A Day To Catch Up

In class today we were given the opportunity to catch on many things. Some people finished their maps but I had already finished labeling so I worked on other things. I started with writing my blog then I finished homework for other subjects. This is very beneficial for everyone in the class because we have an hour to get rid of the homework we would have to do over the weekend. I am going to study for my Spanish test I will have on Monday. It is on ser and estar which is something I am glad I have some extra time to study for. Mr. Shick was also able to grade and make comments on our blogs so we could get some feedback. We got to listen to music which I liked because it helps me focus and not talk to other people. I enjoyed having this period to relax a little and be efficient.

Labeling our Maps

At the beginning of class, we took a few notes on maps. Then, we were handed three different types of maps to label, the Mercator map, Robinson projection map, and Galls-Peters Projection map. We were given a list of things we had to label on the map like the seven continents, the prime meridian, the international date line, and even John Carroll. At first, I thought this was a lot to label and it was going to take a long time. As I started to work I realized I already knew many things. Also, the labels were about the same on every map so all I had to do was copy each map. The hardest thing to copy was the international date line because it was a line that wasn't straight and on some maps was placed in a spot where there was not a lot of room. For example, the line ran next to Alaska and Asia and on some maps, it would just end there. Also, I almost got confused about the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn because they sound very similar. Overall, it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be and I finished by the end of class.

Variations of Maps

Today in class we learned more about maps and what they do. I learned a lot of things about maps and how they've changed over the years. We also went more in-depth about why the Mercator Map is not accurate. For example, if you tore off the pieces of a globe and tried to put it on a flat surface it would have holes and would not fit together. The main reason why there is so much distortion is that, on the Mercator Map, the latitude on the equator has to be the same distance as the poles. On a globe, there is a big difference between the length of the latitude line on the equator versus the poles because the poles are a much shorter distance. They tried to address this problem by making many different kinds of maps. For example, they made a map that tries to closely resemble what the pieces of a globe would look like flat, but the continents still being connected. Also, they tried making maps that are rounded on the end but yet none of them are perfect.

"Organization of Cartographers for Social Equality"

      The Mercator map has created many false ideas of the world. This map has created European Imperialistic attitudes and ethnic bias against third world countries. This map was created in 1569 as a tool for navigating the oceans for Europeans sailors. This map is not accurate because it enlarges land masses at the poles to create straight geographic lines so it makes it easier to cross an ocean. This means that the map is showing continents that are out of proportion and much bigger than their actual size. For example, Greenland is shown as the same size as Africa but is actually 14 times smaller in square miles. Also, South America is almost double the size of Europe in square miles but is shown bigger than South America. Germany is shown to be in the middle of the map but is actually in the northern hemisphere of the earth.
     Social Equality plays a role in the disproportions of the Mercator map because we subconsciously associate size with importance and power. For example, if third world countries are misrepresented and shown smaller than their actual size, usually they are valued less. Western civilization is shown in the northern hemisphere on the top of the map which gives it more importance. They are suggesting to fix this by physically putting the map upside down so the northern hemisphere is on the bottom and the southern hemisphere is on the top. If you use the Peters Projection map instead of the Mercator map it can minimize discrimination against third world countries and encourage social equality.

Notes 9/20/18

Key issues:

• How do geographers describe where things are? 
• Why is each point on earth unique? 
• Why are different places similar? 
• Why are some human actions not sustainable? 

Learning Outcomes: 

• Explain the differences between early maps and contemporary 
• Describe the role of the map scale and projections and making maps 
• Explain how latitude and longitude are used to locate points on the earth's surface 

How do geographers describe where things are? 

• Geography: the study of where things are found on the earth's surface and the reasons for the locations 
• Human geographers ask 2 simple questions 
• Where are people and altitudes found on earth 
• Why are they found there 

Maps 

• A map is 2-dimensional or a portion of the earth 
• Cartographer is the science of mapmaking 
• Maps serve two purposes 
• As a reference tool to identify an object 

The wrong map?

In human geography class, on 9/19/18, we focused came across the topic of the Mercator map versus the Gall-Peters Projection map. We found out in the video that the Mercator map was not very accurate but still used in almost every public school in North America. Many countries and continents are drawn proportionally out of size to the point where if we would look at the real land masses, we may not recognize or it looks weird to us. For example, Greenland is drawn many times bigger than Africa which is not accurate. These maps were created a long time ago for sailing and were never updated. The maps show white territory much bigger than nonwhite countries but some schools are starting to switch. In 2017, some schools in Boston have switched to the Gall-Peters Projection map instead of keeping the Mercator map. I think that people should have switched to the Mercator map a long time because it is not accurate and people do not use it for sailing anymore.

Test Day

Today, on September 17th, we had a test on the notes we took over the past week. It was mainly on the topics of excellence, Socrates, and A Message to Garcia. I studied by going over my notes and summarizing them on a whiteboard. I believe this method was effective for the most part. Some questions I forgot because I only quickly skimmed those portions. Next time, to fix this problem I will more thoroughly read my notes. Also, the essays were easy because I had prepared for one of them and I had written another blog post about the other. I think I scored well on the multiple choice questions but I had some trouble remembering some of the fill in the blank answers on the second page. I overall think I did pretty well on the test. This experience has also helped me figure out what the best ways are to study and fully prepare for the upcoming tests.

Preparing for my test

We have a test on Monday on excellence, while Mr. Schick is on a field trip. Today we were supposed to review for our test but Mr. Schick's computer would not load. Originally, we were going to review the powerpoint and each of us were going to present a slide but we could not pull up the powerpoint. Over the weekend, I will review for my test by going over my notes and having someone quiz me on it. Also, I am going to prepare my short answer question, which I will be answering why the unexamined life is not worth living, a quote by Socrates. I will first start with brainstorming ideas about this topic and eventually focus on one main point. Then, I will practice writing the short answer to get most of my ideas down and ready before the day of the test. I already have some ideas about what I am going to write about Socrates' quote.

Socrates and his trial

Sorcates was charged with two crimes:

• Corruption of Athen's youth 
• Being disrespectful to the gods 

His defense: 

• His intentions were to have the people of Athens think about new ideas and thoughts instead of just listening to everyone else
• He was just trying to do his job and he should have been rewarded instead of punished 

I think Socrates should not be punished because of the way he thought about things. All he was trying to do was put a new thought in people's minds. The kids of Athens probably enjoyed being taught by Socrates and were not "corrupted." The ancient Athenians did not like change and did not like that Socrates' ideas went against the gods, making him "dishonorable." Other very smart people have died in history for having ideas that went against public knowledge, like Galileo and even Jesus. I think Socrates should have lived and not been killed because of his ideas. 

• Found guilty and was killed by Hemlock
• He even had the opportunity to escape but he refused proving his loyalty to the Athenian democracy

Notes from 9/11/18

A working example of synergy

• Democracy feeds into excellence because people want to be heard and have a government that works, which makes the democracy work 

Agora: gathering place or marketplace 

Polis: Political entities ruled by their bodies of citizens 

508 BCE was the birth of democracy and the Ancient Greeks were the first to revolt against their leaders 

Socrates 

• Being a Stoneman and fighting in wars when he was younger shaped the way Socrates viewed the world. 
• Created the Socratic method: ask a series of questions to determine a person's underlying beliefs and the extent of their knowledge 
• This led to the scientific method
• The controversy was Athens brought many brilliant thinkers that shared their knowledge, which does not match with the traditional thinking of the Greek Gods

Notes from today 9/10/18

Excellence and A Message to Garcia 

• The book was published as an inspirational essay and became very popular, selling over 40 million copies and being translated into 37 different languages
• Was written in March 1899 and became part of the culture during that time
• The message of the book was initiative: doing the right thing without being asked 

Background information 

• Setting: Spanish-American War 
• Garcia: Cuban independence from Spain 
• Rowan: Army officer
• McKinley: 25th President that got assassinated 

Vocabulary 

• Perihelion: the point where a planet is closest to the sun, therefore being the brightest
• Slipshod: Careless, lackadaisical 
• Stenographer: a person who takes dictation in shorthand 
• Imbecility: incapability, stupidness, feebleness 
• Missive: a letter, especially a long or official one 

Areté

Ancient Greek word for excellence 

• Excellence of any kind 
• The act of living up to one's full potential 

Elbert Hubbard

    Elbert Hubbard was an American editor, publisher, and the author of A Message to Garcia. He has a good education at Harvard University. Hubbard retired in 1892 and founded Roycroft Press in New York.
     A Message to Garcia, a story about a man who does not think twice about completing a difficult task, sends a very strong message to the readers about perseverance and work ethic. Elbert Hubbard felt very passionately about having a strong work ethic, especially when asked to complete a specific task. For example, Hubbard bets the readers that if you asked one of your employees to look up Corregio and write a short passage about him they would start out asking "why can't you do this" or "which encyclopedia is that in." Then Hubbard says "I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, the clerk will go off and get one of the 2 other clerks to help him find Garcia and then come back and tell you there is no such man."
      Elbert Hubbard believes that if you were given this task, you ask no questions and you come back with the correct answer no matter what the situation is. He believes that everyone should strive to be that person who never gives up and works hard all the time. Those are the people who will succeed and benefit themselves and everyone around them the most. These people are very rare and much in need in every town and store. We should all try to be most like this man as we can in our daily activities, whether it is a simple homework assignment or a big task. This is very important to me because my family always pushes me to be the best I can and do the most I can.

First Day Experiences

   My overall experience at John Carroll on my first day was very good. I liked getting to know all my teachers better and seeing what we are going to do for the next year. I also really enjoyed meeting more of my classmates and getting to know them better. I enjoyed the change from middle school and the amount of freedom we get. For example, I like how we are allowed to go someplace quiet and do homework in an off-mod or talk to a teacher about an assignment. Aside from the good parts of the day, I felt stressed out. Some stressful things I encountered on my first day were not opening my locker on the first try, being worried about not having all my materials for the next class, or getting to class late. These things will eventually become normal to me, helping me become less stressed so overall I had a very good first day.