In democracy, rights are one of the most important things. However, to maintain those rights, there needs to be some limitations of rights. But is that the purpose of democracy? To limit rights to maintain the democracy? Or is it to maintain your rights at all costs? Every government needs to decide what action they take to determine this point. In Canada, one of the proposed laws to counteract terrorism is Bill C-51.
This week, we will be looking at several different types of legislation and how they attempt to keep people safe and if limiting the rights is worth risking never getting them back.
What are we doing this week?
Monday:
Finish talking about collective rights as there was less than half the class to talk about them on Friday.
Vocabulary: Individual and Collective rights
Safety and security vs. Rights and Freedoms
Tuesday:
Safety and security case studies in the Computer Lab. You can meet in the computer lab. Topics will be selected in class. EACH person will be researching two different case studies. Research does NOT include copying and pasting parts from articles on the website. If you don't finish it in class, then the assignment will be for homework.
Wednesday:
Balancing rights and freedoms
Vietnam War
Residential Schools
War Measures Act in Canada
Patriot Act in the US
Bill C-51
What's more important - Safety and security or rights and freedoms?
Right action vs. being Illiberal
Vocab: Illiberalism
Thursday:
Rants by Britney and JP
What can be considered illiberal
Assignment: Classifying events as illiberal or justifiable (Due Friday)
Last week in class, we analyzed what some of the drawbacks were to a democracy. A large setback to having an efficient democracy is to have EDUCATED citizens. One of the things that John Locke really focused on was the accountability of your government. If people are not active participants who are informed and engaged in the democratic process, it becomes extremely easy for the government to do things that are not always what the people want; hence, they are not accountable. (Go back a couple weeks ago and watch the Ukraine video if you haven't yet - that unaccountable government led to MONTHS of protest). When people think of democracy, the cornerstones that most frequently come to mind are voting and rights and freedoms. We've looked at voting. Now, we will be looking at rights and freedoms. This brings us (sort of) back to Mill's ideas of balancing rights and freedoms for the good of society. Democracies limit individual freedoms in the name of the greater good. But WHAT IF that limitation is unjustifiable? Is preserving that democracy in a time of crisis more important than preserving the ideals of that society? What if you are in a time of crisis? Does that change anything?
Look at 9/11:
The US has legislation that was passed after 9/11, following the terrorist attacks, that allowed the government to have increased power of surveillance and gave authorities more power to determine if Americans or others were threats to the security of the nation. To preserve the democracy, rights need to be limited, which makes sense. If you can't protect the very institution that will preserve your rights and freedoms, then you risk losing it. But is that right? Or is there limitation?
SO how will we look at that this week?
Monday:
Writing your rough copy in the computer lab. You can go directly to the computer lab to write. YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT IN THE TIME GIVEN.
If you are absent TIME YOUR SELF - no more than 90 minutes and bring in your rough draft the day after.
Tuesday:
Rights
Individual Rights
Universal declaration of Human Rights
Should there be limitations in Canada?
Father Michael will be with us for the last 30 minutes of class for discussion
Wednesday:
Collective Rights
History behind them
Do we still need them?
Are they unfair?
Are collective rights against the ideas of democracy?
Thursday:
Rants by Darian, Quintin and Crystal
Safety and security vs. Rights and freedoms - which is more important?
A look at the life of Omar Khadr
Look at our legislation - what can our government do?
Look at Bill C-51 and where it came from
Start watching video on Patriot Act rights restrictions
Friday
Finish watching the video
Computer lab - Rights restrictions in democracies in times of crisis
Last week, we started to look at some of the set backs of democracy such as - what do you do when people don't vote? Is that an accurate representation of what your democracy is? Or, if people aren't really informed on the issues, do you want them to make decisions that will affect YOUR life? For example, girls, what if you had Redneck as your grad theme this year, just because there happened to be more boys in your class and they ALL VOTED.......just like we almost had Nascar Under the Sea as a theme last year; the boys thought it was hilarious because it wasn't something that mattered to them. But the girls did not want their input because it was a horrible theme. That's where the elite theory of democracy would come in - the boys don't care about grad, so they shouldn't be voting. But is that democracy??
This week, we are going to continue looking at things that affect the efficiency of the democratic system. One way that our system is affected is by lobby groups or special interest groups. If we have such groups, does that make us more or less democratic? We will also be looking at how we can change our democracy if it isn't reflecting what the people want. Remember, one of the first things that we went through about democracies is that there needs to be SOME WAY that it can change - viewpoints and values change and the democracy needs to change with it. Finally, we will start looking at human rights in democracy, both individual (this week) and collective next week.
What's this week looking like?
Tuesday:
We are going to have a contest in class. By Friday, anybody who wants to participate, can forecast what they think the outcome of the election next week will be. That will include who they think will win, how many seats each party will get, and if there is a majority or minority government. The closest guess will win a basket of goodies! Only play if you want to. Guesses need to be in by FRIDAY.
Finish notes about interest groups
HOMEWORK: Watch the following ed-Ted video. There is a video with 9 questions (8 based on the video and one discussion). You need to create an account on Ed-Ted, answer the questions and I will be getting your answers online. This shouldn't take much more than 20 minutes (more if you don't pay attention to the video and need to keep rewatching it). But you need to complete this at home.
Wednesday:
Reform in a democracy
Pros and cons
How does it occur in Canada and the US
Next writing assignment
Thursday:
Rants by Payton, Darian and Neela
Reforming things in Canada: Yay or Nay
Senate
Partisan Politics
Friday:
Human rights in a democracy
What's more important: Safety and security or Rights and Freedoms
What are you entitled to in Canada and the United States
Assignment: Individual Rights Infringements
Sunday, 4 October 2015
Last week, we were looking at the basic aspects of democracies and how they functioned properly. But, like all ideologies, democracies don't always work out EXACTLY like they claim to - and that is largely due to how and how much citizens get involved in their system. For example, is Canada more or less democratic than Ukraine? Would Canadians protest for months if our government made a decision that most of us disliked like what happened in Ukraine last year? Or would we even notice or know about the government decisions? So, we will be analyzing what makes a democracy less functional.
Also, another good link to compare Canadian and American systems.
So what will we be covering exactly this week?
Monday:
Review questions and videos: The Democratic System
Finish vocabulary (5-10 minutes)
What's Your Vote Worth?
Article w/ questions
Practice Source Interpretation
Tuesday:
Vocab: Voter Apathy and Elite Theory of Democracy
Notes
Should everybody get to vote?
Source Interpretation
Wednesday:
Vocabulary: Interest groups, Tyranny of Majority, and Tyranny of minority
What impacts the democratic process - notes
Case Studies: Public opinion vs practicality
Thursday:
Rants: Robyn, Jessica and Triefen
Reform in a democracy - why is it essential
One Page write up - Should the Senate be reformed or abolished in Canada?
Friday:
How Democracy created a monster (2 articles)
The discrepancy of what a democracy is SUPPOSED to do vs. what it actually DOES - what do you do when your democracy doesn't listen to the people?
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
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.
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:
The political and economic systems we will be covering in class this semester
Democracy
Dictatorship
Free Market Economy
Centrally Planned Economy
Notes and jigsaw
Wednesday:
Vocabulary from spectrums: Radical, Liberal, Conservative, Reactionary
Review how to interpret sources: BK, ?, I
Spectrum Quiz
What is liberalism and how did it develop?
Renaissance
Reformation
Enlightenment
Activity on each time period and how it focuses on individualism
Notes on each time period
Thursday
Rants by: Shelby and Vanessa
Finish going through the time periods of liberalism and how it developed
