March 26-30

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/.

Notice to Parents: During the current labour dispute, only grade 12 marks were to be provided on report cards. Written comments were proscribed. This does not mean that we were not reporting marks to students and parents regularly.

If you want an update regarding marks or other information you need only e-mail me at the address above. I am happy to give a full account that goes well beyond what a report card provides.

Further Notice to Graduates and Parents: I regret to inform you that I am withdrawing from voluntary activities until further notice. My reasons are two-fold, relating to the current labour dispute and concerns for my personal health. I cannot legally say much more than this to students, but would be more than willing to explain my concerns to parents if they e-mail me. The 86% Club will not meet for the remainder of this year (fortunately we have covered the most important material in earlier meetings) and Mr. Benoy is no longer co-chairing the Sutherland Scholarship Committee, nor is he sitting as a member of the committee. Please direct any scholarship questions to Principal McGowan and the Sutherland Administration. I will still help any graduating students who ask me for individual help.

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

Course outlines are posted in the material for the first class this semester - go to the Monday, January 30 posting.

Social Studies 8

The Rome unit test will be on Monday, April 2 -- to allow you the weekend to study. We will start the next unit on Friday -- Byzantine & Islamic Civilizations.

Be sure to be making and using your flash cards every day to master vocabulary and names. Your test on Rome will include the following: 40 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 5 definition items (2 marks each) and 3 long answer questions (6 marks each). The total is, therefore, out of 68 marks. You can earn up to 5 bonus marks for submitting at least 25 correctly made flash cards (term or name only on the front and definition or why the person is important on the back) at the time of the exam. You may not hand these in late to earn marks; they must be submitted when you write the test.

• Monday, March 26 - Hand in Barbarian Invasions map assignment. Watch Terry Jones' Surprising History of Rome and questions. For homework, be sure to make more flash cards and spend a little time reviewing them.
• Tuesday, March 27 - Video & Questions: Terry Jones' The Barbarians; The End of the World. We did not complete this, so the rest of the video and the assignment moved to Wednesday (due Thursday) Explain why the Roman Empire collapsed. Give your reasons in a point-form list. Be sure to mention Social, Political and Economic reasons.
• Wednesday, March 28 - Complete the video from the last class. Video: The Roman Arena and questions (1. What happened at the Colosseum and other Roman arenas? List the events that were staged. 2. Why do you suppose the Romans were so interested in "blood-sports." We needed to have this video run over to the next class too. Check out the BBC's animation on the Colosseum. Study for the Unit test on Rome on Monday.
• Thursday, March 29 - Complete the video scheduled for Wednesday and take up the questions. Examine Hosford Atlas, pp. 5-6 (To see scans, click here for p. 5 & click here for p.6). What made Constantinople an important trade crossroads (p. 5)? What evidence can you see on p. 6 that the Byzantines were great engineers and builders? Video: Engineering an Empire; the Byzantine Greeks, part 3, part 4. (If you want to see the other parts of this video, here are links to the rest: part 1, part 2, part 5) Finish watching this video for homework. List some of the important buildings and engineering improvements that the Byzantines created. Read pp. 96 to 100. Do #1-7, p. 100.
  
• Friday, March 30 - Take up homework. Video: Byzantium & do the questions for Byzantium; Part 2. Byzantine Empire Notes handout. Study for the Rome Unit test on Monday. Note: Thursday and Friday's material for this week will not be on this test.

Social Studies 11

Your take home test on Provincial and Municipal Government is due Monday or Tuesday of this week. Our next test will not be for a couple of weeks.

• Monday, March 26 - Hand in your provincial & municipal take-home test today -- or tomorrow at the latest. PowerPoint: Studying History. Read pp. 4-10. Do #1-3, p. 9 and the questions in figure 1-2, p. 6 and 1-5, p. 8. Assignment, due next class: Why should we study history? Answer in at least a half a page of writing and be sure to provide specific reasons with examples, not just vague generalities
• Tuesday, March 27 - Hand in the take home tests if you did not do so yesterday. Take up #1-3, p. 9 and the questions in figure 1-2, p. 6 and 1-5, p. 8. Begin looking at late 19th century and early 20th century immigration to Canada -- push and pull factors. Laurier's Canada PowerPoint. Homework: Talk to someone who immigrated to Canada in their lifetime. What push & or pull factors brought them here? What difficulties have they faced in coming to a new land?
• Wednesday, March 28 - Take up homework. Look at the earliest film of Vancouver - shot in 1907 on a hand-cranked movie camera, bolted to the front of a streetcar while traveling along Granville, Hastings, Carrall, Cordova, Cambie and Robson Streets. 1) What kinds of traffic do you see? 2) Did anything about the traffic surprise you? 3) What else did you notice about Vancouver in 1907? Another interesting look back in time is City Reflections; Vancouver - a set of 1907 and 2007 photos of the same locations - with the 1907 pictures taken from the streetcar film. What do you know about immigration to BC before the First World War? Discuss the problems of immigration to Canada in the late 19th and early 20th century - including the 1907 Vancouver race riot. More of the PowerPoint on Laurier's Canada. Read the sidebar on pp. 10-11 of your text and explain why you would support or oppose the payment of compensation to families who paid the head tax to come to Canada.
• Thursday, March 29 - Discuss the head tax and the issue of compensation. Video - Komagata Maru - sorry, unavailable online. Board questions - 1) What did the Canadian public think of Indian immigration in 1914? 2) How did government try to restrict Indian immigration? 3) What world event pushed news of the Komogata Maru into the background in the summer of 1914? Do the "Looking Back" questions #1, 2, 6 and 7 on p. 19. Excellent material on early immigration to Canada can be found at the Library and Archives of Canada site's Immigration page - see further pages too.
• Friday, March 30 - Take up homework. Canada and the Empire PowerPoint - If we do not complete this in class, please do so for homework. Read pp. 20-24. Do #1,2, & 4 p. 24 and the cartoon interpretation on p. 23 - Be sure to do #1-5 "Applying the Skill." Watch EA's Origins of World War I, part 1 & part 2.