Tuesday, January 26, 2010

February 1-5




















For those of you new to my blogsite, it is intended to work alongside my website at: http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/

Please note: I am too busy to update this site right now and major revisions are needed now that GooglePages has been terminated and my work transferred to GoogleSites, which works differently.

e-mail me at http://kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca/

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- will be posted on the website.

This blogsite will have the changing material -- lesson plans and links to particular assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are made available on the Internet in this way. If something is underlined on the blog, it means that you can click on it to see a copy of the particular item -- this could be a pdf document, PowerPoint, music or a video.

Use this blog to see what is coming up each week. I will usually post it on Saturdays for the following week. If you are away, you can check up on what you are missing. There is no reason for you not to know what is happening. If you do not have an Internet connection, you certainly know someone who does. If too ill to work while away, be sure to attach a note from home to any overdue work when you hand it in and I will most likely waive any late deduction.

If you can't read the PowerPoint material on your computer, download PowerPoint Viewer from Microsoft. It is free.

Sutherland has a license to access Discovery Education's United Streaming video collection. Students may download or stream videos from the collection by going to http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm. Use the passcode posted in the classroom. I cannot post this online, but you can confirm the new number by looking at what is posted in the classroom.

Please note: North Vancouver schools have had a 50% hold-back imposed on their supplies budget. As a result, I shall be handing out far fewer paper handouts in class than in the past. Fortunately it is all available here, online. Paper copies will be made available for many items only to those students who specifically request them because they have difficulty accessing online material. Help me save money for the school and also preserve forests by using online material as much as possible.


History 12

Expect to write your first quiz on or about Thursday, February 16. The test is likely to have 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 10 definitions, where I give you the definition and you provide the name or term (1 mark each), 5 definitions (2 marks each), and 1 essay (18 marks - 6 for composition and 2 x 6 for content). The total is, therefore 53 marks -- though I reserve the right to adjust the test, based on our progress in the first unit.All topic #1 work is due by 4:30 p.m. on this day.

Essay #1 is a couple of weeks after the first unit ends -- my initial target date is Tuesday, February 23.

Topic #1 Plan and Topic #1 questions are available here.


Comparative Civilizations 12

Expect to hand in this package next week -- probably Thursday or Friday. Click on my Egypt Video Directory to find links to online video resources on this Ancient land.

The Egypt package will be due on Tuesday, February 9. (We may adjust this, depending on our progress this week.)

Expect a unit test on the Ancient World at the end of February. I will post a breakdown of test marks on this blog as we get closer to test day.

Social Studies 11


Note: We have the pleasure of working with Mr. St. Laurent, a student teacher from UBC, this term. He completed his short first practicum in the Fall and is now with us for his long practicum. If the short practicum is anything to go by, you are in luck having him work with you.

I still have over-all responsibility for the class, but Mr. St. Laurent will do most of the teaching for the next couple of months. There is no shortage of extra help available to you between the two of us!

Mr. St. Laurent will continue planning from here.

Find Mr. St. Laurent's lesson plans at: http://mrstlaurent.blogspot.com/ .


Saturday, January 23, 2010

January 25-29















Another semester is now complete. Classes have finished -- now all that is needed is a last push for final exams.

Social Studies 8

The Social Studies 8 Final Examination is on Tuesday, January 26 - between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. in Room D206 (Mrs. Boucher's Room). I will collect your textbooks before you go in to the exam. Get them to me before the exam or expect to be billed. Some of you, who have IEPs must remember to report to the alternate setting that we noted in class (you were given a choice of an alternate setting or writing with the rest of the class).

Social Studies 11 (Regular)

Your final examination is on Wednesday, January 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., in the small gym. Your text books were collected in class on Friday because our book numbers are critical and we can afford no losses.

Remember, the SS11 curriculum is also covered by my online PowerPoints. Access them from my website at: http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/socialstudies11

Social Studies 11 Honours

Your final examination is on Wednesday, January 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., in the small gym. Your text books were collected in class on Friday because our book numbers are critical and we can afford no losses.

Remember, the SS11 curriculum is also covered by my online PowerPoints. Access them from my website at: http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/socialstudies11

History 12

Your final exam, whether you are writing the provincial or the in-class version, is in the school library on Thursday, January 28, from 1-4 p.m. Text books will be collected before the exam - make sure you bring all three or expect to be billed.

Link to any grade 12 ministry exam material from here. Look at all of the material here. The more comfortable you are with the exam and its composition, the better you will do. Be sure to write the sample exams. Note: Many past exams can be found here.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

January 18-22

















For those of you new to my blogsite, it is intended to work alongside my website at:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/ Please note: I am too busy to update this site right now as major revisions are needed now that GooglePages has been terminated and my work transferred to GoogleSites, which works differently.

e-mail me at http://kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca/

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- will be posted on the website. This blogsite will have the changing material -- lesson plans and links to particular assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are made available on the Internet in this way. If something is underlined on the blog, it means that you can click on it to see a copy of the particular item -- this could be a pdf document, PowerPoint, music or a video.Use this blog to see what is coming up each week. I will usually post it on Saturdays for the following week. If you are away, you can check up on what you are missing. There is no reason for you not to know what is happening. If you do not have an Internet connection, you certainly know someone who does. If too ill to work while away, be sure to attach a note from home to any overdue work when you hand it in and I will most likely waive any late deduction.

If you can't read the PowerPoint material on your computer, download PowerPoint Viewer from Microsoft. It is free.

Sutherland has a license to access Discovery Education's United Streaming video collection. Students may download or stream videos from the collection by goingtohttp://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm. Use the passcode posted in the classroom. Please note that since renewing our licence, our starting access code for new users has changed and is no longer what was given on your course outline. I cannot post this online, but you can confirm the new number by looking at what is posted in the classroom.

Please note: North Vancouver schools have had a 50% hold-back imposed on their supplies budget. As a result, I shall be handing out far fewer paper handouts in class. Fortunately it is all available here, online. Paper copies will be made available for many items only to those students who specifically request them because they have difficulty accessing online material.

Social Studies 8

The term will end very soon, and we still have a fair amount to cover. We will move quickly, studying this material in less depth. There will be a test on India and India, China & Japan on Friday. Expect 20 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 2 groups of 5 matching questions (10 marks total) and a choice of 2 from 3 long answer questions (6 marks each). The total value is, therefore, 42 marks and you can earn 3 bonus marks from 25 flash cards.

You may see several different spellings of words in the India and China units. This is because there are often two or more ways to write foreign words in English. If the sound is the same, the names or words probably are, even if the spellings differ.

The Social Studies 8 Final Examination is on Tuesday, January 26 - between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. in Room D206 (Mrs. Boucher's Room). I will collect your textbooks before you go in to the exam.

  • Monday, January 18 - Take up #1-5, p. 123. Watch Genghis Khan. 1. How did Genghis Khan unify the Mongols? 2. Where did the Mongols expand after unification? 3. Why were the Mongols so successful. No specific new homework tonight. Be sure to review for the last unit test and final exam.
  • Tuesday, January 19 - Watch watch this French documentary (with English narration); Eurasia; Le Reve Mongol. 1. How did Kublai Khan come to rule China? 2. What was needed before Kublai Khan could unify China under his rule? 3. How did ruling China change the Mongols of Kublai Khan? How did they try to maintain their culture? 4. What contact did Kublai Khan's China have with the outside world? 5. Why did the West become interested in China at this time? Read pp. 123-125. Do #1-7, p. 125.
  • Wednesday, January 20 - Take up #1-7, p. 125. Video: Shinto Part 1, Part 2. 1. What are Kami? 2. Would Shintoism appeal to non-Japanese people? Why or why not? 3. How is it that Buddhism and Shintoism can be practiced at the same time? Read pp. 126-130. Do #1-8, p. 130.
  • Thursday, January 21 - Take up #1-8, p. 130. Watch Ancient Warriors; The Samurai, part 1, part 2, part 3. 1. What were the Samurai? 2. How were the Samurai similar to Medieval European Knights? How were they different? Study for the Unit Test tomorrow and the final exam on Tuesday.
  • Friday, January 22 - Final Unit Test - India/China/Japan. Review for final exam on Tuesday.
Social Studies 11

Mr. Hurley will run an additional optional class after school on Wednesday after school - on how to prepare for the Provincial exam. I expect it to run for between one hour and an hour and a half. This will either be in his room or in Mr. Nichols' room -- depending on the numbers planning to attend.

Your final examination is on Wednesday, January 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., in the small gym.

I will not be collecting marks this week for new work, as your minimal mark going into the final exam has been given to you, according to Provincial regulations. However, you can improve upon this mark by getting overdue work in to me for marks. You can also complete the bonus work - making a glossary of terms from the Social Studies 11 IRP - this is worth 20 bonus marks.

  • Monday, January 18 - Take up #1-4, p. 89, #1-5, p. 91 and #1-5, p. 93. Video: History’s Harvest and do the viewing guide questions. If time we will look at more of the Chapter 4 PowerPoint. Read pp. 93-102. Do #1-6, p. 97 (but note "1997" in #3 should read "1973" and the typographical error in #5, where "grater" should read "greater"), #1-7, p. 102. Be sure to investigate the CBC Archives material on the GMO debate. Identify arguments for and against producing genetically modified foods. See Genetically Modified Food; Panacea or Poison? for an anti-GMO presentation (54 minute documentary).
  • Tuesday, January 19 - Take up homework. Video: Resources & Conservation and questions. If time we will look at more of the Chapter 4 PowerPoint. This video wasn not completed, and runs into Friday. You must watch any unfinished Chapter 4 PowerPoint on your own time, for homework. Read pp. 102-106. Do #1-6, p. 105 and Further Thought #1-4, p. 108.
  • Wednesday, January 20 - Take up homework. Complete the any unfinished material from last class. Chapter 5 PowerPoint. Read pp. 116-129. Do #1, p. 118, #1-3, p. 120, #1-5, p. 123, #1-3, p. 129. Mr. Hurley is giving an exam prep. workshop after school today.
  • Thursday, January 21 - Take up #1, p. 118, #1-3, p. 120, #1-5, p. 123, #1-3, p. 129. Introduction: Worldmapper animation. Watch the amazing Dr. Hans Rosling's presentation at the 2006 TED Conference - The Seemingly Impossible is Possible. We will also complete the chapter 5 PowerPoint. Read pp. 130-132. Do #1-2, p. 131, #1-4, p. 132 and Further Thought #1-6, p. 132. If you liked Hans Rosling, try William McDonough's TED lecture(the sustainable architecture fellow from our recent conservation video from Discovery Education.
  • Friday, January 22 - Return textbooks - sorry, we cannot take the chance on students not handing them back in time for next semester. There is effectively no budget to replace lost books. Take up homework. Video: Nova; The Fragile Mountains (sorry, unavailable online). Do note: This is a very old video, but the intermediate technology solutions posed for Nepal's problems are still valid today. While watching the video, identify the problems the film identifies as being faced by Nepal and what is being done about them. Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint by watching Ethical Man on BBC's Panorama Programme - the stream is low quality but the content is outstanding. Study for the final Exam.

Social Studies 11 Honours

There will not be any further tests this semester. However, the remaining material remains fair game for the final exam.

Mr. Hurley will run an additional optional class after school on Wednesday after school - on how to prepare for the Provincial exam. I expect it to run for between one hour and an hour and a half. This will either be in his room or in Mr. Nichols' room -- depending on the numbers planning to attend.

Your final examination is on Wednesday, January 27, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., in the small gym.

I will not be collecting marks this week for new work, as your minimal mark going into the final exam has been given to you, according to Provincial regulations. However, you can improve upon this mark by getting overdue work in to me for marks. You can also complete the bonus work - making a glossary of terms from the Social Studies 11 IRP - this is worth 20 bonus marks.

  • Monday, January 18 - Take up #1-3, p. 280, & 1 & 4, p. 288. Take up homework. Introduce concept of Human rights – examine text p. 294. Students to list what they would expect fundamental rights to be in Canada - Think-Pair-Share. Use Government text p. 60 to list Schweitzer’s list of fundamental rights. Government text pp. 152-158. Examine the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedomes - see PowerPoint;The Constitution. Summarize each of the key sections in your notes. Effect of passing the Charter on Canadian law -- all laws in Canada must conform unless passed using the notwithstanding clause or if they can withstand a challenge based on their being within reasonable limits. Read pp. 292-312. Do #1, p. 297, #2-3 sidebar p. 303, #1 & 3, p. 304, #3, p. 308 & #2, p. 312.
  • Tuesday, January 19 - Take up homework. Read pp. 240-246. Filmstrip -- Provincial Government. Government (red) texts. Read pp. Read pp. 240-246 & 170-178. Do #1-3, p. 246, sidebar #1, p. 244 & #1-3, p. 178.
  • Wednesday, January 20 - Take up homework. Federal and Provincial governments compared. Municipal government introduced. Video & questions on Provincial and Municipal Government. Read (red book) pp. 186-196. Do #1-6, p 196. Read (blue book) pp. 245-246. Do #2-4, p. 246.
  • Thursday, January 21 - Take up homework. Take up homework. Discuss Aboriginal self-government. Mayor Mussatto's PowerPoint on Municipal affairs. Study for the final exam.
  • Friday, January 22 - Return textbooks - sorry, we cannot take the chance on students not handing them back in time for next semester. There is effectively no budget to replace lost books. Exam preparation - working with past exam material with a focus on essay questions.
History 12

ecause of the lack of time remaining to cover all of the remaining material, I have decided to cancel the final (in-class) essay. Spend your time preparing for the final exam.Link to any grade 12 ministry exam material fromhere. Look at all of the material here. The more comfortable you are with the exam and its composition, the better you will do. Be sure to write the sample exams. Note: Many past exams can be found here.


Saturday, January 09, 2010

January 11-15




















For those of you new to my blogsite, it is intended to work alongside my website at:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/ Please note: I am too busy to update this site right now as major revisions are needed now that GooglePages has been terminated and my work transferred to GoogleSites, which works differently.

e-mail me at http://kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca/

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- will be posted on the website. This blogsite will have the changing material -- lesson plans and links to particular assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are made available on the Internet in this way. If something is underlined on the blog, it means that you can click on it to see a copy of the particular item -- this could be a pdf document, PowerPoint, music or a video.Use this blog to see what is coming up each week. I will usually post it on Saturdays for the following week. If you are away, you can check up on what you are missing. There is no reason for you not to know what is happening. If you do not have an Internet connection, you certainly know someone who does. If too ill to work while away, be sure to attach a note from home to any overdue work when you hand it in and I will most likely waive any late deduction.

If you can't read the PowerPoint material on your computer, download PowerPoint Viewer from Microsoft. It is free.

Sutherland has a license to access Discovery Education's United Streaming video collection. Students may download or stream videos from the collection by goingtohttp://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm. Use the passcode posted in the classroom. Please note that since renewing our licence, our starting access code for new users has changed and is no longer what was given on your course outline. I cannot post this online, but you can confirm the new number by looking at what is posted in the classroom.

Please note: North Vancouver schools have had a 50% hold-back imposed on their supplies budget. As a result, I shall be handing out far fewer paper handouts in class. Fortunately it is all available here, online. Paper copies will be made available for many items only to those students who specifically request them because they have difficulty accessing online material.

Social Studies 8

The term will end very soon, and we still have a fair amount to cover. We will move quickly, studying this material in less depth.

You may see several different spellings of words in the India and China units. This is because there are often two or more ways to write foreign words in English. If the sound is the same, the names or words probably are, even if the spellings differ.
  • Monday, January 11 - Take up #1-5, p. 28. Watch the rest of What the Ancients did For Us; India - part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6. Read pp. 112-116. Do #1-6, p. 116.
  • Tuesday, January 12 - Take up homework. Video on Akbar the Great - sorry, this is a video tape that is not available on the Internet. Why is Akbar considered one of the great figures in world history? If not in class -- or if you would like to learn more, watch Michael Wood's documentary: The Story of India, part 27, part 28. You might also consider watching this 30 minute summary of the Mughal Empire. Read pp. 28-31. Do #1-5, p. 31.
  • Wednesday, January 13 - Take up homework. Watch Three Teachings - an introduction to Chinese culture and its roots in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Why is it possible for people to believe in all three teachings at the same time? What do each of these belief systems focus on? Map Assignment: South and East Asia - 10 marks, due next class. Read pp. 31-36. Do #1-6, p. 36.
  • Thursday, January 14 - Hand in maps. Take up homework. Video -- sorry this is unavailable on the Internet - on Shih Huang Ti (the Chi'in First Emperor). 1. How was the emperor able to unify China? 2. Why is he generally seen as an evil figure in history? 3. What great building project did he create? 4. How did he try to become immortal? Watch this film, Shih Huang Di as a substitute or to learn more. Read pp. 117-121. Do #1-5, p. 121.
  • Friday, January 15 - Take up homework. Watch What the Ancients Did for Us; the Chinese part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6 (or watch in one part if you have Veoh installed on your computer). What great contributions did the Chinese give to the world. If we do not finish seeing this video, you are expected to do so for homework. Read pp. 121-123. Do #1-5, p. 123. Optional: Watch New Frontier; China During the T'ang Dynasty, part 1, part 2, part 3; also New Frontier; China During the Song Dynasty, part 1, part 2, part 3. A short amateur video on footbinding is also interesting.
Social Studies 11

I will run an additional optional class after school on Thursday after school - starting at 3:10 pm, on how to prepare for the Provincial exam. I expect it to run for between one hour and an hour and a half. This will either be in my room or upstairs in the media room in the Science wing (if more space is needed).

Expect a test on chapters 1-3 on or about Thursday, January 14. The mark breakdown is as follows: 65 multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 2 from a choice of 10 long answer questions (6 marks each). The total value of the test is, therefore, 78 marks. 30 flash cards will earn you 5 bonus marks.

  • Monday, January 11 - Take up #1-4, pp. 55-56. Chapter 3 PowerPoint. Read pp. 57-61. Do #1-8, p. 61.
  • Tuesday, January 12 - Take up homework. Watch Hans Rosling's Chimpanzees Know Better, to see how countries and populations are and are not different around the world. Ch. 3 PowerPoint - be sure to do so yourself for homework if we cannot do so in class. Read pp. 61-70. Do #1-5, p. 64 and #1-2, p. 70.
  • Wednesday, January 13 - Take up homework. Watch Gwynne Dyer's Escaping From History, & do the following questions: 1) What are living conditions like in Mexico City? 2) Why are people abandoning the countryside? 3) What does Dyer believe must happen for the developing world to get their fair share of consumer goods? Read pp. 70-73. Do #1-8, p. 73 and 1, 2, 5 and 7, p. 74 in "Further Thought."
  • Thursday, January 14 - Unit Test, Chapters 1-3 of Geography. Read pp. 83-87. Do #1-3, p. 84, #1-4, p. 85, #1-2, p. 86 and #1-3, p. 87. Exam Prep. Session After School Today.
  • Friday, January 15 - Take up homework. PowerPoint for Chapter 4. Read pp. 88-93. Do #1-4, p. 89, #1-5, p. 91 and #1-5, p. 93.

Social Studies 11 Honours

There will not be any further tests this semester. However, the remaining material remains fair game for the final exam.

I will run an additional optional class after school on Thursday after school - starting at 3:10 pm, on how to prepare for the Provincial exam. I expect it to run for between one hour and an hour and a half. This will either be in my room or upstairs in the media room in the Science wing (if more space is needed).

  • Monday, January 11 - Take up #1-3, p. 231(blue text). Review of House of Commons - How a Bill Becomes a Law. The Senate – Pros and cons of present setup (Be sure to look at the Senate material at Mapleleafweb). Essay Writing. There will be an essay question on what shall be done with the Canadian Senate on the next unit test. Review handout - How a Bill becomes a Law.Video - Government in Canada; Citizenship in Action; Our National Parliament; the Inside Story and questions. Read pp. 47-54 in RedGovernment text. Do #1-4, p. 48 and #1-5 and 7 on p. 54.
  • Tuesday, January 12 - Take up homework. Introduction to the executive branch. Role of the Queen, Governor General and Prime Minister. Read “Constitutional Monarchy” on p. 222-224 & "The Governor General" on p. 234. Identify points for and against getting rid of the Queen and Governor General. Should Canada become a Republic? Why or why not? Identify 3 reasons for and 3 reasons against doing so. Look at the Monarchist League of Canada and the Canadian Monarchist Online websites for arguments supporting the monarch; see Citizens for a Canadian Republic for arguments against retaining the monarchy. There has also been an active debate in Australia and New Zealand on this topic. Web searches would yield useful information.
  • Wednesday, January 13 - Take up homework. Discuss the role of the PM., Cabinet & the bureaucracy. Watch Yes, Minister episode. Read pp. 234-240. Do #1-4, p. 240. Assignment: Value 5 marks, Identify by name each member of the federal (national) cabinet and their department. This is an assignment, not a homework check, so accuracy is part of the mark. It must be handwritten.
  • Thursday, January 14 - Take up homework. Overview of the Judiciary - PowerPoint - go to the section on the Judiciary. Read pp. 270-275. Do #1-3, p. 275. Exam Prep. Session After School Today.
  • Friday, January 15 - Take up homework. Take up homework, #1-3, p. 275. Video’s on the court system. Comparison of Adversarial vs. Inquisitorial court systems. Read pp. 277-288. Do #1-3, p. 280, & 1 & 4, p. 288. Please bring your red Government text to class next day -- along with your blue text.
History 12

Remember, the final set of topic questions -- up to #62 are due on Monday, January11. I will also need final confirmation of whether you will be writing the Provincial or School final exam by January 15 - a sign-up sheet will be circulated.

Because of the lack of time remaining to cover all of the remaining material, I have decided to cancel the final (in-class) essay. Spend your time preparing for the final exam.Link to any grade 12 ministry exam material from here. Look at all of the material here. The more comfortable you are with the exam and its composition, the better you will do. Be sure to write the sample exams. Note: Many past exams can be found here.

Friday, January 01, 2010

January 4-8

















For those of you new to my blogsite, it is intended to work alongside my website at:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/ Please note: I am too busy to update this site right now as major revisions are needed now that GooglePages has been terminated and my work transferred to GoogleSites, which works differently.

e-mail me at http://kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca/

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- will be posted on the website. This blogsite will have the changing material -- lesson plans and links to particular assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are made available on the Internet in this way. If something is underlined on the blog, it means that you can click on it to see a copy of the particular item -- this could be a pdf document, PowerPoint, music or a video.Use this blog to see what is coming up each week. I will usually post it on Saturdays for the following week. If you are away, you can check up on what you are missing. There is no reason for you not to know what is happening. If you do not have an Internet connection, you certainly know someone who does. If too ill to work while away, be sure to attach a note from home to any overdue work when you hand it in and I will most likely waive any late deduction.

If you can't read the PowerPoint material on your computer, download PowerPoint Viewer from Microsoft. It is free.

Sutherland has a license to access Discovery Education's United Streaming video collection. Students may download or stream videos from the collection by goingtohttp://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm. Use the passcode posted in the classroom. Please note that since renewing our licence, our starting access code for new users has changed and is no longer what was given on your course outline. I cannot post this online, but you can confirm the new number by looking at what is posted in the classroom.

Please note: North Vancouver schools have had a 50% hold-back imposed on their supplies budget. As a result, I shall be handing out far fewer paper handouts in class. Fortunately it is all available here, online. Paper copies will be made available for many items only to those students who specifically request them because they have difficulty accessing online material.

Social Studies 8

The term will end very soon, and we still have a fair amount to cover. We will move quickly, studying this material in less depth.

There will be a short test on the Renaissance and Reformation on Friday, even though we will move on to the next unit earlier in the week. This should allow students to study more for it and to work beyond the bell if more time is needed. We will write the test in the 2nd half of the class. Expect 25 multiple choice questions (worth 1 mark each) and one paragraph question (worth 6 marks). Flash cards are valued at 3 marks on this unit.

Social Studies 11

Family History/Immigration assignments are due this week -- any time up to and including Friday. See December blogs for links.

Expect a test on chapters 1-3 on or about Thursday, January 14. I will post the mark breakdown on next weekend's blog update.

  • Monday, January 4 - Hand in An Inconvenient Truth assignment. Complete ch. 1 PowerPoint. Begin Ch. 2 PowerPoint. Read pp. 29-31. Do both #1-3 on p. 31.
  • Tuesday, January 5 - Take up homework. Continue Ch. 2 PowerPoint - Population & Demographics. (Introduction to demography and population growth. Population pyramids. Using the data on p. 46, construct population pyramids for these countries. Read pp. 31-37. Do #2, p. 36 - but use 2006 data from US Census Bureau's International Data Base - Canada Population pyramid, #1-2, p. 37 (Click on the following for a Nigeria population pyramid and a Japan population pyramid) Please note: The IDB has changed how it displays data. You will need to plug in the country name and date for each country -- then click on the population pyramid tab at the top of the page to access the population pyramid for each country -- It used to be easier to directly access the pyramid pages. Video sidebar: If numbers interest you, watch professor Malcolm S. Forbes, Arithmetic, Population and Energy.
  • Wednesday, January 6 - Take up homework. PowerPoint - continued. Population theories – Malthus, Catton, Boserup & Demographic transition model. Watch Hans Rosling's What Stops Population Growth. Read pp. 37-41. Do #1-6, p. 39 & #1-6, pp. 41-42. Sidebars: Doom and gloom video, Doom and gloom text at DieOff.Org - read p. 15, an excerpt from William Catton's Overshoot; The Ecological Base of Revolutionary Change. Read a brief synopsis of Boserup's ideas from York University. Julian Simon was another writer who felt population growth is a good thing. Part of his book Population Matters: People, Resources, Environment, and Immigration is available online.
  • Thursday, January 7 - Take up homework. Urbanization material on PowerPoint. Video segment andquestions on Shanghai, Changing China - Urbanization ). Look atGapcast #2 - Urbanization. Read pp. 42-45. Do #1-5, p. 45. Do the Further Thought assignment #1-5, p. 46.
  • Friday, January 8 - Take up homework. Stewart Brand's City Planet and questions. Read pp. 54-55. Do #1-4, pp. 55-56.
Social Studies 11 Honours

Family History/Immigration assignments due this week -- any time up until and including Friday.

The test for Ideologies/Parties/Elections is on Friday, January 8. The mark breakdown is as follows: 31 multiple choice questions at one mark each; 10 identify the ideology of a statement questions at one mark each; four items to identify on a graphic element at one mark each; 5 definitions - write a sentence or two about terms or names that you are given - at two marks apiece; and two long answer questions from four options at six marks each. The test total is, therefore, out of 67 marks. 5 bonus marks will be given for a minimum of 30 well-constructed flash cards -- Please give names and terms only on the front side, not questions!

  • Monday, January 4 - Quick review of ideologies & parties. Party organization. As part of your homework, you must go to Elections Canada's pages entitled I Can Vote, with information for young and first time voters. Answer these questions. Read pages 109-115 in the red Government text and answer questions #1-3 & 5, p. 115. Optional: Click here to go to a list of all of the political parties, with links to their webpages.
  • Tuesday, January 5 - Take up homework. Elections in Canada (Including handout) – The first-by-the-post system. (If time; proportional representation too). Read Government pp. 88-97. Do #4, p. 97. Research Canadian federal political parties. Which party would you support in the next federal election? Why? Find political party information at Elections Canada's registered political parties page.
  • Wednesday, January 6 - Take up homework. Take up #1-3, p. 257 & #4, p. 97. Elections lesson (handout) – day 2. Various voting systems. BCSTVanimation. Assignment: What electoral system do you feel is best? Why? (due Friday. About 1 page).
  • Note: No reminder of the test was given on Wednesday in class - though it was posted here, so I have decided to postpone the test until Friday. Homework each day remains the same, but the lesson is swapped from Friday to Thursday and the test from Thursday to Friday.
  • Thursday, January 7 - Unit Test - Ideologies to Elections. Look at the Parliament of Canada website. Download, read and study from the Guide to the House of Commons. Read pp. 231-233 sidebar. Do #1-3 in the sidebar on p. 233.
  • Friday, January 8 - Take up homework. Introduction to Parliament - focus on the House of Commons. Filmstrip & note-taking. Discuss the role of a member of Parliament. Online Handout – The Work of MPs (See also On the Job With a Member of Parliament) and questions. Read 226-231. Do #1-3, p. 231.
History 12

Remember, the final set of topic questions -- up to #62 are due on Monday, January11. I will also need final confirmation of whether you will be writing the Provincial or School final exam by January 15 - a sign-up sheet will be circulated.

Because of the lack of time remaining to cover all of the remaining material, I have decided to cancel the final (in-class) essay. Spend your time preparing for the final exam. Link to any grade 12 ministry exam material from here. Look at all of the material here. The more comfortable you are with the exam and its composition, the better you will do. Be sure to write the sample exams. Note: Many past exams can be found here.

  • Monday, January 4 - Vietnam (base notes). You must watch the CNN Cold War episode, Vietnam 1954-1968 (Episode 11). On your own, watch Dien Bien Phu - a film of a little under 1 hour, on the decisive battle leading to France's withdrawal from Vietnam and the rest of Indo-China. Hearts and Minds is a documentary dealing with the importance of the importance of winning support for the war in order to successfully fight it. Vietnam; The Last Battle looks at the collapse of the South and the end of the conflict. Take 7 minutes to watch Last Word; Dith Pran - the subject of the stunning 1984 film The Killing Fields, which told the story of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. For a right-wing view of the Vietnam War, that opposes the interpretations of America's PBS history of the war (Vienam; a Television History -see episode 1 online - introducing the series, but mainly dealing with the French) currently the mainstream view, watch the Charlton Heston narrated Vietnam War; the Real History. This is a "cold-warrior" viewpoint.
  • Tuesday, January 5 - Indroduction - music video A Walk in the Light Green (I Was Only 19). Vietnam War lecture material concluded (base notes). Video (as much as we can see in the time remaining): CNN Cold War episode, Vietnam 1954-1968 (Episode 11). Please watch the remainder if we are unable to see all of this in class. You MUST also watch one other episode from the series to see how the Vietnam war ended - Cold War - Detente (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5) - available on Youtube.
  • Wednesday, January 6 - The USA (domestic) Since 1945 (base notes). Note: look at Britain's SchoolHistory's revision material for this topic. Look at Susan Pojer's PowerPoint on 1950's America. Watch this short video (7 minutes) with images and protest songs (mostly Bob Dylan) about the civil rights movement. Watch the 11 minute video of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. See other Civil Rights videos at the PBS site - Eyes on the Prize. Link back for other material.
  • Thursday, January 7 - USA (domestic) Since 1945 - continued.
  • Friday, January 8 - Economic Resurgence in Western Europe (base notes). Watch this short American video clip on America's reasons for launching the Marshall Plan (1 1/2 minutes). For a look at British 1980's cynicism about European cooperation, watch this 4 minute segment from Yes, Minister. The opposing view can be seen in this short pro-European Union animation (3 minute) made to explain the EU to the British public. Introductory video:European Union; 50 Years in 5 Minutes.