Laura

Collapse of the Maya: A Theory

2008-11-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

In about A.D. 800 to A.D. 900, the Maya of the Classic Period collapsed, no one knows why. I think that the Classic Period of the Maya collapsed because of malnutrition from a shortage of corn crops. A skull (top left picture) found in the Copán Valley (top right picture) has evidence of severe anemia, caused by a lack of iron in the diet. Perhaps when the Maya flourished, the corn crop was doing well. So, we have modern evidence of what might have happened: Modern farmers in the temperate and mountainous Copán Valley say that each year, the corn crops are getting smaller in amount. The land is being cultivated every year, without time for the land to rest. To feed their population of 25,000, however, which is about the same amount of people living there before the collapse, they need to plant every year, even though a smaller amount of corn grows every year. The Maya probably experienced significant thinning of their corn crops and a famine. Some Maya moved north to the warm and humid Yucatan, while the remaining Maya died out. Though the possibilities to why the Maya Classic Period collapsed are numerous, I think that a famine, followed by departure from the Copán Valley, caused the collapse of the Maya Classic Period and is therefore the likeliest of the theories.

Prehistory Peruvian Cultures

2008-10-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

I just went on a journey through time! I traveled back to the ancient Peruvian Cultures. I saw the Moche, Inca, Sican, and Chimu cultures.
First I traveled to northern Peru to the Moche empire which existed from 100 A.D. to 800 A.D.
The Moche people had a river valley environment, rich with clay and metals, and they were able to create amazing art with their resources.

Vice Presidential Debate

2008-10-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

I don't think Sarah Palin's plan is correct, because in the past McCain has generally supported deregulation and that has caused the current problem with Fannie May and Freddie Mac. Sarah Palin says she is in the middle class and understands the middle class and wants to cut taxes for the middle class. The Republicans cut taxes for upper class, not the middle class, no matter what they promise. Also Sarah Palin is currently not in the middle class. Her jacket was priced at $5,000.

I disagree with Sarah Palin about having to win in Iraq. The funding for the war is currently taking $10 billion a month. That is too much money for our taxes. To many innocent bystanders are being killed. We should withdraw our troops, and not draw out the war. Sarah says that there still are Muslim extremists, but Iraq could say the same about many people in the United States. I also disagree with Sarah Palin and John McCain about staying in Iraq. Sarah Palin also said that then we have to go to Afghanistan. I don't think that we should do that. I think we should draw out the troops in Iraq, and talk reasonably with Iraq and Afghanistan.

I agree with Joe Biden and Barack Obama's health care plan. I think that health care should be universal. Everybody deserves to have health care, no matter how poor or wealthy they are. I disagree with John McCain, because he wants a $4 billion tax cut for Exxon Mobile. Exxon Mobile is a wealthy corporation. I don't think that health care should be privatized. McCain's $5000 credit isn't enough for a normal family.

Economic Plan

2008-09-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm Laura. For the economy, I don't think that Bush's plan will work. I don't think that it is right to borrow other countries money for this issue. He is just digging us in deeper, because we will have to pay them back eventually. We already owe a lot of money, and if we keep borrowing more, we will have another Great Depression. I don't think it is right to blame the working class for the mistakes of big banks.