September 28 to October 2

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 tohttp://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 at the start of next week - 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! I may require that some students attend out-of-class catch up sessions.


Don't forget to make flash cards for new terms. Click on the term to see an example of how to make each card - just the term on one side and a definition on the other. I will give 5 bonus marks on the unit test if you have at least 30 of these in an envelope with your name on it, submitted at the start of the unit test. Mr. Benoy gives bonus marks for these in his classes up to and including the grade 11 level.

Here is also a review package that you can use to go over areas of weakness and to get help with in tutorial sessions at noon or after school.

• Monday, September 28 - Take up Latitude #2 worksheet. Library orientation for Social Studies. For homework, go over any of the skills that you are unsure of. Complete the Library Orientation package for Wednesday.
• Tuesday, September 29 - Review video What Causes Earth's Seasons. Latitude quiz. Introduction to Longitude - see material in Geographical Essentials pp. 36 & 38-41. Review video, Fliggo's Latitude and Longitude and questions. Longitude worksheet - complete for next class.
• Wednesday, September 30 - Hand in the library orientation package -- I will pass them on to Ms. Clark to evaluate. Take up Longitude worksheet. Review video - Kim Shaw's Latitude and Longitude. Social Studies 8 race - in groups of 3 or 4, try to beat the rest of the class to get to the final destination. Race sheet provided in class. Earth Grid worksheet - complete for homework.
• Thursday, October 1 - Take up Earth Grid worksheet. Countries Game. Introduction to timezones. See Geographical Essentials, pp. 48-54. Earth Rotates video from Discovery Education Streaming (You need to login for this, using the access code on your course outline). Time Zones worksheet. Complete for homework.
• Friday, October 2 - Take up Time Zones worksheet. Video clip Geography Tutor - Map & Globe Terms. New worksheet on time zones - complete for homework. So you are sure you get it? Go online and work through this advanced material from Iowa State University -- which quizzes you as you read.

Social Studies 11


We just finished the last unit -- with underwhelming results -- you now should know that you need to study for tests! Our next exam is a week or two away and I will post the test breakdown as we get closer to that time. Create and use flashcards now to master terms and names. This not only helps you with subject content, but it ensures that you know what test questions are asking.

• Monday, September 28 - Take up #1-3 in the sidebar on p. 233. Filmstrip or video & questions or note-taking on Parliament. Discuss the role of a member of Parliament. Handout – The Work of MPs (See also On the Job With a Member of Parliament) and questions. Read 226-231. Do #1-3, p. 231.
• Tuesday, September 29 - Filmstrip or video & questions or note-taking on Parliament. Complete material from last class. Take up homework, #1-3, p. 233. The Senate – Pros and cons of present setup (Be sure to look at the Senate material at Mapleleafweb). Essay Writing. There will be an essay question on what shall be done with the Canadian Senate on the next unit test.
• Wednesday, September 30 - Take up homework - what to do with the Canadian Senate. Review handout - How a Bill becomes a Law.Video - Government in Canada; Citizenship in Action; Our National Parliament; the Inside Story and questions. Read pp. 47-54 in RedGovernment text. Do #1-4, p. 48 and #1-5 and 7 on p. 54.
• Thursday, October 1 - Introduction to the executive branch. Role of the Queen, Governor General and Prime Minister. Read “Constitutional Monarchy” on p. 222-224 & "The Governor General" on p. 234. Identify points for and against getting rid of the Queen and Governor General. Should Canada become a Republic? Why or why not? Identify 3 reasons for and 3 reasons against doing so. Look at the Monarchist League of Canada and the Canadian Monarchist Online websites for arguments supporting the monarch; see Citizens for a Canadian Republic for arguments against retaining the monarchy. There has also been an active debate in Australia and New Zealand on this topic. Web searches would yield useful information.
• Friday, October 2 - Take up homework. Discuss the role of the PM., Cabinet & the bureaucracy. Watch Yes, Minister episode. Read pp. 234-240. Do #1-4, p. 240. Assignment: Value 5 marks, Identify by name each member of the federal (national) cabinet and their department. This is an assignment, not a homework check, so accuracy is part of the mark.

Social Studies 11H

You have an ongoing project -- the Geography research essay on a geographical topic of your choice that relates to our current curriculum. This will be due in about a month and we will set the precise due date after discussing the options in class. I rather expect that Monday, October 26 would be good, as it follows the October 23 province-wide professional day.


Your Geography textbook is also available online athttp://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 1 or 2 weeks. The following breakdown of marks for the next unit test is by no means final, but should be a good rough guide: 65 multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 3 from a choice of 10 long answer questions (6 marks each). The test total will be out of roughly 83 marks. I would expect at least 30 flash cards to generate the full 5 bonus marks available.

• Monday, September 28 - Take up #1-4, pp. 55-56. - Stewart Brand's City Planet and questions. Read the rest of p. 56 and do #1-4. Remember, we are relocated to the library Tuesday. Go directly there for our class. My room is being used for the Post-Secondary Liaison Day. Be prepared to work on your research essay -- which will not be due for about another month. Now is the time to get a good start on research.
• Tuesday, September 29 - Library Research on Geography Essays.
• Wednesday, September 30- Take up #1-4, p. 56. More from Chapter 3 PowerPoint. Quick survey. If we have enough time we will at least start looking at Rosling's video below; if we don't have time, you must watch it for homework. Read pp. 57-61. Do d #1-8, p. 61. Download Gapminder's World Chart 2006, which graphs national incomes and children dieing before the age of five. You should have a copy of this in your notes. Sidebar: Watch Hans Rosling's Chimpanzees Know Better, to see how countries and populations are and are not different around the world.
• Thursday, October 1 - Take up #1-8, p. 61. Video - Gwynne Dyer's Escaping From History, & do the following questions: 1) What are living conditions like in Mexico City? 2) Why are people abandoning the countryside? 3) What does Dyer believe must happen for the developing world to get their fair share of consumer goods?] Read pp. 62-64. Do #1-5, p. 64. Video sidebar: For a look at what Mexico is doing to sort out air pollution watch the World Resources Institute's "Retrofit Mexico City." (The link is to part 1). Only 3 1/2 minutes to spare? Watch the wonderful Karolinska professor, Hans Rosling, on why providing public services is essential to improving the world.
• Friday, October 2 - Take up #1-5, p. 64. Complete any remaining Chapter 3 PowerPoint. Read pp. 64-73. Do #1-3, p. 70, #1-8, p. 73. Do "Further Thought" questions, #1-4 & 7, p. 74.

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. Ongoing Essay #2 will follow immediately -- we will discuss the end date for this in class.

I expect the next unit test to be on or about Monday, October 5 - depending on our progress. The following is a very rough guestimation of the mark breakdown of the Topic #2 Unit Test: 60 multiple choice items (1 mark each), 10 map items (1 mark each), 5 definitions and names (I give you the term and you define it or say why the person is important - valued at 2 marks each), and 2 long answer questions (10 marks each). The total value of the test is, therefore, likely to be 100 marks.

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.

• Monday, September 28 - We will continue with the lecture material on World War 1, finishing 1915-16 ( section 2 of the base notes), and probably start looking at 1917 (base notes).
• Tuesday, September 29 - Note: Post-Secondary Liaison Day is this afternoon, so our History 12 class is cancelled today. Be sure to complete Essay #1 for submission tomorrow.
• Wednesday, September 30 - Introductory music - The Corries: The Green Fields of France. Hand in Essay. Complete 1917 (base notes) if we did not do so on Monday. 1918 - War's End (base notes - 1918). Be sure to look at the BBC's animated map of World War I. Another very good summary of the war's events can be found at World War One: 1914 - 1918 Map - This provides a fine description of the big events of the war and is superb summary material.
• Thursday, October 1 - Introductory video & music. Total War; the German Experience (base notes).
• Friday, October 2 - Introductory Music: I Vow to Thee My Country. The Paris Peace Conference PowerPoint. Base lecture notes. If time - AV material - The War to End All Wars - but note, the conference was held in Paris, not Versailles as the film indicates - this film is from a US perspective -- something I do not always present effectively in class (5 minutes), World War One: 1914-1918 Map - a multimedia summary of the war's main events. If you can manage the time, watch Secrets of the Dead; Killer Flu - which deals with the dangers of the flu pandemic that killed up to 30 million people at the end of the First World War.

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.

• Monday, September 21 - Begin Imperialism & Social Darwinism PowerPoint (base notes). Work on topic 2 questions. See what Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe has to say about Imperialism in Africa in this YouTube video.
  
• Tuesday, September 22 - Imperialism & Social Darwinism (base notes) . If we have time we will move on to Europe Before World War I - part 1. Be sure to write your own notes during the lecture. Afterwards, check them against my base notes. Remember, my notes are always supplemented with impromptu stories and responses to student questions -- so don't just rely on my notes. If you get the chance, watch Racism – A History: Part 1 - The Colour of Money (part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6), Part 2 - Fatal Impacts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6). E Work on Topic 2 questions.
• Wednesday, September 23 - Europe Before World War I - part 2. Base notes. Work on Topic #2 questions.
• Thursday, September 24 - Europe Before the Great War. Complete part 2, Causes of War; Reasons for Peace material (base notes).
• Friday, September 25 - World War I; 1914-1916ish. (Base notes - section 1 & section 2).

September 14-18

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 2 to 3 weeks - it will be based on map reading and the use of your Canadian Oxford World Atlas. We will have a number of quizzes, worth 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 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 14 - 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 (we did not get as far as I had hoped). 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 15 - 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.
• Wednesday, September 16 - 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. Map Assignment - School to Home (valued at 10 marks - due Monday).
• Thursday, September 17 - Take up homework. Naming countries contest. More symbols review - Symbols Worksheet 2 - complete for homework, and also remember to complete the school to home map.
• Friday, September 18 - No Class; this is a school professional day. Don't forget to complete homework and the map assignment!

Social Studies 11

The test for Ideologies/Parties/Elections is on __________ (I will fill this in when I have a clear idea of when it might be -- expect it to be in about 2 weeks). 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.

I will give bonus marks on your tests for completing flash cards and handing them in at the start of the test. On any test with fewer than 50 marks, you may receive up to 3 bonus marks. For tests over 50 marks, 5 bonus can be earned. See how to do them here.

• Monday, September 14 - 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 15 - Take up Ideologies Identification homework. Video clip on ideologies - sorry, not available online. Other ways to show political spectrum. More practice with ideologies.
• Wednesday, September 16 - 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 politics while 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 17 - 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 18 - No class today. This is a school professional day. Be sure to complete all homework and use some time to review.

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.

Expect a chapter 1 quiz -- probably on Thursday, Sept. 17. The mark breakdown will be roughly as follows: 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 3 long answer questions from 5 options (6 marks each). The total will be out of around 33 marks. 3 bonus marks are available for completing flash cards. Later tests will also have this bonus opportunity, but when tests are valued at over 50 marks, it is possible to earn 5 bonus marks, rather than 3.

• Monday, September 14 - Hand in work from Essay Workshop. Take up homework, Do #1-5, p. 11#1-9, p. 16 and #1-4, p. 17. Begin watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and questions. Read pp. 17-22. Do #1-2, p. 17. #1-4, p. 21.
• Tuesday, September 15 - Take up homework. Complete An Inconvenient Truth and questions. Discuss the video -- Why is it sometimes seen as controversial? Read p. 22 and do the "Further Thought questions, #1-2, on p. 22. Optional: For an alternative view, see The Great Global Warming Swindle. (You will need to do a video search for following segments.) To make sense of this debate you could look into what respectable academic bodies say. Many countries have academies of science; investigate their views. The United Nations' Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon recently traveled to the Arctic and he is on record as speaking on the subject during this trip. His view is representative of most of the world's nations on the topic. Also last year's United Nations Human Development Report took as its over-arching theme Climate Change. You will find the report's accompanying video interesting (choose your download speed and language).
• Wednesday, September 16 - Take up homework. Essay Writing Workshop Part 3. If we have time, we may look at additional ch. 1 related video resources. Complete the Essay Outline, the asignment for part 3 of the Essay Writing Workshop, for Monday. Prepare for the test tomorrow.
• Thursday, September 17 - Essay Writing Workshop - Part 4 -- research techniques, including Citing Sources & bibliographies. Chapter 1 quiz. Work on the assignment for part 3 of the Essay Writing Workshop. Read pp. 29-31. Do both #1-3 on p. 31. In Part 4 I refer to Zotero (www.zotero.org ) - If you are interested in this Firefox Plugin that magically helps you gather and sort research notes while automatically setting up citations and bibliographies, be sure to go to http://www.zotero.org/support/screencast_tutorials and watch the screencasts that tell about these features.
• Friday, September 18 - No classes because of the school professional day. However, ensure that you are up to date and do a little review if you get the chance. Start to think about your upcoming research essay and look for resources.

History 12

Expect to write your first quiz on Thursday, September 17. The test is likely to have 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 10 definitions, where I give you the definition and you provide the name or term (1 mark each), 5 definitions (2 marks each), and 1 essay (18 marks - 6 for composition and 2 x 6 for content). The total is, therefore 53 marks -- though I reserve the right to adjust the test, based on our progress in the first unit.

All topic #1 work is due by 4:30 p.m. on this day. Essay #1 is a couple of weeks after the first unit ends -- my target date is Wednesday, September 30. I posted it on the Topic #1 plan for Tuesday the 29th but note that there is no History 12 class on this date because of post- secondary liaison day, which is unusually early this year.

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

• Monday, September 14 - Complete Theories of History. Writing History essays. Work on Topic 1 questions.
• Tuesday, September 15 - Complete Writing History essays & MLA style. (If time) Begin Themes and Topics in History 12. Work on Topic 1 questions.
• Wednesday, September 16 - Themes and Topics in History 12. Work on Topic 1 questions.
• Thursday, September 16 - Complete Themes and Topics PowerPoint. Topic #1 quiz.
• Friday, September 17 - No class today as this is a school professional day. Be sure to use the time to work on your essay assignment. Do not procrastinate!
  

September 9-11

Summer holidays have finished and a new school year begins.

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

We will begin with a Geography unit. Expect a unit test at the end of this, worth around 75 marks -- in about 3 or 4 weeks - it will be based on map reading and the use of your Canadian Oxford World Atlas. We will have a number of quizzes, worth 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 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.

• Wednesday, September 9 - Introductions. Expectations. Course Outline. Texts assigned. Map rules. Canada Political Map.
• Thursday, September 10 - Complete text sign-out. Collect maps. Mind Map - explained in class - not for marks.. Atlas worksheet - complete up to #15 for homework.
• Friday, September 11 - Countries memorization game. Take up 1st questions on atlas worksheet. Complete Atlas worksheet for next class.

Social Studies 11

The test for Ideologies/Parties/Elections is on __________. 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.

• Wednesday, September 9 - Course Outline & Expectations. Course Outline. Final Exam Table of Specifications. Handout: What is Government? Complete the questions for Thursday.
• Thursday, September 10 - Hand out texts - Quick look at Outline Powerpoint & Exam Specifications. Take up responses. Why government? 3 branches of government. Sign out texts. Read pp. 2-6 in Government. Do #1-4, p. 6.
• Friday, September 11 - Take up homework. Introduction to Ideologies. Origins of the Political Spectrum. Read pp. 7-15. Do #1-5, p. 11 & #1-6, pp. 15-16. To identify your own ideology, take the online Political Compass quiz.

Social Studies 11H

This class has similarities and differences with regular Social Studies 11. Your tests will all be the same level of difficulty. You will not be penalized for taking the more challenging option. The key difference is that this section is geared for college and university bound students -- therefore we focus more intently on academic writing. We buy the time for this by moving a little more quickly through curricular material; this is generally not a problem because of the ability level of most of the class. We will cover the curriculum a little differently from regular Social Studies 11 because the Geography content lends itself well to student-generated writing topics.

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.

Expect a chapter 1 quiz next -- probably on Friday. The mark breakdown will be roughly as follows: 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each) and 3 long answer questions from 5 options (6 marks each). The total will be out of around 33 marks. 3 bonus marks are available for completing flash cards.

• Wednesday, September 9 - Introduction and Expectations. Course Outline. Text assigned. Essay Writing Workshop handout. Pre-read parts 1 & 2.
• Thursday, September 10 - Text sign out. Final Exam - Table of Specifications. Essay workshop material -- Parts 1 & 2. Begin PowerPoint for chapter 1. Do Essay Workshop Part 2 assignment. Video sidebar: For an excellent treatment of how technology is changing our world, see Tom Friedman's address at MIT, following up on his book, The World is Flat.
• Friday, September 11 - Essay workshop material taken up, Part 3 addressed. Homework taken up. Continue PowerPoint (Chapter 1) . If time, we will begin watching Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and questions. (Note: If this has been seen repeatedly by many in the class, I will move to an alternate video and update this blog.) Read pp.7-16. Do #1-5, p. 11#1-9, p. 16 and #1-4, p. 17.

History 12

Expect to write your first quiz on or about Tuesday, Thursday, September 16. The test is likely to have 15 multiple choice questions (1 mark each), 10 definitions, where I give you the definition and you provide the name or term (1 mark each), 5 definitions (2 marks each), and 1 essay (18 marks - 6 for composition and 2 x 6 for content). The total is, therefore 53 marks -- though I reserve the right to adjust the test, based on our progress in the first unit.

All topic #1 work is due by 4:30 p.m. on this day. Essay #1 is a couple of weeks after the first unit ends -- my initial target date is Tuesday, September 29..

• Wednesday, September 9 -

Introduction. Expectations. Outline. Exam Specifications. Unit 1 Plan. Topic 1 questions. (World Map Blank 1914)

Thursday, September 10- Historiography and Historical Interpretation .

Friday, September 11 - Theories of History.