A Certain Shade of Green

With all of the festivities from today, we know several of you missed class.  So here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Current Event: Remember, when you are absent, the question is marked as "A" for absent rather than an "X" for incorrect in our grade sheets.  This means that we still drop two incorrect answers, but your CEs are worth more individually.  It is always acceptable to touch base with your Humanities teacher the day of a CE in the event of an absence to makeup the question if you'd rather not have this be the case. 
• WHAP reading: On Wednesday evening you read a little bit about some economic and social changes occurring in Europe.  These changes are going to be imperative as we study exploration and global trade, so make sure you understand key concepts and vocabulary from the reading assignment and ask for clarification when needed!  We've also assigned your first full chapter out of the WHAP textbook due for Monday, October 5th.  Chapter 22 deals specifically with European exploration.  Make sure you pay attention to the 3 W's - who was exploring, where did they explore, and what did they acquire? It'll also be good to keep in mind how they were able to explore - ships, ships, and ships. 
• Banned Books Short Story Assignment: In recognition of Banned Books Week, we are asking you to complete a very short written piece.  Students in class today were given time to complete this, but if you were absent, please take a look at the class website for the file, "Short Story Assignment".  This is due Tuesday, October 6th. 

If you took a look at the link above, you'll notice that one of the most frequently banned books is the graphic novel Persepolis.  We'll actually be reading excerpts of this next semester. So take that, Book Overlords! 

"The point is not to rank inflammatory books like game highlights.  It's to remind readers that information hasn't always been free, and that we have librarians to thank for its freedom."

- Maddi Crum, Huffpost

I think it worthwhile to keep the above quotation in mind as we discuss forms of media control during the Early Modern Age - whether it be the Index of Prohibited Book by the Catholic Church or the Ottoman Empire's refusal to embrace the printing press.  Pretty soon people (at least in Europe) will start asking questions...and we'll move into Enlightenment philosophy. 

If you enjoyed today's Pep Rally, be sure to check out the inspiration for the chess cheer routine. YouTube doesn't seem to have a clip for me to link to. 

And since it's Thursday,  here's a throwback to 1996...one of Ms. Siddiqui's middle school jams. 

And if you enjoyed the Ed Sheeran/Taylor Swift quiz from earlier this week, here's one to determine whether you're more Donald Trump or Donald Duck. (I got Donald Trump).

- Warrior Princess Siddiqui

We study characters on Character Day!

Ah Spirit Week...making exceptions for hats and onesie pajamas at school one day at a time. Today we wrapped up Tartuffe with some creative writing. We thought we'd do some unstructured free writing this week before we start tackling the monster that is the DBQ essay later this six-weeks. By the loud bursts of laughter from 7th period, I take it they truly enjoy the assignment...and that this is not indicative of off-task behavior.

Tonight's reading assignment provides some important foundational information as we segway from political history during the Early Modern Age into economic and social history.  All of those powerful monarchies, whether they be in Europe, the Middle East, or Asia are going to become increasingly intertwined in global trade - sometimes at the detriment of other civilizations or even themselves. Mo money mo problems.  Seriously, if only 17th century folk had access to the music of The Notorious B.I.G. Anyway, you'll probably hear us use the word "globalization" a lot the next few weeks.

Speaking of music, need a break from it all? Check it out the song You Work for Me by Laura Mvula.  I've listened to it three times in a row already.

If you've felt cold, distant, and alone from your short break from CEs, fret not! We restart Current Events tomorrow! The first CE of the 2nd six-weeks is on the website.

Anderson's smolder

We've been referencing the Republican primaries for a while, but the Democrats are finally taking to the stage in just under two weeks on Tuesday, October 13...and Anderson Cooper will be moderating. Here's a quick snapshot on the leading Democratic candidates, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, if you want to familiarize yourselves with them. Did you know Anderson is descended from the famous Vanderbilt family? I didn't.







- Warrior Princess Siddiqui (I accidentally posted under CBG's name.)

After five weeks, the 1st six-weeks is over

Phew...first quiz is DONE. Hopefully it went well and you're not thinking this:

I just cry.

Before you set fire to your class notes, please remember that we'll continuously reference information from this last unit and assess you over this information again at the end of the semester and once again whenever you take the AP exam! As Kanye West once said, "a place for everything, everything in its place".  Just kidding.  It was Benjamin Franklin.

A new calendar for the 2nd six-weeks was posted to the website earlier today.  Make sure you take a look at that, as it's pretty action packed. And by that I mean you'll be reading forever. Time management is going to be super important.

Please be patient with us as we frantically finish grading for the six-weeks.  We're trying our best; we promise!

We request that you bring any borrowed copies of Tartuffe to class tomorrow. If your loaned copy has been misplaced or damaged, we ask that you replace it.

If you need a mental break from schoolwork, try any of the following:

• Find out if you're more T-Swift or Ed Sheeran with this Buzzfeed quiz
• Don't have a Halloween costume yet? Use the arts for inspiration. 
• Watch the penguins at Sea World live!

Why are you reading this - you should be studying!

Happy Monday! Today we wrapped up any loose ends from class and/or spent some time reviewing material for tomorrow's quiz.  Hopefully, by the end of today, you were able to:

• identify characteristics of the Baroque period in the visual arts and music
• identify similarities and differences in the Southern and Northern Baroque (remember, the differences depend entirely on whether one was Catholic or not...think the Flemish Rubens vs the Dutch Vermeer)

For your viewing pleasure, I present to you - the Rubenesque cat.

As we close out our first unit on State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion and you prepare for tomorrow's major-grade quiz, we hope you've been able to see the various ways in which Early Modern states were able to build their power by maximizing efficiency, expanding borders, and patronizing the arts.  The still-life on the right by the Dutch artist Willem Kalf is so great because it alludes to where we're heading the next six-weeks as we study exploration and trade and their consequences.  Dat Ming vase doe. How did the Dutch acquire such a vase? Wait for the next six-weeks to find out! 

So, on an unrelated note, my 2nd period AP Euro class was gracious enough to send my 90+ year old grandmother in Pakistan a video message.  She responded with a video of her own:

She's so cute in all her toothless glory.

Fancy a Humanities Experience already? Here are some recommendations:

• Hitchcocktober at the Angelika Film Center: Every Thursday during the month of October (sorry to those of y'all involved in game-related festivities), the movie theater at the Shops at Legacy plays a classic Alfred Hitchcock film.  Check out their schedule of events here. Your proof of attendance must be your movie ticket!
• The National Theatre's live streaming of Hamlet at the Angelika Film Center: If you're not into black and white films, check out Benedict Cumberbatch (swoon) as the ill-fated Hamlet on Thursday, October 15 instead. 
• Shakespeare in the Park's King Lear: Or maybe you'd rather see your Shakespeare performed live in the park? For the next two weeks Shakespeare in the Park will be performing King Lear at Addison Circle Park.  For more information, check out this. Ms. Siddiqui personally knows one of the actors!
• The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses performance at Fair Park: I don't know much about this, but I figured some of y'all would be intrigued.  Here's more information. 

Here's this month's brunch SUPER (Siddiqui's Unbelievable and Prepossessing Eating Recommendation): The Chicken and Sourdough Pancake from Braindead Brewing in Deep Ellum. Didn't know that was a thing? Neither did I until recently. I still dream about it.

I eat all the pancakes. 

- Warrior Princess Siddiqui

How many Baroque memes is TOO many Baroque memes?

Humanitarians, 

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH. Our new president agrees with me:

So today we discussed Baroque art. We spent the day in the South - Italy & Spain - and discussed the role the Church and the King(s) played in art. We also practiced finding the characteristics in each painting while comparing styles. 

Which was your favorite? Was it Judith Beheading Holofernes?

Was it Las Meninas?

Or perhaps you are a Bernini fan, realizing that he is legit one of the greatest sculptors ever!

But wait, don't decide NOW, tomorrow we will move into the North and look at the Baroque there, perhaps you will find a new favorite. 

Tomorrow, you also have a humanities experience due if you are choosing to do it. We are working on getting all of your grades in, but most of you have a non-100 daily grade, so we highly recommend doing one!  You need to have it turned in before your class starts!!

One last lol Baroque meme before moving on to this day in history:

This day in history:

• The trial of the "Chicago Eight", a radical antiwar and counterculture activists accused of conspiring to incite riots at the 1969 convention, began. 
• 1991: Children's author Theodor Seuss Geisel, known as Dr. Seuss, died at age 87.
• 
  
• 1996: The United States and the world's other major nuclear powers signed a treaty to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons.

Finally, Happy Eid to all of those celebrating. 

Have a great Thursday!

- cbg

You elitists spurned the decadent knowledge of vocabulary words with much disdain, apparently

Humanitarians,

We are not super pleased with your total lack of vocab skillz. Come on y'all. We will work on it. Although we think you should practice at least two of the words you didn't know until today.

Today. We took a 25 question quiz-lette over Tartuffe. If you missed it, you need to make it up ASAP so that you can have a grade for this six weeks. Then we discussed Louis XIV's reaction to the play, which was mixed.

Oh Louis, how could we.

TOMORROW we are back to the Baroque. I'm so excited. I literally squealed. Bernini, Caravaggio, my heart. 

Also, tomorrow, you will have your last CE of the six weeks. Two questions over the President of China. I would meme him, but I value my life much more than that. You also need to turn in your Tartuffe mini-project. That plus your quiz-lette from today = a major grade. 

Friday, humanities experiences are due. 

Now, here are a bunch of articles that I think are funny/interesting that have been denied as current events because Stanton hates me or something:

• Advice from Chaucer on Returning to School
• Pope vs. the Wind
• The Pope vs. American Political Parties

I think the Pope is adorable, which is probably an inappropriate adjective for the head of one of the biggest religions in the world, but eh. He is visiting this week (not Texas, just the US), so a lot of the news is about him. 

Reminder:

Did we like the this day in history? Shall we continue?

• 1939: Sigmund Freud died in London. :( Oedipus jokes anyone?
• 1846: German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovered the planet Neptune
• 1973: Former Argentine president Juan Peron returned to power. He is not quite as famous as his wife, Eva otherwise known as Madonna.

Finally, if all of this doesn't get you through this lovely Wednesday, consider peanutizing yourself. It's funny, look I did it to all the humanities teachers:

Happy Yom Kippur for those of you celebrating today!

See everyone tomorrow.

Also, one more, Happy Wednesday:

- cbg

And it's because she's lost her looks that she's a prude

Humanitarians,

I don't care what anyone says Mme. Parnell's lines are my fav. I mean my goal in life is to get old and say whatever I want and then have everyone just be all "she can't help it, she's so old." Mme. Parnell is my hero.

Me, in the future. 

Also me in the future:

Today, we answered any points of confusion over Tartuffe, discussed the discussion questions (where I learned y'all were so cold-hearted, no pity for Orgon), and began a bit of work on characters and their relationships. 

Tomorrow, you should expect a multiple choice quiz-lette over the play. It will be 50% of you Tartuffe major grade; the other 50% will be the mini project that is due on Thursday. 

Also, guys, the end of the six weeks is nigh, so if you have ANY makeup work, you need to get to it! No more procrastinating! That's for senior year, not now!

I don't have anything cutesy to add today, so here are some things that happened this day in history!

• 1862: Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, proposing to free all slaves of rebel states as of Jan. 1, 1863
• 1792: French republic proclaimed. If you are in Euro, then you know how cray those French are.
• 1989: Songwriter Irving Berlin died. Here is one of his songs for your listening pleasure:

Have a great Tuesday! Almost halfway through the week!! And Tuesdays mean TACO TUESDAYS. Mmmmmm. Perhaps it will be a Rusty Tacos night at the Garafola's.

Lol, Carlton.

- cbg