April 16-20

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

So you just want to see photos of Sutherland activities? Click here to see my Picassa Albums.

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

We are now in a rather long unit -- the Middle Ages -- and we will not test again for a few weeks. I will post information about the next test when we are a week or two away from it.To help students who struggle with reading, I have adapted readings and questions from a simpler text for them. Only do this material if you have been asked by Mr. Benoy to do so. These students will not do the regular homework when this alternative is given. If you find reading the text impossibly difficult, see Mr. Benoy to discuss the issue. The alternative is not as detailed and content will be missed by those using it. However, it is better than not understanding a thing!

We will watch two episodes of Terry Jones' Medieval Lives in class. If you want to see about the lives of other medieval people, here are links to other episodes: The Monk, The Damsel, The Minstrel, The Philosopher, The Outlaw, The King. A terrific documentary about medieval life is Michael Woods' Christina; A Medieval Life. Be sure to watch this if you get the chance. It gives real insight into 14th Century peasant life. Mr. Benoy is particularly fond of this film as it describes medieval live in the English County in which he was born. We may or may not get a chance to work this into a class.

Interested in Medieval weapons? Watch Weapons that Made Britain; The Long Sword, Weapons that Made Britain; the Shield and The Weapons that Made Britain; The Longbow.Watch Battlefield Britain; Hastings about the Norman conquest of Britain.

Interested in medieval lifestyles? Try Clarissa and the King's Cookbook to see how medieval royals ate. Also in the Inside the Medieval Mind series is Belief -- find out about their religious and supernatural beliefs -- with heavy stress being on the supernatural part. Try also Inside the Medieval Church; Power -- about how people were controlled. Try also Inside the Medieval World; Knowledge - what medieval people knew. Investigate life in England's greatest medieval city -- London -- in Filthy Cities; Medieval London - not a pretty place, but like the expanding great cities of the developing world today, a place of horror and opportunity.

• Monday, April 16 - Take up #1-6, p. 48 (or alternate work). Take up #1-6, p. 48. Watch Ancient Warriors: The Vikings. Answer the following questions: 1) Why were the Vikings feared by all of Christian Europe? 2) What made the Viking Longship a particularly effective weapon for its time? 3) Where does our knowledge of the Vikings come from? Handout Viking Women. How does this account of Viking life differ from the video? Can you explain the difference? Origins of feudalism: Hosford Atlas pp. 13-16. Handout reading for homework: Feudalism and Medieval Life. Do the questions on the handout.
• Tuesday, April 17 - Take up homework. Video clip:Feudalism. Video: Medieval Lives: The Knight. How did medieval knights really live and act? Handout: A Feudal Contract. Read pp. 49-52. Do #1-5, p. 52. Alternative reading: "Feudal Life on the Manor." Make flash cards for the terms on p. 48 and do the What Do You Think questions on p. 53.
• Wednesday, April 18 - Take up #1-5, p. 52 or alternative work. Sidebar, p. 50 of Patterns of Civilization 1. video: Medieval Lives; The Peasant . What was life like for Medieval peasants? How much control did they have on their lives? What was work like? What did they eat? How might a peasant improve his life? Read pp. 52-56. Do #1-7, p. 56.
• Thursday, April 19 - Take up homework: #1-7, p. 56 or alternative. Handout: Analyzing a Primary Source - a serf's contract. PowerPoint: Monasticism. Introduction to Medieval Research Assignment. (Medieval Research Project. Part 1. Part 2). I have booked three library blocks (computer lab & print sources) on Wednesday, April 25, Monday April 30 and Monday, May 7. The assignment will be due on Monday, May 14. Homework: Watch Terry Jones' The Damsel. Answer the following three questions: 1) Were women in the Middle Ages really as helpless as literature and Hollywood would have us believe? Explain. 2) How did women's roles change during the Middle Ages? 3) What was the attitude of the Church toward women -- especially at the end of the Middle Ages?
• Friday, April 20 - Monday, November 14 - Take up p. 56 homework. Monasticism clip from the video: "Connections; Faith in Numbers" - Part 1, from 3:35 to 10:00. How Castles developed - Examples from Mr. Benoy's Castle slides. For fun, watch The Worst Jobs in History; The Dark Ages (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6) and The Worst Jobs in History; the Middle Ages (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6).

Social Studies 11

 ***Here is a set of summary notes for the Social Studies 11 course -- excellent to study from for the final exam.

We finished the first History unit last week, but postponed the test until this Tuesday to allow more time to study for it and to allow anyone needing extra time to write into lunch break. This test will cover all of the History material up to the end of World War I. The mark breakdown will be roughly as follows: 40 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 5 definitions or names (2 marks each) and 4 long answer questions (6 marks each) from a choice of 5. The total is, therefore, out of 74 marks. 5 bonus marks are available for a minimum of 25 flash cards. It is possible to earn 79/74.
I expect our next test is in about 2 weeks. The mark breakdown for the test is as follows: 70 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 5 map items (1 mark each) and 2 from a choice of 4 long answer questions (10 marks each). The total is, therefore, out of 95 marks.

Oops. I goofed when I posted the plan on Saturday -- not putting the exam up on the plan for Tuesday -- posting the material for the following day by mistake. However, notice for the test has been posted for two or three weeks already and this was also noted in class every day.

• Monday, April 16 - Take up #1-3, p. 56. Take up homework. Begin PowerPoint -Canada Between the Wars; 1919-1939. Read pp. 57-65. Do sidebar questions, p. 57 & 59, #1-3, p. 61, #1-3, p. 65.
• Tuesday, April 17 - Unit Test: History to the end of WWI. No specific homework. Make flash cards!
• Wednesday, April 18- Take up homework. Background to the Great Depression (including statistics) - Continue PowerPoint - Canada Between the Wars; 1919-1939. AV on the Depression - (From: Canada; A People’s History). Read pp. 68-79. Do sidebar questions p. 71 & 72 & #1-4, p. 72, sidebar questions p. 76, 78 & 79 & #1-2, p. 79. If you have time, read the Vancouver Sun article by Roger Bootle on the economic theory of John Maynard Keynes.
• Thursday, April 19 - Watch Fear the Boom and Bust; A Hayek vs Keynes Rap Anthem - Note - the content of this music video is an accurate description of these two monumentally important economists. Introductory video clip on the Great Depression. Take up sidebar questions p. 71 & 72 & #1-4, p. 72, sidebar questions p. 76, 78 & 79 & #1-2, p. 79. Watch Canada; A People’s History; Hard Times and do the viewing guide questions. If time we will continue with the PowerPoint on the interwar years. Read pp. 79-86. Do sidebar #1-4, p. 81, sidebar questions p. 82 & #3-4, p. 85 & #1-3, p. 86. If you have time, watch Discovery Education's The Great Depression (login required). While this is really about the US, it is not possible to understand the Canadian situation without referring to what happened in our neighbour to the South. On the Internet, watch The Crash of 1929.
• Friday, April 20 - Introductory video clip on the Great Depression. Take up sidebar questions p. 71 & 72 & #1-4, p. 72, sidebar questions p. 76, 78 & 79 & #1-2, p. 79. WatchCanada; A People’s History; Hard Times and do the viewing guide questions. If time we will continue with the PowerPoint on the interwar years. Do sidebars 4-16, p. 93, 4-17 & 4-18, p. 95 & 4-19, p. 96. Complete reading to p. 98 and do #1-5, p. 98.