Saturday, December 15, 2007

December 17-21












For those of you new to my blogsite, it is intended to work alongside my website at:
http://kbenoy.googlepages.com/

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 really 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 you can't read the PowerPoint material on your computer, download PowerPoint Viewer from Microsoft. It is free.

Sutherland has a license to access Discovery Channel's United Streaming video collection. Students may download or stream videos from the collection by going to http://www.unitedstreaming.com/ . Use the passcode posted in the classroom to register. If you have lost it, see me, or e-mail me, for this information. Students are licensed to include this content within their own creations.

Social Studies 11

All students who missed writing the unit test on Friday are expected to write it after school Monday.

Your Geography textbook is also available online at http://www.design4effect.com/soc11/ . Though we will use some material from the other text, most will be from this e-text. Be aware that this text is now a few years old and many hyperlinks are broken. Rewriting is a massive job that I have not had time to take on yet.

We will quiz Chapter 1 material on Friday. Expect the mark breakdown to be as follows: 15 multiple choice items (1 mark each) and three from 5 long answer questions (6 marks each). The total is therefore out of 33 marks. 15 flash cards are required to earn 3 bonus marks.

There is a major research assignment currently underway, the Family History - Immigration Assignment (With additional options for International and First Nations students.) The due date for this work is not until right after the Christmas holidays, to allow plenty of time for research and discussion with family members.)

  • Monday, December 17 - Introduction to Geography - key problems facing the world - Think/Pair/Share. Take up homework, #1-5, p. 11 (new text). Climate ChangeBegin Introduction PowerPoint. Read pp. 12-16. Do #1-9, p. 16 & 1-4, pp. 16-17.
  • Tuesday, December 18 - Take up homework. Complete any unfinished PowerPoint. Video Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth and questions. Read pp. 17-20. Do #1-2, p. 17 & #1-4, p. 21. Please also watch The Great Global Warming Swindle. You might also watch a follow-up debate, starting with this episode (link to the following segments from the sidebar).
  • Wednesday, December 19 - Take up homework. Complete An Inconvenient Truth and questions. Read pp. 430-433 in blue text. Do sidebar, figure 17-2 and #1-5, p. 433.
  • Thursday, December 20 - Take up homework. Complete "A Global Village Material" PowerPoint. Begin "Population" PowerPoint, if time. Quiz next class on the first chapter.
  • Friday, December 21 - Chapter 1 Quiz. Read pp. 29-31. Do #1-3 & the second #1-3, p. 31.

Comparative Civilizations 12

On Friday I indicated that I would consider putting off the test until after Christmas. I have thought long and hard about whether or not to postpone the Renaissance test until after the Christmas break. We will write the test on Wednesday of this week. My long experience indicates that on average scores will be higher if we test early as less will be forgotten. You will know your marks before we break for Christmas -- I commit to this to make it absolutely clear that I am not doing this for my own convenience. I will make one concession to you, however. The Hero as Artist package may come in any time up until 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, without late deduction.

The test breakdown is as follows: The mark breakdown is likely to be as follows: 20 slide identification (2 marks each -- name the work and name the artist), 35 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), and four from six long answer questions (6 marks each). The total is, therefore, out of 99 marks. Remember, only the first section of the test is closed-notebook.

History 12

This unit is global in scope -- far more than previous units. I will tend to focus on one region or issue at a time, which will mean that we will jump around more in time order. We did a bit of this in the last unit, but expect far more from now on. It is, therefore, essential that you find a way to make sure that you get the chronology right. I strongly suggest that you create a time line, with years on one axis and a series of columns, labelled Europe, Asia, North America, and South America on the other axis. Put major events on this timeline in the appropriate location and time. This will help you see events graphically -- recognizing how they might influence other events, elsewhere in the world, in the Cold War era.


The good news is that there will be no more unit tests. I do not wish to lose further blocks to testing -- though there will be an in-class essay in early January. Topic 5 & 6 material will, however, be strongly present on the Provincial Final Exam. Link here to Topic 5 & 6 questions. Link here to the plan for Topics 5 & 6.

Expect to hand in questions to the end of


Essay #3 is well underway and will be handed in any time in the last week of classes before Christmas.If you are considering completing the bonus Glossary Assignment, you need to get on with it now. Remember, it is worth up to an addtional 5% on your final class mark -- most bonus marks come in at 1-3% -- only really extraordinary work earns 5% (2 in the last decade). However, even 1% corresponds to many marks.

  • Monday, December 17 - Complete the Cuban Missile Crisis (base notes). If time, begin Deterrence & Nuclear War (base notes).
  • Tuesday, December 18 - Deterrence & Nuclear War (base notes).
  • Wednesday, December 19 -AV - Gwynne Dyer Notes on Nuclear War. British & French Decolonization in Africa & Asia (base notes).
  • Thursday, December 20 - continue British & French Decolonization (base notes). Begin Indochina & Vietnam (base notes).
  • Friday, December 21 - Indochina & Vietnam (base notes). You must watch the CNN Cold War episode, Vietnam 1954-1968 (Episode 11).
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