Saturday, December 03, 2011

December 5-9






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/.

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.

During the job action, parents who would like a mark update can contact me by -mail at any time. I should be able to provide this within a day or two of your request.

For the Grads: Find pictures from the Winter Formal on November 23 at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/115201598663198640965/WinterFormal2011

Social Studies 8

We are finishing the Middle Ages unit. Your test on chapters 3-4-5 (pp. 39-93 in your textbook) next Monday. Expect the mark breakdown to be as follows: 50 multiple choice questions ( 1 mark each) and 4 long answer questions from a choice of 7 possibilities (6 marks each). The test total is, therefore, out of 74 marks. At least 40 flash cards will be needed to earn the full 5 bonus marks available.

The Middle Ages Research Project ( Part 1. Part 2.) is also due soon -- December 9.

  • Monday, December 5 - Library Block. Report to class for attendance first.
  • Tuesday, December 6 - Take up Magna Carta homework. Video: Battle of Agincourt and questions - a) What weapon helped the English win here? b) What does this tell us about how warfare is changing toward the end of the end of the Middle Ages? Introduce unification of France. Look at map on p. 81 of Patterns of Civilization. Land was added to the Royal domain because nobles were decimated by the Hundred Years War (which we will study more later) - and having their land revert to the King, and the development of a distinctly French & English nationalism (See this summary of the end of the Hundred Years War) and French Kings gained much control over the Church in France. Read p. 77-81. Do #1-6, p. 81.
  • Wednesday, December 7 - Watch Part 3, Part 4 & Part 5 of The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain(Click here for the full documentary). Questions: 1) What was life like in Moslem Spain? 2) What happens to the reconquered people of Granada after the Christian reconquest? Read pp. 85-87. Do #1-6, p. 87. Interested in the Inquisition? Try these two documentaries: Secret Files of the Inquisition; Part 1, and Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. And now for something completely different -- Monty Python's "Spanish Inquisition."
  • Thursday, December 8 - Take up #1-6, p. 87. Introduction to the Plague. Page 42 of Hosford Atlas. Pint Size History; the Black Death. Watch History's Turning Points; 1347 AD; The Black Death. 1. Where did the Plague originate? 3) What did Medieval Europeans think caused the disease? What really caused it? 4) How did the Plague spread throughout Europe? 5) How did Medieval people deal with the disease? 6. What were the lasting effects of the Plague? Interested in the Black Death -- watch the History of Britain; King Death (1 hour). We will watch just a 10 minute excerpt from the video. Read pp. 82-84. Do #1-6, p. 84.
  • Friday, December 9 - Hand in Medieval Research Assignment. Take up #1-6, p. 84. Look at Hosford Atlas, "Agents of Change" pp. 45-47. Watch The Western Tradition; Episode 23; the Late Middle Ages. (You will need to register to access this site, but don't worry -- it is American public television and you will not be pestered with junk mail after doing so). While watching, answer the following question: What changes were happening to life in the late Middle Ages? why? Introduction to the "Babylonian Captivity" when there were multiple popes at one time. Read pp. 87-92. Do #1-7, p. 92.
Social Studies 11

We are still a little way from finishing the Post-War Canada unit. Expect our next unit test to be around Tuesday or Wednesday next week. The test will be arranged roughly as follows:
43 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 5 definitions (2 marks each) and a choice of 3 from 5 choices (6 marks each). The test is, therefore, out of 71 marks. 30 flash cards are needed to earn 5 marks.


  • Monday, December 5 - Take up sidebar, #1-3, p. 155, #1-5, p. 156 & #2-4, p. 158. Material from Canada; A Peoples’ History; Comfort & Fear. ("Material from Canada; A People’s History (“A Question of Equality,” “A Changing Face,”and “The Computer Moves In” and questions). If time, PowerPoint Post 1945 Canada. Read pp. 160-172. Do #2-6, p. 167, & #1-5, p. 172.
  • Tuesday, December 6 - Take up homework. Material from Canada; A People’s History("Time for Change" & "Maitres Chez Nous" - questions). PowerPoint material not completed. Read pp. 172-187. Do #1-4, p. 176, #2-4, p. 182, and 2-5, p. 187.
  • Wednesday, December 7 - Take up homework. Complete any PowerPoint material not completed from Post 1945 Canada. Watch "Vive le Quebec Libre," "October Crisis", the "Choice" - questions. Read pp. 191- 194. Do #1,2, 4 & 5, p. 194.
  • Thursday, December 8 - Take up homework. Canada; A People's History: "Night of the Long Knives". PowerPoint The Quiet and Not-So-Quiet Revolution. If we get a chance to start it, we will begin the PowerPoint: "Land Claims and the Indian Act.". Read pp. 201-207. Do #1-5, p. 204 and 1-5, p. 206. Assignment: 10 marks, due Monday. Why do many Quebecers want and independent Quebec? Why has this not come about?
  • Friday, December 9 - Take up homework. Continue or begin PowerPoint - "Land Claims and the Indian Act." Read pp. 208-216. Do the sidebar on p. 211 & #1-2, p. 213 and #2-6, p. 216.
History 12

We will not test Topics 5 & 6 -- as this would take a block away from instruction and all of this material is tested on the final exam in any case. However, I will collect all work this year -- in two installments -- up to question 62 at the end of the first week back in January, and the remainder in the last week of classes. Do not procrastinate as deadlines become hard at the end of the semester.

Plan for Topics 5 & 6

Questions for Topics 5 & 6

Essay #3

  • Monday, December 5 - The Soviet Union & Eastern Europe to 1956 (base notes). An interesting overview of the whole of the Cold War, showing the Soviet perspective well, is Britain's Channel 4 programme: The Cold War Game; The US.
  • Tuesday, December 6 - Video - India; The Brightest Jewel - from the 20th Century History series (Part 1, part 2). Decolonization India (base notes). Decolonization India (base notes). A nice short (under 10 minute) history of partition and the endless conflict that followed it can be found here. If you are prepared to install Veoh on your computer, you can see the entire BBC documentary The Day India Burned (I had to uninstall as it conflicted with another programme. You might not have this difficulty). The first 23 minutes of the documentary can be befound elsewhere. Another excellent, longish, documentary is The Last Days of the Raj (part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6,part 7, part 8, part 9)Time for a movie? Watch Partition -- available in its entirity on Googlevideo.
  • Wednesday, December 7 - The Middle East to 1956 (base notes). Video clip from the 20th Century History series - if available. Watch the BBC documentary The Birth of Israel. For those really interested in the Middle East - try The 50 Years War; Israel and the Arabs (chunked into 29 parts, I just link to the Youtube directory for its parts). There is a nice BBC documentary on the 1956 war - The Other Side Of Suez 1956 (part 1, part 2, part 3).
  • Thursday, December 8 - Complete the Middle East to 1956. If time, begin video Mr. Kennedy & Mr. Khrushchev (sorry, not available online). If time, Begin the Cuban Missile Crisis (base notes). Be sure to watch CNN's Cold War; Episode 10; Cuba 1959-1962. Thirteen Days is a decent Hollywood treatment of the crisis, though it is a little loose in dealing with people and events -- not enough to worry about messing up your knowledge for the final exam though.
  • Friday, December 9 - The Cuban Missile Crisis (base notes). If you have almost two hours available, get in the mood for Wednesday's lecture on nuclear war by viewing Threads, a British docudrama from the 1980s about a nuclear war -- banned from British TV at the time, it is a highly praised production that gives a frightening, but important view of what such a war might be like. For a straight-forward documentary 0n what would happen to a city hit by a nuclear bomb, watch Nuclear War; A Guide to Armageddon - this links to the first episode, go to the sidebar to link to the other segments. Also, if at all possible, watch Threads, a British docudrama from the 1980s about a nuclear war -- banned from British TV at the time, it is a highly praised production that gives a frightening, but important view of what such a war might be like.. You might also look at Defcon 2 - Cuban Missile Crisis (Part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6).