12.12.14

Since it is later in the day, I honestly don't really remember what we did, but I will try. I'm pretty sure we went over the political geography test. Oh, yeah I remember. We went around the room and shared the answers. It was a good day because we go tons of food. Karson brought in some really good chocolate cookies. I really enjoyed them and to top it all off Mr. Schick gave us each a slice of pound cake which was also quite tasty. Then Mr. Schick gave us all nicknames as he went around the room. Some were funny but other were a little mean. Just kidding they were all pretty funny. Except I don't particularly like Ellee big old belly... But it's okay because we go food so it's all good. As i write this it is the weirdest thing because I swear I had a dream about a month ago about this exact day and everything that happened in human geography. I'm actually physic.

12.11.14

Today in human geo we got our tests back and went over them. I got a 79% on the test which is my worst test grade in this class but I was pretty happy about it because it was a hard test and a lot of people thought it was too. It was good to go over the answers I wasn't sure about. Some of the ones I got wrong were me overthinking them. I had a lot of the right answers then I changed them because I thought they were wrong. I was the only one in the class who got "the story of this central figure can be found in the Old Testament," wrong. That might've been another one, but either way, i second guessed myself a lot. After we did that, Mr. Schick gave us our old test to look over for the exam. We still have one more test that we haven't reviewed again, but hopefully we'll do that tomorrow. I'm nervous for this exam, but I don't think it will be as hard as some of the others.

12.10.14

I just took the test and I thought it was pretty hard. The four questions about the different unions or corporations or whatever really confused me. I thought it was one answer and then I thought the same on the next question which go the other two all messed up. I don't think I did well on that part. The facts about the different religions were tougher than I thought they would be. They went in to more detail and they were details on really small details, which was so hard. There were maybe five questions about Slumdog Millionaire, and I knew the answers to those. I went to the website Mr. Schick showed us and I practiced the questions that were asked in the movie like "Which president is on the one hundred dollar bill, or who invented the revolver?" I'm really happy I spent some time on those because a few extra points on the test can't hurt, considering I don't think I did too great on the other parts. Overall, I think it was the hardest test we've had so far, but I hope I did okay.

12.09.14

Today in human geo we reviewed for the test tomorrow. We also finished the religion notes that we have to know. We have to know some of the things on cultural geography, religion, and Slumdog Millionaire. The notes we took form the powerpoint on religion are very helpful, but there is a lot so I'm not completely sure what I have to know. I'm just going to review the things I think are most important. I love that Mr. Schick put the song on his blog because I think that will help understand the movie a lot more, especially because I was confused on some parts of the plot. I think the test will be a challenge, but I don't think it will be terrible because there is only multiple choice so, you know, here is always a good guess.

12.04.14

Today in human geo we took a while to get started and we were distracted I think unless that was what we were supposed to be talking about. Since Slumdog Millionaire is on our next test, Mr. Schick thought of a cool way to help us remember the information about what happened in the movie. He put the info to the song "Billionaire" with his daughter. I thought it was really good and it summed up everything in the movie very well. We also talked about a former student who is now working with big time actors like Angelina Jolie because he worked hard and was very good at what he did so now he is doing great in New York. I honestly think having relaxed, chatting days are good for helping us learn. Personally, when I get bored I just tune out the teacher and learn nothing. I am never bored in Mr. Schick's class though.

12.03.14

Today in class we kept on reviewing the powerpoint on cultural geography. I don't know if we finished it, but all I know was that we got really sidetracked talking about a lot of things. It starting with talking about the different religions and how they can unite or break apart countries or regions. We then talked about Mr. Schick's and own beliefs about religion. It was really interesting. I like to sit back and listen to what people have to say whether it's crazy, stupid, or fascinating. Mr. Schick then told us a really cool story about how a mysterious hand grabbed his shoulder to save him from getting hit by a truck. He doesn't have a clue of what it was, but I think it was some kind of human spirit saving him.

12.02.14

Today in class we continued learning about cultural geography. We talked about the factors of language, religion, and ethnic heritage and how they affect a country or an area. An example of language would be how the spanish language unites the hispanic world. Brazil is the only south american nation which not not speak spanish, but Portuguese. In the ethnic heritage section and example would be how ethnic groups in Yugoslavia were made into one country. This happened when strong leadership died out, the different groups fought a very bloody civil war. It was an interesting an relaxing class today. I enjoyed it.

11.25.14

Today in human geo we finished watching the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." I have to say that it was a very good and interesting movie. Every part of it was so meaningful and emotional and I would watch it again any day. I like how it concluded with Jamal and Latika finally ending up together. It goes to show that even though there are hard times, some things are meant to be and they will happen because it's destiny. It was also amazing to see because those certain people in India live so much more differently than we do here. I also loved seeing Jamal win all the money, but in the end the only thing that mattered was Latika. I think he movie will help us in our further studies in the class learning about cultural geography.

11.21.14

Today in class we continued watching the movie. I am really enjoying it even though it's sad and scary to watch sometimes. I'm very confused on what the gameshow part of the movie has to do with anything, but I might be figuring it out a little bit. I'm understanding that there are two brothers and a girl who are orphans and they have to make it in the world on their own. It's amazing to see how independent and clever these children are. They really know how to make a little cash doing almost anything. It's also amazing to see how different their culture is from ours, especially the things they do in the police department to get answers. The people get tortured by dunking their head in water, electrocuting their bodies, and many other cruel ways.

Spotify Extra Credit

 Most of these songs talk about how great the place where they come from is. (pull force) One song called "The Great Escape" talks about getting out of the community and breaking free, or escaping a certain area. (push force)

"California Gurls" by Katy Perry

"Made in America" by Toby Keith

"Thank God I'm a Country Boy" by John Denver

"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

"The Great Escape" by Boys Like Girls

11.18.14

Today in human geography we learned some new things for the first part of the class and Mr. Schick put grades in for the second half. First we revived what people called a carbonated beverage in different areas of population in America. After that, we started learning about cultural characteristics which are part of a groups everyday life. they are the ideas and themes which the group will teach to all members. These same characteristics can also link or divide a region. Some examples of these characteristics would be language, religion, and ethnic heritage. Looking at the map today really helped me understand how where you come from can influence many things like what you say, eat or do in everyday life.

11.14.14

 

This is the Brazil national anthem. It is very marching band sounding and it seems that it is to get the people feeling patriot and excited about their country.

 English Translation 

 First Chorus

The placid banks of the Ipiranga (river) heard the resounding cry of a heroic people and brilliant beams from the sun of liberty shone in our homeland's skies at that very moment. If we have fulfilled the promise of equality by our mighty arms, in thy bosom, O freedom, our brave breast shall defy death itself! O beloved, idolized homeland, Hail, hail! Brazil, an intense dream, a vivid ray of love and hope descends to earth if in thy lovely, smiling and clear skies the image of the (Southern) Cross shines resplendently. A giant by thine own nature, thou art a beautiful, strong and intrepid colossus, and thy future mirrors thy greatness. Beloved Land amongst a thousand others art thou, Brazil, O beloved homeland! To the sons of this land thou art a gentle mother, beloved homeland, Brazil!

Second Chorus

Eternally lying in a splendid cradle, by the sound of the sea and the light of the deep sky, thou shinest, O Brazil, garland of America, illuminated by the sun of the New World! Thy smiling, lovely fields have more flowers than the most elegant land abroad, "Our woods have more life", "our life" in thy bosom "more love". O beloved, idolized homeland, Hail, hail! Brazil, let the star-spangled banner thou showest forth be the symbol of eternal love, and let the laurel-green of thy pennant proclaim 'Peace in the future and glory in the past.' But if thou raisest the strong gavel of Justice, thou wilt see that a son of thine flees not from battle, nor does he who loves thee fear death itself. Beloved Land, amongst a thousand others art thou, Brazil, O beloved homeland! To the sons of this land thou art a gentle mother, beloved homeland, Brazil!

11.13.14

Today in human geo we took the test. I honestly have no idea how I did like always. I could've gotten a 60% or a 98% I really don't know. I liked the essay question because it wasn't too hard and I knew some stuff about it so I think I did fine on that part. I should've studied the lives of the leaders more because a lot of the multiple choice was about them. I mostly worked on the connections between each leader, country, and if they were a president, prime minister, or emperor. The good thing was that there were some questions about that, so I got at least one thing right. Overall, I  don't think it was a bad test but I think I could've done a little better. (Even though I don't know my score yet) I''m excited to see how I did on this test.

11.12.14

Today I found out that the test has been delayed to tomorrow, since nobody could open the presentations to study. I'm really happy that it's tomorrow because I can study more and hopefully do better than I would have today. I also had three other tests today so it was great to have a break. We just went over the powerpoint again and asked about any extra questions we had about the test. I know that there are some multiple choice and an essay at the end. I'm still nervous because I think it's really hard to memorize what ash countries' government is like. Hopefully the test will be okay. I'm excited to get it over with tomorrow.

11.11.14

Today in class we finished up the country presentations. I also shared mine by myself since JC isn't in my class anymore. We have a test tomorrow, which I am pretty nervous for because I don't feel like I am as strong in knowing the countries as some other things. Listening to the other people present was helpful because I learned some things that I didn't know before that could be on the test. I have found out that I have researched some different presidents than what the people have for their countries leaders on their slides, so now I have the correct information.

11.05.14

Today I had my first class in the new section. Apparently they are the "smart group," but hopefully that doesn't mean that the class will be harder. We started sharing our presentations. Now that I moved, I don't have my partner anymore so I'll have to present by myself. The only countries that went today were France and the United Kingdom. It was good that Mr. Schick made us take notes on each of the country presentations because it will be very helpful for studying for the test.

11.03.14

Today in class we went over the pop quiz we had earlier. It was helpful to get some answers I wasn't sure about, like who Angela Merkel was. After that, we got today to finish up our slides for the countries thing which we are presenting tomorrow. I was still confused on how to do the slide on overthrowing the president or something, but Mr. Schick helped me understand for Dilma Rousseff's case. It helped because she had some past personal political problems.

10.28.14

Today in class we got to keep working on the project. JC wasn't here, so I had to keep working on it by myself. I added some information to a couple slides, and then added one more whole slide. I think we have all the things in the powerpoint we need, so I'm pretty sure we're almost finished. I also found some new, interesting facts today about Dilma Rousseff and Brazil.

10.27.14

Today in class Mr. Schick told had us split into pairs to work on a small presentation. I worked with JC. What we did was we had to choose a country from one of the twelve we did earlier, explain their government and how it was used, then talked about the leader and a way to overthrow them. JC and I decided on Brazil with Dilma Rousseff as their leader. Brazil's government is a federal republic. After researching, I found that a federal republic is based on a federacy; a central form of government. The republic part refers to the republican form of voting which is where the people's ideas and opinions matter and the leader's base their decisions off of the people. It was interesting to learn about the government of Brazil and I look forward to hearing the other people's presentations.

10.22.14

Today in class we talked a little bit more about the facts from the leaders. I figured out that the facts were supposed to support something that changed the leader in ways of becoming what they are now. I thought it was just supposed to be any random interesting fact, but I guess not. Apparently, many personal past events can lead to other things, even in politicians.

10.21.14

Today in class we talked about some of the facts we put into our blogs last night about the leaders. One of my facts was that Vladimir Putin was a black belt in judo. We discussed him and what other things that single fact meant. Apparently, he likes to be known as a very strong leader for his country so he does things to make him look very strong to intimidate the opposing countries. He likes having pictures taken of himself doing "strong" things like riding a horse with his shirt off, swimming, lifting, and doing karate. A lot of small facts from each person can tell a lot about themselves and their background.

Assignment

Mexico

Federal Republic

President Enrique Peña Nieto

He had a son with Maritza Hernandez while he was married to another woman; she later called him a neglectful father on Facebook. 

He is the second national leader with an entertainer as first lady. 

China

Communist State                                                                          

President Xi Jinping                                                                              

He maintains a diary.

India

Federal Republic

President Pranab Mukherjee

Russia

Federation

President Vladimir Putin  

He earned a black belt in judo when he was 18.

He married his childhood sweetheart, which didn't work out later.

Germany 

Federal Republic

President Joachim Gauck

United Kingdom

He is a big fan of Aston Villa.

Constitutional Monarchy and Commonwealth Realm

Prime Minister David Cameron 

France

Republic

He visited he white house and Barack Obama.

President François Hollande 

She was jailed from 1970-1972 for participation in Marxist urban guerrilla groups. 

Brazil

Federal Republic

President Dilma Rousseff 

His father was also president.

Syria

Republic under an authoritarian regime

President Bashar al-Assad

He moved to Alberta after graduating high school. 

Canada 

A parliamentary democracy, a federation, and a constitutional monarchy 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper 

On both sides of his family, he was born into politics.

Japan 

A parliamentary government with a constitutional monarchy 

Prime Minister Shinzō Abe 

He has a lot of respect form both parties in Israel.

Israel

Parliamentary Democracy                          

President Reuven Rivlin

10.17.14

On friday in class we reviewed the test and talked about the assignment. Our class had a better average than Mr. Schick predicted. I did okay on the test, but not as well as I thought I did. It was very helpful to review the test to learn exactly what we did wrong and why. After we talked a little bit we went over the assignment for the weekend. I haven't started yet, but I know we have to do a certain amount of different countries on a blog and find their leader, name, and form of government. We also have to add a picture of the leader for each. It seems easy enough but I haven't searched yet so it might be hard to find the information.

10.14.12

Some people didn't take their tests yet, so in class we got to do anything we wanted quietly while they took their tests. It was fun because Mr. Schick taught me a trick to do well in 2048. I also got some other homework done so I'm glad we had the time to do this.

10.10.14

Today in class I took a test for my birthday. I got to wear the hat and I ate smarties even though I don't like them. The test wasn't that bad. I didn't hate taking it because I don't think I did too bad. When we had the ten minutes to do the questions about the CIA fact website, it was kind of scary because the pressure was on to finish them in a short amount of time. I ended up finishing with what I hope are the correct answers.

10.08.14 test notes

Today in class we reviewed for the test on friday. I took some notes

-life expectancy
-crude birth rate
-developed nations
-rate of natural increase
-net migration rate
-immigration
-emigration
-push/pull forces
-total fertility rate

If you know the birth and death rate of a country, you can figure out the rate of natural increase.
births-deaths=rate of natural increase

infrastructure- what a country needs to be connected with the rest of the world
cellphone; towers, changer, store, etc

net migration rate- immigration-emigration=net migration rate

push force- something causes you to leave a country (war, bad healthcare)
pull- why people want to come to a country good healthcare, safety)

10.07.14

Today in class Mr. Schick told us that were are a part of a spotify testing thing for seeing if the site can help us with school and education in any way. I am confused on what this whole thing is but I'm figuring it out. We got three free months of premium spotify service, so it's pretty great.  I think this whole spotify thing will really be good to help make learning more interesting, especially because it involves music which is something people our age are very interested in these days. I'm excited to get listening.

10.6.14

Today in class we explored the CIA fact book a little more. We are still trying to decide if we think the United States is the best country in world, so we tried to find some things that the US is number one in and if that statistic is a good or bad thing. An example of something the United States is number one in is cell phones and phone lines in use. I think this is a good thing because it shows we are very good with communication. On another note relating to communication,  we are also number one in navigable waterways. this means were are able to exchange and travel with the things we want to share with other parts of the country. There are a lot of things where the US looks really good in, but the reality is that there really are other countries that are better in a lot of different things. Monaco is the number one country for life expectancy at birth. This can show that there are many good doctor and healthcare or that people live a healthy lifestyle so babies and mothers return home from birth safely.

10.1.14

Today in class we talked about the population pyramid and other stuff about the video. I found that the pyramid measures the population of boys and girls at a certain age in their life. It was interesting to see how different things in the area of the population affected the ages of people now. Looking at Japan, for example, they have less older people around 70 and up for men because of the war that many young men fought in  as many years ago as the war was when they were at an age where men would typically join the war. In other places, you could see where the evolution had gone up a lot in a certain age area. After the war in the 1940s, the baby boom happened. That was a time when economics and health were good for many people, so they were able to have children when the husbands returned home to the women after the war. In the USA chart, you can tell there are a huge amount of people who are around 50 to 60 who were born in the time of the baby boom. That's why there are so many people in that age group.

9.29.14

Mr. Schick was not in class today, so our classwork was to watch the video on the blog, go to the website on the blog, and explore the fact site a little more. It was very helpful to take a little time to explore these things. It was interesting to see how the world and population is constantly changing. It's amazing and almost scary to see that people die about every second in the world. All the statistics are not negative, however. The number of malnourished people in the world is going down by one very three seconds are so. This shows how to the world is getting better in health and helping other people in different ways. I couldn't watch the video in class today because I don't have headphones, but I'm going to watch it tonight.

9.26.14

Today in class we learned some more about the politics, culture, and population of different countries by navigating through the World Factbook. We learned how to find the country we want to learn about and locate the categories of which we can see all the different factors of the lives in that country. I also got my test back today. I was pretty happy with my grade (mostly because I got the bell to ring because of my A). Mr. Schick talked about nuclear bombing too, which was kind of scary to learn about. He told us how he would have drill when he was a kid, and he would have to hide in the school basement with his whole school. We even got to watch a video on how people took shelter for these kind of nuclear events in the olden days. It was kind of funny to watch now because we have more knowledge and we know that hiding under tablecloths won't save us.

9.24.14

I was not in class today because I was at a freshman retreat.

9.22.14

Today in  class we started the new unit. It was on population and migration.  We discussed how the planet is rapidly increasing in population every year. There are over seven billion people on the planet right now and the population is increasing by about 73 million a year. An astounding 90% of the population growth takes place in the developing countries of Africa, South and East Asia, and Latin America. We also learned about the life expectancy of different areas in different time periods. The life expectancy is the average number of years to e lived by a group of people born in the same year. The crude birth rate is the number of births  per thousand of a population; the crude death rate is the number of deaths per thousand. But people don't just live and die; there is also migration which changes the population of one place.

9.17.14

Today in class we took our first test. It wasn't too bad but there were some parts that were kind of hard. I was glad we got to use our blogs for information. It ended up helping me a lot. I also liked how the test was written. There was a few multiple choice and definitions and stuff, and four paragraphs. The paragraphs were a little annoying to do, but the questions were okay so it's fine. It was great that we didn't have to write an essay. In middle school, we had a test similar to this one but it had so much more material and an essay on it. This one was doable so I think I did well on the test. I think it was a very good first test.

9.15.14

I was not in class today because I left early for an appointment.

9.15.14

Today in class we started to  prepare for the test on Wednesday. We went over the material on the test and what we should know. We also asked questions that could appear on the test. Some of the things on the test are A Message to Garcia, Did you know 3.0, ancient Greece, and globalization and americanization. We need to know the basics and details of all of those things. Some of the mrs general things like A Message to Garcia, we must know that the story is basically a metaphor. It is really trying to tell you how lazy people are these days compared to the past. In the past, someone would be given a command, and without asking who, what, when, where, or why, they would accomplish the task by asking and figuring things out on their own. Another example would be knowing the main idea of the 3.0 video. We should recognize how the world is constantly expanding, learning, connecting, and growing.

9.19.14

Today in class we talked out the video and the changing world. We learned many new facts on how other countries are gaining more power and learning more. America is not the only smart and rich country now a days. We discussed the economy and what people have to do and learn to become a part of it. One of the major keys was the english language. If you want to do just about anything well in the economy era, including getting jobs and businesses, you must know english. It is becoming a universal language and even foreign countries are learning it. China, India, and Japan are few of the many countries quickly picking up the pace in learning english and the economy. For example, when you are making a phone call to a phone company about the phone plan or anything, many phone lines in Verizon and other companies have you talk to someone in India or another country. That shows that people are already getting involved because they are just like us and because they are smart and getting smarter.

9.09.14 Video

1. The top ten in demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004.

2. One in four workers has been with their current employer for less than a year.

3. One in eight married couples met online.

What really stuck out to me was the fact that the world was changing and evolving quicker and quicker as time went on. The top ten in demand job in 2010 did not exist in 2004. This means new technology is constantly being invented therefore new jobs need to be worked all the time for the new technology. Since employes are needed for new jobs people are always changing their job to keep up with the pay and technology. This is why one in four workers has been with their current employer for less than a year. 

The people of my generation are always having to learn about new things because of all the new things invented. We are preparing for our jobs which will be based on the ever-changing people technology, and resources. 

I am typing my homework on a computer. This is the only way we are allowed to write this blog. Every single student in John Carroll is required to own a computer for school work. Technology plays a huge role in my life and many others. We don't even realize it, but technology is used every single day. Need to leave early? Send a quick email to the teacher and move on. Can't find your phone? Just use the Find My iPhone app to find the exact location of it. Technology even affects our love lives. One in eight married couples met online. One in eight people found the person they fall in love with, marry, have children, and live together for the rest of their lives all from a computer screen. That says something. 

9.05.14 Definitions

Agora- This was a central gathering in ancient Greek city-states. It was the central life of of the city where athletics, politics, and art are found.

Arete- The aggregate of good qualities that make up good character.

Polis- It is a Greek word meaning "city."

508 BC- One of the first known democracies developed in the Greek city-state of Athens in 508 BC. it was in Athens and the surrounding territory of Attica.

Socrates- An Athenian philosopher whose virtue was based on knowledge.

The Death of Socrates- He was charged for corrupting the youth's minds and for disrespecting the gods. He defended himself and plead guilt but did not care. His death was shown in a 1776 canvas oil painting by the french painter Jacques-Louis David.

Socratic Method- A type of question and answer discussion between people. 

If an ancient Greek called you an idiot they were saying that you are someone who is not interested in politics or a generally private person. 

9.03.14

I thought I had everything on the blog figured out but I guess not. Mr. Schick said he still didn't have mine but I really think he does and is reading this right now. Today in class we reviewed how to work the blogs a little more then we got back into talking about "A Message to Garcia." A man named Rowen was sent to deliver a message to an important contribution to the Spanish American War, Garcia. It emphasized on how Rowen asked no questions as to where Garcia was or how to get to where he was, he just did it with no complaints. It was interesting to see how lazy people are these days and what many were back then. It seems that present day people would say that they can't do it without any information which in a way is saying "I'm too lazy to explore and/or ask people for help." We also talked a little about Elbert Hubbard and how people in the USA do not vote nearly as much as people in other countries. It was an interesting day and I am excited to learn more.

9.02.14

It was an easy day in class. A lot of people (including me) were still having troubles with this blog. I honestly thought I would never ever figure it out since computer technology really isn't my thing. As it turns out I think I did get my blog set up correctly and I even understand it a little. It was very helpful to have these kind of days to get organized. Mr. Schick also showed us how to add quick links to our blog so we can get to where we need to go quickly. I didn't know we had many posts on one blog. I thought we had to make a new blog every time we wanted to write something; but no worries because that is all cleared up now. I learned a lot of great details on how to set up my posts and save them. Today was a very helpful day and I am glad I am finally getting used to some things.

First Day

My first day at John Carroll was just crazy. Crazy good, crazy bad; I don't even know. It went by so quickly I'd hardly realized what I just experienced. I came in feeling pretty nervous,  but definitely excited for the new year. I knew some of my friends from my old school, and I even met some new ones. Everyone seemed really nice, especially the teachers. All the teachers made me feel very welcomed and comfortable, which was a great help for me to figure things out and get organized with life in general. JC is very technology based, and that is something I'm not so sure I'll get right away. I'm not exactly a "computer" person, but I hope I can figure out all the online stuff because almost all the teacher use the internet for homework, assignments, and other things. It's all a little difficult to get used to, but I know I will soon. I am very excited to see what the rest of the year brings.

5 points

One thing I'm going to do to make my first year at John Carroll excellent is stay organized mentally and physically. I'm going to keep track of my classes and books.

I'm also going to find "my people." I hope by the end of the year I know what kind of friends I fit in with.

Being part of a team with also make my year great. I think it's important to get to know how to work well with others.

I am going to try my best in all I do. Every class, every sport, and every day I'm going to try to do the best I can.

Staying positive will help make a good year, too. I know there will be some  tough times this year, but staying happy and positive will get me through it.