The History Know It All™ has arrived!

A regular feature of Mr. Allegra Blogs is back!  The History Know It All™ has arrived in a virtual neighborhood near you.

Here's how it works:
-he always shows up around exam season
-he blogs for 5 days only
-he can answer ANY QUESTION about AH&R that you have
-you can ask as many questions as you like, but try to make each question a separate post

He is here for you.  Use his awesome reservoir of historical knowledge.

The TWO most important questions of the day

1. What is the most important thing that you learned in class today?




2. What is the main unanswered question you leave class with today?

Blog Question #8

Using the cases of ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley, and Mesopotamia, how would you respond to the assertion that “geography is destiny”?

Blog question #7

These questions now deal with Unit 2!

Describe the connection between the physical environment and the development of the first villages.

The GISA Keynote Speaker

The 2010 GISA Annual Conference is in Atlanta this year at Holy Spirit Prep.  I will be one of the presenters (along with 3 other teachers from HIES!) at the conference this year.  It will be my first time presenting at GISA.

What isn't my first time is hearing the Keynote Speaker Sir Ken Robinson. He is fairly well know in educational reform circles and has one of the most watched speeches in the short history of the TED talks.
Here is a link to one of his more recent speeches about why there is a need for public education reform.  The animation that accompanies the speech is totally awesome.  My goal is to have all of my classes presented the same way!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zDZFcDGpL4U

Blog Question #6

After listening to the podcasts (Unit 2: Prelude pt. 1 & 2 and Unit 2: Settling Down) chose one of the following questions to answer.  Then comment on one other person's post.

1. Why was the development of agriculture essential to the growth of the city?


2. What is the difference between a village and a city?


3. In what ways did settling down and abandoning nomadism change people's lives?

Unit 1: Big Picture Review

If you click the following link:

http://prezi.com/6o-cnvqimb6h/copy-of-ahr-2010-2011/

you should see a review of what we have covered in Unit 1.
It is in a Prezi format.  Enjoy!

Blog question #5

Which "origin of Homo Sapiens" theory do you believe is accurate?

A really nice resource

I highly recommend visiting this site.  It will help answer questions for the debate, explain in more detail some of what we are studying, and make you generally smarter!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128245649

It is part of an NPR series called the Human Edge.  I helps answer our BIG QUESTION How do we know what we know?

Enjoy.

Blog Question #4

What is the "Missing Link?"

Blog Question #3

What are Darwin & Wallace talking about when they say "Natural Selection"?

Blog Question #2

What the heck is going on in Kubrick's 2001:A Space Odyssey?

Blog Question #1

What does it mean to be Human?


Feel free to write as much or as little as you like.
If you can be specific that is always a plus!

I saw this prezi by Will Gibbs and thought it would be a good introduction to what we will cover this semester.



Will Gibbs' Ancient History prezi

Getting ready for the 2010-2011 School year

My first year at HIES is almost over, but I am already thinking about next year.  This blog will serve as another spot in cyberspace where we can talk, discuss, and discover information from my classes.  I hope that you grow accustomed to this mode of inquiry and enjoy the experience.