10/27/2010 Roman Empire Questions from Class

Here are the homework questions from class today:

1. What type of society does every city start out as?
2. What did Rome start as? What was its main purpose?
3. Was Rome ever a polis? What level of society is this? What did this enable the Romans to do?
4. What did Rome grow into? WHY did it do this (for what purpose)?
5. HOW did it do this?
6. What difficulties might Rome face at this level? How would it overcome them?
7. Did Rome ever reach the most modern level of society? Explain.

Assignment for Tuesday, 10/26/10

Hello class,

Today you will continue working on your postcard project. You should at this point have the following:

1. A topic you will use to relate modern life to life in Ancient Greece or Rome;
2. Notes on an ancient source;
3. Notes on a modern source; and
4. A draft annotated bibliography.

We will do the following in class today:

1. Keep the notes  you took last night on a modern source out on your desk so I can check them. This is a 10 point homework grade.
2. Trade your draft annotated bibliography with a partner. Read your partner's A.B., then check it against the requirements listed on the Purdue OWL site. Mark any places where your partner can improve his/her bibliography and note any elements he/she is missing. Remember -- the annotation should be approximately 5-7 sentences in length. Watch for "padding" sentences (such as "This is what I have found at this site. This site was very interesting."). "Padding" sentences do not count toward the 5-7 sentence total.
3. Get your annotated bibliography back from your partner. Type it in MS Word, including any edits recommended by your partner.
4. Now that you have your notes and your annotated bibliography, you can start writing. Begin typing the text for the back of your postcard from the past in an MS Word document. You are writing as though you are in the past, trying to relate what you are seeing to something that is familiar to your audience (i.e., the Colosseum to Soldier Field, etc.). It should be approximately 200-300 words in length. This is where you will show the relationship between your ancient source and the modern one. Remember -- this is a postcard. Pick a person to write to. It could be a parent, a friend, or even a teacher. Your written component should include:
1. A greeting;
2. An introduction to your chosen topic;
3. The body, where you show the relationship between your ancient and modern sources;
4. A conclusion; and
5. The closing ("Sincerely," "Wish you were here," etc.)

This written component will count for 20 of the 50 points total assigned to this project grade. 

EXTRA CREDIT: If you finish all of the above steps, add a comment to this post which completes the problem below. All of the elements below should be included in the same comment. Remember to include your first and last name. You can earn a maximum of 4 points extra credit. The post must be added by 9:00 p.m. on Tues., 10/26/10.

1. Examine the photo which accompanies this post. Based solely on the information included in the photo, identify the country in which the photo was taken.
2. Check your response by doing a web search for the place shown on the postcard.
3. Give the relative location for the place shown on the postcard.
4. Give the absolute location for the place shown on the postcard.

Assignment for Monday, 10/25/10

Hello class,

Today we'll work on your projects in the lab. You should have identified your topic and located an ancient source over the weekend. Keep your notes for this source on your desk. Remember -- you should  have at least a page of notes on your ancient source.

Today you'll work on locating a modern source. Start with the sources I've listed on the blog. Complete the following on loose leaf:

1. Examine the modern sources listed on this site.
2. Choose one source, then cite it using the format here.
3. Take Cornell Notes on your source -- again, this should be approximately one page (or more). Don't forget to include a summary.
4. 10 point homework grade

If you finish these steps, move on to your homework. You will be creating a rough draft of your two source annotated bibliography. This can be handwritten or typed. For each source:

1. Correctly cite the source in MLA format.
2. Create annotations following the directions here. Your annotations should be at least a paragraph in length, and must include a summary, assessment and reflection. Include those words in your annotation in order to make it clear where they occur. Remember: 1 sentence does not a summary make.
3. 20 point homework grade.

A New Source

Christine Jordan identified another excellent modern source for your project. The following link will take you to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, a site maintained by the Chicago History Museum, the Newberry Library and Northwestern University:

http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/

Beginning Your Research

This assignment is due on Monday, October 25. It is worth 25 points -- 5 points each question. Complete it on loose leaf paper.

1. Identify your topic based on the list on the Roman or Greek pages on the Facts on File database.
2. State which modern thing you will compare to your ancient topic, or which modern thing you believe has been influenced by your ancient topic.
3. Read the "Overview Essay" on the FOF page on your topic. Take detailed notes... Cornell Notes.
4. Identify a souce for the modern cultural characteristic you will examine -- this can be either an interview or one of the links I listed on the blog.
5. Take detailed notes on your modern sourec, focusing especially on what it tells you about the modern status of your topic.

Primary Source Interview

If you are planning to examine a topic such as family life in ancient Rome, you might not want to use a website for your modern source. Instead, you may interview a family member for your source. For the purposes of this assignment, this interview would serve as a primary source. In order to complete a primary source interview, you would have to:

1. Write 5 (or more) questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer.
2. Find an interview target and ask them your questions.
3. Type up the responses to turn in with your final postcard.

Sources for the Modern World

One of your required sources for the project is the Facts on File Ancient and Medieval History database. This database will provide you with all of the information you will need to know about Ancient Greece or Rome.

You will also need a source that will let you compare the ancient topic you choose with the same topic in the modern world. To use my example from class, you'd need to look up Soldier Field in order to effectively show how its design was influenced by the design of the Colloseum.

Here are some sources that will help you compare items in Chicago and the United States to Ancient Greece and Rome:

• The City of Chicago website
• The Lonely Planet guide to Chicago. LP is a tour guide company.
• The Chicago Tribune
• The Chicago Sun-Times
• Chicago's Official Tourism site
• Chicago Magazine
• Culture Grams (login: psm, password: psm)

If you have something in mind that is not covered by these sites, let me know and maybe I can help you find a source.

Alternatively, if you plan to compare something like family life in modern Chicago with family life in ancient Rome, you may be able to complete an alternate assignment in place of your second source. See the post labeled "Primary Source Interview" for details.

How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

The OWL site also shows you exactly what you need to do to produce an excellent annotated bibliography. Click on this link to see how.

Citation Information

The Purdue OWL site gives exact information on how to correctly cite sources. For electronic sources, look on the left hand side of the page and find the "MLA Works Cited: Electronic Sources" tab. Click on it, and you will see the exact format you need to use.

Postcards from the Ancient World Project

Introduction: Ancient Greece and Rome are looked on as two of the most influential civilizations the world has ever seen. Nearly everywhere you go in the world today you will see, hear, taste or participate in something that first developed in the Mediterranean world. From food to sports, art to architecture, religion to politics, poetry to television dramas, Greece and Rome made the world what it is today.

Objective: In this project, you will:

·         Examine the cultural characteristics of Ancient Greece and Rome

·         Compare these cultural characteristics with the modern world (especially Chicago and the U.S.)

·         Practice visual and written communication methods

Methodology: Each student will take a virtual trip back in time to Ancient Greece or Rome. In order to take this “trip,” we will use the Facts on File Ancient and Medieval History Online database. You can access this database through the PSM LRC website.

Once you’ve reached the database, you’ll find “Learning Centers” on the left hand side of the page. For this project, we will use the links marked “Ancient Greece” and “Ancient Rome.”

You will choose EITHER the Greek or the Roman site, then use your chosen civilization to create a post card from the past. Your post card will compare one specific aspect of Greek or Roman civilization with one specific aspect of modern life in Chicago or the United States. For example, you could focus on agriculture, and explain how Roman farming techniques influence or compare to the farming techniques used in farms in Southern Illinois. Another example project could compare life in the Roman inner city with life in the inner city in Chicago.

Tasks: Each student will:

·         Research a specific aspect of Greek or Roman civilization

·         Compare this ancient information with the same topic in modern life

·         Create a post card (following the example provided) with at least two images on the front and text description on the back. This could be created using a computer program or using the handout provided.

Products:

·         Research Evidence: 2-source annotated bibliographies (one ancient, one modern) (30 point project, see rubric)

·         Synthesis of Evidence: Post card containing images and text which explain the influence of Ancient Greece or Rome on modern life OR compare life in Greece or Rome to modern life (following the example format) (50 point project, see rubric and structure guide)

Important Dates:

·         Project Introduced: 10/21/10

·         Lab Day(s) for Research: 10/22/10

·         Annotated Bibliography RDs: Tues. 10/26/10 (30 points homework, see rubric)

·         Final Project (materials and begin presentations): Friday, 10/29/10