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!!