March 3

Social 20-1

After waiting for as many late students to arrive as possible, we went ahead with the Unit 1 Written Response Assignment I (called a Part A last year). I also gave you the Unit 2 Organizational Web and the Unit 2 Worksheet. I did not assign anything from the Unit 2 Worksheet. Here is the study guide for the Chapter 3-4 Test (scroll down to find it), which is on Thursday, March 5th.

Social 33

We did a quick review of the political spectrum today, and looked again at the similarities of the extremes of the political spectrum.

I then gave you some handout related to dictatorship and the individual, and a GCSE booklet on the rise to power of Hitler in Germany. The Focus Task from page 101 of the booklet is due tomorrow.

Social 30

We continued our look at capitalism, by looking at how the market economy works. I had you take down some notes from the board (diagrams mostly) that illustrated how the capitalist system operates. I collected your answers to the advantages/disadvantages of democracy questions at the beginning of class today. Please remember that you have your Democracy Unit Exam tomorrow. It's 66 multiple choice questions, all past Diploma Exam questions, it's VERY difficult!! You need to study and review the Democracy Unit tonight! If you liked your mark from the Democracy Quiz, you need to keep studying and reviewing to keep that mark!

March 2

Social 33

Most of today's class was spent writing your Democracy Unit Final (25 multiple choice questions and 1 written assignment). If you were not in class today, and you do not have an excused absence, you will be receiving a mark of zero on this test.

Social 20-1

I collected your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions today, as well as giving you the results of your Chapter 1-2 Test. We continued looking at WWI by watching a short video called "Doomed Dynasties". I then went over how to prepare and write the Written Response Assignment I (these were called Part A In-Class Writing Assignments last year in 10-1). I have sent you some documents to help you prepare for tomorrow's Unit 1 in-class writing assignment. Please check your e-mail! Here is the study guide for your Chapter 3-4 Test , which is on Thursday.

Social 30

Part of today's class was spent writing your Democracy Quiz (31 multiple choice questions), I'll be able to give you the results of this tomorrow. You have a Democracy Unit Final on Wednesday as well, so keep studying. Please remember that your Advantages/Disadvantages of Democracy questions are due tomorrow. We continued our study of capitalism as well today. Please check your e-mail, I will be sending you some supplementary notes on capitalism tonight! Regardless of your result on today's Democracy Quiz, you still need to review/study for the Democracy Unit Exam! It is significantly harder!

February 27

Social 33

I gave you most of today's class to work on Activity 5 and 6 on dictatorships. These activities should be completed on a separate piece of paper, I will do a homework check on it on Monday. Please remember that you have your Democracy Unit Final on Monday as well. It is 25 multiple choice questions and a written assignment. Please make sure that you study for it! The study guide is here, although I also sent it to you by e-mail as well.

Social 20-1

We started Unit 2 material today. I went through a presentation on "The Causes of World War I", which I will send to you tonight. I also collected your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions. Your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday. Here are some upcoming important dates for you:

• Unit 1 Written Response Assignment I (three source analysis) is on Tuesday, March 3rd
• Chapter 3-4 Test is on Thursday, March 5th (note the change of date, please see the study guide here)
• Unit 1 Final Exam is on Monday, March 9th (the study guide will be published here on the blog a week before the unit exam)
  

Social 30

We started our look at economic systems today, specifically capitalism. We looked at competing economic values associated with group welfare (collectivism) and individual welfare (individualism). We also looked at some introductory material associated with economics and did a quick comparison of a centrally planned economy and a market economy. We'll continue our study of capitalism on Monday after your Democracy Quiz (31 multiple choice questions). Make sure that you study for this Democracy Quiz and your Democracy Unit Final (which is on Wednesday). If you missed today's class, you'll need to get the notes from a classmate. Here is a link to the study for these exams.

February 26

Social 30

All of today's class was spent writing your first in-class position paper in the Blenheim Room. You should hopefully get the results of this essay next week. Please remember that your civil rights movement questions are due tomorrow. You have a couple of exams next week that you should be studying for, you have a 31 multiple choice question Democracy Quiz on Monday, and a 66 multiple choice question Democracy Unit Exam on Wednesday. I gave you a study guide yesterday for these tests, please check this post for the study guide.

Social 20-1

I finished off the PowerPoint presentation on "Contending Loyalties", and I have already sent it to your e-mail accounts, so please check your e-mail tonight. Your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow, and your Chapter 4 Key Terms and Questions will be due on Monday. I took in your French Revolution DBA today as well. Here are some upcoming important dates for you:

• Unit 1 Written Response Assignment I (three source analysis) is on Tuesday, March 3rd
• Chapter 3-4 Test is on Thursday, March 5th (note the change of date, please see the study guide here)
• Unit 1 Final Exam is on Monday, March 9th (the study guide will be published here on the blog a week before the unit exam)

Social 33

We did a quick review of the techniques of dictatorship at the beginning of class, and then we looked at a comparison of fascism and communism, two forms of dictatorship. We then started one of our case studies for our study of dictatorship: Mussolini's fascist Italy. We started watching a biography of Mussolini, which we will finish tomorrow. I did a homework check on Activity 4, and I gave back your Chapter 4 booklets (Canada and the USA) today as well.

February 25

Social 30

I gave you a handout that compared the Canadian, American and Swedish governments at the beginning of class. Also, you have some homework that is due on Tuesday, and that is the advantages and disadvantages worksheet. By completing this worksheet, you will be reviewing many key concepts in the Democracy Unit. You have your Position Paper #1 tomorrow, go directly to the Blenheim Room. Your Civil Rights questions are due on Friday. You have a Democracy Quiz on Monday, March 2nd and the Democracy Unit Exam is on Wednesday, March 4th. Both of these exams are multiple choice format, and are made up of past Diploma Exam questions. I gave you a quick study guide for both of these exams, here's what you should study:

• review Chapters 1-3 key terms and questions
• review Case Studies 2-6 key terms and questions
• review political spectrum, economic-political grid and values associated with the various ideologies
• review the American and Canadian political system
• review the Swedish government
• individualism and collectivism
• review government key terms
• different electoral systems (for example, "first past the post" and proportional representation)

You will have to apply your knowledge of the material in the Democracy Unit in order to be successful on these exams.

Social 33

We reviewed the techniques of dictatorship at the beginning of class. I had you copy some notes from the board. We watched a video called "The Wave", as you watched this film you were to write down examples of the techniques of dictatorship. I gave you some time to finish Activity 4, which is due tomorrow.

Social 20-1

I started a presentation today called "Contending Loyalties" which I will finish tomorrow in class. Your Chapter 3 Key Terms and Questions are due on Friday. Your French Revolution DBA is due tomorrow. You have your Chapter 3-4 Test on Thursday, March 5th. The study guide is below.

Chapters 3-4 Test Study Guide

This test will be on Thursday, March 5th. It will consist of a matching section (10 key concepts) and a short answer section.

• study the PowerPoint presentation "Contending Loyalties"
• make sure that you have read Chapters 3 and 4 (it is all testable material)
• know the key concepts from Chapters 3 and 4 (please see the Unit 1 Worksheet for these)
• study your answers to the Chapter 3 and 4 questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet (all could potentially be on the quiz)
  

February 24

Social 20-1

Most of today's class was spent writing the Chapter 1-2 Test. You should get the results of this test back next week. Please remember that your Waterloo Film Study questions are due tomorrow (homework check marks), and your French Revolution DBA is due on Thursday. I have sent the DBA to you by e-mail, so check your e-mail accounts. If you didn't receive this e-mail, please let me know and I will send it to you again.

Social 33

We started our unit on dictatorships today in a unique way. If you missed today's class, you missed an interesting learning experience. I gave you a few handouts on dictatorship and you were to complete Activity 3 in class, otherwise, you have some homework tonight. You should have some class time tomorrow to work on Activity 4, so you don't need to move ahead.

Social 30

Most of today's class was spent in one of the library computer labs examining the civil rights movement in the United States. This is potentially useful for your in-class essay on Thursday. Please remember that your detailed USA/Canada comparison chart notes are due tomorrow. You should be preparing for your in-class position paper tonight. I will be in tutorial tomorrow and Thursday, if you have any questions related to your essay.

February 23

Social 33

We looked at four different electoral systems today, and I wrote some notes on the board about first past the post, single-member constituency and second ballot, preferential voting, and proportional representation. I gave you a handout that covered the advantages and disadvantages of proportional representation, and on the back side of that handout there were some fictional election results from a first past the post system. These election results should have helped illustrate some problems with first past the post. We then looked at the 2008 Canadian Federal Election and recast the election to reflect number of seats we'd see if the popular vote translated into percentage of seats in the House of Commons. Also, I am posting the study guide for your Democracy Unit Final, which is next Monday. Please see the study guide below.

Democracy Unit Final Study Guide:

1. Key Concepts/Key People/Key Terms:

• Thomas Hobbes
• John Locke
• political spectrum
• radicals
• moderates
• liberals
• conservatives
• reactionaries
• absolute monarchy
• dictatorship
• democracy
• fascism
• communism
• anarchy
• rule by many
• rule by few/elites
• direct democracy
• representative democracy
• first past the post
• proportional representation
• universal suffrage
• majority rule
• minority rights
• Canadian Constitution
• Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• political parties
• media
• interest groups

2. Advantages/Disadvantages of Direct Democracy (from ppt)
3. Advantages/Disadvantages of Representative Democracy (from ppt)
4. Techniques/Characteristics of a Democracy (from ppt)
5. Canadian Political System:(handouts)

• executive, legislative, judicial branches of government (roles)
• Prime Minister and Cabinet (which branch? what roles/responsibilities do they have?)
• Leader of the Official Opposition (roles/responsibilities)
• the Queen and the Governor General (roles/responsibilities)
• MPs in the House of Commons (roles/responsibilities)
• the House of Commons and the Senate (which is elected? which is appointed? what is the purpose of the Senate? which branch do they belong to?)

6. American Political System:(handouts)

• executive, legislative, judicial branches of government (roles)
• checks and balances in the U.S. system of government
• separation of powers
• President and Cabinet (which branch? what roles/responsibilities do they have?)
• the House of Representatives/Congressmen (roles/responsibilities)
• the Senate/Senators (roles/responsibilities)
• different terms in office, voting methods for President (4 yrs), House of Representatives (2 yrs), and the Senate (6 yrs) --WHY?

7. Political Spectrum (know it VERY well), print off Ideology notes from the blog (check under Social 33 links)

Social 20-1

We finished watching the battle sequence from the movie "Waterloo". Your "Waterloo" film studies will be due on Wednesday. Please remember that you have your Chapter 1-2 Test tomorrow, please make sure that you are ready for it. Please use the study guide to help you figure out what you need to be reviewing.

Social 30

I went through four different electoral systems at the start of today's class(if you missed today's class, you will need to get these notes from a classmate): first past the post, single-member constituency and second ballot, preferential voting, and proportional representation. I then gave you some readings/handouts on government in Sweden. You are responsible for reading, understanding, knowing this material. I don't spend a lot of time on government in Sweden, so you need to make sure that you understand the material that you have been given on this topic. I also gave you the essay topic for Position Paper #1, which will be written on Thursday, February 26th in the Blenheim Room. I am also sending this essay topic and an outline sheet to you by e-mail. I will try to post study guides for next week's quiz and unit exam on democracy in tomorrow's post.

February 19

Social 30

We looked at the structure of the American government today. I had you add notes to a diagram of the U.S. government. If you missed today's class, you'll need to get the notes from a classmate. I also gave you a comparison chart of the American and Canadian government that you are to complete using the following pages from Ideologies: pages 54-68. This USA/Canada Comparison Chart is homework and it is due tomorrow. I also gave you a booklet with questions that deal with the comparison between the American and Canadian political systems, this booklet is due on Monday, February 23rd. You will also have your first in-class position paper next Thursday, there will be more details about this next week. Please remember to go to Room 241 tomorrow!

Social 20-1

I finished off "The Napoleonic Age" PowerPoint presentation today, and I have sent it to you already, so please check your e-mail. We had enough time to watch an episode of "The Turning Points of History: Napoleon's Invasion of Russia". Tonight would be a good night to do some review for your Chapter 1-2 Test, which is on Tuesday, February 24th. Here is a link to the study guide.

Social 33

I did a homework check on the Chapter 4 booklet at the beginning of class. I gave you a reading booklet called "Canadian and American Government" with a comparison chart at the back of it. I gave some class time to read over this booklet and complete the chart. Then we went over the answers to the chart to make sure that everyone was on the same page. Tomorrow, you will have a short quiz on democracy. Please see the study guide for this quiz below.

Democracy Quiz Study Guide:

This short quiz has a true and false section, a matching section, a short answer section and a definition section. Here's what you need to review for this quiz:

• the political spectrum (know the differences between a radical, a reactionary, a conservative, moderates, where socialism, liberalism, conservatism, communism and fascism are on the spectrum, know where Canadian political parties might fall on the political spectrum, know the values associated with groups on the political spectrum)
• know about the 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial
• be able to define democracy, direct democracy and representative democracy
• be able to list off advantages and disadvantages of direct democracy and representative democracy
• know what a constitution is and what its role might be in a democracy
• be familiar with these key terms: democracy, direct democracy, representative democracy, periodic elections, independent courts, free press, representation by population, a referendum and minority rights
  
  

February 18

Social 30

We finished looking at some sample student essays from a previous Diploma Exam. You can find other samples of student writing at the Alberta Education website. We watched a short video on government in Canada, and then brainstormed a list of advantages and disadvantages of the Canadian political system. We'll start looking at the American political system tomorrow.

Social 33

I gave you back the results of the multiple choice section of the Introduction to Political Systems Test. I went through the structure of the American political system as well today. You are responsible for completing the Chapter 4 booklet for homework tomorrow. This is worth double homework check marks, for the Canadian section and the American section.

Social 20-1

You wrote your World Geography Test today at the beginning of class. We then continued our examination of the life of Napoleon Bonaparte and the impact that he had on European affairs and the rise of nationalism in Europe. Also, I forgot to mention that you have your Chapter 1-2 Test next Tuesday (the 24th), please see the study guide below.

Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide:

This test will be on Tuesday, February 24th. The test has a matching section and a short answer section.

• Make sure that you have read both Chapter 1-2 from your textbook Exploring Nationalism
• Study Chapter 1-2 Key Terms from the Unit 1 Worksheet
• Study your answers to the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet for Chapter 1-2

Study the following PowerPoint presentations:

• "Nation and Identity" (Chapter 1 material + supplementary material)
• "Shaping Nationalism: The French Revolution" (Chapter 2 material + supplementary material)
• "The Napoleonic Age" (Chapter 2 material + supplementary material)

February 17

Social 20-1

We finished watching the History Channel documentary called "The French Revolution" today in class. We then started looking at the impact that Napoleon Bonaparte had on France by watching a A & E Biography of Napoleon. As you were watching this video you were to take notes on a timeline of significant events in Napoleon's life. Tomorrow, you have your World Geography Test, please see the study guide here. Also, when we finish this test we'll continue looking at the life of Napoleon. I also collected your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions at the end of class.

Social 33

Most of today's class was spent writing your Introduction to Political Systems Test. After the test, I gave you a few handouts on the Canadian political system: the structure of Canadian government, a seating plan for the House of Commons, how a bill becomes law in Canada, and finally, your homework assignment. You are to go to this website to complete the Canadian Government Internet Assignment sheet that I gave you in class. Also, the Canadian section of your Chapter 4 Question booklet is due tomorrow.

Social 30

I went over in greater detail how to write an effective position paper. I gave you numerous handouts on this, and also had you practice differentiating between arguments and examples. I gave you a handout with three sample essays and how they would be marked in Edmonton in June. We'll look at the other two essays tomorrow in class. Please remember that your Case Study #1 Parliamentary Democracy in Canada (this worksheet has a diamond pattern around the border) is due tomorrow. I took in your Case Studies 2-6 from Ideologies at the beginning of class.

February 11

Social 30

A large part of today's class was spent writing the short answer quiz on Basic Political Ideology. After you finished the quiz, we started talking about writing position paper essays. We'll talk more about position papers after the long weekend. I also collected your Stoerpenberg Camp charts today. Please remember that your Case Studies 2-6 are due on Tuesday, February 17th, and Case Study #1 (Democracy-Canada) is due on Wednesday, February 18th.

Social 33

I gave you time to work on the Canadian section of the Chapter 4 question booklet. This will be due on Tuesday, February 17th. Also, on Tuesday, February 17th, you will have your Introduction to Political Systems Test, please see the study guide below.

Introduction to Political Systems Test Study Guide:

1. Key Concepts/Key People:

• ideology
• government
• politics
• to govern
• economics
• individualism
• collectivism
• fascism
• conservatism
• liberalism
• radical
• conservative
• reactionary
• liberal
• absolute monarchy
• democratic socialism
• communism
• representative government
• Thomas Hobbes (ideas/beliefs)
• John Locke (ideas/beliefs)
• norms
• mores
• rule by few/elites (dictatorships)
• rule by many (democracies)

2. Political Spectrum:

• similarities/differences between groups
• values supported by each group (radical, liberal, conservative, reactionary)
• placement on spectrum of various groups

3. Forms of Government:

• advantages/disadvantages of each type of government that we have examined (absolute monarchy, democratic socialism, communism, representative government, fascism)

Test Format:
30 multiple choice questions
1 writing assignment (letter to the editor on a particular issue, information is given to help you write your letter)
Test Date: Tuesday, February 17th

Social 20-1

We started watching the video "The French Revolution". We'll continue watching this video after the long weekend. Please study for the World Geography Test, which is on Wednesday, February 18th. Here is a link to the World Geography Test Study Guide.

February 10

Social 20-1

I finished off the presentation on "The French Revolution" today. I have sent this PowerPoint presentation to you already. I would like you to print it off, 4 slides per page and put it in your binders. I will be doing homework checks on this eventually. I also went through some origins of the political spectrum with you today as well, this will be very useful for you next year in either Social 30-1 or 30-2. We'll continue looking at the French Revolution tomorrow. Here is a link to the World Geography Test Study Guide. This first graphic represents the seating order in the National Assembly in 1789. Later we will see the development of the political groupings that we discussed in class, in particular the Jacobins, the Girodins and the conservatives.

Social 33

I did a homework check on the Chapter 3 Questions today (Q 2-7) at the beginning of class. I also delivered a PowerPoint presentation to you called "Introduction to Democracy", which I have sent to you, so please check your e-mail. Please print off this PowerPoint (4 slides per page) and add it to your notes. I gave you a diagram on democracy and a handout that covered parliamentary democracy and presidential democracy. You were to answer the following questions based on the reading. If you didn't finish this in class, you have homework tonight. Please answer the following questions:
1. What is the main difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?
2. What are the disadvantages of direct democracy?
3. What is responsible government?
4. What are 4 main features of a parliamentary democracy?
5. In a parliamentary democracy, who is typically the head of state?
6. What are some criticisms of a parliamentary democracy?
7. What are 4 main features of a presidential democracy?
8. What are some criticisms of a presidential democracy?

Social 30

I gave you a reading and a note-taking chart on the Stoerpenberg Camp. You were to read this document and take notes on it in the chart provided. If you finished this in class, you were to work on your Case Study #1 Canada questions. Please remember that you have a short answer quiz tomorrow. Here is the link to the study guide for the Basic Political Ideology Quiz.

February 9

Social 33

I collected your paragraph responses related to the video "Forms of Government: What's the Score?" at the beginning of class. You also wrote a short quiz on individualism and collectivism today (and you got the results back too). I have assigned for homework the following from A Changing World, Chapter 3 questions on page 28, Q 2-7.

Social 20-1

I started a presentation today on "The French Revolution" which I will continue tomorrow. During this presentation you were to take notes on the structure of French society on the eve of the French Revolution. If you can understand the social hierarchy and social inequalities that existed in France prior to the Revolution you'll be able to understand underlying causes of the Revolution and development of French nationalism more easily. Here is the link to the study guide for the World Geography Test.

Social 30

I gave you a handout today called "The Language of Government" which you need to know inside and out! Also, I gave you an outline sheet and Case Study #1 Parliamentary Democracy: Canada booklet. You'll have class time tomorrow to work on this case study booklet. This case study booklet will be due next week. I am posting the study guide for a short answer quiz that you are getting on Wednesday.

Social 30 Basic Political Ideology Quiz Study Guide:

This quiz is on Wednesday, February 11th. It consists of two sections, a short answer section and a matching section. Please use the following study guide to focus your studying.

• know what direct democracy and representative democracy are, and be able to give contemporary or historical examples of each
• be able to define ideologies (two aspects)
• know the political spectrum and economic spectrum extremely well, be able to label each spectrum
• know the political-economic grid organization and be able to label it
• know the ideological values associated with the political spectrum
• be able to explain the difference between individualism and collectivism
• be able to classify countries by the political-economic grid quadrants
• be able to list ways in which citizens can participate in a democracy
• be able to list techniques found in every representative democracy
• be able to place various ideologies of the 20th century on a political spectrum

Know the following key terms:

• direct democracy
• representative democracy
• ideology
• democracy
• individualism
• collectivism
• federal government
• monarchy
• oligarchy
• republic
• theocracy
• totalitarianism
• bureaucracy
• anarchy
• communism
• fascism
• constitutional
• autocracy
• dictatorship
• nationalism
• unitary government
• plutocracy
• dynasty
  
  

February 6

Social 33

We finished off the video "Forms of Government: What's the Score?" today. You have a short one paragraph writing assignment based on this video that is due on Monday (most of you finished this in class). This is the question that you must answer in paragraph form: Which do you think is the best form of government? Why? Explain. I will do a homework check on this on Monday, so it should be some easy homework check marks. We also did some more classification on some historical examples of government and placed them on a spectrum similar to the one below:

We went over the answers to this worksheet in class.

Social 20-1

You wrote your Enlightenment Thinkers Quiz at the beginning of class today. I will give you the results of this quiz on Monday. I also took in your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions and did a quick homework check on it for completion, and then gave them back to you. We'll be starting the French Revolution next week, so please make sure that at the very least you have read a little in Chapter 2 in Exploring Nationalism, particularly the sections on the French Revolution.

Social 30

I talked a little bit about value conflicts in political systems today, such as individualism vs. collectivism, individual freedom vs. state control, equality vs. elitism, status quo vs. change, and minority rights vs. majority rights, and how these value judgments are used to build essay questions for Diploma Exams. I then gave you the Case Studies Worksheet for Cases Studies 2-6. Please remember that your Chapter 1-3 Questions are due on Monday, February 9th, and Case Studies 2-6 are due on Tuesday, February 17th.

February 5

Social 30

I collected your answer sheets on "How a Liberal and Conservative Might View the Same Event" at the beginning of class. We then did some class brainstorming on characteristics/techniques of democracies. I also gave you a handout on citizen participation in a democracy and techniques of a democracy. I also gave you the Chapter 3 Questions. Please remember that your Chapter 1-3 Questions are due on Monday.

Social 20-1

I went through a presentation today called "The Enlightenment", which I have already sent to you. You will be tested on the Enlightenment thinkers tomorrow, your first quiz in Social 20-1. Please remember that your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. It's not a bad idea to have a look at yesterday's post for the World Geography Test study guide.

Social 33

I introduced the political and economic spectrum to you today. The booklet that I gave you on the political spectrum and economic spectrum is valuable, but here are another two resources that may help you understand these concepts further:

• Ideology Notes (there's a permanent link to this PDF document on the blog under Social 33 Links)
• Political/Economic Spectrum (again another permanent link on the blog)

I gave you a worksheet on the political spectrum before starting a video called "Forms of Government: What's the Score?" We'll continue with this video tomorrow, since you were still completing the chart.

February 4

Social 30

I quickly went through the collectivism and individualism charts that were in "The Many Shades of Opinion" booklet. I also gave you another booklet with diagrams of the Political Spectrum (similar to the diagrams that I had in the presentation "Introducing Government"). I gave you a reading called "How a Liberal and Conservative Might View the Same Event", with a question sheet. I gave you time to work on this activity in class before giving you the Chapter 1 and 2 Questions. I will give you the Chapter 3 Questions tomorrow. The Chapters 1-3 Questions will be due on Monday February 9th. If I were you, I would complete at least the Chapter 1 Questions tonight.

Social 33

I went through a very short presentation called "Ideology, Individualism and Collectivism". Once we have the e-mail list working I will send it to you. We then did various activities surrounding individualism and collectivism. Your first short quiz in Social 33 will be on individualism and collectivism, so make sure that you understand these two very important concepts. Tomorrow, we will talk about the political spectrum.

Social 20-1

I finished the presentation "Nation and Identity" today. I have sent this presentation to you already, so please check your e-mail. I handed out the Unit 1 Worksheet and assigned Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions for homework, due on Friday. You have a World Geography Test on February 14th. I will post the study guide for this test below.

Social 20-1 World Geography Test Study Guide:

This test will take place on Wednesday, February 18th. It is simply a country identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries identified and you need to be able to write out what country it is. Here are the countries that may appear on the test:

• any of the EU countries (there are 27 countries in the EU, a map of the EU is in your textbook on page 265)


• 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!!**

Please use the following links for studying for this test:

• World Geography Games


• Test Your Geography Knowledge


• Maps.com Online Games (the "Find It" games are excellent!)
  

February 3

Social 20-1

I gave you two handouts at the beginning of class one of which was an organizational webs for Social 20-1, and the other was an organizational web for Unit 1. I then started a presentation called "Nation and Identity", which I will finish tomorrow. I gave you some class time to read pages 20-29 in your textbook. If you wanted to read the rest of Chapter 1 in Exploring Nationalism, you could tonight as it will prepare you for the material that I will cover in the second half of the presentation tomorrow.

Social 20-1 Students: Check your e-mail!

Social 33

Most of today's class period was spent in small discussion groups discussing the impact of politics and government and economics on your everyday lives. Tomorrow we'll be looking at some key differences in the values of individualism and collectivism. I also started sending around the e-mail distribution list, don't worry if you didn't get your e-mail address down on this sheet of paper, I'll send it around tomorrow again.

Social 30

I finished off my lecture called "Introducing Government" and looking at the ideas of Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. I will send this presentation out to you as soon as we have the e-mail distribution list up and running. I gave you a booklet entitled "Ideology Notes" which I had you read and highlight (you can download the "Ideology Notes" booklet here). This booklet is an excellent source of information on the political and economic spectrum and should be a booklet that you would use to study and review for exams. I also gave you a booklet called "The Many Shades of Opinion" to read today as well and complete the charts in this booklet. We also did an opinion survey, which we'll have more time to discuss in tomorrow's class. Here is your homework assignment tonight:

1. Complete the individualism and collectivism charts in "The Many Shades of Opinion" booklet.

2. Complete the opinion survey sheet that I gave you in class (we'll discuss this tomorrow).

3. Go to the following website: Political Compass, and complete the survey. Answer the questions as honestly as possible, and bring your results to class tomorrow, and be prepared to discuss your results.

Social 30 Students: Check your e-mail!

February 2

Welcome to the second semester...

Social 33

I went through some classroom rules and expectations, the course outline, and a little bit of information about the Diploma Exam as well. We watched a short episode from "WKRP in Cincinnati" as well, the point of which was for you to see that if you don't understand something try to relate it to your own personal experience to help you make sense of concepts, or ask me to explain the concept differently. If you don't understand let me know it's my responsibility to make this course material as easy to understand as possible so that you can be successful and get the credits you need to graduate from high school.

Social 20-1

I went through some classroom rules and expectations, the course outline for 20-1, as well as the question breakdown for Part B of the Final Exam in June, the type and frequency of tests throughout the semester, and the types of writing assignments that you will receive over the course of the semester. I also had you write a letter of introduction during class time. We'll be getting into the course material tomorrow, please make sure that you get the course textbook Exploring Nationalism.

Social 30

I went through some classroom rules and expectations, the course outline, and started looking at the need for government and the views of Thomas Hobbes on government. We'll look at John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and the political spectrum tomorrow. Tonight, please write a letter of introduction. Let me know some interesting things about you, your family, your interests, your extracurricular activities, and your goals for this semester.

Classroom Rules/Expectations of Behavior

I think that I have very simple, straight-forward classroom rules and expectations. Here's a quick recap:

• Please be on-task during classroom time (visit later)
• No cell phones (as per school policy); 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.
• If you are going away on holidays (please do not schedule holidays during examination periods in January and June), please let me know in advance. I can prepare materials for you, let you know what you'll be missing, and even give you handouts in advance. This way you won't feel "lost" when you come back from holidays.

January 19

Social 20-1 Final Marks Are Posted!

I have posted the marks for both Social 20-3 and Social 20-4 classes outside my classroom. The class average for Social 20-4 was 68% and the class average for Social 20-3 was 67%, so obviously the final exam wasn't easy. The highest class average that I have heard so far in the school was 69%, so both classes were competitive. The highest individual mark between both classes that I taught was 90%. Please remember that if your final course mark falls between 50 and 65% I automatically recommend that you take Social 30-2 next year. If your mark is less than 50%, it will have be rounded to 45%, in which case you have failed Social 20-1, and you will be required to take Social 30-2 next year. When you pass Social 30-2, you will receive 5 credits for passing 30-2, and will receive 5 retroactive credits for Social 20-1, all for passing one course. It has been a pleasure teaching you this year. I will be teaching 30-1 and 30-2 next year, so maybe our paths will cross again.

January 15

Social 10-1 Final Marks Are Posted!

I have posted the final course marks for Social 10-1 outside my classroom. On Part B of the Final Exam the class average was 78%! Outstanding work everyone! Although we didn't get to the goal of 80% class average, you did an outstanding job on Part B. From talking to other teachers, you probably got the highest class average in the school this semester. It was a pleasure teaching all of you this semester. Hopefully I'll be able to teach some of you again in the future.

January 13

Social 10-1

We played a review game of Jeopardy! today. Your final exam is tomorrow in the Main Gym from 1-3 p.m. Review tonight! Good luck tomorrow. I'll be in my classroom from 8:30-11:30 a.m. if you want to come by and ask some last minute questions or go over some past Unit Final Exams. Good luck!

Social 20-1

We played a review game of Jeopardy! today. Your final exam is on Friday in the Main Gym from 1-3 p.m. Set some time aside over the next few days to study. I'll be in my classroom from 8:30-11:30 a.m. tomorrow, and all day Thursday and Friday, if you want to come by and ask some last minute questions or go over some past Unit Final Exams. I also sent you the PowerPoint presentations out again, so make sure that you have all of the presentations listed off on your Final Exam Study Guide. Good luck!

January 12

Now we're into the last few days of the semester.

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Blood Diamond". I gave you your current mark in Social 10-1. This is the mark that you have heading into Part B of the Final Exam. Part B of the Final is worth 20% of your final grade in Social 10-1. You should be reviewing the entire course over the course of the next few nights, since you write it on Wednesday. We'll be playing a game of review Jeopardy! tomorrow. Make sure that you don't lose the Social 10-1 Final Exam Study Guide that I gave you last week. I have also sent you a copy of this study guide to your e-mail accounts.

Social 20-1

I gave you a couple more practice final exams today, which covered Units 1 and 2. I will send you the answer key for these exams on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I gave you your current mark in Social 20-1, including the results from Part A of the Final Exam. Part B of the Final Exam (100 multiple choice questions)is on Friday 1-3 p.m. It is worth the remaining 20% of your final course grade. I gave you the seating assignments for the Final Exam as well today. We'll be playing a game of review Jeopardy! tomorrow in class. Make sure that your don't lose your copy of the Social 20-1 Final Exam Study Guide that I gave you on Friday. I have also sent a copy of this guide to your e-mail accounts.

January 9

Social 10-1

We started watching "Blood Diamond" today, we'll finish this film off on Monday. Make sure that you finish off the film study guide for Monday, I will take it in then for homework check marks. I thought that I would put together a Final Exam Study Guide for you. I gave you a copy of the study guide in class today. Use it to focus your review efforts! I have also sent you a copy of this study guide by e-mail.

Social 20-1

We continued working on the Unit 4 Practice Final today. I gave you a copy of a Final Exam Study Guide today. I have also sent you a copy of this guide by e-mail, so check your e-mail accounts.

January 8

Social 20-1

Most of today's class was spent working in pairs on a practice Unit 4 Final Exam. This exercise should have given you some idea the type of questions you might see on your final exam next Friday from Unit 4. We'll continue with the Unit 4 practice final tomorrow, which covers material from Chapters 15 and 16. I collected your Chapter 14 and 15 Key Terms and Questions at the beginning of class today. Your Chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions are due Monday, but if you handed them early you will get homework check credit for this.

Social 10-1

You wrote your Unit 4 Final Exam today. After you wrote this exam we started working on a "Blood Diamond" film study guide. We will start watching this film tomorrow. It is expected that you will complete the film study that goes along with this film for homework tonight.

January 7

Social 20-1

I delivered a presentation today on "Regional Disparity in Canada" that I will be sending to you tonight. Your homework tonight is to complete the Chapter 14 and 15 Key Terms and Questions. Your Chapter 16 Key Terms will be due on Monday.

Social 10-1

Today's class was spent mostly on completing Part A of your Final Exam. This is worth 5% of your final grade in Social 10-1. Please remember that you have your Unit 4 Final Exam tomorrow (it's a short multiple choice test). I will probably put a time limit on your Unit 4 Final Exam tomorrow. You won't need to entire class period, and that way we can move on to other topics tomorrow.

Unit 4 Final Exam Study Guide:

Make sure that you study material from the following PowerPoint presentations:

• Effects of Globalization on Individuals and Communities
• Impacts of Globalization on Groups in Society
• Quality of Life, Human Rights and Democratization
• don't review the Biofuels Controversy presentation (that was the basis of the Part A of your Final Exam)

Know your Unit 4 Key Terms and Concepts from the Unit 4 Worksheet and PowerPoint presentations extremely well.

January 6

Social 10-1

I gave you back your Chapter 17 Key Terms and Questions today (I collected these before the break, but didn't get a chance to give them back). For most of the period we watched a documentary called "Black Gold" which looks at the fair trade coffee issue. Please remember that tomorrow is your Final Exam Part A (three source analysis question). It would be a good idea to review how to write one of these source analysis questions. Also, remember that on Thursday you are writing your Unit 4 Final Exam (it's just 30 multiple choice questions). Here are some examples of the types of political cartoons that you might have to analyze tomorrow:

Social 20-1

Today's class was spent writing your Final Exam Part A. This in-class essay is worth 10% of your final grade in Social 20-1.

January 5

I had a very important hockey game to watch tonight, hence the late post.

Social 10-1

We looked at the biofuels controversy today. I have sent you the presentation that I delivered already. We then moved looking at another important commodity in the global economy: coffee. I gave you a reading called "The People vs. Starbucks", your answers to the questions based on the article are due tomorrow. You have the Part A of your Final Exam on Wednesday (it's a 3 source analysis question).

Social 20-1

Your priority tonight should be preparing for your in-class essay tomorrow, which is the Part A of your Social 20-1 Final Exam. It counts for 10% of your mark in Social 20-1.

December 19

Social 10-1

I returned your Unit 3 Position Papers at the beginning of class, and then went over some areas of improvement. You will get the results of your Chapter 15-16 Quiz after the Winter Break. I showed you a video on rising food prices from the CBC News in Review series. I then showed you some pictures from a book called Hungry Planet in which a photographer traveled around the world taking photos of families with an entire week's worth of groceries in front of them. I then showed you a music video called "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Here are some important upcoming dates for Social 10-1 students.

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 10-1 Students:

• Social 10-1 Part A of Final Exam (3 source analysis) is on Wednesday, January 7th
• Unit 4 Final Exam (30 multiple choice questions + Unit 4 Part A) is on Thursday, January 8th
  
• Social 10-1 Part B of Final Exam (100 multiple choice questions) is on Wednesday, January 14th in the Main Gym from 1-3 p.m.
  

Social 20-1

I went over some important upcoming dates for you, including the dates of final exams (see below). Your homework assignment tonight is to send me 5 high-quality Jeopardy! style questions and answers today, so that we can play a review game on Tuesday, January 13th.

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 20-1 Students:

• Social 20-1 Part A of Final Exam (this is an in-class position paper) is on Tuesday, January 6th
  
• Social 20-1 Part B of Final Exam (100 multiple choice questions) is on Friday, January 16th in the Main Gym 1-3 p.m.
  

December 18

Social 20-1

I gave you back the results of the Unit 3 Final Exam today. I gave you class time to work on your Chapter 14 and 15 Key Terms and Questions, these will be due after the winter break.

Social 10-1

Most of today's class was spent writing your Chapter 15-16 Quiz and working on your Chapter 17 Key Terms and Questions. Your Chapter 17 Key Terms and Questions will be due tomorrow. I should be able to hand back your Unit 3 Position Papers tomorrow, but it is unlikely that you will know the results of your Chapter 15-16 Quiz until after the winter break.

December 17

Sorry for the later post tonight...

Social 20-1

Most of today's class was spent writing your Unit 3 Final Exam. Your Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

Social 10-1

I went through a presentation today, that I will send to your this evening called "The Impact of Globalization on Individuals and Communities", which corresponds to Chapter 17 in your textbook, with some supplementary material. Your Chapter 15-16 Quiz is tomorrow, you have a copy of the study guide and the reading on human rights abuses in Burma, so study hard tonight!

December 16

Social 10-1

I gave you back your TNC Dossier Assignments today, I will try to finish marking your Unit 3 Position Papers this week. My goal is to give these back to you before the end of the semester. I went through a presentation today called "The Impacts of Globalization on Groups in Society". You will need this presentation for your Chapter 15-16 Quiz on Thursday. ?Your Chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. Here again is the study guide for this quiz. I tried to show a video from the Human Rights Watch group on child soldiers, but the network was a bit sluggish today. Here is the video:

Social 20-1

I went through a presentation on the history of French-English relations in Canadian history. I will be sending this presentation out this afternoon, so please check your e-mail. I gave you the remainder of class time to work on your Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions, they are due on Thursday.

December 15

Social 10-1

I gave you back your Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignments at the beginning of class. If you missed class today, you need to get some notes that I wrote up on the board, the notes covered the topics of the Canadian Bill of Rights, Charter of Rights and Freedoms, civil rights, entrenchment of rights, human rights, inalienable rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I then gave you a summary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights in plain language, and had you work on a chart activity for the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If you didn't finish this chart in class, it is for homework. To complete the chart you will need to access the online version of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Please remember that you have your Chapter 15-16 Quiz on Thursday, click here to see the study guide.

Social 20-1

I gave you back your position papers today, and went over some requirements that must be in your position paper (a "Recipe for Success" in writing in-class position papers). I also gave you the Unit 4 Worksheet today, I gave you a little bit of time to work on your Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions. Please check your e-mail tonight, I have sent you some documents. Also, don't forget that you have your Unit 3 Final Exam on Wednesday, it's 70 multiple choice questions (lots of source-based questions), so you've got to know the material and be able to apply it. Here is the link to the study guide.

December 12

Social 10-1

You got the results of your Unit 3 Final Exam today. I also delivered a presentation that corresponds to Chapter 15 called "Quality of Life, Human Rights and Democratization". I will send this presentation to you today, so please check your e-mail. You have your Chapter 15-16 Quiz on Thursday, December 18th. Here is the study guide.

Chapter 15-16 Quiz Study Guide:

You will have a Chapter 15-16 Quiz on Thursday, December 18th. This quiz will follow the typical format: a matching section, a multiple choice section and a short answer section. Please use the following study guide. Study from your textbook and the following PowerPoint presentations:

• "Quality of Life, Human Rights, and Democratization" (ppt)
• "Impacts of Globalization on Groups in Society" (ppt)
• study the reading "Human Rights Abuses in a Globalized World: Burma Case Study" (from Globalization 101 website)
  

Key Terms:

• Chapter 15 Key Terms (from Unit 4 Worksheet)
• Chapter 16 Key Terms (from Unit 4 Worksheet)
• additional key terms from the presentations that correspond to Chapters 15 and 16)
  

Key Questions:

• What are human rights?
• What is democratization?
• What is quality of life?
• What is standard of living?
• How are ideas about human rights and democracy related?
• How are globalization, human rights, and democracy related?
• How have ideas about human rights changed over time?
• What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
• What is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?
• In what ways does globalization affect the lives of children and youth?
• In what ways does globalization affect the lives of women?
• human rights abuses in Burma
  

Social 20-1

I showed you a video today called "Darfur: On Our Watch", which covers the crisis in the western region of the Sudan called Darfur, and the failure of the international community to act to stop the conflict and genocide in Darfur. Here are some good links on Darfur:

• Please have a look at the following hyperlink from ABC News on Darfur.
• Here's a hyperlink to Eyes on Darfur (an Amnesty International project).
• CBC News in Depth: Darfur, Sudan
• If you have Google Earth, have a look at this download from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum called Crisis in Darfur
• Eric Reeves website on Sudan (featured in the film Darfur: On Our Watch)

Please remember that you have your Unit 3 Final Exam next Wednesday, here is the study guide.

December 11

Social 20-1

Today, I collected your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions. We watched a video from the PBS Nova series called "World in the Balance: The People Paradox". I think that after watching this video you can see the connections between population/demographic changes and impacts that it can have on other global issues. I also gave you a reading on Myanmar and the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis that hit the country in May 2008. Myanmar is an interesting case study of human rights, as well as the international response to this crisis, and in turn, the Myanmar military junta's response to the desire of the international community to send humanitarian aid to Myanmar. Please make sure that you read this supplementary articles (this is testable material, as is the other article about Myanmar that I am sending to your e-mail account). Tomorrow, we'll be looking at the situation in Darfur, which is also in your textbook (page 285). Your Unit 3 Final Exam is on Wednesday, December 17th, here is your study guide.

Social 10-1

Most of today's class was spent writing your Unit 3 Final Exam. If you finished up early, you were to use that time to work on your Chapter 15 Key Terms and Questions, which are due tomorrow. Also, I would expect you to post your Week 3 reactions to the oil shock on our class World Without Oil blog. Please check that blog for what you should focus your Week 3 reaction around.

December 10

Sorry for the later post tonight...

Social 20-1

We looked at a short video on the global food crisis from CBC News in Review. While you were watching the video you were to complete a booklet of questions related to it. I gave you the remainder of class time to work on your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions, which are due tomorrow. Please remember that your Unit 3 Final Exam is next Wednesday, here is the study guide.

Social 10-1

I gave you the Unit 4 Worksheet today. You had the option of working on Chapter 15 material, or studying for tomorrow's Unit 3 Final Exam. Here is the study guide for this final exam once again.

December 9

Social 10-1

We continued looking at a World Without Oil. You should be posting your "in game" reactions at the World Without Oil blog. I will be checking for your posts for Week 1 today. I will post on that blog what you should be posting for Week 3 tomorrow. You should also be reviewing for your Unit 3 Final Exam, this exam is on Thursday. Please check the study guide here. I also collected your written responses for the e-waste article from National Geographic magazine for homework check marks.

Social 20-1

I collected your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions today. I also finished off the presentation "Nationalism and Internationalism" today, and I will be sending it off to you this afternoon. We also started looking at global issues today. One of the root causes for many of the global issues that we will be looking at in Unit 3 is the regional differences and disparities on our planet. Economic disparities between the developed world and the developing world is at the core for many of the global issues that we will be looking at, such as: global health issues, pandemics, the spread of disease, and epidemics such as HIV/AIDS; foreign debt; global poverty; access to clean drinking water; hunger. Many of these issues have their roots in the unequal distribution of wealth in the world. We watched a short video called "If the World Were a Village" and completed a prediction sheet to go with the video. This video boils down global numbers into easy to understand numbers and percentages. This will help us when we look at some of the global issues in Unit 3. Your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday, December 11th. Remember that your Unit 3 Final Exam is on Wednesday, December 17th. Please see the study guide below.

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 8

Social 10-1

We continued looking at our World Without Oil ARG, and how to connect to our World Without Oil site. Please make sure that you post your reactions to the oil shock there by Wednesday. I collected your TNC Dossier Assignments at the beginning of class today. Tomorrow, you have a homework assignment due, and it is a written response to article that appeared in National Geographic Magazine's January 2008 issue. Here is the link to the article. After reading this article, please write a response to the article (about 1 page in length) in which you answer the following question: What can be done to make e-waste more environmentally friendly, and increase the sustainability of this industry?

Don't forget that your Unit 3 Final Exam is fast approaching. Here is the study guide:

Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

Please make sure that you have read Chapters 10-14. Please make sure that you have the following PowerPoint presentations, and that you study from them:

• "Foundations of Economic Globalization"
• "The Expansion of Economic Globalization"
• "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization"
• "The Impact of Economic Globalization on Environments"
• "Globalization and Sustainability"

Make sure that you have reviewed the Key Terms from Unit 3 (all the terms listed on the Unit 3 Worksheet, plus the extra key terms that appeared in the PowerPoint presentations). The Unit 3 Final Exam will consist of 55 multiple choice questions, and will be held on Thursday, December 11th.

Social 20-1

I started a presentation today that I will finish off tomorrow called "Internationalism and Nationalism". This presentation corresponds to material found in Chapter 10 and 11 in your textbook, with a healthy supply of supplementary material thrown in as well. I gave you the remainder of class time to work on your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions, which are due on Thursday, December 11th. Please remember that your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.
I have also set a date for the Unit 3 Final Exam, it'll be on Wednesday, December 17th. If you are away on this day, it had better be an excused absence. Some of you may be cross-country skiing that day, if so, you will write the test the next day. I will post the study guide for the Unit 3 Final in tomorrow's post on the blog.

December 5

Social 10-1

We started a new activity today called World Without Oil. Over the next few class periods we'll be looking at the impact that oil has on our everyday lives, and contemporary economic globalization. We started off by brainstorming a list of everyday items that are derived from oil. I had you add to this list (I will be sending you a list of items for you to have a look at). We then talked about playing an alternate reality game (ARG) called World Without Oil. This ARG was originally played out in several countries in May 2007. I will be sending some hyperlinks to your e-mail accounts, so please check your e-mail tonight! Over the next few classes we'll be looking at the impact that an oil shock (when the global supply of oil no longer meets global demand) would have on our everyday lives. If it's a prolonged oil shock, what impact would that have on our everyday lives? I have sent you an invitation to your e-mail accounts, so please check your e-mail. After you accept the invitation, there will be further instructions as to what you are to do next.

You have your TNC Dossier Assignment due on Monday, December 8th. On Tuesday, December 9th, you will have your written response due. This written response is based on an article from National Geographic magazine, and it is about e-waste. Please see this original post when this assignment was originally assigned as homework.

Social 20-1

I gave you back your three source analysis in-class writing assignments today. With both sections of Social 20-1 that I teach I saw an improvement in the quality of responses. There is still room for improvement for almost everyone. Please make sure that on future source analysis questions that you specifically analyze each of the sources! A few of you are doing poorly on these assignments because you are not referring to or analyzing the sources at all.
I gave you the remainder of class time to work on your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions, these will be due on Tuesday, December 9th.

December 4

Social 20-1

I can't believe I spent most of the period going over the current political crisis in Canada. I didn't intend to take that long. I think that as a Social Studies teacher I had to go over what has been going on in our country politically. This is the most charged up that many Canadians have been about politics in awhile. It's interesting to think about the voter turnout in the last federal election and how dismal it was. If there were an election tomorrow, would the voter turnout be any higher?

Don't worry, we'll get back on track tomorrow with Unit 3 material. There is no homework tonight.

Social 10-1

Most of today's class was spent doing a Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment. I won't be able to get the results of this writing assignment back to you as quickly as I have in the past as I have a considerable amount of marking to do for my Social 20-1 classes. Hopefully, you did well on this assignment. These Part A assignments are similar to the type of minor writing assignments that you will be getting all throughout your time in high school Social Studies, they are modeled after the minor writing assignment that will be part of the Social Studies 30-1 Diploma Exam. Please remember that you have some homework that is due on Tuesday, it's a written response to an article from National Geographic magazine, please check this post to read your homework assignment.

Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

Please make sure that you have read Chapters 10-14. Please make sure that you have the following PowerPoint presentations, and that you study from them:

• "Foundations of Economic Globalization"
• "The Expansion of Economic Globalization"
• "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization"
• "The Impact of Economic Globalization on Environments"
• "Globalization and Sustainability"
  

Make sure that you have reviewed the Key Terms from Unit 3 (all the terms listed on the Unit 3 Worksheet, plus the extra key terms that appeared in the PowerPoint presentations). The Unit 3 Final Exam will consist of 55 multiple choice questions, and will be held on Thursday, December 11th.

December 3

Social 20-1

We looked at various foreign policy options today, and defined them and then came up with examples of each foreign policy option. We then rated the effectiveness of each of these six foreign policy options in dealing with three issues facing the world today: the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa, global poverty, and control of the Northwest passage and Arctic resources.

Social 10-1

We played a Unit 3 review game for most of the period. I have sent this PowerPoint game to you already. Please remember that you have your Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment tomorrow. Also, please remember that you have a written response assignment due on Friday. You are to read an article from National Geographic magazine. Here is a link to the post where I originally assigned this homework.

December 2

Social 10-1

You wrote your in-class position papers today in the Blenheim Room, which took most of the period. We'll be playing a review game tomorrow on Unit 3 material.

Social 20-1

We looked Canadian foreign policy today, and I delivered a lecture on this topic. I have already sent you the presentation called "Canada's Foreign Policy", this is supplementary material to the Chapter 10 material. You Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

December 1

Whoops, I just noticed that I didn't post on Friday, sorry about that!

Social 10-1

I started today's class by outlining possible ways of organizing your in-class position paper tomorrow. As you should have seen, on either side of the issue, there are a multitude of ways of organizing it, depending on which arguments you use, case studies, arguments and evidence you choose to emphasize. To quickly summarize, on the essay question "To what extent does economic globalization contribute to sustainable prosperity for all people?" you could take the side that it does contribute to sustainable prosperity for all people, in which case you would emphasize the economics-based definition of sustainable prosperity. Some possible ways of organizing the positive side of the issue would be to focus in on the global financial institutions as one of your arguments, you would be arguing the benefits of the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO, with supporting evidence. Another body paragraph could center around the benefits of economic trading blocs, such as the EU (you could use the case study of Ireland to illustrate the benefits of membership int he EU and how it has raised the standard of living and quality of life in Ireland) and NAFTA. You could also look at the benefits of TNCs by using some information from the video "Globalisation is Good" particularly the case study of Nike in Vietnam. You could also look at the benefits of contemporary economic globalization on the developing world and newly industrializing countries such as India and China. On the flip side of the issue, you could organize your essay around criticizing global financial institutions like the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO. By focusing on just these three global financial institutions, you would just criticize each institution in each of your body paragraphs. You could also group them all together into one paragraph as well, if you wanted to criticize other aspects of modern economic globalization. You could be critical of large economic trading blocs like the EU (giving up some aspects of your country's sovereignty to be part of the EU), and NAFTA (look at the NAFTA chart in the PowerPoint presentation "The Expansion of Economic Globalization", this goes for the positive side of the argument as well). You could also emphasize the negative aspects of TNCs in the world today (have a look at the companion website to the documentary "The Corporation", or have a look under Social 10-1 Links for hyperlinks to other companion websites for films that I showed in Unit 3). You could also argue the detrimental side of contemporary economic globalization on the developing world and newly industrialized countries, such as India and China (is everyone benefiting from globalization in these countries?), or look at Jamaica as a case study as well (could be used to criticize the World Bank and IMF and to a lesser extent, the WTO, look at the companion website for the film "Life + Debt"). If you are arguing that economic globalization does not contribute to the sustainable prosperity of all people, you would want to emphasize that not all people are benefiting from the spread of globalization, and you would also want to define sustainable prosperity in your first paragraph to include economic, social and environmental aspects of that term. I hope our brainstorming session helps you with tomorrow's position paper, please remember to go directly to the Blenheim Room.



I gave you the remainder of class time to complete your homework assignment (hopefully all you have to do tonight is send it to me by e-mail): 7 high quality Jeopardy! style questions and answers sent to me by e-mail TONIGHT! We will be playing a review game on Wednesday.

Social 20-1

I finished off the presentation called "Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism", with some supplementary material on the United Nations in it. I will send this presentation to you today, so please check your e-mail inboxes. Also, we watched a short CBC News in Review on the role of peacekeeping operations in the 21st century. I gave you a reading to go along with this CBC News in Review that you should read. I gave you the remainder of class time to do your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions, which will be due on Wednesday, December 3rd. We will be moving through this Unit 3 material VERY quickly, so please make sure that you keep up with the homework assignments.

November 27

Social 20-1

I gave you back the results of your Unit 2 Final Exam today in class. I then started a presentation called "Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism", which I will continue on Monday. On Monday, we'll be looking at the United Nations. Please remember that you have your Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment tomorrow.

Social 10-1

We started watching a movie called "Who Killed the Electric Car?" with a film study sheet to go along with it. We'll finish this movie off tomorrow. Please remember the upcoming important dates next week, outlined below.

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 10-1 Students:

• TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Monday, December 1st
• Unit 3 In-Class Position Paper is on Tuesday, December 2nd
• Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment is on Thursday, December 4th
• E-Waste Written Response Assignment is due on Friday, December 5th (for homework check marks, please see the November 26th post for details and a hyperlink to the article)
• Unit 3 Final Exam is on Thursday, December 11th (I will post a study guide for the Unit 3 Final Exam on December 4th)
  

November 26

Social 20-1

Most of today's class period was spent writing your Unit 2 Final Exam. I will let you know the results of this test tomorrow in class. Please remember that on Friday you will be doing a Part A In-Class Writing Assignment based on material from Unit 2. Make sure that you bring your textbooks to class tomorrow because we will be looking at material from Unit 3, specifically Chapter 9.

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Shipbreakers" today as well as finishing off the presentation called "Globalization and Sustainability". I have sent this presentation to you already, along with the Unit 3 Essay Question Sheet (you are allowed to bring notes that you put on this sheet into class on December 2nd when you write your In-Class Position Paper for Unit 3) and a Unit 3 Position Paper Outline Sheet (useful for outlining/planning out your essay). Please check your e-mail inboxes! I have one message bounce back to me already, so if you didn't get this message, please send me an e-mail tonight!!

In connection with watching "Shipbreakers" today, and talking about the life cycle of a ship and the sustainability of the shipbreaking industry, I thought it would be interesting to look at another example of an industry that has environmental consequences that are sort of "out of sight, out of mind". I'm talking about e-waste. National Geographic Magazine had a feature on e-waste in their January 2008 issue that I would like you to read. Here is the hyperlink to the article: click here. I'm giving you some time to read this article and complete a one-page written response to the article (this written response is due on Friday, December 5th, it'll be for homework check marks incidentally). In your written response to the magazine article I would like you to focus on the following question: What can be done to make e-waste more environmentally friendly, and increase the sustainability of this industry?

November 25

Social 10-1

I started a presentation today, which I will finish tomorrow called "Globalization and Sustainability". We looked at one definition of sustainable prosperity, the concept of ecological footprints and what factors contribute to Canadians having such big ecological footprints. We also looked at the sustainability of the shipbreaking industry and the life cycle of a ship. We started watching the documentary "Shipbreakers", which we will also finish off tomorrow.

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 10-1 Students:

• TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Monday, December 1st
• Unit 3 In-Class Position Paper is on Tuesday, December 2nd
• Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment is on Thursday, December 4th
• Unit 3 Final Exam is on Thursday, December 11th

Social 20-1

I collected your Unit 2 Research Dossier Assignments today at the beginning of class. Every day that you are late handing these dossiers are not handed in means 10% off your mark (it works out to -3.5 marks per day). We started looking at Unit 3 material today, specifically completing a opinion survey that gave you results as to whether you are more of a nationalist or an internationalist. Your Unit 3 Final Exam is tomorrow, please make sure that you have prepared for it! You have a Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment on Friday.

November 24

I'm taking the blog public again. I have removed the ability to make comments though. If any of my students have a question please send me an e-mail message. If any teachers out there have a question, you can find my contact information under "View My Complete Profile", I'm usually pretty good at responding to questions and requests.

Social 10-1

We finished watching "Globalisation is Good" in class today, while completing the film study that goes along with the film. I will be doing a homework check on this film study tomorrow, so if you have any blank spaces on your film study, please go to Google Video and watch the uploaded video there. I also did a lecture today called "The Impact of Globalization on Environments", which corresponds to Chapter 13 material. I will send this presentation to you tonight.

Social 20-1

You wrote your in-class position paper today for Unit 2. Your Unit 2 Dossier Assignment is due tomorrow. Your Unit 2 Final Exam is on Wednesday, it is 75 multiple choice questions. I never sent out a study guide for this test, but here's a basic guide: know all of the key concepts from the Unit 2 Worksheet. Make sure that you review all materials that I gave you or sent to you from the following broad topics: World War I, Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles, the Interwar Years, rise of ultranationalism in Germany, Japan, and Italy, World War II, the Holocaust, genocide, and contemporary examples of genocide, decolonization and self-determination (think of the case studies that I emphasized).

November 21

Social 10-1

You watched the video "Globalization is Good" today while completing a video study guide for it.

Social 20-1

You wrote your Chapter 7-8 Test today. You have your in-class position paper on Monday in the Blenheim Room, and your Unit 2 Dossier Project is due on Tuesday.

November 20

Social 20-1

We spent most of the class talking about how to write a position paper. The difference between arguments, examples and evidence. We also looked at the structure of an argumentative essay. You have your Chapter 7-8 Test tomorrow.

Social 10-1

We finished watching "The Other Side of Outsourcing" and completing the film study sheet that went along with it. We then spent the rest of the class talking about how to write a position paper. The difference between arguments, examples and evidence. We also looked at the structure of an argumentative essay.

November 19

Social 20-1

We looked at a case study of national self-determination, specifically Kosovo. I gave you a package of readings related to the declaration of Kosovo independence in February 17, 2008. Some countries in the world have recognized the independence of Kosovo, whereas others did not recognize Kosovo as an independent country. I collected your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions at the end of the class. You will have a Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment on Monday, November 24th.

Social 10-1

We watched a video called "Impacts of Globalization" today in class, and completed a film study sheet that went with it. This film introduced the concept of the Human Development Index (HDI) which we will look at again in Unit 4. We started watching "The Other Side of Outsourcing" today and worked on a film study that went along with it. We'll finish this documentary tomorrow.

November 18

Social 10-1

We finished watching "The Age of Wal-Mart" and completing the film study that went along with it. I went through a presentation called "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization". I will send this presentation to you. Here is a hyperlink to this presentation as well: Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization.

Social 20-1

We finished watching "Gandhi" today in class. Your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

November 17

Social 10-1

Most of today's class was spent writing your Chapter 10-11 Quiz. You should get the results of this quiz later this week.

Social 20-1

I did a homework check on your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions at the beginning of class. We continued watching "Gandhi" and working on the film study that goes along with it.