MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111 Honors

MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
DISTRICT #111
Mission: To Inspire and motivate our students with an educational experience that leads to achievement and success.
January 14, 2016
Dear Incoming Freshman and Parents/Guardians:
Welcome to Minooka Community High School! The MCHS staff wants you to experience four successful years of high school that
will prepare you for whatever future path you choose--college, vocational training, or career. This memo and packet are intended
to provide the background and requirements for application to an honors-level course. You and your child will also receive the
materials needed to enroll in Minooka Community High School District #111 for 2016-17 when our counselors visit your child’s
school, and during Incoming Freshman Night scheduled for January 13, 2016.
One of the first decisions you will need to make regarding your high school education involves choosing the appropriate classes. The
English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and World Languages Departments offer both regular and honors courses to fulfill students’
needs and challenge their academic abilities. These courses will prepare students for college and professional/vocational fields. Each
honors course is designed to challenge those students who excel.
If you elect to take regular classes, you need only complete the registration forms provided by the high school counselors when they
visit your school. If you wish to enroll in honors courses, you need to complete these steps:
1. Obtain an application packet by doing the following:
• Downloading & printing a 2016 Honors Application Packet at www.mchs.net.
2. Register online for the Math and/or Science Skills test.
• Visit www.mchs.net and select the link to “Incoming Freshman Info” in the Quick Links menu on the left side of the page. Once on the page, scroll to the “Downloads, Mailings & More” section at the bottom of the page and click on the provided link for the “Mandatory Skills Test for 2016-2017 Incoming Freshman.”
3. Complete the student profile, student survey, and parent survey.
4. Complete the Honors Program Math Application and return the application with your current 8th grade math teacher’s signature.
5. Complete the essays/questions if you are applying for Honors English I and/or Honors World History.
6. Complete a Science skills test by registering online at www.mchs.net (see Step 2) for Chemistry Honors placement.
7. If you wish to apply for any of the honors courses, your application materials must be received by January 25, 2016 at MCHS –
South Campus. You may also mail all completed forms to:
Ms. Kathy Fairbairn
Minooka Community High School – South Campus
26655 W. Eames St.
Channahon, IL 60410
_______________________________________________________________________________
MCHS - CENTRAL CAMPUS
301 S. Wabena Ave.
Minooka, Illinois 60447
815-467-2140
DISTRICT 111 OFFICE
26655 W. Eames Street
Channahon, IL 60410
815-467-2557
www.mchs.net
MCHS - SOUTH CAMPUS
26655 W. Eames Street
Channahon, Illinois 60410
815-521-4001
General criteria considered for acceptance into the honors program are:
1. Maintain at least a B average for the current academic school year in the subject area(s) for which you are applying.
2. Be recommended by your 8th grade teacher(s).
3. During review of applications, additional information may be requested.
Specific criteria required for acceptance into the honors program (by course) are as follows:
Recommended
Minimum
Explore Score
Written
Prompt
Response
Required
Subject
Skills Test Date and location
Chemistry
Jan. 29, 2016 Minooka Community High School - Central Campus
10:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Jan. 29, 2016 Minooka Junior High (MJH students only) 1:00 - 1:45 p.m.
Jan. 30, 2016 Minooka Community High School - Central Campus
9:45 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 4, 2016 Make-up at Minooka Community High School - South
Campus 3:00 - 3:30 p.m.
18 - Math
18 - Science
18 - Reading
N/A
English
N/A
18 - English
18 - Reading
Yes
18 - Math
N/A
18 - English
18 - Reading
Yes
Geometry
Honors Geometry
or
Advanced
Algebra I
Jan. 29, 2016 Minooka Community High School - Central Campus
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Jan. 29, 2016 Minooka Junior High (MJH students only)
11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Jan. 30, 2016 Minooka Community High School - Central Campus
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Feb. 4, 2016 Make-up at Minooka Community High School - South
Campus 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.
Social Studies
N/A
Feb. 4, 2016 Troy Middle School
Feb. 9, 2016 Minooka Junior High Library 3:00 - 3:45
Feb. 10, 2016 Minooka Junior High Library 3:00 - 3:45
Spanish Honors
N/A
Feb. 11, 2016 Channahon Junior High 1:00 - 1:45 p.m. & 1:49 - 2:35 p.m.
Feb. 16, 2016 Make-up & Private/Parochial students*, *Please contact Mr.
Trent Bontrager at tbontrager@mchs.net to make arrangements.
Explore score results will be distributed at MCHS during Incoming Freshman Night on January 13, 2016.
N/A
After your credentials have been reviewed and evaluated, you will be notified of your recommended placement.
We hope that you, along with your parents/guardians, will consider the available options before making choices. Your high school
experience will be greatly enhanced by selecting classes that will not only challenge you, but also adequately prepare you for the
future. Please feel free to contact any of the MCHS Guidance Department members, your junior high counselors, or us if you have
questions about these important decisions. We look forward to having you join us at MCHS next fall!
Sincerely,
Dr. Janel Grzetich
Instructional Leader
English Department
Phone: 815-521-4384
E-mail: jgrzetich@mchs.net
Trent Bontrager
Instructional Leader
CTE & World Languages Department
Phone: 815-521-4022
E-mail: tbontrager@mchs.net
Jill NehringDonna Engel
Math InstructorInstructional Leader
Math DepartmentScience Department
Phone: 815-521-4053
Phone: 815-521-4388
E-mail: jnehring@mchs.netE-mail: dengel@mchs.net
Glenda Smith
Instructional Leader
Social Studies & Art Department
Phone: 815-521-4201
E-mail: gsmith@mchs.net
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Honors Program Student Profile
DIRECTIONS: Please print or type the following information.
Last Name (Student) First Middle
Street/P.O. Box
City State Zip Code
Telephone Number
Last Name (Parent/Guardian) First
Please check each of the honors and/or Math programs for which you are applying:
_____ English
_____ Math*
_____ Science*
_____ Social Studies
* Mandatory skills test required. Register online
Please print or type the following information.
_____ World Language
Junior High (must be filled in) 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher
Street/P.O. Box 8th Grade Reading Teacher
City State Zip Code 8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Telephone Number 8th Grade Math Teacher
8th Grade Science Teacher
8th Grade World Language Teacher
Deliver this form, along with your application, by Monday, January 25, 2016
MS. KATHY FAIRBAIRN
MCHS-SOUTH CAMPUS
26655 W. EAMES ST.
CHANNAHON, IL 60410
Note: South Campus closes at 3:00 p.m.
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Freshman Honors Program Parent Survey
Applicant Name (please print)
(Last) (First)
Your son/daughter is a potential candidate for honors classes at MCHS. Please answer the following questions
about your child in order to assist us in properly placing him/her in classes for next year.
Is your child a self-starter? Does your child work carefully and accurately? Please Circle
(4 being the highest)
1 2 3 4
1
2
3
4
Does your child complete his/her work on time? 1
2
3
4
Is your child a goal setter? 1
2
3
4
Does your child demonstrate responsible planning and follow-through in daily assignments and special projects?
1
2
3
4
Is your child a good problem solver? 1
2
3
4
Is your child willing to persevere on a problem? 1
2
3
4
Does your child demonstrate creativity? 1
2
3
4
Does your child have a positive attitude toward school and learning? 1
2
3
4
Does your child demonstrate confidence when approaching new or
challenging projects or materials? 1
2
3
4
Does your child have a good attendance record? Does your child communicate (listen & speak) well? 1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
Does your child communicate ideas well in writing? 1
2
3
4
Is your child organized? 1
2
3
4
Does your child readily and thoroughly complete reading assignments? 1
2
3
4
Does your child study in a systematic way? 1
2
3
4
Does your child readily read books, magazines, or newspapers for pleasure? 1
2
3
4
Do you feel that your child has the academic ability and drive to
successfully participate in our honors program? 1
2
3
4
Mail or deliver this form, along with your application, by Monday, January 25, 2016.
MS. KATHY FAIRBAIRN
MCHS - SOUTH CAMPUS
26655 W. EAMES ST.
CHANNAHON, IL 60410
Note: South Campus closes at 3:00 p.m.
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Freshman Honors Program Student Survey
page 1 of 2
Applicant Name (please print)
(Last) (First)
Please answer the following questions to assist us in properly placing you in classes for next year.
Work Ethic Are you a self-starter? Please Circle
(4 being the highest)
1
2
3
4
Do you work carefully and accurately? 1
2
3
4
Do you complete work on time? 1
2
3
4
Are you a goal setter? 1
2
3
4
Do you demonstrate responsible planning and follow-through
in daily assignments and special projects? 1
2
3
4
Are you a good problem solver? 1
2
3
4
Are you willing to persevere on a problem? 1
2
3
4
Are you creative? Attitude
1
2
3
4
Do you have a positive attitude toward school and learning? 1
2
3
4
Do you work well in a group? 1
2
3
4
Do you demonstrate confidence when approaching new or
challenging projects or materials? 1
2
3
4
Are you open to input of others? 1
2
3
4
Do you demonstrate consideration toward others? 1
2
3
4
Problem-Solving Ability
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Freshman Honors Program Student Survey
page 2 of 2
Please answer the following questions to assist us in properly placing you in classes for next year.
Skills
Please Circle
(4 being the highest)
Do you communicate (listen & speak) well? 1
2
3
4
Do you communicate your ideas well in writing? 1
2
3
4
Do you take notes? 1
2
3
4
Do you thoroughly complete reading assignments? 1
2
3
4
Are you organized? 1
2
3
4
Do you study in a systematic way? 1
2
3
4
Do you routinely read books for pleasure? 1
2
3
4
Do you routinely read magazines or newspapers? 1
2
3
4
Do you feel that you have the academic ability and drive
to successfully participate in our honors program? 1
2
3
4
Mail or deliver this form, along with your application, by Monday, January 25, 2016.
MS. KATHY FAIRBAIRN
MCHS-SOUTH CAMPUS
26655 W. EAMES ST.
CHANNAHON, IL 60410
Note: South Campus closes at 3:00 p.m.
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Advanced Algebra I/Geometry/Honors Geometry Application
Your High School math placement will be determined by your level of math completed in 8th grade along with your
Explore and placement test scores.
Please print or type.
Current Grade: 8
Last Name (Student)
First Middle
Address/PO Box
Junior High
City Zip Code
Telephone Number
Last Name (Parent/Guardian) First
Circle the math program for which you are applying. Please note: a mandatory skills test is required for all courses
listed. Visit www.mchs.net and select the link to “Incoming Freshman Info” in the Quick Links menu on the left side of
the page. Once on the page, scroll to the “Downloads, Mailings & More” section at the bottom of the page and click on
the provided link for the “Mandatory Skills Test for 2016-2017 Incoming Freshman.” Online registration closes January
25, 2016.
Advanced Algebra I
Geometry
Honors Geometry
Please mark if applicable:
_______ I am currently enrolled in the MCHS Honors Geometry class as an eighth grader, I will progress to Honors Algebra II. (Please note: a mandatory skills test is not required.)
List the class that you are currently enrolled in and the final percentages you received for 1st and 2nd quarters:
Junior High Math Teacher – Name (please print)
Junior High Math Teacher’s Signature
Junior High Math Teacher - Email address: MCHS will notify you of your placement. Your math placement will be determined by your level of math
completed in 8th grade, along with your Explore and placement test scores.
Mail or deliver this form, along with your application, by Monday, January 25, 2016.
MS. KATHY FAIRBAIRN
MCHS - SOUTH CAMPUS
26655 W. EAMES ST.
CHANNAHON, IL 60410
Note: South Campus closes at 3:00 p.m.
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Freshman Honors English Writing Prompt (Required)
Instructions: Choose only one of the following two writing prompts. Label or title your essay. Please present
your essay in the following format: typed, double-spaced, and size 12 font. Write an essay in which you agree
or disagree with the following statement from the attached article: “Putting in a lot of effort should merit a high
grade…What else is there really than the effort that you put in?” Include specific details from the article to support
your argument. If you have any questions, please email Dr. Janel Grzetich at jgrzetich@mchs.net.
PROMPT CHOICE #1:
“Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes”
by Max Roosevelt
Prof. Marshall Grossman has come to expect complaints whenever he returns graded papers in his English classes
at the University of Maryland.
“Many students come in with the conviction that they’ve worked hard and deserve a higher mark,” Professor
Grossman said. “Some assert that they have never gotten a grade as low as this before.”
He attributes those complaints to his students’ sense of entitlement.
“I tell my classes that if they just do what they are supposed to do and meet the standard requirements, that they
will earn a C,” he said. “That is the default grade. They see the default grade as an A.”
A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that a third of students surveyed
said that they expected B’s just for attending lectures, and 40 percent said they deserved a B for completing the
required reading.
“I noticed an increased sense of entitlement in my students and wanted to discover what was causing it,” said Ellen
Greenberger, the lead author of the study, called “Self-Entitled College Students: Contributions of Personality,
Parenting, and Motivational Factors,” which appeared last year in The Journal of Youth and Adolescence.
Professor Greenberger said that the sense of entitlement could be related to increased parental pressure, competition
among peers and family members and a heightened sense of achievement anxiety.
Aaron M. Brower, the vice provost for teaching and learning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, offered
another theory.
“I think that it stems from their K-12 experiences,” Professor Brower said. “They have become ultra-efficient in
test preparation. And this hyper-efficiency has led them to look for a magic formula to get high scores.”
James Hogge, Associate Dean of the Peabody School of Education at Vanderbilt University, said: “Students often
confuse the level of effort with the quality of work. There is a mentality in students that ‘if I work hard, I deserve
a high grade.”
In line with Dean Hogge’s observation are Professor Greenberger’s test results. Nearly two-thirds of the students
surveyed said, that if they explained to a professor that they were trying hard, that should be taken into account
in their grade.
Jason Greenwood, a senior kinesiology major at the University of Maryland echoed that view.
“I think putting in a lot of effort should merit a high grade,” Mr. Greenwood said. “What else is there really than
the effort that you put in?” “If you put in all the effort you have and get a C, what is the point?” he added. “If
someone goes to every class and reads every chapter in the book and does everything the teacher asks of them and
more, then they should be getting an A like their effort deserves. If your maximum effort can only be average in
a teacher’s mind, then something is wrong.”
Sarah Kinn, a junior English major at the University of Vermont, agreed, saying, “I feel that if I do all of the
readings and attend class regularly that I should be able to achieve a grade of at least a B.”
At Vanderbilt, there is an emphasis on what Dean Hogge calls “the locus of control.” The goal is to put the
academic burden on the student.
“Instead of getting an A, they make an A,” he said. “Similarly, if they make a lesser grade, it is not the teacher’s
fault. Attributing the outcome of a failure to someone else is a common problem.”
Additionally, Dean Hogge said, “professors often try to outline the ‘rules of the game’ in their syllabi,” in an effort
to curb haggling over grades.
Professor Brower said professors at Wisconsin emphasized that students must “read for knowledge and write with
the goal of exploring ideas.”
This informal mission statement, along with special seminars for freshmen, is intended to help “re-teach students
about what education is.”
The seminars are integrated into introductory courses. Examples include the conventional, like a global-warming
seminar, and the more obscure, like physics in religion.
The seminars “are meant to help students think differently about their classes and connect them to real life,”
Professor Brower said.
He said that, if students developed a genuine interest in their field, grades would take a back seat, and holistic and
intrinsically motivated learning could take place.
“College students want to be part of a different and better world, but they don’t know how,” he said. “Unless
teachers are very intentional with our goals, we play into the system in place.”
Instruction: Choose only one writing prompt. Label or title your essay. Please present your essay in the following
format: typed, double-spaced, and size 12 font. Write an essay in which you agree or disagree with the following
quote from the article below. “Some argue that the hours spent prowling the Internet are the enemy of reading
-- diminishing literacy, wrecking attention spans and destroying a precious common culture
that exists only through the reading of books.” Include specific details from the article to support your argument.
If you have any questions, please email Dr. Janel Grzetich at jgrzetich@mchs.net.
PROMPT CHOICE #2:
“Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?”
By Motoko Rich
Books are not Nadia Konyk’s thing. Her mother, hoping to entice her, brings them home from the library, but
Nadia rarely shows an interest.
Instead, like so many other teenagers, Nadia, 15, is addicted to the Internet. She regularly spends at least six hours
a day in front of the computer here in this suburb southwest of Cleveland.
A slender, chatty blonde who wears black-framed plastic glasses, Nadia checks her email and peruses myyearbook.
com, a social networking site, reading messages or posting updates on her mood. She searches for music videos
on YouTube and logs onto Gaia Online, a role-playing site where members fashion alternate identities as cutesy
cartoon characters. But, she spends most of her time on quizilla.com or fanfiction.net, reading and commenting
on stories written by other users and based on books, television shows or movies.
Her mother, Deborah Konyk, would prefer that Nadia, who gets A’s and B’s at school, read books for a change.
But, at this point, Ms. Konyk said, “I’m just pleased that she reads something anymore.”
Children like Nadia lie at the heart of a passionate debate about just what it means to read in the digital age.
As teenagers’ scores on standardized reading tests have declined or stagnated, some argue that the hours spent
prowling the Internet are the enemy of reading — diminishing literacy, wrecking attention spans and destroying
a precious common culture that exists only through the reading of books. But, others say the Internet has created
a new kind of reading, one that schools and society should not discount. The Web inspires a teenager like Nadia,
who might otherwise spend most of her leisure time watching television, to read and write.
At least since the invention of television, critics have warned that electronic media would destroy reading. What
is different now, some literacy experts say, is that spending time on the Web, whether it is looking up something
on Google or even britneyspears.org, entails some engagement with text.
Few who believe in the potential of the Web deny the value of books. But they argue that it is unrealistic to
expect all children to read To Kill a Mockingbird or Pride and Prejudice for fun. And those who prefer staring
at a television or mashing buttons on a game console, they say, can still benefit from reading on the Internet. In
fact, some literacy experts say that online reading skills will help children fare better when they begin looking for
digital-age jobs.
Clearly, reading in print and on the Internet are different. On paper, text has a predetermined beginning, middle
and end, where readers focus for a sustained period on one author’s vision. On the Internet, readers skate through
cyberspace at will and, in effect, compose their own beginnings, middles and ends.
Young people “aren’t as troubled as some of us older folks are by reading that doesn’t go in a line,” said Rand J.
Spiro, a professor of educational psychology at Michigan State University who is studying reading practices on
the Internet. “That’s a good thing because the world doesn’t go in a line, and the world isn’t organized into separate compartments or chapters.”
Some traditionalists warn that digital reading is the intellectual equivalent of empty calories. Often, they argue,
writers on the Internet employ a cryptic argot that vexes teachers and parents. Zigzagging through a cornucopia
of words, pictures, video and sounds, they say, distracts more than strengthens readers. And, many youths spend
most of their time on the Internet playing games or sending instant messages, activities that involve minimal
reading at best.
Children are clearly spending more time on the Internet. In a study of 2,032 representative 8- to 18-year-olds, the
Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly half used the Internet on a typical day in 2004, up from just under a
quarter in 1999. The average time these children spent online on a typical day rose to one hour and 41
minutes in 2004, from 46 minutes in 1999.
The question of how to value different kinds of reading is complicated because people read for many reasons.
There is the level required of daily life — to follow the instructions in a manual or to analyze a mortgage contract.
Then, there is a more sophisticated level that opens the doors to elite education and professions. And, of course,
people read for entertainment, as well as for intellectual or emotional rewards.
What’s Best for Nadia?
Deborah Konyk always believed it was essential for Nadia and her 8-year-old sister, Yashca, to read books. She
regularly read aloud to the girls and took them to library story hours.
“Reading opens up doors to places that you probably will never get to visit in your lifetime, to cultures, to worlds,
to people,” Ms. Konyk said.
Ms. Konyk, who took a part-time job at a dollar store chain a year and a half ago, said she did not have much time
to read books herself. There are few books in the house. But, after Yashca was born, Ms. Konyk spent the baby’s
nap time reading the Harry Potter novels to Nadia, and she regularly brought home new titles from the library.
Despite these efforts, Nadia never became a big reader. Instead, she became obsessed with Japanese anime
cartoons on television and comics like “Sailor Moon.” Then, when she was in the sixth grade, the family bought
its first computer. When a friend introduced Nadia to fanfiction.net, she turned off the television and started
reading online.
Now, she regularly reads stories that run as long as 45 Web pages. Many of them have elliptical plots and are
sprinkled with spelling and grammatical errors. One of her recent favorites was “My absolutely, perfect normal
life ... ARE YOU CRAZY? NOT!,” a story based on the anime series “Beyblade.”
In one scene the narrator, Aries, hitches a ride with some masked men, and one of them pulls a knife on her. “Just
then I notice (Like finally) something sharp right in front of me,” Aries writes. “I gladly took it just like that until
something terrible happened ....” Nadia said she preferred reading stories online because “you could add your
own character and twist it the way you want it to be.”
“So like in the book somebody could die,” she continued, “but you could make it so that person doesn’t die or
make it so like somebody else dies who you don’t like.”
Nadia said she wanted to major in English at college and someday hopes to be published. She does not see a
problem with reading few books. “No one’s ever said you should read more books to get into college,” she said.
The simplest argument for why children should read in their leisure time is that it makes them better readers.
According to federal statistics, students, who say they read for fun once a day, score significantly higher on
reading tests than those who say they never do.
Reading skills are also valued by employers. A 2006 survey by the Conference Board, which conducts research for
business leaders, found that nearly 90 percent of employers rated “reading comprehension” as “very important”
for workers with bachelor’s degrees. Department of Education statistics also show that those who score higher on
reading tests tend to earn higher incomes.
Critics of reading on the Internet say they see no evidence that increased Web activity improves reading
achievement. “What we are losing in this country, and presumably around the world, is the sustained, focused,
linear attention developed by reading,” said Mr. Gioia of the N.E.A. “I would believe people who tell me that the
Internet develops reading if I did not see such a universal decline in reading ability and reading comprehension
on virtually all tests.”
Nicholas Carr sounded a similar note in “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” in the current issue of the Atlantic
magazine. Warning that the Web was changing the way he — and others — think, he suggested that the effects
of Internet reading extended beyond the falling test scores of adolescence. “What the Net seems to be doing is
chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation,” he wrote, confessing that he now found it
difficult to read long books.
Literacy specialists are just beginning to investigate how reading on the Internet affects reading skills. A recent
study of more than 700 low-income, mostly Hispanic and black sixth through 10th graders in Detroit found that
those students read more on the Web than in any other medium, though they also read books. The only kind of
reading that related to higher academic performance was frequent novel reading, which predicted better grades in
English class and higher overall grade point averages.
Elizabeth Birr Moje, a professor at the University of Michigan who led the study, said novel reading was similar
to what schools demand already. But on the Internet, she said, students are developing new reading skills that are
neither taught nor evaluated in school.
One early study showed that giving home Internet access to low-income students appeared to improve standardized
reading test scores and school grades. “These were kids who would typically not be reading in their free time,”
said Linda A. Jackson, a psychology professor at Michigan State who led the research. “Once they’re on the
Internet, they’re reading.”
But This Is Reading Too
Web proponents believe that strong readers on the Web may eventually surpass those who rely on books. Reading five Web sites, an op-ed article and a blog post or two, experts say, can be more enriching than reading one
book.
“It takes a long time to read a 400-page book,” said Mr. Spiro of Michigan State. “In a tenth of the time,” he
said, the Internet allows a reader to “cover a lot more of the topic from different points of view.”
Some literacy experts say that reading itself should be redefined. Interpreting videos or pictures, they say, may
be as important a skill as analyzing a novel or a poem.
“Kids are using sound and images so they have a world of ideas to put together that aren’t necessarily language
oriented,” said Donna E. Alvermann, a professor of language and literacy education at the University of Georgia. “Books aren’t out of the picture, but they’re only one way of experiencing information in the world today.”
A Lifelong Struggle
In the case of Hunter Gaudet, the Internet has helped him feel more comfortable with a new kind of reading.
A varsity lacrosse player in Somers, Conn., Hunter has struggled most of his life to read. After learning he was
dyslexic in the second grade, he was placed in special education classes, and a tutor came to his home three
hours a week. When he entered high school, he dropped the special education classes, but he still reads books
only when forced, he said.
In a book, “they go through a lot of details that aren’t really needed,” Hunter said. “Online just gives you what
you need, nothing more or less.”
Experts on reading difficulties suggest that for struggling readers, the Web may be a better way to glean
information. “When you read online, there are always graphics,” said Sally Shaywitz, the author of
“Overcoming Dyslexia” and a Yale professor. “I think it’s just more comfortable and — I hate to say easier —
but it more meets the needs of somebody who might not be a fluent reader.”
Karen Gaudet, Hunter’s mother, a regional manager for a retail chain who said she read two or three business
books a week, hopes Hunter will eventually discover a love for books. But, she is confident that he has the
reading skills he needs to succeed.
“Based on where technology is going and the world is going,” she said, “he’s going to be able to leverage it.”
When he was in seventh grade, Hunter was one of 89 students who participated in a study comparing
performance on traditional state reading tests with a specially designed Internet reading test. Hunter, who scored
in the lowest 10 percent on the traditional test, spent 12 weeks learning how to use the Web for a science class
before taking the Internet test. It was composed of three sets of directions asking the students to search for
information online, determine which sites were reliable, and explain their reasoning.
Hunter scored in the top quartile. In fact, about a third of the students in the study, led by Professor Leu, scored
below average on traditional reading tests but did well on the Internet assessment.
Even those who are most concerned about the preservation of books acknowledge that children need a range of
reading experiences. “Some of it is the informal reading they get in e-mails or on Web sites,” said Gay Ivey, a
professor at James Madison University who focuses on adolescent literacy. “I think they need it all.”
Web junkies can occasionally be swept up in a book. After Nadia read Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust memoir Night
in her freshman English class, Ms. Konyk brought home another Holocaust memoir, I Have Lived a Thousand
Years, by Livia Bitton-Jackson.
Nadia was riveted by heartbreaking details of life in the concentration camps. “I was trying to imagine this and
I was like, I can’t do this,” she said. “It was just so — wow.”
Hoping to keep up the momentum, Ms. Konyk brought home another book, Silverboy, a fantasy novel. Nadia
made it through one chapter before she got engrossed in the Internet fan fiction again.
Mail or deliver this form, along with your application, by Monday, January 25, 2016.
MS. KATHY FAIRBAIRN
MCHS-SOUTH CAMPUS
26655 W. EAMES ST.
CHANNAHON, IL 60410
Note: South Campus closes at 3:00 p.m.
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Freshman Honors World History Application
Honors World History Application
Directions:
1. Read the packet on Alexander the Great.
2. Use the evidence in the packet to: fill in the chart, complete the multiple -choice
questions and write a three -paragraph essay .
3. Turn in pages 1, 3-4 in packet and your essay/works cited.
Chart: Check agree or disagree for each statement then defend your position.
Statement
Alexander’s bust
conveyed “greatness”
Agree
Disagree
Why? - Cite specific reasons why; do not just repeat
what the articles tell you. Can be listed as bulleted
facts
Alexander was a great
general, not a great
political leader
Alexander was the
embodiment of pure
human ambition
Alexander was
bloodthirsty and
tyrannical
The question of
Alexander’s greatness is
complicated.
1
Was Alexander Deserving Of The Title ‘Great’? Thesis and Essay-Writing Instructions:
1. After reading the packet that includes the perspectives on Alexander the Great, decide if you will take the stance that he deserves to be called great or not. In three paragraphs, defend your opinion with a clearly defined thesis and detailed historical information to support your thesis. Your essay should be typed, double-spaced, 12-point font in Cambria or Times New Roman.
2. In paragraph one of your essay start off with a grabber statement that hints at your opinion and gets the reader’s attention. Then write your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should say yes he is deserving of the title great or no he does not deserve to be called great AND give
three categories/reasons as to why or why not. Spend the last couple of sentences of your first paragraph previewing details/facts that will support the three categories/reasons you are using.
3. Paragraph two will be spent discussing/supporting your thesis and your three categories/
reasons with specific points that are backed up by historical facts. Be sure to evenly discuss
each of the three categories that go towards supporting your thesis with relevant historical
facts. Remember that all of the facts that you use should be analytical in nature (just not listing
facts for the sake of listing facts). They should be used and explained in a way that proves
your thesis. *This is your chance to show us your analytical abilities and individual thought
process with how you can explain the facts you are using and then tie them to your thesis with
why, how, because, statements.
4. Paragraph three will be the last paragraph of your essay. Restate your thesis in a different way
from your first paragraph and then discuss the three categories you used to support your thesis
with pertinent historical information that backs up your thesis. Your last sentence of the
paragraph should wrap up your paragraph with a commentary or statement of fact that is
based in related-history and relates to the position you have taken in your paper. It should be
thought provoking and grab the reader’s attention.
5. Uses the information provided in the packet and provide internal/parenthetical citations (MLA
format) for either direct quotes or paraphrasing within the body of your paper. Remember
that any thought that you did not come up with yourself has to be cited otherwise that is
committing plagiarism!! Please be aware that if you are using direct quotes they should not be
longer than one line/sentence in your paper. Over-quoting that is too long does not impress the reader of your paper…instead choose a specific quote/selection from the reading materials that you feel as an excerpt can help support you thesis and explain why/how your thesis is correct.
The goal is to have a paper that is analytical and argues successfully your thesis instead of a
paper that is merely descriptive and just lists facts with no thought to tying your thoughts and
evidence to proving your thesis.
6. Your paper should have a separate works cited page attached that is also in MLA format. You
will notice that at the end of every page in the packet there are automatic MLA citations for
each essay read at the bottom of the paper. Use these as a direct example and copy the exact
format into your works cited page. Your works cited page should be arranged in alphabetical
order starting with the alphabetical order of the author’s last name. 2
Multiple Choice/Comprehension questions
1. Ian Worthington best describes the “greatness” of Alexander III in which of the following ways?
a. Alexander was a great king, but was not a competent leader in combat
b. Alexander excelled in both political and military leadership
c. Alexander was a poor political leader and a poor military leader
d. Alexander was a great general, but was a poor king
2. What was NOT one of the main reasons for considering Alexander III not deserving of the title “the
Great” according to Ian Worthington?
a. Alexander would make decisions based on personal reasons, not strategic
b. His father, Philip II, did much more for expanding Greece than Alexander
c. When challenged, Alexander would react harshly, executing allies
d. Alexander died leaving the Macedonian empire with no heir, eventually leading to its break-up
3. What does Ian Worthington infer was the main reason for the decline in Alexander’s popularity among
his military?
a. Alexander’s belief in his own divinity
b. Continued military failures on the battlefield
c. Refusal to expand the Empire eastward after the defeat of the Persians
d. Alexander’s refusal to lead “from the front” as a general
4. Phillip Freeman argues that Alexander’s greatness should be determined by his actions spreading
Hellenic culture across the world. Which of the following was NOT a consequence of Alexander’s
conquests according to Freeman?
a. Depictions of the Buddha influenced by Greek art
b. The speed of the spread of Christianity
c. The spread of democracy across the conquered lands
d. The formation of cities that became lasting centers for Greek civilization
5. How would Freeman counter the claims that historians make that Alexander was a “bloodthirsty
dictator”?
a. Alexander was under constant threat so he had to act in extraordinary ways
b. He was a man of his time, and no different than any other ruler
c. His actions are justified because of his accomplishments
d. Those accounts are over exaggerated and false
6. The main purpose of Keyne Cheshire’s article is to argue which of the following.
a. Where Alexander was first referenced as “the Great” in history and its validity
b. Stating that Alexander gave the title to himself because of his views of self-divinity
c. This title was given to him for his conquering of the Persians who used the title “Great King”
d. The title was given to him by his military for his benevolence towards his soldiers
7. What was NOT an achievement of Alexander to have earned him the title “the Great” according to
Cheshire?
a. His conquests of vast territories
b. His ruthlessness towards his enemies, both foreign and native
c. Integration of Persian traditions into long-standing Macedonian ones
d. His suppression of dissidents in his own military ranks
3
8. According to Cheshire, what was the first reference to Alexander as “the Great” in recorded history?
a. Persian records following his conquering of the Persian empire
b. In a Roman comedy by Platus
c. Contemporary Macedonian scholars who gave him the title
d. Medieval kings wanting to use Alexander as an example for rule
9. Which of the following authors would more than likely agree with the following statement.
“Alexander was not deserving of the title ‘the Great’ because he failed to maintain the empire he created
following his death.”
a. Ian Worthington
b. Phillip Freeman
c. Keyne Cheshire
10. Which of the following authors would more than likely agree with the following statement.
“The title of ‘the Great’ has had a variety of meanings throughout history and its application towards
Alexander is still a hotly debated topic.”
a. Ian Worthington
b. Phillip Freeman
c. Keyne Cheshire
4
Ancient Greece, 2000-30 B.C./Was Alexander Really Great?/Does Alexander
deserve the title “the Great”?
This image, a third-century-BCE bust discovered at the Macedonian capital of Pella, is a portrait of Macedonian
king Alexander III, known as “the Great.” The bust likely reflects the techniques used by the sculptor Lysippos
in creating Alexander’s portraits; Lysippos was the only artist authorized to portray the king during Alexander’s
lifetime. Lysippos’s images of Alexander were marked by their idealized style and specific traits suggesting
Alexander’s youth, authority, and aspiration to greatness; such features are seen in this bust, including
Alexander’s turned head, upward gaze, and thick tousled hair. Scholars consider that such images were part
of Alexander’s propaganda campaign to cultivate the public’s perception of him as a semidivine, powerful ruler
and conqueror.
Between 334 and 324, Alexander led his army to victory over the once-mighty Persian Empire and pressed
on to explore and conquer eastern lands as far away as India. By the time he died at age 33, his military
successes had won him an enduring reputation for greatness, both as a military leader and as a forceful
personality. Nevertheless, modern scholars also consider Alexander’s failings as a ruler and his personal
excesses as they investigate the question: Does Alexander deserve the title “the Great”?
end main content
MLA Citation
“Was Alexander Really Great?: Key Question.” World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2015.
Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Entry ID: 1525034
5
Ancient Greece, 2000-30 B.C./Was Alexander Really Great?/A Great General vs. a
Great King
Alexander III (“the Great”) became king of Macedonia at age 20 in 336 when his
father Philip II of Macedon was assassinated. Two years later in 334 he invaded
Asia, and when he died in 323 the Persian Empire was no more and he had
even invaded and for a time conquered Bactria and Sogdiana and made inroads
into what the Greeks called India (present day Pakistan). It is easy to see why
Alexander was commonly referred to as “great” in antiquity to the present day. He
defeated numerically greater Persian and Indian armies in spectacular battles,
prosecuted some brilliant sieges, and fought over two years of tough guerilla
warfare in Bactria and Sogdiana. He created a vast empire from Greece in the west to India in the east,
including Egypt, Syria, and the Levantine coast, in only a decade, and he was ready to invade Arabia when he
died. Moreover, some of his subjects worshipped him as a god and some ancient writers attributed to him a
desire to unify the races. Hence Alexander came to be seen as not only a great and victorious general but also
a philosophical idealist and so a great man and king.
Was Alexander, however, “great”? A lot depends on how “greatness” is defined, and what ancient writers and
peoples considered great may be quite different from us, given how our Western values have evolved. But the
question is an important one as it affects our appreciation of Alexander and hence the role he played in Greek
history.
On the battlefield Alexander was a genius. At the Battle of Issus, for example, in
333 (the first battle at which the Great King Darius III was present), Alexander was
hopelessly outnumbered. Precise numbers are not known, but the Macedonians had
some 26,000 infantry and 5,300 cavalry and Persian casualties alone from the battle
were said to be 100,000. However, by concentrating his strategy on the capture or
killing of Darius, Alexander caused him to flee, and once that news permeated the
ranks of the Persians they lost heart and fled. The Macedonians gave pursuit and
massacred so many that one source speaks of them crossing over a ravine on a “bridge of corpses.”
Furthermore, Alexander always led by example from the front, as was expected of a Macedonian warrior king,
and he willingly endured the same trials and tribulations as his men. For example, during a march through the
harsh conditions of the Gedrosian Desert in 325, his men were suffering terribly from thirst and many were
dying. Alexander led his men on foot rather than on horseback to encourage them to continue with the march.
Some of his men found a trickle of water; they filled a helmet with it, and brought it to Alexander to drink. In
front of everyone he poured it out, saying he would drink only when all of his men could.
Military successes and stories like these are a testament to Alexander’s generalship. However, he was not just
a general; he was a king, and generalship was only part of his kingship. When we evaluate Alexander as king,
a different picture emerges that affects his greatness.
To begin with, once Alexander had added the Persian empire to the Macedonian it was time for him to return
to Greece. He did not, preferring to march eastwards for personal reasons as opposed to strategic ones. As a
result, he would lose thousands of his own men in arguably needless fighting and eventually the respect of his
army, which twice mutinied on him (see below). His character would change for the worse: in Central Asia and
India in particular he put down opposition in the most brutal fashion and was guilty of genocide.
6
Alexander would also grow to believe in his own divinity, and his paranoia became
evident in his reaction to any who criticized him. Thus in 330 he gave orders for
the execution of two senior generals (Philotas and Parmenion) who had a history
of challenging his growing favoritism of oriental practices at the expense of
Macedonian ones. Motivating Alexander’s desire to win military renown and be seen
as a god was his desire to outdo his father Philip II, but elevating Philip over him
could be fatal. Thus in 328 after a drunken altercation with another senior general
(Cleitus) who had praised Philip, Alexander murdered him in cold blood.
Even aspects of his great generalship can be questioned. Alexander won all his battles and sieges, but in
continuously marching eastwards for largely personal reasons and with no end in sight his army eventually
mutinied on the Hyphasis River in India (in 326), forcing him to retrace his steps. Two years later in 324 at Opis
Alexander was faced by another mutiny, this time over his policy of integrating foreigners in to his army and
his pretensions to personal divinity. Then there was the march through the Gedrosian Desert, which Alexander
undertook for personal reasons, but as a result about a third of the men with him perished. Although Alexander
successfully ended the two mutinies and reconciled his army, they plus the logistical blunder of the Gedrosian
Desert march must be taken into account when considering Alexander’s greatness.
The image that has been presented of Alexander the idealist trying to unite the races is likewise flawed. When
Alexander used foreigners in his army and administration, for example, this was for the pragmatic reason of
assisting his rule over the conquered peoples and had nothing to do with trying to integrate the races. The
same is true of his marriage to the Bactrian princess Roxana, whose influential father would prove useful to
Alexander’s attempt to control Bactria. Other examples that appear to indicate Alexander was this idealist can
also be exploded.
Finally, comparing the legacy of Philip II to that of Alexander reveals a quantum difference. When Philip died
in 336 he left his son a united and secure Macedonia, the best trained army in the Greek world, no pretender
threats to the throne, and a stable economy, all of which were a stark contrast to the problems Philip and
Macedonia faced when he came to power in 359. The army that Philip created allowed Alexander to win the
success that he did in Asia: without Philip there would have been no Alexander the Great. Alexander’s legacy
on the other hand came nowhere near to that of his father. The dissatisfaction of his people and especially
his failure to produce an heir (despite the insistence of his top generals when he became king) led to the
disintegration of the Macedonian empire. His generals divided it up among them but then fought each other for
three decades.
The appellation “great” can be used to distinguish a king who had several namesakes but who did more than
them. There is no question that Alexander the Great did more than Alexander I, II, or IV (his son, who was put
to death during the wars of the generals); he was a great general, but that does not make him a great king for
Macedonia.
7
About the Author
Ian Worthington
Ian Worthington is a professor of history at the University of Missouri. He has published 14 sole-authored
and edited books and over 80 articles on Greek history, epigraphy, and oratory, including, most recently, the
biographies Alexander the Great: Man and God (London, 2004) and Philip II of Macedonia (New Haven, CT,
2008). He is currently writing a book on Demosthenes and is Editor-in-Chief of Brill’s New Jacoby, a new
edition, with translations and commentaries, of 856 fragmentary Greek historians involving a team of 120
scholars in 16 countries. In 2008 his course The Long Shadow of the Ancient Greek World was released on
DVD and CD by The Teaching Company. In 2005 he won the Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Research
and Creativity in the Humanities and in 2007 the Student-Athlete Advisory Council Most Inspiring Professor
Award.
MLA Citation
Worthington, Ian. “Was Alexander Really Great?: A Great General vs. a Great King .” World History: Ancient
and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Entry ID: 1525039
8
Ancient Greece, 2000-30 B.C./Was Alexander Really Great?/Alexander: His
Empire and Legacy
In the year 323 BCE, Alexander died in Babylon at the age of 32. During his short life he
expanded his father Philip II of Macedon’s kingdom from the southern Balkans into Asia
Minor, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Central Asia, and the Indus River valley. With little
money and only a small army, he took on the empire of the Persian king Darius III and
repeatedly defeated his superior forces in battle. His kingdom stretching from the Adriatic
Sea to the plains of India was short lived, but his influence on later centuries was enormous.
Alexander was victorious when the odds were heavily against him because of a combination
of innovative technology and unfettered ambition. He used the long sarissa spears of his
Macedonian infantry to outreach the weapons of his enemies in battle. He also was among
the first to employ a professional engineering corps in his army and to use siege engines
to take resistant cities. Alexander could move his army faster over rough terrain and through adverse weather
than any general before him. When the Persians blocked him in a narrow mountain pass outside their capital
Persepolis in the middle of winter, he led his men around them over snow-covered goat trails that would have
been unthinkable for an army even in summer. In the towering Hindu Kush range, local warriors told him he
would never conquer them unless his men had wings, yet he took every fortress. Through the deserts of Egypt,
the monsoons of India, and the mountains of Afghanistan, Alexander was absolutely relentless in his drive to
conquer the known world. If he is to be judged on purely military terms, even his harshest critics in ancient and
modern times would have to concede that he deserves to be called “the Great.”
But as remarkable as Alexander was as a general, it is his importance to
subsequent cultures that truly earns him his title. Although Alexander was
Macedonian and not Greek, his fascination with and embrace of Hellenic culture
led him to spread Greek language, literature, and culture throughout his empire
and beyond. Yet this was primarily a tool for controlling the indigenous population,
not the result of a desire to make the world a better place. He founded a number
of cities—all modestly named “Alexandria”—from the Mediterranean to India,
many of which became lasting centers of Greek civilization, especially the great
coastal city of Alexandria in Egypt, home of the fabled library. Rome, although never conquered by Alexander,
embraced the Hellenistic culture that grew from his campaigns and spread it throughout Europe. Because
of his conquests in India, images of the Buddha still show the influence of Greek art. Alexander appears in
the Hebrew Bible and the Koran, as well as being an important figure in medieval literature from Iceland and
Armenia to West Africa. And without the unifying force of Greek language and culture that Alexander brought to
the Near East and Mediterranean, it is unlikely that Christianity would have spread as far or as fast as it did.
Not everyone in history has viewed Alexander in a positive light or would add “the Great” after his name. The
Italian poet Dante Alighieri placed him in the seventh circle of Hell boiling forever in the very blood of others he
so freely shed. Many others since have readily agreed that Alexander was a nothing more than a murderous
tyrant with a gift for winning difficult battles. Views of Alexander have swung back and forth like a pendulum
over the centuries depending on the flow of history and the predisposition of those who have written his story.
For the British Victorians, he was a mirror of themselves as enlightened purveyors of civilization to the world
through a superior culture backed by a powerful military. This rosy view collapsed with the devastating wars
of the 20th century when the horrific reality of absolute power swept away any romantic notions of benevolent
tyranny. Today many modern scholars prefer to see him as little more than a bloodthirsty dictator.
9
This view of Alexander is much too simplistic. He was a man of his own violent times, no
better or worse in his actions than Julius Caesar or Hannibal. He killed tens of thousands
of civilians in his campaign and spread terror in his wake, but so did every other general
in the ancient world. If he were alive today, he would undoubtedly be condemned as a
war criminal—but he did not live in our age. As repulsive as it may sound to us, Alexander
conquered much of the ancient world simply because he could. If his rival the Persian king
Darius could have crossed into Europe and slaughtered every Macedonian in his path to
add their land to his empire, he would have done the same without remorse.
As for his motives, we err greatly when we try to make Alexander anything more than a
man of supreme military ability who wanted passionately to rule the world. Views of the
Macedonian king as Prometheus bringing the light of Greek civilization to the poor masses
of Asia are both unsound and insulting to the advanced cultures of the ancient east. To truly understand
Alexander we must realize that—perhaps more than any man in history—he hated to lose. Alexander was
and is the absolute embodiment of pure human ambition with all its good and evil consequences. We can
shake our heads at the death and destruction he left in his wake as he strode across the world like a colossus,
though in the end we can’t help but admire a man who dared such great deeds.
end main content
About the Author
Philip Freeman
Philip Freeman completed his undergraduate degree and MA in Classics at the University of Texas at Austin,
where he studied Latin, Greek, ancient history, and classical archaeology. He then earned a joint PhD in
Classics and Celtic studies from Harvard University in 1994, with a dissertation on the early interaction of
classical and Celtic civilizations. After completing a National Endowment for the Humanities Postdoctoral
Fellowship at Boston University, he taught in the Classics Department at Washington University in St Louis
for seven years before accepting a position as the endowed Qualley Professor in Classics and chair of the
Classics Department at Luther College in 2004. He has been a visiting scholar at the Harvard Divinity School
and has held fellowships at Princeton University and the American Academy at Rome.
MLA Citation
Freeman, Philip. “Was Alexander Really Great?: Alexander: His Empire and Legacy.” World History: Ancient
and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Entry ID: 1525040
10
Ancient Greece, 2000-30 B.C./Was Alexander Really Great?/ The “Great”-ness of
Alexander III of Macedon
Alexander III may have been the first Greek king to receive the epithet “Great”
(ho megas in Greek) and since then many others have been so honored. Such
subsequent uses of the epithet, often bestowed on political or military leaders,
naturally hearkened back to Alexander himself, the idea being that the individual
dubbed “Great” had attained a level of achievement that recalled the famous
Macedonian king. Alexander the Great himself, however, was most likely not
called ho megas during his lifetime, a fact that may lead moderns to wonder at the
appropriateness of this posthumous title.
There are two plausible origins for the epithet’s application to Alexander III. When
Alexander launched his campaign against the Persian empire of Darius III in 336
BCE, the Persian monarchs had been going by the title “Great King” at least as early
as the reign of Darius I (522–485 BCE). As his invasion proved successful, Alexander
assumed this Persian title himself, to legitimize his rule over the native population. There is no evidence,
however, that Alexander ever went by a corresponding title in Greek, the language widely familiar to the
eastern Mediterranean. The earliest extant reference to Alexander as “great” in fact appears not in Greek at
all, but in Latin, in a comedy by Plautus. And even in that context, the word magnus does not appear to be a
formal title at all, but a practical means of denoting the most famous Alexander, as opposed to one of the other
three royal Macedonians by that name.
When considering whether or not Alexander III deserves the title “Great,” one should keep in mind the original
intention behind the epithet. Although the English word “great” can mean “very good” and might sometimes
imply moral or ethical superiority, the Greek and Latin terms (megas, magnus) denote only size or grandeur.
Whether the epithet originally emphasized Alexander’s kingship over the former Persian Empire or merely
distinguished Alexander from the other Alexanders, it was hardly intended to celebrate the man’s morality.
Even in English, “the Great” carries a connotation far different from “the Good.”
There are many reasons why Alexander would not have received the latter title from Greeks or Macedonians.
Alexander’s own army criticized him for adopting elements of Persian and Median culture, a practice that
they interpreted as a lapse in morals and a perversion of their own traditions. For example, he selected
30,000 Persian boys for military training and incorporation into what had formerly been wholly Macedonian
contingents. He began wearing a combination of Persian and Median clothing, and encouraged his men
to honor him by proskynesis, a gesture used by Persians toward a king, but reserved for the gods alone
by Macedonians and Greeks. In addition to marrying non-Macedonian women (Roxana, daughter of the
Sogdianian lord Oxyartes; Barsine, daughter of the former Persian king Darius III; and perhaps Parysatis,
daughter of former Persian king Artaxerxes III Ochus), he held a mass wedding at Susa, with over 10,000
marriages (many apparently forced) of Macedonians to Persian noble women. And finally, there were
indications that he meant to make Babylon (in modern Iraq) the capital of his new empire.
A modern mind, too, would find many of Alexander’s deeds reprehensible,
perhaps most notably his harshly retributive actions toward those who opposed
him. When Thebes rebelled against Macedonian control, Alexander razed the
Greek city and sold the surviving opposition into slavery. On the surrender of
the Phoenician island city Tyre after a seven-month siege, Alexander executed
a reported 2,000 of its population. And still later, after marching into Persepolis,
with his conquest of the Persian Empire already well in hand, Alexander set fire
to the Persian palace, allegedly on the advice of an Athenian courtesan. But
Alexander practiced such acts of violent retaliation against his fellow Macedonians as well. In his teenage
years he was exiled for insulting his father, King Philip II of Macedon, and although it cannot be proven, some
11
scholars believe that Alexander played some role in his father’s assassination. On becoming king himself,
Alexander continued to guard his rule jealously. He executed his commander Philotas on what many ancients
believed were charges trumped up in order to eliminate the male members of the rival Macedonian family.
On another occasion, in a fit of drunken rage Alexander murdered the openly critical Cleitus, a distinguished
veteran commander who had previously saved the king’s life in battle. Perhaps more insidious, he managed
the arrest and death of the court historian and philosopher Callisthenes, allegedly for encouraging a
conspiracy, but certainly for his outspoken criticism of Alexander’s adoption of Persian customs.
While the above catalogue is hardly comprehensive, it suffices to show that those familiar with Alexander’s
reign would not have stressed his “goodness.” But even Alexander’s “greatness” might arguably be qualified
to some extent, as some in Alexander’s own day argued. The Persian Empire that Alexander would invade
was already in disarray, after all, plagued by a series of revolts and the recent assassination of its king.
Furthermore, Alexander’s father Philip had significantly improved Macedon’s territory, wealth, and power,
subjugating the Greek city-states in the process and rallying their support for a common invasion of the Persian
Empire.
Alexander certainly would not have achieved what he did without Philip to pave the way. And yet it seems likely
that few but Alexander could have achieved what he did: the conquest of lands north to the Danube, south into
Egypt, and east to the modern India-Pakistan border. His campaign required both bravery and intelligence,
and while a great many of his actions will be morally offensive to moderns, and a great many more to his own
Macedonians, his unscrupulous jealousy of his rule, his ruthlessness toward his enemies (foreign and native),
and his willingness to integrate Persian traditions into long-standing Macedonian ones were vital ingredients to
his success and consequently to the historical greatness that has earned him his enduring title.
end main content
About the Author
Keyne Cheshire
Keyne Cheshire is associate professor of Classics at Davidson College in North Carolina. His book on Alexander the Great offers selections from ancient authors, with notes and questions designed to encourage the
reader’s informed critique of the Macedonian king. Cheshire also publishes on Greek poetry and is currently
writing a book on a collection of hymns by Callimachus, who lived and wrote in ancient Alexandria. In his spare
time these days, Cheshire enjoys the company of his wife and daughter, practices the art of beekeeping, and
tries his hand at casting a Sophoclean drama as a musical western.
MLA Citation
Cheshire, Keyne. “Was Alexander Really Great?: The “Great”-ness of Alexander III of Macedon.” World History:
Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
Entry ID: 1525032
12
MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #111
Honors Program Application Checklist
If you wish to apply for any of the honors courses, your completed application packet must be
received at MCHS – SOUTH CAMPUS by Monday, January 25, 2016.
Please use this checklist as a guideline to complete the Honors Registration packet.
_______ Complete mandatory online registration for:
o Math skills test - Advanced Alg. I, Geometry, or Honors Geometry
o Science skills test - Chemistry Honors
Visit www.mchs.net and select the link to “Incoming Freshman Info” in the Quick Links menu on the left side of the page. Once on the page, scroll to the“Downloads, Mailings
& More” section at the bottom of the page and click on the provided link for
the“Mandatory Skills Test for 2016-2017 Incoming Freshman.” Online registration closes
January 25, 2016. Any questions, please contact Kathy Fairbairn by email kfairbairn@
mchs.net or phone 815-521-4199. We are unable to accept walk-ins on the test day.
_______ Student Profile (complete and return)
_______ Parent Survey (complete and return)
_______ Student Survey (complete and return)
_______ English Writing Prompt (if applying for Honors English, complete and return)
_______ Honors World History Writing Prompt (if applying for Honors World History, complete and return)
_______ Advanced Algebra I/Geometry/Honors Math application (Students
applying for Advanced Algebra I, Geometry, or Honors Geometry must complete and return this form, as well as register for the Math Skills test.)