February 4

Social 10-1

I did a homework check on your 25 item chart at the beginning of class and then gave it right back to you so you could use to complete your Global Connections Map Assignment. I gave you the directions for this assignment in class, please see them again below. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday, February 10th (if I were you, I'd try to get this done this weekend if you haven't already finished it). You have your World Geography Test next Friday, please see the study guide below.

Global Connections Map Assignment Instructions:

Here are some reminder instructions for the map:

• People on the map should be represented by circles, color the circles and make sure there is a number beside each circle
• Make sure that you have colored and labelled the 25 different countries (color the entire country), these countries represent the 25 items that you found for homework and put into your chart
• Make sure that you have labeled every country that you or a classmate has a connection to
• Choose different colors to represent your different categories (food, clothing, electronics, entertainment)
• Make sure that you have a detailed key on the back of your map (reproducing your 25 item chart's information with color codes for the different categories and Global Bingo information)
• Make sure that you have a title for your map
• Make sure that you have a simplified key on the front of your map (color code for the different categories, and people)
• No border is necessary
• No compass rose is necessary
• You don't need to color the oceans or bodies of water (if you feel the need to color them, simply do a blue outline of the land masses that touch the major oceans and seas)
• Don't forget to color ALL of a country (for example, Alaska is part of the USA and should be colored, don't forget to color the islands in the Arctic Ocean that are part of Canada if you have a connection to Canada)
  

Your global connections maps are due on Monday. Please make sure that you follow the directions! I will be sending you a copy of the map in PDF format this afternoon, so if you don't get the e-mail message, please let me know!

Social 10-1 World Geography Test Study Guide:

This test will take place on Friday, February 11th. It is simply a country and capital cities identification test. You will be given a world map with certain countries, capital cities, and places 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)
• 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: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan
• 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, China, India, Myanmar (Burma), Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, 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!)

Social 30-1

I went over the 19th century and 20th century political spectrums and the economic-political grid once again in class. Your Chapter 2 Key Terms and Questions are due on Wednesday (make sure that your read Chapter 2). Your Chapter 1-2 Quiz is on Thursday, February 10th, please see the study guide here. Your Unit 1 Final Exam is next Friday, please see the study guide below.

Unit 1 Final Exam Study Guide:

The Unit 1 Final is a 55 question multiple choice test. It will be written on Tuesday, February 16th. Make sure that you study the following:

• Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms from the Unit 1 Worksheet
• Study the Ideology Notes (Black Gold School District PDF file)
• Study the 19th Century Political Spectrum
• Study the 20th Century Political spectrum
• Study the political-economic grid
• Know the values and ideas associated with the various ideologies (on the 19th century and 20th century spectrums)
• Study the Individualism and Collectivism booklet
  

February 3

Social 30-1

I went through a PowerPoint presentation today called "Identity and Ideology". I have sent this presentation to you already, so please check your e-mail accounts tonight, and print off this presentation and add it to your notes (4-6 slides per page when you print it off). Please make sure that you print off the Ideology Notes from the Black Gold School District, and read them! Actually I recommend that you read, highlight and annotate these notes. Please make sure that you have read these notes over before coming to class tomorrow. Your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. Also, make sure that you have read Chapter 1 as well. Your Chapter 1-2 Quiz will be on Thursday, February 10th, please see the study guide below.

Upcoming Important Dates for 30-1 Students:

• Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions are due on Friday, February 4th
• Print off Ideology Notes prior to February 4th class (read, highlight, annotate)
• Chapter 1-2 Quiz is on Thursday, February 10th (please see study guide below)
• Unit 1 Final Exam is on Friday, February 11th (study guide will go up on the blog tomorrow)

Chapter 1-2 Test Study Guide:

The Chapter 1-2 Test is on Thursday, February 10th. It is a mixed format test, it will have a matching section and a short answer section. Here is what you should review/study for this test:

• Chapter 1 and 2 Key Terms/Concepts and the Supplementary Key Terms from the Unit 1 Worksheet
• be able to answer any of the questions from the Unit 1 Worksheet (hopefully you have quality answers to study from!)
• you must know the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum
• know similarities and differences between communism and fascism
• be able to label political and economic spectrums and the values associated with these ideologies
• be able to label the political-economic grid and know examples of the ideologies in the quadrants (study the Ideology Notes and the notes I gave you in class)
• know the differences between individualism and collectivism, be able to apply your understanding of these concepts
• know the key ideas associated with Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau (for example, view of the nature of human beings, etc.)

Printing PowerPoint Presentations

When I send you presentations, here is what I recommend that you do: keep an electronic copy of the presentation, preferably in an appropriately named folder. Next you'll need to print it off. I recommend that you print off 4 slides per page. Here's how you do it. Open the presentation up in PowerPoint, then go under File and select Print. Then set things up like the picture below:

Social 10-1

We played a little "Global Bingo" today as well (don't lose those sheets, you'll need them for a subsequent mapping assignment). You have some homework tonight: you must create a 25 item chart (please see instructions below). I gave you some time to work on your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions today, these will be due in one week's time. You will have a World Geography Test next Friday, the study guide for this test will go up tomorrow on the blog.

25 Item Chart Instructions:

• find 25 items from 25 different countries (you can't have 5 items from one country!)
• find items from any of the following categories: food, clothing, electronics, household goods, entertainment, and miscellaneous (if it doesn't fit into any of the previous categories)
• don't just find items from one category (for example, 25 food items)
• try to find 4-6 items from each category
• collect your information about your items in a 3-column chart (item, country, category)
• don't assume that an item is from a particular country (for example, a Sony PS3 may be manufactured in Indonesia, Malaysia or South Korea, that is the information that we want
• for entertainment, for example a CD (or MP3) we want to know where the recording artist is from, not where the CD was manufactured, this will better illustrate social globalization
  when you are collecting the information for your chart, number off the items (1-25) and have the categorized separate (in other words, the first 5 items on your chart should belong to the same category, etc.)
• the more organized your chart is, the easier it will be to put that information on to a map!
  

February 3

Social 30-1

I did a homework check on your friendly letters at the beginning of class. I want to assure you that these letters are not for marks at all, I simply want to get a writing sample from you and possible get to know you better. I went through a PowerPoint presentation today called "Introducing Government". I have sent this presentation to you, so please check your e-mail accounts (for Hotmail users, please check your junk mail folders) and print off this presentation. Also, please respond to my e-mail message so I know that the e-mail distribution list is working. I gave you some time in class to work on your Chapter 1 Key Terms and Questions (which are due on Friday). Please make sure that you read Chapter 1 in the textbook as well.

Social 10-1

For most of today's class we went through an activity in which we looked at different definitions of globalization and classified those definitions as having a positive, negative or neutral view of the globalization process. We also looked at various images associated with globalization and what their connection was to globalization. Here's a link to Kiva, so you can have a look at what micro loans are so you'll have an idea of how your money can have a dramatic impact on someone's life in a less developed country. Global bingo tomorrow!

February 1

Social 10-1

I went through a quick self-introduction and talked a little bit about what to expect over the course of this semester. I gave you a list of key dates (exams, tests, quizzes, essays and writing assignments) that you should have written into your agenda or notes. I went through the course outline and academic integrity policy as well. Please check the classroom rules and expectations of behavior and rules for posting on the blog. These classroom rules can be found on the blog in yesterday's post. Your homework assignment tonight is writing a friendly letter addressed to me in which you tell me a little bit about yourself (family, extracurricular activities, sports, TV shows that you like, movies, musical interests) just so I get a sense of who you are as a person and what your goals might be for this semester. The friendly letter is due tomorrow, and it can be hand written or typed.

Social 30-1

I went through a quick self-introduction and talked a little bit about what to expect over the course of this semester. I gave you a list of key dates (exams, tests, quizzes, essays and writing assignments) that you should have written into your agenda or notes. I went through the course outline and academic integrity policy as well. Please check the classroom rules and expectations of behavior and rules for posting on the blog. These classroom rules can be found on the blog in yesterday's post. Your homework assignment tonight is writing a friendly letter addressed to me in which you tell me a little bit about yourself (family, extracurricular activities, sports, TV shows that you like, movies, musical interests) just so I get a sense of who you are as a person and what your goals might be for this semester. Where do you see yourself after high school? What are your career aspirations? The friendly letter is due tomorrow, and it can be hand written or typed.

January 31

I thought that I would post some of my classroom rules and expectations of behavior on the blog this year. Also, I will also write down some ground rules for using the blog this semester.

Classroom Rules/Expectations of Behavior:

I think that I have very simple, straight-forward classroom rules and expectations. I will be discussing these in class tomorrow, but here's a quick recap:

• Please be on-task during classroom time (visit later)
• You must wear your visual ID around your neck during class time, no exceptions!
• No cell phones; 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! Yes, you have some new freedom this year with regard to electronic devices, but not in the classroom!!
• 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 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.
  
  

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 30-1 Period 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.
• Monday nights are particularly busy for me, this is the night that I have a Masters class at the University.
• 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.
  

January 10

Social 30-1

You wrote your Trial Final today, the results of this test will wipe out your lowest exam score for the semester. Hopefully, you did well on this exam. You should get your school-awarded mark finalized by tomorrow. My goal is to have this ready for you in class time so you know exactly what your mark is going into the Diploma Exam. We'll be playing a review game of Jeopardy tomorrow.

Social 20-1

I did a homework check on your Chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions today. You continued working with a partner on Unit 4 and Unit 3 multiple choice questions. We'll be playing Jeopardy tomorrow in class.

January 7

Social 30-1

I finished talking about the Social 30-1 Diploma Exam Study Guide today in class. I have sent this to your e-mail accounts along with some sample WRA I and the PowerPoint presentation detailing how to write a three source analysis assignment. I also gave you some time to do a mock essay outline on a text-based source that I put up on the board. Please take this weekend to review for your Trial Final Exam and prepare for Part A of your Diploma Exam. There are 75 multiple choice questions on the 30-1 Trial Final and 60 questions on the 30-2 Trial Final. Take it seriously, it could improve your mark by wiping out your lowest test score. Please check your e-mail to find all of the documents that I sent you this afternoon.

Social 20-1

I did a homework check on your chapter 14-15 Key Terms and Questions today. Your chapter 16 Key Terms and Questions are due on Monday. You had most of today's class to work on practice multiple choice questions from Unit 4. We'll continue with this on Monday, and probably be able to move on to Unit 3 questions.

January 6

Social 20-1

I went through a PowerPoint presentation on regionalism in Canada that I will send to you this afternoon. Your Chapter 14-15 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

Social 30-1

I have sent you some of the essay outlines that we've prepared in the last couple of days to your e-mail accounts. Please read them over! Especially the active citizenship one, since I made that one and we didn't really have a chance to look at in great detail. The key to success on Part A of the Diploma is preparation. Please make sure that you prepare for both the essay and the three source analysis assignments. Review how to write these two different assignments, and prep for potential essays. You'll be glad that you did!

I started looking at the Diploma Exam Study Guide that I've made for you. We'll continue with it tomorrow.

Would you like me to review how to do the three source analysis assignments? Please VOTE on the blog in the comments section! Is this an actual democracy or merely the illusion of democratic choice? We'll see in Friday's class!

Something that I think will be really useful is looking at the old Social 30 essay prompts and what they might look like as 30-1 text-based source prompts for the essay. I made a document that has the old Social 30 essay prompts side-by-side if it were re-worked to be a text-based source for the 30-1 Diploma. Alberta Education has already cannibalized old essay prompts to create the January 2010 and June 2010 WRA II, so they might do it again. This also gives you a chance to look at past tendencies of what Alberta Education asks on Diploma Exams. I hope it's a useful document!

Start doing essay outline prep at home between now and next Thursday! Pick out some text-based source prompts that I gave you in the essay question chart and write essay outlines for them! It's great practice and it will pay dividends.

Don't forget your Trial Final is on Monday, January 10th. This test could potentially wipe your worst test score of the semester. REVIEW!!

Here's a link to student writing samples from the January 2010 Social 30-1 and 30-2 Diploma Exams:

• Social 30-1 Student Writing Samples
• Social 30-2 Student Writing Samples
  

January 4

Social 30-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Final Exam today. You'll get the results of this test back tomorrow, and then you'll have to make a decision as to which test score you wish to replace with your Trial Final. You'll be writing your Trial Final on Monday, January 10th, and it will be a comprehensive exam with questions related to content from all four units of study in 30-1. I did a homework check on your Unit 4 Review Booklet today as well.

Social 20-1

You wrote your Unit 3 Final Exam today, so results will be available tomorrow. Please remember that you are writing the Part A of your Final Exam (Essay) tomorrow in the Blenheim Room.

January 3

Social 30-1

You got back your Unit 3 Essays today. We also work as a class to build an essay outline for a economics-themed essay. We'll be looking at a politics-themed essay on Wednesday. I will be sending out the work that we did today tonight by e-mail. You will be writing your Unit 3 Final Exam tomorrow, please see the study guide here. You will be getting more marked assignments back tomorrow.

Social 20-1

I gave you back your Unit 3 Essays and your Unit 2 Research Projects today. I went through a PowerPoint presentation on French-English relations, which I will be sending to you this afternoon. I did a homework check on your Chapter 13 Key Terms and Questions. Your Unit 3 Final Exam is tomorrow, please see the study guide here.

December 17

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 20-1 Students:

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

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 30-1 Students:

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

December 15

Social 20-1

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

Social 20-1 Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

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

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

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

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

Social 30-1

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

December 14

Social 30-1

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

Social 30-1 Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

This exam will be entirely multiple choice format. It will be on Tuesday, January 4th Please study the following material:

• make sure that you have read Chapters 9-12 in Perspectives on Ideology
• study all key concepts from the Chapters 9-12 Worksheets (see below)
• study all questions/answers from the Chapters 9-12 Worksheets
• "Political Challenges to Liberalism" (PowerPoint presentation)

Review the following notes/packages:

• Democratic Systems
• Non-Democratic Systems
• types of dictatorships
• techniques of dictatorships
• Civil Rights Movement
• authoritarian systems (China notes)
• review the economic and political spectrum (again!)
• re-read the notes on rights that I put on the board (Charter of Rights and Freedoms to War Measures Act)
• FLQ Crisis 1970

Know the following key concepts/key events/key terms/key people:

• assimilation
• self-interest
• humanitarianism
• Indian Act
• residential school system
• enfranchisement
• the White Paper
• the Red Paper
• “war on terror"
• authoritarianism
• consensus decision-making
• direct democracy
• military dictatorship
• oligarchy
• one-party state
• party solidarity
• representation by population
• proportional representation
• representative democracy
• responsible government
• democracy
• single-member constituency (first past the post)
• the Senate
• the House of Commons
• the House of Representatives
• the Senate
• mixed-member proportional system
• lobby groups
• American Bill of Rights
• Anti-Terrorism Act
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• emergency and security legislation
• illiberal
• language legislation
• Bill 101
• Bill 178
• Bill 86
• Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
• respect for law and order
• terrorism
• rendition
• the War Measures Act
• enemy aliens
• internment
• the Emergencies Act
• USA PATRIOT Act
• consumerism
• environmental change
• extremism
• pandemics
• postmodernism
• global warming
• Kyoto Protocol
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• drought

Social 20-1

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

Here are some other useful links on Darfur:

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

Social 20-1 Unit 3 Final Exam Study Guide:

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

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

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

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

December 13

Social 30-1

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

Social 20-1

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

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

December 10

Social 30-1

We finished watching the Turning Points in History video on the FLQ today. PLEASE make sure that you finish off the FLQ Crisis booklet. There is a useful document based analysis on the FLQ in there, and make sure you read about the Emergencies Act as well. Here is the video that I forgot to post yesterday. It connects nicely to some of the themes that we addressed today in class with regard to anti-terrorism legislation that was passed in Canada and the United States after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. In yesterday's video we looked at the FLQ crisis, this is the interview on the steps of Parliament that features Trudeau's "just watch me" speech. It's an interesting little debate that is waged being Trudeau and the reporters over the issue on giving up or losing civil liberties in order to ensure security.


We watched a CBC News in Review on the September 11th attacks today prior to going into detail about anti-terrorism legislation in Canada, the United States,and Great Britain (which we will be doing next week). In order to fully understand why this legislation was passed, you need to see the context in which it was passed. The value conflict between ensuring security, peace and order in society versus individual freedom and civil liberties could be a potential topic on Part A of your Diploma Exam. Liberal democracies around the world, post-9/11 have had to deal with the issue of the extent to which they must ensure security and the balance between security and civil liberties. It would not be difficult to use a quotation that relates to this issue ("They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."--Benjamin Franklin) and then have the essay question: "To what extent should we embrace the perspective(s) in this source?" Would you be able to write an essay on that topic? Think of the source material that I've given you on the FLQ crisis, the Emergencies Act, the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Patriot Act and the no fly list, and think about other ways you could prepare for this as a potential essay topic. Your Chapter 10 Test is on Tuesday, here's the study guide (there's more democracy-related questions on the test than authoritarianism/dictatorship questions).

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 30-1 Students:

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

Social 20-1

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

Upcoming Important Dates for Social 20-1 Students:

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

December 9

Social 20-1

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

Social 30-1

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

December 7

Social 30-1

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

Chapter 10 Test Study Guide:

This test is multiple choice format, with 55 questions. Please review the PowerPoint "Political Challenges to Liberalism". You're responsible for all key terms and questions from the Chapter 10 Worksheet. Please review the following as well:

• Democratic Systems (handout notes)
• Non-Democratic Systems (handout notes)
• Structure of Canadian Government
• Structure of American Government
• similarities/differences between the parliamentary system and presidential system
• types of dictatorships
• techniques of dictatorships
• authoritarian systems
• proportional representation concept
• first past the post system
• review political and economic spectrum (again!)
  

Social 20-1

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

December 3

Social 30-1

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

Social 20-1

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

December 2

Social 20-1

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

Unit 2 Final Exam Study Guide:

1. Study the following PowerPoint presentations from Unit 2:

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

2. Know the following key concepts:

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

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

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

Social 30-1

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

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

December 1

Social 20-1

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

Social 30-1

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

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