Saturday, February 23, 2013

February 25 - March 1










































Contact me by e-mail at: kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca 

So you just want to see photos of Sutherland activities? Click here to see my Picasa Albums. 

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- can be found at my website:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/.


History 12 

You must be sure to visit The History Guide for excellent background material supporting this course.

We set the due date for Essay #1 (see the bottom of the Plan for Unit #1) for the week of March 4.

When this blog was posted on Saturday, February 23, we set the unit test for Friday of this week.;  So many students will be away or unable to complete the test if extra time is needed, that I have decided to have the test next week -- on Tuesday, March 5.  We will work into the next unit in the classes leading up to this.  Be aware that material from these lessons will not be tested on the Topic #2 Unit Test. Be sure to pick up the plan for Topic #3 and Topic #3 Questions to see the work for the next unit, which we are starting this week. 


Social Studies 8 

Block 2 will work with Mr. Wong, my student teacher from UBC for the first part of the course.  The plan below is for my Block 3 class.  When Mr. Wong finishes, the plan will apply to both classes.

Block 2 can link to Mr. Wong's blog at: misterwong.weebly.com 

Block 3 can expect a unit test on Geography on Friday of this week - March 1.  This test will be out of 75 marks.  It will be based on map reading and the use of Canadian Oxford World Atlas (6th edition). The questions will be of the fill-in-the-blank kind -- where you are asked: for terms, to identify something in the atlas, to find direction or to locate something. You will need to go over the material in Geographical Essentials that we have studied so far.  Reread all of the instruction material we covered at the start of each section we studied.  Any students needing extra time to complete the test can come in after school today to do so. Please make sure this time is available to you!
  • Monday, February 25 - Course Planning.  We will go to the library, where you will hear about planning courses for grade 9 with Ms. Dohm.  Anyone absent from this class will go to the planning session held from 8:30-9:45 in the library on Wednesday, February 27.  They will have to make up class material on their own time using the material in Wednesday's blog entry, below.
  • Tuesday, February 26 - Take up the Earth Grid worksheet.  Watch Longitude and Time Zones and The Remarkable Story of the Discovery of Longitude by Dr. Callahan.  (If you have the time and interest, you might also look at Cambridge University's video The Longitude Problem).  Introduction to Time Zones.  See Geographical Essentials, pp. 48 to 54 and watch this short clip on the International Time Zone.  Time Zones worksheet -- complete for homework. If you get a chance and want to be clearer about time zones, watch GEG-103-OL; Time Zones.  A helpful description of longitude and time zones can be found at this site from Iowa State University, which quizzes you as you work through it.
  • Wednesday, February 27 -  Take up the Time Zone worksheet.  Watch Longitude and Time Zones and Why We Have Time Zones.  Do the second time zone worksheet -- complete it for homework
  • Thursday, February 28 - Take up the second time zone worksheet. Geography Review materials. Do the first section and then any sections that gave you trouble as we worked through the unit. The Unit Test for Geography is next class.
  • Friday, March 2 - Unit Test on Geography.  If any students need extra time to complete the test, they may come in after school to do so.

Friday, February 15, 2013

February 18-22




Contact me by e-mail at: kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca 

So you just want to see photos of Sutherland activities? Click here to see my Picasa Albums. 

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- can be found at my website:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/. 


History 12 

You must be sure to visit The History Guide for excellent background material supporting this course.

Expect to write your first quiz on or Tuesday, February 19 - this is a postponement as a result of an expected fire drill. There will likely be 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 10 definitions -- where I give you the definition and you give me the term or name (1 mark each), 5 definitions -- where I give you the term or name and you provide the definition or why the person is important (2 marks each), and one essay (worth 18 marks - with 6 for composition and 2x6 for content). The test will most likely be out of 53 marks.

All Topic #1 questions are due at the start of the Tuesday class.

We will set the due date for Essay #1 on Friday or early next week. (find the essay on the bottom of the Topic #1 plan.

Topic #2 Plan.

Topic #2 Questions.
  • Monday, February 18 -  Europe Before World War I - the Alliance system (Russia/France/Britain)Begin looking at the nations of Europe before the War. Base notes. Work on Topic #2 Questions.  
  • Tuesday, February 19 - Unit Test, Topic #1.
  • Wednesday, February 20 -  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, February 21 -  Finish the countries of Europe before the war. - base notes.   If time, look at causes of the war and reasons for peace in 1914 - base notes.
  • Friday, February 22 -  Introductory video & music.  Begin lecture on WW1, The Opening Phases of the War (base notesPowerPoint.  We will probably get into Stalemate - 1915-1916 (base notes) today too.
Social Studies 8



  • Monday, February 18 - Hand in School to Home maps.  Take up Activity 9 #1-4 and Activity 10.  Introduction to military grid.  Military Grid Worksheet.  Complete the Letter/Number Grid Worksheet for homework.
  • Tuesday, February 19 - Take up any problems with military grid.  Take up the Letter/Number Grid worksheet. 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 (Sorry, this is not available online) with questions. Complete the Latitude #1 worksheet for homework.  If latitude & longitude is still puzzling to you, see this very simple video explanation.  For a more detailed explanation, see this US College video -- given at a decent Canadian high school level of difficulty.  Of course if you prefer something really cheesy, try Longitude and Latitude.
  • Wednesday, February 20 - Take up any problems with Latitude #1.  Countries memory game - list by continents.  Review video on the seasons and important lines of latitude.  Quiz on important lines of latitude.  Hand in quiz and pick up and start working on  Latitude #2 worksheet -- to be completed for homework.
  • Thursday, February 21 - 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 and Longitude.)  Demonstration of latitude and longitude using Google Earth.  Complete the Longitude worksheet for homework.
  • Friday, February 22 - Memory game - another variation on the countries list.  Take up the Longitude worksheet.  Latitude and Longitude Race - in groups of 3 or 4 people -- complete the handout before any other group in the class.  Earth Grid worksheet to be completed for homework.

Thursday, February 07, 2013

February 10-15





Contact me by e-mail at: kbenoy@nvsd44.bc.ca 

So you just want to see photos of Sutherland activities? Click here to see my Picasa Albums. 

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- can be found at my website:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/. 

***Crucial news for History 12 students.  The promised fire drill did not occur, but, fully expecting it to happen in this block, I postponed the test.  It is now set for Tuesday, February 19.  The Topic #1 work is also due on that day -- but in class at the start of the exam and not at 4:30 p.m., as it would be ordinarily.


History 12 

You must be sure to visit The History Guide for excellent background material supporting this course.

Expect to write your first quiz on or Tuesday, February 19 - this is a postponement as a result of an expected fire drill. There will likely be 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 10 definitions -- where I give you the definition and you give me the term or name (1 mark each), 5 definitions -- where I give you the term or name and you provide the definition or why the person is important (2 marks each), and one essay (worth 18 marks - with 6 for composition and 2x6 for content). The test will most likely be out of 53 marks.

All Topic #1 questions are due at the start of the Tuesday class.

We will set the due date for Essay #1 on Friday or early next week. (find the essay on the bottom of the Topic #1 plan.

Topic #2 Plan.

Topic #2 Questions.

  • Monday, February 11 - No Classes.  Family Day Holiday -- so be sure to socialize with the parental units.
  • Tuesday, February 12 - We did not complete the essay writing material last class, so we will see the MLA style PowerPoint, then move on to see  Themes and Topics in History 12.
  • Wednesday, February 13 - Complete Themes and Topics in History 12. If there is time, we will begin  Imperialism & Social Darwinism PowerPoint (base notes) -- but note that this material will not be on the test next class.
  • Thursday, February 14 - Imperialism & Social Darwinism PowerPoint (base notes).  Begin  Europe Before World War I - the Alliance system. Begin looking at the nations of Europe before the War. Base notes See what Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe has to say about Imperialism in Africa in this YouTube video. Interested in Social Darwinism?  Try these videos:  James Burke's Fit To Rule, which explains how a biological concept became a powerful political tool in the hands of extreme nationalists, or this interview with Frans De Waal, who is horrified by Social Darwinist notions held by neo-conservatives in modern America.  The horrific results of 19th century Social Darwinist ideas are described in Scientific Racism; The Eugenics of Social Darwinism. 
  • Friday, February 15 -   Imperialism & Social Darwinism PowerPoint (base notes).  Begin  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.
Social Studies 8

Block 2 will work with Mr. Wong, my student teacher from UBC for the first part of the course.  The plan below is for my Block 3 class.  When Mr. Wong finishes, the plan will apply to both classes.

Block 2 can link to Mr. Wong's blog at: misterwong.weebly.com 

We started with the Geography unit. Expect a unit test at the end of this, worth around 75 marks. This will be in roughly 2 weeks. 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.

If you are struggling, be sure to see me outside of class for extra help!

You will need the following material for the Geography unit: a ruler, pens, pencils, and coloured pencils, erasers, whiteout, a portable computer storage device (USB key, with at least 1 GB of space on it -- which you can use in all of your other classes too), and lined paper.

Keep all of your material in order in either a section of a bigger binder, with work from other courses, or a smaller Social Studies binder. The choice is yours. You should also have section dividers to separate units. Keep all work to study from for the final exam at the end of the course. After unit tests, you can take this work out and leave it safe at home if you do not want to keep carrying it around -- just don't lose it.

National Geographic has some nice overview PowerPoints for this unit. See Map Elements and Map Skills.

  • Monday, February 11 - No Classes.  Family Day Holiday - Spend quality time with your parental units.
  • Tuesday, February 12 - Hand in Canada; Political Map.  Take up Scale homework. Take up scale worksheet. Countries game - girls vs boys.  Direction on maps - points on a compass. -- introduction and video clipDirection & Scale WorksheetStruggling with figuring out how compass directions work? Use this simple elementary school explanation from the BBC in Britain.  
  • Wednesday, February 13 - Take up Direction and Scale worksheet (I may or may not do a homework check, worth 3 marks for completion). Animaniacs countries song. Countries game -- individual lists -- compare your total to the first time we did this.  Introduction to map symbols.  Video clip on map symbols - colour.  Symbols worksheet - complete for homework.  For a really simple (elementary school level) explanation of map symbols, see this National Geographic site.  Rather more advanced, but quite cheesy, is this 1967 US Department of Defense educational video dealing with map symbols.
  • Thursday, February 14 - Take up homework -- Symbols worksheet.  Naming countries contest - boys vs. girls.  More symbols review - Symbols 2 worksheet - complete for homework.  Also complete the assignment: Continents and Major Water Bodies map -- due next class, value: 10 marks -- based on completion, accuracy and neatness.  Completely unrelated to learning map symbols, but entertaining is this video clip - McGyver; How to Use a Map.
  • Friday, February 14 - Hand in the map assignment.  Take up homework.  Quiz - Scale and Direction.  Introduction to grids.  Geographical Essentials, pp. 15-19. Activity #9 #1-3. Complete #4 and Activity 10 for homework. Map Assignment - School to Home - due Monday, Value: 10 marks -- based on having all the map basics, accuracy, neatness and usability.