Social Studies 30: September 2015

Sunday 20 September 2015

Let's Talk About Democracy

Now that we have finished up with our introductory, basics unit, we will be focusing on the political aspect of our course, which should take us roughly about a month and a half. We will be analyzing a few different types of democracy and how representation is selected, the purpose of having a democratic government to protect rights and freedoms (should this always be the case), and the opposite of democracy, which would be our different types of dictatorships. As we go through this unit, it is important to understand how and why a democracy upholds or doesn't uphold the values of liberalism.

This week, you will be looking at the key values of a democracy and which are the most important. As well, you will be looking at what influenced the creation of democracy in Canada and the United States and why we value what we do.

So What's Up For This Week?

Monday:

Re-test. You and a partner will re-take the test from Friday. If you were absent on Friday, you will be writing your test in class.
Notes on the characteristics of democracies and what they mean

** REMEMBER - I am gone the rest of the week to Halifax with Student Leadership! It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to understand the information you are supposed to cover **

Tuesday:

Everybody will be handed out a long sheet of paper with the different characteristics of democracies on them (on both sides of the paper). You will also get a package of pictures. Each picture will have to be cut out and then matched with the aspect of democracy that it goes with. Each characteristic (arrow) has THREE PICTURES EACH. You and your partner (who you are sitting next to in your seating plan) need to decide which ones go where. The substitute will have the answers, so don't glue anything down until you're absolutely certain that's where it belongs. You will need to interpret what the pictures mean so that they make sense about where you are putting them.
In the last 15 minutes of class, the sub will go through the answers and you can cut and glue them in the correct place, if they aren't there already.

Wednesday:

Rough Copies of your writing assignments to be done in the computer lab and DUE AT THE END OF THE BLOCK. As you got this assignment last Thursday, there is no reason it is not planned and completely written in the 80 minute block.

Thursday:

Watch this video about the formation of American Democracy

Look at the Handout: Who is Canada Modelled After. Use the following websites to help fill in the following information in the chart. This is to be done ON YOUR OWN.

Next use BK, ?, I to interpret the two sources attached to the handout
Finally, write a paragraph that explains which you think had more of an influence on North American Democracy - the Iroquois or the Enlightenment. This should be at least 3/4 of a page long, double spaced. The paragraph can be handed in on Monday
DON'T Forget: Your project is due on MONDAY!

Have a great long weekend!

Sunday 13 September 2015

The End of the Basics....Which Means....Test Time!

This week, we will be finishing up with the basics. Which means that on FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18----> you will have a test. Strictly multiple choice. 30-35 questions. That's it that's all. 80 minutes to write it. No, it's not open book. No, you can't work with a partner. Yes, you should start reviewing now.

That means we are finishing up with the basic "need to knows" of this course so that everything else will make a little more sense! As well, I will be giving out your first writing assignment and you will be doing your rough copy next week in class. You must complete

and submit the rough copy VIA GOOGLE CLASSROOM, NOT by emailing it to me. You must use your school email address to join the class (yoursixdigitnumber@eics.ab.ca and login at the website mail.eics.ab.ca) and use the code x2oemou. DO NOT EMAIL IT TO ME. Don't. Follow directions. This doesn't mean that you email it to me. You submit it on google classroom. There's an app for that. It's free. Looks like this icon to the right. Not through email. Because you won't get feedback.

So what's up this week?

Monday:

Videos on the French, American and Industrial Revolutions

Comparison - the way it was before and why/how things changed

Review questions and video on classical liberalism
Philosophers of the Enlightenment: This is why you will need your headphones!!

From last week's blog, there are 7 videos about 7 important philosophers of the Enlightenment. You will be watching these videos and filling in information about the philosophers. If you don't finish in class, this will be for homework

Tuesday:

Notes on the philosophers
Matching - Which philosopher said what?
If you finish the matching activity before the end of class, you have time to work on your project

Wednesday:

Review video on the philosophers
Review on interpreting sources - written and visual
Review worksheets for introduction unit

Thursday:

Rants by Justin H and Beryl
Review on how to do Writing Assignment I for Social 30-1 and Writing Assignment 2 for 30-2

Go through how to submit things on Google Classroom
Planning writing assignment

Friday:

Test day! Bring something other than an electronic device to class with you for when you are finished because you will not be allowed to have your phone until everybody is done the test.

Monday 7 September 2015

The Start of the Basics of Social 30

Hello Kidlings!

Social 30...that wonderful course that you have anticipating for for the last year is finally here, AND it's first thing in the morning! In all actuality, I love Social 30 and it really does have a lot to do with what you will encounter for the rest of your life. It is a great course to get into, if you want to, and can really help you understand how our society functions and to question whether or not how we run things is the best way possible.

I will be continuing to do the Modified Flipped Classroom, where there will be opportunities for you to deepen your understanding of the course content. What that means is that each week, I will try to put a new blog posting up by Sunday night to outline what we will be doing in the coming week. I will put links to powerpoints, slides, videos, websites, updates into DropBox and so on that, over the course of the week, you can look at to enhance your learning of the content. Ideally, the large portion of the intricate content would be what you look up on your own. Now, I know that looking up history is not everybody's cup of tea. However, by doing the background knowledge at home, it allows us to use the time in class to work on your skills to understand the knowledge = you will practice skills that will help you to be successful on your diploma in class, rather than focusing on knowledge. This is not to say that there won't be specific knowledge presented in class; it simply means to gain a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the course, I will provide you with information to help better prepare you.

Videos, such as the one below, are great background knowledge to what life was like before individualism came around that we are definitely not going to be able to cover in class. So, it is up to you whether or not you watch it. But I really think you should :)

This blog will also let you know what we will be doing for the week, so it will be an agenda for what we are to get through.

So what's in store for the rest of this week?

Tuesday: