G06 Science: Spheres of the Earth

 

Photos from https://www.usgs.gov/products/multimedia-gallery/images 

G06 Language Arts: The Egyptian Old Kingdom (May 1, 2025)

                  The Egyptian Old Kingdom was a fascinating kingdom from ancient times. Its history is profuse with manifest structures and interesting rulers. It was the first kingdom out of three ancient Egyptian kingdoms. 

 

                  One fascinating thing to observe in the Egyptian Old Kingdom was the bureaucracy. The kingdom was centered around the capital of Memphis and was ruled by the Pharaoh. He took a peremptory and “central religious role, because he upheld a system that ensured the Nile brought silt-rich annual floods each year and kept the valley fertile.” (Parker 92) Under him were nomes, or local governors. 

 

                  Part of the fascinating bureaucracy were the Pharaohs, or rulers. The first Pharaoh was Menes (c. 3100s B.C.), who united Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. (Upper Egypt was actually in the south and vice versa, because of the mountainous nature of the south.) Though not a ruler of the Old Kingdom, he was nonetheless fascinating. The Old Kingdom began in 2649 B.C., with fascinating rulers leading expeditions and campaigns. The ruler Snefru (2575-2551 B.C.) led expeditions to Nubia (in Northwestern Africa). From 2323 to 2150 B.C., campaigns in Libya were launched. However, during Pepi II’s reign:

 

…central reign began to dissolve, and, within 20 years, the Old Kingdom collapsed, as famine wracked the land and officials in the provinces established their own rule. A century of uncertainty ensued, known as the First Intermediate Period (2134-2040 BCE). (Parker 92)

 

                  The most fascinating part, however, was arguably the pyramids. Pyramids were ostentatious and manifest tombs for powerful rulers. They can be traced back to Pharaoh Djoser (2630-2611 B.C.), who built a pyramid at Saqqara. Previously, rulers were buried in mud-brick box tombs known as mabastas. These mabastas were stacked on top of each other as bricks for the pyramids. One major pyramid was the Great Pyramid of Giza. It was built during Snefru’s reign and likely took around 20 years to build. In fact, it survives to this day as the last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This was a very fascinating part of Egyptian history. 

 

                  In conclusion, the Egyptian Old Kingdom was fascinating, with a strong bureaucracy, great leaders, and ostentatious pyramids. Its legacy lives on today. 

Works Cited

Parker, Philip. World History. Dorling Kindersley Ltd, 2010. Accessed 30 April 2025. 

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nubia. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Mar. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/place/Nubia. Accessed 30 April 2025.

Hobar, Linda Lacour. The Mystery of History: Creation to the Resurrection. Bright Ideas Press, 2019. Accessed 30 April 2025. 

G06 Social Studies and Language Arts: The Tydings-Mc Duffie and Hare-Hawes Cutting Acts (April 11, 2025)

 

G06 Social Studies: Comfort Women Poster (March 27, 2025)

 

G06 Language Arts: The Assassination of Julius Caesar (March 19, 2025)

 The Assassination of Julius Caesar (March 19, 2025)

 

                  On March 15, 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated by Roman senators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus at the Roman Senate House. This event was the result of Caesar expanding his power, as he declared himself a dictator earlier that year. His opponents believed that he was going against the founding principles of the Roman Republic, which included the principle that no kings shall rule. 

 

                  Caesar’s assassination date was called the Ides of March. (Ides referred to the full moon, coming from the Latin iduare, meaning the division of the month. In the case of March, it was on the 15th.) ^[1] While Caesar was on the way to the Senate House, a soothsayer said, “Beware the Ides of March.”

 

                  At the Senate House, Caesar saw the senators who were secretly planning to kill him. Brutus, the ringleader, was not always an enemy of Caesar, as he kept switching sides. In the 50s B.C., he opposed General Gaius Pompey, but supported him in the wake of Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon. Caesar won, eventually pardoning Brutus (probably due to the fact that Brutus’s mother, Servilia, was Caesar’s lover).  Brutus then joined the Senate. It was there that Caesar declared himself perpetual dictator, and Brutus redeveloped his opposition to Caesar and started a plot to assassinate him. ^[2] Caesar was stabbed and killed. 

 

According to the play Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, Caesar’s last words were “Et tu, Brute?” meaning “And you, Brutus?” But that was likely invented by Shakespeare himself, as there is no historical proof he said so. ^[3]

 

Following Caesar’s assassination, the citizens of Rome were furious. The Second Triumvirate was formed among Octavian (Julius Caesar’s nephew), Marc Antony^[4] (Caesar’s best friend), and Marcus Lepidus, with the aim of avenging Caesar. The Second Triumvirate fought Brutus and Cassius at Philippi in 42 B.C., ousting the assassins.  ^[5]

 

However, the Second Triumvirate soon broke up, much like Julius Caesar’s triumvirate with Pompey and Marcus Crassus. Marc Antony formed an alliance with the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra, and lost to Octavian at Actium in 31 B.C. In 27 B.C., Octavian was renamed Augustus and crowned Emperor. This is important because it shows how Caesar’s assassination impacted Roman history. 

  

In conclusion, Julius Caesar’s assassination changed Roman history forever. It led to the dissolution of the Roman Republic and the formation of the Roman Empire, both of which were vital parts of Roman history. Assassinations come with consequences, and those consequences are often profound and change world history forever, as seen with Caesar’s assassination and the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 (which started World War I). Such an action could have an irreversible impact. 

---

^[1] Ostberg, René. "Ides of March". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ides-of-March. Accessed 19 March 2025.

^[2] Badian, E.. "Marcus Junius Brutus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Feb. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marcus-Junius-Brutus. Accessed 19 March 2025.

^[3] “What Were Julius Caesar’s Last Words During His Assassination? Did He Say ‘Et Tu, Brute?’” HistoryExtra, 11 Oct. 2024, www.historyextra.com/period/roman/julius-caesars-last-words-et-tu-brute. Accessed 19 March 2025.  

 

^[4] Also spelled Mark Antony. 

^[5] “What Were Julius Caesar’s Last Words During His Assassination? Did He Say ‘Et Tu, Brute?’” HistoryExtra, supra.

G06 MOH: Modernized Version of Joan of Arc's Letter to the Hussites

 

G06 Social Studies: How the Japanese Era Affected the Philippines (March 14, 2025)

 How the Japanese Era Affected the Philippines (March 14, 2025)

In late 1941, during World War II, the Empire of Japan invaded the Philippines. The invasion resulted in Filipinos bringing out the best and worst of their traits. Filipinos are known to be resourceful but also selfish, so these traits affected everyday life during the Japanese occupation. 

One good trait brought out was that Filipinos became resourceful. Amid the lack of coffee, for instance, Filipinos would roast rice and corn and add sweetening to create the deception. Additionally, to cope with the bad feelings of the war, entertainment became quite popular. For instance, the company Dramatic Philippines, Inc. created stage plays. Classic plays (including Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar) were translated into Tagalog. 

Selfishness was a bad trait revealed during the war. Some Filipinos would collaborate with the Japanese just to avoid punishment. Sari-sari stores and supermarkets were robbed. Cable wires were pulled. People would rather survive for their own good than die for their country. Some even robbed gold teeth and looted graves for shirts. 

However, not everyone was selfish. Jose P. Laurel collaborated with Japan just to lessen the pain for his country. In reality, he was not a Japanese puppet, but a nationalist infiltrator. Today, President Laurel is often misunderstood for his collaboration, which was a calculated and principled move rather than a betrayal to his country. Quezon actually ordered Laurel to cooperate. Another major infiltrator was Benigno S. Aquino, Sr., the father of Ninoy Aquino. He served as one of two Vice-Presidents during the Japanese era. When dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos developed a rivalry with Ninoy Aquino, he used the collaboration as an attack point; however, he cannot be blamed. 

In conclusion, the Japanese occupation brought out the best and worst in Filipinos. Some were selfless and supported their country. Others prioritized their personal ego. Good and bad traits were revealed by the occupation, and they largely continue to this day. 

My Reaction to the “Comfort Women”

(TRIGGER WARNING: VIDEO AND REACTION MIGHT HAVE SENSITIVE CONTENT)

Hey, I’m back! I haven’t been here in a long time, but at last, I have returned. Today, I’ll be reacting to this video about “comfort women,” women who were abused by the Japanese during World War II. The video was specifically about Filipino “comfort women”; however, “comfort women” also exist in China and the Koreas. You can watch the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S89fxI6TFuI , but viewer discretion is required due to some sensitive content. 

The first segment was about Lola Isang, a grandmother who was raped at just 13 during the war. (In Tagalog, lola means grandmother.) The story was very sad and showed the horrors of war. And the worst part? Justice has not been done. The lolas did receive consolation money, but it was from the Japanese people, not the government itself. To this day, the Japanese government evades justice, and justice will likely never be seen. 

The second segment was about a lawyer named Virginia who fights for these peoples’ rights. The maker of the video interviewed a lola who said she was still angry; however, the lola’s sister said she forgave the Japanese. 

What are my thoughts? The sister is wrong. The Japanese government continues to evade justice. They should only be forgiven should they admit they did it. Which will likely never happen. 

Today, the Japanese government looks like it has moved on. It has not. They refuse to admit the atrocities during the war. Their reparations have never been enough. To the Prime Minister: Repay your debts now or we will never forgive you. We will not stop until you stop pretending the Japanese never did it. To the Japanese people: please keep pressuring your government to repay their debts. Justice has not been served. Perhaps it will never be served. 

This story may have been dark. But it’s true. War is horrifying, and there is no glory in war. Justice must be served. Anyway, that’s it for now, but I’ll be making another one soon.