Map summary

Today in Human Geo. we had a day to catch up day. We had time to finish our maps and then do our blogs while our teacher called us up to tell us how we are doing on our blogs. What I know about maps has been greatly improved. First off, the definition of geography is where things are found on earths surface. Second. the definition of cartography is map making. Maps are a two dimensional flat scale model of earths surface or a portion of it. Maps are used in many different ways. The first way is as a reference tool. By this I mean that they really used it as a general of where things are, they didn't really care about where everything precisely was. Then they were improved by the accounts of people who have visited those places and then knew where the places were. After that improvements were made but the maps were still not that good. The first good map is the Mercator Map which still had the sizes wrong. The first close to true map was and still is the Peters Projection Map.

Drawing Maps

Today in Human Geo. we had the first fifteen minutes free without a teacher, so we basically did what we wanted. I looked at bus parts and then looked at buses. Then our teacher came in and tried to quiet us down. After that we basically talked about maps for a little. Than we got three different maps. The maps were blank, and we had to fill them out. We had to put the seven continents, John Carroll School. We also had to put on the five different oceans, the tropic of cancer, the tropic of Capricorn, the equator, and the international date line. We worked on them in class and we all had a good time talking and doing our work. In the beginning it was a bit rowdy and it took us some time to settle down. We eventually got quiet and then we started working on the maps. If we did not finish the maps then they were homework along with our blog.

More on maps and how to read them

Today in Human Geo. we learned how to read maps. We learned that they weren't just a tool of use for location, but they were used by geographers to communicate complex phenomena. The lines on the map actually make a grid. It is called the geographic grid and to put it simply it helps determine the time. They are imaginary arcs drawn on the globe in the form of a grid. The lines that go vertically over the globe are called Meridians. They are drawn between North and South pole and they are numbered according to a system known as longitude. Parallels are lines that go vertically across the globe. They are drawn parallel to the equator and they intersect with Meridians at right angles. Each is numbered with a system called latitude. You can give someone the longitude and latitude of a place and then they will know exactly how to get there. If you want to be more precise you can divide each degree in to sixty mins and then into sixty seconds.

Peter's projection map

    In the clip we watched there some points that I thought were good and some that weren't really viable. The first point that I thought was strange was how it fostered the idea of European imperialist attitudes. I think this is not true because I think people just accept the fact that they are where they are on the globe because that is how it is. They can't change or move where the continents are. If this was a really big problem I think that we would have started using the Peter Projection map long ago. The second little point to me is that the map was enlarged so that sailors could make straight lines and find their way around the globe. I think that when planes were invented or when we stopped using boats as a major form of transportation we should have changed the map to its actual size. In the video they then go into the fact that everything is distorted and how some things like Greenland are a lot smaller and South America is a lot bigger. They talk about how size is associated with importance and power. I think that this is important but at the same time, who really gets offended that their country is to small and who boasts about how big their country is. We no associate power with things like population and man power.

Human Geo. Map scales

       Today in Human Geo. I was kicked out of my seat. I'm just kidding I was fine with it. Now back to the actual information. Today we learned about map scales. Map scales are important because they can tell you a certain level of detail and the amount of area covered in the map. It can also tell you how big something is on the earth without you doing a lot of math. There are three main types of map scales. The first one is a ration or a fraction. An example of this is 1: 24,000. There are 24,000 actual miles in one inch on the map. This method needs a little bit of math but not too much. The second is the written scale. An example is one-inch equals one mile. You have to virtually no math. You just have to count the miles and then add them up. I like this method the best because it is the easiest to me. The third method, which is also the last method is graphic scale. This is when there is a bar or a line that tells you how many miles are in a certain distance. This method uses a little bit of math but not much.

Maps

             Today in Human Geo. we learned about maps. We learned many things from the first and how it has evolved, to how certain things are shown on maps. We learned that early maps are very inaccurate because no one had a picture of the earth from space, so they didn't know what it actually looked like. We also learned that maps were navigation tools that people used to get to point A to point B. The art of map making is called cartography. Maps were primarily made outside of Europe and by Chinese and Islamic people. The people in Greece thought that is was the center of the earth because they didn't know any better. Its not like they wanted to the most important (but they kind of  did). Early maps were not improved a-lot, they are more like computer software. Every few years a new and better map would be released. We also learned that Mediterranean means middle earth.

Human Geo Test Day

    Today in Human Geo. we took our first test. I think that was easy but when I get it back, I will probably have failed it. I think that it was easy because I knew the material, but I did not study. I think that next time I should study. the essay part of the test was interesting because I thought it was going to be hard to write a-lot but it was actually easy. The multiple choice was very easy because its multiple choice. The short answer I thought was the easiest part because I knew the answers. I liked the test because it was on the material, but it was also easy. I thought that it was interesting because it only involved some of the points that we studied. I should probably study next time but I don't think I did that bad. This is my opinion on the test we had today, in Human Geo.

Human Geo Test

       Today in Human Geo. we did many things. First we talked about seating arrangements. Many people were upset because they were not in there preferred seats but it all worked out fine. Than we reviewed Socrates slide show. We then learned that we are having a test on Monday. We talked about what was going to be on the test. We talked that everything that we have learned will be on the test. The first thing that will be on the test is Message to Garcia. Message to Garcia is about a solider that was told to take a message to general Garcia. He didn't ask any questions and he just did it. He eventually found Garcia and then returned. Next thing Socrates. Socrates was a philosopher. He committed treason and then was put on trial. He was voted to put to death and then was put in jail. He had the chance to escape but he wouldn't leave because that would be like ignoring the Athenian democracy. This is what will be on our test in human geo.

Socrates

           Today in human geo we learned more about Socrates. We learned that Athens attracted various smart people from all over the world, so they could learn from the brilliant minds that lived in Athens. People would learn everything, from medicine to astronomy. Socrates was using his method, but he was going against the teachings of the state, which got people thin king. The people that were rich and ran the city did not like this at all. In fact, they hated it so much that they even charged him with two things. The first one is corruption of Athenian youth. The second crime he was charged with was impiety of the state. Socrates was in a bad place, but he never stopped being so bold. He was put on trial before five-hundred Athenian men. He not only pleaded guilty, but he also said that he should be thanked with endless dinners because he was doing such a good job. Even though he acted like this he still got 221 people to vote not to kill him. When he was in prison, a group of his friends tried to break him out. He declined the offer because he believed if he did not take his punishment than what would the democratic system be worth. This is the story on how Socrates died.

Greek democracy

          In Human Geo. today we learned about Greek democracy and a little about Socrates. The Greeks were the first people to self govern them self in 508 B.C.. They revolted against the current leader and started a democracy. Other countries that revolted were Russia, France, Iran, and Egypt.  They had the idea of having a government that would be "ran" by the people. People would vote on things and then they would have a majority rule to find out what they would do. They gathered in agora, which was a place where they sold things, athletics, and a place where they voiced their opinions. Another word we learned today is a polis. It is a root for a lot of words like politics and it is also a name for a city state. Socrates was a Greek mason. He fought in the Peloponnesian War. He eventually invented the Socratic Method which helped someone figure out their beliefs. He did this by asking some questions and then basing their belief on the answer to those questions. This kind of reminds me of the political compass because they ask you questions and then they tell you what you are. The Socratic Method lead to the creation of the scientific method. 

A message to garcia

            Today in Human Geo. we talked more about A Message To Garcia. We talked about the history aspect of it. During the Spanish-American War, Cuba was a province of Spain. Cuba did not like this, so they decided to revolt. The message to Garcia would have said something like when American troops would arrive or that America is supporting you. The president that wrote this letter was President McKinley. He was the 25th president of the United States of America. We also talked about the meaning of it. I mean that the message was just a really good example.  The main point of the "book" was that people today and back in the day were lazy. The author was just using a person who delivered a letter in a good way as an example to set the stage. The book was about how people today are very lazy and have to ask questions just to push it off and do it later. One of the words we learned was Arete. It is a greek word that means excellence of any kind, moral virtue, fulfillment of purpose, and living up to full potential. We also learned a-little bit about knowledge. The part I like is that knowledge is the knowledge of knowledge.

reading message to garcia

       A message to Garcia had several good points and several points that I thought were outrageous. For starters I think that the point is very valid about people not doing what they are told and that they are very lazy. I also think that if you are paying someone very little money that they can't even support their own family, I do not think that they will do a great job. On the other hand, it is their job and they should do it to the best of their abilities. I think that both of these sides are fair. But I also think that everyone isn't perfect all the time. I think that they should try their best and the boss should actually tell them when they are doing poorly or when they are doing well. The next point is the being lazy and pushing it to someone else or just not doing it. I think that this is a problem. I mean look at high school. It not only happens at a job or at collage it happens at high school and I think I even did it in middle school as well. Now for a solution for this problem. I have no idea, I mean I am only in high school and think that it is going to be a-lot of work. Honestly, I don't think anyone is going to do their best at a job or anything that they don't want to do. My only major problem with this letter is the "incompetence". I say this because the fact that I am in school and that I am learning new things and if I have a question that I am told to ask it. But at work if you are trying to do your best and you ask your boss a stupid question, how are you supposed to do a good job if you dint know how to do the best job. I think that this essay speaks to high school students in general. They towards the end tend to stop doing their best and slack off. I think this is good advice for all freshman because it is saying that you need to do your best and be your best the entire four years of your high school.

first day at school

             My first days at John Carroll have been interesting. I say this because they have ranged from good to bad. On my first day of school we had a short day. We had seven-minute classes and we briefly met our teachers. I was a bit nervous because I was not sure that I would be able to open my locker and that I could find out where all of my classes were. After my first period though, I got lost on the way to my German class. I all turned out okay though because one of the upper class men helped me find the Mr. Canter's room. Then the rest of the day worked out fine and one of the seniors taught me how to open my locker. I enjoyed my "first" day at John Carroll because I met new people, had a good time with my friends at lunch and even joined a few clubs. My first official day was another story. I was scared about not being able to find the room my class was in, but I got the hang of that pretty fast though. I was also scared because I was a freshman. I thought that everyone would pick on the freshman and make fun of them all the time, but I was wrong. I was having trouble at my locker and one of the people from my advisory who I had never met, helped me open my locker. One of my favorite teachers was Mr. Canter after I first met him. He was very nice, and he was also very funny. Most of the teachers run their class loosely so that you can enjoy it but not to loose so that you can actually learn.  I also liked how the teachers were very fair with the class work and the absent day make up time. All in I enjoyed my first days at John Carroll and I am very excited for the rest of the year.