november 22

Today was the last day of school before the Thanksgiving break. We were all excited to get out, but sadly this was the first class of the day so we couldn't get home. Instead, we settled for finishing  Slumdog Milionare. The ending of the movie was pretty good besides the older brother dying. Jamal and the girl ended up meeting together finally and at the very end of the movie, after they met and Jamal won 20 million, they preformed this weird dance to this weird music that got stuck in my head all day. Overall, I thought that the movie was good and it was also a good lesson too.

november 21

Today in class we continued watching Slumdog Millionare. I thought it was very interesting so far. Everything is still clearing up about his childhood. I can't speak for anyone else, but I think that you kind of have to like Jamal the best. Just the way he acts shows how cunning and creative and brave he is. I think watching this movie will give us a new understanding on the cultures of other nations and other peoples. I think everyone seemed to be pretty interested in the movie so far. I know that the few people who have seen the movie really liked it.

november 20

Today we started to watch Slumdog Millionare. As we were watching it I definatly realized how fortunate I am to have everything I do including my parents and brother. I really liked the story of it. I think it gives people a new view on life and a new respect for life too. I really liked some parts of it, but there were also some parts I didn't quite understand yet. I think as we continue to watch the movie those parts will be cleared up for me. I think this movie will lead to a pretty darn-good discussion in class.

november 19

Today in class we worked on our Spotify projects. Mr. Schick wasn't here today so that is why we were doing this. I used songs that stated why people might want to come or go from a country. One song I used was "I hate my job" by Cam'Ron. It is all about how this guy hates his job and boss and just wants to stop and get out. It is kind of a rap, so it has a few bad words but...... I also used "This is war" by thirty seconds to Mars. I think "rich girl" by Hall and Oats could also demonstrate a pull force bacuse people may want to go to a place with money. It may just be me, but I wouldn't like to live in a very poor country like Haiti or something. The US is preety wealthy which is why i am writing this right now on my $1000 laptop.

november 18

Today in class we did 2 slides and took notes and then Mr. Schick put in grades. Here are my notes for today:

Cultural Geography 

Cultural Characteristics 

• cultural characteristics are parts of a group's everyday life
• they re ideas and themes which the group will TEACH to all members
• these same characteristics can also link or divide a region 
• examples of cultural characteristics would be language, religion, and ethnic heritage

At the beginning of the Power Point before we started to take notes, there was a map that showed what the different counties of the United States called soda, as we say it. Here it is:

November 14

Mexico's National Anthem

• All about war
• The man that wrote the lyrics of the anthem, was forced to put an entry into the competition by his fiance. 
• He won the competition and the lyrics that he wrote then became the national anthem 

Chorus:^[3]

Mexicans, at the cry of war,
make ready the steel and the bridle,
and may the Earth tremble at its centers
at the resounding roar of the cannon.
and may the Earth tremble at its centers
at the resounding roar of the cannon!

First Stanza:

Let gird, oh Fatherland!, your brow with olive
by the divine archangel of peace,
for in heaven your eternal destiny
was written by the finger of God.
But if some enemy outlander should dare
to profane your ground with his sole,
think, oh beloved Fatherland!, that heaven
has given you a soldier in every son.

Stanza V:

War, war without quarter to any who dare
to tarnish the coats of arms of the country!
War, war! Let the national banners
be soaked in waves of blood.
War, war! In the mountain, in the valley,
let the cannons thunder in horrid unison
and may the sonorous echoes resound
with cries of Union! Liberty!

Stanza VI:

O, Fatherland, ere your children, defenseless
bend their neck beneath the yoke,
may your fields be watered with blood,
may their foot be printed in blood.
And may your temples, palaces and towers
collapse with horrid clamor,
and may their ruins continue on, saying:
Of one thousand heroes, here the Fatherland began.

Stanza X:

Fatherland! Fatherland! your children swear to you
to breathe their last for your sake,
if the bugle with its bellicose accent
calls them together to battle with courage.
For you, olive wreathes!
A memory for them of glory!
For you, a laurel of victory!
A tomb for them of honor!

november 13

Today in class, we took our test on government types and country leaders. Going into the room and getting ready to take the test I was nervous. I had studied hard for 2 nights and studied through my off mods and classes. I was late to class though, because I was with a teacher, but that just made me more nervous. Overall, I feel good about the test and the essay too. I hope I got a good grade on my test and i hope everyone else did too. And if we do the dings again, I think I'm gonna get one!

november 12

Mexico and Brazil presented today

Mexico

• government- federal republic
• president- Enrique Pena Nieto
• 5 year terms, he can only serve one term 

How to overthrow 

• Impeach 
• drug cartels take over
• assassination
• step down

Brazil 

• government- federal republic
• president- Dilma Rousseff 
• 4 year terms, she can run for unlimited terms but no more than 2 in a row

How to Overthrow

• impeach 
• assassination 
• step down

november 11

2 more classes presented today. Syria and Israel.

Syria 

• government- republic under an Authoritarian regime 
• been in a civil war since 2011(regime is harsh)
• president is Bashar al-ASSAD
• 7 year terms, supposed to be 2 terms, but he is on his third

How to Overthrow

• have soneone else run(not likely)
• if he dies 
• assasination(not likely)
• NO IMPEACHMENT!!!!!

Israel

• government- parliamentary democracy 
• prime minister- Binyamin Netanyahu (bebe)
• president- Shimon Peres
• 7 year terms for president - 1 term max.
• unlimited terms for prime minister 

How to Overthrow 

• elections 
• impeachment 
• assasination
• 
  

november 7

Today in class 2 more groups presented. Russia and China.

Russia

• government = federal semi-presidential constitutional republic
• Vladimir Putin May 7, 2012
• He has more power the prime minister
•  Prime Minister is Dmitry Medvedev

Putin

• was the prime minister 
• can run 1 more term
• Changed the constitution so he can have 6 year terms instead of 4 year terms 

Overthrow

• no one wants to overthrow him
• no impeachment history on Putin, but you can impeach if you want

Dirt on Putin

• suspected to be involved in the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines 
• Supports terrorist countries

China 

• government = communist state since 1949
• became official communist when agriculture, handicraft, and capitalist industry completed in 1956 (3 major transformation)
• President = Xi Jinping March 2013-2018: 2 terms 
• Prime Minister = Li Kequiang 2013-2018: 2 terms

Ways to change leadership

• NO IMPEACHMENT IN CHINA under a COMMUNIST state 

Hong Kong/Taiwan still have impeachment because they still are a capitalist government 

november 6

 Today in class two more groups presented. Germany and Japan.

Germany

• government = federal republic
• After WW2 Soviate Russia was in charge of Germany. Germany split into East and West. East was communist- Soviate Russia. West was run by US- free to roam
• Berlin Wall separated East and West
• President is Joachim Gauch
• His first term ends 2017- 5 year terms
• Chancellor Angela Merkel 
• third term ends 2017- can be reelected if everyone agrees 

How to overthrow (Germany)

• Impeachment- Same as US, UK, and France
• Assassination 
• Step down as a leader

Japan 

• government = constitutional monarchy 
• has 3 branches- like US
• Diet=Congress 
• oldest hereditary monarchy 
• founded by Jimmu in 660 BC
• Changed constitution after WW2
• Emperor is Akihito 
• he will stay in power until death
• Naruhito - crown prince of Japan- Heir to throne 
• Prime Minister - Shinzo Abe 
• He has no limit on #terms, 4 year terms
• He has the real power

Ways to Overthrow

• petition to overthrow
• His term ends 
• Assassination 

november 4

Today in class we were given one last day to work on our projects. I got to put a few last thing on my PowerPoint and got to ask any last minute questions about the project or content of the project. I still don't know how many slides I needed, but who cares. I think my project is going to be great and I have full confidence in Rosemary and I that we will present our project the best we can and it will blow Mr. Schick's socks off. I hope everyone else's projects will be great and we will again have the best average of all Mr.Schick's classes, that s if Mr. Schick figures that out for us. i wish the best of luck to everyone when they present!!

november 5

Today in class, two groups presented their projects. We had France and the UK go today.  

For France: 

• President is Francois Hollande
• Prime minister is Manuel Valls 
• The prime minister does not have a set length of term
• Hollande was born Catholic but is now atheist
• Valls did not support Hollande when Hollande was running 
• To overthrow the government, you can impeach the president
• Impeachment is the same in France as in the US

For UK:

• Queen Elizabeth I
• David Cameron does the real ruling of the country
• The queen has been in reign for 63 years
• The prime minister does not have a set length of term
• The queen is the only one in the UK that can drive without a license or plate
• To overthrow the government, you can impeach
• Impeachment is the same in the UK as it is in the US

Well that is what I learned today^!

october 30

Today in class we finished up our Power Points for our in class project. We added the finishing touches or for some people, maybe the finishing few slides. I think that Rosemary and I's project on Mexico will be very good. This project was fun and it will be a good way to get a deeper understanding of the governments and leaders of these powerful countries. It could also help us take over the government of a country, but I don't think that will happen any time soon. I think everyone seemed to like this project and is eager to present it to the class, for the most part. I know I have learned a lot about Mexico and its leader. I have also got see some other peoples perspectives about Mexico's government through reading opinion blogs and such. (none of the information I read on blogs and such went into my power point.)