Monday, January 5: French Revolution

We've started a new unit on the French Revolution. Our guiding question is:

"What social, economic, and political conditions will prompt citizens of a country to revolt against their government?"

We are using experiential learning, graphic organizers, cooperative groups, and higher order thinking skills to determine an answer to this question. Start with the visual blog to see the video clips.

Our assessments will be:

3 quizzes

1 assignment

1 choice project

Fasten your seatbelts for the bloodiest moments in France's history...

Independent Research Projects

We've concluded most presentations for the Independent Research Project Unit. The focus for this unit has been:
a) guiding questions and research skills
b) note-making and summary skills
c) presentation and technology skills
d) bibliography skills
Students have been set up for success by having criteria, seeing different research and note-making techniques modelled, getting descriptive feedback, setting learning targets, and having a final checklist before presentations.
The presentations have been going well! Classmates are giving excellent descriptive feedback to the presenters. Deadline for presentations is Friday, December 19th.
Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, November 5th

Remember, remember the 5th of November...


It's not exactly the "Gunpowder Plot," but the US election sure ended with a "bang." Quite a historical moment we're living in! Check out the new Obama voki in the side bar.


We have an "open book" test coming up this Friday. We'll be using the concepts, thinking skills, summarizing skills, and knowledge base for the "Road to Democracy and the English Civil War Unit." Hope you enjoyed "V for Vendetta" and that you'll always remember that "ideas are bulletproof"!


The test is available online on the main page, by the way, and is meant as a learning opportunity, not a memorized rote activity.

October 16th Social Studies Block B Lesson

Complete the question sheet for textbook pages 3-11 in "Crossroads." Due next class at the beginning of class.
**Note: This lesson was a simulation, and is no way intended to reflect the real classroom practice.

Tues. Sept 30th: Political Cartoons

As you can see from the blogrolls on the left, we've been working on satire in politics: in other words, political cartoons. In this assignment you'll be choosing a Canadian political cartoon and analyzing it:

1. What you see in the picture

2. Analyze: symbols, exaggeration, etc.

3. Infer: what's the issue about?

4. Judge: was the cartoon effective?

5. Opinion: did you agree w the cartoonist's point of view?

This assignment is due by Friday, October 3rd. /15 marks

By the way, the local federal all-candidates debate is happening Monday, October 6th from 10:45-11:30 in the school gym. Open to our students only.

Friday September 25th: Election Campaign Project

We've begun a mock student council election campaign. You'll be working in groups of four to develop a campaign on three issues, which you will present to another class. Voting then takes place! Here are two videos for school elections:



You'll need some great slogans for your campain, as well as some posters. Here is the handout for the project.

September 24th Blocks B/D

Yes, it's election time, kids! We'll be having a school-wide student vote on October 8th for the federal election. Meanwhile, we'll be working on a whole-class mock "student council" type election to see what the process is like. Here is a link for information on the federal election: CBC Canada Votes.
Take the poll below. Let's see who you think will be the next prime minister of Canada!