Renaissance Faire Reflection

The Renaissance Faire was a major event in which the subjects English, DT, humanities, performing arts and visual arts all collaborated to form a magical night that parents, teachers and even students enjoyed. It took a lot of time and hard work to prepare. In DT we made replicas of Leonardo Da Vinci's outstanding inventions, in performing arts we learnt how to play the recorder and how to dance just like they did during Renaissance times. In visual arts we drew an art gallery where we displayed Michelangelo's and Leonardo's most praised artwork. We also sculpted figures. In Language A we memorized and acted parts of Midsummer's Night's Dream.
On the night we were meant to present our hard work - the 10th of May, 2011, few drops of rain frightened us but stopped just so we could perform. The costumes were gorgeous and without them it wouldn't have been the same. 
The dances were excellent, although contained a few mistakes. The play went great with hardly any lines forgotten and the recorders were played beautifully by both classes.
Preparing this night sure wasn't a piece of cake and required a lot of effort from numerous subjects. In the end it was worth it and I hope the audience enjoyed it even more that I did.

King Henry VIII

King Henry VIII was born on the 28th of June, succeeding his father Henry VII. He was never expected to become a king because he had an older brother- Arthur, who surprisingly died at a young age. This event forced Henry, who was only ten years old at the time, to marry Catherine of Aragon, his brother's widow, and to take on a huge task for just a child. On the 21st of April, 1509, at the young age of 17, he was officially crowned as king of England. Henry VIII is renowned for multiple reasons, although people mainly know him because of his six wives. Henry was the king who separated the Church of England from the Catholic Church, and was the father of Queen Elizabeth I. Because of his personality and ego, he managed to get in a lot of arguments with the papal authority and Rome itself. When he broke off from the pope, that led to the English Reformation. Henry VIII was a good king overall, he consulted the Parliament, created a new sense of national identity, introduced efficient taxing schemes, was the founder of the English Navy, restored and built many palaces, as well as, monasteries, and he also translated the bible to English. Henry's number of wives was ridiculous and ironically, in his new set of laws, he legalized divorcing. The king had 6 wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Kathryn Howard and Katherine Parr. He divorced the first and fourth, decapitated the second and fifth, the third one was he love of his life but died as well, and the final one continued to live after the sorrowful date of January 28th, 1547, when Henry VIII officially died.


 

What was the goal of the Crusades and what were the effects of the Crusades on life in Europe?

Crusaders  were people who carried the Christian cross in battle for Holy Land against non Christians. The goal they were assigned by the Pope was to win Jerusalem back. That was a favor for Constantine and it not only strengthened the empire but it also brought the church more power. It was meant to unite the people and restart pilgrimage, which was closed in 1000, when the Seljuk Turks took over. The success of the first crusade in 1099 was never official and with it both goods and bads followed. Many inhabitants of different religions were killed, however four Christian states were established. It didn't last long and at one point the Turks, more exactly, Saladin retook it, but he agreed to reopen the routes for pilgrimage. Although when it comes to conquering they didn't exactly accomplish their goal, what they earned reaches beyond a patch of land. The crusades increased the trade, Europe was offered rugs, jewelry, glass and spices. More trade meant bigger towns and cities and it official was the start for using money in the west. Trade isn't always material, as many cultures we studied, trade brought ideas and knowledge. All the outstanding achievements in medicine, mathematics, language, philosophy, technology, art, architecture and astronomy that the Arabs discovered were now accessible by the Europeans too. They were flooded with a great amount of knowledge which improved their life, made Europe flourish and assured a great future. 

Charlemagne

Charlemagne was born April 2nd. After his brother Carloman dies, he becomes the sole ruler of the Franks. From then on he begins his conquest, overtaking smaller kingdoms to expand his own. Bit by bit, he became ruler over most of Western Europe. He ruled for nearly 50 years, but conquering wasn't the only accomplishment he had. Charlemagne established schools and spread Christianity. He issued money and improved the economics of that time period, but above all, he united Western Europe. He ruled over for 50 years. In 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor and 14 years later he dies in Aachen. After his death  his empire falls apart, divided by his three sons who weren't only attacked by barbarians and vikings, but also attacked each other. 

Feudalism and the Manor System

Feudalism became the common way to live in Western Europe and lasted for hundreds of years. It was a new system in which land was owned by higher ranks (kings, lords) but held by vassals in return to their loyalty and service. The share of land the vassals got was called a fief. Each person involved in the Manor System, including women and children, obeyed laws and had different duties, creating a harmonious community. All members that were part of it depended on each other as you can see in the scheme below. In return for land and safety, the ones lower on the graph would provide food, services, money, military and much more. The daily life of the differently ranked people  in the manor system was very unlike. The fairytale, rich life of lords, manors and nobles was completely different for the peasants and serfs. They were poor and worked for the manor by farming or different services. Most of them were serfs, meaning they were considered as part of the manor and couldn't leave it or get married without the lord's permission. They could save money to buy freedom but they hardly got any. They lived in small huts and ate simple foods, overall living a hard life from birth to death.

Islam Empire- Class Presentations

Alon- Geography and Climate of the Arabian Peninsula:
From this presentation I've learnt that the Arabian peninsula is arid or semi-arid, without many geographical feature and hardly any elevation. It has no rivers, only oases and underground water. Obviously it's surrounded by bodies of water at three sides but none are potable. Also, there isn't much vegetation, only date palms. Geographically, it is made up of 9 countries but politically, only 7. It has a population of 77,983,936 and 1/3 are under 15 years old. Also an interesting fact- Arab means nomad.

Katja- Islam Extremism: 

Everything in this presentation was new to me, I had no previous knowledge so it was eye opening. First I've learnt about the Jihad and how innocent children are manipulated. I've also learnt about Al-Qaeda, how, where, and by who it was founded. I found out about their agendas and worldwide terrorism. We realized the greed, power and money are the perfect recipe for disaster. 

David- Islamic Religion:

I've learnt that the Islam Religion was started by Muhammad but it became more popular over time, spreading wider after his death. It spread through military conquest, trade, cultural diffusion, and is now adopted by 26% of the world's population. There are 100 million Muslim followers in Africa, 500 million in Asia, 30 million Muslims in Europe and 10 million in US. They all follow the Koran and respect the Five Pillars. They pray 5 times a day and fast during Ramadan.

Simeon- Military before and during Islam:

From this presentation I've learnt that before the Islam Empire started, Bedouins fought each other for food and resources using weapons such as the jambiya, tabar and scimitars. During the Islam Empire their technology evolved and they started using more complex weaponry, such as gun powder, muskets, cannons and grenades. The empire was at it's peak in 750, but it's expansion was stopped in a battle against the Franks. However, war seemed to have its good part- it spread the Islamic religion wider.

Annie-Trade in the Islam Empire:

From this presentation I've learnt how much trade impacted the Islam Empire. The Silk Road had a major impact- a 5000 mile long road passing many important cities, connecting the Roman Empire with China and bringing wealth to the Muslim world. She also taught us important cities and the benefits they brought. Trade affected the spread of religion as well as knowledge. They improved in science, literature, technology and maths. Without it the empire would have never reached it's golden age.

Rea- Prophet Muhammad:

From this presentation I've learnt everything about the prophet's early and personal life, as well as, the changes he overcome after receiving the message from God. He was born circa 570 and became an orphan at the age of 6. He married a wealthy widow and had 3 kids. He started the Islamic religion at the age of 40 but it wasn't very successful, however after moving to Medina and taking over oases, it spread. He wrote the Koran and died June 8, 632.

Sara- Islam Religion:

This presentation focussed on three major, deeply elaborating them. The first one was the Koran- the holly book, a "bible" for the Muslims. It was written between 570-632 by Muhammad himself, and contains 114 chapters. The second was their beliefs- they believed that Allah was the only god and Muhammad was the prophet. They also made references to angels. The third topic was Ramadan- the fast. The date of it depends on moon and it's celebrating the first time the words of God were revealed, as well as, the fight between Mecca and Medina. The people can’t eat or drink during the day, aren't allowed to consume alcohol or smoke. This makes them thankful for what they take for granted and teaches them a lot.

Svetlana- Islam Architecture:

The materials used for building are suited to weather and climate. Houses are usually rectangular, with high windows and only one door. They are clustered together so more families fit in less space. However, the inside is more fascinating than the outside, there are many corridors and doors. Rich houses have rooms to split men and women apart while other have curtains. The design of the hous is meant to prevent from heat and sand storms. The roof are intricately decorated with mosaics or paintings.

Muslim Women Presentation

For my presentation I picked a fascinating topic that interested me for a while now- Muslim women. After all my research I was both shocked and terrified. Women are treated like slaves and prey, rather than wives or daughters. Although Islam seems a terrible choice of religion for women, that haunts them for the rest of their life, it didn't start that way. Prophet Muhammad's words were mis-interpreted over time, but even in the ancient Koran and Sharia Law, there is a huge difference between women and men's power and rights. I found out how they are treated, the good and the bad, depending on their location. Strangely, even in a higher, more developed country they are still at risk. I realized that clothing wasn't a major problem as I used to think of. Sadly, nobody pays attention or listens to their opinions, they just make assumptions. And the poor women get used to it, they find nothing wrong in getting beat up and abused by their own relative. It is revolting, but the numbers of women feminists are starting to raise and they are very slowly making their way to equality by government jobs, although it sounds impossible. To present this I made a Wix. I hope that my peers understood and learnt something from my presentation, because it was meant to be eye opening and to clear any uncertainties.

Golden Age of the Muslim Empire

How did geography and trade contribute to the growth of the Muslim Empire, the spread of Islam and the achievements of the Golden Age? 

From the vast desert rose a powerful empire that turned as golden as the sand it grew on. Why did the Muslim Empire flourish where nothing else would? Because after miles and miles, here and there, were scattered oases. A fresh place with water and vegetation, a Bedouin's paradise. Oases were the only places where people gathered and became central point of trade. Because the Arabian peninsula didn't offer any of a human's necessities, the nomads based their daily life on trading and moving from place to place. Without trade no one would have survived in the harsh conditions. Also, trade spread the Muslim religion and ideas. When trade flourished, nomads settled and built cities around oases, where all their needs were supplied. The leaders had opportunities to conquer, now that the threatening empires such as Rome or the Byzantium were weakened or have already fallen. During the Golden Age they took over North Africa, Spain, Persia, China and India. As they conquered, the Muslim religion and traditions spread. More and more were adopting it. The religion brought the population closer to each other. However the defeated weren't the only ones that changed their ways. Muslims too inspired from the other cultures. They studied their history. They learnt both Greek and Indian mathematics, developing it further. Muslims developed great medicine and architectural achievements. They had outstanding poets and their literature bloomed. During the Golden Age, or the Age of Caliphs, this empire grew rich and powerful. Baghdad became the capital, the Muslims made great advances in math, science. literature, architecture and the Islam empire expanded. They proved that something amazing can grow where other's said nothing ever will.

Bedouin Life

Once again we rose at the same time as the sun,
Perusing further through the desert,
Traveling from dusk until dawn,
Continuing to ride on our camels.


There was nothing but the sand
And we had just one task in hand,
To make it safely through the dunes
And arrive at the oasis before noon.


After a week, the sun was burning the life out of us
And we were running out of water.
We've went this way so many times
What happened this time, travelers?


We continued for nine more days
We didn't reach our destination
Some of us were loosing faith,
Some were running out of patience.


The tenth day the wind blew so hard
And the camels refused to get up
The sand blocked any chance to see
And the heat seemed to strangle me.


It took away all our supplies,
As well as, our hopes and dreams.
We felt ashamed, we're disgrace,
But we heard something in the wind.


I don't know if it was our savior,
Or maybe a sign from God.
But we woke up lavished with water
And the rest I can't recall.


We managed to complete our task,
And bravely continued to this day,
To safely move from place to place
Searching for a better space. 

End of Byzantine Empire Reflection

Imagine someone saying to you, "Learning about the Byzantine Empire isn't very important since it's long gone!" What would you tell them in order to change their mind? (include at least 2 visuals in your post)


I would tell them that almost all we have today is thanks to the Byzantine Empire. While the Greek and Western Roman Empires were fading, the Byzantium thrived. It was a combination of the too and preserved their knowledge and culture. Without it the architecture, the art, the amazing achievements in math, science, philosophy and government politics would all be gone with the wind. Not only that, but Christianity would have small chances of continuing. Their art, containing of intricate mosaics appeared often and take great effort to make, also influencing the insides of Easter Orthodox churches today. The Hagia Sophia, an outstanding architectural and religious accomplishment wouldn't even be a vague idea. Justinian I had a great impact on the empire, making the Justinian Code. Also, without the Byzantines the Great Schism would have never happened. Our world would be so drastically different, we can't even imagine. Few people know how important the Byzantine Empire was. Only because it fell and is long gone doesn't mean it didn't make a change. And not learning about it you would lack a lot of valuable information.


Hagia Sophia and Istanbul:

My Mosaic

The Dove:

My mosaic is a picture of a dove. In Christianity the dove has a couple of different meanings. The main is that it represents the Holy Ghost. It also symbolizes Jesus's Baptism as well as the Pentecost and the release of the soul at death. Another definition based on Noe's Ark is that the dove shows peace and hope.

Saint Petka Field Trip

The mosaic I have chosen is a scene with Jesus surrounded by saints. The setting is unusual- outside, and parts of nature can be observed such as trees. The people are arranged after rank, Jesus stands highest on a rock, has a halo behind him and the sun shining great around him. To the left, on a lower level stands a man holding a bible. At the same level only on the right is another man, his arms crossed. They both have halos around their heads. Lower on the ground are three other men. They all have halos, all standing on their knees and protecting themselves with gestures made by their hands insinuating that Jesus is so powerful and bright they have to cover their faces. They are all dressed fancily. The mosaic does follow the main rules and assimilates to the Byzantine Empire art. They didn't shade, they used darker colors. The most important is highest and in the middle. Their positions are balanced. The colors are bright. However they don't have floating feet.

Saints

According to Christianity nowadays, a person becomes a saint by following a process named canonization. However, hundreds of years ago, the title of saints was accomplished in different ways. In the Eastern Orthodox religion John the Baptist would be considered a major religious figure. He was a prophet and even before Christ was born, he preached that the Messiah was coming. Herod, the leader at the time, got jealous and scared of the existence of Messiah and the thought of his power being endangered. Therefore he cruelly ordered that all new born male babies would be killed, however he didn't manage to achieve his goal. John the Baptist is also believe to be the man the baptized Jesus and many other in the Jordan River. His death is interesting as well. St. John was beheaded by Herod after being imprisoned. He was imprisoned because he reproved Herod for divorcing his wife and marrying his brother's wife, Herodias. Herodias felt alarmed. On Herod's birthday Herodias's daughter danced and impressed her father. He granted her anything, and when his wife heard that, she made the innocent girl ask for St. John's head.

  

Greeks, Romans or Byzantines?

In my opinion the Romans deserve all pride. It is true, they copied the basic government, architecture and technology from the Greek but they upgraded and made the best of it. They evolved the simple ideas and turned them into something that influences our lives majorly. It is true, the Roman Civilization struggled and fell terribly, but while it flourished, you could clearly see it was the most advanced.

They had an amazing army- one of the greatest the world had ever seen. They conquered to no limit with organized and intelligent strategies. The Romans were amazing engineers as well. They created the arch, and many other inventions with great impact on our world today. One of the most important ones being concrete which led to the development of roads and better, more stable buildings. They also created the first sewer system, still used today; and aqueducts. The Romans developed the government that most of our countries politics’ are based on. All starting with the famous 12 tablets. They had great ways of entertaining the people. Building the Coliseum was revolutionary. Amazing ideas bloomed every day. Christianity influenced it too. Great architectural achievements beautified the city. Peace, order, and a flourishing empire. But all good things come to an end.

Therefore I believe that the Romans were the most advanced. The Greeks may have started it but they weren’t even close to the Roman accomplishments. The Byzantine Empire just combined them together and hoped that by mixing two great civilizations together, everything will end up well. 

Reflection- Rome + Christianity

1) For this test I hardly prepared at all however I believe I have done a pretty good job. I didn’t feel the need to study a lot; I just went over some of the mind maps and roughly re-read through my notes and blogs. I think we already knew everything from class work as well as homework therefore we didn’t need to study a lot. The teaching itself was very effective. As usual I left it all for the last moment and on the test if, I would have studied poorly like I did without knowing anything before I wouldn’t even pass. We’ve learnt everything we needed too through our lessons and didn’t need that much reviewing. However, next time I plan to be more organized, not cram up and study even more.

2) The most surprising thing I’ve learnt during this unit was how many accomplishments the Romans had and how not only their inventions, but their ideas as well. It's shocking how they impacted our world from amazing technology we wouldn't survive without to religion and beyond.

3) If we had more time to spend on Roma and Christianity I would love to learn more about the many fascinating monuments in Rome today- not only the Colosseum. Also, more about how it developed in the Eastern part of the Empire.