Today in class we started reviewing for our test on North America and South America. He told us that the quiz online would be different on paper and if we miss spell something we get points off. When I was in class I was using the website to help me because it could really help you learn where the countries are. Mr. Schick also said it would be out of 54 points so if I get 100% it would keep my grade pretty high. Then at the end of class, we noticed that tomorrow was national china day, which is the largest holiday celebrated there. The students there get 7 days off of school and can relax and celebrate.

Today in class we were talking about situation. At first, Mr. Schick asked us to describe where Bel Air was as if a random personing was asking us. Some people said Harford county and some people said different highways but he wanted us to say Maryland. Next, he asked us if a person that was new to our town asked where John Carroll was what we would say. This question was much harder because our school is a much smaller area than a whole town. After that, he told us how Baltimore was thinking about digging the harbor deeper so bigger ships could come in and the city would produce more money. But then he told us Baltimore couldn't do that because it would cost too much. Next Mr. Schick was telling us about a thing that a lot of massive ships have to go through called the Strait of Malacca. After ships go through there they can go to many other places. Finally at the end of class. He was telling us about one time when he was in the city really late at night and he saw people on a ship unload a giant pipe that had to be 25 feet in diameter.

Today in class we were talking about many different things but overall trying to solve the question of how do geographers describe where things are. At first, we were talking about how in the U.S we can't grow certain things and we have to get many different foods imported here such as bananas, avocados, and many different varieties of coffee beans. Mr. Schick told us that geographers use many different skills when they make a map. For example, they use a lot of topography, that is when they make certain parts of the map dark or lighter which indicates a change in height elevation. Another example is when they use longitude and latitude to arrange continents where they should be based on each other

Map score

Today in class we review our tests. I got a 98 which I am really proud of. The one question I got wrong and a lot of my classmates got wrong was number 13 where we were asked what word originated from the Greek word "Polis". There was also a bonus question I got wrong that was asking what the tallest mountain in North America was. After the test, I looked up what the mountain was called and it kind of made me mad because I felt like I knew the answer which was mountain Denali. After that Mr. Schick told us about the toad he found between his garbage cans.

Mercator Vs Peters

The Mercator map is a project presented by the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator in 1569. It became the standard map for navigation because of its unique property of representing any course of constant bearing as a straight segment. The Mercator map was every country labeled different colors so people can see the borders easier. The Peters map is a rectangular map where all areas have the correct sizes relative to each other. Like any equal-area projection, it achieves this goal by distorting most shapes. The peters map usually ha the continents in different colors. The main difference is that the Mercator map is used for navigators because the Mercator map had good straight lines which helped navigators. While the peters map is used in many schools because of its correct sizing of the different landmasses.

I used Wikipedia to help with my research.



                             Peters Map                                                                      Mercator Map

Today in class we went over three different maps. The first map was a map of the United States, it had five different colors. The different colors represent different states and shows us the borders. The map showed us topography, it also showed us many different highways and airports. The second map was a world map. This map had the countries in different colors, it also labeled the rivers and also had topography. The last map had the continents labeled in different colors. Also in this map, the class had an argument about if this map was inaccurate or not. Then at the end of class we started to talk about how globes were the most accurate form of the earth.

TESSTTTT!

Today in class we took our test. I think I did pretty good but there were a few questions that kind of messed me up. The first one was words based on the Greek word polis, I know I got one of them but the other I'm not so sure about. The second question was the bonus question about the mountain. after I was done my test I looked up what it was called and I got a little heated because I knew it I just couldn't remember. On my essay, I think I did a very good job, I was pretty detailed and answer the question welland I liked the questions that were on the test (Mostly).

Today in class we were getting prepared for our test on Socrates and A Message to Garcia. We also learned the Socratic method of teaching that Socrate used. What he would do was he would ask questions to overall see what you believe in. He wasn't on any "side" he was most of the time neutral. One day in 399 BC Socrates was charged with corrupting the youth and impiety (Not believing in the gods of the state). From both of these charges, he could be put to death. Socrates responded in a brave way saying "I should actually be rewarded with free dinners for life" he said this because he was telling people to think for their selves and maybe look into other beliefs that Athens did not like but he thought he was doing the right thing. 279 people of the jury out of 500 agreed he should be put to death but many people like him so they wanted to sneak Socrates out but he refused. Then he drank the poison which ended him. After that Mr. Schick told us what he remembered about 9/11.

Agora to the Greeks was a central public space in ancient Greek city-states. Polis means Greek city and people went to buy and sell things. Democracy was established and it was the first time ever too happen. Socrates was a Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, and as being the first moral philosopher of the Western ethical tradition of thought. In 399 B.C Socrates committed suicide. He was charged with refusing to recognize the gods recognized by the state and corrupting the youth and was found guilty and it was charged with the death penalty and they made drink poison. The Socratic method, also known as the method of Elenchus, elenctic method, or Socratic debate, is a form of a cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions. in Ancient Greek, Those who did not contribute to politics and the community were known as “Idiotes”.

Today in class we took notes on " A Message to Garcia" By Elbert. The article sold over 40 million copies and was made in 37 languages. People turned it into a book, movie, and a pamphlet. The movie was made in 1916 then again in 1936. The setting was the Spanish American war and fighting over Cuba. Garcia was a revolutionary seeking Cuba independence from Spain and Rowan was a war general that came out of west point in 1881. The president at the time was William Mckinly and he was president from 1891 to 1901. Later getting assassinated in the 6 month of his second term and got the tallest mountain in North America name after him but was changed back in 2015. We also took notes on some of the words because this was written a long time ago in 1899 so their phrases were different. Perihelion is the point when a planet (like Mars) is closest to the sun and at its brightest. A stenographer is a person who takes dictation in shorthand. Then last we took a look at a quote by Elbert Hubbard that said " What is initiative? I'll tell you it is doing the right thing without being told.

In todays class I and the class read "A Message to Garcia." written by Elbert Hubbard The story is about a lost war general U.S needs to find him while Spain and the U,S was fighting over Cuba and the. The president of the U.S is told that he should tell Rowan to take the latter. When Rowan takes the letter he didn't ask for any help or make any excuses. Rowan was in the Cuban jungle for 3 weeks and found Garcia. Many bosses back in the 1800s should their workers this article because they were so lazy and always made excuses but the boss just wanted them to work. Overall Elbert Hubbard believes many people aren't good at doing their job and come up with excuses too much.

Today in class we helped other classmates set up their blog because many people were having issues with theirs. Shortly after everyone had their blog setup Mr. Schick asked if we had any questions about highschool. Then he told us some of the challenges we would face and said it would be a pretty hard 4 years of our life and we would change a lot as people. At the end of class, we left when the bell rang and some people including me asked if we had a blog today.

I like my seat because I'm in the middle of the classroom. The best part of the day is when i had my free mod and the worst was when i started to get a headache near the end of the day.