Saturday, September 19, 2009

September 21-25














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 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 8

Expect a unit test in about a week or so - it will be based on map reading and the use of your Canadian Oxford World Atlas. You will write answers into blanks on the test and there will be around 75 items on the test.

If you are struggling, be sure to see me outside of class time 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 with at least 1 GB of space on it, and lined paper. Keep all of your materials, in order, in a section of a multi-course binder or in a smaller binder for this course only. Use section dividers between units and have a section in your binder for map work. You will need to save all of your notes to study from for the final exam at the end of the year, but you only need to have the current unit with you in class. I suggest that you keep your notes safe at home after completing each unit test.

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

  • Monday, September 21 - Hand in School to Home Map assignment. Take up Symbols Worksheet 2. Quiz - Scale & Directions. Introduction to grids. Geographical Essentials, pp. 15-19. Activity 9 #1-3, Complete #4 and Activity 10 for homework. Assignment: Continents and Major Water Bodies map - 10 marks. Due next class.
  • Tuesday, September 22 - Hand in Continents and Major Water Bodies map. Take up Activity 9 #1-4 and Activity 10 work (if not checked on Monday.) Weather permitting, we will take a "Super Benoy Field Trip" to complete a Sutherland School Map assignment. Value: 10 marks, due in two classes. If the weather does not cooperate we will move on to Wednesday class material and, hopefully, complete this assignment when weather cooperates.
  • Wednesday, September 23 - Go over any problems with the Sutherland School Map assignment. Battleship game - practice with Easting and Northing. Introduction to military grid. Military Grid Worksheet. (I will link to this when I know which detailed maps are available to use in class and can, therefore post the right work for that map.) If you finish early, work on your School map, which is due on Thursday.
  • Thursday, September 24 - Hand in Sutherland School Map . Take up any problems with military grid -- reminder of "Easting and Northing." 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 - with questions. Note: you need to login to Discovery Education's streaming video site to do this. Mr. Benoy posts the access code in the classroom and it is on your Course Outline.
    Complete the Latitude #1 worksheet for homework.
  • Friday, September 25 - This is a change from the plan posted on Saturday. The librarian, Ms. Clark has asked that we move the library Social Studies orientation lesson to Monday. Take up Latitude #1 sheet. Short quiz on important lines of latitude. Review and more background on Latitude - including the video that we did not get to on Thursday. Latitude #2 worksheet -- note: this should be completed for homework over the weekend.
Social Studies 11

The test for Ideologies/Parties/Elections is on Thursday, September 24. The mark breakdown is as follows: 30 multiple choice questions at one mark each; 10 identify the ideology of a statement questions at one mark each; four items to identify on a graphic element at one mark each; 5 definitions - write a sentence or two about terms or names that you are given - at two marks apiece; and two long answer questions from four options at six marks each. The test total is, therefore, out of 66 marks. 5 bonus marks can be earned for making flash cards - in class we set the minimum to earn 5 marks at 30, but it was not posted on the blog beforehand -- so I will reduce the minmum to 25 cards to earn maximum marks. Fewer cards will earn a lesser amount, but any number will earn bonus marks on your test score.



  • Monday, September 21 - Take up #1-5, p. 253, #4, p. 258 & sidebar #1-3, p. 257. Review of party positions on the political spectrum and names of party leaders. Introduction to political party organizations. As part of your homework, you must go to Elections Canada's pages entitled I Can Vote, with information for young and first time voters. Answer these questions. Read pages 109-115 in the red Government text and answer questions #1-3 & 5, p. 115. Optional: Click here to go to a list of all of the political parties, with links to their webpages.
  • Tuesday, September 22 - Take up I Can Vote and #1-3 & 5, p. 115. Elections handout. Elections in Canada – The first-by-the-post system. (If time; proportional representation too). Read Government pp. 88-97. Do #4, p. 97. Research Canadian federal political parties. Which party would you support in the next federal election? Why? About a half page or so of writing is needed to adequately answer this question. Value: 10 marks, due Thursday. Find political party information at Elections Canada's registered political parties page.
  • Wednesday, September 23 - Take up #1-3, p. 257 & #4, p. 97. Elections lesson – day 2. Various voting systems. BCSTV animation. Assignment: What electoral system do you feel is best? Why? (due Friday. About 1 page).
  • Thursday, September 24 - Hand in Political Parties research. Test on Ideologies, Political Parties, and Elections. Complete the best electoral system assignment for next class.
  • Friday, September 25 - Hand in elections paragraphs. Begin Legislative Branch - focus on the House of Commons. Filmstrip & note-taking. Be sure to look at the Parliament of Canada website. Download, read and study from the Guide to the House of Commons. Read pp. 231-233 sidebar. Do #1-3 in the sidebar on p. 233.
Social Studies 11H

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.

To save a little time in the course, we will join chapters 2 & 3 together for testing purposes. Expect your next unit test to be in around 2 or so weeks. I will post test information a little later, when we are getting closer to the unit end and I know what we managed.

  • Monday, September 21 - Hand in Essay Outlines. Take up both #1-3 on p. 31. 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.
  • Tuesday, September 22 - Essay outlines returned; Begin research essays on a Geographical topic. This should be completed by October 13 - the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. If you are going away at this time, be sure to complete your essay before you leave. It is up to you to manage your time effectively. 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.
  • Wednesday, September 23 - Note: This is a change of plans. Originally this was to be a work period for the essay, but we have been relocated to the library next Tuesday, so I have moved the essay work block to then. I have now moved what was Thursday's block to today. Sorry for the inconvenience. 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.
  • Thursday, September 24 - Take up homework. Urbanization material from the chapter 2 PowerPoint. Video segment and questions on Shanghai, Changing China - Urbanization ). Look at Gapcast #2 - Urbanization. Do the Further Thought assignment #1-5, p. 46.
  • Friday, September 25 - Take up #1-5, p. 46.. Look at A Slum Insight & do the questions. Watch Hans Rosling's What Stops Population Growth. Begin Ch. 3 PowerPoint. Read pp. 54-55. Do #1-4, pp. 55-56.
History 12

Topic #2's plan and questions are now available.

You have an ongoing essay on nationalism that is due on Wednesday, September 30. Originally we scheduled the due date for the 29th, but there will be no History 12 class that day because of Post-Secondary Liaison Day.

I expect the next unit test to be on or about Tuesday, October 6. I will post the mark breakdown as we approach that time.

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.
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