September 30

Social 10

Today we played a little review game of Jeopardy. The topics that were covered in the game were: Canadian Geography, Regionalism, Regions of Canada, Western Alienation, and History (French-English Relations). These topics were chosen purposefully, because these are the major topics that will appear on your Regionalism Final. Don't forget that this exam is on Monday, October 3rd. Also, your French-English Relations Timeline Assignment is also due on Monday.

Social 23

We finished watching "The French Revolution: Years of Hope" in today's class. Please remember the following important dates:

• French Revolution Letter Writing Assignment is due Monday, October 3rd
• French Revolution Research Assignment is due Wednesday, October 5th
• French Revolution Unit Final is on Wednesday, October 5th (the study guide was posted yesterday)

Here are some interesting websites that may be helpful for studying or completing the research assignment:

Useful Websites for the French Revolution:

• Causes of the French Revolution
• Sparknotes: The French Revolution
• Wikipedia: The French Revolution
• French Revolution
• French Revolution: Make the Teacher Walk the Plank!
• French Revolution: Fling the Teacher!
• French Revolution: Fact Monster

September 29

Social 23

We continued watching "The French Revolution: Years of Hope" in class today. If missed today's class you missed a lot of exciting parts of the film, including: Louis XVI being imprisoned, the September Massacres, the abolishment of the monarchy, the French victory at the battle in Valmy, the trial of Louis XVI and his execution, and Charlotte Corday killing Marat. I told you that on Wednesday, October 5th your research assignment is due. As well on that day, you will have your French Revolution Unit Exam (the study guide appears below).
Upcoming important dates for Social 23 students:

• French Revolution Writing Assignment (Letter) due Monday, October 3rd
• French Revolution Research Assignment due Wednesday, October 5th
• French Revolution Unit Exam is on Wednesday, October 5th

Study guide for French Revolution Unit Exam:

The following guide will only provide you with general topics for review (how you review and study for this exam is entirely up to you).

1. Key People in the French Revolution

• Danton
• Robespierre
• Lafayette
• Louis XVI
• Marie Antoinette
• Marat
• Necker
• Mirabeau

don't forget the "philosophes"! (Smith, Voltaire, Montesquieu, Rousseau)

2. Organization of French Society:

• First Estate
• Second Estate
• Third Estate

3. Key Events in the French Revolution:

• Calling of the Estates-General
• Tennis Court Oath
• storming of the Bastille
• creation of the National Assembly
• Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen
• Women's March to Versailles
• Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette are forced to return to Paris
• Louis XVI is imprisoned
• September Massacres
• French victory at Valmy
• Louis XVI's trial and execution
• creation of the Committee of Public Safety
• the Reign of Terror
• Marat is killed
• collapse of the Committee of Public Safety
• execution of Robespierre

4. Causes of the French Revolution

• underlying causes
• immediate causes

5. Key Terms:

• Old Regime
• bourgeoisie
• assignats
• estates
• cahiers
• coup d'etat
• the Estates-General
• the National Assembly
• the National Convention
• the Directory
• Bourbon
• plus other key events and key people

Please use any notes or presentations that have been delivered in class as study materials. I will include some websites very soon to use to review for this exam, and to aid in the research assignment.

Social 10

Today we discussed the two articles regarding Albertan independence in class. We first collected ideas pertaining to arguments for and against independence that appeared in the articles. Next, I asked you to develop some ideas for or against independence. Finally, we had a class discussion on this issue, with people who were "undecided" in the middle, and people who were either "for" or "against" sitting on opposite ends of the room. I hope that you enjoyed this class discussion today.
Upcoming important dates for Social 10 students:

• Regionalism Unit Final is Monday, October 3rd
• French-English Relations Timeline is due on Monday, October 3rd

September 28

Social 10

We began our look at the topic of Western alienation today in class. I had a class set of readings from which you were to take notes. This took most of the class period. Topics covered in the note-taking session were:

• What is alienation?
• Concerns raised by Western provinces
• Regional political parties formed in the West (founding date, leaders, where they were active, and objectives of the party)
• Seeds of Western Alienation (root causes)
• Growth of Western Alienation (Great Depression, protective tariffs, OPEC, Reform Party)

I also distributed a booklet with two handouts: one of which argued for Albertan independence, and the other against independence. Here's what I'd like you to do with these articles: read them, take notes on arguments for and against, and differentiate between fact and opinion. We will be discussing these articles and issues that they raise in class tomorrow.

Social 23

We continued viewing the video "The French Revolution: Years of Hope" in class today. The main event in today's portion was the capture of Louis XVI at Varennes. I also gave you some class time to work on a rough draft of your letter assignment or you could have worked on the research assignment. I have set due dates for this two assignments. The letter assignment is due on Monday, October 3rd and the research assignment is due on Wednesday, October 5th.

September 27

Once again, I apologize for the late posting...

Social 10

We watched a couple of excerpts of the CBC News in Review. One of which was a 20th anniversary retrospective on the FLQ-October Crisis of 1970. The other dealt with the lead up to a referendum vote in Quebec in 1995. I collected extra credit assignments as well today. I'm still trying to get the e-mail distribution list working smoothly. This morning I sent out the three PowerPoint presentations that I have delivered thus far in class. If you didn't receive these presentations in your e-mail account, then you need to send me an e-mail message. Here is my e-mail address in case you didn't copy it down today: krgilchrist@cbe.ab.ca
Please review the previous posting for a study guide for the Regionalism final.

Social 23

We continued watching the video "The French Revolution: Years of Hope". The events that we watched today were: the storming of the Bastille, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Women's March to Versailles, and we were getting to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's attempt to escape from France. We'll pick up where we left off tomorrow.

September 26

Sorry for the late posting tonight....

Social 10

If you missed class today, I delivered a presentation which covered a "Brief History of French-English Relations". I will be sending this PowerPoint presentation out very soon. I would still like you to reply to the original "ping" message that I sent out on Friday night. If you have a Hotmail account, the e-mail message may have been sent directly to your junk mail folder, so please look for it and respond back. If you still didn't receive the original "ping" message then you need to send an e-mail directly to me. My e-mail address is on this blog. You just need to "view my complete profile" and then you will see a hyperlink to my e-mail address on the left hand side of the website. I also gave you some time to complete gathering information on your French-English relations timelines. This timeline assignment will be due on Monday, October 3rd. Additionally, on October 3rd, I have tentatively scheduled your Regionalism Final Exam (this date may be subject to rescheduling, depending on covering topics sufficiently). It will consist of approximately 60-65 multiple choice questions. The following is meant to act as a study guide of major topics and themes that we have covered during our study of Regionalism:

1. Regions of Canada

• physiographic regions
• climatic regions
• physiographic regions (chart)
• basic Canadian geography (provinces, territories, capitals, rivers and bodies of water)

2. Regionalism

• what is regionalism?
• causes of regionalism in Canada

3. Regional Disparity

• what is regional disparity?
• what causes regional disparity?
• "have" and "have not" provinces
• what does the government do to ease regional disparity?
• shared-cost programs
• personal transfers
• equalization payments
• indicators/signposts of regional disparity

4. French-English relations

• Treaty of Paris (1763)
• Quebec Act
• Constitutional Act
• Act of Union
• Confederation
• Riel Rebellions
• WWI Conscription Crisis
• Quiet Revolution (1960-66)- Jean Lesage
• FLQ Crisis
• Parti Quebecois-Rene Levesque
• 1980 Referendum
• Meech Lake Accord
• Charlottetown Accord-referendum

5. Western alienation

• Causes of Western alienation (root causes)
• Development of Western alienation (Great Depression)
• formation of regional political parties (UFA, Social Credit, CCF/NDP, Reform, etc.)
• regional political party ideas/objectives

Upcoming important dates for Social 10 students:

• French-English relations Timeline assignment is due on October 3rd
• Regionalism Final is on October 3rd (subject to change)

Social 23

Today I distributed three handouts to you. One of which was to accompany the film "The French Revolution: Years of Hope". The other two were assignments. One of the assignments is a letter writing assignment and the other is a research assignment related to the French Revolution. I have not set a due date for either of these assignments, but I will very soon. We watched most of Part I of the film, and we reached the day of the storming of the Bastille, which is what we'll start with tomorrow.

September 23

Social 10

I gave you some time to finish the "Regional Challenges" worksheet, and if you were able to finish it you were to continue working on gathering information for your French-English Relations timeline assignment. You do not have any homework for this weekend. I have not set a due date for this timeline assignment or essay as of yet, but I will set it on Monday. Don't forget that the extra credit assignment is due on Tuesday.

Social 23

You wrote your European Geography Quiz today. After completing the quiz you had some time to complete some French Revolution themed puzzles. These puzzles are due on Monday.

September 22

Social 23

I delivered a PowerPoint presentation today covering the key events of the French Revolution. I would like to send this presentation out by e-mail once you have all responded to my initial test of the e-mail distribution list. We also reviewed the answers to the Chapter 4 questions that I assigned for homework yesterday. We also started discussing answers to the Chapter 4 "Test" (worksheet) that I handed out. Don't forget to study for your European Geography Test which is tomorrow. Please use the hyperlinks that I posted a couple of days ago to aid in your studying.

Social 10

We briefly discussed the article "Guarding Alberta's Vault" at the start of class. I had you copy down your latest assignment, a timeline and essay on French-English relations. I have not set a due date for either assignment as of yet. I gave you some class time today to do some background work for the timeline. I will give you more specific requirements and what I will be looking for when I am evaluating this assignment very soon. You will have a homework assignment for the weekend, but it will not include the timeline or essay. Please remember that if you are completing the extra credit assignment to accompany the promotional brochure, it is due on Tuesday, September 27th.

September 21

Social 10

I had you read two newspaper articles today that dealt with the topic of equalization of regional disparities in Canada. I had you summarize arguments for and against equalization payments. I also distributed another newspaper article entitled "Guarding Alberta's Vault". You are to read this article tonight, and be prepared to discuss it tomorrow in class.

Social 23

We began class by reviewing the answers to the questions that I had assigned for homework last night. I gave you a timeline of key events in the French Revolution and I discussed some key points with the class on various events in the revolution. I also assigned the following questions for homework: page 74, Q1-5. Most of you finished this in class. I have set up the e-mail distribution list for this class, so please check your e-mail tonight or tomorrow, and respond back if it you got the message. (Please respond back with the word "pong") Thanks!

September 20

Social 10

I delivered a presentation today on causes of regional disparities. If you missed today's class, you will have to get notes from a classmate. I collected your promotional brochure assignments, and returned your Canadian Geography quiz answer sheets. I would like to set up an e-mail distribution list for both Social 10 classes, so please remind me tomorrow to send around the sign up list. You do not have any homework for tomorrow, unless you did not get your brochure in on time.

Social 23

I delivered a presentation today on the Causes of the French Revolution. This presentation covered the underlying and immediate causes of the revolution, and events leading up to the storming of the Bastille in 1789. I also assigned the following questions from the textbook for homework:

• page 65 Q2, Q4
• page 70 Q1, Q2, Q5

These questions are for homework for tomorrow. Please don't forget that you have a European Geography Quiz on Friday!!

September 19

Social 10

If you are in Social 10-1 you had your library orientation today for the first part of class. Both classes wrote the Canadian Geography Quiz today. I also gave you some time to work on the next assignment, which dealt with regional challenges and "signposts" (indicators) of regional disparity. We will be exploring these issues in greater detail in the days to come. We will continue working on this tomorrow in class. Please don't forget that you have an assignment that is due tomorrow, the promotional brochure. Get it in on time!!

Social 23

We wrote the Age of Reason Quiz today in class. The results of this quiz were quite good. I also told you that I wanted to set up an e-mail distribution list for this class so if you could come to class tomorrow with a working e-mail address that will be great. This will help me with distributing notes and PowerPoint presentations to you, rather than using valuable class time copying down notes. I had you read in Chapter 4, pages 61-73, which should cover most of the major events of the French Revolution. If you did not finish reading this in class, then please finish it tonight! Also, you will be having a European Geography Quiz on Friday. The quiz will consist of two maps which you must be able to label. The first map will be a political map, which will require you to label countries of Europe. The second map will cover major bodies of water and mountain ranges in Europe. Please study for this quiz. The following might be useful hyperlinks when studying for this quiz:

• Europe Quiz
• Triviaplaza (multiple choice format)
• Europe Map Quiz
• Thrillionaire Game (multiple choice format)
  

September 16

Social 10

I collected your essay responses today in class. You were given most of the period to do research in the library for the promotional brochure assignment. This project is due on Tuesday, September 20th. Please don't forget to study for your Canadian geography quiz which is on Monday!

Social 23

I reviewed with you the answers to all of the Chapter 2 questions. Please don't forget to study for your Chapter 2 "Age of Reason" quiz.

September 15 (Part 2)

Social 10 Links for Canadian Geography:

The following is not meant to be an exhaustive list of websites, however it may be useful to examine them as a starting point in your research.

• Canadian Landscapes Photo Collection (click on "Search by Physiographic Region")
• Canadian Tourism Commission Photo Gallery
• Images of Canada from VIA Rail (select a photo album to view)
• The Parliament of Canada Photo Gallery (only useful for St. Lawrence Lowlands region)
• Statistics Canada: Thematic Maps (may be useful)
• Travel Links: Canada (Travel Canada, most useful set of links. Includes links to provincial tourism websites)

September 15

Social 10

I gave you some class time today to finish off the last exercises in your first Regionalism booklet. There is an essay-style question due for tomorrow, the topic of the question is related to factors that have led to the concentration of manufacturing in eastern Canada (mainly Ontario and Quebec).I then distributed your Promotional Brochure assignment, and discussed the requirements of this particular assignment. We will be going to the library tomorrow to do some research. This assignment will be due on Tuesday, September 20th. If you decide to do the extra credit component of this assignment, that will be due on the following Tuesday, September 27th, however, you will not receive any class time to complete it.

Upcoming important dates for Social 10:

• Promotional Brochure due September 20th
• Canadian Geography Quiz is on Monday, September 19th
• Manufacturing essay question answer (good copy) is due tomorrow
  
  

Social 23

Today we went over some of the answers to previous exercises and worksheets that you have completed. I also collected your three maps of Europe. We went over the answers to the Chapter 2 "Test", and the Age of Enlightenment crossword puzzle. I assigned the following quesions from the textbook for homework, all of which are from Chapter 2:

• p.31 Q2, Q5
• p.33 Q1, Q4
• p.37 Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4
• p.38-39 Q1, Q3, Q10, Q11
  

Upcoming important dates for Social 23:

• Chapter 2: Age of Reason Quiz is on Monday, September 19th
• Chapter 2 review questions are due tomorrow

September 14

Social 10

In today's class I delivered a short introductory presentation on the six geographical regions of Canada. I gave you the remainder of the class time to work on activities in your Regionalism booklet, namely, filling out information in a retrieval chart on the geographical regions of Canada. You should have completed this chart in class. Many of you moved on to the next exercise, which dealt with the distribution of the population of Canada. Just a reminder, your Geography of Canada quiz has been postponed until Monday, so that we may do some research in the library on Friday (the scheduled day for the quiz).

Social 23

I showed you part of a video on the Enlightenment today in class. From this video you should have been able to take some notes on key ideas that developed during the Enlightenment. I next gave you a crossword puzzle which covered some key people, events and ideas of the Age of Reason. Since many of you had issues in completing your maps, I gave you an extension, until tomorrow (Thursday) to complete all three maps. Don't forget to color them! On the third map, don't forget to label all of the capital cities of Europe.

September 13

Social 10

I gave you some class time today to work on both Part "B" and Part "C" in the Regionalism booklet. You were to have completed Part "A" (the two maps) for today's class. Both Part "B" and Part "C" are for homework. Your Canadian Geography Quiz has been postponed from Friday until Monday, in order to make time for some library research.

Social 23

If you missed today's class, you missed a lot of notes on the Age of Reason. You will need to get these notes from a classmate. I also gave you a two-sided worksheet that covers Chapter 2: The Age of Reason from your textbook. This worksheet, plus the three maps of Europe (properly colored and labeled) are due tomorrow.

September 12

Social 10

At the start of the period I gave you some time to work on the "Basic Canadian Geographical Information" worksheet that I gave to you on Friday. I distributed a booklet that covers some of the major topics that we'll be covering in our study of Canadian regionlism. You do have an assignment that it is in this booklet, and it is due tomorrow. The assignment is Part "A" part of the map assignment, for this assignment you must complete the two maps on climate regions and physiographic regions of Canada. I returned your map assignments today as well.

Social 23

I collected your assignments that were due today at the beginning of class. I handed out a set of maps of Europe. This was the only class time that I will be able to give you to work on these maps. All of the maps are due on Wednesday, September 14th. Please don't forget to read Chapter 2 in the textbook tonight.

September 9

Social 10

I distributed a handout today entitled "Basic Canadian Geographical Information". I gave you the class period (55 minutes) to work on this handout, and very few of you were able to complete it in the time alotted. We will continue with this on Monday, it was not assigned for homework. Next week, we will begin examining how the geographical size of our country and distribution of resources leads to regionalism (one of the major themes of Social 10) and regional disparity. I also collected your maps which were due today.

Social 23

I gave you some time today to work on the question that accompanied the handout for the A&E Top 10 Most Influential People of the Millennium video. This will be due on Monday. As well, the "Introduction to History and Change" assignment (Parts "A", "B" and "C") will be due on Monday. Please bring pencil crayons on Monday.

September 8

Today will probably be a very short posting...

Social 23

In this morning's class we reviewed very quickly the two parts of the "Nature of History" assignment that we were working on in class yesterday. I gave you A&E's Top 100 Most Influential People of the Millennium list, and had you highlight the names on the list you recognized. I also distributed a handout to help you take notes during viewing of the accompanying Top 10 video. I then had you work on Part "C" of the assignment from yesterday. This assignment is due on Monday, September 12. Please remember that your letters of introduction are due tomorrow!

Social 10

I collected your letters of introduction today in class. I must say that I was very impressed with the number of students who completed this assignment, the quality of the writing, and the interesting contents of the letters. You are all very interesting to read about. I distributed two maps of Canada, and a list of items that would like to be labeled on the maps. These maps must be labeled and colored for tomorrow's class. A word or two about evaluation of these maps: you will all start with 100% on these maps and I will make deductions for mistakes (in labeling and coloring, so don't color islands blue!), and of course for neatness.

See you tomorrow in class!!

September 7

Social 10

Today was spent introducing you to the Social Studies 10 course. I outlined my simple classroom rules and expectations. I gave you some time to begin drafting a letter of introduction (friendly letter format) which you should have been able to finish. The "good copy" of this letter is due tomorrow. I also gave you a short "quiz" on Canada (which wasn't for marks) just to see how much you know about Canada. Some of those questions may appear on a later quiz or exam. Please remember to bring pencil crayons tomorrow!!

Social 23

Today I handed out the course outline for Social Studies 23, and went over my classroom rules and expectations. I gave you a handout entitled "An Introduction to History and Change". This handout is made up of three parts: Part "A" which dealt with how change affects the individual. For this part you were asked to identify events, happenings and items you would have missed during a 20 year period (1984-2004) if you had been locked in isolation with NO contact during that time. What would you have missed? You were asked to categorize the changes that you would have missed. Part "B" dealt with inviting three people to a dinner party. Your three guests had to have lived in the 20th or 21st century, be either living or dead at the present moment, and be a real people. You also had to state the reasons why you would invite these people. Part "B" was an individual activity. We will do Part "C" tomorrow in conjunction with viewing a video about the most influential people of the millennium. The due date for this assignment has not been set just yet, but it will be set tomorrow in class.