STAB 2016

The Pillars of Medieval Life, by Meredith Castles were the pillars of everyday medieval life. They were shelters for armies and knights. They were the home and workplace to people of the highest importance, such as kings, queens, lords, and ladies, and to people of the lowest importance, like sweepers, grooms, and peasants. However, great medieval castles could take a lifetime to build and were expensive as well. It took many groups of workers to accomplish the tasks of building the castle. For example, the craftsmen and builders would cut stones, shape floors and rafters, and work on the outer wall. While freemasons cut and shaped decorative stones for the castle, rough masons would lay the walls of the castle ... Divine Dishes, by Jack C. Cooks must have worked immensely hard to prepare the divine dishes lords and ladies ate. While food for peasants was usually stale bread or low-class cheese, food in a castle included delicious roasted meat, soups and scrumptious desserts. If a gue...

Today we began studying the  Crusades : a series of military expeditions in which Christians and Muslims fought for control of  Jerusalem  and other cities in Palestine (which was called  the Holy Land  by medieval Christians).  We discussed the reasons that Jerusalem is considered a sacred site by the followers of three major religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We also talked about why European Christians were so motivated to risk their lives and travel thousands of miles to try to reclaim control of Jerusalem from the Turks. William : I think the Muslims who allowed Christians and Jews to visit and live in Jerusalem believed in the kind of jihad that relates to improving yourself, rather than the kind of jihad that relates to fighting others.

Peter Pan is coming soon... Joseph and Tucker can barely wait!!

Today we talked about Crispin. We focused on the theme of Christianity and its central role in medieval life. We compared the role of religion in society then (during the Middle Ages) and now. I've been pointing out to students that many historians argue that medieval society was more religious -- on the whole -- than today's society. Building on that point,  Sofia  posed an excellent question: " Should our society nowadays be more focused on religion? " Next, reviewing the text of Crispin closely, the students found references to many saints, including: St. Crispin St. Paul St. Remigius St. Anthony St. Sixtus St. John St. Margaret We also discussed a fascinating passage from the book, in which Bear says, "When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most often upon His most perfect laughter . It must have been the kind that makes us laugh, too." The students offered different perspectives about whether or not they believe Jesus ever l...

HUGE THANKS to all of the students who worked so hard to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation .  By way of example, Nia and Noelle sold baked goods (through the business that they started on their own (!), NaN's Bakery ) and raised nearly $200.00 for this awesome cause.  I am very inspired by your generous spirits.

Homework for Wednesday, February 17: As a follow-up to Mrs. Ripley's discussion today about maintaining the focus of your informative paragraphs, please read the paragraph below about the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam.  I have hidden, within the paragraph, two sentences that are out of place . In Channing's words from today, these are sentences that would "trip up" a reader, because they diverge from the main informative thread of the paragraph. Please write, on looseleaf, the two " trippy " sentences, and please be prepared to explain to the class tomorrow why you selected those particular sentences.            Christianity and Islam are similar in certain ways, but they are different in other ways. An initial similarity between the two religions is that they are both based on the covenant that Abraham made with God (or Allah, as he is known to Muslims). In addition, Christianity and Islam were each started by a person...

Congratulations to Lilly, Howard, Priya, Maya, Sofia and Zach for their wonderful performances during today's Talent Show! You all were awesome! ---------- And here are some great adjectives from today's literature circles... Nia - Asta is hidden . She has kept most of her life hidden from Crispin. For instance, he did not know that his mother could read and write. As the book continues, I think these secrets will be told. Vaya  - Crispin is lacking . His whole life has been a lie. His mother could read and write, and he was baptized secretly. He doesn't know who he can trust. He has missed out on life-changing opportunities because of deceit ... now he feels that he never even knew his mother. Right now he is so lost in life that he just has to rely on his instincts. Hailey  - Crispin is weary . He has been holding on with sadness, grief and anger. I think he lives a very unfair life, and he has gotten really tired. I think he's had enough, but he doesn't yet kn...

The students came up with a stunning mix of adjectives for today's class.  Here are just a few examples: Sylvie : Crispin is godly . Since the beginning of the book, we have learned that Asta's son has a very strong relationship with God. I think this is a good thing, because now he doesn't have else anyone to turn to. But God is always there, and God will always love and forgive him for all of his actions. Charlie H. : John Aycliffe, the steward, is unlawful . He is going against the lord's rules. He is making up lies. He thinks that he is making the village better, but he is only making labor harder and making taxes higher. Ally : Crispin is stuck because he literally has nowhere to go. He is afraid that he will get wrongly accused of stealing. Therefore, he is hiding in the forest. Crispin is also stuck because his mom died, and he has no good friend and no one he trusts. Spencer :  Aycliffe is fierce . He has been described from time to time as a heartless murdere...

This year's Super Bowl features the Carolina Panthers versus the Denver Broncos. In all previous years, the National Football League has used Roman numerals in the Super Bowl title. For example, last year's game was known as Super Bowl XLIX (the Roman numerals for " 49 "). This year, however, the NFL decided not to use the Roman numeral for " 50 " (if they had done so, it would be called  Super Bowl L ). My sources from ancient times are reporting that Julius Caesar is not pleased with this decision. JC thinks we should all be using Roman numerals, all the time. ---------------- I know of at least two students who are fans of the teams involved, so I have asked Tyler (for the Panthers) and Zach (for the Broncos) to explain the top 3 reasons why their team will prevail: WHY THE PANTHERS WILL WIN, BY TYLER: 1. At 6'5", my man Cam Newton has overpowered almost all defenses in the league, with the most QB touchdowns this season. I don't thin...

Today we discussed the feudal system. I thought that  Queens Charlotte ,  Kate  and  Noelle , along with  Kings Maxwellian and Spencerus , were quite gracious to their subjects. They distributed  fiefs  to a number of different  vassals , and Queen Noelle even took the dramatic step of returning surplus crops to some of the  serfs ! However, some of the serfs were less than pleased with the lords and ladies of the manor. These serfs objected that they were not treated fairly in light of their backbreaking work in the fields! How many M&M's do  you  think a loyal peasant deserves?! Their Royal Majesties, The King and Queen

A big thank you to Charlie H., Vaya, Teddy/Alex/Hunter/Artie & Co., Tyler, and Brehanu, for giving the classroom some great medieval flair!!

On Friday the students (I should say Senators ) continued their stellar work debating the merits of various projects proposed for the Roman Empire. Mary Holland made a concise, historically accurate statement about the critical importance of transportation networks during ancient times: " Roads are power ", said MH. She elaborated: " Having a great road system was a way for the Romans to show other people how strong they really were, and how much land they controlled. " I love the phrase " Roads are power ", because it is the kind of short, memorable statement that explains an important aspect of human history. In her analysis, Mary Holland is doing the work of a real historian. ---------------- Musical Mondays : Today I talked about the importance of Constantinople during the Middle Ages, and we listened to "Istanbul (not Constantinople)" by They Might be Giants . For those of you who enjoyed the catchy melody and beat, here's another fun ...