WHAT I LEARNED THIS SEMESTER IN WORLD HISTORY II

Well, the time has come to sum up what I learned this Semester, and if I were to cover everything, I'd still be typing next week! For time's sake, I will just emphasize some important things that I know will stick with me:

First of all, the Afghan situation. I never realized how much the Afghan citizens are like us, in their need and desires. I was sort of surprized at how a country like Afghanistan could have such a normal problem as environmental issues. And of course, with all our detailed research on how tough their lives are, I've come to a deeper sympathy for those in Afghanistan who want the war to be over just as much as we do, as well as a greater appreciation for how fortunate we are!

And I never would have guessed that the poorness in the world today can find its root in such a trivial matter as geography! Thanks, Jared Diamond!

As to Nationalism, well, this wasn't the most interesting unit, but I was pleased to learn the history of German and Italy (as well as a bit surprized at how much later they became nations than the other major countries in Europe...).

With the Urbanization unit, I had already knwon a lot about the Industrial Revolution, but it was neat to learn about the little details of life that they tried to solve, and the origin of some common things today, like cars and electricity!

And just a few other things: the top 10 most populous cities and countries in the world, the complete story of Oliver Twist (that is, more than "Please sir, may I have some more?"), and what an awesome movie Hero is!!

Thanks, Mrs. Lawson! It was an awesome semester, and I can't wait for the rest of the year!