June Exams

Classes are finished, but there is still important work to be done. Ignore the good weather and push on with studying for finals. Improve your marks; earn an A or a pass. Keep that conditional acceptance to post-secondary. Position yourself for a scholarship. Don't give up until the final curtain falls.

Social Studies 11 Honours

We began final exam preparation in Friday's class and worked through much of my PowerPoint on preparing for the provincial. It is imperative that you see the rest of it and think about what you will do between now and Friday.

It is essential that you are currently preparing to write the Provincial Final Exam. This is not a test that you can cram for with one or two days to go. You must become familiar with what to expect on the final exam and comfortable with the format of the test. Go to the ministry sites ( Frequently asked questions page, table of specifications, key verb list, & scoring criteria) to see how the exam is put together and look at past exams -- in fact you should write the sample test and look at the posted key to see how you do. 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.

Your provincial exam is on Friday, June 19, from 9-12:00 a.m. in the small gym. You must get there early. Dress in layers to be comfortable in whatever the climate conditions are on that day. Make sure you had a good night's sleep the night before - overnight cramming is absolutely the worst tactic you could adopt. Practice relaxation techniques if you feel tense. Go to the toilet before entering the exam room!

History 12

With all of the missed classes and interruptions in block 2 this semester, we just barely missed finishing all of the lecture material. I did not complete the final classes to my satisfaction, so be sure to read the base notes for the last four classes to pick up more detail (see them archived below). I particularly recomment watching Frontline; the Long Walk of Nelson Mandela. Also watch this 12 minute interview witht the other Nobel lauriate, F. W. De Klerk. Think of the changes in South Africa and compare them with Gandhi's tactics and the US Civil Rights movement.

We will have an exam prep. session in my room from 1:30 until ? Monday afternoon for those who wish to attend. This will be based on this PowerPoint and will also include a look at how to approach the final exam using an old version.

Be sure to check out provincial exam material at the following government sites:

• The exam search page -- for examples and keys.
• Exam table of specifications.
• Prescribed Learning Outcomes -- what the examiners set out to test.
• Key Verbs - what the key words in test questions mean exactly.
• Scoring Criteria - where the marks come from.
• Sample Response Booklet - what the booklet you write your longer answers in will look like.

Try this site for past exams in most grade 12 subjects. Answer keys are also given.

You must bring all textbooks to me before the provincial exam. I will start out in my classroom and will move to outside the exam room before it 0pens. Our text budget has been drastically cut, so I cannot afford to have books go missing. You will be billed for any book not returned - at current replacement costs.

Comparative Civilizations 12

Classes are finished and the final exam has been written, but most of you took the extension to Monday to complete assignments. I guarantee all Monday submissions will be marked. I will likely be able to mark Tuesday submissions too. However, everything will be marked on a first-come-first-served basis. Marks will be posted by Wednesday afternoon as with so much work to come in, they are being regularly updated.

I must get your textbooks back as soon as possible! I will be billing for unreturned texts and will seek you out and possibly turn to voodoo or other tactics to get them. Lost books are too expensive to replace at this time as our book budget has been drastically cut from past levels.