Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I hope everyone has a safe and happy break.  I'll see you all back on January 6th.

History 12-3/12-2

Today we wrote our Cold War test.  I won't be introducing a new topic tomorrow.  Our next unit will be China (wait until you hear of The Long March - it's very cool).  If you want to read over the break so you don't have homework on the first day back, you can read DeMarco, Chapter 15.

Socials 8-1/8-3

Today we had a nice discussion about civil rights and Nelson Mandela.  I then read the beginning of an info pack and students read the rest.  Please remember that some of you promised to try to get missing work in tomorrow.

Socials 8-2 Last day for the Viking sketchnote

Today we tidied up our outstanding work.  A few students need to get their Saxon poster in to me:

Jericho
Maitland
Kody
Liam S.
Tyler
Harley

Most students were able to also get their Viking sketch note in today.  If you did't get that done, please do so before you start your winter break.

History 12-3/12-2 Cold War test prep day

Today we created a timeline and discussed the key events and people associated with tomorrow's Cold War test.  The test will have three multiple choice timeline questions, the usual "what/so-what" format, some general multiple choice questions, a map associated with Korea, and finally a paragraph with a cartoon as the prompt.  Good luck: tonight we study, tomorrow we will be happy in our work, and on Friday we will start a glorious vacation!

Hist 12-3 notes on Berlin Wall

Hist 12-3 notes

Hist 12-2 notes

History 12-3/12-2

Today was a jam-packed day.  We started by debriefing the study guide for yesterday's comparison of the Warsaw Pact and the NATO treaty.  We noted that there were more similarities than differences.  Here are so focus points from that:

Next, we watched the video titled "Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Khrushchev."  It did a good job outlining the increased tensions between the superpowers over things like The Bay of Pigs, The Berlin Wall and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

We ended by hearing my PPT presentation on Khrushchev: this highlighted some of the important points from DeMarco Chapter 14, (but it is not a replacement for the reading).

Use the Slideshare link to access the presentation 

Tomorrow, we will go deeper into the Berlin and Cuba crises and then review for the test that is on Thursday.

Socials 8-3/8-1: Day 2 of the Viking Sketchnotes

Today was a work session to complete our sketchnotes. I noted that lots of students needed a reminder to add more text to help explain their learning.  Here is a photo from yesterday's class:

The finished products are due to be handed in on Thursday.

History 12-3/12-2 Comparing the Warsaw Pact with NATO

Today we spent the entire class working through a comparison of the two subject treaties.  Some found the language a bit challenging, but for the most part the text was not "legalese."  I tried to share some techniques for managing this sort of work.  It is best to write marginal notes to summarize your understanding rather than hunt for "answers" to "questions." Those who just looked for answers will likely have a more superficial understanding than those who tried to "work" with the text at a deeper level.  You should come to class with the two treaties done.

Tomorrow we'll be looking at some of the DeMarco, Chapter 14 questions so be ready.

Socials 8-2 Viking Sketchnotes Day 2

Today we spent the whole class working on our sketchnotes.  They are really coming along.  If you are almost finished, good; if not, you may wish to do some work at home (hint, hint).

History 12-2/12-3 Korean War

Today we had a lesson on the Korean War (the slides are available via Slideshare).  We also completed a map and timeline activity and then completed a study guide to confirm some of the key ideas.  We ended with a few minutes of some documentary footage on the war.

Remember:
38th Parallel
UN resolution
Security Council
Pusan
Inchon
Yalu River
MacArthur ("old soldiers...just fade away")
Truman
Panmunjom
DMZ

Please remember to have Chapter 14 of DeMarco ready for tomorrow.  Also, don't forget tomorrow is re-test day for the six who attended the tutorial.

Socials 8-1/8-3 Vikings

Today we completed the text study guide work for pp 32-35.  I also introduced the Vikings sketchnote assignment.  This is a chance to show your learning in a new way.  We will continue with this next class.  If you were unable to finish the questions in class, you may like to do so for homework.

History 12-2/12-3: Cold War Lesson 2

Today we started by examining some statistics from a 1950 American Gallup Poll. I wanted to give you a sense of how people were feeling at the start of tensions between the East and the West.  I asked students to record a couple of our observations.  For example, we saw a difference in the perceived likelihood of nuclear war based upon education level.  We also noted that there we differences in the views of Republicans vs. Democrats, and men vs. women.

After that we looked at the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan and NSC 68 as the cornerstones to US foreign policy in that era.  We also looked at the Soviet responses.  You should be able to complete the following chart and if you can't, revisit the PPT via Slideshare on the sidebar of the blog.

What are the Soviet companions to these
USA initiatives?  Where would NSC
Order #68 fit in?

For homework, please read DeMarco Chapter 14.  You should be ready to answer question on it for Friday's class.  Today we had the tutorial for Friday's retest on the USA, and the Mid-East and India: anyone who attended is welcome to write the test.

SS8-2 Vikings Study-guide wrap up and Sketchnote

Last class we completed the questions and illustrations from the big Vikings package.  Today we did four things:

1. Had a discussion regarding the "Link-up" activity (page 34 of the text)

2. Finished reading the text pp. 32-36 (if not already read).

3. Answered the questions on the back of the Link-up study guide.

4.  On an 11 X 17" piece of paper, we created a sketchnote to summarize our learning regarding the Vikings.

History 12-2/12-3 Test debrief and Cold War PPT - Part One

Today we started by reading a review in The New Yorker about a book that discusses nuclear weapons in the Cold War, and after.  Read it to find out what the author says was/is the real threat with these weapons (hint: it's not the fact that governments might launch their missiles).

Next, I reviewed the USA, Mid-East and India test.  There will be a tutorial on Wednesday at lunch for those who wish to rewrite that test (the re-write is on Friday).  I also shared the marks form yesterday's Second World War test.  If didn't present your inquiry on Friday, see me soon to arrange a time to present to me outside of class time.

We also had a discussion on the first part on my Cold War presentation.  We noted how some of the terms listed are examples of "causes" of the Cold War, and some are examples of "competition" during the Cold War.  The main thing is that you understand that the world order shifted into a bipolar landscape of two superpowers.  Tomorrow we'll look at some specific examples of events and their causes and their effects as they related to the late 1940s and 1950s.

Please complete the reading of Chapter 13 in DeMarco (and complete the exercises).

Today's PPT can be reviewed on Slideshare vis the link on the blog sidebar.

What imagery would you use to represent the division that
was created between the USA-dominated West and the USSR-
dominated East?  What would you leave in and what would
you add?  How would you use the dead space in the middle
of this image?

Socials 8-1/8-2 Vikings study guide: Day One

Today I started by giving out the marks/rubrics from the Saxon poster project.  The writing on the posters was, for the most part, well done.  It was clear that people put a good deal of care into their work.  Next, I gave a brief review of the use of capital letters since that was the most common error on the posters. 

After that, I set the class to work completing the Viking handout reading and questions.  Please complete the questions for homework (remember that you do not need to re-draw the longship if you have already completed the sketch note).

History 12-2/12-3: Second World War test day!

Today we wrote the unit test.  Tomorrow we will review the fascism and nationalism test and then get right to the Cold War.  Please ensure you get started by reading DeMarco pp. 154-158 and completing Ex 1-3.

Socials 8-2 Viking Questions, Part 2

Today we had a short discussion about Nelson Mandela and his contribution to our world.  We see his legacy in our own reconciliation work with our First Nations people, but there is still much to do.

We worked independently to read pp. 32-35 in the text.  Next we answered some questions in the study guide.  Again, we see the role of Christianity/religion as a force of change.  Many of you noticed that the graffiti activity was hampered by the fact that there is no rune for the English "l" sound.  I thought it was a great idea of the boys working at the back of the class to design their own rune to fill in the blank (innovation is a great skill to have).

Please ensure you have all of the study guide work done before next class: we will be bringing all of our learning together into a comprehensive Viking sketchnote.

Thanks for a very productive work period!

Socials 8-2 The Vikings Handout

Today I started by giving out the marks/rubrics from the Saxon poster project.  The writing on the posters was, for the most part, well done.  It was clear that people put a good deal of care into their work.  Next, I gave a brief review of the use of capital letters since that was the most common error on the posters.

After that, I set the class to work completing the Viking handout reading and questions.  Please complete the questions for homework (remember that you do not need to re-draw the longship if you have already completed the sketch note).

History 12-3/ 12-2Presentation Day

Today we shared our presentations.  We began by debriefing the format of the rubric and decided the order of the speakers list.  I suggested that this was good experience for those of you who were planning to attend college or university because sharing information in seminar groups is a part of the post-secondary routine.  Thanks, those of you who were prepared and present.  We also did some practice questions for Monday's test.

Ideas for the test:

I suggested that you look at p. 117 in the Falk handbook to get an idea of what the three choices for the paragraph question might look like; ignore #1-3 and #5 (although appeasement questions could appear in the objective sections of the test).  Don't be lazy: write some pre-write notes for three topics and you should be good.  Remember, details/evidence/examples are needed to support your argument and to lead you to a conclusion.  Also, read pp 78-116 in the handbook a few times because it covers all of the "parts" of this unit in a clear fashion - it really is your silver bullet.  I have all of the PPTs on the Slideshare link via the blog.  Make sure you watch the rest of the War Conferences PPT and pay attention to Tehran, and Yalta (with the Big 3) as well as Potsdam.  Remember, the Atlantic Charter is the "14 Points" of the Second World War.  You may wish to review your answers to the Chapter 12 DeMarco questions that you did earlier.  There will be a "matching" section that uses terms from the list of 74 vocab terms that we "chunked." There is no "source" question on this test. Good luck.

History 12-3/12-2

Today we discussed the wartime conferences.  In the big class I also outlined the format for Monday's war unit test.  I'll do the same with the small class tomorrow.  Tomorrow is inquiry sharing day: be prepared to share your learning in a group for 5-10 minutes.  See the blog PPT link on the sidebar to access today's presentation.

Socials 8-3/8-1 Intro to the Vikings

Today's lessons went well; I am pleased with the apparent ease that you have transitioned to integrating sketchnoting into your assignments.  Here are some of our wonderings and other thoughts about the Vikings.  There is no homework; enjoy the weekend and I'll see you all next week.

History 12-3/12-2 War Timeline Google doc

Today we started by using the laptops to complete the Google doc on the Second World War timeline.  We debriefed all of the input in the small class and a variety of the events (by date and campaign) in the large class.  We also saw some more footage from various campaigns (in the big class it was the Allied bombing campaign on Germany and a bit of the U-boat war.  I tried to review some of the main points for each.  These two campaigns are good examinations of the ethical and strategic decisions that leaders and planners must make in time of war.

D-Day HINT: know the 5 beaches and their nations, the role of the airborne
vs. the amphibious soldiers, the role of the navy and the air force and
 the importance of P.L.U.T.O. and the Mulberry harbours. 

Looking at the land campaigns

Your projects are due on Friday.  We will be looking at the war conferences tomorrow and reviewing for the test.  On Friday we will listen to the projects being presented. And on Monday we will have the test on the war.  

Different ways to construct a WW2 timeline
(campaign vs. branch of service)

The Allied bombing summary
from World at War video

The U-boat summary from World at War video

Socials 8-2 Vikings

Today we started our look at the Vikings.  We began by asking what we know and what we wonder.  Then we read the introductions in the text and the handout.  We took some brief notes for each and then we read about the Viking long boats and showed our learning in a sketchnote.  It seems that most like the process because everyone was engaged and able to create a good sketch; some had more detail than others, but that will come.

There is no homework.

History 12-3/12-2

PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR INQUIRY PROJECTS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY.

Today we looked at the terms list for the war and came up with short reminders about what each meant.    We will finish the lest tomorrow.  We have the computers tomorrow so we will be inputting the info for our timeline event into the Google doc.

We also saw some of the World at War series.  The classes watched different parts of different episodes that included: the war in the Pacific, Op Barbarossa and the North African campaign.


Time is running out: PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR INQUIRY PROJECTS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY.

Socials 8-3/8-1 Day 2 of Sketchnoting

Today we started by discussing the things that allowed our poster projects to be successful and the things that slowed our progress.  Flash drive availability was one common complaint. If you wish, put a $10 (2 gigabyte) flash drive on your wish list so your folks know you need one.

Next, we did a review of the sketchnoting skills we learned last class and then practiced adaptations in the hope of taking our first steps towards developing a personal style.  We also discuss the rationale for doing sketches (purposeful doodles with labels) as a way to deepen our connections with our learning.

We ended the class by creating our first sketchnote on the migration (invasion) of Britain by the Saxons.  I was pleased with the successful application of the strategies we had worked on earlier.  It is gratifying to see such obvious learning.  Thanks.

The beginning of my Saxon sketchnote

There is no homework unless your Saxon poster is overdue.

HISTORY 12 SECOND WORLD WAR TIMELINE GOOGLE DOC

Here is the link to the google doc: Google doc

PLEASE TYPE IN BLACK AND LEAVE THE BLUE HEADINGS ALONE.  IF TWO STUDENTS ARE DOING THE SAME EVENT, COPY THE BLUE FORMAT BEFORE YOU FILL OUT THE INFORMATION.

Here is a photo of what you chose to do:

An example of a completed event.

History 12-3/12-2 Battle of Britain video

Today we watched the "Britain Alone" video (sorry for the poor quality of the degraded vhs tape).  After viewing and discussing, I  asked the class to write a brief five or six sentence summary of the video.  By now you should be getting very comfortable developing a quick topic sentence and then summarizing a discussion.  This ability to take a big idea and simplify key points will pay dividends for those of you going on to post-secondary school next year.

I also asked students to select a timeline event and research it as per the example below.  We have the computers on Wednesday and Thursday, and I'll ask you to transcribe your findings onto a Google doc then.

In the big class, I issued a copy of the workbook terms from the Second World War chapter and then "chunked" them into categories (ex. Spanish Civil War; Pacific War; Battle of Britain; etc.)  I'll give that information to the small class tomorrow.

I did not assign any homework so that you would have another night to build your inquiry presentations  due Friday.  Tomorrow 

Socials 8-2 Learning about sketchnoting.

See Friday's for a summary of today's activity.  I thought that the class worked well today and was impressed by the practice sketches you all handed in at the end of your practice; it is hard to tell this is beta at this point.  Anyone who was unable to turn in his or her poster must get them in as soon as possible.  There is no homework.