Sunday, September 13, 2015
PDP 1- Instructions in Letter Writing by an Egyptian Scribe
Author Bio: The author of this work is anonymous, making it a more vague source of information; however, it was accurately written from the perspective of an Egyptian scribe instructing a student on why he or she needs to study and eventually become a scribe. In the text, the author used historical and cultural facts to describe the lifestyles of other professions in Egypt and used opinions to indicate which portions of the tirade were most imperative.
Date/Context: This document was written to illustrate the benefits of becoming a scribe in an Egyptian society. Dated to 1200 B.C.E., the text depicts the difference between the scribes and other Egyptian occupations. This correlates to the modern perception of Ancient Egypt in that the scribes were considered to be above most of the other residents, but not above the king or queen.
Summary: The Egyptian scribes acquired a multitude of benefits from being in their profession due to status, protection, and demand. These individuals were looked up to in their community and enjoyed a lifestyle that does not include labor. In comparison to scribes, other Egyptian workers were at a higher risk of suffering from various causes, natural or otherwise. Scribes were also at an advantage because of the demand and requests by the Egyptians for recording their thoughts and history.
Key Quotation: '"Set your sights on being a scribe; a fine profession that suits you. You call for one; a thousand answer you. You stride freely on the road. You will not be like a hired ox. You are in front of others.'"
PDP 1- The Cartographer's Mirror
Author Bio:
Arthur Jay Klinghoffer is a retired poli-sci professor at Rutgers University. He attained his M.A. from the University of Michigan in 1962, his Certificate from the Russian Institute at Columbia University in 1964, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1966.
Date/Context:
This article is included into Klinghoffer’s book “The Power of Projections” as the first chapter. The book was published in 2006, a fairly recent time period. Its main purpose was to address the once current and trending topic of accurate world representations. The novel explains that each map is a psychological representation of the person, people, or organization that fabricated it.
Summary:
Klinghoffer begins by introducing the idea that maps are not scientific fact, they are the reflection of the cartographer’s experiences. Mapmakers commonly distort the actual depiction of the world because of their own personal agenda, this including making their favorite location a center of the map, and also painting maps to please those who will be displaying them. The problem of inaccurate representations of the Earth were even worse in times when there was very little (and false) knowledge about the shape, size, location, and placement of the Earth. Another reason for differences in various cartographers’ maps is that the world is constantly changing and looking different throughout time, therefore changing its physical appearance. Names of land features are also constantly changing. War maps often reflect both geography and political and strategical planning. Therefore, a map tells you about the cartographer’s standpoint and views just by viewing it.
Key Quotation:
“Geography is much more than physical description; it is a critical attribute enhancing a country’s power and wealth.”
Friday, September 11, 2015
PDP 1- Why Study History?
Author Bio.:
William H. McNeill was born Oct. 31 1917 and is a Canadian-American Historian that is most known for the publication of "The Rise of the West"(Chicago, 1963). He attended University of Chicago and received his PhD from Cornell University and eventually became a chairman at University of Chicago.
Date/Context:
(1985) This work was to help explain to the normal person why history is so important to everyone and why it should be continued to be taught and learned eagerly to further the minds of every individual. The author was worried that the children of the United States were so far behind the rest of the world so he wanted to change the perspective of history and how important it is to the betterment of the children.
Summary:
The idea of studying history along with the study of the world today is a very important idea and American Historical Association hopes to convince this across everyone. History is like a memory of what you did in the past, suppose you forgot who your friends are or what you said yesterday. It would make it very difficult the next day to continue to move forward in life and to avoid future mistakes. These memories are just like the past history. Furthermore, a great deal of our everyday behavior was formed in the past, or essentially, the past history. Even the cave paintings and such artifacts from the past are still able to be understood because of the use of writing and language that we continue to use today. Historians use the past just as memories are used to everyone, they further delve into the past to find the hidden blessings of the disguised failures to better understand what the future holds.
History is often looked at as a waste of space in the students schedule from skeptics of the importance of history. But without the knowledge of history, how would students be able to express their extreme intelligence in the manner of combining and placing different ideas into one big overview? Patterns and other important turning points in history must be known by everyone to help conduct a careful reflection of these events. History helps one to understand that there will be differences among ideas but there will also be similarities and both of these ideas can bring two ideas closer or farther from one another. In addition, learning of others religions and beliefs expand the knowledge of oneself, therefore making that one person more understanding of the people around them. There is not a certain truth to everything, history can change constantly, that is why it is important for everyone to learn and understand all aspects of history.
Key Quotation:
"Historical knowledge is no more and no less than carefully and critically constructed collective memory." "Without individual memory, a person literally loses his or her identity, and would not know how to act in encounters with others."
William H. McNeill was born Oct. 31 1917 and is a Canadian-American Historian that is most known for the publication of "The Rise of the West"(Chicago, 1963). He attended University of Chicago and received his PhD from Cornell University and eventually became a chairman at University of Chicago.
Date/Context:
(1985) This work was to help explain to the normal person why history is so important to everyone and why it should be continued to be taught and learned eagerly to further the minds of every individual. The author was worried that the children of the United States were so far behind the rest of the world so he wanted to change the perspective of history and how important it is to the betterment of the children.
Summary:
The idea of studying history along with the study of the world today is a very important idea and American Historical Association hopes to convince this across everyone. History is like a memory of what you did in the past, suppose you forgot who your friends are or what you said yesterday. It would make it very difficult the next day to continue to move forward in life and to avoid future mistakes. These memories are just like the past history. Furthermore, a great deal of our everyday behavior was formed in the past, or essentially, the past history. Even the cave paintings and such artifacts from the past are still able to be understood because of the use of writing and language that we continue to use today. Historians use the past just as memories are used to everyone, they further delve into the past to find the hidden blessings of the disguised failures to better understand what the future holds.
History is often looked at as a waste of space in the students schedule from skeptics of the importance of history. But without the knowledge of history, how would students be able to express their extreme intelligence in the manner of combining and placing different ideas into one big overview? Patterns and other important turning points in history must be known by everyone to help conduct a careful reflection of these events. History helps one to understand that there will be differences among ideas but there will also be similarities and both of these ideas can bring two ideas closer or farther from one another. In addition, learning of others religions and beliefs expand the knowledge of oneself, therefore making that one person more understanding of the people around them. There is not a certain truth to everything, history can change constantly, that is why it is important for everyone to learn and understand all aspects of history.
Key Quotation:
"Historical knowledge is no more and no less than carefully and critically constructed collective memory." "Without individual memory, a person literally loses his or her identity, and would not know how to act in encounters with others."
PDP1 - Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Author Bio.: In 1946, the newly established United Nations created a Human Rights Commission to create a document detailing basic rights shared by all people. The Commission, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, was composed of representatives from 18 member states from a wide range of legal traditions.
Rene Cassin, a French jurist, law professor, and humanitarian, is credited with composing the final draft. He dedicated his life to establish legal and moral recognition to the rights of man. He served as a French delegate to the League of Nations from 1924-1938. After the German occupation of France, he joined Charles de Gaulle in London and worked tirelessly drafting legal texts and acting as a negotiator for the Free French forces. He would eventually be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968.
Date/Context: After World War II, in response to the horrors of the Holocaust, the international community created the United Nations to prevent future atrocities. Leaders that it was necessary to create a document that explicitly detailed the rights and protections of all human beings. The Commission consisted of members from all represented regions. After less than two years of drafting, he UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Over 50 member states participated in the ratification of the UDHR with 8 nations abstaining from the vote. Since its ratification, this document has come to represent a contract between governments and their people. It is hoped that by protecting the rights of the individual there can be peace.
Summary: The UDHR describes those rights to which each person is legally and morally entitled. The rights themselves can be divided into four categories: equality of rights (Articles 1 & 2), civil and political rights (Articles 3-21), economic and social rights (Articles 22-27) and the duties and responsibilities to uphold these rights for others (Articles 28-30). Through the implementation and protections of these rights the world will establish lasting peace.
Key Quotation:
Rene Cassin, a French jurist, law professor, and humanitarian, is credited with composing the final draft. He dedicated his life to establish legal and moral recognition to the rights of man. He served as a French delegate to the League of Nations from 1924-1938. After the German occupation of France, he joined Charles de Gaulle in London and worked tirelessly drafting legal texts and acting as a negotiator for the Free French forces. He would eventually be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1968.
Date/Context: After World War II, in response to the horrors of the Holocaust, the international community created the United Nations to prevent future atrocities. Leaders that it was necessary to create a document that explicitly detailed the rights and protections of all human beings. The Commission consisted of members from all represented regions. After less than two years of drafting, he UDHR was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. Over 50 member states participated in the ratification of the UDHR with 8 nations abstaining from the vote. Since its ratification, this document has come to represent a contract between governments and their people. It is hoped that by protecting the rights of the individual there can be peace.
Summary: The UDHR describes those rights to which each person is legally and morally entitled. The rights themselves can be divided into four categories: equality of rights (Articles 1 & 2), civil and political rights (Articles 3-21), economic and social rights (Articles 22-27) and the duties and responsibilities to uphold these rights for others (Articles 28-30). Through the implementation and protections of these rights the world will establish lasting peace.
Key Quotation:
- "Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace."
- "A common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration in constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms."
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
FI Question #43
To complete question #43 on the "Foundations Investigation," select an article from a PRINT issue of Current History. Your comment should include the following:
- Cultural Region (Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, or Latin America)
- MLA Citation
- Concise (no more than 5 sentences) summary with a clear thesis statement
FI Question #42
To complete question #42 on the "Foundations Investigation," select an article from the PRINT issue of History Today. Your comment should include the following:
- Cultural Region (Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, Middle East, Central Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, or Latin America)
- MLA Citation
- Concise (no more than 5 sentences) summary that includes a clear thesis statement
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Format for PDPs, PDCs, & SJSs
Format for Primary Document Posts (PDPs)
The TITLE for each PDP must include the unit # and the title of the source. See the sample below:
Each post should be set up in the following format (including labels):
Author Bio: Provide a brief biography of the author focusing on his/her bias.
Date/Context: Describe the socio-historical, geopolitical, and cultural context of the document. (I.e. Where/how does this document fit into our understanding of history & culture?)
Summary: Summarize the document. Be sure to identify the main idea and supporting details in your summary.
Key Quotation: Select one phrase, sentence, or statement that epitomizes the document.
Guidelines for Primary Document Comments (PDCs)
The comment should describe identifying characteristics for the document. In other words, how will we know who, when, and where this document is from?
Comments should offer CONSTRUCTIVE feedback on the document analysis. Specifically, describe any information that was missed in the initial post.
Format for Scholarly Journal Summaries (SJSs)
The TITLE for each SJS must include the unit # and the title of the article. See the sample below:
Source: Provide a citation of your journal article. The citation must include: Author. "Article Title." Journal Title Vol. #: Issue #. Date. Page #s.
Author Credentials: Explain why this author is qualified to discuss this issue.
Summary: A concise but thorough summary of the author's argument. The summary should include key vocabulary terms from the course and explain the socio-historical, geo-political, and/or cultural context.
Analysis: Does the author make a strong argument? Does the author provide sufficient evidence to support his/her argument? Does the author distinguish between fact and opinion? Is the author a reliable source?
The TITLE for each PDP must include the unit # and the title of the source. See the sample below:
PDP1 - Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Each post should be set up in the following format (including labels):
Author Bio: Provide a brief biography of the author focusing on his/her bias.
Date/Context: Describe the socio-historical, geopolitical, and cultural context of the document. (I.e. Where/how does this document fit into our understanding of history & culture?)
Summary: Summarize the document. Be sure to identify the main idea and supporting details in your summary.
Key Quotation: Select one phrase, sentence, or statement that epitomizes the document.
Guidelines for Primary Document Comments (PDCs)
The comment should describe identifying characteristics for the document. In other words, how will we know who, when, and where this document is from?
Comments should offer CONSTRUCTIVE feedback on the document analysis. Specifically, describe any information that was missed in the initial post.
Format for Scholarly Journal Summaries (SJSs)
The TITLE for each SJS must include the unit # and the title of the article. See the sample below:
SJS1 - "History Upside Down"
Source: Provide a citation of your journal article. The citation must include: Author. "Article Title." Journal Title Vol. #: Issue #. Date. Page #s.
Author Credentials: Explain why this author is qualified to discuss this issue.
Summary: A concise but thorough summary of the author's argument. The summary should include key vocabulary terms from the course and explain the socio-historical, geo-political, and/or cultural context.
Analysis: Does the author make a strong argument? Does the author provide sufficient evidence to support his/her argument? Does the author distinguish between fact and opinion? Is the author a reliable source?
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