December 17

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 20-1 Students:

• Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, January 3rd
• Unit 3 Final Exam is on Tuesday, January 4th (please see the study guide here)
• Part A of the Social 20-1 Final Exam (Essay) is on Wednesday, January 5th

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 30-1 Students:

• Unit 4 Review Booklet is due on Tuesday, January 4th
• Unit 3 Final Exam is on Tuesday, January 4th (please see the study guide here)
• Social 30-1 Trial Final is on Monday, January 10th

December 15

Social 20-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Essay today in class. I sincerely apologize for the technical difficulties in the lab, it's a little embarrassing that 8 computers weren't working very well. Again, I apologize. You'll get the results of these essays back after the Winter Break. Please see the study guide for the Unit 3 Final Exam.

Social 20-1 Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

Please review all of the Unit 3 PowerPoint presentations that I have sent to you:

•"Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism"
•"Canada's Foreign Policy"
•"Nationalism and Internationalism"

Please review all of the Unit 3 Key Terms from the Unit 3 Worksheet in addition to the key concepts that were introduced in the PowerPoint presentations. In addition to this, I would like to emphasize the following points with you:

•know the difference between multilateralism, unilateralism and bilateralism and know examples of each
•know the spectrum of foreign policy: internationalism, nationalism, ultranationalism, and supranationalism
•know the different foreign policy options
•know the 6 themes of Canadian foreign policy/Canada's foreign policy goals
•what influences foreign policy decisions?
•methods of foreign policy
•motivations for nations involvement or non-involvement in international affairs
•how can foreign policy promote internationalism?
•tied aid, bilateral aid, multilateral aid
•examples of INGOs and IGOs
•the United Nations (organization/structure, bodies, etc.)
•peacemaking vs. peacekeeping (and examples)
•different understandings of internationalism (types of internationalism)
•why do international organizations exist? purposes and examples

Social 30-1

We're getting to the point where we are just wrapping up some issues in Unit 3. Please remember that your Unit 3 Essay is tomorrow in the Blenheim Room. Also, make sure that your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions are completed, they are due tomorrow. Please see the study guide for the Unit 3 Final Exam here (scroll down to find it). Here are a couple of videos related to invasions of privacy and CCTV.

December 14

Social 30-1

You wrote your Chapter 10 Test today and you will get the results back tomorrow. Some of you will need to write this test tomorrow as long as you have an explained absence. Your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday. I will be sending this worksheet to you by e-mail in case you missed class today. Your Unit 3 Final Exam is on Tuesday, January 4th, please see the study guide below.

Social 30-1 Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

This exam will be entirely multiple choice format. It will be on Tuesday, January 4th 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:

• 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 20-1

I went over some potential arguments for your Unit 3 WRA II at the beginning of class. You still have a lot of work to do, but hopefully I've given you some ideas to explore and develop in greater detail. We also looked at the issue of international inaction in the case of Darfur. I gave you a reading package on violence in Darfur (which is recommended reading tonight) which nicely summarizes the problems in Sudan. Also, we started watching a documentary called "Darfur: On Our Watch" which we will finish on Thursday. You will be writing your Unit 3 WRA II tomorrow during class time in Room 241, be on time!

Here are some other useful links on Darfur:

• sudanrreves.org (website on Darfur maintained by Eric Reeves, mentioned in today's video)
• PBS Frontline/World: Who's Who in Darfur: Geopolitics of a Tragedy
• Amnesty International: Eyes on Darfur
  
  

Social 20-1 Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

Please review all of the Unit 3 PowerPoint presentations that I have sent to you:

• "Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism"
• "Canada's Foreign Policy"
• "Nationalism and Internationalism"

Please review all of the Unit 3 Key Terms from the Unit 3 Worksheet in addition to the key concepts that were introduced in the PowerPoint presentations. In addition to this, I would like to emphasize the following points with you:

• know the difference between multilateralism, unilateralism and bilateralism and know examples of each
• know the spectrum of foreign policy: internationalism, nationalism, ultranationalism, and supranationalism
• know the different foreign policy options
• know the 6 themes of Canadian foreign policy/Canada's foreign policy goals
• what influences foreign policy decisions?
• methods of foreign policy
• motivations for nations involvement or non-involvement in international affairs
• how can foreign policy promote internationalism?
• tied aid, bilateral aid, multilateral aid
• examples of INGOs and IGOs
• the United Nations (organization/structure, bodies, etc.)
• peacemaking vs. peacekeeping (and examples)
• different understandings of internationalism (types of internationalism)
• why do international organizations exist? purposes and examples

December 13

Social 30-1

We watched a video called "Unconstitutional" for part of the period today, which looked at the American response to 9/11 and the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, and the legal, political and moral implications of this act. While you watched this video you were to complete a video study with relevant questions. If you missed today's class, I will be sending you the film study by e-mail. You can find this video on Google Video and I believe YouTube as well. In all likelihood, it's probably split into several parts. We didn't watch the entire video we stopped about 10-15 minutes after they looked at Guantanamo Bay detainees. Please see this link from the Washington Post on the issue of the detainees at Guantanamo. This source is from January 2010 (so it's a little dated), but you can see the scope of the issue, the release of the detainees and the issues that it brings up (what charges should be levelled against them? Where should the trials take place?). Think about the controversy surrounding what to do with Omar Khadr. I also gave you a couple of handouts as well today that looked at the Patriot Act (one from the ACLU, and the other a short debate between former Attorney General John Ashcroft and Senator Russell Feingold from Wisconsin). I also gave you some brief notes on the Anti-Terrorism Act. Please remember that your Chapter 10 Test is tomorrow, please see the study guide here.

Social 20-1

We spent a great deal of time today looking at contemporary global issues and whether or not internationalism was the most effective approach to dealing with these issues. We had some full class brainstorming, and small group discussions centered around the following questions:
1. What are some contemporary global issues?
2. How do we currently deal with these global issues? What international organizations deal with these issues?
3. Can the effectiveness of international organizations in dealing with these contemporary global issues be criticized? If so, what are some of these criticisms?
4. What are some of the strengths of these international organizations in dealing with these contemporary global issues?

Hopefully these discussions will help you think about the effectiveness of international organizations and internationalism. I gave you your essay question sheets today as well, and I gave you some time (15-20 minutes) to discuss relevant issues involved, the perspectives of the source, and arguments and potential evidence that could be used in an essay. I will be having tutorial sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. You will be writing your Unit 3 WRA II on Wednesday, be prepared! Start looking at the development of your arguments and evidence tonight!

December 10

Social 30-1

We finished watching the Turning Points in History video on the FLQ today. PLEASE make sure that you finish off the FLQ Crisis booklet. There is a useful document based analysis on the FLQ in there, and make sure you read about the Emergencies Act as well. 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 or losing civil liberties in order to ensure security.


We watched a CBC News in Review on the September 11th attacks today prior to going into detail about anti-terrorism legislation in Canada, the United States,and Great Britain (which we will be doing next week). 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. Your Chapter 10 Test is on Tuesday, here's the study guide (there's more democracy-related questions on the test than authoritarianism/dictatorship questions).

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 30-1 Students:

• Chapter 10 Test is on Tuesday, December 14th (please see the study guide here)
• Civil Rights Movement Assignment is due on Wednesday, December 15th
• Unit 3 WRA II (Essay) is on Thursday, December 16th (you will not get the essay question sheet in advance)

Social 20-1

I gave you class time to work on a booklet that outlined various key concepts associated with internationalism and foreign policy. This booklet required you to define the key terms and also provide real-world examples of these concepts. Concepts covered in this booklet included: foreign aid, supranationalism, multilateralism, peacekeeping, peacemaking, international law, international agreements, unilateralism, bilateralism, NGOs. I gave you back your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions homework today as well. I also posted your current mark in Social 20-1 in the classroom. This mark is subject to change as there are lots of opportunities to change this mark still left in the semester.

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 20-1 Students:

• Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday, December 13th
• Unit 3 WRA II (Essay) is on Wednesday, December 15th (you will get the essay question sheet on Monday)
• Unit 3 Final Exam is on Tuesday, January 4th (the study guide will be posted next week on the blog)
• Social 20-1 Final Exam Part A (In-Class Essay) is on Wednesday, January 5th (you will of course, not receive the essay question sheet in advance)

December 9

Social 20-1

I finished off the "Internationalism and Nationalism" PowerPoint today, and I will be sending this presentation to you this afternoon. I gave you back the results of your Unit 2 WRA II today. If your mark was 80% or higher, please e-mail your essay, I'd like to show others what the expectations are for these essays. I will remove your ID numbers from these essays and send them out to all of you. Your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions were due today. Your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday.

Social 30-1

Your Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions were due today. Your Canadian-American Government Comparison Assignment was due today as well. Your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. It looks like most of you completed your blog posting assignment (if not please post on Tuesday's comment section). We looked at the Canadian Bill of Rights, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil rights, entrenchment of rights, human rights, illiberalism, and the War Measures Act today. If you missed class today, you'll need to get these notes from a classmate. We also started to look at the FLQ Crisis of 1970 by watching a documentary from the Turning Points of History series and completing a film study. We'll finish this off tomorrow and transition into post-9/11 anti-terrorism legislation. Interesting stuff! Your Chapter 10 Test is on Tuesday, December 14th, please see the study guide here.

December 7

Social 30-1

Today was a busy class. We went through a CBC News in Review on elections in Afghanistan. You also got the Civil Rights Movement Assignment from me. The Civil Rights Movement assignment is due in one week's time. I have sent the essay outline sheets for this assignment. Your USA-Canada Government Comparison Charts are due on Thursday, as is your Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions. Your chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions will be due on Friday. One week from today you will be writing your Chapter 10 Test, please see the study guide below.

Chapter 10 Test Study Guide:

This test is multiple choice format, with 55 questions. 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:

• 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 20-1

I went through a PowerPoint presentation on "Canada's Foreign Policy" which I have already sent to you. Please make sure that you print it off and add it to your notes. I gave you some time to work on your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions which are due on Thursday.

December 3

Social 30-1

I went over a PowerPoint presentation today called "Political Challenges to Liberalism", which I will be sending to you this afternoon. I also gave you a reading called "The End of Democracy?" which is REQUIRED reading. Please make sure that you read this over this weekend. Also, make sure that you complete the following homework assignment prior to Thursday's class:
You must post an answer to two of the questions AND one of them MUST be an answer to question 4. You post your responses in the comment section on today's post and identify yourself by your initials (K.G. Social 30-1). You must also respond to two classmates' posts. This assignment is for DOUBLE homework check marks. Get it done! Use today's comment section for your responses. Don't forget that your Comparing American and Canadian Political System Charts are due on Thursday.

Social 20-1

My apologies to my Social 20-1 students, it's been a bad week for me. My son threw up at his daycare and I had to go pick him up. At any rate, you had some class time to work on the Unit 3 Worksheet. Your Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday. Also on Monday, you have your Unit 2 Final Exam, please see the study guide here. I will also share the results of your Chapter 7-8 Test next week, if you're really curious, you could always send me an e-mail and I'll get back to you. I should be able to have your essay results by Thursday of next week (one week after you wrote them).

December 2

Social 20-1

You wrote your Unit 2 Essay today in the Blenheim Room. If you missed today's class, and it was an explained absence, then you will be able to write this essay tomorrow. Please remember that you have your Unit 2 Final Exam on Monday, December 6th. Please see the study guide below.

Unit 2 Final Exam Study Guide:

1. Study the following PowerPoint presentations from Unit 2:

• The Causes of World War I
• Total War-Allied Victory in WWI-Paris Peace Conference
• Ultranationalism in WWII: Italy, Japan, Germany
• The Internment of Japanese-Canadians in WWII
• The Holocaust
• Eight Stages of Genocide (from the Genocide Watch website)
• Contemporary Examples of Genocide
  

2. Know the following key concepts:

• national interest
• domestic policy
• foreign policy
• Triple Alliance
• Triple Entente
• Treaty of Versailles
• Big Four (Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, Georges Clemenceau, Vittorio Orlando)
• appeasement
• ultranationalism
• propaganda
• conscription crisis
• Adolf Hitler
• Nazis
• Hirohito
• Tojo
• Kristallnacht
• The Way of Subjects
• League of Nations
• total war
• internment
• War Measures Act
• Great Depression
• the Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
• irredentism
• genocide
• crimes against humanity
• war crimes
• Holocaust
• ethnic cleansing
• lebensraum
• Weimar Republic
• Final Solution
• decolonization
• successor state
• self-determination
  

3. Make sure that you review the following broad topics in your review of Unit 2 (and make sure that you can answer ALL of the questions on the Unit 2 Worksheet):

• World War I (don't concern yourself with memorizing battles though)
• Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles
• The Interwar Years
• Rise of ultranationalism in Germany, Japan, and Italy
• Causes of World War II and key events (turning points in the war)
• The Holocaust
• Contemporary examples of genocide (review case studies that were emphasized in class and in the textbook, review your notes for "Scream Bloody Murder", "Shake Hands with the Devil")
• Decolonization and self-determination (quick review of "Gandhi" film study booklet, what are successor states? What is self-determination? Kosovo case study)

Social 30-1

I spent a bit of time at the beginning of class trying to figure where we're at in the Unit 3 material given that I've missed the last two classes. We then moved into a discussion activity. I gave you two Post-It notes to write out answers to the following questions:
1. Should the voting age be lowered?
2. Should voting be mandatory?
3. Should everyone over the age of 18 be allowed to vote?
4. Is the first past the post system democratic?

You were to pick two questions and write out your answers to those questions on the Post-It notes and then put your Post-Its up on the board. We then split into three groups to discuss and summarize the arguments given in the answers. We did not discuss all of the questions, in fact almost no one wrote an answer to the fourth question. I have taught you what first past the post (FPTP) is already, check your notes! Here's what your assignment is related to this activity. You must post an answer to two of the questions AND one of them MUST be an answer to question 4. You post your responses in the comment section on today's post and identify yourself by your initials (K.G. Social 30-1). You must also respond to two classmates' posts. This assignment is for DOUBLE homework check marks. You must complete this assignment between today and next Thursday's class. Get it done!

December 1

Social 20-1

You should have finished looking at the "Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism" PowerPoint presentation today. I will be sending this presentation to you this afternoon. You should have been given the Unit 3 Worksheet as well today. The chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions will be due on Monday. I will send this out by e-mail as well today, just in case. Please go directly to the Blenheim Room tomorrow to write your Unit 2 Essay. Here is the study guide for your Unit 2 Final Exam as well (scroll down to find it).

Social 30-1

You should have looked at the electoral college system today in class, and you should have received a copy of the Comparing the American and Canadian Political Systems Assignment. This assignment is due on Wednesday, December 8th.

I'm feeling better. I should be back in class tomorrow.