Post the post interesting facts you learned about your person. Include questions you have about your person and how they fit into the Renaissance.
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I was interested in learning more about Michelangelo and his artwork. Two of his most famous pieces, the statue of David and the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, are both things that I saw in Italy. I found from this website that he was one of the first students in Lorenzo de'Medici's art school. I wanted to know how he decided to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. I was surprised to find out from this site that it wasn't his idea; instead Pope Julius II asked him to. At first Michelangelo didn't want to do it, because he didn't know much about frescos and the ceiling was over 3,200 square feet. But since he couldn't refuse the pope, he went ahead with this project. He had some helpers assist him with some of the more tedius tasks. It took him 4 years to complete, which seems like a short time, seeing as the ceiling is so huge. Here is a picture that shows a view of the Sistine Chapel. This picture shows the statue of David and the size comparison between the statue and the people around it. I also wanted to know if it was true that Michelangelo had studied dead bodies to get an accurate idea of the human body for his sculptures. I had heard this somewhere, and found that it was true from here. This website also said that this was risky for Michelangelo to do, since it was forbidden by the church. Michelangelo contributed to the artwork portion of the Renaissance. He had many more works than the Sistine Chapel painting and the statue of David, and his artwork not only showed the talent of his timeperiod, but inspired later artists, as well.
I was intrested in Galileo beucase i peferer to learn about the sciences of the Renaissance rather than artists (I don't really know why). Here is some of what he did. - Italian Scientist who supported the idea that instead of the sun revolving around the earth, that the earth revolves around the sun (Copernicus's theory- and when he supported it, it created a lot of controversy) - this theory is also known as heliocentric theory
-Improved the telescope and studied the moon and also discovered four of Jupiter's moons (I found this fact particularly interesting because I though I knew about Galileo, but I had no idea he dabbled in Astronomy)
- Taught High schools and as a Professor
- Published Books
- Changed the way the world saw and studied motion
- Built the Thermoscope, which was an early version (later improved by a Russian scientist) of the thermometer
- Built the beginnings of the first Microscope
- When he was 72, he was blinded due to a combination of a couple of problems including Cataract problems
Follow this this linkgreat information on Galileo - it is from the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, which has a great overview of all of his work right in one place and also goes into detail about things like the various books he wrote.
Along with Mathematician, Astronomer, physicist, and overall scientist, I would also consider him to be an inventor. He invented and started the ideas of many modern inventions. He also improved existing things (like the Telescope) to make them better an more useful.
I was interested in learning about Leonardo da Vinci. He was an artist, an engineer, and a scientist. I find it amazing that he was one of the best artists of all-time, while also being more than that. On Wikipedia it says that he diagramed a helicopter, a tank a calculator, the double hull, and had a theory of plate tectonics. I looked up a couple of these things, and found out that the first tank was built in 1916, 500 years after da Vinci's death, during WWI. A helicopter was around the same time period. A simple calculator was only invented in 1822, still over 400 years after da Vinci's death.
Da Vinci has possibly the greatest mind of all time because of all these inventions. He diagrammed the proportions of a man in the Vitruvian Man. He painted possibly the most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. He made concepts of inventions that were 400+ years ahead of his time. If he had the right tools, who knows what he could have accomplished.
I am interested in Donatello because I know some about Michaelangelo and DaVinci but I never learned about Donatello.
I've learned that Donatello was an Italian sculptor who lived in Florence. His father was a wool comber in a wool combing guild (makes sense). Donatello was born around 1386. He was trained at an early age under a goldsmith. In 1409-1411 he created the massive seated figure of Saint John the Evangelist in the Battistero di San Giovanni. This sculpture was a big step towards realistic art since he created the hands more realisticly than previos artists have. In 1461 he created a statue of John the Baptist. Donatello died in 1466 in Florence.
I was interested in learning about Sir Walter Raleigh because I knew a little about him but not much. Also, one of the Renaissance websites described him as the "ultimate definition of a Renaissance man". Sir Walter Raleigh was considered an important figure of the Renaissance. I knew already that he was a knight, that he tried to establish colonies in the New World, and that he was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, but I learned many surprising facts about him that I did not know. ~Sir Walter Raleigh never finished school. He studied law in Oxford but dropped out. Despite this, he wrote many works. He published two books: History of the World and The Discovery of Guinea. He is also known for poetry, including The Last Fight of the Revenge, What Is Our Life, The Ocean to Cynthia, and The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd. This made me wonder how he became a successful poet and was known as an educated man if he never finished school. ~He rose to power by fighting in the army and helping subdue rebellions in Ireland. How he obtained his wealth is explained in this paragraph from Wikipedia. This interested me because I knew he was wealthy but never knew how he earned his wealth. Between 1579 and 1583, Raleigh took part in the suppression of the Desmond Rebellions. He was present at the siege of Smerwick, where he oversaw the slaughter of some 700 Italian soldiers after they had surrendered unconditionally.[2] Upon the seizure and distribution of land following the attainders arising from the rebellion, Raleigh received 40,000 acres (160 km²), including the coastal walled towns of Youghal and Lismore. ~There is a myth that he planted the first potatoes in Ireland, but it is not proven. This just struck me as a very interesting fact. ~He was the founder/sponsor of two colonies on Roanoke Island in the New World. Neither of them succeeded. His second colony was the famous Lost Colony. I knew about the existence of these colonies, but did not know that he sponsored them. I found that interesting because as a child I was really interested in the Lost Colony and what happened to them. ~He married Queen Elizabeth’s maid of honor, Elizabeth Throckmorton, and fell out of her favor. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for this. ~He led two expeditions sponsored by Queen Elizabeth’s successor King James I to search for El Dorado, the legendary “city of gold”. On the second expedition, the Spanish claimed he ransacked one of their forts. It is not known whether or not they were lying. Nonetheless, James I had Raleigh beheaded for this. This surprised me because he was known as a good man and not ruthless and brutal as the Spanish story claims. ~There is a story about his beheading that claims he joked with his executioner, musing that the axe was “a sharp Medicine, but it is a Physician for all diseases and miseries” . His final words to the executioner were supposedly "Strike, man, strike!" I thought this was a really unique response for someone about to get their head chopped off.
In the reading, it mentions Filippo Brunelleschi as a "brilliant engineer". I had briefly mentioned him the last blog post, but I wanted to go further on this. I wanted to find out what he had done to help further the Renaissance period and what he had constructed that constituted being a "brilliant engineer". In the PBS article I followed the link of Brunelleschi and it said that he actually lived with Donatello at one point. The thing that I was most interested with him is his perspective that he found out. On the Wikipedia article it says that Brunelleschi made the first known drawing using linear perspective on paper in 1415. He drew the Baptistery in Florence. While this painting has been lost, I thought this was a huge step in the Renaissance as many artists would start using perspective in their works. One big thing he did during his life was design the dome for the Florence Cathedral. He also helped design churches such as the Basicilca of San Lorenzo. Brunelleschi seems to be an important and big figure during this time and many paintings and works with perspective were done thanks to him. I found the perspective thing interesting as I mentioned in my last post, I had seen something about that on TV.
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi was an Italian sculptor that lived from 1386 to 1466. He was born in Florence, where he learned basic sculpting from the Stonemasons' Guild. By the age of 17, he was helping make the bronze relics on the doors of the Florentine Baptistery. One of his first Sculptures was a marble statue for the Cathedral. This statue of David ended up in the Plazzo Vecchio a few years later. Donatello continued his work on life size sculptures, including St.George and St.Mark. In 1425, he partnered with Michelozzo, working on projects such at the tomb of the 'antipope' John XXIII. After working on many other sculptures throughout his life, he died on December 13, 1466. Donatello left behind two unfinished projects, both bronze platforms for a preacher, which were finished by his pupil Bertoldo di Giovanni
I wanted to look into Martin Luther, who was mentioned in the last chapter. Martin Luther was most well known for his 95 Theses which was a list of complaints directed at the Pope and catholic church. He nailed these theses on to the door of the Schlosskirche. Luther claimed that the only reliable source of religious authority was the Bible, not the Pope or any other religious leaders. The 95 Theses was written in Latin but was quickly translated to German and many copies were printed. The Pope was very slow to respond to these statements, but when he did it was with anger and he tried to gather a mutual hatred of people against Martin Luther. The Pope said that if Luther didn't pull back his statements, then he would be excommunicated. Luther did not take back what he had said, and was excommunicated. At one point in Luther's life, he wrote a letter and addressed himself as "the first theologian and philosopher".
Now, I'm going to do a figure that will probably come up a lot, Leonard Da Vinci. A few questions I had going into this were, aside from the basics where was he born, around what time in the renaissance (right at its inception?), stuff like when he began to do art and when he began to study mathematics and integrate it into his artwork. He was born April 15th, 1452 according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci; so he was born around a hundred years into the Renaissance. Da Vinci, as stated on wikipedia, was the "archetypal renaissance man," the renaissance man is a concept I am actually really interested in, as it interests me how someone can invest so much into so many different fields and be successful in all of them. For the record, a "renaissance man" is one who is involved in multiple practices, be they artistic or scientific, and generally the two forms mesh together, as they do with Da Vinci. He painted two of the most famous paintings of all time, the Mona Lisa, and the Last Supper (high quality screens of both: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Mona_Lisa.jpeg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Leonardo_da_Vinci_%281452-1519%29_-_The_Last_Supper_%281495-1498%29.jpg). Interestingly enough, though he was incredibly prolific, he was known to procrastinate. This is surely a quality that I and many others can relate to. One thing I find so interesting about his work (this wasn't really mentioned anywhere that I looked) is the parallels between his concepts and inventions and the religious figures in his work. He intensely studied physics and tried to come up with ways to defy it, all the while creating works such as the Last Supper, creating the epitome iconography for Jesus Christ. To me his constant studies and universal interest in everything could be seen as intensely religious.
i was interested in learning more about Giovanni Bellini because in world arts i tried to paint a painting of his. I remember he was known for his amazing ways of using shadows and highlights in pictures and i could see that as i tried to re-make his painting. He was one of the greatest painters in the renaissance. He painted painting such as the feast of gods or Saint Francis in Ecstasy So what really interest me in him was really how amazing his paintings were. It says that he had lots of his most famous works burned in a church fire after he died at the age of 86 in 1516. He also had a very prosperous life because of his amazing works.
I was more interested in learning about Filippo Brunelleschi. I researched more about Brunelleschi and learned that he was one of the most significant architects of the Italian Renaissance. Brunelleschi was born into a well off family with a mathematical and literary education and enrolled in Arta della Seta, a skillmaker's guild, and became a master goldsmith. He entered a competition to create a gilded bronze panel for the baptistery in Florence, but ultimately lost to Lorenzo Ghiberti. This loss may have inspired him to give up smithing, and move on to architecture. I found out on Wikipedia that Brunelleschi was influenced greatly by Roman work. What interested me greatly was that Roman culture was never looked at in terms of art at the time, but was looked at by scholars, scientists, and writers. Brunelleschi and Donatello tried to deviate from the norm in many ways such as using Roman architecture as their influence. No one before them had studied the Roman ruins before. Some of Brunelleschi's more significant works are the Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, and the Santa Maria degli Angeli, which are both large churches still standing today in Italy.
I became interested in Raphael the Renaissance artist in World Arts although I did not explore him much further. Now that I have the opportunity, I am really curious about his background and more about his artwork. Most of my questions were answered through my research.Raphael was a famous Italian Renaissance artist. He was born in 1483 in the city of Urbino. His mother died when he was eight and his father died when he was eleven and he was turned over to his Uncle Bartolomeo who was a priest. Even though his father died, he still received his first instruction in the techniques of painting from his father, Giovanni Santi, who was a minor artist and helped him very much. He did not have a good education though he was able to read Latin very well. Raphael was very well known for his perfection and elegance used in his paintings and drawings. A lot of his work has stayed in the Vatican and a lot of his work has stayed intact and been passed down. His artistic career falls into three phases and three styles which include Umbria, Florence, and Rome. His first documented work, finished in 1501, was the Baronci altarpiece for the church of San Nicola of Tolentino in Città di Castello and later painted for churches in that area. When Raphael first arrived in Florence, he was instantly hired by Pope Julius II to create a mural in the Pope’s library in the Vatican Palace which came to be the first of the Raphael Rooms. One of his other huge projects were the Raphael Cartoons which were a set of ten cartoons for tapestries with scenes of the lives of Saint Paul and Saint Peter for the Sistine Chapel. He was never married though he was engaged to Maria Bibbiena in 1514, but she died in 1520. Raphael died on Good Friday in 1520 because he fell into a fever and did not tell his doctors the correct reason and was given the wrong cure, which killed him. His funeral was grand and many people showed up to celebrate his life. The inscription in his marble sarcophagus, written by Pietro Bembo, reads, "Ille hic est Raffael, timuit quo sospite vinci, rerum magna parens et moriente mori" which means, “here lies that famous Raphael by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared herself to die."
When having to pick a figure to look at from the Renaissance, I decided to look at Baldassare Castiglione who was a courtier, diplomat, soldier and an author. I began to read his biography and noticed that in many ways we are alike. Someday, I want to be a writer like him and just like his writing "was a great help in the shaping of the Italian Renaissance," I want mine to have an impact as well. Castiglione became a soldier during the war and when he broke his ankle, he became a diplomat. After this, he went to the court of Urbino, "where he discussed love, art, philosophy, and the nature of man." Just like me, Castiglione liked many things such as singing, dancing, playing games, and listening to music. He wrote books such as "The Book Of The Courtier" and "Tirsi." These books had a lot of influence on the Renaissance.
When researching a person from the Renaissance, I decided not to do women (OMG). Instead I looked more into architecture and found Andrea Palladio. From my brief 15 minutes of research I learned that Andrea Palladio was the most influential architect in the history of Western architecture. He was born on November 30, 1508 in Padua, Italy. I also learned that he was originally named Andrea Di Pietro della Gondola. He was renamed to Palladio, which is the name for the Greek goddess, Pallas Athena. This name was given to him by an employer. Palladio started his career in architecture by apprenticing for a stone cutter at age 13. He died on August 19, 1580 and lived a long life with much accomplishment.
In addition to this I was wondering if the world Palisades and Palladium came from the work of Palladio or even were named after Palladio?
I looked into Lorenzo Ghiberti. The original eading simply mentions him as an artist. I followed the hyperlink to the PBS Page on him. In 1401, he entered into a competition with Filippo Brunelleschi to see who could create the best doors for the baptistry of Florence. Brunelleschi worked on the doors in secrecy. Ghiberti, on the other hand, worked on his doors in public. In doing this, he ensured that he would get feedback from the public on his designs. He used the feedback he recieved, and won the contract. He worked on the doors for more than 20 years befoe finally completing them. He then won another contract for the eastern side. He worked on these for another 24 years, before delivering them. I also found several pictures of the doors: 1, 2, and 3. All of these are cast bronze.
I looked up Raphael. He was born in 1483 in Urbino, Italy. From a young age he had a lot of talent, as evidenced by a self portrait he painted when he was a teenager. He was greatly influenced by Florentine art and the art of Leonardo da Vinci. He also knew and did not get along well with Michaelangelo. His biggest work were four rooms in the Vatican Palace that became known as “Raphael Rooms” and “The Stanze”. The most important of these rooms was the Stanza della Segnatura.
The Web Gallery of Art has a good biography and has some of Raphael's works.
I was interested in an Italian dancer called Domenico da Piacenza. This link has a lot of information on him, as well as this Wikipedia entry. He lived from about 1400 in Piacenza to about 1472. He taught Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro and Antonio Cornazano, who called him 'mio solo maestro e compatriota', meaning 'my only teacher and compatriot'. He was a Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur, and was founder of the first Lombardic dance school. His dance manual, De arte saltandi and choreas ducendi, was the first to survive into the modern era. I also found this link, where you can download Domenico's writing.
Gerardus Mercator was a Flemish Cartographer born (with the name Gheert Cremer) in Rupelmonde in East Flanders in 1512. However, he lived in Duisberg from 1552 until his death. Mercador is the Latinized form of his name. He is remembered for the Mercator Chart which was named after him. It was a chart on the Mercator projection, commonly used for marine navigation. It is also known as equatorial cylindrical orthomorphic chart. Mercator was educated by the famous humanist Macropedius and at the University of Leuven. Despite his fame as a cartographer, Mercator's main source of income came through his craftsmanship of mathematical instruments. Then, he worked with Gemma Frisius and Gaspar Myrica from 1535-1536 to make a terrestrial globe. His independent map making started when he made a map of Palestine in 1537. In 1544, he was charged with heresy due to his sympathy for protestant beliefs and the suspicions about his frequent travels. In 1552, he opened a cartographic workshop in Duisberg and made a 6-panel map of Europe in 1554. Later, he taught mathematics in the academic college of Duisberg. He also devised a technique to produce globes by techniques of relative mass production. This worked for both celestial and terrestrial globes. Gerardus Mercador was an overall important character during the Renaissance.
I was looking through the posts from our class, and I realized that no one had done anything about a Renaissance woman, so I looked through the page from the Canadian 8th graders and found woman named Isabella d'Este. The site says that many women did not fit the mold, of the traditional housewife, instead choosing to take on characteristcs of man at that time. From this paper I could see, just what her life was like. She was born in May of 1474 in the house of Estes, and had one younger sister, Beatrice, as well as three younger brothers. Her talents were endless, she was strong in the arts and was also a smart speaker and quite witty. She would be married to Franceso Gonzaga, one of the smartest and ugliest men in the land. She was later proposed to Sforza, but when he realized she was already propsed to he quickly withdrew his offer and propsed to Beatrice instead. Isabella's marriage was somewhat unquie in the fact that her and Francesco were actually in love. Most marriages of the time were used as a political gain for both of the families, while this marriage did insure that, the couple was actually similar to one of today. The realtionship with her sister however as not as strong or as loving, due to Beatrice's love for luxury. Beatrice owned expensive gowns, rooms of finery, and would trick her way into more attention. This angered Isabella and resulted in a life long feud between the sisters. Isabella did not see her sister again until her funeral, where she only cried a short time for her dead sister. During a war in 1509 Francesco was captured and the other side assumed they had won, because the troops now had no leader. This was not the case Isabella soon took control herself and eventually was able to negotiate the release of her husband. When her husband died she took over Mantua and also helped her son rule later. When she finally had a chance to travel, she was called back to aid her son who was unsure of what to do. Once he was comfortable, Isabella spent the last 5 years of her life relaxing, before dying in 1539 at the age of 64. She also allowed people to debate in her house, and supported all the arts and chose to explore some of them. She will be remembered as the first woman of the Renaissance and her accomplishments will not be forgotten.
I am sorry that I did not post. I was studying for my trimester exam all night plus I had a lot of science.
I was interested in learning more about
Protected Welcome back!
We'll go over the exam in class on Monday
For those of you interested in how women are represented in Iraq's new constitution, check out this NPR story titled Activists Urge Women's Rights in Iraqi Constitution
Here are the notes I showed in class today (about the "fall" of Rome).
Due Tuesday, March 18: Look at two maps and do one short reading, as detailed below
1. Look at the map on p. 240-241 of your book to see the path that the Huns and other groups took as they invaded Rome. 2. See the map on p. 242 for where the various groups ended up in what we call "Europe" today. 3. Read pp. 237-242 (starting with "The Western Roman Empire And Its Invaders") (do not worry about "stoicism").
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We will also post to the blog during class -- what do you know about Islam???
Notes from class on Tuesday
Due Block Day, March 19/20: Read the section titled "The Arabs" in your book on pp. 252-258.
In class on the block day, we will read three paragraphs from 251-252 (start with "Justinian and the Eastern Empire" and read up to "The New Barbarians") and take a look at the map on p. 250 -- pay attention to the trade routes
Here are some cool images of the Hagia Sofia
We will also watch a video about Islam . Here are some notes you can build on.
No class Friday -- Good Friday
No HW Due for Monday
Due Tuesday, March 25: Review pages 252-258 and post at least three questions about Islam from the reading (one or two questions could be from the video) to your class section of the blog by 9 p.m.
Here are more complete notes from the first 31 minutes of the Islam video.
Due Block Day, March 26/27: Read pp. 270-272 ("In The Islamic World")
Read this document about the Five Pillars.
And look at these maps of the growth of Islam.
Select an aspect of Islam (from the video or from the reading) that you want to learn more about.
Explain in a paragraph on the blog what you want to learn about and why.
Here are the first, second, and third Hajj pages we looked at in class, as well as the page that explains Muslim prayer times.
Due Friday, March 28: Work on your short paper about an aspect of Islam (it's due Tuesday) Come to class with evidence that you have started researching and/or writing your paper. In class on Friday, you will have time to work on your paper.
Be sure to keep track of your sources as you do your research!
Due Monday, March 31: Review your notes from the video and from the readings, so we can discuss and review in class.
Here are my notes
Also, do 10-15 minutes of work on your paper -- it should be about one and a half pages long (double spaced), and it should indicate which sources you consulted by using parenthetical citations. Your paper should also include a Bibliography.
Here is the document we looked at in class explaining how to present your research with parentheticals and with a short Bibliography.
Here's the link to that site from Duke's library that explains how (and why) to paraphrase.
Due Tuesday, April 1: Hand in your paper about Islam.
Due for the Block Day, April 2/3: Prepare for a quiz on Islam (and the material we looked at covering the "Fall" of Rome) The Quiz will cover our readings in the book, the video we saw, and what we've done in class
Here's a study guide.
Here's an Islam Timeline we'll go over in class.
Due Monday, April 7: Read these online readings about Africa (each one is quite short) to get an overview of Africa:
A Great Oral Tradition | The Nok | The Phoenicians and Carthage Trade | Ghana | Sundiata | Mansa Musa | Timbuktu Zimbabwe
Then, post on the blog for your class section two questions you have about Africa that shows you read and thought about the material on those pages. Please post by 6 p.m. Sunday (or email me to let me know why that's not possible, and post as soon as you can).
And by the way, who is Mr. Dowling?
In class, we will learn a bit about African Geography, and also consider some current events in Africa, including elections from Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Here are some Google Earth links to several African places we will talk about.
Due Tuesday, April 8: Read the document about West Africa and complete the graphic organizer at the end of the document. Also, make some marginal notes on the document.
Here are some pictures from Timbuktu (and the salt mines to the north).
Due Block Day: Read these two documents about Great Zimbabwe
1. Great Zimbabwe 2. "Discovery" of Great Zimbabwe
Here's an example of active reading, as I learned a bit more about Ian Smith, the "prime minister" of Rhodesia from 1965-79.
Choose a topic for your short paper about Africa -- write a paragraph to the blog
Due Friday, April 11: Read Mr. Goldberg's account of his trip to Ethiopia in the summer of 2006. Post two thought-provoking questions on the blog to jump-start our conversation.
Here's a video about Project Mercy I just found on YouTube.
Due Monday, April 14: Work on your short paper about Africa
Here are some thoughts about Why Africa Matters today
Due Tuesday, April 15: Read this short reading about the Bantu Migrations
And work on your Africa paper (it can be up to two pages long) -- it's due on Tuesday, April 22.
Here's an article about the Sahel from National Geographic.
Due Block Day: The Pope will have arrived in the US at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Please post to the blog by 9 p.m. the night before class two things:
1. what you know about the Pope and 2. what you would like to learn about him.
Your post should be three to four sentences long.
After you have posted, please read this preview of the Pope's visit for class on the block day (but don't read the article until after you post).
There is a reference in the article to the recent murder of the the Chaldean Catholic Bishop of Mosul. Here's some background on that story from the BBC.
If you are curious, here's a link to the Pope's schedule in the US.
Pope Benedict, who was invested (made pope) in 2005, is the third pope to visit the United States; Paul VI came to New York in 1965 and John Paul II was in the United States seven times, including New York and Washington in 1979 and New York again in 1995 (two of his visits amounted to refueling stops in Alaska in 1981 and 1984). (this paragraph is from a NYT story about the Pope's visit).
If you want to learn more about the Pope and his realtionship with Islam, here's a short reading about The Pope and Islam (not an assigned reading)
POPE LINKS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS (we will look at these in class)
Here's a better look at the Pope's schedule, from CNN.
Video of the Pope's arrival (from WashingtonPost.com)
List of Popes
How is the Pope chosen?
Another description of how the Pope is chosen
Here's a picture gallery of the College of Cardinals -- it's not current because the Pope is listed as Joseph Ratzinger, his given name.
Once chosen, how (and why) does the Pope choose his new name? This 2-minute video has a good answer.
Another short video (from the same source) explains the Fisherman's Ring.
Were will the Pope stay? In Washington, the pope will stay at the Vatican Embassy, on Massachusetts Avenue NW, and in New York at the East 72nd Street residence of Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the papal nuncio to the United Nations. (info from this article)
Random Pope fact: Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar (we call it the Gregorian Calendar in his honor).
Due Friday, April 18: Work on your Africa Paper in class
Due Monday, April 21: Your paper about some aspect of Africa should be nearly complete -- I will look at your progress on your computer screen (do not print a copy yet).
Due Tuesday, April 22: Paper about some aspect of Africa (should be 1.5 to 2 pages long)
In class Tuesday: Watch as much as you can of a video about the Mongols.
Due Block Day, April 23/24: Read pp. 412-418 (start with the top paragraph, then read The Mongols: Reshaping Eurasia) Also, look at the focus questions in the upper left corner of p. 412. The century when the Mongols are around is the 1200s (13th Century)
Here is the start of my reading notes (first two pages only) -- you should have similar notes (pictures, definitions, questions), and we'll share in class what we've found about the Mongols during the block class, using SynchronEyes.
Due Friday, April 25: Read pp. 418-421 (top of page 421)
Mongols Handouts:
Here are the Preview Paragraphs, the timeline, our class notes (from the day I had no voice), and a look at Kublai Khan.
Due Monday, April 28: Do a brief reading to get an overview of the Middle Ages, and post to the blog by 9 p.m. Sunday.
Here is a link to the City of God blurb we looked at in class.
It was written by St. Augustine of Hippo, and here's a map that shows where Hippo is (as well as the language split between Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodox).
Here are the maps I showed in class leading from the organization of the Franks around 500 through the rule of Charlemagne (768-814) and the break-up of the Carolingian Empire in 843 with the Treaty of Verdun (we'll go over this in class Tuesday).
Due Tuesday, April 29: Complete this Middle Ages reading -- pages 260-266 (up to "The Western Church") also, POST TO THE BLOG by 9 pm a question or comment or link or something to show that you engaged with the reading. (if you post a link, please explain what it is in a sentence or two -- don't just post the link)
Here's a map showing the expansion of the Vikings
And here's a picture of the layout of a manor, complete with a fallow field as an example of the three field system.
Due Block Day, April 30/May 1: Finish the Middle Ages reading (see link above) -- focus on pages 266-269; skim pp. 269-272 also, POST TO THE BLOG by 9pm the night before class a question/comment/link to show that you engaged with the reading. (if you post a link, please explain what it is in a sentence or two -- don't just post the link)
More information about Charlemagne (we'll go over this in class on the block day)
More information about Feudalism (the document I showed in class Tuesday)
More information about Bishops and Monks
More information about the Vikings, and how they became the Normans (the ones who conquered England in 1066, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry)
Useful pictures from the Middle Ages
Here's a review sheet for the test on Friday
Due Friday, May 2: Test on Africa, Mongols and the Middle Ages (plus a few Islam review questions)
An article about a modern effort to save the Niger River
Due Monday, May 5: Take-home part of the test. Explain in a few paragraphs what you learned about the topic you wanted to learn more about in the Middle Ages. Insert a sound recording of you speaking your paper at the end of your paper (this should help you fix any grammar issues) We will drop these in the H drive on Monday. Do not print your paper.
Due Tuesday, May 6: Complete this reading about the Crusades and post your thoughts/questions/resources to the blog by 9 p.m.
Due Block Day, May 7/8: Prepare your role for the "Crusades TV" episode we'll do in class
Due Friday, May 9: For background, read the first five paragraphs of the Wikipedia article about Magna Carta. Then, complete a short reading about the Magna Carta and post your questions/thoughts and resources to the blog by 9 p.m. Remember the format for posting a link we went over in class: Donatello. Most of Donatello's works were made in Florence where he worked for Lorenzo Ghiberti. One of his major works in Florence was the bronze David that was commissioned by Cosimo de Medici. He also left Florence in 1443 to go to Padua in order to complete the Bronze Crucifix. He then came back in 1453.
I am sorry that I did not post. I was studying for my trimester exam all night plus I had a lot of science.
I was interested in learning more aboutDonatello. Most of Donatello's works were made in Florence where he worked for Lorenzo Ghiberti. One of his major works in Florence was the bronze David that was commissioned by Cosimo de Medici. He also left Florence in 1443 to go to Padua in order to complete the Bronze Crucifix. He then came back in 1453.
21 comments:
I was interested in learning more about Michelangelo and his artwork. Two of his most famous pieces, the statue of David and the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, are both things that I saw in Italy. I found from this website that he was one of the first students in Lorenzo de'Medici's art school. I wanted to know how he decided to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. I was surprised to find out from this site that it wasn't his idea; instead Pope Julius II asked him to. At first Michelangelo didn't want to do it, because he didn't know much about frescos and the ceiling was over 3,200 square feet. But since he couldn't refuse the pope, he went ahead with this project. He had some helpers assist him with some of the more tedius tasks. It took him 4 years to complete, which seems like a short time, seeing as the ceiling is so huge. Here is a picture that shows a view of the Sistine Chapel. This picture shows the statue of David and the size comparison between the statue and the people around it. I also wanted to know if it was true that Michelangelo had studied dead bodies to get an accurate idea of the human body for his sculptures. I had heard this somewhere, and found that it was true from here. This website also said that this was risky for Michelangelo to do, since it was forbidden by the church.
Michelangelo contributed to the artwork portion of the Renaissance. He had many more works than the Sistine Chapel painting and the statue of David, and his artwork not only showed the talent of his timeperiod, but inspired later artists, as well.
I was intrested in Galileo beucase i peferer to learn about the sciences of the Renaissance rather than artists (I don't really know why).
Here is some of what he did.
- Italian Scientist who supported the idea that instead of the sun revolving around the earth, that the earth revolves around the sun (Copernicus's theory- and when he supported it, it created a lot of controversy) - this theory is also known as heliocentric theory
-Improved the telescope and studied the moon and also discovered four of Jupiter's moons
(I found this fact particularly interesting because I though I knew about Galileo, but I had no idea he dabbled in Astronomy)
- Taught High schools and as a Professor
- Published Books
- Changed the way the world saw and studied motion
- Built the Thermoscope, which was an early version (later improved by a Russian scientist) of the thermometer
- Built the beginnings of the first Microscope
- When he was 72, he was blinded due to a combination of a couple of problems including Cataract problems
Follow this this linkgreat information on Galileo - it is from the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, which has a great overview of all of his work right in one place and also goes into detail about things like the various books he wrote.
Along with Mathematician, Astronomer, physicist, and overall scientist, I would also consider him to be an inventor. He invented and started the ideas of many modern inventions. He also improved existing things (like the Telescope) to make them better an more useful.
I was interested in learning about Leonardo da Vinci. He was an artist, an engineer, and a scientist. I find it amazing that he was one of the best artists of all-time, while also being more than that. On Wikipedia it says that he diagramed a helicopter, a tank a calculator, the double hull, and had a theory of plate tectonics. I looked up a couple of these things, and found out that the first tank was built in 1916, 500 years after da Vinci's death, during WWI. A helicopter was around the same time period. A simple calculator was only invented in 1822, still over 400 years after da Vinci's death.
Da Vinci has possibly the greatest mind of all time because of all these inventions. He diagrammed the proportions of a man in the Vitruvian Man. He painted possibly the most famous painting, the Mona Lisa. He made concepts of inventions that were 400+ years ahead of his time. If he had the right tools, who knows what he could have accomplished.
I am interested in Donatello because I know some about Michaelangelo and DaVinci but I never learned about Donatello.
I've learned that Donatello was an Italian sculptor who lived in Florence. His father was a wool comber in a wool combing guild (makes sense). Donatello was born around 1386. He was trained at an early age under a goldsmith. In 1409-1411 he created the massive seated figure of Saint John the Evangelist in the Battistero di San Giovanni. This sculpture was a big step towards realistic art since he created the hands more realisticly than previos artists have. In 1461 he created a statue of John the Baptist. Donatello died in 1466 in Florence.
I was interested in learning about Sir Walter Raleigh because I knew a little about him but not much. Also, one of the Renaissance websites described him as the "ultimate definition of a Renaissance man".
Sir Walter Raleigh was considered an important figure of the Renaissance. I knew already that he was a knight, that he tried to establish colonies in the New World, and that he was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, but I learned many surprising facts about him that I did not know.
~Sir Walter Raleigh never finished school. He studied law in Oxford but dropped out. Despite this, he wrote many works. He published two books: History of the World and The Discovery of Guinea. He is also known for poetry, including The Last Fight of the Revenge, What Is Our Life, The Ocean to Cynthia, and The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd. This made me wonder how he became a successful poet and was known as an educated man if he never finished school.
~He rose to power by fighting in the army and helping subdue rebellions in Ireland. How he obtained his wealth is explained in this paragraph from Wikipedia. This interested me because I knew he was wealthy but never knew how he earned his wealth.
Between 1579 and 1583, Raleigh took part in the suppression of the Desmond Rebellions. He was present at the siege of Smerwick, where he oversaw the slaughter of some 700 Italian soldiers after they had surrendered unconditionally.[2] Upon the seizure and distribution of land following the attainders arising from the rebellion, Raleigh received 40,000 acres (160 km²), including the coastal walled towns of Youghal and Lismore.
~There is a myth that he planted the first potatoes in Ireland, but it is not proven. This just struck me as a very interesting fact.
~He was the founder/sponsor of two colonies on Roanoke Island in the New World. Neither of them succeeded. His second colony was the famous Lost Colony. I knew about the existence of these colonies, but did not know that he sponsored them. I found that interesting because as a child I was really interested in the Lost Colony and what happened to them.
~He married Queen Elizabeth’s maid of honor, Elizabeth Throckmorton, and fell out of her favor. He was imprisoned in the Tower of London for this.
~He led two expeditions sponsored by Queen Elizabeth’s successor King James I to search for El Dorado, the legendary “city of gold”. On the second expedition, the Spanish claimed he ransacked one of their forts. It is not known whether or not they were lying. Nonetheless, James I had Raleigh beheaded for this. This surprised me because he was known as a good man and not ruthless and brutal as the Spanish story claims.
~There is a story about his beheading that claims he joked with his executioner, musing that the axe was “a sharp Medicine, but it is a Physician for all diseases and miseries” . His final words to the executioner were supposedly "Strike, man, strike!" I thought this was a really unique response for someone about to get their head chopped off.
In the reading, it mentions Filippo Brunelleschi as a "brilliant engineer". I had briefly mentioned him the last blog post, but I wanted to go further on this. I wanted to find out what he had done to help further the Renaissance period and what he had constructed that constituted being a "brilliant engineer". In the PBS article I followed the link of Brunelleschi and it said that he actually lived with Donatello at one point. The thing that I was most interested with him is his perspective that he found out. On the Wikipedia article it says that Brunelleschi made the first known drawing using linear perspective on paper in 1415. He drew the Baptistery in Florence. While this painting has been lost, I thought this was a huge step in the Renaissance as many artists would start using perspective in their works. One big thing he did during his life was design the dome for the Florence Cathedral. He also helped design churches such as the Basicilca of San Lorenzo. Brunelleschi seems to be an important and big figure during this time and many paintings and works with perspective were done thanks to him. I found the perspective thing interesting as I mentioned in my last post, I had seen something about that on TV.
Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi was an Italian sculptor that lived from 1386 to 1466. He was born in Florence, where he learned basic sculpting from the Stonemasons' Guild. By the age of 17, he was helping make the bronze relics on the doors of the Florentine Baptistery. One of his first Sculptures was a marble statue for the Cathedral. This statue of David ended up in the Plazzo Vecchio a few years later. Donatello continued his work on life size sculptures, including St.George and St.Mark. In 1425, he partnered with Michelozzo, working on projects such at the tomb of the 'antipope' John XXIII. After working on many other sculptures throughout his life, he died on December 13, 1466. Donatello left behind two unfinished projects, both bronze platforms for a preacher, which were finished by his pupil Bertoldo di Giovanni
I wanted to look into Martin Luther, who was mentioned in the last chapter. Martin Luther was most well known for his 95 Theses which was a list of complaints directed at the Pope and catholic church. He nailed these theses on to the door of the Schlosskirche. Luther claimed that the only reliable source of religious authority was the Bible, not the Pope or any other religious leaders. The 95 Theses was written in Latin but was quickly translated to German and many copies were printed. The Pope was very slow to respond to these statements, but when he did it was with anger and he tried to gather a mutual hatred of people against Martin Luther. The Pope said that if Luther didn't pull back his statements, then he would be excommunicated. Luther did not take back what he had said, and was excommunicated. At one point in Luther's life, he wrote a letter and addressed himself as "the first theologian and philosopher".
Now, I'm going to do a figure that will probably come up a lot, Leonard Da Vinci. A few questions I had going into this were, aside from the basics where was he born, around what time in the renaissance (right at its inception?), stuff like when he began to do art and when he began to study mathematics and integrate it into his artwork. He was born April 15th, 1452 according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci; so he was born around a hundred years into the Renaissance. Da Vinci, as stated on wikipedia, was the "archetypal renaissance man," the renaissance man is a concept I am actually really interested in, as it interests me how someone can invest so much into so many different fields and be successful in all of them. For the record, a "renaissance man" is one who is involved in multiple practices, be they artistic or scientific, and generally the two forms mesh together, as they do with Da Vinci. He painted two of the most famous paintings of all time, the Mona Lisa, and the Last Supper (high quality screens of both: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Mona_Lisa.jpeg, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Leonardo_da_Vinci_%281452-1519%29_-_The_Last_Supper_%281495-1498%29.jpg). Interestingly enough, though he was incredibly prolific, he was known to procrastinate. This is surely a quality that I and many others can relate to. One thing I find so interesting about his work (this wasn't really mentioned anywhere that I looked) is the parallels between his concepts and inventions and the religious figures in his work. He intensely studied physics and tried to come up with ways to defy it, all the while creating works such as the Last Supper, creating the epitome iconography for Jesus Christ. To me his constant studies and universal interest in everything could be seen as intensely religious.
i was interested in learning more about Giovanni Bellini because in world arts i tried to paint a painting of his. I remember he was known for his amazing ways of using shadows and highlights in pictures and i could see that as i tried to re-make his painting. He was one of the greatest painters in the renaissance. He painted painting such as the feast of gods
or Saint Francis in Ecstasy
So what really interest me in him was really how amazing his paintings were.
It says that he had lots of his most famous works burned in a church fire after he died at the age of 86 in 1516. He also had a very prosperous life because of his amazing works.
I was more interested in learning about Filippo Brunelleschi. I researched more about Brunelleschi and learned that he was one of the most significant architects of the Italian Renaissance. Brunelleschi was born into a well off family with a mathematical and literary education and enrolled in Arta della Seta, a skillmaker's guild, and became a master goldsmith. He entered a competition to create a gilded bronze panel for the baptistery in Florence, but ultimately lost to Lorenzo Ghiberti. This loss may have inspired him to give up smithing, and move on to architecture. I found out on Wikipedia that Brunelleschi was influenced greatly by Roman work. What interested me greatly was that Roman culture was never looked at in terms of art at the time, but was looked at by scholars, scientists, and writers. Brunelleschi and Donatello tried to deviate from the norm in many ways such as using Roman architecture as their influence. No one before them had studied the Roman ruins before. Some of Brunelleschi's more significant works are the Basilica di San Lorenzo di Firenze, and the Santa Maria degli Angeli, which are both large churches still standing today in Italy.
I became interested in Raphael the Renaissance artist in World Arts although I did not explore him much further. Now that I have the opportunity, I am really curious about his background and more about his artwork. Most of my questions were answered through my research.Raphael was a famous Italian Renaissance artist. He was born in 1483 in the city of Urbino. His mother died when he was eight and his father died when he was eleven and he was turned over to his Uncle Bartolomeo who was a priest. Even though his father died, he still received his first instruction in the techniques of painting from his father, Giovanni Santi, who was a minor artist and helped him very much. He did not have a good education though he was able to read Latin very well. Raphael was very well known for his perfection and elegance used in his paintings and drawings. A lot of his work has stayed in the Vatican and a lot of his work has stayed intact and been passed down. His artistic career falls into three phases and three styles which include Umbria, Florence, and Rome. His first documented work, finished in 1501, was the Baronci altarpiece for the church of San Nicola of Tolentino in Città di Castello and later painted for churches in that area. When Raphael first arrived in Florence, he was instantly hired by Pope Julius II to create a mural in the Pope’s library in the Vatican Palace which came to be the first of the Raphael Rooms. One of his other huge projects were the Raphael Cartoons which were a set of ten cartoons for tapestries with scenes of the lives of Saint Paul and Saint Peter for the Sistine Chapel. He was never married though he was engaged to Maria Bibbiena in 1514, but she died in 1520. Raphael died on Good Friday in 1520 because he fell into a fever and did not tell his doctors the correct reason and was given the wrong cure, which killed him. His funeral was grand and many people showed up to celebrate his life. The inscription in his marble sarcophagus, written by Pietro Bembo, reads, "Ille hic est Raffael, timuit quo sospite vinci, rerum magna parens et moriente mori" which means, “here lies that famous Raphael by whom Nature feared to be outdone while he lived, and when he died, feared herself to die."
When having to pick a figure to look at from the Renaissance, I decided to look at Baldassare Castiglione who was a courtier, diplomat, soldier and an author. I began to read his biography and noticed that in many ways we are alike. Someday, I want to be a writer like him and just like his writing "was a great help in the shaping of the Italian Renaissance," I want mine to have an impact as well. Castiglione became a soldier during the war and when he broke his ankle, he became a diplomat. After this, he went to the court of Urbino, "where he discussed love, art, philosophy, and the nature of man." Just like me, Castiglione liked many things such as singing, dancing, playing games, and listening to music. He wrote books such as "The Book Of The Courtier" and "Tirsi." These books had a lot of influence on the Renaissance.
When researching a person from the Renaissance, I decided not to do women (OMG). Instead I looked more into architecture and found Andrea Palladio. From my brief 15 minutes of research I learned that Andrea Palladio was the most influential architect in the history of Western architecture. He was born on November 30, 1508 in Padua, Italy. I also learned that he was originally named Andrea Di Pietro della Gondola. He was renamed to Palladio, which is the name for the Greek goddess, Pallas Athena. This name was given to him by an employer. Palladio started his career in architecture by apprenticing for a stone cutter at age 13. He died on August 19, 1580 and lived a long life with much accomplishment.
In addition to this I was wondering if the world Palisades and Palladium came from the work of Palladio or even were named after Palladio?
I looked into Lorenzo Ghiberti. The original eading simply mentions him as an artist. I followed the hyperlink to the PBS Page on him. In 1401, he entered into a competition with Filippo Brunelleschi to see who could create the best doors for the baptistry of Florence. Brunelleschi worked on the doors in secrecy. Ghiberti, on the other hand, worked on his doors in public. In doing this, he ensured that he would get feedback from the public on his designs. He used the feedback he recieved, and won the contract. He worked on the doors for more than 20 years befoe finally completing them. He then won another contract for the eastern side. He worked on these for another 24 years, before delivering them. I also found several pictures of the doors: 1, 2, and 3. All of these are cast bronze.
I looked up Raphael. He was born in 1483 in Urbino, Italy. From a young age he had a lot of talent, as evidenced by a self portrait he painted when he was a teenager. He was greatly influenced by Florentine art and the art of Leonardo da Vinci. He also knew and did not get along well with Michaelangelo. His biggest work were four rooms in the Vatican Palace that became known as “Raphael Rooms” and “The Stanze”. The most important of these rooms was the Stanza della Segnatura.
The Web Gallery of Art has a good biography and has some of Raphael's works.
I was interested in an Italian dancer called Domenico da Piacenza. This link has a lot of information on him, as well as this Wikipedia entry. He lived from about 1400 in Piacenza to about 1472. He taught Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro and Antonio Cornazano, who called him 'mio solo maestro e compatriota', meaning 'my only teacher and compatriot'. He was a Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur, and was founder of the first Lombardic dance school. His dance manual, De arte saltandi and choreas ducendi, was the first to survive into the modern era. I also found this link, where you can download Domenico's writing.
Gerardus Mercator was a Flemish Cartographer born (with the name Gheert Cremer) in Rupelmonde in East Flanders in 1512. However, he lived in Duisberg from 1552 until his death. Mercador is the Latinized form of his name. He is remembered for the Mercator Chart which was named after him. It was a chart on the Mercator projection, commonly used for marine navigation. It is also known as equatorial cylindrical orthomorphic chart. Mercator was educated by the famous humanist Macropedius and at the University of Leuven. Despite his fame as a cartographer, Mercator's main source of income came through his craftsmanship of mathematical instruments. Then, he worked with Gemma Frisius and Gaspar Myrica from 1535-1536 to make a terrestrial globe. His independent map making started when he made a map of Palestine in 1537. In 1544, he was charged with heresy due to his sympathy for protestant beliefs and the suspicions about his frequent travels. In 1552, he opened a cartographic workshop in Duisberg and made a 6-panel map of Europe in 1554. Later, he taught mathematics in the academic college of Duisberg. He also devised a technique to produce globes by techniques of relative mass production. This worked for both celestial and terrestrial globes. Gerardus Mercador was an overall important character during the Renaissance.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerardus_Mercador
http://www.answers.com/topic/mercator-chart?cat=technology
Was the 6-panel map he made the first 6-panel map ever?
When did the university of Leuven first open? Is it remembered as a good school?
I was looking through the posts from our class, and I realized that no one had done anything about a Renaissance woman, so I looked through the page from the Canadian 8th graders and found woman named Isabella d'Este. The site says that many women did not fit the mold, of the traditional housewife, instead choosing to take on characteristcs of man at that time. From this paper I could see, just what her life was like.
She was born in May of 1474 in the house of Estes, and had one younger sister, Beatrice, as well as three younger brothers. Her talents were endless, she was strong in the arts and was also a smart speaker and quite witty. She would be married to Franceso Gonzaga, one of the smartest and ugliest men in the land. She was later proposed to Sforza, but when he realized she was already propsed to he quickly withdrew his offer and propsed to Beatrice instead. Isabella's marriage was somewhat unquie in the fact that her and Francesco were actually in love. Most marriages of the time were used as a political gain for both of the families, while this marriage did insure that, the couple was actually similar to one of today.
The realtionship with her sister however as not as strong or as loving, due to Beatrice's love for luxury. Beatrice owned expensive gowns, rooms of finery, and would trick her way into more attention. This angered Isabella and resulted in a life long feud between the sisters. Isabella did not see her sister again until her funeral, where she only cried a short time for her dead sister.
During a war in 1509 Francesco was captured and the other side assumed they had won, because the troops now had no leader. This was not the case Isabella soon took control herself and eventually was able to negotiate the release of her husband.
When her husband died she took over Mantua and also helped her son rule later. When she finally had a chance to travel, she was called back to aid her son who was unsure of what to do. Once he was comfortable, Isabella spent the last 5 years of her life relaxing, before dying in 1539 at the age of 64.
She also allowed people to debate in her house, and supported all the arts and chose to explore some of them. She will be remembered as the first woman of the Renaissance and her accomplishments will not be forgotten.
I am sorry that I did not post. I was studying for my trimester exam all night plus I had a lot of science.
I was interested in learning more about
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Welcome back!
We'll go over the exam in class on Monday
For those of you interested in how women are represented in Iraq's new constitution, check out this NPR story titled Activists Urge Women's Rights in Iraqi Constitution
Here are the notes I showed in class today (about the "fall" of Rome).
Due Tuesday, March 18: Look at two maps and do one short reading, as detailed below
1. Look at the map on p. 240-241 of your book to see the path that the Huns and other groups took as they invaded Rome.
2. See the map on p. 242 for where the various groups ended up in what we call "Europe" today.
3. Read pp. 237-242 (starting with "The Western Roman Empire And Its Invaders") (do not worry about "stoicism").
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We will also post to the blog during class -- what do you know about Islam???
Notes from class on Tuesday
Due Block Day, March 19/20: Read the section titled "The Arabs" in your book on pp. 252-258.
In class on the block day, we will read three paragraphs from 251-252
(start with "Justinian and the Eastern Empire" and read up to "The New Barbarians")
and take a look at the map on p. 250 -- pay attention to the trade routes
Here are some cool images of the Hagia Sofia
We will also watch a video about Islam . Here are some notes you can build on.
No class Friday -- Good Friday
No HW Due for Monday
Due Tuesday, March 25: Review pages 252-258 and post at least three questions about Islam from the reading (one or two questions could be from the video) to your class section of the blog by 9 p.m.
Here are more complete notes from the first 31 minutes of the Islam video.
Due Block Day, March 26/27: Read pp. 270-272 ("In The Islamic World")
Read this document about the Five Pillars.
And look at these maps of the growth of Islam.
Select an aspect of Islam (from the video or from the reading) that you want to learn more about.
Explain in a paragraph on the blog what you want to learn about and why.
Here are the first, second, and third Hajj pages we looked at in class, as well as the page that explains Muslim prayer times.
Due Friday, March 28: Work on your short paper about an aspect of Islam (it's due Tuesday)
Come to class with evidence that you have started researching and/or writing your paper.
In class on Friday, you will have time to work on your paper.
Be sure to keep track of your sources as you do your research!
Due Monday, March 31: Review your notes from the video and from the readings, so we can discuss and review in class.
Here are my notes
Also, do 10-15 minutes of work on your paper -- it should be about one and a half pages long (double spaced), and it should indicate which sources you consulted by using parenthetical citations. Your paper should also include a Bibliography.
Here is the document we looked at in class explaining how to present your research with parentheticals and with a short Bibliography.
Here's the link to that site from Duke's library that explains how (and why) to paraphrase.
Due Tuesday, April 1: Hand in your paper about Islam.
Due for the Block Day, April 2/3: Prepare for a quiz on Islam (and the material we looked at covering the "Fall" of Rome)
The Quiz will cover our readings in the book, the video we saw, and what we've done in class
Here's a study guide.
Here's an Islam Timeline we'll go over in class.
Due Monday, April 7: Read these online readings about Africa (each one is quite short) to get an overview of Africa:
A Great Oral Tradition | The Nok | The Phoenicians and Carthage
Trade | Ghana | Sundiata | Mansa Musa | Timbuktu
Zimbabwe
Then, post on the blog for your class section two questions you have about Africa that shows you read and thought about the material on those pages. Please post by 6 p.m. Sunday (or email me to let me know why that's not possible, and post as soon as you can).
And by the way, who is Mr. Dowling?
In class, we will learn a bit about African Geography, and also consider some current events in Africa, including elections from Kenya and Zimbabwe.
Here are some Google Earth links to several African places we will talk about.
Due Tuesday, April 8: Read the document about West Africa and complete the graphic organizer at the end of the document. Also, make some marginal notes on the document.
Here are some pictures from Timbuktu (and the salt mines to the north).
Due Block Day: Read these two documents about Great Zimbabwe
1. Great Zimbabwe
2. "Discovery" of Great Zimbabwe
Here's an example of active reading, as I learned a bit more about Ian Smith, the "prime minister" of Rhodesia from 1965-79.
Choose a topic for your short paper about Africa -- write a paragraph to the blog
Due Friday, April 11: Read Mr. Goldberg's account of his trip to Ethiopia in the summer of 2006.
Post two thought-provoking questions on the blog to jump-start our conversation.
Here's a video about Project Mercy I just found on YouTube.
Due Monday, April 14: Work on your short paper about Africa
Here are some thoughts about Why Africa Matters today
Due Tuesday, April 15: Read this short reading about the Bantu Migrations
And work on your Africa paper (it can be up to two pages long) -- it's due on Tuesday, April 22.
Here's an article about the Sahel from National Geographic.
Due Block Day: The Pope will have arrived in the US at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Please post to the blog by 9 p.m. the night before class two things:
1. what you know about the Pope and
2. what you would like to learn about him.
Your post should be three to four sentences long.
After you have posted, please read this preview of the Pope's visit for class on the block day (but don't read the article until after you post).
There is a reference in the article to the recent murder of the the Chaldean Catholic Bishop of Mosul. Here's some background on that story from the BBC.
If you are curious, here's a link to the Pope's schedule in the US.
Pope Benedict, who was invested (made pope) in 2005, is the third pope to visit the United States; Paul VI came to New York in 1965 and John Paul II was in the United States seven times, including New York and Washington in 1979 and New York again in 1995 (two of his visits amounted to refueling stops in Alaska in 1981 and 1984). (this paragraph is from a NYT story about the Pope's visit).
If you want to learn more about the Pope and his realtionship with Islam, here's a short reading about The Pope and Islam (not an assigned reading)
POPE LINKS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS (we will look at these in class)
Here's a better look at the Pope's schedule, from CNN.
Video of the Pope's arrival (from WashingtonPost.com)
List of Popes
How is the Pope chosen?
Another description of how the Pope is chosen
Here's a picture gallery of the College of Cardinals -- it's not current because the Pope is listed as Joseph Ratzinger, his given name.
Once chosen, how (and why) does the Pope choose his new name?
This 2-minute video has a good answer.
Another short video (from the same source) explains the Fisherman's Ring.
Were will the Pope stay?
In Washington, the pope will stay at the Vatican Embassy, on Massachusetts Avenue NW, and in New York at the East 72nd Street residence of Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the papal nuncio to the United Nations. (info from this article)
Random Pope fact: Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar (we call it the Gregorian Calendar in his honor).
Due Friday, April 18: Work on your Africa Paper in class
Due Monday, April 21: Your paper about some aspect of Africa should be nearly complete -- I will look at your progress on your computer screen (do not print a copy yet).
Due Tuesday, April 22: Paper about some aspect of Africa (should be 1.5 to 2 pages long)
In class Tuesday: Watch as much as you can of a video about the Mongols.
Due Block Day, April 23/24: Read pp. 412-418 (start with the top paragraph, then read The Mongols: Reshaping Eurasia)
Also, look at the focus questions in the upper left corner of p. 412.
The century when the Mongols are around is the 1200s (13th Century)
Here is the start of my reading notes (first two pages only) -- you should have similar notes (pictures, definitions, questions), and we'll share in class what we've found about the Mongols during the block class, using SynchronEyes.
Due Friday, April 25: Read pp. 418-421 (top of page 421)
Mongols Handouts:
Here are the Preview Paragraphs, the timeline, our class notes (from the day I had no voice), and a look at Kublai Khan.
Due Monday, April 28: Do a brief reading to get an overview of the Middle Ages, and post to the blog by 9 p.m. Sunday.
Here is a link to the City of God blurb we looked at in class.
It was written by St. Augustine of Hippo, and here's a map that shows where Hippo is (as well as the language split between Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodox).
Here are the maps I showed in class leading from the organization of the Franks around 500 through the rule of Charlemagne (768-814) and the break-up of the Carolingian Empire in 843 with the Treaty of Verdun (we'll go over this in class Tuesday).
Due Tuesday, April 29: Complete this Middle Ages reading -- pages 260-266 (up to "The Western Church")
also, POST TO THE BLOG by 9 pm a question or comment or link or something to show that you engaged with the reading.
(if you post a link, please explain what it is in a sentence or two -- don't just post the link)
Here's a map showing the expansion of the Vikings
And here's a picture of the layout of a manor, complete with a fallow field as an example of the three field system.
Due Block Day, April 30/May 1: Finish the Middle Ages reading (see link above) -- focus on pages 266-269; skim pp. 269-272
also, POST TO THE BLOG by 9pm the night before class a question/comment/link to show that you engaged with the reading.
(if you post a link, please explain what it is in a sentence or two -- don't just post the link)
More information about Charlemagne (we'll go over this in class on the block day)
More information about Feudalism (the document I showed in class Tuesday)
More information about Bishops and Monks
More information about the Vikings, and how they became the Normans
(the ones who conquered England in 1066, as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry)
Useful pictures from the Middle Ages
Here's a review sheet for the test on Friday
Due Friday, May 2: Test on Africa, Mongols and the Middle Ages (plus a few Islam review questions)
An article about a modern effort to save the Niger River
Due Monday, May 5: Take-home part of the test.
Explain in a few paragraphs what you learned about the topic you wanted to learn more about in the Middle Ages.
Insert a sound recording of you speaking your paper at the end of your paper (this should help you fix any grammar issues)
We will drop these in the H drive on Monday. Do not print your paper.
Due Tuesday, May 6: Complete this reading about the Crusades and post your thoughts/questions/resources to the blog by 9 p.m.
Due Block Day, May 7/8: Prepare your role for the "Crusades TV" episode we'll do in class
Due Friday, May 9: For background, read the first five paragraphs of the Wikipedia article about Magna Carta.
Then, complete a short reading about the Magna Carta and post your questions/thoughts and resources to the blog by 9 p.m.
Remember the format for posting a link we went over in class:
Donatello. Most of Donatello's works were made in Florence where he worked for Lorenzo Ghiberti. One of his major works in Florence was the bronze David that was commissioned by Cosimo de Medici. He also left Florence in 1443 to go to Padua in order to complete the Bronze Crucifix. He then came back in 1453.
I am sorry that I did not post. I was studying for my trimester exam all night plus I had a lot of science.
I was interested in learning more aboutDonatello. Most of Donatello's works were made in Florence where he worked for Lorenzo Ghiberti. One of his major works in Florence was the bronze David that was commissioned by Cosimo de Medici. He also left Florence in 1443 to go to Padua in order to complete the Bronze Crucifix. He then came back in 1453.
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