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17,000 BCE
Visual Arts: Prehistoric Painting
By discovering the "paint shops," it was found that prehistorics not only did body and face painting but also cave art. They made color by grinding charcoal with animal bones and mixing it with salvia or animal fats (later used vegetable sources). By creating this mineral dye, groups were able to decorate their "homes" as well as communicate. For example, investigators found specific markings on the outsides of caves to represent the tribe who dwelled there. This created protection and safety. -
1800 BCE
Religion: Judaism
One of the important structures within the Judaism religion, is their essential relationship with God. Jews believe that there is only one God who exists. He is the most righteous, and is also eternal. Therefore, without forming a close relationship with God, Jew's believe there is no point in living; for all of man's actions on earth help determine his or her eternal station. The Jew's "proof" of this concept is related to the bible scriptures where Abraham and the Jewish people had this bond. -
1500 BCE
Religion: Hinduism-Reincarnation
Religion was a part of everyday Hindu life. It was based upon the idea that freedom came from losing materials through purification of desires an elimination of personal identity. Therefore, reincarnation is a central idea; souls pass through earth in different cycles of birth and life, the external and spiritual phases. They believe that each and every person on earth has a soul that is meant to be born multiple times. For this reason, most Hindus don't eat meat because it could be an ancestor. -
776 BCE
History: The Greek Olympics
The Greek Olympics were competitive games held in honor of Zeus, the king of the gods, and were held every four years at festivals. These games included sport activities such as: boxing, running, sprinting, wrestling, and even horse racing. No women were allowed to watch the games and only Greek nationals could participate. Victors would receive a gold, silver, or bronze metal like they do today but rather an olive branch twisted into a circular crown which represented "O" "WILL", "God's Will." -
725 BCE
Literature Arts: The Iliad
The Illiad is an epic poem by the Greek poet, Homer. While One of the important discussions in this piece of literature is the explanation of the final weeks of the Trojan War. This is significant because for many centuries, scholars believed that Trojan War and it's participants were part of an imaginary Greek creation. However, the Illiad gives a possible basic explanation of the ten year war. The main theme of war and peace gives a sense of horror/ heroism and serves as the contrast of war. -
500 BCE
Visual Art: African Sculpture
Most of African monumental sculptures symbolize a human with an emphasis of a specific body characteristic and was predominantly a face (known today as masks). They were made primarily out of wood but can be styled with covered stone which was not always proportional. Each African religion and/or tribe, had it's own distinct features in their work that represented them. Art was seldom used for décor, but rather to give life to the values, emotions and daily customs of the various ethnic groups. -
470 BCE
Philosophy: Socratic Method
Socrates was an iconic Greek philosopher who is known for his writing and teachings by his student, Plato. The oldest and still one of the most powerful teaching methods for critical thinking is the, Socratic Method. Socrates' method of teaching was to give students questions not the answers. This allowed students to concentrate on specific subjects and get down to the "whys". As a result, these more focused&disciplined conversations lead to problem solving, which in turn made a logical answer. -
7 BCE
History: Spartian Coins
Sparta's currency was much different from the Greek's coins. In fact, Sparta's legendary lawgiver in 7 BCE, commanded that all gold and silver coins should be cashed in and that iron rods would solely be made current. These rods called, Obeloi, held great weight but were worth very little. Therefore, in order to exchange money, one would walk for miles with these large weights.The purpose was to discourage Spartans to be wealthy. Their focus should be more on war and training rather than money. -
Performing Art: Shakepeare's Theatre
The old Globe Theatre is located in London. Its circular design was deliberately constructed so that the gatherings of crowds could circle around the actors in three levels of galleries- allowing viewers to get a better view of the performance. It was the first stage built specifically for an existing acting company. Performances shown here include the iconic, Hamlet, As You Like It, and Troilus. Shakespeare's theatre soon became a favorite by teaching how to express oneself more effectively. -
Performing Art: Hip-Hop Dance
In the late 1970's, Hip-Hop dance was well known in house parties and neighborhood block parties. The music style is a blended mix of stylized rhythmic and accompanying rap. African Americans & Latino Americans deserve the credit for originating the popular dance. The hip-hop lyrics are about urban life including: gangs, violence, and illegal drugs. The forms of dance are breakdancing, locking, bouncing, and popping. Still today, it is one of the most successful music genres and culture dances. -
Literature: Fiction Writing
Fiction is the most liked genre by teenage readers. Fiction is any story that is derived from imaginary events and/or people.One form of fiction writing is called a novel. A fiction novel has a more complex story line and may have more than one plot. Almost all of the newer movies and plays such as, The Hunger Games and Wicked are based on this idea of fiction. Fiction is important because it allows authors and even readers to use their creativity and mysterious questioning to define"what now?" -
Philosophy: Ethics
Ethics is a branch of philosophy that is based on right and wrong conduct. Ethics is also the study of the actions therefore, the question, "What should I do?," arises. The philosophical branch of ethics breaks down what a man should & should not do. Ethics are important because it is requirement for human life! Without defining ethics, there would be no reason to make goals because one would be aimed randomly and have no sense of what direction to take.A flaw in ethics will lower our success.
