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Contact me by e-mail at:http://kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca/
Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- can be found at my website:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/.
Expect a unit test around Friday of next week (September 30), worth around 75 marks. It will be based on map reading and the use of Canadian Oxford World Atlas (7th edition). We will also have a number of quizzes worth from 5-30 marks throughout the unit. You will not always be warned ahead of time about quizzes -- so it is important to keep up.This blogsite will have all of the changing material -- lesson plans and links to assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are posted here.If you see something underlined, it means that you can click on the item to have it appear. I will do this for all pdf documents, PowerPoints, videos, and even some music.
Course outlines are posted in the material for the first class this semester - go to the Wednesday, September 7 posting.
Social Studies 8
National Geographic has some nice overview PowerPoints for this unit. See Map Elements and Map Skills.
- Monday, September 19 - Take up any problems with military grid. Take up the Letter/Number Grid Worksheet. Weather permitting, we will take a "Super Benoy Field Trip" to complete a Sutherland School Map assignment. Value: 10 marks, due in two classes. If the weather does not cooperate we will move on to Tuesday class material and, hopefully, complete this assignment when weather cooperates.
- Tuesday, September 20 - Take up any problems with the Sutherland School Map -- if we were able to go outside on Tuesday. Latitude introduction. Geographical Essentials, pp. 32-35. Key lines of latitude and why we have seasons -- see the video Geography Seasons for this. Introduction video to Latitude and Longitude - with questions. Note: you need to login to Discovery Education's streaming video site to do this. Mr. Benoy posts the access code in the classroom -- though this is a paid service the school may not be able to afford much longer. Complete the Latitude #1 worksheet for homework.
- Wednesday, September 21 - Hand in your map of Sutherland. Take up Latitude #1 sheet. Short quiz on important lines of latitude. Review and more background on Latitude. Watch Kim Shaw's Latitude & Longitude video. Complete Latitude #2.
- Thursday, September 22 - Memory game - a variations on the countries list game. Watch GEG-103-OL: Latitude and Longitude. (If this video is a bit difficult for you, watch the following quick videos at home: What Causes the Seasons on Earth, Absolute vs Relative Location and Latitude & Longitude.) Demonstration of latitude and longitude using Google Earth. Complete the Longitude worksheet for next class.
- Friday, September 23 - Good news for you. This is a professional day, so I go to school and you stay home. Go over things that gave you trouble. Our unit test is coming up at the end of next week.
Expect your first unit test on Ideologies/Parties/Elections to be during the last class this week - Thursday, September 22. The mark breakdown is most likely to be as follows: 30 multiple choice question (1 mark each); 10 statements - you identify the ideology of the speaker - 1 mark each (sorry, I forgot to mention this in class Wednesday!); 4 items to label on a diagram (1 mark each); 5 definitions - you write a sentence or two about each term or name (2 marks each); 2 long answer questions from a choice of 4 options (6 marks each). The test should, therefore, be out of about 66 marks. Bonus marks can be earned for creating flash cards. On this test, the total value of the exam is over 50 marks, so it is possible to earn up to 5 bonus marks. You need to complete at least 25 flash cards to do so.
- Monday, September 19 - Take up I Can Vote and #1-3 & 5, p. 115. Elections handout. Elections in Canada – 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? About a half page or so of writing is needed to adequately answer this question. Value: 10 marks, due Tuesday (next class). Find political party information at Elections Canada's registered political parties page.
- Tuesday, September 20 - Take up #1-3, p. 257 & #4, p. 97. Elections lesson – day 2. Various voting systems. BCSTV animation. Assignment: What electoral system do you feel is best? Why? (due Friday. About 1 page).
- Wednesday, September 21 - Hand in Political Parties research. Note: We are beginning the next unit today and this material will not be on tomorrow's test. We are doing so to test on the day indicated in earlier blog-posts. I will explain my flash card bonus mark policy today. Begin Legislative Branch - focus on the House of Commons. Be sure to 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. Study for the test next class.
- Thursday, September 22 - Unit test on Ideologies, Political Parties and Elections -- the material we have studied since classes commenced. Complete the homework from Wednesday for Monday.
- Friday, September 23 - Professional day, so classes are not in session. Use this time to catch up on any missed assignments.
The standard explanations of the origins of World War I are outlined in Origins of World War I - Part 1 and Part 2, or, try this 50 minute video World War I; To Arms 1914 -- then look at the rest of the series if you want to gain some real expertise. Watch Yale University Professor John Merriman's lecture on the Origins of World War I. He also has lectures posted on other aspects of modern history that a Google search would quickly lead you to. World War I film footage is in black and white and this "colours" our view of the conflict. Computer technology has allowed original film to be colourized. Watch World War I in Colour to see it as it has not been seen before (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7). Each film is about 40-50 minutes long.
- Monday, September 19 - Begin Imperialism & Social DarwinismPowerPoint (base notes). Work on topic 2 questions. See what Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe has to say about Imperialism in Africa in this YouTube video.
- Tuesday, September 20 - Europe Before World War I - the Alliance system. Begin looking at the nations of Europe before the War. Base notes. Work on Topic #2 Questions.
- Wednesday September 21 - Continue with the nations of Europe before the war - finish Russia/France/Britain - base notes -- then continue with the Ottoman Empire/Germany & Italy - base notes.
- Thursday, September 22 - Finish the countries of Europe before the war - concluding Ottoman Empire/Germany & Italy - base notes. If time, look at causes of the war and reasons for peace in 1914 - base notes.
- Friday, September 23 - Professional Day - no classes. Use this time to work on your essay and questions. Be sure to look at some of the video material suggested for this week.
