Extra Credit- Why do we know so much about Michelangelo and so little about Shakespeare?

Michelangelo was much more well known than Shakespeare. Some people  even doubt Shakespeare's existence. But why do we know so much more about Michelangelo than about Shakespeare? Michelangelo worked on his paintings and works of art out in the open. People knew what he was doing, and they watched him, mentored him, gave him hints or tips while he was working. They could see this genius hard at work while he created things that no one had ever accomplished before. But Shakespeare's works were a little more private. Writing a play is not really something as big and open as painting the ceiling of a cathedral, for example.  Michelangelo sometimes had people work with him, so they may have recorded information about him, but Shakespeare, on the other hand, mostly worked alone. Also, Michelangelo was recognized for his talents at a very young age, which gave people more itme to get to know of him. Shakespeare was a genius, but was not recognized until his later years. Overall, we do know a lot about these great artists, but as long as we are fascinated with them, the knowledge we have will never be enough.

Sources:

"Michelangelo." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo>.

"William Shakespeare." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare>.

Photographs from:

Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 21 Dec. 2004. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michelangelo.jpg>.

Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia, 10 Dec. 2008. Web. 25 May 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shakespeare.jpg>.

Viking Costume

These are pictures of me dressed up like a female viking. Mr Wojo said that because I have already done enough daily blogs for the week, I can just post up the pictures to get the extra credit.

I am holding a bow, which is one of the weapons males vikings use when raiding villages, along with axes, spears, and swords.

Interactive Games

Indus Valley

The Indus Valley games takes you on a adventure with the archaeologist Professor Indus. With the help of your laptop, digital camera, compass, and brush, your goal is to discover the lost city of Mohenjo-Daro and learn about the people who once lived there before the civilization disappeared. The games seems like it is made for younger children in the way that it breaks down what an archaeologist is and points out the location of the middle east. It may become a little tedious to the older crowd that stumble upon this game but, it is still mildly entertaining.

Done in classic RPG/Adventure style, this game sends you on a quest with a Greek hero that you get to name yourself, to the three cities of Olympia, Sparta, and Athens. At each city you much visit on of the leaders to receive a mission from them. While you are travelling around on the missions the people you encounter dish out facts about the three main cities that you are going to. This game will bring back many memories and be very entertaining for the former gamers who play Pokemon on their GameBoys.

Farming in Mesopotamia

In my opinion this game is mundane. It is solely based on clicking down a list of commands and watching animations come across the screen. Personally I do not think that it will capture anyones attention. There needs to be some challenge within the game for me to actually learn something.

Ancient Arcade: Greece

The Ancient Arcade is a matching game that makes you compare Greek gods and their items. You can learn from these like you do flashcards while having the added stimulation of images and a god popping up on your screen.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/roman/aqueductjava.html

This site is a very good resource for learning about Ancient Rome, and the way that Romans lived. In ancient Rome, people used aqueducts as the method of bringing water to the city. These were very important, as water is indeed necessary to live. This game is very detailed in describing how aqueducts were made and use. One can read about aqueducts, and even look at an aqueduct manual. The manual tells the "builder" which pieces go where; for example, that tunnels should be built through mountains. Then the "builder" can create their own aqueduct for themselves! The game also further simulates ancient Roman times and how these builders felt. The "emperor" may tell you to read the instruction manual if you are making to many mistakes. Overall, I think this is an excellent game.

http://earth.google.com/rome/

Although not a game, this virtual tour can really capture the attention of the viewer. Many underestimate the things that Google earth can do, so this is a surprise to many. This site allows for the download of Google earth 5, which in turn can allow the viewer to be taken into the magical world of ancient Rome. This site explains to the reader how to enable a virtual 3D tour of ancient Rome. The viewer can learn about ancient Rome, and each individual site or monument, view 3D replicas of these monuments, tour the entire city, and learn about how the Romans lived. It is very realistic, and is an awesome compliment to any class learning about ancient Rome. While today's pictures of ancient buildings are interesting, they are nothing compared to being able to imagine what Rome looked like in its time of Glory. This site can be very beneficial and fun to anyone.

Pharaohs- Extra credit pixton

Baines, John. "Ancient History in depth: The Story of the Nile." BBC - Homepage. 05 Nov. 2009. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

Tyldesly, Joyce. "Ancient History in depth: Ancient Egypt and the Modern World." BBC - Homepage. 05 Nov. 2009. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

Extra Credit Links!

Ancient Egypt was a very culturally interesting place. They spoke three different languages; Arabic, Coptic, and Egyptian. They were ruled by pharaohs whom they honored greatly. One of the most know pharaohs was King Tutankhamen. When the pharaohs died, large pyramids were built as burial tombs for the pharaoh and his family. The pharaoh would go through a process called mummification, in which his organs are removed and he is wrapped up into a mummy, and then placed in his casket. The Great Pyramids at Giza are some of the oldest and largest pyramids ever. There is a large sphinx that appears to be guarding the great pyramids, but know one knows for sure why it was there. In legends there was a story that he had a riddle and would not let anyone pass by without getting his riddle correct. On the more physical side, the Nile river is a major river in Africa that flows north. Also, ancient Egyptians have a very unique and interesting way of art also. For example, in sculptures, there are never any spaces in between the legs. If there is then you know that the sculpture is fake. Egyptians are polytheistic, because they believe in more than one God. Monotheism, on the other hand, is the belief in one God. The Egyptians got into a war with the Persians, and then Alexander the Great came along. They loved him, because he also hated the Persians. Egypt also had a writing system, hieroglyphics, which consisted of many pictures. The pictures did not stand for words, but sounds. Overall, Egypt was a very interesting, and yet complex, place.