How far did the Chinese Muslim eunuch really go?

Today's 9th Current Event was about President Obama's intention to scale back on standardized testing.  While it can be argued that accountability holds a place in national classrooms, the debate centers around the amount of time dedicated to testing and the function of testing itself.  Should you as a student be defined by a test score? Do standardized tests measure the quality of education in a classroom?

Comparing one of Zheng He's treasure ships to the Santa Maria

Ma He, otherwise known as Zheng He, was a Hui Chinese explorer and "chief of staff" during the reign of the Yongle emperor of the Ming dynasty.  History confirms that he made his way around the Indian Ocean, trading for various spices, animals, such as giraffes and ostriches, and other luxury goods.  While his voyages make for an interesting read, the bigger take away is that the technological developments of the Early Modern Age allowed for sailors like Zheng He and Prince Henry the Navigator to explore their surroundings and fill in the blank spaces on the map of the world.

As we mentioned in yesterday's blog post and in class today, our quiz over Key Concepts 4.2 & 4.3 will remain on Thursday, despite the change in the football game schedule. We hope you were able to review a little in class with your peers.  We will have tutorials tomorrow after school and Thursday before school if you have any questions. Stick the last two pages of your Unit 4 study guide as a reference.  You'll be expected to demonstrate an understanding of global trade and its economic and social consequences during the Early Modern Age.

This month's SUPER (Siddiqui's Unbelievable and Prepossessing Eating Recommendation) is Poor Richard's Cafe in east Plano.  If you've ever been overwhelmed by the Cheesecake Factory menu, this place will completely blow your mind.  Chicken fried steak? Eggs? Pancakes? Waffles? Biscuits and gravy? A little of all of the above? I want to go to there.

Need some mental downtime? Here are some totally relatable and relevant Snaps:

And finally, some words of wisdom from Liz Lemon:

- Warrior Princess Siddiqui