Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Letter (May 29, 2024) (Grade 5, Social Studies)
Dear Mom and Dad,
I am joining the Katipunan. You may feel worried, but I hope you understand. I have a few questions to answer in this letter.
First of all, I am joining the Revolution for a free Philippines. The Spaniards have no right to own our land. It is our land, after all, that we have inhabited even before the birth of Christ.
This will benefit my country a lot, because we are fighting for freedom from Spain. Even one revolutionary makes a huge difference.
As for the future Filipinos, stay strong and continue fighting. We will not tolerate foreign rule in this country. We have always lived here, and we will not give up our country.
Regards,
Rafael
Gangsa – Ancient Filipino Instrument (March 13, 2024) (Grade 5, Social Studies)
•Ancient Filipino hand-held instrument made of iron, brass, or bronze.
•Can be played in two ways: pattung (with stick) and toppaya
(with hand).
•Played by different ethnicities in the Cordilleras.
•Can be tuned to adjust pitch.
Enotita v. Israel (February 28, 2024) (Grade 5, Social Studies)
UNITED NATIONS
LAWSUIT
United States of Enotita
vs
State of Israel
31 December 2023
Justification for Lawsuit
• When Israel gained independence in 1948, the United Nations proposed for two states – one Jewish
(Israel) and one Arab (Palestine).
• The recognition of the State of Kosovo by Israel means that Israel believes that the Kosovar people have the right to self-determination. So, Palestine does too, right?
• The British allowed for a Jewish state in what was then British Palestine under one condition – that the rights of Palestinian Arabs would be respected. This was violated.
Chancellor Rafael Mercado
State of Israel – Response
• You must note that the United Nations’ proposal in 1948 was prior to the Arab Israeli War of 1967. Thus, after winning the war, the Arabs had lost the right to self-determination in Palestine.
• The difference is that Palestine is operated by the terrorist organization of Hamas, as opposed to Kosovo.
• The Arabs rejected the British offer of two states by the British.
Israeli Court of Justice
United States of Enotita – Response
• It is a violation of international law to suppress an ethnic group just because you defeated them in a war.
• Hamas is not the entire Palestine. That is like saying that all Germans are Nazis. In fact, the other part of
Palestine, West Bank, is not even controlled by Hamas.
• If you are supporting an Arab decision, why are you suppressing them?
Chancellor Rafael Mercado
State of Israel – Response
• Effective today, the State of Israel surrenders to United States of Enotita. We find their arguments just and our points false.
Israeli Court of Justice
United States of Enotita and State of Israel - Agreement
These are the surrender terms.
• Israel must stop fighting with the State of Palestine.
• They must also recognize Palestinian independence and respect the Palestinian right to self-determination.
Signed:
Chancellor Rafael Mercado
Israeli Court of Justice
Winner of Case:
United States of Enotita
Case closed on 28 February 2024.
Bathala: A Filipino Pagan God (February 28, 2024) (Grade 5, Social Studies)
When you think of Filipino religion, you mostly think about Catholics and Muslims. But those were taught by the Spanish and Arabs, respectively. Before they arrived, Filipinos had pagan gods, similar to the ancient Romans and Greeks. Today, I will talk about Bathala, whom ancient Filipinos believed to be the greatest god in existence.
Bathala was a god that had special deputies. 1 He was inspired by Islam a bit. The name Bathala literally means “creator of all things.” 2 He was considered to be quite humanlike. Bathala had many names, including “Abba.” His name might derive from the Sanskrit bhattara, 3 meaning “a noble lord.” 4
Of course, when the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, most people stopped believing in Bathala and turned to Christianity. But some indigenous people still exist, and probably still believe in Bathala.
1 Clark, Jordan (April 20, 2021). Pre-Colonial RELIGION, CULTURE & SOCIETY of the TAGALOGS |
Philippines. https://www.aswangproject.com/tagalogs/ (Last visited on February 28, 2024.)
2 Caballes, Ligaya (September 12, 2020). The Tagalog Deities. Who Are They?
https://thepinaywriter.com/the-tagalog-deities-who-are-they/ (Last visited on February 28, 2024.)
3 Bathala: The Creator God. https://mythlok.com/bathala/ (Last visited on February 28, 2024.)
4 Bhattara, Bhațțāra: 9 definitions.
https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/bhattara#:~:text=Sanskrit%20dictionary&text=%2Dra%E1%B8%
A5%20A%20noble%20lord.,or%20respect%3A%20see%20the%20next. (Last visited on February 28,
2024.)
American Wars (July 4, 2024) (Grade 5, HELE)
| War | Opponent | Outcome | Year |
| Revolutionary War | Great Britain | Victory | 1776-1783 |
| War of 1812 | Great Britain | Indecisive | 1812-1815 |
| Mexican-American War | Mexico | Victory | 1848 |
| Spanish-American War | Spain | Victory | 1898 |
| World War I | Central Powers | Victory | 1914-1918 (joined 1917) |
| World War II | Axis Powers | Victory | 1939-1945 (joined 1941) |
| Korean War | North Korea, China, USSR | Indecisive | 1949-1952 |
| Vietnam War | North Vietnam, USSR | Defeat | 1955-1975 |
| Persian Gulf War | Iraq | Victory | 1991 |
| War on Terror | Taliban, Iraq | Victory | 2001-2014 |
Charles Martel (May 9, 2024) (Grade 5, HELE)
In the late 600s, the kings in the Frankish territories were kings in name only. These kings were called the “do-nothings” because they would really do nothing when they were king. The only thing the king wanted or did was entertainment and other things that did not involve ruling the Franks or doing anything useful. This would leave the Franks open for anyone to attack while the king was too busy fooling around. However, they eventually found a system that worked out for everyone. They would assign a “Mayor of the Palace”, which was a person who would basically rule over the Franks in the place of the king. At this time, the Franks had three parts of land that were separate from each other: Austrasia, Neustria, and Aquitaine. Later, Charles Martel would unite all of the Frank lands together into one. The Frankish lands are located in what is now known as France.
Early Life
Charles Martel was born in 688 AD, in the Frankish territory called Neustria. His father, Pepin II of Herstal, was Mayor of the Palace. Just before his death, Pepin II’s first wife, Plectrude, tried to make him disinherit all of his children from his other wives and mistresses, which included Charles. She did this so that her eight-year-old grandson, Theudoald, could become the king. Plectrude thought that Theudoald’s age would allow her to rule in his place. After Pepin II’s death, Plectrude took Charles captive for a whole year, hoping that would keep him from ruling the Franks. Charles, already an established warrior, probably would have been the Frank’s first choice for leader. After a year, Charles escaped the Neustrians, and left for Austrasia. There, the Austrasians made Charles the Mayor of the Palace. Charles served as the Mayor of the Palace from 715 AD until his death.
Uniting France
In 715-718 AD, Charles wanted to unite the Frankish territories. Not everyone wanted to unite, so there was a civil war, and all of the Frankish land started to fight each other. In 716 AD, the Neustrians teamed up with the leader of the Frisians, and they marched their army up to the Austrasians. Charles, in turn, marched his army south toward them. They battled in Austrasia; this battle was called the “Battle of Cologne”. Charles unfortunately lost this battle to the Neustrians. This was his first time losing a battle. However, after his defeat, there were two other battles that turned Charles’ defeat upside-down. The “Battle of Ambleve” was a well-planned sneak attack against the Neustrians, and he defeated them. Then the “Battle of Vincy” took place right at the Neustrians front door. Charles won this battle as well, leaving their king and mayor on the run. After these battles, Charles finally became leader of the whole Frankish territory.[1]
Battle Name | Enemy | Result |
Battle of Cologne | Neustrians | Franks lost battle |
Battle of Ambleve | Neustrians | Franks won battle |
Battle of Vincy | Frisians | Franks won battle |
Wars with South
Now that Charles had regained his control over the Franks and had a better army, he turned his attention to the south and a new enemy: the Muslims. In 732 AD, a band of Muslims was marching up from northern Spain and heading right for the Franks. Their plan was take over the Franks and then the rest of Europe. However, Charles and the Franks already knew about their coming and they did not want to convert to Islam. As the Muslims came into the Frankish lands, Charles led his army from Austrasia to go and battle with the Muslims. This resulted in one of history’s most important battles of all time: “The Battle of Tours”.
Battle of Tours
This battle lasted for a week. On the seventh day, both Muslim and Frankish armies clashed together in one of the worst battles in history. When it was too dark to fight, the men went back to their camps to wait for morning. No one knew the outcome of the battle. The next morning, Charles gathered his army and marched back to the battle-field, but did not find the Muslims. Charles noticed that the Muslims retreated in the dead of night. This was not the last time the Muslims fought on Frankish soil, but they never gained more land in the Frankish territory. After the battle, Charles was granted the name “Charles Martel” and the nickname “The Hammer” for his fierce fighting.
Impact on France
Charles Martel was a capable ruler and a great warrior. His ability to unite the Franks helped to stabilize that area and his defeat of the Muslims helped prevent the spread of Islam in Europe during that time.
Works Cited
Duckett, Eleanor Shipley. "Charles Martel | Frankish Ruler." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Hickman, Kennedy. "Battle of Tours (732 A.D.)." Battle of Tours (732 A.D.). MilitaryHistory.About.com. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Haaren, John H., and Addison B. Poland. "Charles Martel, 714-741 AD." Famous Men of the Middle Ages. New York: American Book, 1904. Print.
Pantheon (September 13, 2024) (Grade 5, Language Arts)
The History of the Pantheon
The Pantheon was built in 27 BCE by Marcus Agrippa as a temple. [1] Soon after, in 80 CE a second building was built by Emperor Domitian, due to the first building burning down. It was then rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian circa 126 CE, due to the second building burning down. [2] It has been almost completely preserved ever since. In addition, Hadrian’s building honored Agrippa by carving the text: “M AGRIPPA L F COS TERTIVM FECIT,” meaning, “Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, thrice Consul, built this.” [3] However, its status as a temple was removed in 608 CE, when Pope Boniface IV transferred many remains of Christian martyrs in catacombs to the Pantheon. Afterwards, it became a church named Saint Maria ad Martyres, and remains so to this day. [4] It also remains a popular tourist attraction in Rome.
The Pantheon: Measurements and Materials
The Pantheon is a large building. Its measurements were 142 feet (43 meters) in diameter. It is built with mortar in concrete, basalt, brick, tufa, and pumice. The drum of the walls is strengthened by brick arches and piers, stacked above each other inside the walls, 20 feet (6 meters) thick. The building is lit by the oculus, or “eye” (can be interpreted as a “window”), which is 27 feet (8 meters) wide. But most famous is its dome, using Corinthian columns used as support for a gabled roof with triangular pediment. Overall, the Pantheon is a prodigious and exquisite building, which explains its popularity as a tourist attraction. [5]
[1] Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Pantheon". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Aug. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pantheon-building-Rome-Italy. Accessed 12 September 2024.
[2] Pwpadmin. “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day….” Gray Line - I Love Rome, 6 Mar. 2023, graylinerome.com/rome-wasnt-built-day.
[3] Ranogajec, Paul A. Smarthistory – the Pantheon (Rome). smarthistory.org/the-pantheon.
[4] Pantheon di Roma. “History and Curiosities I Pantheon in Rome.” Pantheon Rome, 16 Nov. 2023, www.pantheonroma.com/pantheon-history/#:~:text=The%20history%20of%20the%20Pantheon%20in%20rome&text=Built%20by%20Agrippa%20between%2025,between%20118%20and%20125%20AD.
[5] Ibid #1.
Pervading Wind (September 12, 2024) (Grade 5, Language Arts)
I had awoken at eight o’clock, then
went to the loo for a cooler bath than
previously. Then, I got my work outfit,
put on my tie and coat and then walked out,
but I felt something. It was the wind that
pervaded us. I didn’t want to sadly get
a bad work day, so I called my boss, on
my phone, and chose just to have some home-fun.
Ptolemy (September 10, 2024) (Grade 5, Language Arts)
Ptolemy’s Works (subject by subject)
Ptolemy was born circa 80-100 CE in Egypt, which was part of the Roman Empire during that time. Little is known about Ptolemy’s personal life. However, much is known about his discoveries. [1] His first major work was the Almagest, completed around 150 CE and containing past astronomical information Ptolemy had collected. He has also contributed to math, as he did a lot in trigonometry. He was also a geographer, knowing a bit about the Indian Ocean. However, he had his downside; he had a geocentric view of the universe, which is wrong. The geocentric model was supported for a long time, but a heliocentric model was later created by Copernicus and popularized by Galileo. Still, Ptolemy made significant contributions to academics. He died around 170 CE. [2]
The Almagest by Ptolemy (chronological; book by book)
The Almagest was an astronomical guide composed of 13 books that was used by Islamic and European astronomers up until the 1600s. It was originally titled Mathematike Syntaxis, meaning the Mathematical Arrangement. Book 1 has arguments for a geocentric universe (which was later proven to be false) and contains some trigonometry. It allowed him to predict the movements of cosmic objects. Book 2 uses spherical trigonometry, explaining cartography and astronomical values. Book 3 is about the Sun’s movement. Books 4 and 5 are about the Moon’s motion. Book 6 is about solar and lunar eclipses. Books 7 and 8 are about the stars, such as coordinates. [3] The next few books are about planets with Mercury for Book 9, Venus and Mars for Book 10, and Jupiter and Saturn for Book 11. Book 12 is about retrogradation, which is the movement of a planet from east to west. And finally, Book 13 is about planetary latitudes (latitudes are a type of coordinate). [4] In conclusion, although Almagest has some errors with geocentric views, it still provides some good information.
[1] “Ptolemy.” Maths History, mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Ptolemy.
[2] Jones, Alexander Raymond. "Ptolemy". Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ptolemy. Accessed 9 September 2024.
[3] Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Almagest". Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Jul. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Almagest. Accessed 9 September 2024.
[4] PAL: Ptolemy, Almagest (Greek). 9 Aug. 2024, ptolemaeus.badw.de/work/19#:~:text=The%20Almagest%20comprises%2013%20books,and%20planetary%20latitudes%20(XIII).
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