Friday, June 06, 2014

June 9 to Final Exam



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

This blog gives everything up to the final exam prior to strike action preventing my posting it.  You are expected to keep up on your own. Following this timeline we can finish each of my courses -- but you will have to fill in the gaps when classes are not in session.

Please understand that I am currently on strike and cannot deal with school work and issues.  Prior to this, I posted work for the rest of the year.  It isn't the same as being in class, but it is the best I can do.

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- can be found at my website:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/.  Admittedly, I do not update this site regularly, so there may be dead links.

I take a few photos around the school, if you are interested, click here to see my Public Picassa photo albums. 


Click here for Graduation Banquet pictures.

So what have staff been up to during the strike/lockout.  Click here to see pictures. 

Grad Boat Cruise photos are now posted.

Recent albums include the Centennnial Theater and Sutherland concerts of the Asahikawa High School Wind Orchestra, the Senior Girls' soccer games vs Howe Sound, Carson, Windsor and Seycove - also the playoff games against St. Thomas More and Windsor. The Junior Girls vs Windsor, Handsworth, & the playoff game vs Sentinel, the Junior Boys' rugby game vs Seycove, and the May 9 Ultimate Tournament.  Finally, there are also pictures from Gwynne Dyer's talk to Senior Students.

***Strike Advisory: It looks like the end of the year turned into a train wreck.  Final exams look like they are cancelled for all but Provincially examined courses.  Social Studies 11 will write their test as scheduled, with administrators invigilating and marking to be sorted out later.

Social Studies 8 

We are now in the final unit -- Indian and Chinese civilizations (note:  loss of class time means we will have to lose the short Japan unit -- apologies to all for this).  If I delete the unit test for this section, I can complete the final unit on Japan after all.  Since learning is better than testing, it is an easy decision to make.

Bonus Opportunity!

bonus assignment was available to help you boost your mark before the final exam. I marked everything that came in prior to the all-out strike.    Please note, for every item completely finished 3 marks will be assigned to replace missed homework assignments (incomplete work will not earn marks).  If all homework is finished, 1 bonus mark per bonus item will be added to the appropriate unit test score.  This bonus work is excellent final exam studying.


  • Monday, June 9 -  Take up homework.  Watch What the Ancients did For Us; India - part 1part 2part 3part 4, part 5,part 6. List important Indian inventions and explain their significance. Read pp. 26-28, do #1-5, p. 28.
  • Tuesday, June 10 - Take up homework answers in class. 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 Indiapart 27part 28.   Read pp. 112-116.  Do #1-6, p. 116.
  • Wednesday, June 11 - Note:  This is a strike day.  You must do this on your own at home today. Take up homework.  Watch Three Teachings, an introduction to Chinese culture and its roots in Confucianism, Taoism and Buddism.  1.  Why is it possible for people to believe in all three teachings at the same time?   2.  What does each belief system focus on?    Read pp. 28-31.  Do #1-5, p. 31.
  • Thursday, June 12 - 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. 31-36. Do #1-6, p. 36.  If we have time this class, I will also show you John Green'sCrash Course; the Silk Road and Ancient Trade.  If we don't have time, please watch it on your own.
  • Friday, June 13 -  Take up #1-6, p.36. Take up homework. Watch What the Ancients Did for Us; the Chinese.   What great contributions did the Chinese give to the world.  Read pp. 117-121. Do #1-5, p. 121.
  • Monday, June 16 - Take up #1-5, p. 121.  Watch The Secret History of Genghis Khan1. How did Genghis Khan unify the Mongols? 2. Where did the Mongols expand after unification? 3. Why were the Mongols so successful. Read pp. 121-123. Do #1-5, p. 123.
  • Tuesday, June 17 -  Take up #1-5, p. 123.  Watch Kublai Khan; The Building of the Mongol Empire1. How did Kublai Khan come to rule China?   2.  How did being part of the Mongol empire lead to contact with the wider world?  Map Assignment:  South and East Asia.  10 marks, due next class. Read pp. 123-125. Do #1-7, p. 125. 
  • Wednesday, June 18 - Hand in the map assignment. Take up #1-7, p. 125. Video: Shinto Part 1Part 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, June 19 - Take up #1-8, p. 130. Watch Ancient Warriors; The Samuraipart 1part 2. 1. What were the Samurai? 2. How were the Samurai similar to Medieval European Knights? How were they different?  Your final exam is scheduled for Friday.
  • Friday, June 20 - Final Exam -- 100 multiple choice options.
Social Studies 11


I am concerned about any further loss in teaching time.  If more classes are lost to strike or lockout, I will have to direct students to cover curriculum on their own.  This will be outlined in future blog entries.  As it is, I will have to condense material to complete the whole course.  I will do my best to cover the material most likely to appear on the Provincial exam.

Expect me to assign video viewing, at least, on strike days from here on.  You must do this!

I will give a test for the whole of the Geography unit at the end.  This will be multiple choice only, so as to allow for it to be marked and entered on your report card.  You must not be away when it is written or you will earn no marks for the Geography unit -- which most people do best on.

At this time I do not have the Geography exam written. Expect it to be entirely multiple choice and probably around 100 questions.  50 flash cards will earn up to 8 bonus marks.

Now is also the time to begin thinking about and preparing for the Provincial Exam.

***Here is a set of summary notes for the Social Studies 11 course -- excellent for use in studying for the final exam. 

***Here is another, shorter, set of notes for the Social Studies 11 course.

***Here is a much more thorough webpage of review materials. 


Find another set of notes on the Counterpoints text at:

http://www.members.shaw.ca/ss11exam/Counterpoints.htm


Be sure to look at past exam material to get comfortable with the format.  Go to 

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/search/.


To see how to approach the essay questions, look at this document provided 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 9 -  Take up #1-3 (both), p. 31. Video clip: The Seven Billionth.  Finish Ch. 2 PowerPoint - Population; Demographics.  If time we will watch Momentum 2011; Hans RoslingRead pp. 31-37. Do #1 on p. 37. Go to the US Census Bureau's International Database  (OK - this is a bit of a search.  Click on "International Data Base" on the top left hand side of the page.  On the new page, look on the left side and go into the "Report" drop down menu and select "Population Pyramid Graph."  Now select 2011 in the year menu and the countries you want, one at a time in "Select Country".)  Now and download and print a population pyramid for Nigeria in 2011. Do the same for Japan. Compare the shapes of these population pyramids. Suggest reasons why they are so different from one another.
  • Tuesday, June 10 - Take up #1 on p. 37. Look at the population pyramids for Japan and Nigeria and go over reasons why their shapes are so different. PowerPoint - continued, if need be. Watch Hans Rosling's What Stops Population Growth if we have time.
  • Wednesday, June 11 - This is a strike day.  Cover all of this material on your own.  There is no time to lose.  Look at Gapcast #2 - UrbanizationVideo segment and questions on Shanghai, Changing China - Urbanization ).  Read pp. 37-45. Do #1-6, p. 39 , #1-6, pp. 41-42, Do #1-5, p. 45. Watch China; From Red to Green.  How is China's population growth stimulating green thinking?  Provide examples of sustainable developments happening in Chinese cities.
  • Thursday, June 12 - Take up #1-6, p. 39 , #1-6, pp. 41-42.  Watch China; From Red to Green.  How is China's population growth stimulating green thinking?  Provide examples of sustainable developments happening in Chinese cities.  Now watch Masdar; the City of the Future; Fully Charged (part 1 and part 2). Can anything from the films we looked at today be applied to Vancouver?  Explain.  Read pp. 42-45. . Do the Further Thought assignment #1-5, p. 46.  Read pp. 368-375 in your blue Counterpoints text.  Do #1-4, p.372 & #1, p.375.
  • Friday, June 13 -  Take up #1-5, p. 45 and Further Thought #1-5, p. 46. and #-14, p. 370; #1, P. 375 in Counterpoints.  Chapter 3 PowerPoint. Read pp. 57-70. Do #1-8, p. 61, #1-5, p. 64 and #1-2, p. 70.
  • Monday, June 16 - Take up homework.   Take up  #1-8, p. 61, #1-5, p. 64 and #1-2, p. 70. 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. 70-73. Do #1-8, p. 73 and 1, 2, 5 and 7, p. 74 in "Further Thought." 
  • Tuesday, June 17 - Take up homework.  Complete any chapter 3 material.   PowerPoint for Chapter 4 - Note -- we will move very quickly through this. Be sure to scan the PowerPoint again, on your own time, in order to take good notes.    Read pp. 83-93. Do #1-3, p. 84, #1-4, p. 85, #1-2, p. 86 and #1-3, p. 87, #1-4, p. 89, #1-5, p. 91 and #1-5, p. 93.
  • Wednesday, June 18 -  Take up homework.   Video: History’s Harvest (Part 1,Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5) and do the viewing guide questions. If time we will look at more of theChapter 4 PowerPoint. Read pp. 93-106. 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, #1-6, p. 105 and Further Thought #1-4, p. 108. Be sure to investigate the CBC Archives material on the GMO debate. Identify arguments for and against producing genetically modified foods. Study for the test next class.
  • Thursday, June 19 - Take up homework. Complete any remaining Chapter 4 PowerPoint.  Watch Gwynne Dyer being interviewed about his book Climate Wars on the effects of Climate Change on world conflict.  While watching, take notes on 1) Why is climate change likely to lead to conflict? and 2) Why is climate change more dangerous than most people realize?  Worldmapper animation Read pp. 114-132.  Do #1, p. 118, #1-4, p. 119,, #1-3, p. 120, #1-5, p. 123, #1-3, p. 129, #1-2, p. 131, #1-4, p. 132 and Further Thought #1-6, p. 132. 
  • Friday, June 20 - Take up homework. Chapter 5 PowerPoint Watch the amazing Dr. Hans Rosling's presentation at the 2006 TED Conference - The Seemingly Impossible is Possible. If you liked Hans Rosling, try William McDonough's TED lecture.
  • Monday, June 23 -  Geography Unit Test.
  • Tuesday, June 24 - Provincial Exam.  In the small gym from 1-3 p.m. You may have an extra hour of writing time if you wish.