Saturday, June 12, 2010

June 14-15



















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

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

The last two days of the semester are this Monday and Tuesday. Both are shortened days.

History 12

All work is now due or overdue on Monday. I will continue to accept late work for as long as possible. I will give you a final class mark on Tuesday, so that you know what you are at going into the final exam. However, it is possible that your mark will be higher than this -- if additional work comes in. It will certainly not be lower. Be sure to check to ensure accuracy.

Essay 3 and up to #62 on the Topic 5 & 6 Questions will now be given zero marks if not handed in.

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.
Comparative Civilizations 12

We have completed classwork and will write the final exam in the last two days of this course. All work is due Tuesday at the end of the second part of the final. I will continue to mark work handed to me after this time, but the later you are in handing things in, the more likely my marking time will run out before I have to input a final grade for you. After this week, all work will be considered massively overdue and will be earn a maximum 50% credit.
  • Monday, June 14 -

    Part 1: 50 image identification items from the entire course. For each, you should identify a) the name or title b) the artist or architect c) The period it was produced in -- and be specific (for example, if it is ancient Greek, you need to identify archaic, classical or hellenistic). Two marks are assigned per item and bonus marks are possible, if you get a third part - to a total of +15 bonus marks. Part 2: A diagram from a choice of two possibilities. This will be marked out of 10 and it requires labelled floorplans and elevations. Part 3:This is an essay question. Choose one from 4 choices. This is marked out of 24 (1 x 6 for composition and 3 x 6 for content.) The First day is, therefore, out of a total of 134 marks.

  • Tuesday, June 15 -

    This consists of 100 multiple choice questions. You will need to work quickly as this is a The entire final exam is, therefore, out of 234 marks --- but it is scaled to equal 15% of the total course mark.

Social Studies 11


We will test the entire Government unit on Monday.

Expect the following breakdown of marks: 82multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 3 from a choice of 9 long answer questions, valued at 6 marks each. The total is, therefore, out of 100 marks. Given the large value of the test, I will give 10 bonus marks for flashcards -- but expect to have at least 40 of them to generate the full 10 marks. It is possible to score 110/100 on this test.


It is essential that you are currently preparing to write the Provincial Final Exam. This is not a test that you can cram for with one or two days to go. You must become familiar with what to expect on the final exam and comfortable with the format of the test. Go to the ministry sites ( Frequently asked questions page, table of specifications, key verb list, & scoring criteria) to see how the exam is put together and look at past exams -- in fact you should write the sample test and look at the posted key to see how you do. To see how to approach the essay questions, look at this documentprovided to train markers of the exam. Link from my web page on writing the SS11 final, and also see my PowerPoint on how to approach the test.

  • Monday, June 14 - Government Unit Test. Spend time preparing for the provincial final exam.
  • Tuesday, June 15 - Exam preparation. PowerPoint. Sample Exam.



Thursday, June 03, 2010

June 7-11
























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


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.

Cool tech tip for Google searches. Did you know that Google allows you to search in a mind-map format -- with the standard search still showing in a sidebar on the right. Here is a quick introduction to
Google's "Wonder Wheel" search.

Sutherland has a license to access Discovery Education's United Streaming video collection.

Students may download or stream videos from the collection by going tohttp://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 a hold-back imposed on our 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. With less than $900 left in our paper budget for the remainder of the year, you know we need to conserve.


Unpaid Advertisement!

Sutherland's Cancer Awareness Club is participating in the North Shore Relay 2010 at Mahon Park on Saturday, June 12, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The deadline for signing up is May 15. $15 for youth (code NSYOUTH2010) and $35 for adults. For more information or questions, contact Ms. Matsubuchi, or Tamsyn,nothshorerelay@bc.cancer.ca or 1.604.815.3329 or 604 985 8585.


History 12

Essay 3 is due the end of this week -- or the questions to #62. The one you do not hand in on Friday is due on the following Monday.

Here is the
Topic 5 & 6 Plan.

Here are the
Topic 5 & 6 Questions.

Save trees and school money by using the online versions. I will print copies for you, if you ask, but stick to the digital if at all possible.


Do not expect a unit test on the Cold War, though I will collect up to question #62 near the end of the term (see above). I want you all to have a very clear idea of your class mark before you go into the final examination as this is needed to decide logically on whether you should write the in-class exam (20% value) or the provincial exam (40% value).


Ordinarily I suggest your default setting should be the provincial exam. If you are college or university bound, they tend to take the better of your class mark (including the in-class final) or your composite (after povincial exam) mark. A 40% exam obviously allows greater movement -- up or down -- and they will not worry about a reduction in their calculation (unless, of course, you fail the course!). If there is danger of failing on a bad day -- if your class mark is under 55% -- you should write the in-class test, rather than the provincial. If you are under 50%, write the provincial as it has the greatest potential for raising your mark. In the end it is your decision. Make up your mind and live with it. I will need to know your decision at least a week before the final to ensure that I run off sufficient numbers of in-class test papers. Both final exams have exactly the same level of difficulty as I model the in-class final on the provincial exam, using questions from the same test bank.

Spend time preparing for the final exam. Remember, the class exam will have the look and feel of the provincial -- it will just be printed on cheaper paper and not have a snazzy cover. 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.

Comparative Civilizations 12

The Hero as Artist was to have been submitted last Friday. We followed that with two very short units on the Reformation and Mannerism. These two packages will be due the following week on Wednesday, June 9.


We will not test the Renaissance, Reformation or Mannerism with a unit test. Rather, this material will feature prominently on the final exam.


The final exam will take the last two classes of the course -- next week. This will mean that you will not have CCiv. to worry about during the exam schedule. All work should be submitted on the last week of classes. While I cannot promise to mark anything that comes in after this date, you know that I will do my level best to do so and that I mark relatively quickly. Try not to take any chances though -- remember Murphy's Law, "everything that can go wrong will, and at the worst possible tEime."

Expect the final exam to have the following breakdown:


Day 1: Part 1: 50 image identification items from the entire course. For each, you should identify a) the name or title b) the artist or architect c) The period it was produced in -- and be specific (for example, if it is ancient Greek, you need to identify archaic, classical or hellenistic). Two marks are assigned per item and bonus marks are possible, if you get a third part - to a total of +15 bonus marks. Part 2: A diagram from a choice of two possibilities. This will be marked out of 10 and it requires labelled floorplans and elevations. Part 3: This is an essay question. Choose one from 4 choices. This is marked out of 24 (1 x 6 for composition and 3 x 6 for content.) The First day is, therefore, out of a total of 134 marks.


Day 2: This consists of 100 multiple choice questions. You will need to work quickly as this is a The entire final exam is, therefore, out of 234 marks --- but it is scaled to equal 15% of the total course mark.

Because of the shortage of time left, you will need to look at the Kenneth Clark videos outside of class time for the final material. Grandeur & Obedience and The Light of Experience are available on Youku.


Social Studies 11

Rather than use valuable class time to test segments of the Government section, I will give one large -- multiple choice -- test on the 2nd from last day of classes. We may not be quite finished by then, but you need to know your mark before going into the provincial exam, so I will mark the test and post the results the following day. Your mark will not be lower than the posted mark -- though it could be higher if more work is submitted later.

The Government Unit test is next Monday. Expect the following breakdown of marks: 85 multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 3 from a choice of 9 long answer questions, valued at 6 marks each. The total is, therefore, out of 103 marks. Given the large value of the test, I will give 10 bonus marks for flashcards -- but expect to have at least 40 of them to generate the full 10 marks. It is possible to score 113/103 on this test.

You should also be starting to prepare for the Provincial final exam.

It is essential that you are currently preparing to write the Provincial Final Exam. This is not a test that you can cram for with one or two days to go. You must become familiar with what to expect on the final exam and comfortable with the format of the test. Go to the ministry sites ( Frequently asked questions page, table of specifications, key verb list, & scoring criteria) to see how the exam is put together and look at past exams -- in fact you should write the sample test and look at the posted key to see how you do. To see how to approach the essay questions, look at this document provided to train markers of the exzm. Link from my web page on writing the SS11 final, and also see my PowerPoint on how to approach the test.


  • Monday, June 7 - Discuss the role of the PM., Cabinet & the bureaucracy. Discuss lobbying -- how to influence the government to pass favourable laws. We will look at the background material for, but not do, the lobbying assignment. Read pp. 258-267. Do
    #1-2, p. 264. Do #1-3, p. 267.
  • Tuesday, June 8 -
    Take up homework. Overview of the Judiciary -
    PowerPoint - go to the section on the Judiciary. Comparison of Adversarial and Inquisitorial systems. Read pp. 270-275. Do #1-3, p. 275.
  • Wednesday, June 9 - Take up homework. Video’s on the court system (sorry, not available online). Create a chart showing the hierarchy of BC courts. 2. Identify the positions of court officians and note the roles that they play. 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.
  • Thursday, June 10 - Take up homework. Introduce concept of Human rights – examine text p. 294. List what you 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 Freedoms - 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. If we did not go over essay writing last class, we will do so today. Read pp. 292-312. Do #1, p. 297, #2-3 sidebar p. 303, #1 & 3, p. 304, #3, p. 308 & #2, p. 312. Hand in Red texts.
  • Friday, June 11 - Take up homework. Federal and Provincial governments compared. Municipal government introduced. Video & questions on Provincial and Municipal Government. Read pp. 244-245. Do #1-4, p 246. Be sure to look at Mayor Mussato's PowerPoint.