Song of Solomon meeting #3

A. Do you like the book? Why or why not?
So far I like the book. I think it's really interesting and at times it's hard to put down. Then again, it's also really confusing at times, so that's one thing I'm not too keen on. Some parts are also kind of long and drawn out, like it'll stay on one thing forever. Other sections can be really quick though, and even too quick.



Three main themes of the story

1. Racism

2. Growing up

3. Family relationships



B. Write an interpretative question.

What is Milkman's relationship with his family?



Milkman has a very complicated relationship with his father, along with his mother. In the past, he's liked his mother, but after his father Macon reveled some interesting secrets about his mother to him, Milkman completely changed his perception of her. Macon has always had a weird relationship with Milkman, he's always been fairly harsh on him, but then took him to work with him as he became a teenager. Their relationships will continue to unfold as the story goes on, and I'll be eagerly awaiting to find out how it turns out.



C. What quote seems particularly relevant to one of the themes you identified above? What does it add to the theme overall? How does that theme enhance the meaning of the book overall?

(page 155 & 156) In this section, Guitar talks extencively about how whites are unnatural and how they would kill a black man at a moment's notice. He said that any white man would kill a black man for fun, and no black man would do that to a white man or anyone. This section really illustrates how egocentric some of the characters were, and this section make me a bit angry just reading it. There are many other sections where the same points are stated, most of which are grossly racist and frustrating.

Song of solomon meeting #2

Song of Solomon is starting to pick up. But mostly because of morbid curiosity, Milkman's mother, Ruth, was apparently having some weird love triangle including her father. I don't know, it's really weird, but it's also really interesting, it makes me feel almost weird. Anyway, this section was very exciting, and I'm sure it'll only continue to be interesting.

Song of Solomon meeting #1

So far this book has been kind of confusing. The main character's name is Milkman, his best friend is Guitar, his father is Macon and his mother's name is Ruth. Not a whole lot has really happened so far so I'm not sure what to really say other than that it's hard to make connections, which was my job. I was the connector, so I had to make connections between the book and my life, current events and other things like that. The book takes place in the 1930's and the main character is black, so right off the bat there are few similarities between the characters and myself. I don't know, it's not very enticing so far, hopefully it'll get better.

Graphic Design sources

http://www.childrenshospitals.net/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Homepage&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=24553

http://www.americascores.org/index.php?id=390

http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/child-obesity-stats.htm

http://www.healthiergeneration.org/default.aspx

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698

http://obesity.org/

Image sources

Here are the sources for the images I've used so far in the video.





http://www.outbacknsw.com.au/dead_mulga_tree.jpg

http://www.mannaharvest.net/images/SH002.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Hestem%C3%B8j.jpg

http://www.geography.wisc.edu/research/images/Galt_Pesticide%20spraying%20stationary%20boom.jpg

http://www.equinoxhydroponics.com/nutes/images/PestOff.jpg

http://www.uvm.edu/~entlab/grnhouse.jpg

http://www.geographyalltheway.com/ib_geography/ib_ecosystems/imagesetc/basic_photosynthesis.gif
http://web.umr.edu/~djwesten/Research_images/soybeanplants.jpg

http://www.gardenstategardener.com/GSG%20Graphics/strawb17.jpg

http://new-www.iserv.net/v4files/treecare/large/nu-1078.05a.jpg

http://www.helicoptersotago.co.nz/lg_images/ao_bucketwork.jpg

http://www.ambhanoi.um.dk/NR/rdonlyres/95820A50-348B-4121-BD41-169F0A8010AC/0/SprayingmanIV.JPG

http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/wrg/Laverne/daily/1960s/4-18-67.JPG

http://www.ag.iastate.edu/centers/wrg/Laverne/daily/1960s/4-13-67.JPG

http://www.change2e85.com/images/store_version1/EPA.jpg

http://www.goycodesign.com/images/wallpapers/cockroach1024x768.jpg

http://raul05.galeogglobale.no/blogg/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/child_starving_bw.jpg

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ncs/photos/frog1.jpg

http://www.helicoptersotago.co.nz/lg_images/ao_bucketwork.jpg

http://www.wegmans.com/images/about/pressRoom/Produce.jpg

http://www.truthmove.org/workspace/photos-content/earth.jpg

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bay_environment/blog/corn.jpg

http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/news/MOphotogallery/Scenic/dFarm%20scene%201.jpg

http://www.tangentwines.com/trade/The_Paragon_Vineyard_at_Sunset.jpg

http://www.insectcontrolsystems.com/images/IMG_0345.jpg

http://www.woodstreamcorp.com/images/imagelibrary/JPEG/5172_300dpi.jpg

Border Angels Reflection

Well, I kind of had mixed feelings about our Border Angel, Enruqie Morones. All in all I liked him, but he did have some faults. I thought it was unprofessional of him to go about blatantly insulting such organizations as the Minute Men, even though I agreed with what he was saying. My point is hard to explain, but I’ll do my best to express myself, I feel that he should have tried to stay with the facts and things like that, not go into his personal feelings. He can talk all he wants about how the Minute Men have public displays of racism and from his experience are not very nice people, but not call they crazy, insane, or nuts. That’s just what I think.
Other than that one small criticism, I really liked having him in our class. He seemed like he was really dedicated to this cause, and even though he is faced with threats and hate mail, he still comes in with a smile on his face and with a warm attitude. That’s really what I like to see.
Part of the way through his presentation, I came to the conclusion that this was essentially his dream job. This wasn’t just something he likes, it’s not just a task on a checklist, everything he does for this organization is from the bottom of his heart and he has poured his soul into this club. I’m really happy to see that Enrique Morones is having a great time in the Border Angels, and the fact that he’s to dedicated to it is a quality that I greatly admire. I hope to be seeing him again soon for another class discussion.

"At least 25 killed in Brazil double collision"

" BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) -- A truck coming down a hill plowed into rescue workers and gawkers at the site of an earlier collision -- a double accident that killed least 25 people and injured 87, police said Wednesday.

The first crash occurred when one truck tried to pass another on a curve and smashed into an oncoming bus with about 20 people aboard, said highway police spokesman Adrian Fiamoncini. Six people on the bus and the truck driver were killed.

"It was a serious accident, but everything was under control," Fiamoncini said. But about 90 minutes later, "all of a sudden, for no reason another truck arrived and ran everybody over, firefighters, police, people who stopped at the scene," Fiamoncini said.

He said it was still unclear why the other truck failed to stop but said it might have lost its brakes.

The second accident killed 18 people, including three firefighters and a policeman, he said. The driver of the second truck was hospitalized under police custody.

Fiamoncini said many of the injured remained in serious condition and that rescue workers were looking for other victims."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/10/10/brazil.accident.ap/index.html


This article is frankly astonishing. I don't know how it's possible for one truck to kill 18 people and injure about 67 in the blink of an eye. The article said that the first collision killed 6, which is a lot of people, and then that number triples? Wow.

It said that 87 people were injured. How is that possible? There were 14 people on the bus who were injured, meaning that 73 people were hit in the crowd. How does that happen? "He said it was still unclear why the other truck failed to stop but said it might have lost its brakes." How do you look away from the road and let your truck plow into a crowd of people. If your brakes went out, wouldn't you turn your truck to hit a wall, or a car or anything other than a bunch of people. And above it all, the driver who hit all the people is just in the hospital, he didn't even die. I don't know what to think.

Tap water vs. Reclaimed Water

I feel guilty because I haven't posted in a while, but I'm back in action. Yeah!

But seriously.


We found some some differences in our sources. One source said, "Reclaimed water costs $3.28 per thousand gallons, which is currently about $2.05 less than water from an irrigation connection..."
But the EPA said this, "On average, tap water costs are slightly more than $2 per 1,000 gallons..."
We're not quite sure who to listen to, but we'll definitely do some more research. The EPA is generally a good source though, considering that they are the Environmental Protection Agency.
Yet another Source we found, that I think will be the one we listen to above all, would be on the City of San Diego website. What it states goes as following, "The cost for recycled water is .80 cents per hundred cubic feet (HCF) of water, which is equal to 748 gallons. This is a tremendous deal when compared to the current potable water rate which is about $1.91 per HCF."

Reclaimed water is extensively treated as to minimize the harmful effects on humans. The City of San Diego's website says that, "Recycled water is the end product of a three-stage treatment process in which municipal wastewater is settled out, biologically oxidized, clarified, chemically coagulated, filtered and disinfected. The resulting water is clear and colorless. Although recycled water may have a slight chlorine smell, it is visibly indistinguishable from tap water to the human eye."

It is mandatory that Recycled water be marked with signs saying things like "We are conserving our most valuable resource by irrigating our landscaping with recycled water," or, "Caution - Do Not Drink."



http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/images/chart_chemicalsdetected3.gif
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/sdwa/30th/factsheets/pdfs/fs_30ann_dwsrf_web.pdf
http://www.townofcary.org/depts/pwdept/wessexwat.htm
http://www.chem.duke.edu/~jds/cruise_chem/water/wattap.html

Total winner website;
http://www.sandiego.gov/water/recycled/faq.shtml

Script final Draft

RG, Matt, Lishane
Spencer Pforsich
Humanities
20 September 2007
“Agricultural Chemicals” Script


Chemicals, natural and man-made, are used in agriculture for many reasons. Things such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides have evolved greatly over the years. Most of our modern day world now relies on these chemicals in some way. Merriam Webster defines a fertilizer as; a substance (manure or a chemical mixture) used to make soil more fertile. The EPA describes a pesticide as; any substance or mixture of substances intended for: preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Agricultural chemicals are vital to the Earth but they affect the environment as well.
Fertilizers are incredibly important to farming and the growing of crop. For a plant to develop, it needs a few chemical elements. Oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, also known as water and air, are essential. Potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen are macronutrients that plants also need to grow. These are the three most common elements that you find in packaged fertilizers. The only source of nitrogen in soil comes from dead plants. Manure, a very natural fertilizer adds nutrients to the ground, which in turn, helps plants and contributes to the circle of life. Other chemicals that plants need are almost always found in the soil. If nutrients are hard to obtain, the plant will not grow.
A pesticide is any substance or mixture that is intended for preventing, destroying and repelling any pests. In simple terms, they kill bugs. Pesticides are used very frequently in farming and agriculture, but also in the home. It’s hard to go through the cabinet under someone’s sink and not find a can of Raid or Bug B Gone. Farmers use them because bugs eat their crops, while the average person just uses them to keep ants and other household pests away. Most pesticides do their work by changing or altering the Metabolism of their target, resulting in its death. Others like pest repellants aim to sort of scare the pests away, or rid the house of them without necessarily killing anything.
Most pesticides contain their own unique blend of different chemicals to do their job. That could mean that one company uses its own ingredients, or just uses different measurements of another’s. With some 70,000 different chemicals that are available, one could surmise that there is no shortage of pests. Many countries have trouble keeping track of all of these pesticides; about 1,500 new ones are released each year. This poses a problem because if a country is planning to make sure each one doesn’t pose a serious risk to the environment, they’ve got plenty of work to do.
Most pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides that are on the market today do little or no damage to non-target organisms, but there are always a few. Agent Orange was an Herbicide that was heavily used during the Vietnam War to defoliate trees, and it did a good job at it, but years later we’ve seen outrageous after effects and insane birth defects. But with pesticides and all of their complex ingredients, coupled with their designed function, to kill pests, it’s almost obvious that they would pose a threat to other things. Many pesticides are harmful to water dwelling animals, because of their sensitive skin and the fact that if it rains, the chemicals can be washed off of plants and right into the pond, river, lake or sea that the animals are living in. The effect on frogs has been well documented.
One study showed that when Roundup, a common household chemical, was used on Algae, it was more harmful to tadpoles and frogs in the water than it was to the algae. In fact, it actually helped the algae grow, because without the tadpoles eating it, it was left to flourish.


Interview………………..


In Conclusion, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are definitely great for world economy and for short-term survival, but should be used in great moderation and with great precaution. Otherwise, harm is rapidly approaching, because if these dangerous chemicals are used improperly or without proper testing, the future doesn’t seem too bright. The world needs to realize that although these chemicals are important now, we should be working toward a more organic agricultural system, we need to be farming foods that don’t harm the environment. We need to realize that we’re on this planet together, and if we screw it up, there are no second chances.

Script addition

I've just been adding a bit to the script.


One awful effect that’s happened because of pesticides has been the steady decline in male fertility over the past 50 or so years. Researchers proved that when pregnant rats were exposed to a fungicide commonly used in vineyards, the male offspring had a decreased sperm count of up to 20 percent. Even things like anti-malaria pesticides can have reproductive side effects. Most reproductive problems seem to arise with the sperm count getting smaller and smaller. But reproductive problems aren’t the only issues, there are also many different problems that arise with the mind, such as…






http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0603-10.htm
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=125&art_id=vn20070412014231916C324256
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/63500712/ABSTRACT?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

RJ's blog

RJ and Andrew D are partners, so much like RG and I, their information is similar. RJ's blog definitely includes more of his personality than most others, it's got a lot of his humor in there. Now this doesn't make it unprofessional, it just makes it more human. I think pretty much everyone else's blogs are mostly or almost completely information, where his just stands out. As for his information, once again, not much I didn't know about. But, he included a very valuable link, http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0091-6765%28199510%29103%3C165%3AREIBET%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage . This link is an article on the reproductive effects on birds esposed to pesticides and other chemicals. Now that I know RJ has a similar topic to mine, I think I'll use his blog a lot. Thanks, big guy.

Andrew Daugherty's Blog

Andrew's blog was set up a bit differently than mine is, so it was just a bit confusing at first. Andrew's topic is very similar to ours, his is something like Pesticides and how they are used in Mexico. Ours is just a critical annalysis of pesticides and fertilizers in Mexico and America, but they have a lot in common. When I read some of his posts, they have a lot of the same things as my blogs do, no groundbreaking information that changed my entire outlook on the topic. One gem he had though, was this article, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_244/ai_111271864 . Just the title of that should show the importance, "Pesticide effect on Preschool Children in Mexico". Andrew is welcome to use my blog as a reference and I'm glad his is there for me to view as well.

Lishane's blog

Quite disappointing. He doesn't seem to have any blogs about this project, only about the Aztec mini project. I think he really needs to get on top of things and get his blogs going. I think I'll talk with him on tuesday and tell him that he has to start blogging. This was a frustrating realization.

RG's blog

Well, no surprise, but there isn't much information on his that I didn't already know. Since RG is one of my partners, he's explained all of the informaiton he's gathered. RG's blog is definitely different than mine, but does still include many valuable resources. Combined, I think his and my blog make a great team.

My contribution to our script

This is how my part goes.


Fourth Paragraph: Different types of chemicals, what they do, and the affect on the environment

Most pesticides contain their own unique blend of different chemicals to do their job. That could mean that one company uses its own ingredients, or just uses different measurements of another’s. With some 70,000 different chemicals that are available, one could surmise that there is no shortage of pests. Many countries have trouble keeping track of all of these pesticides; about 1,500 new ones are released each year. This poses a problem because if a country is planning to make sure each one doesn’t pose a serious risk to the environment, they’ve got plenty of work to do.

Most pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides that are on the market today do little or no damage to non-target organisms, but there are always a few. Agent Orange and its effects have already been discussed, but one must not forget about the pesticides. Because of the complex ingredients in pesticides and its designed function, to kill pests, it’s almost obvious that they would pose a threat to other things. Many pesticides are harmful to water dwelling animals, because of their sensitive skin and the fact that if it rains, the chemicals can be washed off of plants and right into the pond, river, lake or sea that the animals are living in. The effect on frogs has been well documented.

One study showed that when Roundup, a common household chemical, was used on Algae, it was more harmful to tadpoles and frogs in the water than it was to the algae. In fact, it actually helped the algae grow, because without the tadpoles eating it, it was left to flourish.




Interview………………..





Fifth Paragraph: Our Opinion/conclusion

In Conclusion, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are definitely great for world economy and for short-term survival, but should be used in great moderation and with great precaution. Otherwise, harm is rapidly approaching, because if these dangerous chemicals are used improperly or without proper testing, the future doesn’t seem too bright. The world needs to realize that although these chemicals are important now, we should be working toward a more organic agricultural system, we need to be farming foods that don’t harm the environment. We need to realize that we’re on this planet together, and if we screw it up, there are no second chances.






http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/24790-en.html
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/biopesticides/ingredients/
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/index.html
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Search_Chemicals.jsp
http://www.herc.org/hercarticles/connection.htm
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/83/i15/8315notw8.html

Pesticides

I found a great website that really explains pesticides well.

"A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substances used to destroy, suppress or alter the life cycle of any pest. A pesticide can be a naturally derived or synthetically produced substance. A pesticide can also be an organism including, for example, a genetically modified crop.

Pesticides include bactericides, baits, fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, lures, rodenticides and repellents.

It is important that pesticides are used only where they are absolutely justified. So it is essential that you carefully identify the pest you wish to control and then fully consider all the control options. If you choose to use a pesticide, ensure that it is registered for your target pest in your particular circumstances, and always follow all the instructions on the pesticide label or Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) permit."

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/envirom/pesthwwrk.htm

I also found a really nice page that explains the health effects of pesticides.

http://www.prn2.usm.my/mainsite/bulletin/sun/1997/sun6.html

Expert Source for documentary

Well today we called the EPA branch of San Diego, which is exactly what we're looking for because it deals spesificly with issues with agriculture between the US and Mexico. We also sent them another email, which was directly to this branch, where as mine was just to the EPA in general. We gave them our phone numbers and stuff, so I'm thinking we'll get something back soon.

http://www.epa.gov/region09/fieldoffices/sandiegoborder.html

It says on their website, "In October 1994, EPA established the Border Liaison Office in San Diego, California to support binational efforts that address environmental issues affecting U.S.-Mexico border communities." and that's exactly what we're looking for.

I sincerely hope we get a good responce from them, but if not, I think we'll probably be able to find someone else.

Fertilizers

Fertilizers are very important to the world economy, mostly because without them, it would be harder to grow agriculture. As stated by Howstuffworks.com;

"In order for a plant to grow and thrive, it needs a number of different chemical elements. The most important are:

-Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen - Available from air and water and therefore in plentiful supply
-Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (a.k.a. potash) - The three macronutrients and the three elements you find in most packaged fertilizers
-Sulfur, calcium, and magnesium - Secondary nutrients
-Boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc - Micronutrients"

It's basically saying that plants need a lot of different chemicals to grow well, and fertilizers are just that perfect blend of those chemicals. It's like Colonel Sander's 11 herbs and spices, it's the perfect combonation of these different things that make something better.



http://science.howstuffworks.com/question181.htm
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/category.jsp?catref=C401

Emailing the EPA

Right now I am emailing the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, asking them if they have anyone we can interview.

I am a high school student in the 10th grade, attending High Tech High and for a project, we are making a documentary where our topic is to do a critical annalysis of pesticides and fertilizers. My group was thinking that it would be totally sweet if we could interview someone who works for your wonderful organization. The interview will be short and sweet.

Our school is in San Diego, California and if there are any offices in the area, we'd love to speak to them and see if we can get an interviewee. If you'd be so kind as to point us in the right direction, we would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks so much,
Matt Hoffman

Research on Pesticides and such

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/ecosystem/ecorisk.htm
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/human.htm
http://www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/pdf/LawnFlyer.pdf
http://www.twnside.org.sg/title2/service185.htm

These sites are very informative about Pesticides and Herbicides and their effects on humans. Now I'm off to go weed out (haha) the information from the nonsense. I'm sure it'll be tons of fun.

Bibliography

Bibliography

Art
Aztec Art. 2007. Karen’s Whimsy. 9/5/07 [http://karenswhimsy.com/aztec-art.shtm].

Aztec Art. 1999. Think Quest. 9/5/07 [http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/art.html].


Religion
Aztec Gods and Goddesses. 1999. Think Quest. 9/9/07 [http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/god.html].

Aztec Religion. St Martin's College. 9/9/07 [http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/latam/aztec.html].

Religion. 1996. Eric Pettifor. 9/9/07 [http://www.wynja.com/arch/aztec.html].


Technology
Aztec Empire. 2007. MSN. 9/9/07 http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761593151_3/Aztec_Empire.html].

Farming. 1999. Think Quest. 9/9/07 [http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/farming.html].

Technology 2. Think Quest. 9/9/07 [http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC062614/tech2.htm].


Music
Aztec Song and Music. Pacific Lutheran University. 9/10/07 [http://www.plu.edu/~anspacmi/].

Aztec Drum Rhythms. 2006. Phil Tuga. 9/10/07 [http://www.philtulga.com/Aztec%20Music.html].

Aztec Music. 2007. Ancient Worlds LLC. 9/10/07 [http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/311250].

The Importance of Music in the Life of the Aztec People. Ancient Metropolitan State College of Denver. 9/10/07 [http://www.dpsk12.org/programs/almaproject/pdf/TheImprtofMusic.pdf].

Aztec Music. 2007. Ancient Worlds LLC. 9/10/07 [http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/311250].

Music and Dance. 1999. Think Quest. 9/10/07 [http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/musdan.html].


Conquest/Expansion
Timeline. 1999. Think Quest. 9/11/07 [http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/time.html].

Aztec Empire. 2007. MSN. 9/11/07 [http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761593151/Aztec_Empire.html].

Aztec Conquest

What approximate dates marked the height of the civilization's growth?

Their height came around 1502, when Moctezuma the second was ruler.

How did this civilization develop and grow in strength?

They used their knowledge of agriculture to fuel their population and joined forces with other tribes to increase their power.

What factors contributed to the conquest of this civilization over other indigenous tribes? Which tribes were conquered or absorbed by it?

The Aztecs conquered or joined forces with several other tribes or groups, including Tepanecs, Texcoco and Tlacopan.



http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/time.html
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761593151/Aztec_Empire.html

Aztec Music

What does the music of this culture sound like?

A typical Aztec song includes lots of wind instruments, rattles and other percussion instruments so it would probably be pretty deep.

What instruments are used?

The Aztecs used drums, shakers, rattles, clay flutes, conch shell trumpets and many other wind and percussion instruments.

What social function does the music serve (entertainment, religious ceremony, etc.)?

As stated by the Pacific Lutheran University, “Every aspect and ideal that was behind the songs and instruments had a religious beat to it, as well as some political spicing.”

Who performs it?

Children ages 12 to 15 were taught to sing and dance in ceremonies.


http://www.plu.edu/~anspacmi/
http://www.philtulga.com/Aztec%20Music.html
http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/311250
http://www.dpsk12.org/programs/almaproject/pdf/TheImprtofMusic.pdf
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/musdan.html

Ryan helped me find a really informative website for this section, so thanks big guy.

Aztec Technology

What tools does this culture use? What are they made of?

The Aztecs had little to no strong metals such as Iron or bronze, they only had gold, silver, copper and different stones. One stone that was very important to them was Obsidian, because it is strong and can be sharpened to a very fine point. They mostly had simple hand tools such as blades and things of that sort.

How do they get their food (agriculture, hunting, etc.)?

The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was built on an island in the middle of a lake so one would think that as soon as their city was too large for the island, they’d move elsewhere. But the Aztecs were both stubborn and ingenious. They devised a way to create artificial islands and farm on them. They would weave a large platform from reeds, branches and plants, pile soil and other fertilizers on top of it and plant willow trees on the sides to root it down to the bottom of the lake. This worked extremely well and functioned almost flawlessly. The Aztec fishermen would also weave nets from cactus fibers and catch fish, turtles, frogs and ducks.

What innovations do they employ that make food acquisition easier?

Not only did the Aztecs have these amazing man-made islands, but they also had their famous Aztec calendar, complete with 260 days. They used this calendar to keep track of when they should plant their crops and harvest them. They also used it for religious purposes like sacrifices.



The Aztec Calendar


Tenochtitlan



http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761593151_3/Aztec_Empire.html
http://www.raintreelibrary.com/products/title.asp?id=0817248781
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/farming.html
http://www.tqnyc.org/NYC062614/tech2.htm

Aztec mini-project

As of now, all I have for our Aztec mini-project is what I've written on art and what Ryan Curtice has written on their religion.
Here is what he has done.

"What is the basis of their religion?

The basis of the Aztec religion is to try to avoid chaos and destruction caused by nature and to try to make peace with nature. The calendar played a crucial role in the life of the Aztecs. It measured the time in which agriculture and produce was at its peak, during the year, and gave them ideas of when to best make offerings for the gods. This calendar was called Xihuitl. Among other Aztec beliefs are the thought of the sun prevailing over the moon everyday to bring light to the world and would only be possible if blood was sacrificed as well as the belief in having 9 hells and 13 heavens.

Are they mono- or poly- theistic? What is/are their god/s?

The Aztec religion has some aspects of polytheism, meaning that they worship multiple gods. There are many different gods, most of which represent and, in the minds of the Aztecs, are providers for the necessities of their everyday lives. For example Chicomecoatl, the goddess of food, is responsible for the food and food products in the world.

What ceremonies are practiced around their religion?

Human sacrifice is probably the most widely known ceremony practiced around their religion. The temple in which the Aztec ceremonies took place was called the teocalli. Slaves were sacrificed for the sun and earth god to ensure that the agriculture was doing well and would do well the next year. The process of human sacrifice is quite brutal: the person doing the sacrifice stabs a knife into the sacrifice’s chest and proceeds to remove the heart. Once removed, the heart is lit on fire by the chief and the body is thrown down the stairs of the high-rising temple.

How do they observe their religious beliefs in their everyday lives?

Human sacrifice was not an uncommon thing. They would sacrifice on days that they considered to be important as well as at times when things weren’t all fortunate for them. Sacrifices to the gods were meant to ensure peace in their lives so it was done quite often.

How does religion affect the hierarchy of their society? Do chiefs/priests have special religious importance?

Chiefs and others of equal or near importance are often the ones to perform the human sacrifices. Lessers, such as priests and religious figures, are allowed quarters in the teocalli. Finally, slaves and prisoners are the ones who are sacrificed more often as they are of little to no importance and are ideal people to be sacrificed.

How does their religion differ from Western faiths?

The Aztec religion is very different from Western faiths. The Aztecs themselves worshipped over one thousand gods combined wherein many religions of the west worship one."



My piece on art pales in comparison to what he did, although it's still much better than what the other members of our group did, which would be nothing.
Of course I'll have to write my own piece on their religion and Ryan won't just copy and paste what I did on art, we're both going to put them into our own word and stuff, but now we both have a start. I think I will be able to get this project done on time, and I plan on doing plenty of research today. I feel that this project will go smoothly, and I have decided on making a poster to show everything I've learned about these amazing people.

Pesticides and Herbicides

I've always known the risks of Pesticides and how they are often harmful humans. I never really knew in detail what they could do, but I sure do now. The Ohio State Pesticide User Guide says, "Exposure to some pesticides, particularly the organophosphates, destroys important enzymes in the nervous system. Repeated exposure may, without producing symptoms, progressively increase susceptibility to poisoning. Applicators using phosphate pesticides should get a preexposure check (usually a blood test for cholinesterase enzyme activity) and periodic checking during the spray season to determine the extent of exposure." This means that some pesticides effect how prone you are to being poisoned. So not only does it poison you, it makes you more likely to get poisoned in the future.

You may have heard of Agent Orange, and if you don't know what it it/was, it was an Herbicide or Defoliant used by the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange, along with other agents (Green, Pink, etc.) were chemicals used to take the leaves off of trees. These products were also around for personal use, but their main use was in Vietnam. They may not have known the effects of this product on humans then, but they sure do now. They know that it can cause mental retardation, physical deformities, cancer and scores of other horrible effects. This and other defoliants or herbicides can have terrible effects on humans and should be used with great precaution.




http://ohioline.osu.edu/b745/b745_4.html
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/human.htm
http://www.thewe.cc/weplanet/asia/vietnam/agent_orange_deformites.htm
http://earthhopenetwork.net/the_legacy_of_agent_orange.htm
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/d/defoliants_and_herbicides/index.html?query=DIOXIN%20(CHEMICAL)&field=des&match=exact

Aztec Art

What forms of art were practiced by this culture?

The Aztecs practiced many forms of art, including pottery, sculptures, architecture may other forms.

In examples of this art, what visual symbols are prevalent and what is their significance?

I have noticed a lot of depictions of their gods. I think that the Aztecs really loved their gods and relied on them for a lot support.

Are there recurrent themes that all art from this culture has in common?

The Aztecs seem to be very narcissistic and include images of themselves in a lot of their art. This seems to be a reoccurring theme in sculptures and various other forms of their art. They also seem to like symmetry, seeing as many of their pieces of art are either mostly or perfectly symmetrical.

What mediums are used (clay, blood, plant dyes, etc.) and how are they acquired/produced?

One thing that was very apparent to me was that the Aztecs used a very abundant resource for their art, rock. I have seen calendars, sculptures, buildings and many other pieces of art from the Aztecs that has been crafted out of rock, a long and grueling process. They also used clay, feathers, paint and many other forms.

http://karenswhimsy.com/aztec-art.shtm
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/art.html

Aztec food

http://www.sanbenito.k12.tx.us/schools/Miller%20Jordan/social%20studies/Social%20Studies%20Aztecs%20/FOOD_&_RELIGION.html



Appetizers:

Guacamole with baked crisp tortilla chips, popcorn, roasted peanuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, miniature steamed tamales filled with beans and chiles.

First Course:

Ceviche with fresh fish prepared in a salsa of lime and hot chiles.

Second Course:

Roast turkey with native sage, yams prepared with honey, baked squash, salad of tomatoes and jicama with fresh lime. Freshly baked tortillas.

Dessert:

Fresh fruit cup with pineapple, mangos and papaya.

Drinks:

Tamarindo juice, pulque with lime, Chocolate, hot or cold prepared with vanilla and honey.

http://history.missouristate.edu/jchuchiak/HST%20350--Theme%203--Daily_life_of_the_aztecs.htm



These are some examples of Aztec food.

Guns Germs and Steel

I thought this excerpt was very interesting and above all, very informative. I really feel that I learned a lot, but unfortunately, the only thing it mentioned about the Aztecs was about how foolish Montezuma was in thinking Cortez was a god and letting him into their city of Tenochtitlan. Other than that though, I feel that I sure gained a lot of knowledge, for instance, before I read this, I understood that the Europeans had vastly superior weaponry and immunities compared to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, but I had no idea that it was the difference between Steel, one of the strongest metals, and wood, a crude and poor weapon. I was astonished to find out that the Aztecs, Incans and other tribes were using bronze, woven armor and even rocks to defend themselves, versus that Spaniards who had full body armor and strong, heavy swords, guns and horses to ride upon. I am very glad that we were given this packet and I think it will continue to benefit me even after tonight, I can use it as a valuable resource for my project on the Aztecs and although I may want to try to stay away from the fact that they were so brutally slaughtered, I can use this packet to talk about their technology during those times and maybe even battle strategies.