December 16

Today I started a new assignment with you. This assignment involved writing a friendly letter to yourself in which you reflected back on Term 1 and set goals for yourself in Term 2. In your letter you should address a few of the steps in the S.M.A.R.T. plan, that is Set a goal, Make a plan for how you're going to achieve that goal, and how you are going to Act on your plan. At the end of Term 2 we will write another friendly letter in which you will Reflect on your goals, and possibly Try again, or maybe it will be Time to set a new goal!
By the end of the class you should have completed the following:

• a rough draft of your friendly letter to yourself
• had your letter revised and edited by at least one person
• rewritten your letter, incorporating the edits into a revised draft of your letter

After the Winter break, we will be revisiting this assignment. My expectation is that you will have a revised draft of your letter finished on the first day back from the Winter break. Please don't forget! Additionally, the handout that I gave you today on writing the friendly letter must be put into the Resources section of your binder. (Parents: on the back side of the handout you will find more details about goal setting and how to do this assignment)

December 15

We went over the Regions of the USA retrieval charts today in class. Then, very quickly, we looked at the answers to the Chapter 1 questions. Next, I gave you the USA Geography Test Study Guide. This study guide also appears here in this post.
I told you about two helpful websites for learning more about the geography of the USA. They are:

1. USA Map Puzzle/ Interactive Map of the USA: www.yourchildlearns.com/owlmouse.htm
2. USA Map Quiz: www.lizardpoint.com/fun/geoquiz/usaquiz.html

Here is the study guide for the USA Geography Test:

Format:

1. Identify the States
2. Multiple Choice Section
3. Fill in the Blanks Section
4. Matching Section
5. Short Answer Section

Topics:

1. Regions of the United States:

• major cities in each region
• states in the region
• major economic activities in each region
• you must be able to list off all 8 regions

2. States and State Capitals

• 14 states and their capitals on the test (in the matching section)
• know all 50!!

The date for this test is yet to be determined, but it will be after the Winter break.

December 14

Today we finished working on the Regions of the USA retrieval charts. These charts are due tomorrow, as are the Chapter 1 questions. Please make sure that you get this assignment finished.

December 13

Today we split our time between creating notes on the Regions of the United States, and finishing the maps of the USA (which are due tomorrow). Please make sure that you label and color your maps accurately.

December 10

Since today was a short day, I gave you time to work on the two USA maps that I gave you yesterday. These two maps are due on Tuesday December 14th. Please make sure that you follow the guides for labeling these maps from the previous post.

December 9

We started the USA unit today in class. If you missed school today, you missed some handouts that you will have to collect when you get back. You missed the Unit Outline (blue sheet), the Unit Flowchart (green sheet), and two map handouts: the States and Capitals of the USA, and the Regions of the USA. You were given instructions about what to label on each of the maps. Here's the detailed list, by map, of what needs to be labeled:

Regions of the USA map:

• label all 5 of the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior)
• label the following bodies of water: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico
• label the 50 states (you can use the official abbreviations)
• color the 8 regions of the USA (from your textbook, map on p.3)
• don't forget to label Alaska and Hawaii
• you must include an abbreviation key on the back of the back if you abbreviated the states
• you must have a legend (key) for the regions' names

States and Capitals map:

• label: Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico
• label the states (you can abbreviate again)
• label the capital cities
• don't forget to color your map (please use only 5 colors to color the states)
• don't forget to color and label Alaska and Hawaii
• put a key on the back of the map if you used state abbreviations

December 8

Today was the day that you wrote your USSR Unit Final. This was a very demanding test, as you probably gathered while you were writing it. Most of the questions on this test were taken from past Provincial Achievement Exams, so it was your first real practice at writing an exam of this difficulty. You will be writing exams like this for each of your units.

December 6

For the better part of both periods we played a review game called "Back to the USSR". This review was designed to show you what some potential unit final exam questions might be. Your USSR Unit Final is on Wednesday.

Many of you did not hand in your Political Cartoon Analysis assignment. This was due today. If you do not finish it today then you will lose 10% from your mark on this assignment.

December 3

Today, we looked at the USSR Unit outline and how it could be used as a study guide. I asked you to look at all of the questions of the unit outline (pink sheet) and put a question mark next to any of the questions that you didn't know how to answer. For most of the class we then talked about high school recommendations and placement for grade 10.

Please don't forget that your analysis of the two political cartoons is due on Monday, December 6th. I hope that you will be taking time to study for your USSR Unit Final on Wednesday, December 8th.

December 2

For the better part of two periods, we played "Taboo" today. The "Taboo" cards were based on the templates that you worked on in class yesterday. For the remainder of class time we played another review game, "Memory", which focused on memorizing and learning the capital cities of the Soviet republics.

Please remember to study every night for next Wednesday's USSR Unit Final!

December 1

Today we spent most of the time getting ready to play Taboo tomorrow. For the better part of both periods the class was split into two groups (guys and girls), with each group writing clue words and taboo words to go with each clue word. We also did some peer editing of the analysis of the two political cartoons that you have to analyze by Monday.

Important upcoming dates:

• Analyzing Political Cartoons due Monday, December 6th
• USSR Unit Final, Wednesday, December 8th

Every night you should be studying for this unit final because it is VERY difficult!

November 30

I gave you the USSR Unit Final Study Guide today in class (which took a long time!) This unit final is on Wednesday, December 8th. It is 100 multiple choice questions, and it is EXTREMELY difficult! You MUST study every night this week, for at least 90 minutes (I'm not assigning any other homework, please just study!). We will be doing a lot of review for the remainder of this week. Today we played a review game based on a Japanese TV game show called, "Attack 25!"

November 29

Today you wrote your Chapter 10 Quiz. Additionally, you analyzed political cartoons individually. You were able to "draft" (pick) a political cartoon based on the number that you selected after you finished writing your Chapter 10 Quiz. The good copy of your analysis of two political cartons is due next Monday.

November 26

Surprise! Surprise! You had your Animal Farm Pop Quiz today in class. I hope that you all did very well on this quiz. We also continued learning about how to analyze political cartoons, by looking at some more examples as a class. I reminded you about handing in your Edgar Allan Poe project on time. This is the first assignment/project for Term 2, so please start the term off on the right foot. You also have your Chapter 10 Quiz on Monday. The study guide appears below.

Here is the Chapter 10 Quiz Study Guide:

Format:

1. Multiple Choice Section
2. Fill in the Blanks Section
3. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms, Key Events, Key People
• Soviet Foreign Relations (signing the CFE Treaty, collapse of communist governments in Eastern Europe, collapse of alliance system, Gorbachev wins the Nobel Peace Prize)
• End of the Soviet Union's Multinational Empire (republics want independence, chain events that lead to the collapse of the USSR)
• Contributing factors to the collapse of the USSR (economic crisis, perestroika, glasnost, democratization, collapse of the alliance system)
• August Coup attempt (split in the CPSU, 3 groups: Yeltsin's group, Gorbachev's group, hardliners' group)

The following are key terms, events, and people that you should know:

• Yeltsin
• Gorbachev
• Kravchuk (Ukraine)
• Yanayev (Gorbachev's vice president)
• CFE Treaty
• August coup
• Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
• NATO
• Warsaw Pact
• Extraordinary State Committee
• coup d'etat
• perestroika
• glasnost
• democratization

November 25

Once again, for the better part of both class periods, we watched the animated version of Animal Farm (1954). We then discussed the differences between the film and the novel. I also collected Russia textbooks from those of you that didn't hand them in yesterday. I also gave you a handout on Analyzing Political Cartoons, please put this handout in your References section of your binder. We looked at a couple of cartoons and analyzed them as a class.

November 24

For the better part of both periods we watched the Animal Farm video (1999 version). While watching the video you were to note the differences between the film version and the novel Animal Farm. I also collected your Russia textbooks.

November 23

You wrote your Chapter 9 Quiz today. I returned your Chapter 8 Quiz to you. I finished up by talking about factors contributing to the collapse of the USSR. If you missed class you'll have to get these notes from somebody. I also reminded you about the due date for the Edgar Allan Poe project.

November 22

We discussed the Animal Farm booklet in class today. This booklet was handed out on Thursday of last week. I also gave you the Chapter 10 Quiz Study Guide today. This quiz will be on next Monday. Don't forget that you have your Chapter 9 Quiz tomorrow. Please see the November 16th post to see the complete study guide for the Chapter 9 Quiz.

Here is the Chapter 10 Quiz Study Guide:
Format:

1. Multiple Choice Section
2. Fill in the Blanks Section
3. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms, Key Events, Key People
• Soviet Foreign Relations (signing the CFE Treaty, collapse of communist governments in Eastern Europe, collapse of alliance system, Gorbachev wins the Nobel Peace Prize)
• End of the Soviet Union's Multinational Empire (republics want independence, chain events that lead to the collapse of the USSR)
• Contributing factors to the collapse of the USSR (economic crisis, perestroika, glasnost, democratization, collapse of the alliance system)
• August Coup attempt (split in the CPSU, 3 groups: Yeltsin's group, Gorbachev's group, hardliners' group)

The following are key terms, events, and people that you should know:

• Yeltsin
• Gorbachev
• Kravchuk (Ukraine)
• Yanayev (Gorbachev's vice president)
• CFE Treaty
• August coup
• Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
• NATO
• Warsaw Pact
• Extraordinary State Committee
• coup d'etat
• perestroika
• glasnost
• democratization

November 19

I quickly covered some topics of Soviet foreign relations, to finish up work on Chapter 9. You have your Chapter 9 Quiz on Tuesday next week (the 23rd). Please check the post on November 16th for the complete study guide if you missed it. For the remainder of the class period you had time to either work on the Animal Farm booklet, or study for your upcoming quiz.

Here are some important upcoming dates:

• Collapse of the USSR (website notes), need to be printed off for November 22nd
• Animal Farm booklet is due November 22nd
• Chapter 9 Quiz is on November 23rd
• Edgar Allan Poe project is due November 29th

Here is the hyperlink to the Collapse of the USSR page on the Social Studies Web, please print off the handout on that page (the PDF file).

http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut11.htm

November 18

I gave you a booklet today based on Animal Farm. The booklet requires you to compare events in Animal Farm to events in Russian history, to compare characters in the book with people in the Russian Revolution, and to examine how the Seven Commandments of Animalism were altered and why they were altered. Additionally, we completed the notes on democratization (part of Gorbachev's reforms), and we discussed the questions from Chapter 9 of the textbook.

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Animal Farm booklet is due Monday, November 22nd
• Chapter 9 Quiz is on Tuesday, November 23rd
• Edgar Allan Poe project is due Monday, November 29th

You will also be having a "pop quiz" on Animal Farm very soon!

November 17

We finished reading Animal Farm today in class. Please do not return your copies of Animal Farm to the library as we are not finished with our analysis of the novel. You were given Chapter 10 comprehension questions for Animal Farm. Additionally, you had to read pages 229-234 in your Russia textbooks, and answer questions related to this chapter.

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Edgar Allan Poe project is due November 29th
• Chapter 9 Quiz is on November 23rd
• Animal Farm Ch.10 Questions are due tomorrow
• Ch.9 Questions from the Russia text are due tomorrow

November 16

Today, you got the Chapter 9 Quiz Study Guide from me. This quiz is scheduled for next Tuesday. The complete study guide appears later in this post. Additionally, I gave you some notes on Glasnost to copy down. We also read and discussed Chapter 9 in Animal Farm. I also gave you some comprehension questions on this chapter. I collected your Chapter 4-8 questions on Animal Farm, too.
Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Chapter 9 Quiz is on Tuesday, November 23rd
• Edgar Allan Poe Webquest assignment is due November 29th

Here is the complete Chapter 9 Quiz Study Guide

Format:

1. Multiple Choice Section
2. Fill in the Blanks Section
3. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms (the complete list of terms is below)
• Democratization (What was democratization? Why did Gorbachev introduce it?)
• Glasnost (What was glasnost? What effect did glasnost have on Soviet society?)
• Law on Electoral Reform (What was it? What effect did it have on Soviet society?)
• Gorbachev/Soviet Foreign Policy (Key developments in improving Soviet foreign relations in 1987-89, including: INF Treaty, ending war in Afghanistan, new trade links, communist governments in Eastern Europe fail to reform
• Changes in Economy Under Perestroika (Law on State Enterprises-1985)

Here are the key terms:

• perestroika
• glasnost
• democratization
• Law on State Enterprises
• Law on Electoral Reform
• Gorbachev
• Reagan
• Yeltsin
• INF Treaty
• multi-candidate elections

November 15

Welcome back! Today you wrote your Chapter 8 Quiz in your first period with me. Next, we read as a class Chapter 8 in Animal Farm. I assigned questions based on Chapters 4-8 of Animal Farm. These questions will be due tomorrow. Please also note the due date of the Edgar Allan Poe Webquest project in the important upcoming dates section of this post.

Important upcoming due dates:

• Animal Farm questions (Chapters 4-8) due tomorrow
• Edgar Allan Poe Webquest project is due November 29th

November 10

Today I gave you some time to prepare for your Chapter 8 Quiz (which is on Monday). Additionally, we read a little bit more in Animal Farm (Chapter 7). With 9B I was able to finish this chapter, but with 9A we didn't quite make it. We'll be continuing our study of Animal Farm next week. Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Chapter 8 Quiz, Monday, November 15th
• Edgar Allan Poe webquest assignment is due on Monday, November 29th (which is Term 2), this due date is set
• No school on Thursday (November 11th) or Friday (November 12th) this week

Have a great long weekend! I'll see you on Monday!

November 9

Today in class, you wrote your Chapter 7 Quiz. This took most of your first period with me. Next, we read Chapters 5 and 6 of Animal Farm. I collected your Animal Farm comprehension questions for a homework check. You have some homework due tomorrow, it's a pretty easy assignment: print off the notes from the website. Please check the previous blog for the hyperlinks to the pages that you're supposed to print the handouts from.

November 8

If you missed today's class, here are the topics that we covered today: I gave you some notes on Gorbachev and perestroika (from the overhead projector), you did a little bit of reading in Chapter 8 (pgs. 211-212, and pgs. 216-217). Additionally, I gave you the Chapter 8 Quiz study guide (a copy of it appears later in this blog). We also read Chapter 4 in Animal Farm. I also gave you some comprehension questions which covered Chapters 1-3. For homework tonight you have the following:

• Animal Farm comprehension questions (due tomorrow)
• print off the website notes (hyperlinks are below), due Wednesday:

1. Gorbachev and Perestroika:

http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut10.htm

2. Gorbachev and Glasnost:

http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9btut10a.htm

Here is the Chapter 8 Quiz Study Guide (the quiz is next Monday, November 15th):

Format:

1. Fill in the Blanks
2. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms
• Gorbachev
• Perestroika (4 goals of perestroika)
• Glasnost
• Soviet Foreign Policy
• Problems in Soviet society
• Problems in the Soviet republics

Here are the key terms that you should be familiar with:

• Gorbachev
• perestroika
• glasnost
• arms control
• SALT

November 4

Today was your last class period to work on the Edgar Allan Poe webquest assignment. Both classes had access to the laptops for both periods, although unfortunately 9B had to download that critical patch that seemed to take forever! This assignment will be due at the beginning of Term 2. At this point, I still haven't settled on a due date for it yet. There are no classes tomorrow (Friday), so please study for the Chapter 7 Quiz which is on Tuesday next week.

Please enjoy your long weekend! I'll see you on Monday.

November 3

Today we read a little bit more from "Animal Farm" We read as a class, Chapters 2 and 3. We also continued our analysis of the novel, comparing events and characters in the novel to people in Russian history. I also gave you some class time to study for your Chapter 7 Quiz, which is on Tuesday. I also reminded you that your Soviet Timeline project is due tomorrow.

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Soviet Timeline project due Thursday, November 4th
• Chapter 7 Quiz is on Tuesday, November 9th

Here is the Chapter 7 Quiz Study Guide:

Format:

1. Matching Section
2. Multiple Choice Section
3. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms
• Social/Political Features of the Soviet System (ie. One Party Rule, Multinational Empire, World Power)
• Organization of the CPSU (diagram p.190, information about each level of CPSU)
• Role of the Secret Police (KGB) in Soviet society
• Economic/Political/Military Alliances after WW II (specifically, the Warsaw Pact and COMECON)
• understand how the Warsaw Pact and COMECON worked/what was their purpose?

Here are the key terms that will appear throughout the Chapter 7 Quiz:

• nationality
• multinational
• Pravda
• nomenklatura
• Politburo
• Secretariat
• cells
• General Secretary
• candidate
• Communist Party (CPSU)
• Warsaw Pact
• COMECON
• Octobrists
• Young Pioneers
• Komsomol
• One Party Rule
• satellite country
• constitution
• KGB
• republic
• capitalist west
• communist east
• Cold War

Please make sure that you study and prepare for this quiz!

November 2

Today I gave you back your Chapter 5 Quiz (which you wrote last week). I gave you the Chapter 7 Quiz study guide. This quiz will be held next Tuesday. For the remainder of the period both classes had time to work on the Edgar Allan Poe webquest. I also reminded you to finish your Soviet Timeline project, which is due this Thursday. I'll be posting your Chapter 7 Quiz Study Guide tomorrow.

November 1

Today you wrote your Chapter 6 Quiz during class time. This took most of your first period with me. In the second period, we did a quick review of some of the Social and Political Features of the Soviet Union. You should have notes from the website on this topic in your binders. If you haven't printed off these notes yet, please make sure that you do so. We started reading Animal Farm today as well. If you were unable to sign out a copy from our school library (ie. if you have overdue books), then please make sure that you take care of it soon, so you can read this book at home.
Just a gentle reminder, the Soviet Timeline Projects are due this Thursday!!

October 29

I'm sorry that I didn't post this blog earlier today, but it was kind of a busy day. If you missed today's class, here's what happened: I did a homework check on the website notes (see previous post) on the Social and Political System in the Soviet Union. Additionally, both classes had access to the laptops, and were able to work on the Edgar Allan Poe webquest.

Don't forget to study for your Chapter 6 Quiz, which is on Monday. In case you missed it, here is the study guide for the upcoming quiz:

Format:

1. Matching Section
2. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms
• Basic Features of the Centrally Planned Economy
• Basic Economic Questions
• Differences between a Market Economy, Mixed Economy, and a Command Economy
• Characteristics of Socialism
• What is communism?
• State farms (sovkhoz) and Collective farms (kolkhoz)
• How the Soviet economy worked
• What was the role of the Communist Party, Gosplan, Ministries, and Directors in the Soviet economy?

These are the key terms that will appear on the quiz:

• capital
• scarcity
• Gosplan
• enterprise
• market economy
• mixed economy
• command economy
• state farms
• collective farms
• producers
• production target
• consumers
• "storming"
• goods
• means of production
• the second economy
• socialism
• communism
• means of production

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Chapter 6 Quiz, Monday, November 1st
• Soviet Timeline Project is due Thursday, November 4th

October 28

Today, depending on whether or not you're in 9A or 9B your homework assignment might vary slightly. This is the basic homework assignment, please check to make sure which of these assignments apply to you:

• read p.190-194 in the text
• print off website notes
• study for the Chapter 6 Quiz (Monday)

Here's the hyperlink for the website notes, please print off the PDF file (the Handout link is at the bottom of the page):

http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut9.htm

This is just a gentle reminder: your Soviet Timeline Project (this is a group project) is due next Thursday (one week from today). Has your group been meeting to finish this project off?

October 27

Depending on whether you're in 9A or 9B, the class was a little different today. If you're in 9A or 9B, you missed some class notes if you were away. In the notes, we compared the three economic systems that we'll be studying this year: the command economy, the market economy, and the mixed economy. If you're in 9B, you should have notes on economic values of the economic systems as well. 9B continued working on the Edgar Allan Poe webquest, as did 9A, however, 9A had the laptops for about an hour today. No due date has been set yet for this webquest, although it looks like it will be around mid-November.

Don't forget to study for your Chapter 6 Quiz, which is on Monday!

October 26

Please check the previous blog posting for the hyperlink to the Social Studies Web. You need to print off the handout from the bottom of the Soviet Economy webpage for tomorrow. Today we started the Edgar Allan Poe Webquest in class. Details of this project are available here:
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/poe.htm

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Soviet Timeline Project due Thursday, November 4th
• Soviet Economy website notes due tomorrow
• Chapter 6 Quiz is on Monday, November 1st

October 25

Today you wrote your Chapter 5 Quiz. If you missed class today, then you will have to schedule a time to write this quiz with me. We started Chapter 6 today. I gave you some notes on Features of the Soviet Economy in class, specifically State Ownership and Control of the Means of Production, and Central Planning of Production. You are required to finish off the notes on the Soviet economy that we started in class, you can find the information on page 167 from your text. We also talked about Scarcity briefly, and the Basic Economic Questions. I also gave you the Chapter 6 Quiz Study Guide. The Chapter 6 Quiz will next Monday, November 1st. You must print off some notes from the Social Studies Web again, this time the notes will be on the Soviet Economy. Here's the hyperlink for the notes:
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut8.htm

Please scroll down to the bottom of the webpage, open up the Handout link, and print off the PDF file.

Here is the Chapter 6 Quiz Study Guide

Format:

1. Matching Section
2. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms
• Basic Features of the Centrally Planned Economy
• Basic Economic Questions
• Differences between a Market Economy, Mixed Economy, and a Command Economy
• Characteristics of Socialism
• What is communism?
• State farms (sovkhoz) and Collective farms (kolkhoz)
• How the Soviet economy worked
• What was the role of the Communist Party, Gosplan, Ministries, and Directors in the Soviet economy?

These are the key terms that will appear on the quiz:

• capital
• scarcity
• Gosplan
• enterprise
• market economy
• mixed economy
• command economy
• state farms
• collective farms
• producers
• production target
• consumers
• "storming"
• goods
• means of production
• the second economy
• socialism
• communism
• means of production

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Soviet Timeline Project is due Thursday, November 4th
• Chapter 6 Quiz is on Monday, November 1st
• Soviet Economy notes (from website) due Wednesday, October 27th
• Finish notes from class, due tomorrow

October 22

Today we finished off the notes booklet by doing a short reading on Khrushchev and Brezhnev. For the rest of the time you had some time to work on your group project, the Soviet Timeline. This project now has a due date, it's due on Thursday, November 4th. Today was your last class period to work on this project. I also collected the Totalitarianism Webs, which were due today. If you didn't hand them in today, they are now late. Just a gentle reminder that your Chapter 5 Quiz is on Monday. This is a very difficult quiz, so please prepare for it.
Here's the study guide for the quiz once again:

Format:
1. Matching Section (there are two matching sections)
2. Multiple Choice Section (15 questions)
3. Short Answer Section

• Key Terms, Key Events, Key People (see list later in this blog)
• War Communism and NEP (successes/failures; Why was the NEP introduced? Why was the NEP unique/unusual?)
• Lenin
• Stalin
• Totalitarianism (7 characteristics)
• Five Year Plans/Industrialization
• Goals, Objectives, Achievements and Results of the Five Year Plans
• WWII and its effects on the USSR
• Khruschev
• Brezhnev
• Soviet Leaders (Lenin to Brezhnev, key accomplishments, key events during their time in power)

Here's a list of key terms, key events and key people that you should know for the quiz (some may appear in the matching section, and some may appear throughout the quiz):

• collectivization
• Cold War
• Lenin
• Stalin
• Khrushchev
• Brezhnev
• "Brezhnev Doctrine"
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Trotsky
• de-Stalinization
• re-Stalinization
• War Communism
• NEP
• satellite countries
• propaganda
• detente
• The Great Purge
• private ownership
• means of production
• Five Year Plans
• totalitarianism
• industrialization

Here's a quick list of upcoming important dates:

• Chapter 5 Quiz Monday, October 25th
• Soviet Timeline Project due Thursday, November 4th

October 21

Today we talked a little bit about the rapid industrialization of the USSR, focusing on the effects of the Five Year Plans. Additionally, we talked about the effects of WWII on the Soviet Union. For the rest of the period you had some time to work on your Soviet Timeline project. No due date has been set for this project yet, but it will be in early November. Don't forget to study for your Chapter 5 Quiz, which is on Monday, October 25th.

October 20

Today in class, you did a short reading on the Five Year Plans and Industrialization in the USSR, as well as one on WWII. These readings were from a notes package that I gave to you. This notes package covers these two topics as well Khrushchev and Brezhnev. For the rest of class time you were working in your Soviet Timeline groups, gathering information about key dates and key events in Soviet history.

Don't forget to study for the Chapter 5 Quiz. If you missed the study guide for this quiz, please look for it on this blog in an earlier posting. Additionally, your Totalitarianism Web is due this Friday. Please make sure that you hand it in on time. If you hand this project in on Monday, it is two days late and you will lose 20% on this assignment.

October 19

If you missed today's class you will have to find some time to re-schedule your Chapter 4 Quiz with me. People who finished their quiz early were able to have some time to work on their Totalitarianism webs (these webs are due on Friday, October 22nd). We started a new group project as well today, with the final product of the group work being a Soviet History Timeline spanning the years 1914-1992. You will have time to work on the Timeline project in classes this week. No firm due date has been set for this project yet.

Here are some upcoming important dates:

• Totalitarianism Web due October 22nd
• Chapter 5 Quiz is on October 25th

See you tomorrow in class!

October 18

Welcome back from your Fall break. I hope that you had a restful, stress-free break. In case you missed what we did in class today, here's a quick summary: I returned several assignments and projects to you, I gave you time to work on your Totalitarianism web, I reminded you to study for your Chapter 4 Quiz (which is tomorrow), and I gave you a study guide for your upcoming Chapter 5 Quiz. The assignments that were returned were: the Biography assignment, the Letter to the Tsar assignment, the Soviet Dictionary Project, and the Wanted Poster/Obituary.
Here's a quick summary of upcoming important dates:

• Chapter 4 Quiz is tomorrow October 19th
• Chapter 5 Quiz is Monday, October 25th
• Totalitarianism web is due Friday, October 22nd

Here's a quick recap of the Chapter 5 quiz study guide:

Format:

1. Matching Section (there are two matching sections)
2. Multiple Choice Section (15 questions)
3. Short Answer Section

Topics:

• Key Terms, Key Events, Key People (see list later in this blog)
• War Communism and NEP (successes/failures; Why was the NEP introduced? Why was the NEP unique/unusual?)
• Lenin
• Stalin
• Totalitarianism (7 characteristics)
• Five Year Plans/Industrialization
• Goals, Objectives, Achievements and Results of the Five Year Plans
• WWII and its effects on the USSR
• Khruschev
• Brezhnev
• Soviet Leaders (Lenin to Brezhnev, key accomplishments, key events during their time in power)

Here's a list of key terms, key events and key people that you should know for the quiz (some may appear in the matching section, and some may appear throughout the quiz):

• collectivization
• Cold War
• Lenin
• Stalin
• Khrushchev
• Brezhnev
• "Brezhnev Doctrine"
• Cuban Missile Crisis
• Trotsky
• de-Stalinization
• re-Stalinization
• War Communism
• NEP
• satellite countries
• propaganda
• detente
• The Great Purge
• private ownership
• means of production
• Five Year Plans
• totalitarianism
• industrialization

October 7

Today, I collected your Obituary/Wanted Poster assignment. There were only a few people from each class that didn't have it finished. If this assignment isn't handed in by the end of the day, then I will not accept it after the Fall break. Additionally, you were given class time to work on your Movie Review assignment. Here are some important dates that you must be aware of:

• Movie Review assignment is due Monday, October 18th
• Chapter 4 Quiz is on Tuesday, October 19th

I did not set a due date for the Totalitarianism web because we'll be working on it after the Fall break. You have tomorrow (Friday) off, and you don't have school until October 18th. Please enjoy the time off!! See you after the break!

October 6

We did a quick review today of Lenin's economic policies, specifically War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP). I also reminded you to print off the Lenin/NEP notes from the Social Studies Web again, this is due tomorrow (and I will be doing a homework check on it). If you can't remember how to get to these notes, please check the previous post on this blog. We also looked at Stalin and Totalitarianism, with a quick reading from the textbook (p.118-119). I want you to print off the handout on Stalin and Totalitarianism from the website as well. Simply follow the hyperlink included below, and then you should be able to print off the PDF file. Here's the hyperlink:
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut5.htm

Don't forget that your Obituary/Wanted Poster assignment is due tomorrow! Your Movie Review assignment will be due the first day back from our Fall break.

To summarize, here are some important dates:

• Obituary/Wanted Poster due October 7th (this will not be accepted after the break!)
• Lenin/NEP notes due October 7th
• Stalin/Totalitarianism notes due October 7th
• Movie Review (good copy) is due October 18th
• Chapter 4 Quiz is on October 19th

October 5

Today in class you were given some time to work on your Obituary/Wanted Poster assignment, which is due on Thursday, October 7th. We also looked at doing "Power Notes" for the start of Chapter 5, specifically information about Lenin's economic policies. You did "power notes" on War Communism and the New Economic Policy (NEP). You should know this material really well for tomorrow's class!! We also worked on the Movie Review assignment a little bit. I gave you a handout on "How to Write a Movie Review", so if you missed today's class you missed this handout as well. You will be given some class time to work on your Obituary/Wanted Poster tomorrow as well as the Movie Review. I also asked you to print off notes from the websites, on this page of the Social Studies Web please scroll to the bottom to print off the notes on Lenin and the NEP.
Here's the hyperlink:
http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut4.htm


Here are some key dates:

• Obituary/Wanted Poster due Thursday, October 7th
• Movie Review due Monday, October 18th
• Chapter 4 Quiz is on Tuesday, October 19th
• Print off Lenin/NEP/War Communism from the website by October 7th

October 4

In class today I collected your Soviet dictionary project. Some of you did not hand it in, so you will lose 10% per day until Wednesday, which is the last day that I will accept this project. I gave you a due date for the Obituary/Wanted Poster assignment, it's due on October 7th. I will not be accepting any obituaries or wanted posters after the Fall break. I returned your Chapter 3 Quiz, and we did corrections, so you'll have to get the correct answers from one of your classmates if you missed today's class. I also gave you a study guide for the Chapter 4 Quiz which we'll be having on Tuesday, October 19th. You'll have to get the study guide from someone who was in class today.
Here's a quick warp up of announced due dates for assignments, projects, tests:

• Obituary/Wanted Poster due October 7th
• Chapter 4 Quiz on October 19th
• Soviet dictionary project is now overdue

September 30

Today we finished watching the movie "Nicholas and Alexandra". You also had some time to work on Obituary/Wanted Poster assignment. I didn't set a due date for either the movie review (we'll be working on it next week), or the Obituary/Wanted Poster. It will probably be due late next week before we go on our Fall break. Just another gentle reminder: your Soviet dictionary is due on Monday. Please make sure that you hand it in on time!!

September 29

We watched some more of "Nicholas and Alexandra" today. We'll definitely be able to finish the movie tomorrow. You will also get some class time to work on your "Obituary for a Tsar" (or your "Wanted Poster", depending on which assignment you've decided to do) tomorrow in class. This assignment will be due next Thursday, so please use your class time effectively!! See you in class tomorrow!

September 28

If you missed today's class, we did a little work on the "Obituary for a Tsar" or "Wanted Poster" assignment. We watched a little of the movie "Nicholas and Alexandra". I didn't assign any homework per se, but I do expect that you will do some work on your Soviet Dictionary assignment. We'll continue watching the movie tomorrow.

Quiz Day

If you missed today's class, you missed writing the Chapter 3 Quiz, so you'll have to schedule a time with me to make the quiz up. I hope that you do a little work on your Soviet Dictionary project over the next few days. You do have a long weekend coming up, as there are no classes on Friday due to Parent-Student-Teacher Interviews, so use your time this week to get something accomplished on the dictionary. I'll be doing a homework check tomorrow to see if you've printed off the Russian Revolution notes from the Social Studies Web. If you can't remember where to find the notes, please check the previous post on this blog because it has a hyperlink directly to the website. Additionally, we started a new project today in class called "Obituary for a Tsar" (you can also do a "Wanted Poster for a Tsar" if you like), you'll get some time in class to work on it tomorrow. We're going to start watching the movie "Nicholas and Alexandra" tomorrow as well.

Review Game Friday

I hope that you all enjoyed the review game that we played today in Humanities. It might help you a little bit with the Chapter 3 Quiz that is on Monday. You still have to study over the weekend! Please also don't forget to work on your Soviet Dictionary Project, it's due on Monday October 4th. Have a great weekend, I'll see you Monday!

The Russian Revolution

In case you missed it, this is what you need to have completed for tomorrow: you must complete the Chapter 4 review booklet on the events of 1917. You should also prepare for the Chapter 3 review game that we'll be playing on Friday. Don't forget that your Chapter 3 Quiz is on Monday, September 27th. Also, by Monday, you must print off from the Social Studies Web the notes on the Russian Revolution. If you're not sure where to find them, here's the hyperlink: http://schools.cbe.ab.ca/b689/mainFrame/departments/humanities/gilchrist/9Btut2a.htm
Please make sure that you read this webpage on the Social Studies Web, and then scroll to the bottom of the page to get to the handout. You definitely need these notes!!

Zoo Trip

I'd just like to say that you were all really well-behaved on the trip to the Zoo today. It was a great day to get away from the school and spend some time outside. I would definitely like to go on another field trip with either 9A or 9B. I hope that you've been reviewing for your Chapter 3 quiz (which is next week). Please remember that interim report cards will go home this Friday, September 24th. See you tomorrow at school!

First Homework Posting

Just in case you missed it in class today, here's what was assigned. I finally set a due date for the Soviet Dictionary Project. This project will be due on Monday, October 4th, so please make sure that you hand this project in on time. Losing 10% per day for a late assignment would really cost you in the long run with this assignment. Additionally, if you missed this class you also missed getting a Chapter 3 Quiz Study Guide. Please make arrangements with a classmate to get all the details of what will be on this quiz. You will need to know a lot about Marx and Lenin to do well!

Inspiration Hits Me!

So I was setting up a Blogger site for my son today and an idea occurred to me....this would be a quick and easy way for me to communicate with students and parents alike about upcoming homework, assignments, and projects. It would also be easy to do, because "blogging" is as easy as sending an e-mail to someone. It puts less pressure on Mr. Rushton too because then he doesn't have to play around with all those teacher's files, I can then just post to my blog directly. Another advantage of "blogging" would be that past blogs get archived on a monthly basis. So I guess my new task will be to keep this up for the whole year! I think that this is a great way of posting information, but I'd really like your feedback. So what do you think?