Welcome to AP History

I have included some comments.  In parenthesis are the # of times the comment was repeated.  Read through them and leave a comment to prove you we here.
 By the way- check out the lectures, songs and links while you're here.

Here are the comments of students from this year:

• Focus!(6) Don't get distracted by self-doubt.  Have confidence.(3)  You can learn to pass this test if you listen to Mr. Parker.(12)
• Take good notes! (9) Color code your red lines!  Remember trash in, trash out! (2) Try your best and always do one hour of homework.(21)
• The class is great.  (6) Take practice tests and buy the AP book.
• Answer the Prompt.  Prepare early.(3)
• Get ready to work you get what you put in.(8)
• Don't be lazy, don't procrastinate.(13) Don't loose your notes.
• Don't be too hard or too easy on yourself.
• Discuss the red lines in your groups.(2)
• Ask questions (7) and look up information on your own time.
• Learn the songs! (4)
• Don't give up.  (3) This a hard class but it's fun.(2)
• When you have a project due, don't wait until the last minute to start it.
• Make sure you speak up!  Participate.
• If you do your work you will pass.  Be organized
• It is really fun, don't get on Mr. Parker's bad side, and don't worry.
• You need to be on top of this class from day 1.

and my favorite:

• Listen!  Mr Parker always seems to be right.  (He is an AP Genius.)  Summaries and Red Lines are the most important!  Study and brief for the AP Test all year.  Just studying a week or two in advance will not help.  

I am looking forward to hearing from all of you!  Enjoy Summer!

Peace,

Mr. Parker

Alexander the Great Trial

Each student will need to select a role for the upcoming trial. The points possible for each role are 50. I will offer up to 15 extra credit points for dressing in character. Sign in on this blog to select a role, first come first served. Following the each role is a brief description of the responsibilities.



The roles:
Judge
You will Oversee the proceedings and direct the behavior of the courtroom. (Mr. Parker will help.) You will rules on items of procedure and instruct the jury. You will make legal interpretations of legal concepts when needed.

Prosecuting Attorneys (3)
Your team will research the alleged crimes of the accused. Prosecute the case against Alexander. Obtain testimony from the witnesses and build a case to convict. (note- with so many charges and such limited time, it will be a good idea to prioritize the crimes of the accused.)

Defense Attorneys Same as prosecuting attorneys but your team will present a defense for the Accused. The Defense will cross-examine and call witnesses that will speak to Alexander's innocence.

Press
Although you won't have a great deal of research to do. You will prepare a report based on court room observation and post testimony interviews. You will publish your report on this blog.

Witnesses
Each of the witnesses selected will need to reseach that person and impersonate him or her. All questions should be answered as historically accurately as possible.

The potential witnesses are:
Darius III, King of Persia
Demosthenes
Arrian
Plutarch
Diodorus
Curtius
Antipater
Parmenio
Philotas
Ptolomy
Aristobulos
Nearchus
Cleitarchus
Callisthenes
Aristotle
Alexander's Mother
Roxana
Stateira

Jury
One person will serve as the jury. Just as with the Press, this person will not have researching responsibility but will be responsible for taking notes on the trial and rendering a written verdict.

You have until the class meeting before the trial to make a selection at which time I will assign one. All reserving of roles is to be done on the blog.

The charges against Alexander are as follows:
Crimes against Humanity (War Crimes)
Murder of Clitus
Public Intoxication
Disorderly Conduct
Theft
Burning of Persepolis
Massacre at Branchidae
Poor leadership with regard to the disaster at Gedrosia

Welcome!

I have included some comments.  In parenthesis are the # of times the comment was repeated.  Read through them and leave a comment to prove you we here.  By the way- check out the lectures, songs and links while you're here.

Here are the comments of students from this year:

• Focus!(6) Don't get distracted by self-doubt.  Have confidence.(3)  You can learn to pass this test if you listen to Mr. Parker.(12)
• Take good notes! (9) Color code your red lines!  Remember trash in, trash out! (2) Try your best and always do one hour of homework.(21)
• The class is great.  (6) Take practice tests and buy the AP book.
• Answer the Prompt.  Prepare early.(3)
• Get ready to work you get what you put in.(8)
• Don't be lazy, don't procrastinate.(13) Don't loose your notes.
• Don't be too hard or too easy on yourself.
• Discuss the red lines in your groups.(2)
• Ask questions (7) and look up information on your own time.
• Learn the songs! (4)
• Don't give up.  (3) This a hard class but it's fun.(2)
• When you have a project due, don't wait until the last minute to start it.
• Make sure you speak up!  Participate.
• If you do your work you will pass.  Be organized
• It is really fun, don't get on Mr. Parker's bad side, and don't worry.
• You need to be on top of this class from day 1.

and my favorite:

• Listen!  Mr Parker always seems to be right.  (He is an AP Genius.)  Summaries and Red Lines are the most important!  Study and brief for the AP Test all year.  Just studying a week or two in advance will not help.  

I am looking forward to hearing from all of you!  Enjoy Summer!

Peace,

Mr. Parker

Thesis game part two

In case you missed it... support the following thesis with an original bit of historical evidence (10 points).  You can also get 5 points for an intelligent comment about another student's post (5 extra credit points each up to 15 points).  Have fun.]

Here's the Thesis:


The policies of the Tokugawa lead to isolation which affected the political, social and cultural development of Japan in the years btween 1600 and 1800.

Winter Break Assignment

Happy Holidays!

Let's play the historical evidence game.  I give you a thesis.  You give me an original, historically accurate statement which supports my thesis.  10 points for an original thesis and a bonus 5 points for an intelligent comment on someone else's historical evidence. (Up to 15  bonus points.)

Here's my thesis:

Between 1450 and 1750, the world became more politically, economically and socially globilized.

(Hint: As communication and trading networks develop, interaction between and among cvilizations lead to a new, more global world.)

Have fun!

Thumb Trial '12

OK class...
We are going to do our first thumb trial and this is how it works:  We will have several mini-trials, each of which will be delivered to a jury (the rest of the class) who will decide by a show of thumbs. Below is a list of controversial characters we shall explore in our first three units (8000BCE to 1450). In order for a trial to be scheduled, at least one person on defense and one person on prosecution must sign up. No more than two students per team and as always, first come first served.  The defendants will answer ONLY to the crimes enumerated.

Sign up for either the character, the prosecution or the defense.

Gilgamesh                               
 mistreatment of subjects, murder of Humbaba, dereliction of royal duties

Hammurabi                             
creation of laws unfair to women, war crimes, tyranny

Ramesses II                              
defacing sacred objects, tyranny, misuse of government funds   

King Darius of Persia               
corruption, overtaxing, tyranny

Plato                                       
blasphemy, corruption of the youth of Athens, treason

Alexander the Great                 
war crimes, tyranny, irresponsible troop deployment

Julius Caesar                            
treason, attempted rebellion, war crimes

Shi Huangdi                        
squandering precious resources, wasting of human lives and labor, tyranny

Chandragupta                           
espionage, overtaxing, corruption

Justinian                                   
 tyranny, conducting unjust wars, corruption       

Theodora                                   
behavior unbefitting a queen, blasphemy, treason

Pope Urban II                           
deploying troops to the Holy Land, inciting violence, hate crimes

Charlemagne                            
tyranny, overtaxing, corruption

Genghis Kahn                           
cruelty, war crimes, genocide

Emporer Yongle of China         
mistreatment of minorities, tyranny, land theft

Particulars of the trials will follow. The assignment is worth 50 points, you can earn up to 25 extra credit by participating in a second trial. (Priority goes to those signing up for their first.)

Peace.

Classical Civilization Superstars

Classical civilizations between the years of 600BCE and 600CE had many interesting and important figures.  Discuss a person from the Greek/ Roman (European,), Maryan/ Gupta (Indian) or Qin/ Han (Chinese) civilization.

The assignment is worth 5 points and I will give you a 5 point bonus if you discuss a non-European.  The only catch is that you have to be the first to mention the person and why they are important and/or interesting.  Have Fun!