Monday, February 29, 2016

February 29


We watched Episode 10: Cuba from the CNN Cold War series today. As you watched this video, you should have taken notes on key events from the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Cuban Missile Crisis is your go-to example of brinkmanship. I also talked about mutually assured destruction (MAD), balance of power, and deterrence today.


You had time today to work on preparing for Friday's debate on the following topic: BIRT globalization is beneficial to the world's cultures. I hope that you used your time wisely.


You had class time to work on your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions today (they are due on Wednesday). Hopefully you used your time effectively.

Friday, February 26, 2016

February 26


You wrote your Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War today in class. Enjoy your weekend!


You had a work period today to work on your Chapter 5 Key Terms and Questions. I will be doing a homework check on these on Monday. Also, your Illustrated Concept Map is due on Monday, February 29th. On Wednesday, March 2nd you will be writing your Chapter 3-4 Test, you can find 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



I did a homework check on the "Philosophies of Industrialism" today. We then did a review of some of the economic concepts that I've taught to you this week, such as the basic economic systems and economic values, the boom and bust cycle, and the demand-side economics approach to the various stages of the business cycle. I also had you read, highlight, and annotate the notes from the Social 30-1 workbooks on the Keynes' economic theory. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

February 25


We finished off the TOK Presentations today. Please remember that you have your Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War tomorrow.



We started looking at Keynesian economics today. We revisited the boom and bust cycle, and looked at the Keynesian monetary and fiscal policy responses at the various stages of the cycle, and the rationale behind those actions. We also talked about welfare capitalism and modern liberalism too. We also looked at the start of the Great Depression.



I talked about how to write a WRA I three source analysis assignment today. I gave you a handout on the WRA I assignment, another one on analyzing political cartoons, and a sample WRA I. You'll be writing a Unit 1 WRA I next Thursday, and you'll be able to use the handout and the analyzing political cartoons handout when you're writing the WRA I. You can find some sample WRA I assignments on the Social 10-1 wiki on the Student Writing Samples page. Please remember that you're writing a Chapter 3-4 Test on Wednesday, March 2nd, 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, February 24, 2016

February 24


We had another day of TOK presentations today. We are back on schedule for tomorrow's presentations (which we will start during Tutorial) thanks to the History group of Yanchen, Yu Ming, and Akhil staying into their lunch break to present. Please remember that you have a Paper 2 on Friday on the origins of the Cold War. Visit the wiki for articles on historiography on this topic, as well as historiography on the Korean War.

We finished watching "Bend It Like Beckham" today in class. You had some time to finish off the questions/charts in the film study booklet. I'll be taking this booklet in tomorrow for homework check completion marks. Please remember that your Illustrated Concept Map is due on Monday, February 29th. Please see what I've posted below on using APA to cite the sources that you use. Also, please remember that you're writing your Chapter 3-4 Test next Wednesday (March 2nd), and you can find the study guide below. You're writing a Unit 1 WRA I (three source analysis) next Thursday, so I'll be teaching you how to write them tomorrow.

  • 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

This should help Social 10-1 students who are working on their Illustrated Concept Map Assignments...



Most of you will probably use Google for your image search. Just type in your image search term.




A bunch of different images will pop up. Just click on one that you like. Go to the website where the image is hosted.



Right click on the image and then click on "Properties" and then you'll get the address of the image.




The pop up dialogue box will look something like this.



This is where it's nice to have either Microsoft Word 2007 or later because it has a built-in reference tab that makes it easy to cite your sources. Click on the References tab, make sure it is set to APA. If you click on Insert Citation or Bibliography, you'll get a pop up that will look something like this. I've put in the information for the image that I used in this example.



Today was a work period in Social 30-1. You had the period to work on a couple of items that are due for homework. The first assignment is due tomorrow, and it's called "The Philosophies of Industrialism". You were to read, highlight, and answer the questions for this activity which can be found in your blue Social 30-1 workbooks on pages 26-44. Also, if you finished this off in class, you could have start working on your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions, these aren't due until Wednesday, March 2nd.


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

February 23


TOK presentations today, as well as presentations in Ms. Breadner's classroom on the Greatest Canadian Prime Minister of the 20th Century. Presentations continue tomorrow. Please remember that you have your Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War on Friday.


I did a really quick review of the boom and bust cycle today at the beginning of class. I then went into a PowerPoint lecture from Unit 2 called "Responding to Classical Liberalism". You can find this presentation on the IB 30/35 wiki on the unit 2 page.


You wrote your Chapter 1-2 Test today. You'll be writing your Chapter 3-4 Test next week on Wednesday, March 2nd (please see the study guide below). We'll finish off "Bend it Like Beckham" tomorrow in class.

  • 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, February 22, 2016

February 22


I showed you an A & E Biography of Fidel Castro, and then I showed you a video from the BBC 20th Century History series on the Cuban Missile Crisis called "Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Khrushchev". Next Monday, we'll be re-examining the Cuban Missile Crisis. Please remember that you are writing a Paper 2 on Friday on the origins of the Cold War. We are having TOK presentations on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday this week. We're starting these presentations on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. I've included a link on the TOK page on the IB 30/35 wiki for the TOK presentation schedule.


We started a film study of "Bend it Like Beckham" today. While you watched the film, you had questions in a film study booklet to complete. We'll continue the film on Wednesday. I did a homework check on your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions.


At the beginning of class, I did a homework check on your Chapter 3 Key Terms. Please remember that your Chapter 3 Questions are due tomorrow. I did some review of concepts that I've already taught you, namely the economic-political grid, the principles of individualism and the principles of collectivism. I taught you the following concepts today (if you missed today's class, you need to get the notes from a classmate): basic economic problem facing all societies (scarcity), the basic economic systems (command economy, mixed economy, and market economy), basic economic values, the basic economic questions, the law of supply and demand, and finally the boom and bust cycle.

Friday, February 19, 2016

February 19


I had perhaps overly ambitious plans coming into today's class, so I just focused on dealing with a comparison of the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. I'm trying to set the historical context for the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) next week. We'll be looking at Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution next week as part of this setting the stage for how the Kennedy administration dealt with the Soviet plans to build nuclear missile bases in Cuba. I recommend that you look at some of the historiography documents I have on the wiki for the Korean War and the origins of the Cold War in preparation for your Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War on Friday, February 26th. Please remember that we have two sets of presentations next week. Diploma students will be with me in Room 111 on February 23rd to 25th delivering their TOK presentations, whereas the Diploma Certificate students will be delivering their Greatest Canadian PM of the 20th Century presentations on those same days.


I covered content from Chapters 4 and 5 today when we looked at the challenges and opportunities that globalization presents to identity. You can find this PowerPoint on the Social 10-1 wiki under Unit 1 Presentations. I did a homework check on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions. Don't forget that your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, February 22nd. You are writing your Chapter 1-2 Test on Tuesday, February 23rd (please see the study guide below).

Don't forget that your Illustrated Concept Map is due on February 29th


  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.


I started a PowerPoint lecture today called "The Development of Classical Liberalism". With this lecture I focused on the main beliefs of certain philosophers (Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu, J.S. Mill, and Adam Smith), how their ideas would be perceived as radical for their times, and their contributions to classical liberalism. As I lectured, you were to take notes in your Social 30-1 workbooks. You should review the French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution for yourselves (these topics are also included in the PowerPoint presentation). You can find a copy of this presentation on the Social 30-1 wiki under Unit 2. Your Chapter 3 Key Terms are due on Monday, and your Chapter 3 Questions are due on Tuesday.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

February 18


We covered a lot of territory today in class, since we looked at the Truman administration (foreign and domestic policy), with a little bit of overlap in the Korean War between the Truman and Eisenhower administration. We also looked at the Korean War (1950-1953) again by watching a short video called "Crisis in Korea". I gave you a one page handout on the Korean War, and I STRONGLY recommend that you check out the Korean War notes on the wiki on the Cold War page. Also, check out the historiography on the Korean War, and on the origins of the Cold War itself (also on the same wiki page). Please remember that next Friday (February 26th) that you have a Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War. Start preparing for this!

Also, don't forget that TOK presentations, and the Greatest Canadian Prime Minister of the 20th Century presentations will run on February 23rd-25th.


You wrote your Unit 1 WRA II Essay in class today. It usually takes me a couple of weeks to mark a class set of essays, so please be patient.


I gave you time to work on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions today in class, since it seemed like you needed it. These key terms and questions are due tomorrow. Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, February 22nd. You are writing your Chapter 1-2 Test on Tuesday, February 23rd (please see the study guide below).

Don't forget that your Illustrated Concept Map is due on February 29th.


  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.



Wednesday, February 17, 2016

February 17


I finished off the PowerPoint that I started in yesterday's class, "The Origins of the Cold War". We didn't quite finish off the BBC 20th Century History series video "Cold War Confrontations", but we came really close (there's maybe a minute left in it, but I won't bother showing it to you since you know that the Korean War ended with an armistice but no formal peace treaty).


We looked at media TNCs today, and you should have taken notes on "Media Giants and Me". I also had you put the advantages and disadvantages of media TNCs in your notes. You should have also started your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions, these are due on Friday, February 19th. On Tuesday, February 23rd, 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.



You wrote your Unit 1 Final Exam today. You'll get the results of this unit exam and the Chapter 1-2 Test back tomorrow. Please go directly to the Blenheim Room tomorrow to write your Unit 1 WRA II Essay.



Wednesday, February 10, 2016

February 10


You had time to work on organizing your TOK presentation if you're a Diploma student, or if you're a Certificate student you got your assignment for your upcoming presentations on the Greatest Prime Minister in the 20th Century. Both TOK presentations and the Greatest PM presentations will go forward on February 23rd to 25th.

We started a film study today on the film "Whale Rider". We'll continue this film on Tuesday, after you complete your World Geography Test (please see the study guide below).



I continued going through some essay writing tips, and how to organize your essay. It is really important that you get on the Social 30-1 wiki this weekend and look at some of the essay samples. You can find some sample essays on the wiki by clicking on WRA II Essays. Please have a look at the upcoming important dates below. Your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday.



  • Chapter 1-2 Test is on Tuesday, February 16th
  • Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions is due on February 16th
  • Unit 1 Final Exam is on Wednesday, February 17th
  • Unit 1 WRA II Essay is on Thursday, February 18th

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Tuesday, February 16th. 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 Wednesday, February 17th. 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)

Tuesday, February 09, 2016

February 9


We had our three option debate today in class; I think that it went very well. At the end of the debate, you were supposed to hand in your "July 1945: Moment of Decision" booklets, and voted on which option you agreed with the most. I will share the results of the vote tomorrow. Please remember that we are meeting in Room 241 tomorrow morning in Period 2.



We looked at the difference between argumentation and evidence in class today, but doing an introductory activity that required you to brainstorm arguments to convince a friend that they should attend Churchill. We then looked at how to write a proper argument, and how to develop evidence to support that argument. I also started talking about the "recipe for success" in writing WRA II Essays. We'll continue our essay talk tomorrow, when I will give you the essay question sheet. One week from today, you will write your Chapter 1-2 Test, please see the study guide below.
The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Tuesday, February 16th. 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.)



I gave you the Illustrated Concept Map Assignment today. This assignment is due on February 29th, and you can work on it individually or with a partner. I gave you some time to look up some of the concepts that you haven't been taught yet, so you can start to see the interrelationships and connections between concepts. I also gave you some time to get into small brainstorming groups to figure out how you would organize your concept maps (hierarchy and branching, sub-concepts, linking and linking sentences).


This test will take place on Tuesday, February 16th. 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 27 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 G8 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, 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!)

Monday, February 08, 2016

February 8


You had most of today's class to work in your debate groups, to prepare for tomorrow's debate. You'll have a little bit of time tomorrow to do some last second preparation. You are strongly encouraged to work on your group's Google Doc to keep yourselves organized. Make sure that you read, highlight, and annotate the historiography of the atomic bomb article that I gave to you.


I did a homework check on your Global Connections Map Assignment today. On Tuesday, February 16th you'll be writing a World Geography Test, please see the study guide below. We also did an activity where you listed off your favorite TV shows, movies, and musicians. The point of that exercise was to introduce the concepts of CAVCO, CRTC, CanCon, and cultural protectionism to you. I also talked a little bit about media consolidation. No one met the percentages that the CRTC imposes on TV and radio.



This test will take place on Tuesday, February 16th. 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 27 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 G8 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, 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!)





I went through a lot of material today: I covered the 19th century political spectrum, the 20th century political spectrum, the economic spectrum, the basic economic values (GESSEF), the techniques of dictatorship, and the economic-political spectrum. Along the way, we reviewed the principles of collectivism (PRINCE) and the principles of individualism (PRICES). If you didn't read it over the weekend, please make sure that you read the Ideology Notes (pages 12-17 in your workbook). Also, please complete all of the individualism and collectivism charts in your workbook as well, this is due tomorrow. I did a homework check on your Chapter 1 Questions today, and I handed back your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions. If you have your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions in a notebook, please hand those in at the beginning of the class tomorrow.

Friday, February 05, 2016

February 5


We finished watching "White Light/Black Rain" today, and you should have also finished the film study sheet that went along with the documentary. I gave you a reading on the decision to use the atomic bomb, which you need to read over the weekend. The reading is connected to a debate that we will be doing on Tuesday. You have been split into three different option groups for the debate, and each group has its own Google Doc to organize arguments, evidence, and counter-arguments. You will have some class time on Monday to organize with your group members face-to-face.

Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday, February 8th. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday, February 9th. Please check out the instructions for your Global Connections Map below.

Here are the instructions for the map (which is due on Monday):
  • 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, February 8th.

Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday, February 9th. I gave you some class time to work on your Chapter 1 work, and you could have started on your Chapter 2 work as well. 

I did a homework check on your Chapter 1 Key Terms. Please complete your Chapter 1 Questions for Monday. Please read the Ideology Notes (pages 12-17 in your workbooks), you should highlight the reading, and make annotations in it. I started the PowerPoint presentation "Identity and Ideology" (which I probably won't finish), because I like to draw out the political and economic spectrums (which I'll do on Monday). I taught you the principles of individualism and the principles of collectivism. I also got you to sign up for the Social 30-1 wiki (check you e-mail inboxes for the invitation, it may have gone into a spam or junk folder), please let me know if there are any issues with this.

Thursday, February 04, 2016

February 4


We finished up the activity from yesterday, so you should now have jot notes on the results of World War II. One of those results was the origin of the nuclear age, which begins during WWII, and obviously the work to build the atomic bomb leads to its usage to end the war in the Pacific. We started an HBO documentary today called "White Light/Black Rain", which we will finish off tomorrow.



I gave you back the results of the Social 30-1 diagnostic test today. I gave you the course workbooks today as well, and started teaching the course content by looking at the ideas of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. As I lectured from the PowerPoint presentation "Introducing Government", you were to take notes in your workbooks. Please remind me tomorrow to get you signed on to the Social 30-1 wiki. Once you're on the wiki, you can find all of the PowerPoint presentations that I'll be delivering in class.



We played a fun game of global bingo today, where you were asked to circulate around the room and meet 16 new people and get information from them. Eventually you will use this information and put it on a world map. You have a homework assignment tonight that is due tomorrow: you must find 25 items from 25 different countries. these items could be put into different categories, such as: food, clothing, electronics, household items, vehicles, musical instruments, entertainment, beauty products/make up, etc. The smart way to put together your chart would be to classify your items into categories in your chart right from the start. Once again, you will eventually have to put all of this information into a map. I will be doing a homework check on this chart tomorrow. I also gave you time to work on your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions, which are due on Tuesday, February 9th.




Wednesday, February 03, 2016

February 3


I showed you a video from the Turning Points of History series called "The Atomic Bomb", while you watched this video, you should have taken notes, especially since I was writing some notes on the board for you. We also did a brief activity on the results/effects of WWII where everybody wrote a result/effect of the Second World War on a post-it note, and then pasted it on the board. We then classified the results into some categories. We'll finish up this activity tomorrow in class.


I split you into groups today and I gave each group an envelope filled with definitions of globalization and various pictures. Individually, you were to classify the definitions as being a negative, neutral, or positive view of globalization, and provide proof from the quote itself to indicate the speaker's perspective. We also had a chance to briefly look at the pictures to see their connection to major themes of globalization. Please remember that your friendly letter is due tomorrow.


You wrote your Social 30-1 diagnostic test today, and you'll get the results back tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 02, 2016

February 2


I split you into two Google Docs groups so we could get through the content/material on World War II as a case study for a total war quickly. I will put the links to the finished Google Docs on the IB 30/35 wiki under Causes, Practices, Effects of War so that you can see what the Total War: WWII in Europe group and the Total War: WWII in the Pacific groups came up with. Tomorrow we'll be looking at the construction of the atomic bomb and the decision to use the atomic bomb to end the war with Japan.

I gave you the course outline, and an introduction to what we'll be studying this semester. You wrote a vocabulary quiz today, and tomorrow you'll write a Social 30-1 diagnostic test. The diagnostic test is all multiple choice questions, some of which will be Social 20-1 material, and some 30-1 material. It is designed to give you an idea of the difficulty of the questions that you'll face on all of the tests that you'll write this semester in Social 30-1.

I did an introduction to the course, gave you the course outline, and signed most of you up for the Social 10-1 wiki. Please check your e-mail accounts, and sign in to the wiki as soon as you can. You have a homework assignment which is due on Thursday, February 4th, a friendly letter addressed to me. Topics that you should cover in the letter include:

  • hobbies
  • extracurricular activities
  • favorite TV shows, movies and music
  • family
  • academic goals this semester (in addition to Social 10-1, what other classes do you have?)


Classroom Rules



I think that I have very simple, straight-forward classroom rules and expectations. I will be discussing these in class tomorrow, but here's a quick recap:

  • Please be on-task during classroom time (visit later)
  • No cell phones (as per school policy; unless otherwise instructed); if your parents really need to get in touch with you, they should call the office. Please don't bring cell phones to class, or if you do, please remember to turn them off!
  • Please don't listen to music on MP3 players or iPods during class time, unless I have given you permission to do so.
  • Be polite. You should be listening during class lectures or when your classmates have questions to ask (you might have some of the same questions).
  • Be on time. If you are late, please enter the classroom quietly and apologize for being late. If the door is locked, I have started the lecture or there is a class presentation in progress; I will open the door and let you in as soon as possible.
  • Clean up after yourselves. Please don't leave garbage on the floor. I like my classroom fairly neat and tidy.
  • Don't bring junk food to class. Healthy snacks only. Or you could always wait until lunchtime.
  • You may chew gum in class on the following conditions: don't chew like a cow, I don't want to see the gum or hear you chewing it, that's just gross.
  • Late assignments: 10% is deducted for every day an assignment is late. If you have an excused absence, then there is some flexibility with this rule.
  • Please make sure that a parent or guardian calls the school to have absences excused. If you miss a test due to an unexcused absence you will be assigned a mark of "zero".
  • I will be contacting parent/guardians if you have unexcused absences.
  • Please adhere to the school's academic honesty policy which is on the back of your course outlines.
  • Please do take holidays or time off in January, because this could potentially interfere with Diploma Exams or school-based exams.
Here are some simple rules that I have established for using the blog, and some other informational items:

  • Please post on the blog anonymously.
  • If you feel the need to identify yourself, or clarify which grade you're in, please use your initials and your class and section (for example, K.G. in Social 20-3).
  • Some of you may have your own Blogger accounts. Please don't post on this blog using your Blogger ID, otherwise you may have people visiting your blog that you may not want to see what you're posting.
  • Please be courteous, polite and respectful when posting comments on the blog. Don't be rude to your classmates on the blog.
  • Please be patient with my response time.
  • Please post comments and questions on the blog prior to 10 p.m.
  • Between 6-8 p.m. I am usually not online.
  • Please do not post links to questionable materials.
  • Inappropriate comments will be deleted. Please don't do this, it's a waste of my time, I could be doing more productive things, like answering questions that you may have