Socials 11: Primary and Secondary sources

In Socials 11, we must find the balance between taking command of

content and building our creativity, analytical ability and other skills.  Today we began with a larger review quiz of the Second World War and then I introduced a discussion about primary and secondary sources.  Next, we used the laptops to find a primary source (photo) that we could analyse.  I had intended to have you write your unit test on Monday, but since your work today was so focused, I decided to let it continue to the end of the block.  The test will be Tuesday.

If you were unable to complete it in class, please forward it to me electronically.  I also collected your Home Front paragraphs, so if you missed that, forward it as well.

Socials 10-2 - Finding our political stripes

Today we participated in a questionnaire designed to help us classify our political beliefs on a spectrum of thought.  Most of us fell into the centre (or some part of it) with some to the moderate left and some to the moderate right.  Earlier you indicated that you wished to try to have an in-class election, so I designed an activity to allow you to experience that.  I thought that rather than having you create parties and platforms based upon your in-class friendships, it would be more natural to base them upon similar political views.  As such, we grouped ourselves based upon the outcomes of the questionnaire.  We then reviewed the passage of bills and got settled into creating our parties - starting with the selection of a leader.  There is no homework.  Thanks for your good work this week.

Socials 8-1/8-2: Climate Graphs

Remember 0 and 180 degrees do not
get N/S or E/W added behind them

Today we began by reviewing the answers to the coordinates activity.  We will have questions just like this on next week's test.

Next we learned to differentiate between climate and weather and then how to record data on a climograph.  Remember the importance of "smoothing out the temperature date with a sine wave. You will have to repeat this activity on the test.

Please complete the four sheets before next class if you were unable to finish in class.

There are options as to how you "shade" the precipitation data

Socials 8-3: Climate graphs

Today we created definitions to differentiate between climate and weather.  Next, we learned how to record climates on climographs before completing four graphs in class.  I was pleased with everyone's progress.  We're almost ready for our geography unit test - probably next Thursday. If you were unable to complete all four graphs in class, please do so for homework.

Socials 11: The Home Front

Today we started with a quick quiz.  We'll have the unit test on Monday. We then worked in groups to examine some replica artifacts from the British home front (children and the war, air raids, food and rationing, and the household).  After sharing our observations we had a PPT discussion. I asked that you come to tomorrow's class with a paragraph response to: Discuss the Canadian home front during the Second World War.

Today's quiz and answers

Do you need to borrow a topic sentence?

Statement / support terms you may like 

See the PPT via the SlideShare link
if you'd like to review

The big picture is useful when planning

Socials 11: The Air War, Conscription and the Holocaust

Today we started by revisiting the sketchnotes on the air war (see yesterday's post).  We also debriefed Ex #11.  We don't go into too much detail with the Holocaust in this course; we examine it in more detail in History 12.  We did note that there was a difference in the Nazi treatment of the Jewish and other groups after 1942 when the Final Solution was put into place.  The Allies were shocked when they came to the camps during the liberation of the occupied territories at the end of the war.  American General Patton had his soldiers force local German civilians and civic leaders to visit the extermination camps so that they were fully aware of the genocide that had occurred: there would be no "stab in the back" theories tolerated this time around. We must remember yesterday's lesson however; Canada's anti-Semitic and discriminatory policies (both official and unofficial) are a regrettable part of our country's past.

Next, we watched the two People's History segments on the conscription crisis. Remember King's post-plebicite slogan: "Conscription if necessary but not necessarily conscription." We ended the class by getting started on a paragraph on the crisis.  Note: this topic is a must know - it often appears in tests.  It is an important event in understanding French-English relations in Canada.

Tomorrow we'll tackle the Home Front.  Please have a short conscription paragraph ready.

Socials 10-2 (Nov 27) Socials 10-4 (Nov 28) The political spectrum

Today we started with a quiz to see how we're doing in mastering the Canadian federal system.  Here is the quiz:

Next, something interesting happened: almost by spontaneous suggestion, we decided that it would be interesting to create some sort of class government experiment.  That idea intrigued me.  Hmm, I thought, because of Ms. Wagner's good pacing, we are ahead of schedule so this would be possible.  Okay, quick shift and we looked how a bill is passed in parliament and then took a quick look at the different political "isms," and the political spectrum.  Next class we'll discuss creating parties and then figure out how we can hold an election.  I'm thinking that we might be able to create platforms and then present them to another class.  Ideas? Another pair of great classes folks -   There is no homework.