December 18

Social 30-1

Please make sure that you complete the Unit 4 study package over the Winter Break. The Chapter 13 and 14 Key Terms and Questions will be due on Thursday, January 7th. I will be sending an electronic version of this to your e-mail accounts, so if you missed class today, you can always print off a version for yourself. Please see the study guide for the Unit 3 Final Exam below.

Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

This exam will be entirely multiple choice format. It will be on Wednesday, January 6th Please study the following material:

• make sure that you have read Chapters 9-12 in Perspectives on Ideology
• study all key concepts from the Chapters 9-12 Worksheets (see below)
• study all questions/answers from the Chapters 9-12 Worksheets
• "Political Challenges to Liberalism" (PowerPoint presentation)

Review the following notes/packages:

• Characteristics of Democracies
• Characteristics of Dictatorships
• Democratic Systems
• Non-Democratic Systems
• types of dictatorships
• techniques of dictatorships
• Civil Rights Movement
• authoritarian systems (China notes)
• review the economic and political spectrum (again!)
• re-read the notes on rights that I put on the board (Charter of Rights and Freedoms to War Measures Act)
• FLQ Crisis 1970

Know the following key concepts/key events/key terms/key people:

• assimilation
• self-interest
• humanitarianism
• Indian Act
• residential school system
• enfranchisement
• the White Paper
• the Red Paper
• “war on terror"
• authoritarianism
• consensus decision-making
• direct democracy
• military dictatorship
• oligarchy
• one-party state
• party solidarity
• representation by population
• proportional representation
• representative democracy
• responsible government
• democracy
• single-member constituency (first past the post)
• the Senate
• the House of Commons
• the House of Representatives
• the Senate
• mixed-member proportional system
• lobby groups
• American Bill of Rights
• Anti-Terrorism Act
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• emergency and security legislation
• illiberal
• language legislation
• Bill 101
• Bill 178
• Bill 86
• Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
• respect for law and order
• terrorism
• rendition
• the War Measures Act
• enemy aliens
• internment
• the Emergencies Act
• USA PATRIOT Act
• consumerism
• environmental change
• extremism
• pandemics
• postmodernism
• global warming
• Kyoto Protocol
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• drought
  
  

Social 10-1

We finished off watching "Blood Diamond" and you were to hand in the film study at the end of the class. I also gave you back your Unit 3 essays and gave you some comments. Please remember you have your Chapter 15-16 Test on Wednesday, January 6th. On January 7th you will have Part A of your Final Exam (it's a three source analysis writing assignment). Please see the study guide below.

Chapter 15-16 Test Study Guide:

This quiz will follow the typical format: a matching section, a multiple choice section and a short answer section. Please use the following study guide.

Study from your textbook and the following PowerPoint presentations:

• "Quality of Life, Human Rights, and Democratization" (ppt)
• "Impacts of Globalization on Groups in Society" (ppt)
• study the reading "Human Rights Abuses in a Globalized World: Burma Case Study" (from Globalization 101 website, I have sent this article to your e-mail accounts)

Key Terms:

• Chapter 15 Key Terms (from Unit 4 Worksheet)
• Chapter 16 Key Terms (from Unit 4 Worksheet)
• additional key terms from the presentations that correspond to Chapters 15 and 16

Key Questions:

• What are human rights?
• What is democratization?
• What is quality of life?
• What is standard of living?
• How are ideas about human rights and democracy related?
• How are globalization, human rights, and democracy related?
• How have ideas about human rights changed over time?
• What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
• What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
• In what ways does globalization affect the lives of children and youth?
• In what ways does globalization affect the lives of women?
• human rights abuses in Burma

December 17

Social 10-1

We continued watching "Blood Diamond" today, we'll finish it tomorrow. Your film studies will be due tomorrow for homework check marks.

Social 30-1

I gave you back the results of the Diploma Exam Field Test and your Chapter 10 Test results. We also did a vote on whether or not you wanted the Unit 4 Study package. By a vote of 15 to 12 (with one spoiled ballot and one voter that didn't show up to the polling station) you have decided as a class to receive the study package. It will be due when you get back from the Winter Break. I will give you a hard copy in class tomorrow, and I will also send you a copy by e-mail. We also brainstormed some contemporary global issues and discussed how effective liberalism has been in dealing with these issues. See you tomorrow!

December 16

Social 10-1

We looked at conflict diamonds today, and the connection between the sale of this commodity (diamonds) in fueling conflict elsewhere in the world. I gave you a film study for the film "Blood Diamond", and you are to complete the reading comprehension section and the Amnesty International article reading and questions prior to tomorrow's class. We will probably finish the film off tomorrow in class, and the film study itself will be due on Friday.

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 3 in-class essay today in the Blenheim Room, and it took the entire period. We'll talk about the results of the Field Test tomorrow.

December 15

Social 30-1

You wrote your Diploma Field Test today. You'll get the results back in the next day or so. Please remember that you are writing your Unit 3 Essay tomorrow (30-2 students will writing a Written Response Assignment III, which involves three speakers; don't worry we'll talk about it tomorrow in class). Please go to the Blenheim Room directly tomorrow, I'll see you right after lunch, don't be late.

Social 10-1

We finished up the activity that we started last week on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I did some housekeeping items as well today, handing back Chapter 15 Key Terms and Questions and doing a homework check on Chapter 16 material, and the Chapter 15 PowerPoint presentation. I went through a presentation that corresponds to Chapter 16 material that I will be sending to you by e-mail this afternoon. Make sure that you print it off and add it to your notes (and for Social 10-3 students, make sure that you read it!). I also gave back some marked assignments, and gave back test results for the Unit 3 Final Exam.

December 14

Social 30-1

I gave you most of today's class to work on your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions. This will be taken in tomorrow for homework check marks. I also collected the questions related to the USA PATRIOT Act as well. Remember, you have your Field Test tomorrow.

Social 10-1

I collected your Chapter 15 Key Terms and Questions today. You wrote your Unit 3 Final Exam as well. Your Chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

December 10

Social 10-1

I went through a PowerPoint presentation called "Quality of Life, Human Rights and Democratization" that I will be sending to you this afternoon. We also started to do a comparison between the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. We'll be continuing the Charter activity of Tuesday. Here's a short video on John Peters Humphrey from the History Minutes series. You have your Unit 3 Written Response Assignment I (3 source analysis) tomorrow. Please remember that you have your Unit 3 Final Exam on Monday, here's the study guide (scroll down to find it).

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Written Response Assignment I (3 source analysis) today. After you finished this, we looked at the Patriot Act again, and looked at aspects of the American Bill of Rights that it may infringe upon. You also read a short debate between former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft and Senator Russell Feingold over the USA PATRIOT Act. You also had some questions to answer on this topic as well. Please remember that you have your Chapter 10 Test tomorrow, here's the study guide.

December 9

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Who Killed the Electric Car?" today. I will be doing a homework check tomorrow to see if you printed of the "Biofuel Controversy" PowerPoint presentation (4-6 slides per page). On Friday, you will be writing your Unit 3 WRA I (3 source analysis). You won't be getting any time to do small group brainstorming this time around. I want to see how well you can analyze these sources by yourself. Your Unit 3 Final Exam is on Monday, please see the study guide here (scroll down to find it). I gave you the Unit 4 Worksheet today as well. The Chapter 15 Key Terms and Questions are due on Friday, December 11th.

Social 30-1

I did a homework check on the Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions today. Here is the video that I forgot to post yesterday. It connects nicely to some of the themes that we addressed today in class with regard to anti-terrorism legislation that was passed in Canada and the United States after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. In yesterday's video we looked at the FLQ crisis, this is the interview on the steps of Parliament that features Trudeau's "just watch me" speech. It's an interesting little debate that is waged being Trudeau and the reporters over the issue on giving up/losing civil liberties in order to ensure security.


We watched a couple of CBC News in Review on the September 11th attacks today prior to talking about anti-terrorism legislation in Canada and the United State, because in order to fully understand why this legislation was passed, you need to see the context in which it was passed. The value conflict between ensuring security, peace and order in society versus individual freedom and civil liberties could be a potential topic on Part A of your Diploma Exam. Liberal democracies around the world, post-9/11 have had to deal with the issue of the extent to which they must ensure security and the balance between security and civil liberties. It would not be difficult to use a quotation that relates to this issue ("They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."--Benjamin Franklin) and then have the essay question: "To what extent should we embrace the perspective(s) in this source?" Would you be able to write an essay on that topic? Think of the source material that I've given you on the FLQ crisis, the Emergencies Act, the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Patriot Act and the no fly list, and think about other ways you could prepare for this as a potential essay topic. Speaking of writing assignments, please remember that you have your Unit 3 WRA I (source analysis) tomorrow. Your Chapter 10 Test is on Friday, here's the study guide (there's more democracy-related questions on the test than authoritarianism/dictatorship questions).

December 8

Social 30-1

I did a homework check on your Civil Rights Movement Assignment at the beginning of class. In today's class we focused in on a case study from Canadian history when civil liberties were infringed upon through the use of the War Measures Act. In Social 20-1, you would have looked at the usage of the War Measures Act in WWI and WWII, but we looked at the FLQ Crisis of October 1970. We watched a video and completed a film study from the History's Turning Points series on the FLQ Crisis. In the package I gave you were to also do a document analysis on the October Crisis, and there was also information on the Emergencies Act. Your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. Please remember that your Chapter 10 Test is on Friday, here's the study guide. You have your Unit 3 WRA I (3 source analysis) on Thursday.

Social 10-1

I did a PowerPoint presentation on the biofuel controversy today. I will send this presentation to you, so please print it off (4-6 slides per page). We then started watching "Who Killed the Electric Car?" We will finish this film tomorrow. You have your Unit 3 Final Exam on Monday (December 14th), here is your study guide. You also have your Unit 3 WRA I (3 source analysis) on Friday (you won't have time to do group brainstorming).

December 7

Social 30-1

I gave you some notes today on material related to Chapter 11. If you missed class or were late for class you need to get these notes from a friend. I did a homework check on your Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions today. I gave you your Chapter 11 Worksheet. Your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due on Wednesday. Your Civil Rights Movement Assignment is due tomorrow. Please remember that your Chapter 10 Test is on Friday, please see the study guide here.

Social 10-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Written Response Assignment II (in-class essay)today. You have your Unit 3 Final Exam next Monday, please see the study guide below. Your Unit 3 WRA I (3 source analysis) is on December 11th.

Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

Please make sure that you have read Chapters 10-14. Please make sure that you have the following PowerPoint presentations, and that you study from them:

• "Foundations of Economic Globalization"
• "The Expansion of Economic Globalization"
• "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization"
• "The Impact of Economic Globalization on Environments"
• "Globalization and Sustainability"
  

Make sure that you have reviewed the Key Terms from Unit 3 (all the terms listed on the Unit 3 Worksheet, plus the extra key terms that appeared in the PowerPoint presentations). The Unit 3 Final Exam will consist of 55 multiple choice questions, and will be held on Monday, December 14th.

December 4

Sorry for the later post tonight...

Social 30-1

You did an in-class writing assignment today in which you had to write an analysis of a propaganda poster. Please remember that your Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions will be due on Monday. You have a Chapter 10 Test on Friday, December 11th. Please see the study guide below.

Chapter 10 Test Study Guide:

This test is multiple choice format. Please review the PowerPoint "Political Challenges to Liberalism". You're responsible for all key terms and questions from the Chapter 10 Worksheet. Please review the following as well:

• Characteristics of Democracy (handout notes)
• Characteristics of Dictatorships (handout notes)
• Democratic Systems (handout notes)
• Non-Democratic Systems (handout notes)
• Structure of Canadian Government
• Structure of American Government
• similarities/differences between the parliamentary system and presidential system
• types of dictatorships
• techniques of dictatorships
• authoritarian systems
• proportional representation concept
• first past the post system
• review political and economic spectrum (again!)

Social 10-1

I showed you a short video today from the CBC show "The Hour" which featured George Stroumboulopoulos interviewing Jeff Rubin about the connection between oil and the end of globalization. We'll have to wait a while to see if Jeff Rubin's predictions about triple digit oil prices and their impact on global trade come true or not, but it is very interesting thesis. Globalization depends on cheap oil prices to make it work. Our very civilization revolves around oil, and if we've hit peak oil or not, demand for oil will continue to grow with newly industrializing countries like China and India increasing their demand. Will the supply be able to keep up? Only time will tell. Here's a short interview that Jeff Rubin did with NPR, it also includes an excerpt from his book.

Please check your e-mail tonight. I have sent you your essay question sheets. Take the weekend to prepare for your in-class position paper. Make sure that you review the "Recipe for Success" handout on preparing for in-class position papers. Go directly to the Blenheim Room on Monday.

December 3

Social 10-1

We played a review game in class today that reviewed many key concepts in Unit 3. Please remember that your "High Tech Trash" Written Response Assignment is due tomorrow. I gave you a list of important upcoming dates, so here is that list again:

• Unit 3 WRA II (essay) is on Monday, December 7th
• Unit 3 WRA I (3 source analysis) is on Friday, December 11th
• Unit 3 Final Exam is on Monday, December 14th
• Chapter 15-16 Quiz is on January 6th
• Social 10-1 Final Exam Part A (3 source analysis) is on January 7th
• Social 10-1 Final Exam Part B (100 multiple choice questions) is on January 19th

Social 30-1

We looked at a CBC News in Review today on the recent election in Afghanistan and the controversy surrounding it. You had to complete the previewing, viewing and post-viewing activities in the package that I gave you. I also gave you your Chapter 9 Worksheet. You must read Chapter 9, and complete the Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions for Monday. Please remember that your Civil Rights Movement Assignment is due on Tuesday, December 8th.

December 2

Social 10-1

Most of today's class was spent watching an excerpt from the documentary film "Manufactured Landscapes". The film ties into concepts that we've examining lately, such as the sustainability of economic globalization, environmental consequences of industrialization and extraction of resources, shipbreaking and e-waste. I also did a couple of homework checks, one to see if you had printed off the "Globalization and Sustainability" PowerPoint presentation, and the other homework check was to see if you had completed your Chapter 14 Key Terms.

Social 30-1

We watched a few videos from the BBC 20th Century History series, one was called "One Man's Revolution" and the other was "China Since Mao". I also gave you a fairly extensive package on China that covered the modern history of China, and then an article about China's "Road to Prosperity" that appeared in the New York Times on the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. We also looked at a couple of political cartoons out of The Economist magazine that had been published recently, both cartoons had a China connection. I STRONGLY urge you to read over the material that you were given today!

December 1

Social 30-1

I gave you an outline of important upcoming dates in Social 30-1. We will be picking up the pace this month to finish off material related to Unit 3. Please remember that your USA/Canada Comparison Chart is due tomorrow. I went through the last half of a PowerPoint presentation that corresponds to Chapter 10 in your textbook. Please print off the presentation called "Political Challenges to Liberalism" (4-6 slides per page) and bring it to class tomorrow. I looked at various types of authoritarian governments today and I also gave you a reading called "The End of Democracy?" that you should have been able to finish during class time. I also gave you an assignment today that covers the concept of majority tyranny very nicely. There are three parts to this assignment: the first two parts are for separate homework check marks, and the last part requires you to make an essay outline (I will be sending this to your e-mail accounts). This Civil Rights Movement Assignment is due next Tuesday (December 8th). Tomorrow, we will be examining China as a case study of an authoritarian government.

Social 10-1

In connection with watching "Shipbreakers" last week, and talking about the life cycle of a ship and the sustainability of the shipbreaking industry, I thought it would be interesting to look at another example of an industry that has environmental consequences that are sort of "out of sight, out of mind". I'm talking about e-waste. We watched a short excerpt from the CBC News in Review on "Electronic Waste and China". Next, I gave you a hard copy of an article that was in National Geographic Magazine in their January 2008 issue that I would like you to read. Here is the hyperlink to the article: click here. I'm giving you some time to read this article and complete a one-page written response to the article (this written response is due on Friday, December 4th, it'll be for homework check marks incidentally). In your written response to the magazine article I would like you to focus on the following question: What can be done to make e-waste more environmentally friendly, and increase the sustainability of this industry? You should be thinking about possible solutions to the problem, in other words, what can individuals do, what can governments do, what can corporations do, etc.

November 27

Social 30-1

We did a class discussion today where everyone was given two Post It notes to write out their answers to two of the following questions:

• Should the voting age be lowered?
• Should voting be mandatory?
• Should everyone over the age of 18 be allowed to vote?
• Is the first past the post system democratic?

Next, I split you into four groups to summarize some of the viewpoints in the classroom, and then we had a whole class discussion about the issues related to these questions. I think that it was a really great discussion period. I would like to extend the classroom discussion to here on the blog. Here is your homework assignment: I would like you to post your answer to any one (or two or three) of the discussion questions that we did in class. I'd like you to also include the initials of your first and last name after your post (for example, "K.G. in Social 30-1"). I'd also like you to comment on someone else's post. This is for double homework check marks. You must post and respond to someone else's post before Tuesday of next week (remember you have a long weekend; the next time that I see you it will be December). Please be civil in your posting. Please remember that your American-Canadian Political Systems Comparison Charts are due on Wednesday, December 2nd.

Social 10-1

I finished up the PowerPoint presentation called "Globalization and Sustainability" today. I will be sending this to you by e-mail this afternoon. I also did a homework check on some previous PowerPoint presentations as well. Your Chapter 14 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday. Enjoy your long weekend!

November 26

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Shipbreakers" today. I would like to take a little bit of time to properly finish off the "Globalization and Sustainability" PowerPoint presentation, so I will be doing that tomorrow, and as a result, I will not be sending this out by e-mail tonight.

Social 30-1

After looking at the blog feed last night it was apparent that a lot of you didn't get a chance to watch the U.S. electoral college video that I posted a link to yesterday, so that's what I started with today. I then also went over some other concepts related to the electoral college system, and how it is possible to win the popular vote but not win enough electoral college votes to become president. Your textbook uses the 2000 U.S. Presidential election as an example of this. In that particular case the key state was Florida. I talked a little bit about the differences between the types of ballots used in Canada and in the United States. In many counties in Florida during the 2000 election they used what's called a butterfly ballot where you punch holes in the ballot to indicate which candidate you are voting for. I tried to draw it on the board, but I think the following graphic illustrates nicely what I was trying to draw on the board.

I think you can see how this might have caused some confusion. If you can't see the ballot clearly, just click on it and you should see a larger view. If you want to look at past U.S. Presidential elections and see the U.S. electoral college maps for the past ten elections, have a look at Real Clear Politics. Have a look at the 1984 election, that was extremely one-sided!

I'm adding some links under the Social 30-1 Links on this page to help you out with your USA-Canada Political System Comparison Chart assignment (which is due next Wednesday). Here some websites that I think will help (permanent links will appear on the right-hand side of the blog under Social 30-1 Links):

• Ben's Guide to U.S. Government
• Elections Canada
• Real Clear Politics
• Canadian Parliament
• Canadian Senate
• Government of Canada: Democratic Reform
• The White House
• The United States Senate
• The House of Representatives
• The Electoral College System
• USA: How a Bill Becomes a Law

November 25

Social 10-1

I started a PowerPoint presentation today called "Globalization and Sustainability" which I will finish off in tomorrow's class. We also started watching a documentary called "shipbreakers" which tied into many of the themes in today's PowerPoint. We'll finish the film off tomorrow as well. Your TNC Dossier Assignment was due today as well. If you haven't handed it in yet, you will be facing a 10% penalty per day that it is late.

Social 30-1

I tied up some loose ends related to the Canadian political system, including the type of electoral system used in Canada and elsewhere in the world. We also looked at another version of re-casting a federal election (thanks for catching the mistakes in the Math people!) and then we finally looked over how a bill becomes a law in Canada. We then moved on to look at the structure of the American political system. We will continue this tomorrow. Here's a link to the video on the American electoral college system.

November 24

Social 30-1

Today's class was spent writing your Unit 2 Written Response Assignment II in the Blenheim Room. Tomorrow we'll tie up some loose ends in looking at the Canadian political system and then we'll move into the American system.

Social 10-1

We finished off watching "Globalisation is Good" today. I went through a PowerPoint presentation that corresponds to material in Chapter 13 called "The Impacts of Economic Globalization on Environments". I will send this presentation to you this afternoon. Please print it off and add it to your notes. Your Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday. Please remember that your TNC Dossier Assignment is due tomorrow.

November 23

Social 30-1

I did a homework check today on your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions. I gave you a handout today that looks something like this:

You were to take notes on some specifics of the Canadian government structure as I lectured. You were introduced to a lot of new concepts today, but most it should have been review for you since it was in Chapter 10. We talked about re-casting the November 2008 Canadian Federal election with a proportional representation system, and what political parties might be in favour of P.R. and what parties might be opposed to the idea of introducing this system to Canada. We also talked about general problems of P.R. in the Canadian political landscape, namely the difficulty of winning a majority government, and the susceptibility of minority governments to votes of non-confidence. I gave you the remaining time to do some small group brainstorming on tomorrow's Unit 2 Written Response Assignment II. I gave you the essay question sheet today. Remember, you are allowed to prepare for the essay, but you can't write it ahead of time. You're allowed to bring in point form notes on the essay question sheet as long as they are hand-written notes, and all of the notes are on the front side of the sheet under the line. DO NOT write on the back side of the essay question sheet. This is the last time that you get the text-based source in advance. You will be writing your Unit 2 WRA II in the Blenheim Room tomorrow.

Social 10-1

We went over the Word document that I sent you by e-mail over the weekend which gives you some idea of what the Written Response Assignment II will be like on your 30-1 Diploma Exam. You will be writing a Unit 2 WRA II on December 7th in the Blenheim Room. We started watching "Globalisation is Good" today and completing a film study. We'll finish this off tomorrow. Please remember that your TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Wednesday.

November 20

Social 30-1

I gave you back the results for your Unit 2 Final Exam today. I also assigned your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions for homework. I will be doing a homework check on this on Monday. I will also give you your text-based source on Monday in preparation of your Unit 2 Written Response Assignment II (in-class position paper) and I'll give you some time to do in-class brainstorming of potential arguments and examples/evidence for your essays.

Social 10-1

We finished watching "The Other Side of Outsourcing" today. I started talking about writing in-class position papers (we call this Written Response Assignment II), I will be sending you an e-mail message today. Please print off the handout that will be attached to this e-mail message. The handout deals with how to write and prepare for the WRA II. Please remember that your TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Wednesday, November 25th, this is your last weekend to work on this project and get together with your partner.

November 19

Social 10-1

You watched "Impacts of Globalization" today and started watching "The Other Side of Outsourcing", with both of these videos you had a film study to complete. We'll finish off "The Other Side of Outsourcing" tomorrow and start talking about writing in-class essays. Your TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Wednesday, November 25th.

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 2 Final Exam today, which took the entire class period. You will be writing an in-class essay (Unit 2 WRA II) on Tuesday, November 24th in the Blenheim Room. You will get the text-based source in Monday's class. We'll continue working on Unit 3 material tomorrow.