February 28

IB 30/35

You completed a survey as part of the 5 year review of the IB programme at Churchill at the beginning of class, and then we proceeded back to the classroom to watch the CNN Cold War series video on Vietnam (1954-1968). Please remember that your Vietnam War Assignment is due on Monday.

Vietnam War Assignment

A. PEOPLE
Identify and explain the role each played in the Vietnam War
1. Ho Chi Minh
2. Ngo Dinh Diem
3. Lyndon B. Johnson
4. Richard M. Nixon
5. Viet Minh
6. Viet Cong
7. Le Duc Tho
8. Henry Kissinger
9. William Westmoreland
10. "Draft Dodger"

B. CONCEPTS/TERMS
Explain the significance of the following with regards to the Vietnam War (identify participants or individuals if appropriate)
1. Ho Chi Minh Trail
2. defoliation
3. "search and destroy" mission
4. "Vietnamization of the war"
5. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
6. My Lai Massacre
7. domino theory
8. Kent State University protest (May 4, 1970)
9. Tet Offensive (January 1968)
10. Geneva Agreement (1954)

C. ISSUES
Provide the information requested
1. The predominant religion of Vietnam
2. The battle which marked the end of French colonial rule in Indo-China
3. The scandal which led to the only resignation of an American President
4. The Vice President who replaced the President after his resignation
5. Why was November 1963 a "bad month" for the governments of South Vietnam and the United States?

As we will see, public support for the Vietnam War changes over time as more and more American soldiers are killed. We see a growth in the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, and the media also played a role in the turn of popular opinion against the war. I REALLY recommend that you have a look at the this series of photographs from the Vietnam War era, pretty powerful imagery (make sure that you read the captions too). Here is a link to the NPR that explains the story behind the photograph below, definitely worth the time to read or listen to the podcast, and make sure that you look at the photo gallery of Eddie Adams' photographs of the Vietnam War.



There are certain iconic images associated with the Vietnam War. Here is another:

The above photograph is of Phan Thị Kim Phúc, O.Ont (born in 1963), she is a Vietnamese-Canadian best known as the child subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War on June 8, 1972. The iconic photo taken in Trang Bang by AP photographer Nick Ut shows her at about age nine running naked on the street after being severely burned on her back by a South Vietnamese napalm attack. Contrary to popular myth, the US Air Force were not involved in the attack, and only two US troops were within 60 miles (97 km) of the scene, neither of whom had any say in the bombings. Still, it is a powerful image associated with the war.

Social 10-1

I spent most of today's class teaching you how to write a 3 source analysis assignment (WRA I). I gave you a handout on how to write a WRA I, a handout on analyzing political cartoons using the STICS method, and gave you a sample WRA I from Unit 1. We'll talk more about these writing assignments on Monday. Please remember that you have your Chapter 3-4 Test on Wednesday, March 5th (see the study guide here, scroll down to find it).

IB 20 HOTA

You wrote a current events quiz today, and marked it in class. We finished off the Thirteen Colonies presentations today as well. Please make sure that you post your PowerPoints, Prezis and Google Docs on the wiki for others to see. Next week you will have a test on the Thirteen Colonies (matching and map quiz). Be ready for this test!I started a lecture on the French and Indian War that I'll pick up again on Monday. We're starting the American Revolution next week.

February 27

IB 20 HOTA

Your "Seeds of Change" assignments were due today. You also did your Thirteen Colonies presentation, or at least most of you did. We'll finish off these presentations tomorrow, along with a current events quiz.

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Bend it Like Beckham" today. Your film study is due tomorrow. Your Illustrated Concept Map was due today. Please remember that your Chapter 3-4 Test is on Wednesday, March 5th, please see the study guide below.

Chapter 3-4 Test Study Guide:

This test will be on Wednesday, March 5th.

• Know the key terms from Chapter 3-4
• Be able to answer the Questions for Inquiry in Chapters 3-4 (they appear on p.49, p.53, p.58, p.73, p.80)
• Know relevant case studies from Chapters 3-4: the Francophones, the Aborigines and the Lubicon, as well as other relevant examples related to assimilation, marginalization, accommodation and integration

IB 30/35

We finished off the TOK presentations today. We'll jump back into our IB History coursework tomorrow by getting back into the Vietnam War.

February 26

Social 10-1

You wrote your Chapter 1-2 Test today. I'm really sorry about the mistake on the word ladder section, this probably caused some confusion, I have since fixed it on my master copy of the test. Please remember that your Illustrated Concept Map is due tomorrow. One week from today you'll be writing your Chapter 3-4 Test, please see the study guide below.

Chapter 3-4 Test Study Guide:

This test will be on Wednesday, March 5th.

• Know the key terms from Chapter 3-4
• Be able to answer the Questions for Inquiry in Chapters 3-4 (they appear on p.49, p.53, p.58, p.73, p.80)
• Know relevant case studies from Chapters 3-4: the Francophones, the Aborigines and the Lubicon, as well as other relevant examples related to assimilation, marginalization, accommodation and integration

IB 20 HOTA

You wrote your Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz today, and got the results back. We watched an excerpt from the History Television series "America: The Story of Us". We watched right up to the start of the American Revolution. We'll revisit this film next week in all likelihood. Your "Seeds of Change" assignment is due tomorrow, and we'll also be doing the Thirteen Colonies presentations tomorrow and Friday. Don't forget that you have your first current events quiz on Friday, keep posting current events on the wiki.

IB 30/35

This was day two of the TOK group presentations. We'll finish off the TOK presentations tomorrow.

February 25

IB 30/35

Today was the first day of TOK group presentations. We'll continue with the presentations tomorrow and Thursday. The Vietnam War Assignment is due on Monday, March 3rd.

IB 20 HOTA

You had the entire class period to work on preparing for your Thirteen Colonies presentations. We'll be doing these Thirteen Colonies presentations on Thursday and Friday this week. We'll also be doing a current events quiz on Friday, you better start adding events to the wiki, or else I will get "creative". Please remember that your "Seeds of Change" assignment on your assigned Enlightenment thinker is due on Thursday, February 27th. This assignment could take many different forms, such as trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, just show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (either APA, MLA, or Chicago) (3 marks)

This assignment ("Seeds of Change") is due on Thursday, February 27th.

Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz Study Guide:

This is a matching quiz, and it is on Wednesday, February 26th. Please make sure that you focus your review on the following Enlightenment thinkers:

• John Locke
• Montesquieu
• Rousseau
• Adam Smith
• Francois Quesnay
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Voltaire

Please make sure that you know their views on the nature of human beings, quotes attributed to them, their main ideas/key beliefs, and their major works (what books, articles they wrote).

Social 10-1

I did a homework check on your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions at the beginning of class. I also handed back your "Whale Rider" Film Study and your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions. We started a film study of "Bend it Like Beckham", which we'll continue on Thursday. You have your Chapter 1-2 Test tomorrow. Please see the study guide below.

Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide:

1. Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
2. Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
3. Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):

• How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
• How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
• How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
• What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
• What is the relationship between identity and language?
• How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?

4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these
chapters.

Format for the test is a word ladder section and short answer questions.

February 24

IB 30/35

You wrote a short quiz on the Cold War at the beginning of class. I gave you a Cold War key events timeline, a handout on the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Vietnam War Assignment. The Vietnam War Assignment is due one week from today (Monday, March 3rd). I started showing you another video from the CNN Cold War series, this one specifically on Vietnam (1954-1968). TOK group presentations begin tomorrow.

Social 10-1

1. Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
2. Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
3. Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):

• How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
• How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
• How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
• What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
• What is the relationship between identity and language?
• How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?

      4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these
          chapters.

Format for the test is a word ladder section and short answer questions.

IB 20 HOTA

I showed you a video from the United States History series called "The Era of Colonization (1585-1763)". I also dropped some serious hints about Thirteen Colonies geography. You'll have class time tomorrow to do some research for your Thirteen Colonies presentation. We'll be doing these Thirteen Colonies presentations on Thursday and Friday this week. We'll also be doing a current events quiz on Friday, you better start adding events to the wiki, or else I will get "creative". Please remember that your "Seeds of Change" assignment on your assigned Enlightenment thinker is due on Thursday, February 27th. This assignment could take many different forms, such as trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, just show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (either APA, MLA, or Chicago) (3 marks)

This assignment ("Seeds of Change") is due on Thursday, February 27th.

Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz Study Guide:

This is a matching quiz, and it is on Wednesday, February 26th. Please make sure that you focus your review on the following Enlightenment thinkers:

• John Locke
• Montesquieu
• Rousseau
• Adam Smith
• Francois Quesnay
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Voltaire

Please make sure that you know their views on the nature of human beings, quotes attributed to them, their main ideas/key beliefs, and their major works (what books, articles they wrote).

February 21

IB 30/35

You wrote your Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War today. Please remember to print off the Vietnam War notes from the IB 30/35 wiki (under the Topic 5: The Cold War section, you'll find it under the Eisenhower administration section). We're obviously starting the Vietnam War on Monday. The Vietnam War is our case study of guerrilla warfare for Paper 2 Topic 1: Causes, Practices and Effects of War, so it's very important for your IB exams. I have a surprise for you on Monday too. TOK Presentations will go on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

Social 10-1

We talked a little bit about media TNCs today, if you missed class today, you need to get the notes from a classmate. You had some class time to work on your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions as well today. Your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday. Please remember that your Chapter 1-2 Test is on Wednesday, please see the study guide here (scroll down to find it). Please remember that your Illustrated Concept Map assignment is due on Thursday, February 27th.

IB 20 HOTA

We finished watching the PBS documentary "When Worlds Collide" today. I'll take in the film study sheets for this documentary on Monday. I quickly went through the European Colonization of the Americas PowerPoint presentation. We also split into groups for your Thirteen Colonies presentations. We'll head down to the Blenheim on Tuesday to do some research for these presentations. I also gave you duotangs with some sections from the textbook The United States and Its People.

Please remember that you have an Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz on Wednesday, February 26th. Please see the study guide below. Your "Seeds of Change" assignment focusing on our assigned Enlightenment thinker is due one week from today (February 27th). As I said in class the other day, I was thinking about rock stars, movie stars and athletes today and wondering why Enlightenment thinkers aren't as well known as some of them. After all, some of these Enlightenment thinkers have made greater contributions to society, yet they don't enjoy the fame and notoriety as some these entertainment and sports celebrities. We're going to change that. I gave you some ideas in which direction this creative project could go (trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, etc.), show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (either APA, MLA, or Chicago) (3 marks)

This assignment ("Seeds of Change") is due on Thursday, February 27th.

Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz Study Guide:

This is a matching quiz, and it is on Wednesday, February 26th. Please make sure that you focus your review on the following Enlightenment thinkers:

• John Locke
• Montesquieu
• Rousseau
• Adam Smith
• Francois Quesnay
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Voltaire

Please make sure that you know their views on the nature of human beings, quotes attributed to them, their main ideas/key beliefs, and their major works (what books, articles they wrote).

February 20

IB 20 HOTA

We started our examination of the Spanish conquest of the Americas today by watching the PBS documentary "When Worlds Collide". We'll finish this video off tomorrow, and then continue to examine the Spanish conquest. I also did a homework check on last night's homework on the "Invasion and Settlement of North America". Please remember that you have an Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz on Wednesday, February 26th. Please see the study guide below. Your "Seeds of Change" assignment focusing on your assigned Enlightenment thinker is due one week from today (February 27th). Please make sure that your assignment meets the following requirements: As I said in class the other day, I was thinking about rock stars, movie stars and athletes today and wondering why Enlightenment thinkers aren't as well known as some of them. After all, some of these Enlightenment thinkers have made greater contributions to society, yet they don't enjoy the fame and notoriety as some these entertainment and sports celebrities. We're going to change that. I gave you some ideas in which direction this creative project could go (trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, etc.), show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (APA, MLA, Chicago) (3 marks)

This assignment ("Seeds of Change") is due on February 27th.

Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz Study Guide:

This is a matching quiz, and it is on Wednesday, February 26th. Please make sure that you focus your review on the following Enlightenment thinkers:

• John Locke
• Montesquieu
• Rousseau
• Adam Smith
• Francois Quesnay
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau
• Voltaire

Please make sure that you know their views on the nature of human beings, quotes attributed to them, their main ideas/key beliefs, and their major works (what books, articles they wrote).

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Whale Rider" today. You are expected to hand in your completed film study of this movie tomorrow in class. Please see the study guide for your Chapter 1-2 Test here (scroll down to find it).

IB 30/35

We watched a video from the CNN Cold War series today which focused on Cuba (1959-1962). While you were watching this documentary, you should have been taking detailed notes. Please remember that you are writing a Paper 2 tomorrow on the origins/causes of the Cold War. Study your key events, and historiography for this essay. You'll have some choice as to what you will write your essay on. You'll have 5 minutes to outline/pre-write and 45 minutes to write your Paper 2. Make sure that you know what your IB command terms mean (ex. analyze, compare and contrast, discuss, evaluate, examine, to what extent).

February 19

Social 10-1

I did a homework check on your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions at the beginning of class. You also wrote your World Geography Test today. You should be able to get the results of this test tomorrow in class. Additionally, I'll be giving back the global connections essays tomorrow. We started a film study of "Whale Rider" today, which we'll be able to finish tomorrow. One week from today, you'll be writing your Chapter 1-2 Test. Please see the study guide below. Please remember that your Illustrated Concept Map assignment is due on Thursday, February 27th.

Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide:

1. Study your Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms
2. Review the case studies from the textbook in Chapters 1 and 2, specifically the Metis, the Francophones, the Hmong, and the Maori
3. Be prepared to answer any of the "Questions for Inquiry" from Chapters 1 and 2 (they are on the following pages: p.9, p.14, p.20, p.29, p.35, p.39):

• How does globalization affect economic aspects of people's lives?
• How does globalization affect social aspects of people's lives?
• How does globalization affect political aspects of people's lives?
• What is the difference between individual and collective identity?
• What is the relationship between identity and language?
• How does cultural exchange shape people's identities?

4. Make sure that you can answer the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for these chapters.

Format for the test is a word ladder section and short answer questions.

IB 20 HOTA

We finished off the PowerPoint lecture on "The Age of Enlightenment" today. As I said to you in class today, I was thinking about rock stars, movie stars and athletes today and wondering why Enlightenment thinkers aren't as well known as some of them. After all, some of these Enlightenment thinkers have made greater contributions to society yet they don't enjoy the fame and notoriety as some these entertainment and sports celebrities. We're going to change that. I gave you some ideas in which direction this creative project could go (trading cards, magazine cover stories, Prezis, infographics, etc.), show me how creative you are! Just make sure that you present the information in a concise, fun, informative way, and that your project meets all of the requirements, which are as follows:

• Biographical Information (3 marks)
• Area(s) of Work (what fields did they work in?) (2 marks)
• Ideas Introduced (2 marks)
• Aspect of medieval society that they challenged (2 marks)
• Were they influential in their own time? (5 marks)
• What were their contributions to modern society? (3 marks)
• Mechanics, spelling, grammar, and list of sources cited using a recognized citation system (APA, MLA, Chicago) (3 marks)

This assignment ("Seeds of Change") is due on February 27th.

You have the Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz on Wednesday, February 26th. Please see the study guide below. You will have your first current events quiz on Friday, February 28th, please start adding events to the Current Events section of the IB 20 wiki.

IB 30/35

I? strongly recommend that you check out the American Experience website for their "The Presidents" series. I've put a link directly to the Eisenhower section on the IB 30/35 wiki. Please check out the domestic policies and foreign policies sections. I also strongly recommend that you check out the PDF file on the Eisenhower administration on the wiki (under Topic 5: The Cold War). I showed you an A & E Biography of Fidel Castro called "El Comandante", which puts the US-Cuban relations in historical context and should help you to understand the Cuban Missile Crisis better.  We also watched a video from the BBC 20th Century History series called "Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Khrushchev".

February 12

Social 10-1

I returned some homework assignments and your global connections map as well. I gave you the Illustrated Concept Map assignment. I really recommend that you work with a partner for this assignment. You had the rest of the class period to work with your partner doing some initial thinking about how you would organize your concept maps. I have posted the rubric (marking guide) for this assignment on the Social 10-1 wiki under Unit 1 Assignments. The Illustrated Concept Map is due on February 27th. Your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due on Wednesday, February 19th.  

World Geography Test Study Guide:

This test will take place on Wednesday, February 19th. It is simply a country identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries identified by number and you need to be able to write out what country it is on the answer sheet.

Here are the countries that may appear on the test:

• any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU, your textbook is out of date. Croatia joined the EU in July 2013)
• any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
• any of the G8 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom
• full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
• to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Zimbabwe
• other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Serbia, Georgia, China, India, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
• **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**

Geography Games

• World Geography Games
• Test Your Geography Knowledge
• Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)

IB 20 HOTA

I showed you how to do an eLibrary search today, and how to access the Gale Virtual Reference Library. We then went down to the Blenheim Room to complete the IA planning sheet, to find a book that you could use for the IA as well. You must hand in your IA planning sheet on Wednesday, February 19th.

IB 30/35

I went through a PowerPoint lecture on "The Korean War". You can find notes on the Korean War on the IB 30/35 wiki under the Cold War section. I also want you to check out Mr. Johnson's PowerPoint presentation on Harry S. Truman's domestic policy. I also showed you a short documentary from the Turning Points of History series called "Crisis in Korea". Next Friday (February 21st) you will be writing a Paper 2 on the origins of the Cold War. Please check the wiki for historiography on the causes/origins of the Cold War.

February 11

IB 30/35

I was able to finish off the "Origins of the Cold War" PowerPoint presentation today, and show you a short documentary from the BBC 20th Century History series called "Cold War Confrontation". I was able to talk a little bit about the United Nations afterwards, but you are responsible for the remainder of the UN PowerPoint. Tomorrow, we'll look at the Korean War. As you'll see, we moved through the Cold War era very systematically, in chronological order for the most part, while also looking at examples of Cold War concepts such as brinkmanship, proxy wars, deterrence, detente, and the arms race and the space race. Please familiarize yourself with these concepts from the "Origins of the Cold War" PowerPoint.

IB 20

You completed a survey as part of the five year review of the IB programme at Churchill for the first 15 minutes or so in class today. We then returned to class to continue moving through the PowerPoint lecture on the Enlightenment period. Tomorrow, we'll be going down to the library to get some initial work completed on your IA. We'll meet up in the classroom and then go down to the library. We'll return to our study of the Enlightenment next week.

Social 10-1

I reminded you that your global connections essay is due tomorrow, and I did a homework check on your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions at the beginning of class. Please remember that your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due on Wednesday, February 19th. I had you complete some "Top 10" lists today (favorite TV shows, movies, bands/musicians) along with their country of origin. The pattern that emerged was some students had 10% of their favorite TV shows or musicians/bands were Canadian. This figures are especially low when you consider that the Canadian government engages  in "cultural protectionism" when it comes to TV and radio broadcasting. We talked about the NFB, CAVCO, and the CRTC today as well. I gave you the remainder of class time to work on your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions. Please remember that you have your World Geography Test on Wednesday, February 19th, and you can find the study guide below.

World Geography Test Study Guide:

This test will take place on Wednesday, February 19th. It is simply a country identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries identified by number and you need to be able to write out what country it is on the answer sheet.

Here are the countries that may appear on the test:

• any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU, your textbook is out of date. Croatia joined the EU in July 2013)
• any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
• any of the G8 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom
• full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
• to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Zimbabwe
• other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Serbia, Georgia, China, India, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
• **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**

Geography Games

• World Geography Games
• Test Your Geography Knowledge
• Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)

February 10

IB 30/35

We started looking at the "Origins of the Cold War" today. The PowerPoint lecture that I went through today is on the IB 30/35 wiki under The Cold War section. I also gave you a booklet on WWII Conferences and Agreements that you need to study. We'll be looking at some historiography on the start of the Cold War in the coming days. I would like you to go to the World War II Behind Closed Doors website tonight, and read the sections on the Yalta Conference and the Potsdam Conference. This is an excellent site, with tons of information, maps, video clips, timelines and archival footage and re-enactments as well. You do need to really make sure that you understand the Yalta Agreements and the Potsdam Declaration (among other things) and this is a great site to do this. Episode 3 is the one that contains most of the information that you would need to read and watch. There's a great little video clip on this website called "Stalin's Distrust of the West" that might help you see WWII from the Soviet perspective and why the Soviets might wish to extend control over Eastern Europe and be so distrustful of their wartime allies. You can find this video clip in Episode 3 (Dividing the World), scroll down and click on the video clip on the right called "Stalin's Distrust of the West". It's a short little clip, but you'll get the idea. We'll continue our look at the Cold War tomorrow.

Social 10-1

You had some class time to today to work on a rough draft of your global connections essay (due on Wednesday, February 12th) and have a peer edit it for you. You also had time to work on your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions (due on Wednesday, February 19th). Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions will be due tomorrow. I did a homework check on your Global Connections Map assignment. Hopefully, I'll be able to mark these and give them back to you this week.

World Geography Test Study Guide:

This test will take place on Wednesday, February 19th. It is simply a country identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries identified by number and you need to be able to write out what country it is on the answer sheet.

Here are the countries that may appear on the test:

• any of the EU countries (there are 28 countries in the EU, a map of the EU is in your textbook on page 265; it's out of date. Croatia joined the EU in July 2013)
• any of the NATO countries (there's some overlap here with the EU, but not all EU countries are members of NATO)
• any of the G8 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom
• full members of MERCOSUR: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and other associate members or countries that are achieving membership in MERCOSUR, such as: Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
• to ask you to know ALL of the countries in the African Union would be cruel, so we'll focus on countries that came up last year or will likely be in the news this year: Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Zimbabwe
• other very important countries that will be in the news this year, or that we'll be talking about, or get mentioned in your textbook: Cuba, Mexico, Jamaica, Serbia, Georgia, China, India, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel
• **BIG HINT: if a country is a member of a few of these international organizations then there's a STRONG possibility that they will be on the test!!**

Geography Games

• World Geography Games
• Test Your Geography Knowledge
• Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)

IB 20

I gave you a handout today that covered OPVL document analysis. This handout is a little different than the materials that are on the wiki. I will eventually make changes to the OPVL material on the IB 20 wiki. We'll talk about OPVL document analysis later on in the course. I started Unit 2 today (the Development of Western European Society) since it connects to material that we'll be studying this semester including the American Enlightenment, the American Revolution, the French Revolution and the Haitian Revolution. We'll continue this lecture tomorrow. You will also have to do an IB survey tomorrow. We'll do the survey at the beginning of class and then continue on with the Enlightenment.

February 7

IB 30/35

You did the debate on the decision to drop the atomic bomb today. We'll be starting the Cold War on Monday.

Social 10-1

I assigned your Global Connections Essay today. It is due on Wednesday. Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday, February 11th. Please check out the instructions for your Global Connections Map below.

Global Connections Map Assignment Instructions:

Here are the instructions for the map (which is due on Monday):

• your map must have a title ("Global Connections Map")
• you do not need compass directions on your map
• you do not need a border for your map
• you must have a simple key on the front of the map and a detailed key on the back on the map
• your simple key will consist of the following: 5-6 colored boxes (depending on how many categories you had for your 25 item chart) which will be labeled- food, clothing, electronics, entertainment, household goods, miscellaneous AND you must also draw a colored dot and label it "people" (for the information from the Global Bingo game that we played)
• you will only color countries and label ones that you have a connection to through the 25 item chart (for example, you own a sombrero that is from Mexico, you would color Mexico and label it "Mexico")
• there will only be 5-6 colors on the map, you don't need to have 25 different colors for each of your 25 items
• you also have to label the 16 people that you talked to during our Global Bingo game, they will be represented by colored circles (pick a common color for all people) and numbers (1-16, if you didn't talk to 16 people, you label as many as you talked to)--you do not color the countries that are represented on your Global Bingo card, you simply draw a circle on the country, color it, put a number beside it, and label the country (for example, if the only connection you have to Australia is that one of your classmates went on a vacation there, you draw the circle, write the number beside the circle, and label the country "Australia"-- you don't color the country)
• on the detailed key on the back of your map, you will be recreating your 25 item chart (make sure that you have the categories clearly colored and matching the simple key on the front of the map) and the information from the Global Bingo card (clearly identify people by number) Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday, February 10th.

If you have any questions about it, post a comment below using the following format: K.G. in Social 10-1.

IB 20

I went through an overview of the IA. I'll post the PowerPoint on the wiki under Internal Assessment as soon as we finalize the due date for the outline sheet. You also got your IA topic. Your rough draft of your IA will be due on September 30th and your good copy is due on October 31st. Please remember that your "Vantage Point" film study is due on Monday.

February 6

IB 20

I did a homework check on the questions from the Brown reading "Why Study or Write History?" We finished watching "Vantage Point" today, and we were able to have a brief discussion of the eight different perspectives in the film and what the limitations of those vantage points might be. The film study questions for "Vantage Point" are due on Monday. Tonight I would like you to visit the wiki, look under Unit 1 Historiography for a PowerPoint presentation called "Evaluating Sources". Please read this presentation over. If you want to print off a hard copy of the presentation that might be helpful. Your reflective essay on the IB learner profile is due tomorrow. It must be either hand written using blue or black ink, or it can typed. You will get your IA question tomorrow.

Social 10-1

I did a homework check on your 25 item chart at the beginning of class, and it was returned to you at the end of class. I gave you instructions on how to complete your global connections map, and I will post the instructions here on the blog as well. I also talked a little bit about the World Geography Test that you'll have on February 19th. I will post the official study guide for that test on Monday. I gave you the Unit 1 Worksheet today and assigned your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions for Tuesday, February 11th.

Global Connections Map Assignment Instructions:

Here are the instructions for the map (which is due on Monday):

• your map must have a title ("Global Connections Map")
• you do not need compass directions on your map
• you do not need a border for your map
• you must have a simple key on the front of the map and a detailed key on the back on the map
• your simple key will consist of the following: 5-6 colored boxes (depending on how many categories you had for your 25 item chart) which will be labeled- food, clothing, electronics, entertainment, household goods, miscellaneous AND you must also draw a colored dot and label it "people" (for the information from the Global Bingo game that we played)
• you will only color countries and label ones that you have a connection to through the 25 item chart (for example, you own a sombrero that is from Mexico, you would color Mexico and label it "Mexico")
• there will only be 5-6 colors on the map, you don't need to have 25 different colors for each of your 25 items
• you also have to label the 16 people that you talked to during our Global Bingo game, they will be represented by colored circles (pick a common color for all people) and numbers (1-16, if you didn't talk to 16 people, you label as many as you talked to)--you do not color the countries that are represented on your Global Bingo card, you simply draw a circle on the country, color it, put a number beside it, and label the country (for example, if the only connection you have to Australia is that one of your classmates went on a vacation there, you draw the circle, write the number beside the circle, and label the country "Australia"-- you don't color the country)
• on the detailed key on the back of your map, you will be recreating your 25 item chart (make sure that you have the categories clearly colored and matching the simple key on the front of the map) and the information from the Global Bingo card (clearly identify people by number) Your Global Connections Map is due on Monday, February 10th.

If you have any questions about it, post a comment below using the following format:  K.G. in Social 10-1.

IB 30/35

Today's entire period was turned over to you to work on your TOK presentations. Don't forget that we're doing the three option debate tomorrow on the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII.

February 5

Social 10-1

We finished looking at the graphics from yesterday's activity and their connection to globalization. We played a game of global bingo today, and collected information from classmates. DON"T LOSE THIS INFORMATION!! You have a homework assignment tonight: find 25 household items from 25 DIFFERENT countries. Some potential categories for the items that you will probably find in your house includes: food, clothing, electronics, entertainment, and miscellaneous. Please record all of your information in a 3 column chart. I will be doing a homework check on this 25 item chart tomorrow.

IB 20

We continued looking at issues related to historiography today. I talked briefly about primary versus secondary sources, and we also discussed your personal timelines. Our discussions led us into a film study of "Vantage Point" which looks at an assassination of the President of the United States from 8 different perspectives (vantage points). As you're watching this film please think about what limitations there might be from their perspective. We'll finish this film off tomorrow.

Please remember that your IB learner profile reflective essay is due on Friday. It might be a good idea to pick the 3 attributes from the IB learner profile tonight and start brainstorming ideas/examples of how you have demonstrated that attribute in your academic career. Try to write a rough draft of essay as well tonight.

IB 30/35

I did a homework check on the "White Light/Black Rain" film study sheets. You had time in class today to prep for Friday's 3 option debate on the decision to use the atomic bombs at the end of WWII. You got the results of your IA back today. You'll have all of tomorrow's class to get your TOK group presentations organized.

February 4

IB 30/35

We finished off "White Light/Black Rain" today, the film study is due tomorrow. I showed you some video from when I visited Hiroshima when I lived in Japan. I also gave you the "Decision to use the Atomic Bomb" debate booklets. We'll have a four options debate on this topic on Friday, February 7th.

IB 20

You have some handouts that you need to print off from the IB 20 wiki tonight and read: the 8C's of Historical Analysis, Primary Sources vs. Secondary Sources, and Why Study History? With this last reading (Why Study History?) there are NOT any questions included. Perhaps my memory is failing me, I thought that there were questions included. We'll talk about it in class tomorrow. Don't stress about it. I went through a PowerPoint presentation that was designed to introduce you to history and TOK. I'll post it on the wiki tonight. You have a homework assignment due tomorrow: create a timeline. Please remember that your reflective essay is due on Friday.

Social 10-1

We did an activity today where we looked at various definitions of globalization today and tried to classify them as being either a positive, negative or neutral definition. We'll finish off this activity tomorrow. No homework tonight.

February 3

IB 30/35

We picked up where we left off before the exam break, namely with WWII. We started a documentary film study called "White Light/Black Rain", which we should be able to finish tomorrow. The film study sheet will be due on Wednesday.

Social 10-1

I started today's class by doing a short self-introduction, and going through some classroom rules and expectations of behavior. I also went through the course outline and told you how the course would be assessed. On the right-hand side of the blog you will find a link to the Social 10-1 wiki. Please click on the link, and request access to the wiki. Please make sure that you include your name and class to gain access.
You have a homework assignment which is due tomorrow: the friendly letter. Please make sure that you write your letter in paragraph form with each of the paragraphs having some overarching theme. Some topics that you might wish to address in your friendly letter are:

• family
• hobbies
• extracurricular activities
• sports
• favorite TV shows
• favorite movies
• academic course load this semester
• academic goals in Social Studies this semester

IB 20

I did a brief self-introduction at the beginning of class, and we do some "housekeeping items" (completing the information sheet, academic integrity policy). We also looked at the course outline as well, and I talked a little bit about what your May 2015 IB exams would entail in Grade 12. If wish to see me in tutorial, please note that I have tutorial sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before the 8:50 am. You have a reflective essay assignment due on Friday, which requires you to describe how you have exhibited three attributes of the IB learner profile thus far in your academic life. I want you to reflect on yourself as a learner, and learn how you see yourself as a IB student.

Classroom Rules and Expectations

Classroom Rules/Expectations of Behavior:

I think that I have very simple, straight-forward classroom rules and expectations.

• Please be on-task during classroom time (visit later)
• No cell phones (as per school policy; unless otherwise instructed); if your parents really need to get in touch with you, they should call the office. Please don't bring cell phones to class, or if you do, please remember to turn them off!
• Please don't listen to music on MP3 players or iPods during class time, unless I have given you permission to do so.
• Be polite. You should be listening during class lectures or when your classmates have questions to ask (you might have some of the same questions).
• Be on time. If you are late, please enter the classroom quietly and apologize for being late. If the door is locked, I have started the lecture or there is a class presentation in progress; I will open the door and let you in as soon as possible.
• Clean up after yourselves. Please don't leave garbage on the floor. I like my classroom fairly neat and tidy.
• Don't bring junk food to class. Healthy snacks only. Or you could always wait until lunchtime.
• You may chew gum in class on the following conditions: don't chew like a cow, I don't want to see the gum or hear you chewing it, that's just gross.
• Late assignments: 10% is deducted for every day an assignment is late. If you have an excused absence, then there is some flexibility with this rule.
• Please make sure that a parent or guardian calls the school to have absences excused. If you miss a test due to an unexcused absence you will be assigned a mark of "zero".
• I will be contacting parent/guardians if you have unexcused absences.
• Please adhere to the school's academic honesty policy which is on the back of your course outlines.

Posting on the Blog:

Here are some simple rules that I have established for using the blog, and some other informational items:

• Please post on the blog anonymously.
• If you feel the need to identify yourself, or clarify which grade you're in, please use your initials and your class and section (for example, K.G. in Social 20-3).
• Some of you may have your own Blogger accounts. Please don't post on this blog using your Blogger ID, otherwise you may have people visiting your blog that you may not want to see what you're posting.
• Please be courteous, polite and respectful when posting comments on the blog. Don't be rude to your classmates on the blog.
• Please be patient with my response time.
• Please post comments and questions on the blog prior to 10 p.m.
• Between 6-8 p.m. I am usually not online.
• Please do not post links to questionable materials.
• Inappropriate comments will be deleted. Please don't do this, it's a waste of my time, I could be doing more productive things, like answering questions that you may have