Saturday, September 11, 2010

September 13-17



















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

Things that are static -- not requiring regular change -- can be found at my website:http://sites.google.com/site/kbenoy/ . I'm afraid I do not update this regularly though. Most of the time, all current material will be linked to directly from this blog.

This blogsite will have all the changing material -- lesson plans and links to particular assignments. I will try to ensure that all assignments are posted here. If you see something underlined, it means that you can click on it to go to the item. I will do this for pdf documents, PowerPoints, videos and sometimes music.

Use this blog to see what is coming up each week. I will usually post it by Saturday evening 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 do know someone who does. If you are too ill to work while away, be sure to attach a note from home to any overdue work and I will most likely waive any late deduction. If you cannot read the PowerPoint material on your computer. Download PowerPoint Viewer from Microsoft. It is free.

My tutorial times are officially 2:55-3:15 on Mondays and Fridays. However, I am available most days before school, at noon and after school. Drop by or make an appointment if you need guaranteed time. I also respond to e-mails within a day at worst.

Social Studies 8

We are starting with the Geography unit. Expect a unit test at the end of this, worth around 75 marks. This will be in roughly 3 to 4 weeks. It will be based on map reading and the use of Canadian Oxford World Atlas (7th edition). We will also have a number of quizzes worth from 5-30 marks throughout the unit. You will not always be warned ahead of time about quizzes -- so it is important to keep up.

If you are struggling, be sure to see me outside of class 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 (USB key, with at least 1 GB of space on it -- which you can use in all of your other classes too), and lined paper.

Keep all of your material in order in either a section of a bigger binder, with work from other courses, or a smaller Social Studies binder. The choice is yours. You should also have section dividers to separate units. Keep all work to study from for the final exam at the end of the course. After unit tests, you can take this work out and leave it safe at home if you do not want to keep carrying it around -- just don't lose it.

National Geographic has some nice overview PowerPoints for this unit. See Map Elements and Map Skills.
  • Monday, September 13 - Take up homework (the Atlas worksheet) -- If your teacher collects it in class it will be marked out of 3 marks, based on completion. Do your best, even if you have errors you can still earn 3/3. Video - Types of Maps and Map Projections. Look at Geographical Essentials text, pp. 4-7 - "Map Outlines." The Basic ingredients of all maps - Outlines, Direction, Colour & Symbols (and a key or legend, Scale. If time - Mind Map of North Vancouver (10 minutes). See pages 56,57 & 58 in Geographical Essentials. Scale Worksheet - complete to #8 for homework. If you have trouble grasping how scale works, get the basics from this BBC elementary school level site on the subject. A really nice advanced summary can be found at this National Resources Canada site.

  • Tuesday, September 14 - Scale review -- look at pages 55-59 and 62 in Geographical Essentials. Take up Scale Worksheet homework #1-8 (This may or may not be collected. If it is, it will be marked out of 3 for completion). Review Scale. Direction on maps - points on a compass. -- introduction and video clip. Direction & Scale Worksheet - Do to #3. Struggling with figuring out how compass directions work? Use this simple elementary school explanation from the BBC in Britain. Sorry, no extra help after school today. I have a doctor's appointment
  • Wednesday, September 15 - Take up Direction & Scale Worksheet (I may or may not do a homework check - worth 3 marks for completion). Introduction to map symbols. Video clip on my symbols (sorry -- unavailable on the web). Symbols worksheet - complete for homework (Note - Block 1 - the afternoon class -- got no time to work on the sheet in class so, they should complete only to #10). Map Assignment - School to Home (valued at 10 marks - due Friday).
  • Thursday, September 16 - Take up homework including Symbols Worksheet. Naming countries contest. More symbols review - Symbols Worksheet 2 - complete for homework, and also remember to complete the school to home map.

Social Studies 11

We will begin with the Government unit and start with the old red text to deal with ideologies. You will get theCounterpoints text, which we will use for most of the semester, once we get past ideologies -- which Counterpointsdoes not deal with well.

Expect your first unit test on Ideologies/Parties/Elections to be on Thursday, September 23. The mark breakdown is most likely to be as follows: 30 multiple choice question (1 mark each); 4 items to label on a diagram (1 mark each); 5 definitions - you write a sentence or two about each term or name (2 marks each); 2 long answer questions from a choice of 4 options (6 marks each). The test should, therefore, be out of about 66 marks.

  • Monday, September 13 - Origins of the Political Spectrum - including summary handout sheet. PowerPoint – “Ideologies”.Ideology identification practice. The following reading is completely optional: For an interesting American article on the difference between Lefties and Righties, see Patricia Cohen's New York Times Article: "Across the Great Divide; Investigating Links Between Personality and Politics."

  • Tuesday, September 14 - Take up Ideologies Identification homework. Video clip on ideologies - sorry, not available online. Other ways to show political spectrum. More practice with ideologies. Sorry, no extra help after school today -- I have a doctor's appointment.
  • Wednesday, September 15 - Take up homework. Lecture/discussion – from ideologies to political parties – national parties in Canada. Read Counterpoints pp. 255-258. Do #3 & 4, p. 258. For homework over the last weekend, you took an online quiz to identify your political viewpoint. To see which Canadian political party comes closest to your views (2008 comparison - according to this organization. Take a look at US national politicswhile you are here), link here and see if this is what you expected. Interested in pursuing this further? Try some more tests -- mostly American -- to see where you stand.

  • Thursday, September 16 - Take up homework. Placing parties on the political spectrum. PowerPoint. BC & Canadian political parties. Read Counterpoints pp. 249-258. Do #1-5, p. 253, #4, p. 258 & sidebar #1-3, p. 257.

  • Friday, September 17 - 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 we-pages.

History 12

Our first unit is an introduction to History and the Writing of History.

Be aware, this is a lecture course. Because almost all students who sign up for this course are university or college bound, I have structured the course in this way to help you make the transition to post-secondary studies easier. Class work will be done entirely outside of class time.

Expect to write your first quiz on or about Thursday, September 16. There will likely be 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 10 definitions -- where I give you the definition and you give me the term or name (1 mark each), 5 definitions -- where I give you the term or name and you provide the definition or why the person is important (2 marks each), and one essay (worth 18 marks - with 6 for composition and 2x6 for content). The test will most likely be out of 53 marks.

All Topic #1 work is due by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the test. Here is a rough plan for the first unit. Essay #1 is due a couple of weeks later. My initial target date is Tuesday, September 28.





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