Daily Question: 2/8/11

Give several examples of monuments in Maryland / DC / PA that might be familiar to folks who live here but which would not be understood by outsiders without an explanation. Please include your own or public domain photos.


There are many monuments in Maryland, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania that might be familiar to people who live in these areas, but would not be understood by outsiders without an explanation. In Aberdeen, there is Ripken Stadium. I'm sure that people not local to this area will know what it is, but I think that people who live in Harford County appreciate it on a bigger scale because Cal Ripken's mother lives in Aberdeen. I have friends who are really close to their family, and they were very excited when the stadium was built. Monuments in Washington D.C. like the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and the White House are all important to people in the United States because they show our presidents that are important to our country alone. I'm sure there are monuments in other states in the U.S. or in other countries that are really important to the local people, but not to me because I don't live there and I don't  understand the effect of the monument. I think it is important for people to have these items because it expresses their view and the things that they appreciate in their culture. Obviously Washington D.C. is important to the United States because its our capital, but important things affect people in a good way, and show what they are like along with their culture. From learning about important monuments in other countries, I can learn some about their country and culture. 

Daily Question: 2/7/11

What is the oldest human-created artifact that has mattered to you? Why/how does it matter? (from @butwait on Twitter)


    The oldest human-created artifact that has mattered to me is probably the pyramids. First, I don't know of many human-created artifacts besides that. Second, I think it is really interesting why they were made, the designs on/in them, and the shape of them. Many pyramids were used as tombs for important people like the pharaohs. There were many chambers for the different people. There is a kings chamber and below it, a queens chamber. Also, there were many passages so the people could get to and from the chambers. I think that it is really cool how even all the way back in ancient Egypt times, people were building things at such enormous size like we do now, but without nearly any of the special tools and equipment we have now. It shows that the Egyptians must have been pretty smart in the way they built it because they are mostly still standing today. For awhile, obviously not now, there were many pyramids which qualified to be the biggest structures on earth! I think its interesting how the pyramids were made out of a variety of substances like brick, stone, or limestone. One question I have about the pyramids is why did the Egyptians design pyramids in the form they did? Why did they have the four triangular sides coming up to one point? The information about these pyramids is very interesting and I think it would be cool to go to Egypt and see them in person one day! I can't even imagine how big hey are if you just stand and look at them from the ground. 

image from: http://library.thinkquest.org/J001533/media/Pyramid.gif

Weekly Project 1/31-2/4

Emma Wall's and Sophie Centi's Language

yes- iss
and- flink

no- oni

bathroom- poy

hello- E

goodbye- doog
go- wantrey

food- fo

water- haki
shelter- lann
I- egona
you- forna
injured- rana
sleep- swant
us- ven

Weekly Project: 1/31-2/4

 Is 'Change' a Good Thing or a Bad Thing? (Relate to the origins of art, the agricultural revolution, architecture and urban planning in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

        I think change is mainly a good thing. Change is to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of something different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone (dictionary.com). If change never existed, people today would still be like cavemen without any technology, clothes, housing, jobs, or development in general. Over the course of just one-hundred years, the the human race alone has changed tremendously. We have learned much more and cultures have changed. Also, there has been changes in technology which advances our medical, science, and educational fields in a great way. Since the 1900's, people have discovered better cures, medicines, and machinery for medical reason. In science, we have revealed many new concepts of the body, nature, and world around us. Because we have developed much more in those two fields, there is a better education being taught in schools. We need all of these developments to happen in order to change in a beneficial way. In class, we talked about hieroglyphics. They could have changed, but off of the hieroglyphics, we have developed different writing styles and languages. This change is good because we can learn about other cultures and speak to many different people. I think the majority of the time change is a good thing, but a change can also be a bad thing if it effects the world in a negative way. For instance, say a sports team did something to continually win, then they change a play or position and lost, obviously the change  was not a positive one. Also, people can change and go down a negative path, so that is bad, but that is their decision and that is their fault for causing or making the negative difference. I believe change is mainly a beneficial thing and the negatives of change can probably be fixed when there is one. 

 

       

Daily Question: 2/3/11

Describe the importance of water in the ancient world.

        Not only is water very important to people now, but it was even more essential to people in the ancient world. Today, we use water for many things such as brushing our teeth, showering, plumbing, its in our food, hydration, cleaning, sewage systems and many more uses. Humans can only go about three days without water or their kidneys will fail, so you can see the importance in having to drink water. In the ancient times, they used water for most of those incidents and more. More people had farms in the ancient times so they needed to supply water to all of their crops if there was a drought. Also, they have to feed and hydrate all of their livestock so they can survive.  Some people had to make houses with clay and they needed water to moisten clay.  Water is a very important, essential part of our lives now and all the way back to the ancient times. 

Daily Question: 2/2/11

Which do you think is a better roadmap of history artifacts of the humanities (art, music, dance, theatre, literature, philosophy, architecture, etc) or political/military conflicts? Why?

      In my perspective, a better road-map of history is the political or military conflicts. I still think that artifacts of the humanities are important because they show the developed of cultures, but I feel that political and military events show more events that effected the world and how people, technology, and weaponry have developed. For example, in class we learned about two of the oldest artifacts in history and I have never really heard of either one. I had absolutely never heard of the Venus of Willendorf, and I knew that there were cave paintings, but not on the scale of the ones found in France with only hunts painted in them. Saying that, I do know many historical events such as Word War I and II, the Civil War, Korean War. I feel that the political and historical events have been a base of the world today. On the political standpoint, if you think about all the presidents, each individual president passes stuff on to and shapes how the country will be during his time period for the next  man in office. I also think that all these political and military events show the majority of the countries in the world, whereas the artifacts of humanities mainly show the beginning countries of the world. Even though the artifacts of humanities were important, but the political and military events effected the world in a much greater view in my perspective. 

     

Daily Question: 2/1/11

You accidentally discover an invention that can immediately help millions of people; but only if you act immediately. On the other hand, if you just wait three months, you can secure a patent and get rich. Which do you choose and why?

    I would like discover an invention that can immediately help millions of people; but it can only work if I act immediately because I feel like I would be helping the world on a bigger scale. The world today could benefit from many inventions. For instance, if someone could find a way to stop global warming and pollution, many countries' problems would be solved. I think I would be happier to help the world than to become rich and not have made a big difference. Also, if I waited and became rich, I really didn't do anything to help anyone but myself. I think it is better to help the world then to just become rich for no reason.