From Dhows to Tankers

Al Hashemi - the largest Dhow ever built

 In this part of the world, it is and understatement to say that oil is the lifeblood of the different countries that make up the region.  As you might suspect though, this was not always the case.  In fact, one could argue that the people of the Arabian peninsula have gone through one of the more dramatic shifts in history over the past few hundred years.  For most of Kuwait and the rest of the peninsula, Bedouin nomadic lifestyle dominated for most of recorded history.  There were permanent settlements here and there that sprouted up because of access to different resources; most likely fresh water.  In Kuwait's case, other than Alexander the Great setting up a settlement on Failaka Island off the coast, there were really no permanent settlements of any kind until the 17th century.  The main reason for this settlement was the access to one of the best natural harbors in the region.  Bedouin's slowly started adapting to a settled lifestyle so they could benefit from a key geographical trading location that linked East Africa and India to the Ottoman Empire.  To boost this trade many ships were built in the regional style known as Dhows.  The wood had to be imported from India, but that didn't stop Kuwait from amassing one of the largest Dhow fleets in the Arabian Gulf.  They used these versatile ships to transport goods to and from India and Africa.  They especially took advantage of the pearl rich waters off the coast of Kuwait and the Arabian Gulf to create the backbone for the permanent settlement that we are living in today, Kuwait City.  Pearls along with spices, dates, and horses continued to draw desert wanderers to abandon their millennia's old Bedouin lifestyle and these Dhows created the means to have such a dramatic shift.  Not until the 1920's and 30's did the importance of the ships begin to gradually fade.  Two events happened in Kuwait and the Gulf region that would start to draw the attention of the entire world.  First, Japan began to manufacture cultured pearls that undermined the dependence of the region on these luxury items.  The rest of the world could now enjoy pearls at a much cheaper price, although at the expense of Kuwait and neighboring countries.  Not long after this happened, a precious commodity that would come to have dramatic influence over the events of the 20th century was discovered in Kuwait; oil.  Thankfully for Kuwait and a few of its neighbors, they had a somewhat sizable amount of oil; the world's largest reserves at the time.  Because of this and rapidly increasing demand for oil around the world after WWII, Kuwait began to rapidly modernize and saw unprecedented economic growth.  The Dhows started to become replaced by tankers that transported their good fortune around the world. This is even more evident today by the presence of no fewer than a dozen tankers in the Arabian Gulf within view from our humble abode.  Dhows are still used today for fishing and for importing water until desalinization became more prevalent.  They still have a very important meaning for the Arabian peoples, represented by the fact that every Kuwaiti coin has a Dhow proudly placed on one side; but for the foreseeable future they no longer play the vital role that they once did.

If the past few hundred years can bring about this much change to the Arabian peninsula that hadn't changed that much in the past few thousand years, then the future will be exciting indeed for this rapidly developing part of the world; especially with humanities ever growing demand for what brought us here to Kuwait in the first place; oil.  

Captain Fields

Modern Dhows

A Teacher in Arabia

May 15, 2013

It’s been almost three weeks since the confines of Houston and the U.S. have been put behind us.  We've found ourselves in a place that I would have never dreamed of living in when I was growing up.  This region of the world fascinates me because of my (I’m reluctant to say) ignorance or lack of experience with the culture that we are now surrounded by.  I hope our time here in Kuwait and the Middle East region can shed some light on how people live life here on the Arabian peninsula and why they live it that way.  Whatever adventures lie ahead, I’m excited to learn and have a better understanding of what our world is about.

This picture is of my alter ego – Bobble Fields – who will be accompanying me along our travels through the region.  Morgan had this custom built in my likeness for my birthday this past year and now this mini me will follow us wherever we go.  The background of the picture is what lies in our neighborhood.  The building directly across the street is the local Mosque, where the call to prayer echoes throughout the neighborhood 5 times a day.  The Islamic call to prayer truly makes it feel we are in a far off mystical part of the world.  The sounds emanating from the minarets make sunsets even that much more enchanting.

Taken by Morgan

This past Friday (which is like Saturday in the states) we took a trip to the Old Souk (market).  Friday is the holy day here in Kuwait and we have been advised that this is the prime time to get out and see the city because the traffic is at a minimum.  We took that advice to heart and went to try and experience wandering through the maze like layout of the souk.  The vibrant colors of carpets and the smells of fresh spices were present throughout the alleys and passageways of the souk.  Finally the smell of baked flat bread and all imaginable kinds of meat stopped us from our wandering to sit in the open food court and have some local dishes.  As we were eating and taking in the surroundings, a sizable group of men behind us started laying out little carpets in rows all facing in the same direction.  Then we started hearing the echoes of the call to prayer from the mosque right across the street and at this moment the men started to kneel down right beside the bustling food court and pray toward Mecca.  I have to say it was one of the cooler experiences I have had here in Kuwait to date.  We were in the middle of an Old Souk taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of what Kuwaiti culture was about.  Needless to say, after only three weeks in Kuwait and the Middle East, I can't even imagine the adventures and enchanting experiences that will occur over the next six months or so.

Taken by Morgan

Unit 25: Global Popular Culture Video Questions

Watch Unit 25 from the Learner.org website.
Click on the following link to answer the questions for
UNIT 25: Global Popular Culture Video Questions

Answers must be typed, in complete sentences and submitted to turnitin.com.

Do not retype the questions.

MUST BE POSTED TO TURNITIN.COM BY THE END OF THE DAY TUESDAY 4/30.

6th 6-Weeks Reading Calendar

6th 6-Weeks Reading Calendar from

TRADITIONS AND ENCOUNTERS

4/18-19 - Chapter 39

GET A FIVE FREE AP EXAM REVIEW

1. Go to http://www.getafive.com/ap-tests/world-history/enroll/

2. Create an account using facebook connect or your email address.

3. Once on the billing page, enter the promo code FIELDS_WORLD in the promo code field and make sure to hit "apply code". Since the code makes the website free, the rest of the billing information should go away. Make sure to hit "Enroll" and you'll be all set. Then head on over to the study room and get to work!

ANTI-GENOCIDE BROCHURE

Create an ANTI-GENOCIDE Brochure using information gathered from these Prezis:
WARNING: Viewer Discretion is Advised
A History of Genocide

APWH Word Association Review

Use the World Association List to complete the APWH Word Association Review assignment.
Due 5/1-2.

Globalization and Economics Video Questions

Watch Unit 24 from the Learner.org website.
Click on the following link to answer the questions for
UNIT 24: Globalization and Economics Video Questions

Answers must be typed, in complete sentences and submitted to turnitin.com.

Do not retype the questions.

MUST BE POSTED TO TURNITIN.COM BY THE END OF THE DAY TUESDAY 4/23.

Unit 5 Key Terms

If you lost your copy of the Unit 5 Key Terms print out another copy to turn in.

Chapter 38 Quiz

Read Ch. 38 for a quiz on Thursday and Friday 4/11-12.

Challenges in Our World Today

Review the Challenges in Our World Today Prezi according to your assigned group and be ready to contribute to a class activity on 4/15-16 with notes or knowledge about your topic.

1. Iranian Revolution
2. Gulf War/War on Terror
3. End of Apartheid
4. Latin America
5. Middle East
6. Human Rights
7. Women's Movements
8. Globalization
9. Science and the Environment

People Shape the World Video Questions

Watch Unit 23 from the Learner.org website.
Click on the following link to answer the questions for
UNIT 23: People Shape the World Video Questions

Answers must be typed, in complete sentences and submitted to turnitin.com.

Do not retype the questions.

MUST BE POSTED TO TURNITIN.COM BY THE END OF THE DAY TUESDAY 4/16.

Thirteen Days

If you were absent from class, finish watching Thirteen Days and fill out the packet that we handed out in class.

Decolonization and the Cold War

DECOLONIZATION and COLD WAR Questions
Assigned 4/1-2
Stamped 4/5-8

Decolonization and Cold War Prezi

Khan Academy Videos on:
Korean War
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuban Missile Crisis
Vietnam War
Pattern of US Cold War Interventions

Chapter 37 Quiz

Read Ch. 37 for a quiz on Friday (4/5) and Monday (4/8).

World War II

Finish answering the World War II Questions using the World War II Prezi and bring it into class for a STAMP.

Imperialism and World Wars Test

We will be having an Imperialism and World Wars test on Monday and Tuesday 4/1-2.

Look over the Imperialism and World Wars Review to prepare for the test.

Ch. 36 Graded Discussion

Read Chapter 36 for a graded discussion on Wednesday and Thursday 3/27-28

20th Century Totalitarian Questions

Finish reading through the 20th Century Totalitarian packet and answer the questions.  Due for a STAMP on Wednesday and Thursday 3/27-28.

French and Russian Revolutions Compared

Read through French vs. Russian Revolutions and fill out the compare and contrast chart at the bottom.  This will be taken up for a STAMP on Monday and Tuesday 3/25 - 26.

Russian Revolution: Conditions and Results

If you didn't finish the assignment in class, complete the rest of the Conditions and Results worksheet using the Russian Revolution Reading.  Due for a STAMP - 3/21-22.

Photo Story: The Interwar Years 1919-1939

Click here to download Photo Story 3 from microsoft.com

Click here to view a YouTube tutorial on how to create a Photo Story 3

Click here to view a YouTube tutorial on how to create an iMovie

Students will complete a Photo Story project using pictures, music, and captions answering the following:

What was life like (SPEC) in these countries at the end of World War I which eventually led to World War II?
Germany, England, France, Italy, Russia, United States, Japan, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire (Turkey)

Required Elements
- title slide with country covered, name and period
- 4-5 minutes long (24+ pictures/slides)
- pictures, maps or graphics and captions that relate to the SPEC of the country during the interwar years
- music appropriate to the topic
- credits/works cited

Groups of 3 or 4
- PowerPoint Rough Draft due 3/6-7 (1 rough draft per group with all group members names on it)
- 30 point deduction for PowerPoints or Prezis
- Photo Story must be turned in using a flash drive
- Last names and class period as the file name (Jones_Green_Smith_2)
- Due 3/21-22

Photo Story Rubric

Ch. 35 Quiz

Read Ch. 35 for a quiz the Thursday and Friday after Spring Break - 3/21-22.

Global Implications For WWI

Finish answering the questions that we worked on in class from the Global Implications for WWI and bring it back to class for a STAMP on 3/8 and 3/18.

Technology of WWI

Finish the Technology of WWI worksheet by reading through any items that you had missed.  Taken up for a STAMP 3/6-7. 

Extra Credit for 5th 6-Weeks

During the week of March 4-8, bring in your AP World History study guide book and receive a bonus STAMP.
KAPLAN AP WORLD HISTORY (Around $9)
5 STEPS TO A 5 (Around $11)
CRACKING THE AP WORLD HISTORY EXAM (Around $10)
BARRON'S AP WORLD HISTORY (Around $8)
AP WORLD HISTORY CRASH COURSE (Around $8)

Chapter 34 Quiz

Read Ch. 34 for a quiz on Thursday and Friday 3/7-8.

World War I

Answer these WWI Questions by using this WWI prezi. This will be taken up for a stamp on 3/4-5.

After completing the Prezi, choose two of the following activities to bring to class for a stamp on 3/6-7

Imperialism

Use the Imperialism Prezi to answer the Imperialism Questions for a STAMP on 2/28-3/1.  Use these pictures to help complete the Analyzing Imperial Motives chart for a STAMP on 2/28-3/1.

Ch. 33 Quiz

Read Ch. 33 for a quiz on Thursday and Friday - 2/28 and 3/1.