed Confucius  and his important idea of xiao . Xiao refers to the duty of respecting one's elders (especially parents). Confucius believed that parents also have a duty; their duty is to behave as good, positive role models for their children. Our discussion about xiao led to an excellent question by Jack V. : What did Confucius think a child should do if his parents were not behaving as good role models? Musical Mondays: We also enjoyed the beautiful sounds of a Chinese orchestra, including a solo performance by a woman playing an ehru. Dylan : The main lady made very dramatic movements and facial expressions! She's the most expressive musician we have seen all year. Lily : She's like a person who, instead of just being normal, is different and is willing to speak out. This is how things change -- you speak up and stand up for what's right. Asa : Her body expresses her emotions. Bella Grace : These musicians have their own unique sounds, feelings, a...

Dear 6th graders, Please begin class by reading pages 166 to 171 in Ancient Civilizations. After you have finished reading carefully, please answer the following questions on looseleaf paper: 1. After the Zhou dynasty  took power from the Shang dynasty , do you think that the members of the Zhou family ever asked the Shang family for advice? Why or why not? 2. Did the Zhou dynasty start  before or after Pharaoh Hatshepsut ruled over Egypt?  [You'll have to look back to the chapter about ancient Egypt to answer this question!] 3. Compare the "Zhou Society" chart on page 167 with the "Egyptian Society" chart on page 91. What were two similarities between the structure of social classes in ancient China and ancient Egypt?  What were two differences between the structure of social classes in ancient China and ancient Egypt? 4. How did the lords help the Zhou king keep power over a large number of Chinese people? 5. Look at the picture on page 168. What are two ...

Thanks to Whitley and  Joey  for today's artwork!  I love Whitley's use of color and Joey's idea of representing " ka " with geometric shapes.

Today we began to learn about some of the amazing achievements of the ancient Egyptians, including their system of hieroglyphics , their temples , and their artwork . In the Battle of the Ancients, the Egyptians engineered an inspiring comeback, and they now lead by a score of  116   to  103.5 ! The Egyptian efforts were led today by Gabriel ,  Ellie , Liam  and  Wynter , who aced the examination of ancient artifacts.  Bjorn , meanwhile, demonstrated his mastery of Chinese jadework. Wait a second... that's not a pharaoh, is it?!

Thanks to Cole for today's beautiful artwork! And thanks to  Lilly B.  for her great sensory description, inspired by the Egyptian archaeologist's excitement about the smell of Khufu's ship: "History smells sour, musty, dusty and sneezy."

For tonight's homework, please spend ten or fifteen minutes using the Quizlet review that I posted. The questions are from the two reading sections included on Thursday's quiz (pages 90-95 and 97-98). The easiest Quizlet tool to use for studying this information is "Flashcards". Here's the link: https://quizlet.com/_2lg3um Today during class, you all asked some excellent questions about life in ancient Egypt. Here's a sampling: Henry  and Wynter : Why didn't the lower class Egyptians fight for more rights, since they clearly outnumbered the middle and upper classes? Why didn't the upper class treat the lower class with more respect, since the lower class kept everything running? Gabriel :  How did the pharaohs convince people that they were gods? Carter L. :  How do nobles gain power in the first place? Whitley : Did they really only bury one or two people in those huge pyramids? Cameron  and  Fletcher :  Why didn't the scribes have to pay taxes? ...