Wednesday, September 30, 2015

September 30


I did a homework check on your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions today. I went through monetary and fiscal policy again in great detail. We also listened to a NPR podcast that discussed Keynesian economics and how the Obama administration was giving Keynesian economics a real-world test in 2009. You can find this link on the blog under the Social 30-1 links if you want to listen to it again.



You were supposed to hand in your IA today. We continued watching Episode 5 ("The Universe of Battle") today. We will re-start the video tomorrow at the Gettysburg Address.


If you didn't hand in your "Bend It Like Beckham" film study booklet today, please do so tomorrow. Your wrote your Unit 1 WRA I today. Please remember that your infographic assignment is due on Friday. If you have some questions about APA citation system, please check out this link.


Tuesday, September 29, 2015

September 29


Mr. Oakes from the guidance department came in to talk to you about applying for university. We got a start on Episode 5 of Ken Burns' "The Civil War" called 'The Universe of Battle' which covered the Battle of Gettysburg. We'll continue this episode tomorrow. Don't forget (how could you?) that your IA is due tomorrow.


I showed you a couple of videos from the BBC 20th Century History series, one called "Boom and Bust" and the other, "FDR and the New Deal". As you watched these videos, you were supposed to take notes. Please remember that your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.


You wrote your Chapter 3-4 Test today. You're writing your Unit 1 WRA I tomorrow. Please come to the classroom, and we'll go to the computer lab together. Please remember that your infographic assignment is due on Friday.

Monday, September 28, 2015

September 28

I reviewed the business cycle and how Keynesian economics (demand-side economics) uses monetary and fiscal policy to smooth out fluctuations in the marketplace. Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on September 30th


We started Episode 4 of Ken Burns' "The Civil War". Don't forget that the rough draft of your IA is due on Wednesday, September 30th




We finished the film study of "Bend it Like Beckham"., the answers to the film study questions  will be due on Wednesday, September 30th. You have your chapter 3-4 Test tomorrow. don't forget that your infographic assignment is due on Friday. We'll be able to finish off this film on Monday. Please remember that you are writing your Chapter 3-4 Test on Tuesday, September 29th, please see the study guide below. 



  • Know the key terms from Chapter 3-4 
  • Be able to answer the Questions for Inquiry in Chapters 3-4 (they appear on p.49, p.53, p.58, p.73, p.80) 
  • Know relevant case studies from Chapters 3-4: the Francophones, the Aborigines and the Lubicon, as well as other relevant examples related to assimilation, marginalization, accommodation and integration

Friday, September 25, 2015

September 24

Sorry, I forgot to post this yesterday.

We finished off Episode 3 of Ken Burns' "The Civil War". This will be your last weekend to finish off the rough draft of your IA. The rough draft of your IA is due on September 30th.

I did a homework check on the "Philosophies of Industrialism" activity from your Social 30-1 study booklet. We covered the transformation of classical liberalism to welfare capitalism (and the differences between this term in the USA and the rest of the world) to modern liberalism. I reviewed the business cycle and how Keynesian economics (demand-side economics) uses monetary and fiscal policy to smooth out fluctuations in the marketplace. Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on September 30th.

We continued our film study of "Bend it Like Beckham". We'll be able to finish off this film on Monday. Please remember that you are writing your Chapter 3-4 Test on Tuesday, September 29th, please see the study guide below.


  • Know the key terms from Chapter 3-4 
  • Be able to answer the Questions for Inquiry in Chapters 3-4 (they appear on p.49, p.53, p.58, p.73, p.80) 
  • Know relevant case studies from Chapters 3-4: the Francophones, the Aborigines and the Lubicon, as well as other relevant examples related to assimilation, marginalization, accommodation and integration

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

September 23


I returned your homework checked Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions today. I did a brief review of some economics concepts that I've taught to you. I will be building on this tomorrow when I discuss Keynesian economics. I gave you time to work on "Philosophies of Industrialism" today (this is due tomorrow). Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due one week from today, on September 30th.


You wrote your quiz on conditions in the North and South prior to the Civil War at the beginning of class. We finished off Episode 2 "A Very Bloody Affair" today, and moved on to Episode 3 "Forever Free". Don't forget that the rough draft of your IA is due on September 30th (one week from today).



We polished off content from Chapters 4 and 5 today when I went through a PowerPoint presentation called "Challenges and Opportunities of Globalization". As I went through this PowerPoint you should have been taking notes. Don't forget that you have your Chapter 3-4 Test on Tuesday, September 29th. We started watching "Bend it Like Beckham" today, and we'll continue watching it tomorrow. As you watched it you should have answered the film study questions.


  • Know the key terms from Chapter 3-4
  • Be able to answer the Questions for Inquiry in Chapters 3-4 (they appear on p.49, p.53, p.58, p.73, p.80)
  • Know relevant case studies from Chapters 3-4: the Francophones, the Aborigines and the Lubicon, as well as other relevant examples related to assimilation, marginalization, accommodation and integration

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

September 22


I did a little more lecturing from "The American Civil War" PowerPoint presentation. We then started watching Episode 2 ("A Very Bloody Affair") of Ken Burns' "The Civil War". Please remember that I'll be going through how to complete your IA in tutorial tomorrow. You also have a quiz on conditions in the North and South prior to the Civil War. We should be able to finish off Episode 2 tomorrow as well.


I went through a PowerPoint lecture today called "Responding to Classical Liberalism", and as I lectured you should have taken notes in your Social 30-1 study booklets. I did a homework check on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions, which you'll get back tomorrow. You'll have class time tomorrow to work on the "Philosophies of Industrialism".


You wrote your Chapter 1-2 Test today, and I did a homework check on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions. One week from today you'll be writing your Chapter 3-4 Test (please see the study guide below). Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday, September 24th. Please remember that your infographic assignment is due on Friday, October 2nd.


  • Know the key terms from Chapter 3-4
  • Be able to answer the Questions for Inquiry in Chapters 3-4 (they appear on p.49, p.53, p.58, p.73, p.80)
  • Know relevant case studies from Chapters 3-4: the Francophones, the Aborigines and the Lubicon, as well as other relevant examples related to assimilation, marginalization, accommodation and integration

Monday, September 21, 2015

September 21


I reminded you that you are responsible for going through "The Development of Classical Liberalism" PowerPoint lecture and reviewing the section on the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. I went through some notes on the board covering a wide variety of economic topics. I reviewed the 20th century political spectrum, the economic-political grid, the basic economic problem facing all societies (scarcity), the basic economic systems, the basic economic values, and the basic economic questions. We also covered how the various economic systems answered the basic economic questions. I also introduced the business cycle today. Please remember that your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.


We continued watching Ken Burns' "The Civil War" Episode 1: The Cause today in class. Once we finished off the episode, I started my PowerPoint lecture called "The American Civil War". I gave back some of your IA drafts today. The rest of you will get yours back tomorrow. On Wednesday in tutorial I will have a one-time session on preparing the IA. It is strongly recommended that you attend this meeting. Also on Wednesday, we will have a short quiz on the United States on the eve of the Civil War. The format will be a surprise.


You had most of the class period to work on your infographic assignment on the universalization of popular culture and/or hybridization of culture. Your infographic is due on Friday, October 2nd. I want to give you plenty of time to learn how to use Piktochart. Your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. You are writing your Chapter 1-2 Test tomorrow, please see the study guide below.


  • Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
  • Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
  • Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):
  • How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
  • What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
  • What is the relationship between identity and language?
  • How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?
4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these chapters.

Friday, September 18, 2015

September 18


I covered a couple of more slides from "The Development of Classical Liberalism" PowerPoint presentation. You are responsible for reviewing the French Revolution and Industrial Revolution that is included in this presentation. You can find "The Development of Classical Liberalism" presentation on the Social 30-1 wiki under Unit 2. You had the remainder of the period to work on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions, which are due on Tuesday.


We started Episode 1 of Ken Burns' "The Civil War" today, and we should be able to finish it in Monday's class. Keep working on your IA this weekend. Remember, your completed rough draft is due on September 30th.


We spent most of today's class setting up our research assignment on the universalization of popular culture and hybridization. By the end of the period, it seems like everyone had a topic, and were working on the research phase of the project. Ultimately, the product that you will be using to display your information is an infographic. You will get one more period in a computer lab on Monday, and then we'll settle on a due date for this project. Don't forget that you're writing your Chapter 1-2 Test on Tuesday, please see the study guide below. Your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, September 21st.


  • Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
  • Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
  • Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):
  • How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
  • What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
  • What is the relationship between identity and language?
  • How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?
4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these chapters.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

September 17


I showed you a video from the U.S. History series on the Causes of the Civil War. I finished off my PowerPoint presentation on the Causes of the Civil War. Tomorrow, we will start watching Ken Burns' "Civil War" documentary.


I gave you the results of the Chapter 1-2 Test and the Unit 1 Final Exam today. I then spent half of the class lecturing on "The Development of Classical Liberalism", which I should be able to finish off tomorrow. As I went through this lecture, you were to take notes on the charts in your Social 30-1 study booklets. You had the second half of the class to work on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions.


We looked at a few different concepts today, namely media transnational corporations (media TNCs), mergers and acquisitions, media convergence, and whether or not we can equate social globalization and universalization of popular culture to Americanization. We'll be starting an assignment tomorrow on universalization of culture and hybridization. Keep working on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions. You have your Chapter 1-2 Test on Tuesday, September 22nd.


  • Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
  • Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
  • Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):
  • How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
  • What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
  • What is the relationship between identity and language?
  • How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?
4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these chapters.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

September 16


You wrote your Unit 1 WRA II Essay today in class. If you missed class today, please make sure that you complete the essay during a prep, so you don't miss another class. If you missed the essay today, please type it up during your prep, but make sure that you don't put your name on it, use your ID #, put my name on the essay, use Times New Roman 12 point font, double space it and hand it in to my mailbox in the main office. We'll be moving on to Unit 2 material tomorrow.


We finished off the film "12 Years a Slave" today. I gave back your OPVL document analysis assignments on the Mexican-American War. I also started talking about the Causes of the Civil War.


We sorted out some homework check marks at the beginning of class, and then I gave you a work period to read Chapter 3 and work on the Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions. The Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, September 21st. We're a day ahead of where we need to be, hence the work period. On Tuesday, September 22nd you'll be writing your Chapter 1-2 Test, please see the study guide below.


  1. Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
  2. Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
  3. Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):
  • How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
  • How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
  • What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
  • What is the relationship between identity and language?
  • How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?
4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these chapters.

Monday, September 14, 2015

September 14


You wrote your Chapter 1-2 Test today. You're writing your Unit 1 Final Exam tomorrow. Please use the multiple choice questions from Test I (in your yellow booklet) to study for this exam.

  • Individualism vs. Collectivism charts are due on September 14th (I didn't get a chance to check these in class, I'll try to get to it this week)
  • Unit 1 Final Exam is on Tuesday, September 15th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 WRA II Essay is on Wednesday, September 16th in the Blenheim Room
The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Tuesday, September 15th. Make sure that you study the following:

  • Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms
  • Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
  • Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
  • Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
  • Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
  • Study the political-economic grid
  • Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
  • Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
  • you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
  • there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)
  • check out the Unit 1 Review Prezi on the Social 30-1 wiki (click on Unit 1 from the navigation menu on the wiki)
  • Use Test I from your yellow booklets to get practice questions.




I finished off the PowerPoint presentation called "The Antebellum South" today. We started watching "12 Years a Slave" today, and we'll continue this film tomorrow.

Friday, September 11, 2015

September 11


I gave you the Unit 1 WRA II essay question sheet today. I showed you how you would get to the OSAs and arguments for your essay. We continued our film study of "Sicko" today, and we'll continue it next week. I did a homework check on your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions. The Individualism vs. Collectivism charts are due on Monday, September 14th.

  • Individualism vs. Collectivism charts are due on September 14th
  • Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 Final Exam is on Tuesday, September 15th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 WRA II Essay is on Wednesday, September 16th

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short/long answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts:

  • ideology
  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • representative democracy
  • individualism
  • collectivism
  • private property
  • public property
  • ideology
  • radical
  • liberal
  • moderate
  • conservative
  • reactionary
  • communism
  • socialism
  • liberalism
  • conservatism
  • fascism
  • adherence to collective norms
  • economic freedom
  • economic equality
  • rule of law
  • competition
  • individual rights and freedoms
  • cooperation
  • self-interest
  • Adam Smith
Other Study Tips:

  • you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
  • know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
  • what are the differences between communism and socialism
  • be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
  • be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
  • know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
  • know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)


The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Tuesday, September 15th. Make sure that you study the following:

  • Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms
  • Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
  • Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
  • Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
  • Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
  • Study the political-economic grid
  • Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
  • Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
  • you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
  • there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)



I collected Part A and Part C of your IA today. I started a PowerPoint presentation called "The Antebellum South" today, which I will continue on Monday. Keep working on your IA this weekend.
  • any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU)
  • any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
  • any of the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom
  • full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
  • to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan
  • other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, China, India, Myanmar (Burma), Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
  • **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**
  • your map must have a title ("Global Connections Map")
  • you do not need compass directions on your map
  • you do not need a border for your map
  • you must have a simple key on the front of the map and a detailed key on the back on the map
  • your simple key will consist of the following: 5-6 colored boxes (depending on how many categories you had for your 25 item chart) which will be labeled- food, clothing, electronics, entertainment, household goods, miscellaneous AND you must also draw a colored dot and label it "people" (for the information from the Global Bingo game that we played)
  • you will only color countries and label ones that you have a connection to through the 25 item chart (for example, you own a sombrero that is from Mexico, you would color Mexico and label it "Mexico")
  • there will only be 5-6 colors on the map, you don't need to have 25 different colors for each of your 25 items
  • you also have to label the 16 people that you talked to during our Global Bingo game, they will be represented by colored circles (pick a common color for all people) and numbers (1-16, if you didn't talk to 16 people, you label as many as you talked to)--you do not color the countries that are represented on your Global Bingo card, you simply draw a circle on the country, color it, put a number beside it, and label the country (for example, if the only connection you have to Australia is that one of your classmates went on a vacation there, you draw the circle, write the number beside the circle, and label the country "Australia"-- you don't color the country)
  • on the detailed key on the back of your map, you will be recreating your 25 item chart (make sure that you have the categories clearly colored and matching the simple key on the front of the map) and the information from the Global Bingo card (clearly identify people by number) Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday, September 14th.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

September 10


I showed you an animation of the trans-Atlantic slave trade at the start of class today, and then I showed you a video from the U.S. History series called "Slavery & Freedom" (you should have taken notes on this video). I gave you some time to work on an activity in which you looked at statistical information on slavery in the United States. Please remember that Part A and Part C of your IA is due tomorrow.

I finished talking about essay writing today by going through the "recipe for success" for WRA II Essays. I will give you the essay question sheet tomorrow. We started our film study of "Sicko" today, and we'll continue it tomorrow. Please remember that your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. The Individualism vs. Collectivism charts are due on Monday, September 14th.

  • Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.
  • Individualism vs. Collectivism charts are due on September 14th
  • Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 Final Exam is on Tuesday, September 15th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 WRA II Essay is on Wednesday, September 16th

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short/long answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts:

  • ideology
  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • representative democracy
  • individualism
  • collectivism
  • private property
  • public property
  • ideology
  • radical
  • liberal
  • moderate
  • conservative
  • reactionary
  • communism
  • socialism
  • liberalism
  • conservatism
  • fascism
  • adherence to collective norms
  • economic freedom
  • economic equality
  • rule of law
  • competition
  • individual rights and freedoms
  • cooperation
  • self-interest
  • Adam Smith
Other Study Tips:

  • you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
  • know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
  • what are the differences between communism and socialism
  • be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
  • be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
  • know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
  • know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)



The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Tuesday, September 15th. Make sure that you study the following:

  • Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms
  • Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
  • Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
  • Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
  • Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
  • Study the political-economic grid
  • Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
  • Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
  • you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
  • there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)


You had an opportunity to have your global connections essay peer edited today. Your final copy (good copy) of this essay is due on Friday. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow (September 11th). Your global connections map assignment is due on Monday, September 14th.

This test will take place on Monday, September 14th. It is simply a country and capital cities identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries, capital cities, and places identified and you need to be able to write out what country it is. Here are the countries that may appear on the test:
  • any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU)
  • any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
  • any of the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom
  • full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
  • to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan
  • other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, China, India, Myanmar (Burma), Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
  • **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**
Please use the following links for studying for this test:
World Geography Games
Test Your Geography Knowledge
Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)


Here are the instructions for the map (which is due on Monday, September 14th):
  • your map must have a title ("Global Connections Map")
  • you do not need compass directions on your map
  • you do not need a border for your map
  • you must have a simple key on the front of the map and a detailed key on the back on the map
  • your simple key will consist of the following: 5-6 colored boxes (depending on how many categories you had for your 25 item chart) which will be labeled- food, clothing, electronics, entertainment, household goods, miscellaneous AND you must also draw a colored dot and label it "people" (for the information from the Global Bingo game that we played)
  • you will only color countries and label ones that you have a connection to through the 25 item chart (for example, you own a sombrero that is from Mexico, you would color Mexico and label it "Mexico")
  • there will only be 5-6 colors on the map, you don't need to have 25 different colors for each of your 25 items
  • you also have to label the 16 people that you talked to during our Global Bingo game, they will be represented by colored circles (pick a common color for all people) and numbers (1-16, if you didn't talk to 16 people, you label as many as you talked to)--you do not color the countries that are represented on your Global Bingo card, you simply draw a circle on the country, color it, put a number beside it, and label the country (for example, if the only connection you have to Australia is that one of your classmates went on a vacation there, you draw the circle, write the number beside the circle, and label the country "Australia"-- you don't color the country)
  • on the detailed key on the back of your map, you will be recreating your 25 item chart (make sure that you have the categories clearly colored and matching the simple key on the front of the map) and the information from the Global Bingo card (clearly identify people by number) Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday, September 14th.

Wednesday, September 09, 2015

September 9


I did a homework check on the Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions today for those people that were unable to hand it in yesterday. I handed back everyone's homework checked work today. We went through the difference between argumentation and evidence in essay writing. We'll continue to look at essay writing tomorrow.


  • Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 Final Exam is on Tuesday, September 15th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 WRA II Essay is on Wednesday, September 16th

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short/long answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts:

  • ideology
  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • representative democracy
  • individualism
  • collectivism
  • private property
  • public property
  • ideology
  • radical
  • liberal
  • moderate
  • conservative
  • reactionary
  • communism
  • socialism
  • liberalism
  • conservatism
  • fascism
  • adherence to collective norms
  • economic freedom
  • economic equality
  • rule of law
  • competition
  • individual rights and freedoms
  • cooperation
  • self-interest
  • Adam Smith
Other Study Tips:

  • you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
  • know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
  • what are the differences between communism and socialism
  • be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
  • be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
  • know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
  • know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)


The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Tuesday, September 15th. Make sure that you study the following:

  • Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms
  • Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
  • Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
  • Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
  • Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
  • Study the political-economic grid
  • Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
  • Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
  • you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
  • there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)



We started our examination of slavery in the United States today. It's necessary to understand the conditions of slavery in the southern United States to better understand the bitter division that emerged between free states and slave states in the Union prior to the Civil War. If you are going to opt out of watching "12 Years a Slave" I need you to return the opt out letter by Friday, September 11th. Don't forget that Part A and B of your IA is due this Friday.

I returned your 25 item charts today at the beginning of class. Some of you still need to find a few more items because you had duplicate countries. I gave you some time to do a rough draft of the first paragraph of an informative essay on your global connections. Think of how you'd answer/address the following questions in your essay: what impact does globalization have on your individual identity? How do you affect the world economically, socially, environmentally, and technologically? Your final copy (good copy) of this essay is due on Friday. Please bring your rough draft to class TOMORROW (Thursday, September 10th) for peer editing.

This test will take place on Monday, September 14th. It is simply a country and capital cities identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries, capital cities, and places identified and you need to be able to write out what country it is. Here are the countries that may appear on the test:
  • any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU)
  • any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
  • any of the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom
  • full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
  • to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan
  • other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, China, India, Myanmar (Burma), Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
  • **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**
Please use the following links for studying for this test:
World Geography Games
Test Your Geography Knowledge
Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)


Here are the instructions for the map (which is due on Monday, September 14th):
  • your map must have a title ("Global Connections Map")
  • you do not need compass directions on your map
  • you do not need a border for your map
  • you must have a simple key on the front of the map and a detailed key on the back on the map
  • your simple key will consist of the following: 5-6 colored boxes (depending on how many categories you had for your 25 item chart) which will be labeled- food, clothing, electronics, entertainment, household goods, miscellaneous AND you must also draw a colored dot and label it "people" (for the information from the Global Bingo game that we played)
  • you will only color countries and label ones that you have a connection to through the 25 item chart (for example, you own a sombrero that is from Mexico, you would color Mexico and label it "Mexico")
  • there will only be 5-6 colors on the map, you don't need to have 25 different colors for each of your 25 items
  • you also have to label the 16 people that you talked to during our Global Bingo game, they will be represented by colored circles (pick a common color for all people) and numbers (1-16, if you didn't talk to 16 people, you label as many as you talked to)--you do not color the countries that are represented on your Global Bingo card, you simply draw a circle on the country, color it, put a number beside it, and label the country (for example, if the only connection you have to Australia is that one of your classmates went on a vacation there, you draw the circle, write the number beside the circle, and label the country "Australia"-- you don't color the country)
  • on the detailed key on the back of your map, you will be recreating your 25 item chart (make sure that you have the categories clearly colored and matching the simple key on the front of the map) and the information from the Global Bingo card (clearly identify people by number) Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday, September 14th.


Tuesday, September 08, 2015

September 8


You had the entire period to work on your IA today. I'm taking in your Part A (Plan of Investigation) and Part C (Evaluation of Sources) on Friday, September 11th. You must have this typed up. Please remember that the completed rough draft of your IA is due on September 30th.


I covered a lot of territory today, including: the 19th century political spectrum, the 20th century political spectrum, the economic-political grid. Make sure that you review your principles of individualism and principles of collectivism as well. You have some tests coming up, so please have a look at the study guides below. Please read the Ideology Notes in your Social 30-1 study booklets TONIGHT.


  • Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 Final Exam is on Tuesday, September 15th (study guide below)
  • Unit 1 WRA II Essay is on Wednesday, September 16th

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Monday, September 14th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short/long answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts:

  • ideology
  • Thomas Hobbes
  • John Locke
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  • representative democracy
  • individualism
  • collectivism
  • private property
  • public property
  • ideology
  • radical
  • liberal
  • moderate
  • conservative
  • reactionary
  • communism
  • socialism
  • liberalism
  • conservatism
  • fascism
  • adherence to collective norms
  • economic freedom
  • economic equality
  • rule of law
  • competition
  • individual rights and freedoms
  • cooperation
  • self-interest
  • Adam Smith
Other Study Tips:

  • you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
  • know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
  • what are the differences between communism and socialism
  • be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
  • be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
  • know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
  • know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)



The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Tuesday, September 15th. Make sure that you study the following:

  • Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms (please see the Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide for a list of terms
  • Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file, on the Social 30-1 wiki, and in your study booklets, pages 12-17)
  • Review Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (view of the nature of human beings, how society should be organized, people's role in society; notes on page 3 of your study booklet)
  • Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
  • Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
  • Study the political-economic grid
  • Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
  • Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet that is in your study booklets (pages 4-7)
  • you need to be able to apply your knowledge and understanding of these concepts/ideas
  • there are a lot of source-based questions on this exam! (there are references to Nazi Germany, the USSR)


I did a homework check on your 25 item chart today, and I will give these back to you tomorrow. I gave you the Unit 1 Worksheet today, so you can start on your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions (due this Friday). I gave you some time to do a rough draft of the first paragraph of an informative essay on your global connections. Think of how you'd answer/address the following questions in your essay: what impact does globalization have on your individual identity? How do you affect the world economically, socially, environmentally, and technologically? Your final copy (good copy) of this essay is due on Friday. Please bring your rough draft to class TOMORROW for peer editing. Tomorrow, I will also talk about your global connections mapping assignment.

This test will take place on Monday, September 14th. It is simply a country and capital cities identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries, capital cities, and places identified and you need to be able to write out what country it is. Here are the countries that may appear on the test:
  • any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU)
  • any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
  • any of the G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom
  • full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
  • to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan
  • other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, China, India, Myanmar (Burma), Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
  • **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**
Please use the following links for studying for this test:
World Geography Games
Test Your Geography Knowledge
Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)

Sunday, September 06, 2015

September 6

Wow, I really forgot to post on the blog on Friday. Sorry for the delay!

I started a lecture called "Ideology and Identity", and I taught you the principles of individualism (principles of liberalism) using the mnemonic device PRICES. I also went through the principles of collectivism (PRINCE). I'll finish off this lecture on Tuesday. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday.


You wrote an OPVL on two sources from the time period of the Mexican-American War. I also went through the IB 30/35 wiki. On Tuesday, please come to the classroom, and then we'll go down to the library together to work on your IA.


We played Global Bingo in class on Friday, which allowed you to meet some more of your classmates, and collect data that you will use on a mapping assignment. Your homework for this weekend is to make a chart of 25 different items from 25 different countries. You should categorize the items that you find in your chart by theme/category: food, clothing, electronics, household items, etc. I will do a homework check on this chart on Tuesday.

Thursday, September 03, 2015

September 3


I went through a quick review of American expansionism in the 19th century starting with the Louisiana Purchase and culminating with the Mexican-American War, and I guess the Gadsden Purchase to complete the American acquisition of the continental United States. Please get on the IB 30/35 wiki tonight and review how to do OPVL analysis assignments. Tomorrow, you'll have to do an OPVL on the Mexican-American War.


Luckily your Social 30-1 study booklets arrived this morning, so you got your copy assigned to you. You must bring the Social 30-1 booklet to class everyday, but you don't have to bring the yellow multiple choice practice booklets to class everyday. I also got you to sign up on the wiki, so please make sure that you log on to the wiki soon. Please let me know if you have any issues getting on to the wiki. I went through a PowerPoint lecture called "Introducing Government", and as I lectured, you needed to take notes on the essential questions that all ideologies attempt to answer, as well as specific information about Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. Please remember that your letter of introduction is due tomorrow! Themes that should be covered include: write about yourself and your family, your personal interests, favorite TV shows and movies, your academic goals for this year, and what you see yourself doing 10 years from now. It's probably a good idea to start working on your Chapter 1 Key Terms from your Unit 1 Worksheet (which you can find in the study booklet).


We worked on defining globalization today. I gave you some definitions of globalization from multiple perspectives and you had to determine whether the definition had a positive, negative or neutral perspective of globalization. Please don't forget that your friendly letter of introduction is due tomorrow. Please tell me about yourself, your family, your hobbies, extracurricular activities that you're interested in getting involved in at Churchill this year, your personal interests, your favorite movies, music, TV shows, and what your academic goals are for this semester.

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

September 2


I will start course content in tomorrow's class. We spent time today looking at the course outline, classroom rules and expectations. I'll get you set up on the wiki tomorrow. You have a homework assignment due on Friday, September 4th: write me a friendly letter in which you discuss: yourself, your family, your personal interests and hobbies, music and TV shows that you enjoy, your academic goals for this semester and where you see yourself in 10 years time. Have a great night, and I'll see you in class tomorrow.

We'll start our review of the last topic we covered in IB 20 tomorrow: the Mexican-American War. I got you to sign up on the wiki (and you've been all removed from the IB 20 wiki now). I didn't start course material today, instead I went through the course syllabus, and reminded you what each of the IB paper exams will be like. Remember, Prescribed Subject 1: Peacemaking, Peacekeeping and International Relations (1918-1936) is dealt with on Paper 1. For Paper 2, we touch on three topics in Grade 11 and 12: Topic 1-Causes, Practices and Effects of Wars, Topic 3-Authoritarian and Single Party States (review content from Grade 11), and Topic 5: The Cold War. Paper 3 covers our region of study, the Americas. The topics that we'll cover in this section that you'll need to review are:
  • The U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction Period
  • Great Depression in the Americas
  • The Cold War and the Americas
  • African-American Civil Rights Movement
  • American Presidents (into the 21st Century)
See you tomorrow!

We didn't start the course today really, we'll be looking at globalization more closely tomorrow. I introduced myself, and went through the course outline. I also got you to sign up for the wiki (have a look around). You have a homework assignment due on Friday: a friendly letter in which you'll introduce yourself to me. Some topics that you can cover would include: tell me about yourself and your family, your personal interests and hobbies, what extracurricular activities you have participated in the past, and what you're going to do at Churchill, what other courses you are taking this semester, your academic goals for the semester. I look forward to reading the letters and getting to know you better.