Friday, February 29, 2008

Hans Christian Andersen, master storyteller of the Danes

"The Little Mermaid" is one of many enduring stories by Hans Christian Andersen. Yes, it was adapted for movieland by Disney. The statue above, an object of pride in the harbor at Copenhagen, celebrates the author.

My favorite is "The Emperor's New Clothes." It's about con men and the Big Lie.

The Ugly Duckling" has autobiographical elements; Andersen was awkward as a youth.

"The Princess and the Pea" and "Thumbelina" are also his tales. Another is "The Nightingale." I also like "The Little Match Girl" There is a ballet called "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" based on his story of that name.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Danes and Vikings open-notes quiz Tues, Mar 3


Viking boat stern
Originally uploaded by xdmag
Samples questions . . .

Danes and Vikings review

1. Denmark is called a “kingdom.” T / F
2. It is the southernmost of the ___ countries. a) Viking b) Nordic c) European Union d) archipelagic
3. Name the island in the North Atlantic that is a Danish possession.
4. “Autonomous:” a) self ruling b) self starting c) self possessed d) self abnegatory.
5. “Adjudicate:” a) sweet-smelling shrub b) to be baked
c) to be judged d) to hop like a bunny rabbit.
6. We are said to live in a litigious society. Litigious means
a) bringin g a law suit b) frequent car wrecks c) murdeous.
7. In North America, the Norse firsdt settled in a) Nova Scotia b) Montreal c) Quebec d) Newfoundland.
8. The Vikings were farmers most of the year. T / F
9. Parliament and Congress are pretty much the same legislative organization. T / F
10. The Vikings avidly enslaved their neighbors after victories in warfare. T / F

Berserkers? Who were they?


berserkers
Originally uploaded by shiondev
Who, indeed?

Vikings, the sea and North America

About 1000 AD, some 500 years before Columbus' voyages, the Vikings sailed to Vinland. They built a community in Newfoundland, Canada, and fought with the skraelings, or native peoples.

800 AD to 1000 AD is called the Viking Age. They dominated life in Europe. They were farmers who went to sea in the summer and went to England and France to plunder.

Their ships were cutting edge technology. They could step their masts (fold them down on deck) and row. With the mast and sail down, they gained speed and the ability to travel up the rivers. From this was born the surprise attack of the pillaging Vikings. Because of bravery and ship technology, they could also sail away from the coastline and cut across open waters.

Pagans: "People from the country." Non-Christians.
Christians not allowed to trade with Pagans.
Vikings began to convert to Christianity about 1100 AD.

Trees: not avail on Greenland, but plentiful in Vinland. Why the high priority for trees?

Speaking of Canada, who were the Europeans who settled Nova Scotia, at the time named Acadia? The French who would later be called the Acadians.

Skraelings: the name for savages, or the Native Americans.

Oral culture: the Viking sagas.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Washington to Hanoi: a Vietnam war review


Saigon by night
Originally uploaded by ntdt
Based on the class web site notes:

Washington to Hanoi: Vietnam review

1. Geneva is a city in the nation of a) Netherlands
b) Switzerland c) Germany d) Belgium.
2. The Geneva Accord was part of ending the war between Vietnam and __ . a) France b) England
c) Belgium d) Netherlands.
3. Appropriate order of the presidents: a) Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy b) Kennedy, Nixon, Johnson
c) Nixon, LBJ, Eisenhower d) Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ
4. Not a Senator from Massachusetts: a) John F Kennedy
b) Dwight Eisenhower.
5. Commander-in-chief of US during Vietnam conflict:
a) Nixon b) Truman c) JFK d) Eisenhower.
6. President associated with secondary escalation of troops in Vietnam: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ .
7. Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
8. Tet Offensive: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
9. Great Society: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
10. End of Vietnam war, ‘73 - ‘75: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
11. Domino Theory: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ d) Eisenhower.
12. Tet Offensive: a) Hue b) Hanoi c) Bangkok
d) Cambodia.
13. Viet Cong: a) US b) China c) Japan.
14. Australians: a) US b) China c) Japan.
15. Protest march in Washington, DC: a) 1966 b) 1969
c) 1973 d) 1975.
16. Sent US advisers to Vietnam: a) LBJ b) Nixon
c) JFK.
17. Ho Chi Minh: a) Hanoi b) Hue c) Da Nang d) Saigon.
18. Indochina: a) France b) Belgium c) England d) US.
19. “Goodnight, Irene”: a) Dylan b) Leadbelly c) Hendrix.
20. Civil Rights march on Washington, DC: a) 1960
b) 1963 c) 1969 d) 1971.
21. President who banned racial discrimination in the military: a) LBJ b) JFK c) Nixon d) Eisenhower e) Truman.
22. Vietnam’s population today is about one third the US population. T / F
23. Vietnam is a communist nation today. T / F
24. Vietnamese boat people: a) 1954 b) 1966 c) 1969
d) 1975.
25. Not an example of Vietnamese ingenuity: a) punji traps
b) tunnel system c) betel nut.

Washington to Hanoi: Vietnam review

1. b Geneva is a city in the nation of b) Switzerland
2. a Geneva Accord was part of ending the war between Vietnam and __ . a)
France
3. d Appropriate order of the presidents: d) Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ
4. b Not a Senator from Massachusetts: a) John F Kennedy
b) Dwight Eisenhower.
5. a Commander-in-chief of US during Vietnam conflict:
a) Nixon b) Truman c) JFK d) Eisenhower.
6. a President associated with secondary escalation of troops in Vietnam:
a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ .
7. c Gulf of Tonkin Resolution: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
8. c Tet Offensive: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
9. c Great Society: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
10. a End of Vietnam war, ‘73 - ‘75: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ.
11. d Domino Theory: a) Nixon b) JFK c) LBJ d) Eisenhower.
12. a Tet Offensive: a) Hue b) Hanoi c) Bangkok d) Cambodia.
13. b Viet Cong: a) US b) China c) Japan.
14. a Australians: a) US b) China c) Japan.
15. b Protest march in Washington, DC: a) 1966 b) 1969 c) 1973 d) 1975.
16. c Sent US advisers to Vietnam: a) LBJ b) Nixon c) JFK.
17. a or d Ho Chi Minh: a) Hanoi b) Hue c) Da Nang d) Saigon.
18. a Indochina: a) France b) Belgium c) England d) US.
19. b “Goodnight, Irene”: a) Dylan b) Leadbelly c) Hendrix.
20. b Civil Rights march on Washington, DC: a) 1960 b) 1963 c) 1969
21. e President who banned racial discrimination in the military: a) LBJ
b) JFK c) Nixon d) Eisenhower e) Truman.
22. F Vietnam’s population today is about one third the US population. T / F
23. T Vietnam is a communist nation today. T / F
24. d Vietnamese boat people: a) 1954 b) 1966 c) 1969 d) 1975.
25. c Not an example of Vietnamese ingenuity: a) punji traps b) tunnel system c) betel nut.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Professor and daughter from Århus, Denmark, to speak to geography classes Mon, Mar 3; would you help me with lunch for them?


Århus
Originally uploaded by Hrafnhildur L
Per Peterson, University of Aarhus, and daughter Annabelle, graduate of the U of Copenhagen, will visit geography classes Mon. Arranged by CMHS parent and Centenary College staffer Becky Palmer, I think the visit will be fun and instructive. I would like to reward their labor with a lunch treat.

Would parents out there help me treat them to a lovely lunch? There are several ways to do this. Basically, I'd like it if generous parents attended a class and brought some food and ate with us.

Please email me your ideas at trudeau@earthlink.net or call 861-6809. Merci.

African island video, "Leopards of Zanzibar"


fins
Originally uploaded by Farl
Swahili culture:
Somalia to Mozambique along the Indian Ocean. Once this was a region of ancient trading routes: men grew wealthy handling spices, ivory, slaves.

Swahili is a blend of Arabic, European and tribal words, Kiswahili is both a language and a name for the blended culture.

The people traditionally fish along the coral reef which surrounds their coastline. They cut the coral to make houses out of the stony material.
Coral is a slow growing organism but they live in an area of plenteous supply.

The principal character, Issa, makes his living as a free diver. He spends some 7 hrs a day in the water. He can dive as deep as 50 feet and stay under 3 mins at a time. His principal commodity is the edible octopus.

In this video Issa faces several challenges. One is how to bring his soccer team to the playoffs on the mainland. The second is how to make the money to pay the team's expenses.

Baobabs: eat the leaves, the fruit, use them for dye, fuel and fiber


Young Girl and Baobabs
Originally uploaded by Aaron B
Baobab is the common name of a genus containing eight species of trees, native to Madagascar, mainland Africa and Australia.

Other common names include boab, boaboa, bottle tree and monkey bread tree.

The species reach heights of between 10 - 80 ft tall, and up to 23ft in trunk diameter. They are noted for storing water inside the swollen trunk, with the capacity to store up to 32,000 US gallons, of water to endure the harsh drought conditions particular to each region.

- There is an important baobab tree in Kunta Kinte's village in The Gambia from Alex Haley's novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family.
- Rafiki, in The Lion King, makes his home in a baobab tree.

swahili for I love you


swahili for I love you
Originally uploaded by lynda_luv
Jambo Hello
Habari gani? How are you?
Nzuri sana I'm fine, Thank you.
Jina lako nani? What is your name?
Jina Lango ni My name is ......
karibu welcome
kwaheri good bye


Jumatatu Monday
Jumanne Tuesday
Jumatano Wednesday
Alhamisi Thursday
Ijumaa Friday
Jumamosi Saturday
Jumapili Sunday

moja one
mbili two
tatu three
nne four
tano five
sita six
saba seven
nane eight
tisa nine
kumi ten

simba lion
tembo elephant
kifaru rhinoceros
chui leopard
kiboko hippopotamus
nyati buffalo
twiga giraffe
punda milia zebra
fisi hyena
swara antelope
sungura hare
mamba crocodile
bwhea jackal
ng'ombe cattle
mbuzi goat
nyoka snake

ndiyo yes
hapana no
asante sana thank you
rafiki friend
mimi me
wewe you
sababu because
hapa here
sasa now
juu up
chini down
yangu It is mine.
tafadhali please
bana man
mama woman
mtoto/watoto child/chlidren
leo today
kesho tommorrow
safari journey
uhuru freedom
nataka I want
sitaki I don't want
mlima mountain
hakuna matata no problem

Barack Obama and John Kennedy: research and compare for indie work

Charisma and youth and great speech-making: the candidacies of Obama and Kennedy have numerous parallels.

Read their bios. Look at the promises JFK made and the outcome of his presidency. Look at the Obama campaign. Enjoy.

Type it. Give it a great title and document it. Due anytime this month.

The Continent of Africa, continent of Africa


Colors of Africa
Originally uploaded by Carlo Tancredi
Your teacher says it twice because he'd like to remind you that it is not the Country of Africa. There are some 46 nations on the continent.

1. What are the principal ways the US relates to Africa?

2. List the problems faced by nations on the continent of Africa.

3. The world looks to the continent of Africa for mny resources. How many can you name?

Our focus nations:
1. Morocco, the crossroads-of-Africa-and-Europe nation.
2. Senegal, the French-influenced center of West African arts.
3. Nigeria, the English-influenced oil-rich US ally.
4. South Africa, the wealthiest and most advanced African nation in regards mining (diamonds, gold, etc), farming and urbanity (Johannesburg).
5. Kenya, the nation of safaris, Swahili and amazing wildlife.
6. Egypt, the land of the pharaohs and a cradle of civilzation.

Statewide, standardized testing: see louisianaschools.net

Standardized testing can be worrisome for some students and parents. With that in mind, there are online resources that can be helpful for one and all.

At Louisianaschools.net you will find many levels of review work.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Test on Tues all about Vietnam from notes posted on this blog

Vietnam:
- the map
- the war
- past quizzes found below.

Open notes quiz Tuesday, Feb 26.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Preparing betel nut, the chewed Asian stimulant


Preparing betel nut
Originally uploaded by machagurl
Betel nuts are chewed in Asia for their effects as a mildly euphoric stimulant, attributed to the presence of relatively high levels of psychoactive alkaloids and terpeneols. Chewing betel nuts increases the capacity to work, also causes a hot sensation in the body, heightened alertness and sweating[citation needed]. It should be noted effect of chewing a few betel nuts is milder than drinking a cup of coffee.

Betel chewing is a tradition which dates back thousands of years. The bitter poultice is an acquired taste, and, although it is not clear why the people of the Pacific originally began to chew betelnut, the habit has been passed down through the generations and now provides a cultural link to their past.

Rice Paddy Terraces / Rice produces methane

A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Rice can also be grown in dry-fields, but from the twentieth century paddy field agriculture became the dominant form of growing rice.

The fields require large quantities of water for irrigation. Flooding provides water essential to the growth of the crop. Water also provides a favorable environment for the rice strains being grown as well as discouraging the growth of many species of weeds. The water buffalo is the only draft animal adapted for life in wetlands so they are extensively used in paddy fields.

Growing rice has an adverse environmental impact because of the large quantities of methane gas it generates.

This level of greenhouse gas generation is a large component of the global warming threat produced from an expanding human population. However, recent studies have shown that methane can be significantly reduced while also boosting crop yield by draining the paddies.[2]

The word "paddy" is derived from the Malay word padi, rice plant.[3]
Contents

Huey: workhorse of the Viet conflict


Huey.
Originally uploaded by stonefaction
The Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1 Iroquois, commonly (or officially in the United States Marine Corps) known as the "Huey", is a multipurpose military helicopter, famous for its use in the Vietnam War. The "U" stands for utility, in contrast to attack or cargo helicopters.

In Vietnam, 2,202 Huey pilots were killed and approximately 2,500 aircraft were lost, roughly half to combat and the rest to operational accidents.

The UH-1 has long become a symbol of US involvement in Southeast Asia in general and Vietnam in particular, and as a result of that conflict, has become one of the world's most recognized helicopters.

In Vietnam primary missions included general support, air assault, cargo transport, aeromedical evacuation, search and rescue, electronic warfare, and later, ground attack.

UH-1s tasked with a ground attack or armed escort role were outfitted with rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and machine guns. These gunship UH-1s were commonly referred to as Hogs if they carried rockets, and Cobras if they had guns.[5] While UH-1s tasked for troop transport were often called Slicks due to an absence of weapons pods. Slicks did have door gunners, but for the most part they were strictly troop carriers and medevacs.[3][2] In the US Navy and USMC the difference between gunships were referred to as Sharks, troop transport aircraft, Dolphins.

Postwar Vietnam: Reeducation camps and Boat People / In 1986, Free Market reform


Vietnam, Hanoi
Originally uploaded by flydime
Postwar Vietnam, acc to wikipedia.org:

Upon taking control, the Vietnamese communists banned all other political parties, arrested public servants and military personnel of the Republic of Vietnam and sent them to reeducation camps. The government also embarked on a mass campaign of collectivization of farms and factories. Reconstruction of the war-ravaged country was slow, and serious humanitarian and economic problems confronted the communist regime.

Millions of people fled the country in crudely-built boats, creating an international humanitarian crisis.[7][8] In 1978, the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia (sparking the Cambodian-Vietnamese War) to remove the Khmer Rouge from power. This action worsened relations with China, which launched a brief incursion into northern Vietnam (the Sino-Vietnamese War) in 1979. This conflict caused Vietnam to rely even more heavily on Soviet economic and military aid.

Free market reforms

In a historic shift in 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam implemented free-market reforms known as Đổi Mới (renovation). With the authority of the state remaining unchallenged, private ownership of farms and companies, deregulation and foreign investment were encouraged.

The economy of Vietnam has achieved rapid growth in agricultural and industrial production, construction and housing, exports, and foreign investment. It is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

With a population of over 85 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. The country is listed among the "Next Eleven" economies; according to government figures, GDP growth was 8.17% in 2006, the second fastest growth rate among countries in East Asia and the fastest in Southeast Asia.

One of the best-known dishes of SE Asia: Pad Thai = with a Squeeze of Lime

Pad Thai, "Thai style frying." is a dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts and coriander. It is normally served with a piece of lime, the juice of which can be added along with the usual Thai condiments. In Thailand, it is also served with a piece of banana flower.

There have evolved two different styles of Pad Thai: the version most often found in the streets of Thailand, which is relatively dry and light; and the version that seems dominant in many restaurants in the West, which may be covered in a red oil and can be heavy tasting.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Cmhs production of Midsummer Nights Dream Th, Fri at 7 pm; Louisiana Dance Theater at the Strand on Mon, Feb 25


Louisiana Dance Theater
Originally uploaded by trudeau
Bonus credit can be scored by geography students who take advantage of the following:

Midsummer Nights Dream, Cmhs Drama Dept, PAC, Th and Fri, Feb 21 - 22. 7 pm; $5. In Shakespearean costume.

State soccer playoffs on Sat, Feb 23: Cmhs vs Woodlawn of BR, Independence Stadium, 7 pm. $8.

La Dance Theater at the Strand Theater on Mon, Feb 25, features Cmhs grad and nationally-recognized dancer Ashley Murphey.

In addition to La Dance Theater, see Orchesis Dance Theater of Grambling, Impulse dance Theater of the LA School for Math, Sci and the Arts and NYC dancer Jon Lehrer. Tickets $15, 20 and 25, and well worth it.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The US in the Late 60's: can you tell a war protestor from a hippie?


Jimi Hendrix
Originally uploaded by littleredglass
Among the long haired people in the late 1960's were 2 divergent groups who looked alike and shared some ideas but who were otherwise different: the war protestors and the hippies.

Both groups tended to emphasize "free love," which was a newly-labeled form of sexual promiscuity. Females in the era were anxious to establish independence and some of them thought that being casually intimate would equal a new form of control over their lives. In truth, availability of the birth control pill was partly a factor in the free love equation.

Marihuana was a relatively new intoxicant in the 60's and youths who got their hands on the herbifumaceous material felt superior to the adults who were still enhancing their relaxation with beer, wine and martinis. In the 60's a poetic and romantic mystique accompanied the smoking of the herb. In the 1970's cannabis sativa lost its exclusivity and became simply another common intoxicant and business opportunity.

Communal living was in vogue in the 60's. Sharing the rent and food costs was the basic formula. A higher level was sharing the purchase of rural land, housing and farm implements. Both groups experimented with the fun and complications involved with communes.

The War protestor may have looked like a hippie, but he typically stayed in college, did a lot of reading - some of it inspired by Asian literature, such as Buddhist thought - and debating of issues. Protestors tended to write about the issues in a new group of independent publications, such as the Berkeley Barb.

Hippies wanted to drop out of materialistic and corrupt American society. Their goal was to go Back to the Land. Living in a teepee in the remote mountains of Arkansas or Colorado was the hippie dream.
Hippies were apolitical. Didn't care about the war or politics. Staying high while farming and crafting their own clothes and jewelry was another prevalent dream.

By the mid-70's long hair ceased to be a badge of rebellion. Common criminals and working class youths adopted long hair and wore army surplus clothing. The utopian dreams given to the world by artists and poets in San Francisco had been corrupted by excessive media attention and blunted by the marketplace.

1963 and an important chapter in the history of America


1963
Originally uploaded by trudeau
The Civil Rights movement hit a peak moment in 1963 with the March on Washington. Some 250,000 people gathered between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial for music and speeches.

Setting the scene via a history site at http://www.abbeville.com/civilrights/washington.asp:

In the spring and summer of 1963 the events in Birmingham inspired a wave of demonstrations elsewhere, more extensive than all that had come before. Almost a thousand actions were mounted in over a hundred southern cities, resulting in over twenty thousand arrests.

On June 19 President Kennedy sent Congress the promised civil rights bill, which offered federal protection to African Americans seeking to vote, to shop, to eat out, and to be educated on equal terms.

Pressuring Congress to adopt this bill and consolidating the huge upsurge in protest activities brought together major civil rights, labor, and religious groups to organize a massive Washington demonstration.

The roots of the 1963 March on Washington go back to a 1941 initiative by A. Philip Randolph, the trailblazing president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

Randolph had organized the original March on Washington Movement, which was designed to pressure President Roosevelt to guarantee jobs for black men and women in the wartime armament industries. The 1941 march was canceled at the last moment when Roosevelt capitulated to the demands and issued the first executive order protecting African-American rights since the Emancipation Proclamation.

After the war Randolph also succeeded in persuading President Harry S. Truman to ban racial discrimination in the military.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Vietnam map quiz, Vietnam veteran interview due this week


Smiles of Vietnam, Da Nang
Originally uploaded by michaeldds
Wed:
10 items on the hand-sketched map of Vietnam:
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, S China Sea, Mekong River, Vietnam, China, Laos, cambodia, Thailand.

Thurs:
10 answers to questions about life in Vietnam during the war given by a veteran - to be found by a student.
- Question and answer form.
- At least 3/4 of a page, typed.
- See the earlier post for the actual questions.
20 pts. for this report based on a primary source.

Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement and songwriter Bob Dylan


Bob Dylan chucking a brick
Originally uploaded by <<graham>>
The Civil Rights Movement galvanized young Americans in the early 1960's, regardless of ethnicity. Among those helping raise America's consciousness was songwriter Bob Dylan.

In his song, "Blowin in the Wind," he sang -

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

In the song he addresses racism as well as war. In the 1963 Civil Rights protest in Wash, DC, Dylan was invited to perform for the audience of some 250,000.

Dylan was also featured in the largest of all the Vietnam anti-war protest demonstrations, the March on Washington in 1969. Some 250,000 gathered.

Dylan, who took his stage name from the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, addressed racism and war in a poetic and philosophcal way in "Blowin in the wind," and touched the world.

Soldiers in Vietnam, the media, the Beatles: they all listened to Dylan's simple but inspired tunes.

Dylan's voice was not appealing, which was a big deal in the pop-minded mid-1960's. Soon people realized his voice didn't matter.

Among his most-famous tunes:
"The times they are a-changin"
"Mr Tambourine Man"
"Like a rolling stone"

Dylan was influenced by folksingers such as Leadbelly.
Born as Huddie Ledbetter and raised around Mooringsport,
Leadbelly's most famous song was "Goodnight, Irene."
After spending decades in prison for felonious assault, Leadbelly was discovered in Angola State Prison by folklorist Alan Lomax.

Lomax took Leadbelly to NYC in 1935 and he found the spotlight of the media. Playing folk clubs, college campuses and at political rallies, Leadbelly found a new home on the Lower East Side of Gotham. He influenced both black and white folk singers.

Dylan, born in 1941, is still recording, writing and giving concerts. He is considered one of the most influential men of the 20th century.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Vietnam Conflict review quiz and answers

Vietnam Conflict Review
1. "Those who don't learn history are doomed to ___ it." a) wonder about b) argue c) repeat d) study
2. 1950: Pres. __ sends advisers to help the French. a) Eisenhower b) JFK c) Nixon d) Truman e) LBJ.
3. 1954: Vietnam is divided by the document called the __ __. North is communist; South is democratic. a) Gulf of Tonkin Resolution b) Tet Offensive c) Geneva Accord d) Treaty of Versailles.
4. The French exit after almost 100 years of occupation of the 3-nation region called __. a) Indonesia b) LaoCamNam c) Vietnam and its neighbors d) Indochina.
5. __ __ __, leader of the communist revolutionaries, is triumphant in both 1954 and in 1975 (though posthumously). a) Gen. Da Nang b) Chaing Kai Shek c) Chairman Mao Zedong d) Hai Phong e) Ho Chi Minh
6. In 1954 Pres. __ sends advisers to aid the S. Vietnam Army (see answers in #2).
7. 1961; Pres. __ sends more advisers - some 15,000 US troops in 'Nam. (see answers above)
8. 1964; Pres. __ asks Congress for approval of direct military action. Bombing of N. Vietnam begins.
9. 1965; Doves make their opinions known in regards the war in Vietnam: a) conservatives b) liberals c) undecided d) veterans e) birds.
10. 1968; Peak US troops reach peak: a) quarter million b) half million c) million d) almost 2 million.
11. 1968: Communist surprise attacks on US-held regions, including the capital city: a) Da Nang b) Hanoi c) Bangkok d) Saigon.
12. Called the Tet Offensive, it is widely seen in the US as a) encouraging b) enraging c) discouraging d) inevitable.
13. 1969; Pres. __ reduces troop strength in Thailand and Vietnam. But he continues the bombing of N. Vietnam. (see answer choices in #2)
14. A massive protest demonstration in 1969 brings students and other anti-war groups from across the US to the city of a) Paris b) NYC c) San Francisco d) Washington e) New Orleans.
15. In 197_ a peace pact with the communists was signed in Paris. It signaled the end of the US’ longest-running war. The year was a) 1954 b) 1964 c) 1974 d) 1984.
16. The communist forces won victory over S. Vietnam in a) 1968 b) 1971 c) 1975 d) 1977.
17. During the cold war era the US goal was to stop communism across the globe. In regions such as Southeast Asia the US military felt a risk of a communist chain reaction. Therefore Pres. Eisenhower enunciated the policy known as the __ theory. a) Chain reaction b) Cold war c) Domino d) Chess.
18. The name for the communist guerillas living and fighting in South Vietnam:
a) Orangutans b) North Vietnam Army (NVA) c) Viet Tigers d) Viet Cong.
19. Principal US allies in Vietnam: a) England, Netherlands b) Canada, Australia
c) Japan, Mexico d) England, Germany.



Viet answers:
1. c) repeat
2. d) Truman
3. c) Geneva Accord
4. d) Indochina
5. e) Ho Chi Minh
6. a) Eisenhower
7. b) Kennedy
8. e) Johnson
9. b) liberals
10. b) half
11. d) Saigon
12. c) discouraging
13. c) Nixon
14. d) Washington
15. c) ‘74
16. c) 1975
17. c) domino
18. d) Viet cong
19. b) Canadians / Australians

Vietnam the US Presidents quiz and answers


Slice of Saigon 2
Originally uploaded by J Catlett

Presidents / Vietnam quiz

Choose from these presidents -
a) Nixon b) LBJ c) JFK d) Eisenhower e) Truman

1. Resigned from presidency rather than face impeachment.
2. The most successful of the US generals in WW II.
3. Formerly a senator from Texas.
4. Once a senator from Massachusetts.
5. Defeated Richard Nixon for presidency in 1960.
6. Served as vice-president under Eisenhower.
7. Associated with Franklin Roosevelt.
8. Associated with the Watergate scandal.
9. Commander in chief of US military in WW II.
10. President associated with successful legislation on civil rights and Medicare; his program was called the Great Society.
11. President who ended the Vietnam war.
12. President who used the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to escalate American troop strength in Vietnam.

Presidents / Vietnam quiz answers -

a 1. Resigned from presidency rather than face impeachment.
d 2. The most successful of the US generals in WW II.
b 3. Formerly a senator from Texas.
c 4. Once a senator from Massachusetts.
c 5. Defeated Richard Nixon for presidency in 1960.
a 6. Served as vice-president under Eisenhower.
e 7. Associated with Franklin Roosevelt.
a 8. Associated with the Watergate scandal.
e 9. Commander in chief of US military in WW II.
b 10. President associated with successful legislation on civil rights and Medicare called the Great Society agenda.
a 11. President who ended the Vietnam war.
b 12. President who used the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to escalate American troop strength in Vietnam.

Five presidents and Vietnam quiz


Presidents / Vietnam quiz

Choose from these presidents -
a) Nixon b) LBJ c) JFK d) Eisenhower e) Truman

1. Resigned from presidency rather than face impeachment.
2. The most successful of the US generals in WW II.
3. Formerly a senator from Texas.
4. Once a senator from Massachusetts.
5. Defeated Richard Nixon for presidency in 1960.
6. Served as vice-president under Eisenhower.
7. Associated with Franklin Roosevelt.
8. Associated with the Watergate scandal.
9. Commander in chief of US military in WW II.
10. President associated with successful legislation on civil rights and Medicare; his program was called the Great Society.
11. President who ended the Vietnam war.
12. President who used the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution to escalate American troop strength in Vietnam.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Punji Stick Booby Trap


Punji Stick Booby Trap
Originally uploaded by peter.cipollone
In the Vietnam war of the communists vs the French and, later, the US, the Viet Cong guerillas fought an effective low-tech conflict.

Booby traps, ambush, use of tunnels: the communists were canny.

But they won the allegiance of many Vietnamese people in a harsh way: through murder of community leaders. Today we performed a skit in which the VC force the people to choose between hiding and feeding the guerillas and living a peaceful, impoverished farming life.

Hue, Vietnam: the ancient capital has the Imperial City and is filled with pagodas

Hue, the ancient capital of Vietnam lies on the central coast near Da Nang. It is a city much affected by Buddhism and Confucianism.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Southeast Asia, nations with rising economies and, even, deposits of petroleum


ao dai girls
Originally uploaded by pedro dyliacco
Once called Indochina because the nations are tucked under India and China, the region of Southeast Asia has valuable resources (mahogany, spices, rubber, oil, etc) and a growing population ready to compete for a good lifestyle.

Identifications -
Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand.
Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Da Nang.
Mekong River, South China Sea.

Americans and Europeans visit this region to buy jewelry, gems, furniture and fabrics. The trade in sex and drugs is also well-documented. Increasingly, manufacturing of consumer goods is a part of life in Vietnam and its neighbors.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Historic sources and scholarship in the social studies


Colorful Family
Originally uploaded by J Catlett
In the Vietnam veteran interview you will be working with what we call a primary source.

When you read a book, encyclopedia or textbook you are getting info from what we call a tertiary source, or third hand.

When you read a newspaper or see a documentary, we call it info from a secondary source.

When you observe or talk directly to an observer of an event we call it a primary source. Using primary sources in addition to secondary and tertiary sources is a goal of an effective social studies class.

Vietnam Veteran interview due Th, Feb 21


ha long bay - vietnam
Originally uploaded by chillntravel
First, please see the Five presidents in Vietnam Project, below. It is due Th, Feb 14. Having done the Five Pres report, you will have enough background to comfortably interview a Vietnam war veteran.

Question and answer format is fine. It should be about 1 typed page in length.

1. Name, branch of service.
2. Years served in Vietnam.
3. Your responsibilities in the service while in Vietnam.
4. Locations you visted in Vietnam and East Asia. In which place did you stay the longest?
5. The terrain of the Vietnam you observed.
6. Climate that you experienced?
7. Describe the people of Vietnam. Comment on their economy, their appearance and psychology.
8. What changes have occurred in your attitude toward the US role in Vietnam?
9. What should teens learn about the war?
10. Your favorite book or movie about the war?

If the veteran declines to answer a question or two, it is OK. Please record any reason he might have offered for declining.

If the vet seems talkative and helpful, please ask additional questions. This project, believe it or not, becomes part of history. It might be used in Am Hist class or another project.

Note-taking? It is not easy to scribble all the answers as well as you'd like to when doing an interview. If you have the ability to record the interview it will give you an advantage. Cassette tape recorders work well. Computers also have a recording function built in. You can record with a videocam or camera, too. Remember to get the person's mouth and the mic as close as possible.

Five presidents in Vietnam project / John F. Kennedy 1917 - 1963

Vietnam Conflict Timeline project:

- 15 pts.
- based on brief, bulleted notes.
- due Th, Feb 12.
- try to contain the project on a total of 2 pages.

Include -

a. 5 presidents' images, dates & brief bios
b. brief descriptions of 5 of the following terms


Geneva Accord
Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Ho Chi Minh
Asian guerilla warfare
Anti-war protest movement
NVA & VC in Tet Offensive
Counterculture movement
My Lai village massacre
Vietnamese refugees: "boat people"
Mekong River
Armaments of the Vietnam conflict

The goal is to give you an overview before you meet your veteran for the primary source interview.

Take care for -
- titling
- documentation
- grammar, construction
- editing and brevity
- must be typed.

Soichiro Honda: Indie work


Soichiro Honda
Originally uploaded by saiba_o_segredo
Indie comparison essay this week:

You may research and write about -

- Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda motors, and Akio Morita, one of Sony's founders
- achievements of Yamaha company and those of Toyota motors.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Fuji-san: map quiz Tues


Fuji-san
Originally uploaded by dogwalks
Between cities, islands, bodies of water and neighboring nations, sketch a map of Japan and identify the elements.

Label 12 items, at least 2 of them neighboring nations.

Sushi, nori, miso, wasabi, tempura: know your uptown Japanese foods


Birthday Sushi plate
Originally uploaded by 202
Vocab -

- sushi
- nori
- wasabi
- miso
- tempura
- sukiyaki

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

A visit to Mrs Hennessey's room to form Raku teabowls


Raku teabowls
Originally uploaded by nesting.emily
Thurs, Feb 7, geography classes visit pottery classes courtesy of Mrs Hennessey. Students will learn to make pinch pots into the classic teabowl of Asian culture.

Later, the cups will be glazed and fired in the raku style.


Rakuyaki or Raku (樂) is a form of Japanese pottery characterized by low firing temperatures (resulting in a fairly porous body), lead glazes, and the removal of pieces from the kiln while still glowing hot. In the traditional Japanese firing process, the pot is removed from the hot kiln and put directly into water or allowed to cool in the open air.

Raku is considered the traditional method for creating bowls for the Japanese tea ceremony. Raku tea bowls are hand-made from earthenware, each with a unique shape and style. Raku techniques have been adopted and modified by contemporary potters worldwide.


Report to pottery class in D wing on Thursday!

Japanese-style boxed lunch: Bento


Bento for picnic - Top layer
Originally uploaded by Jen44
Bentō is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine, says wikipedia. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish.

Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento are easily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops (弁当屋, bentō-ya?), train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend considerable time and energy producing an appealing boxed lunch.

Bento can be very elaborate, aesthetically pleasing cuisine arrangements. Often the food is arranged in such a way as to resemble other objects: dolls, flowers, leaves, and so forth.

Indie work: descriptive essay on Ichiban Restaurant


ichiban
Originally uploaded by mallol
Ichiban Japanese Restaurant
(318) 219-9900
4414 Youree Dr, Shreveport, LA 71105

It is not cheap, but it is a fascinating place.

Ash Wednesday: "From dust you came, to dust you shall return."

Ash Wednesday is celebrated throughout the Catholic world as the first day of the season of Lent.

1) Meaning of Catholic? "universal"
2) " " " Lent? From a Latin word for "springtime."
3) Where does the Catholic church originate? In the biggest sense, Rome. Thus, Roman Catholic.

Japanese couples want to know each other's blood types


Japanese Clubbers
Originally uploaded by roskodgroovy
The blood type theory of personality is a popular belief in Japan, says Wikipedia A person's ABO blood type is believed to be predictive of their personality, temperament, and compatibility with others, similar to the Western world's astrology.

The theory is dismissed by the scientific community as superstition or pseudoscience.[1]couples

Global transportation star: the 50 cc Honda Cub


Honda Cub
Originally uploaded by hondadudecanada
An amazing Japanese contribution to evolving technology is seen in the Honda Cub, a 50 cc motor bike that is still being sold across the globe. It is cheap, fuel efficient, easy to repair. It is also able to carry families ( 3 to 4 people at a time) or considerable loads. See the Honda Metropolitan scooter for the latest US version of the Cub 50.

The British vertical twin design, seen in the Triumph, BSA and Norton,
has lost favor. But the vertical twin design influenced Japanese engineers such as Soichiro Honda.

The V-twin design of Harley Davidson has lasted in the marketplace, though the design is outmoded.

Map of Japan / Nippon and its neighbors


Map, route and dates
Originally uploaded by 1MANJAPAN
Nippon -

Mt. Fuji
Sea of Japan
Pacific

Hokkaido
Honshu

Tokyo
Tokyo Bay
Kobe-Osaka-Kyoto
Hiroshima

Kyushu
Nagasaki
Shikoku

Okinawa
S. Korea
China
Russia

Friday, February 01, 2008

The Geography of Carnival project

Create an annotated map of the nations where carnival is prevalent.
Use pp 2 - 3 of the RMQRWA.

- Label the nations.
- add a rim of color round the affected countries.
- your source is a classroom copy of How To Mardi Gras or an equivalent book.
- Include nations from Europe, West Africa, the Caribbean, South America and North America.
- Ocens and seas, too.
- Draw arrows that indicate the direction of cultural tranference.

10 pts.