7th grade learning
  • Home
  • Social Studies
  • Science
  • Math
  • LA

European Exploration

5/31/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureThis image clearly shows the causes of European Exploration as well as the effects it had on the New World.
Europeans wanted to explore because of God, gold, and glory.  They did it for their faith, as well as to become rich, and also to be famous and remembered by everyone as a hero.  Another thing that led Europeans to explore was cutting out the middle man.  The middle man was the person who traveled around, trading the goods that people told them to.  However, this caused the middle man to make more money and for trading to become more expensive.  So, the Europeans wanted to find their own routes to trade on so they didn’t have to spend so much money.

Some things that helped European exploration were scientific inventions.  Some scientific inventions that helped exploration were the barometer, thermometer, telescope and the microscope.  The perfect mix, which consisted of education, technology, government, and science, helped exploration.
Picture
This is a caravel, a type of boat that helped exploration because of its triangular sails, which let it go faster.
PictureThis image shows a detailed list of the goods that were traded between the Old World and the New World.
The Columbian exchange was the trade of goods between the new world and the old world.  Both places got many resources they had never seen before.  For example, the new world got things like bananas, sugarcane, rice, grapes, and livestock, and the old world got things like corn, tomatoes, pineapples, and tobacco.  Europe got many resources that they would use a lot; without those resources, they wouldn’t be able to make the foods that they are known for. Even to this day, we can see that these resources are in the places that they got traded to.  Without the Columbian exchange, many countries wouldn’t have the foods and resources that they do.  Although both places got these great resources, the new world also got a number of diseases that the Europeans were carrying.  Because of these diseases, much of the population of natives died.



European countries conquered many parts of the Americas.  France controlled a part of modern day Canada, and they made Quebec.  Even to this day, people who live in that part of Canada still speak French, and much of the culture there is influenced by the French.  England controlled much of modern-day U.S., they conquered this area so that there were less native americans, and they made colonies so the people were under their control.  Spain controlled modern day mexico, some Caribbean islands, and a lot of land near the west of south america.  They conquered this area and many native americans died, so then they controlled that area.
Picture
This image gives a good visual description of what lands Europeans and other people controlled, as it uses a map.
Picture
This image shows how the Spanish had missionaries go around in Texas to make the Natives Catholic, which helps to show the effect the Spanish had in the New World.
The Europeans had many impacts on the native Americans when they conquered places.  The natives were forced to become Catholic.  They were forced to learn European languages.  They got diseases from the Europeans.  The Europeans were already immune to those diseases but then when the germs got to the natives, much of the native population died because of diseases, such as the plague and smallpox.  Also, the native people got resources from the old world because of the Columbian trade.
When the European explorers traveled to new places, something happened, called the triangular trade.  The triangle trade consisted of trade between Africa, the Americas, and Europe.  Africa traded slaves to the Americas, the Americas traded sugar, tobacco, cotton, and other raw resources to europe, and Europe traded manufactured goods to Africa.  During this trade, however, Europe was the only place that was acutally making money.  The other two places were just working to stay alive.
Picture
This image shows well the triangular trade and where the trade places were.
This thinglink is highlighting some of the things about European Exploration.
0 Comments

The Golden Age of West Africa

5/18/2015

0 Comments

 
Moroccans invaded Africa with their guns, called arquebuses, which they got form trade with China.  It caused the Songhai empire to collapse and then the Africans had less power and the Moroccans had more power.
The major resources of Africa were gold and salt.  Gold is important for the Europeans because they really want to become rich.  Salt is important for the Europeans because they need to preserve their food, specifically, meat.
Mansa Musa's hajj caused Arabic and Islam to spread all across Africa greatly.  Also, he gave away a lot of gold during his trip, which made the value of gold decrease in the near future.  The travel of his hajj was very difficult because it was mostly done in the Sahara desert.  He brought over 60,000 people with him, 12,000 slaves, and they were all holding lots of gold.  He also brought many animals with him.
Islam and the Arabic language spread through West Africa because of Mansa Musa's hajj.  He taught it, built universities, and supposedly built a new mosque every friday.  Islam and Arabic were taught to people and since mosques were so easily accessible, many people went to them and converted to Islam.
0 Comments

The Reformation

5/11/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureMartin Luther
I am here to tell the story of my friend, Martin Luther.  Martin Luther is a monk who traveled to Rome on a pilgrimage.  While he was there, he saw many disgusting things like prostitutes, blind people begging for money and most importantly, the clergy selling indulgences, which made him realize how bad the church was getting.  I couldn't believe it!  The church was telling people that if they paid for indulgences, then their dead relatives would leave purgatory and go to heaven.  Luther realized the political corruption that was going on was hurting the peasants and benefiting the clergy and the rich.  He knew that something had to be changed.



One of the most despicable indulgence sellers was Johann Tetzel.  He would lure in poor peasants to pay for indulgences.  He was one of the main reasons for inspiration for Martin Luther to write his 95 Theses.  Luther's 95 theses were every wrong that he thought the church did.  On October 31, 1517, he nailed the 95 theses to the church door.  Then, he was excommunicated for going against the church.  After that, he was called to the Diet of Worms, where he was put on trial.  When the jury asked him if he would recant his words, he said, "I can not recant." He was accused of heresy, and he was supposed to be executed, but he was actually kidnapped by his friend Friedrich the Wise.  
Picture
PictureA modern day Lutheran church.
They went to Friedrich's manor and Luther hid there, translating the bible into the German language.  Little did he know, his translations were being shipped out and people were reading them and started to rebel, which caused the Reformation.  People were going against the church, and Martin Luther eventually created his own religion, called Lutheranism.  The followers of this religion were called Lutherans.  He has done great things and I think he will be an important figure and remembered in the future.

Picture
My table about religions.
My reformation answer document
0 Comments

The Renaissance

4/21/2015

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Middle Ages Project and Reflection

4/12/2015

1 Comment

 
Metacognition is understanding your own thinking process.  It relates to this reflection because in this, we have to think about how we have been thinking and working over the past few months.  For my group's project, we did a skit and then a song about the middle ages.  We got taken into the middle ages and then sang a song, summarizing the main points of the middle ages.  We chose to do this because it would be a fun and funny way to teach people about the middle ages.  Our project is completely done and it is posted above.  We completed a plan for our project.  We wrote lyrics and a script and who had what job for the project.  We did not have a timeline for it.  We managed our time very well.  We worked quickly together on our plan.  We didn't have to film anything outside of school and we got scenes filmed quickly without arguing.  I like our project because it was fun to make a song and then act for a video.  The only thing I didn't like about this project was trying to find a way to get the song on our blogs.  Our only real problem for our project was getting it on our blog because it is a big file and we were filming the last day before it was due, so we had to find a way to get the video onto each person's blog.  I learned that I am good at working with others and adapting and working quickly.  But I also learned when I'm making a video I should try to have more confidence in what I'm doing.  I also learned that I am good at working on video projects like this one with other people.  Also, I learned that I prefer to work on video projects at school just because we have a strict time frame and know how much time we have to work.  I'd rather work at school than at someone's house because at someone's house there are a lot of distractions and you don't know when you're going to finish.  Technology helped us a lot for this project.  We were able to record our song on garage band and then record our video with a flip camera and then put in into iMovie.  This made the production of the video very easy.  But also we weren't able to send the video to each other because the file was to big, so in that instance, technology hindered us.  This is my reflection for our final middle ages project.
1 Comment

Journal Entry 6

3/27/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureThe Mongols traveled on horseback. This is what they looked like.
It is the year 1347.  
I have heard about a group of people called the Mongols.  I learned that the Mongols are rough and extremely cruel, brutal people.  They come from a place that is north of China.  They will kill whoever it takes to conquer land.  I heard they also rape many women, which makes me very afraid of them.  I truly hope that they do not come to take over our manor. 

Some people were running into our manor, looking extremely shaken and worried.  Some of them were crying.  They informed the people in our manor about a strange disease that’s been killing many people in Europe.   They say people have sinned so much that the air has turned bad, and whoever breathes in the bad air gets infected.  I don't understand why this is happening.  Why must God punish us like this?  What have we done?  

PictureThe people with the black death in this picture are shown with buboes.
Some people in our village have already died of this strange plague.  They get disgusting bubbles, which I believe are called buboes, on their neck and armpits that then turn black.  That is probably why they have started to call this disease the Black Death.  They usually die a violent death and sometimes cough and spit up blood.  My husband was sadly infected with the horrible disease.  He got the buboes and eventually died.  I didn’t exactly love him, because our marriage was arranged, but it made me go into a stage of shock, because someone close to me had just lost their life.  Peasants like me just keep dying.  Only about two people on our manor who have been infected have survived.  They have gone to the church, but the church refuses to care for them, which is outrageous.  But, there are people called flagellants that whip their backs to show repent for what they had done to God for Him to give us the black death.  Maybe I should do that do, because I'm not sure how else do deal with this.

PictureDead people in the streets.
I am absolutely terrified at this point.  It almost seems impossible that I won’t get infected and die a horrible death. On the other hand, the nobles have been hiding out in their castles, keeping the doors locked so no one can get in or get out.  They will do anything to protect themselves and no one else.  They have a higher change of surviving the plague than the peasants do.  Honestly, I can’t think about the future at all right now.  All that’s on my mind is death, death, and more death.  There are so many dead people around that I am starting to lose hope in my survival.  I have to carry flowers to smell to avoid the stench of rotting bodies that are being fed on by flies.  There are so many mass burials for people, but there are just too many dead people to bury.  This feels like the apocalypse.

0 Comments

Journal Entry 5

3/20/2015

0 Comments

 
PictureThis is King John
Dear Journal,
King John was an awful king.  He did whatever he wanted just to benefit himself, no matter how much it cost everyone else.  The only reason he is king is because his brother, King Richard the Lionheart, died.  Thankfully the Magna Carta is now limiting what King John can do.  His monarchy is getting weaker because he has to consult the nobles before doing things.  The government now has more checks and balances, and there is more of an idea of parliament.  The king can no longer tax without consent from the nobles.  The king is under the law, and he has to obey the law also.  The king can’t just do whatever he wants.  Before, it was rex lex, the king was above the law.  Now, it is lex rex, the law is above the king.

The nobles can now keep their land and money and they have a say in what the king has to do, for example, deciding how to tax the people.  As for me, I am just a peasant.  I am not really impacted that much, but now since there are standard weights and measures, I know that I'm getting the right amount of some good for the fair amount of money.  And, if people ever tried to convict me of a crime, there is now habeas corpus.  That means that people can’t be jailed without a fair trial.

Picture
This wordle shows the different ideas of Magna Carta
Picture
The United States Constitution is one of the example of an enduring impact of the Magna Carta
I do believe our system government is getting better, though.  I think other people in the future will follow the magna carta as an example for the rights of the people in their country.  I think people will use it and honor it and thank the people who made it because it is a very good idea.  I believe the magna carta is the basis of a better, more equal government, so people will use it in the future.




0 Comments

Journal Entry 4

3/6/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
This is a battering ram. People hit this against the doors of castles to try to knock them down.
Dear Journal,
Today was definitely the most terrifying day of my life.  Our castle was attacked!  I am lucky I made it out alive.  It all began when I heard loud yelling coming from outside of my house.  I heard the sound of horse hooves against the ground.  Houses were being lit on fire and people were screaming.  Knights were waving around their swords and shields.  Then I saw it: an army was going toward out castle!  We were under attack!  Everyone rushed toward the castle, hurrying to get in before the army got too close.  My family and I rushed into the castle and the big door was closed.  I was glad that our castle was on a large hill, so it would be harder for the enemy to reach the castle quickly.  Then, I heard the battering ram of the enemy hitting against the door, trying to break it.  My children whimpered in fear.
I watched our archers rush toward the arrow loops and start to shoot at the enemy.  The enemy was trying to shoot at us also.  But, I was thankful that our castle had murder holes.  Our knights ran up to them and then dropped greek fire on the people manning the battering ram.  They started burning up as they spread the sticky substance even more on their bodies.  Our side had gotten the upper hand!  The enemy was weakened, so a lot of our knights rushed out and engaged in combat.  The knights fought with their swords and shields to protect them from vicious swipes the enemy made at them.  I saw as one knight knocked down the sword of one of the enemy's, the enemy took out a dagger and stabbed him!  I was shocked.
Picture
This is an arrow loop. Archers stood behind it to shoot at the enemy. It provides protection because of its narrow opening.
Picture
A medieval battle axe, a deadly weapon used in combat in the middle ages
Some men even had axes, which scared me very much.  But luckily, our knights were strong enough to fight them off.  The enemy had lost so many men that they were too weak to fight us anymore.  They ended up retreating, and everyone cheered in rejoice.  Some of our knights lost their lives, but they died with honor saving us.  
This was my first encounter with this kind of attack, and I hope that something like this doesn't happen again any time soon.
We are currently making a music video.  This post will be updated soon.
Picture
0 Comments

Journal Entry 3

2/22/2015

0 Comments

 
In the year of our Lord Feb 7, 800.  Days just seem to grind on.  It is now winter and some snow has fallen.  Though my days are difficult, I am thankful for the protection my knight and my noble provides me.  I work hard to do my best with my job because I know that the Lord will reward me in Heaven.  Below I will share with you the details of  my daily life.
Picture
My type of clothing.
First, I will talk about what I look like.  I wear a dress made of a very cheap woolen material because I can afford hardly anything.  I fasten the dress around my waist with a belt.  I usually wear a thick woolen shawl when it is cold and ocassionally, mittens.  Now, my daily life.  I wake up at dawn, and in the summer, I can wake up as early as 3 am.  I then have to wake up my two children.  For breakfast, I eat either bread or pottage, a mixture of soupy grains and oats.  I am the blacksmith of the manor.  I spend my days working with metal to make weapons and armor for the knight.  My husband is a farmer, so he spends his days out working in the fields.  My children also have things to do.  They are six and eight years old. For most of the day, they help my husband in the fields and in their free time they play with the few toys they have.  My children make me enjoy my day more because I love them very much and they remind me that I should be a good mother and person to go to heaven.
I depend on other people on the manor, also.  For example, I rely on the farmers for food, the miller for bread, the barber for pulling out teeth, limbs, and cutting hair, and of course the knight for protection.   Now, I can discuss some things that are a bit more lighthearted.  In these difficult times, it is hard to find things to enjoy, but I still can go to events such as tournaments.  In tournaments, people compete in many different activities, such as archery, axe throwing, and knights jousting.  Watching these activities is entertaining for peasants like me.  Then, later in the day, I do other things.  For lunch and dinner, I usually eat the same thing - I take a dried mixture of pottage and then pour beer into it.  It doesn’t taste the best, but it’s what I can afford.


Picture
Two knights jousting.
Picture
A peasant's house that is better than mine.
Going later in the day, my lifestyle does not get much better.  I hardly ever take showers - only about twice a year.  However, the nobles bathe once a week!  I am quite jealous of their luxury.  Then, I go to bed at around 10 o’clock at night.  I sleep on a bed made of hay, which is bad because insects are always crawling around me and biting me, but it is good because hay is more comfortable than some other materials, for instance, wood.  Now that I’ve shared with you a regular day in my life, I should discuss some things I wish I could change about my lifestyle.  It would be better if I had a better house, clothes, and pay.  Also, I wish I could change the amount of time I have to work, because every day, I work for a very long time, which gets tiring.  This is my day, as you can see, peasant life is not the best.
0 Comments

Journal Entry 2

2/12/2015

0 Comments

 
In the year of our Lord, 700.  I need to keep this diary up.  Much has happened since I last wrote. But before I get to all the details I want to explain to you how my village is run.  Long ago my great ancestor Tiberius told of a kingdom in which all those who lived in the kingdom had a say in how it was run.  This is not the case now.  Here I will describe how life on this manor and all manors work.  


First, our form of government is called Feudalism.  The way feudalism functions is a person who is higher in social class gives land and protection to a person of lower social class in exchange for their work and loyalty. I live on a manor, which is run by a noble, Princess Milicient. On the manor, I make metal goods and weapons and armor for the knights.  All of the people on the manor help each other in different ways.  I help my knight and my noble by giving them food and metal goods.  My knight helps me by giving me protection.  My noble helped me by letting me stay on her land and giving peasants like me laws and structure.
Picture
The pyramid of feudalism.
Picture
An example of a manor.
Everyone in the manor has something to do because we all depend on each other to make things work.  We all have different jobs that benefit us and others.  The manor depends on me for supplies made out of metal and even my knight’s armor and weapons.  I depend on the farmers for food.  I get my food from them and my husband, who is a peasant as well.  I also depend on the knight for protection and the noble to keep things structured.
Even though many things work well, some things are very different in the manor.  My home is very small and it is made out of straw and mud.  It’s so small it can’t even be compared to the size of my lord’s castle.  But still, I live on this manor because I need a place where I have protection and resources.  If I were to leave the manor, I would be devastated and I would try to get into another manor as fast as possible.
Some of the rules in feudalism are absolutely unfair and I don't like them at all.  The 1/10 rule is a tax where peasants like me have to give one tenth of our pay and goods to the person above us in social rank in our manor.  It impacts me pretty negatively and it annoys me because I have to do so much work but then I don’t even get all of the credit for it.  I work so much harder than the noble here but they are still much richer than I'll ever be.  As a peasant, I hardly have any rights and I don’t like the ways laws affect people like me.  I’m so low on the social hierarchy and it makes me upset sometimes about how poor my living conditions are.  I don't understand how it could be perceived as a good idea to make some people so rich that they don't know what to do with all of their money and then have some people who can hardly pay for bare necessities.  I feel like the nobility on this manor don't even want to help peasants like me because we're so disgusting and low to them, but they wouldn't understand how hard life is for us.
Picture
Peasants farming on a manor.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    I'm Athena and I'm 12 years old and in 7th grade.  I love dancing and playing piano.

    Archives

    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All
    Castle Attack
    European Exploration
    Feudalism
    Greece Enduring Impacts
    Greece Geography
    Greece Government
    Hadoken
    Magna Carta
    Middle Ages Song
    My Middle Ages Character
    Questions
    Social Life
    Start Of School
    Test
    The Black Death
    The Reformation
    The Renaissance
    West Africa

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.