Friday, February 06, 2009

February 9-13













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 too ill to work while away, be sure to attach a note from home to any overdue work when you hand it in and I will most likely waive any late deduction.

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 Education's United Streaming video collection. Students may download or stream videos from the collection by going to http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm . Use the passcode posted in the classroom and given to you on your course outline 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.

My tutorial times are officially 2:55-3:15 every Monday and Friday. However, I am available most days before school, at noon and after school. Drop by or make an appointment if you need guaranteed time.


Social Studies 11 (Honours)

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.

Your Chapter 1 quiz is on Monday, February 9. The mark breakdown will be roughly as follows: 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 3 long answer questions from 5 options (6 marks each). The total will be out of around 33 marks. 3 bonus marks are available for completing flash cards. The next test after this will be rather longer and will cover chapters 2 & 3 together. This will likely be in another week and a half to two weeks.

  • Monday, February 9 - Hand in Essay outlines (Assignment from part 3 of the Essay Writing Workshop). Essay Writing Workshop Handout. Research techniques, including Citing Sources & bibliographies(Part 4). Ch. 1 Quiz. Read pp. 29-31. Do both #1-3 on p. 31.

  • Tuesday, February 10 - Take up homework. Watch Zotero screencasts. PowerPoint - Population and Demographics. (Introduction to demography and population growth. Population pyramids. Using the data on p. 46, construct population pyramids for these countries. Read pp. 31-37. Do #2, p. 36 - but use 2006 data from US Census Bureau's International Data Base - Canada Population pyramid, #1-2, p. 37 (Click on the following for a Nigeria population pyramid and a Japan population pyramid). Video sidebar: If numbers interest you, watch professor Malcolm S. Forbes, Arithmetic, Population and Energy.

  • Wednesday, February 11 - Take up homework. PowerPoint - continued. Population theories – Malthus, Catton, Boserup & Demographic transition model. Read pp. 37-41. Do #1-6, p. 39 & #1-6, pp. 41-42. Sidebars: Doom and gloom video, Doom and gloom text at DieOff.Org - read p. 15, an excerpt from William Catton's Overshoot; The Ecological Base of Revolutionary Change. Read a brief synopsis of Boserup's ideas from York University. Julian Simon was another writer who felt population growth is a good thing. His book Population Matters: People, Resources, Environment, and Immigration is available online.

  • Thursday, February 12 - PowerPoint on how to cite sources and write a bibliography. Complete Population PowerPoint on Population. Work on Essay (you will receive 1 block of time for this now and 1 around 1-2 weeks before the essay is due at the end of Spring Break).

  • Friday, February 13 - Video – Population Transition in Italy (Accessing this video and others at this site requires that you register with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting/Annenberg Foundation. It is free and no spam will follow) and questions (or alternative, if unavailable). If time, watch Hans Rosling's Gapcast #5; Bangladesh Miracle. Read pp. 42-45. Do #1-5, p. 45. Look at the downside of China's One Child Policy in this less than 10 minute video. Click here for a nice overview of current trends in population, based on the demographic transition model.

History 12

Expect to write your first quiz on Wednesday, February11 (this is a change from the post on Saturday). All topic #1 work is due by 4:30 p.m. on test day. Essay #1 is a couple of weeks after the first unit ends -- my initial target date is Friday, February 27.

The plan for Topic 2 is now available - along with the questions for this unit.

Plenty of great documentary films are available on World War I. You can find a sampling of these on my Topic #2 Googlevideo and Youtube Directory.

Comparative Civilizations 12

Your Egypt package is to be handed in on Tuesday of this week. The Greek package will be distributed then.

Your Greece package is to be handed in on Thursday, February 19 - We will start the next unit on Wednesday the 18th, but this extra day delay gives you a nother day to tidy things up. Friday, February 20 is a District Professional Day. The unit test is still a couple of weeks away and it will cover all of the Ancient World, including: Egypt, Greece, Rome & Byzantium.


If you have some time and would like to check out some additional video material, check Mr. Benoy's Online Video Directory.The unit test is still a couple of weeks away and it will cover all of the Ancient World, including: Egypt, Greece, Rome & Byzantium.