KICS Social Studies: January 2013

Monday, January 28, 2013

Fractional Reserve Banking, Executive Orders, and Nullification

Andrew Jackson ended the Second National Bank in 1836 because he deemed it a monopoly that benefited the wealthy.

According to the video, has the Federal Reserve Bank, a central bank that was instituted in 1913, done any better to create wealth for those besides the wealthy?
What problem does the creation of money cause?

Read this article about executive orders and answer the following questions:

What are executive orders?
When are they necessary?
When should they be challenged?

Read this article about nullification and answer the following questions:

What is nullification?
Why do its opponents reject its legality?
Why do its proponents affirm its validity?

N.B. Feel free to click on the links within the articles to get more background on the what is being discussed.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Q: How did Commodore Perry force Japan to trade with the US?

It's hard for us to think that the United States (self-proclaimed good guys of the world) would militarily force another country to trade with them under threat of war. But that's exactly what happened:

Perry, on behalf of the U.S. government, forced Japan to enter into trade with the United States and demanded a treaty permitting trade and the opening of Japanese ports to U.S. merchant ships. This was the era when all Western powers were seeking to open new markets for their manufactured goods abroad, as well as new countries to supply raw materials for industry. It was clear that Commodore Perry could impose his demands by force. The Japanese had no navy with which to defend themselves, and thus they had to agree to the demands.

Perry's small squadron itself was not enough to force the massive changes that then took place in Japan, but the Japanese knew that his ships were just the beginning of Western interest in their islands. Russia, Britain, France, and Holland all followed Perry's example and used their fleets to force Japan to sign treaties that promised regular relations and trade.

(http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_perry.htm)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

One-Child Policy

China facing one child policy dilemma

In light of today's discussion, this article and accompanying video from BBC reports on the forced abortions and infanticide that may result when families under the policy have more than one child.

Continents?

For those of you who really enjoyed this in class and can't live without watching it again. :)

P.S. There's a reference to George Orwell's 1984 at 0:50 that's purely fictional. Make sure you read it in high school!

7-4 to 7-6 Study Guide

Please be prepared for the following terms, people, places, and themes*:

Terms

Pax Romana
aqueducts
colonus
rabbis
martyrs
patriarchs
pope
inflation
collegia
anarchy

People

Praetorian Guard
Galen
Ptolemy
Virgil
Tacitus
Constantine
Commodus
Huns
Vandals
Alaric
Attila
Romulus Augustulus

Places

Jerusalem
Nazareth
Bethlehem
Constantinople
Rhine & Danube Rivers

Themes

Section 4: Roman Society and Culture

Identify aspects of Roman rule that helped unify and solidify the empire.
Describe how Roman citizens made a living and entertained themselves.
Discuss the role of learning, education, and the arts in imperial Rome.

Section 5: The Rise of Christianity

Explain how Christianity arose out of the Jewish tradition in Judaea.
Identify difficulties and successes experienced by Christians while under the influence of the Roman Empire.
Discuss changes that occurred in the church during the late Roman Empire that helped stabilize and solidify it.

Section 6: The Fall of the Roman Empire in the West

Identify problems that plagued the Roman Empire during the AD 200s.
Explain how the reigns of Diocletian and Constantine slowed the decline of the empire.
List problems that led to the Roman Empire's decline.

*You do not need to include all of these terms, people, places, and themes in your study guide. In fact, please limit your study materials to what is most helpful for you by focusing on items that you need to study the most. Use your time wisely! :)