Happy Halloween from Rosie the Riveter

The Inspiration Behind Dracula, Vlad the Impaler

Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (1431–1476), also known by his patronymic Dracula (son of the Dragon (Vlad II) Dracul), and posthumously dubbed Vlad the Impaler (Romanian: Vlad Țepeș pronounced [ˈvlad ˈt͡sepeʃ]), was a three-time Voivode of Wallachia, ruling mainly from 1456 to 1462, the period of the incipient Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. His father was a member of the Order of the Dragon (Dracul) and Dracula means son of the Dragon to indicate his father's title within the Order of the Dragon.

Vlad III is remembered for spending much of his rule campaigning efforts against the Ottoman Empire and its expansion^[3]and for the impaling of enemies.^[4] Already during his lifetime, his reputation of excessive cruelty spread abroad, toGermany and elsewhere in Europe. The total number of his victims is estimated in the tens of thousands. The name of thevampire Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula was inspired by Vlad's patronymic.^{[4] (Taken from Wikipedia)}

For a Vlad Tepes PowerPoint click HERE.

Nosferatu (1922), Directed by F.W. Murnau & Starring Max Schreck 

Dracua (1931), Directed by Tod Browning & Starring Bella Lugosi

Bram Stroker's Dracula (1992), Directed by Francis Ford Coppola & Starring Gary Oldman

Occupy Wall Street

If anyone is interested I created a power point presentation that attempts to make the Occupy Wall Street protest more comprehensible.  It can be found under the "Power Point" tab.  This presentation is not meant to influence anyone's thinking in one direction or another.  Rather it is my attempt to turn a real life event into a teachable moment.  Creating it also helped me to gain a better understanding of the protest myself.  Teaching is funny that way, most of the time I learn more than I teach.

The PowerPoint is based on a lesson written by Jinnie Spiegler that has been posted on teachablemoments.org.

This American Life Does A Show About Middle School!!!

 

This American Life  is a weekly public radio show on more than 500 radio stations to 1.8 million listeners.  It is produced by Chicago Public Media, distributed by Public Radio International, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.  It is often the most popular podcast in the country, with around 700,000 downloads each week.  


It's format is simple.  There is a theme to each episode and a variety of stories told about that theme.  It is mostly true stories told by regular people.  There are literally 100s of episodes on millions of different topics.  Some are funny, some are sad, some are informational, etc. etc.  I LOVE this show and HIGHLY recommend it!!!


There are a variety of ways to listen to the show...

• Stream radio episodes for free from the archive
• Listen on the radio
• Subscribe to the free weekly podcast
• Download the most recent episode a la carte, free, from the homepage
• Download old episodes for $0.99 on iTunes or Amazon MP3
• Stream episodes through our apps for iPhone, Android or iPad
• Purchase greatest hits collections on CD
• Purchase DVDs of our TV seasons
• Download TV Season One or Season Two on iTunes
• Rent TV Season Two on Netflix 

This week's episode is dedicated to middle school!  It will air at 10 am, Saturday morning on KCRW 89.9.  Check it out.


Click HERE to learn more about it.

The History Behind Halloween

Halloween…  All-Hallows-Eve… the night before All Hallows Day… Hallows means saints… Halloween or The Eve of All Saints Day

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

What we think of as Halloween can be traced back 2,000 years ago in Britain and Ireland.  The Celtic people celebrated a giant festival every November 1^st called Samhain.  This festival celebrated the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. 

·      It would begin on the evening of the 31^st

·      Bonfires were lit

·      Sacrifices of livestock and crops were made to the gods

·      People dressed in animal skins and furs for the event

·      It was thought that the ghosts of the dead along fairies and goblins visited the earth on this day, so food was left outside homes to satisfy them

During the 1^st century C.E. Rome conquered Britain and two Roman holidays were combined with Samhain. 

1.     Feralia: honored the dead

2.     Pomona: celebrated the goddess of the harvest (Pomona’s symbol was the apple and it is hypothesized that this is where the tradition of bobbing for apples comes from.)

Christianity spread to the British Isles during the 4^th and 5^th centuries C.E. and the Pope insisted on giving all pagan holidays Christian themes. 

*      November 1^st became All Saints Day and celebrated the lives of saints

*      November 2^nd became All Souls Day and celebrated the lives of dead Christians

COSTUMES & JACK-O-LANTERNS

Were both initially used to scare off the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins that traveled the earth on that night.  The costumes would help the living blend in with the supernatural and the jack-o-lanterns would protect homes.

TRICK OR TREATING

Derives from a practice known as souling, whereby poor beggars went door to door during the two Christian holy days (holidays) and promise to pray for the household in exchange for food.

Scottish and Irish immigrants brought these wonderful traditions to America.

Happy Halloween!

1001 Inventions: Discover the Golden Age of Muslim Civilization

 The California Science Center currently has an exhibit on display about the major accomplishments and contributions of the Islamic Civilization to the world.  

The California Science Center is completely free for children and adults alike.  

CHECK THIS OUT: Click here to go to the California Science Center webpage!!!

Islamic Accomplishments and Inventions

Islamic Geometric Art

In a religious context, Muslims do not draw human figures or animals because the Qur’an teaches that only God should be worshipped.  Secular Muslim artworks do include human and animal images – this is strictly kept to the secular decoration, as anything that might be mistaken as idols or idolatry is prohibited. 

In religious Islamic art, geometric designs, floral designs, and calligraphy are all commonly used.  The beautiful geometric designs create the impression of unending repetition, which is believed by some to encourage the contemplation of the infinite nature of God. 

Inside Mecca (National Geographic Documentary)

National Geographic explores the Hajj through the experiences of real pilgrams from very different backgrounds.

Islam: Empire of Faith (PBS Documentary)

From Muhammad to the great Ottoman sultans, learn more about the history of the Islamic Empire. 

Message (1977)

ATTENTION: This is a supplemental video to support what we are learning in class concerning the historical figure Mohammad and the spread of Islamic faith in the 7^th century.  I encourage students to watch it in order to deeper understanding through the benefits of cinematic pictures.  It is a beautifully made film, staring Anthony Quinn, concerning the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the profit Mohammed.  In accordance with the tenants of Islam, Mohammed is never seen or heard (as this is offensive to certain Islamic school of thought).  

Click here for Part I.
Click here for Part II.
Click here for Part III.
Click here for Part IV.

Columbus Day

Columbus Day, which is annually on the second Monday of October, remembers Christopher Columbus' arrival to the Americas on October 12, 1492. This holiday is controversial because the European settlement in the Americas led to the demise of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples.


Officially, the people of the USA are invited to celebrate the anniversary of the discovery of their country with church services and other activities. In some towns and cities, special church services, parades and large events are held. Most celebrations are concentrated around the Italian-American community. The celebrations in New York and San Francisco are particularly noteworthy. In Hawaii Columbus Day is also known as Landing Day or Discoverer's Day.

Not all parts of the United States celebrate Columbus Day. It is not a public holiday in California, Nevada and Hawaii. Moreover, Native American's Day is celebrated in South Dakota, while Indigenous People's Day is celebrated in Berkeley, California. 

For more information on NAtive American's Day click here.

Michael Hart's List of the 100 Most Influential Persons in History

Click here to see this list through Wikipedia.

Click here to see website devoted to his list.

Michael Hart is a historian who wrote a book ranking the 100 most influential people in history.  Hart's book fostered many arguments, and many people disagreed with his list.  Hart ranked Muhammad first because of his influence in various roles: as a politician, military leader, social reformer, and religious leader. 

People often have different opinions about which historical figures have most shaped our world or were most influential.  Take a look at the list and see how many names you recognize. 

For more information on Muhammad go to the "Handouts" tab.  On that page you will find a chapter from the book A Little History of the World written by E.H. Gombrich.

Geography of the Arabian Peninsula Flashcards

 Click here to study vocabulary words dealing with the geography of the Arabian Peninsula

Example of terrace farming in the Hazar Mountains of the Arabian Peninsula.  

Geography of the Arabian Peninsula

Chapter 7
OBJECTIVES 
Students will...

• identify the physical features and describe the climate of the Arabian Peninsula, its relationship to surrounding bodies of land and water, and nomadic and sedentary ways of life.
• explain how geography affected patterns of life on the Arabian Peninsula in the sixth century, including the role of towns and the establishment of trade routes to Asia, Africa, and Europe as well as the products that traveled along them.

Africa, Arabian subcontinent, and Eurasia

The Arabian Desert

Geography:  the climate, landscapes, physical features. water, and natural resources