First Nations in Canada face ongoing challenges related to justice, land, equity, and the legacy of residential schools. Within these challenges are the same themes as our course: identity, economy, environment, politics, autonomy, etc. We have explored these issues in class, sometimes in details and sometimes in the context of other topics.
Here is a chance to explore one or more on your own. Please choose an option below and respond with a comment. Your comment can simply be about what you learned from exploring this issue. Think of it like a paragraph response -- probably best to type it up first then pasted it in to the comment section.
Option 1: Land
Reference: Oka Crisis Remembered: http://www.cbc.ca/firsthand/episodes/the-oka-legacy -- articel and video. You can also find other references with a quick search -- perhaps look for other viewpoints on the Oka Crisis.
Option 2: Residential Schools
Reference: Where are the Children: http://www.cbc.ca/firsthand/episodes/the-oka-legacy -- lots to work with here, including video testimonies of residential school survivors. Warning: potentially disturbing content
Welcome to another Blog Cabin on the Web River -- A place to explore what it means to be a Canadian citizen, to be connected to your environment, history, and culture, and what it means to be you!
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Climate Change
To add to what you've already learned about Climate Change, check out one of these Ted Talks: https://www.ted.com/topics/climate+change.
Pick one (or more) to watch, and then provide a summary of what you learned: main ideas of the talk, what the presenter was trying to get across, your reaction, etc. Leave your summary as a comment in the comment section of this blog post. Include your first name!
Pick one (or more) to watch, and then provide a summary of what you learned: main ideas of the talk, what the presenter was trying to get across, your reaction, etc. Leave your summary as a comment in the comment section of this blog post. Include your first name!
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Shake Hands with the Devil - Rwandan Genocide
Shake Hands With the Devil. This documentary sticks with you -- the idea that human life could be valued so little by so many is shocking. One hopes that the global community can learn from horrific events, but sadly we seem to repeat them too often.
Good reference on the genocide (read this if you still have questions after watching the documentary): http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm
Having just watched the documentary based on the book, and discussed a bit of the background to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, what do you think?
Why do you think it happened? What might have prevented it? What could prevent it from happening again somewhere else? What do you think of Dallaire?
Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Cold War Nuclear Detonations
Here is a timelapse video showing all known nuclear explosions from 1945-1998 by Isao Hashimoto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9lquok4Pdk
Some other links connected to this topic:
...and the Google Earth layer that goes with it
Ground Zero simulator - pick a location and nuke it
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
WWII Links
Social Studies 11
Hey class, there are a thousand directions you could go on the interwebs to learn about WWII and in particular Canada's role in WWII. Let's start out with a great site: http://www.stormingjuno.com. Help me add more quality websites to the list -- I'll update this blog post with them. Leave your suggestions in the comment section. Find/pick ones that included primary sources and a Canadian connection.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Becoming a Country
Here are a variety of activities for Wed., Apr 13th, 2016. Please don't be shy about asking the substitute teacher to come over and see what you are up to.
Offline activities:
The Confederation Era is the time period where Canada became a country or "confederated." This happened in the 1850s-1870s when Queen Victoria ruled over Britain (thus we also call it the Victorian Era) and the British North American colonies decided to join together.Options.... try as many of these activities as you can -- if you don't like one, move on to the next.
- Complete questions from class handout "3C Need for Reform"
- Read a bit about the "Confederation Era" in Canada. Suggestion: Horizons textbook (basically anything in Chapter 3)
- Complete your "New Home" journals
- Check out Early Settlers Life in Upper Canada 1800's (activities) -- https://sites.google.com/site/smartclickeducationservices/early-settlers-life-in-upper-canada-1800s
- Try this game to get an idea what life was like during the "Victorian Era": http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/17
- Read an article about Confederation (encyclopedia article) -- http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/confederation/
- Drag and drop the flags of the 13 provinces and territories in the order of when they joined the Confederation (game) -- http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/conf/index.asp
- Road to Canadian Confederation (quiz) -- http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz18417915172f0.html
- Fathers of Confederation (trivia game) -- http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/13
- Fathers of Confederation (info/facts) -- http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1408122550222/1408364702611
- Try doing a video search for Canadian Confederation and see if one of the results interests you. Use headphones, please. I thought this "intro to Canada" by Rick Mercer was quite good, funny, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtQ6sIqtE6U
- Take a look at the cartoon below. What do you think is the message? Who do the men represent? The baby is called Confederation but what does that mean? Who doe the baby stand for? What does it matter who the "father" of the baby is? If you like you can leave your response in the comment section below.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Life in the Trenches
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| A Canadian trench on the Western Front of WWI http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/trenches.htm |
Canadian Letters & Images Project
http://www.canadianletters.ca/
Letters from the front
http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/transcripts/transcriptMain.asp
First World War Project
http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/trenches.htm
Historica's Canada at War
http://canada1914-1945.ca/resources/
Calgary Highlanders
http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/photos/1914-18/10th.htm
Interactive Trench Game
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/games/overtop/index_e.shtml
Canada’s War Museum on WWI
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/home-e.aspx
Artwork of World War One
http://www.warmuseum.ca/firstworldwar/objects-and-photos/art-and-culture/official-art/
Assignment:
Option 1
Write fictional letter home from a Canadian man on the front lines or a Canadian woman actively involved at or near the front lines. Assume the person has served at least one of the Battles of Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele, and perhaps knows about the other three or maybe different battles that Canada participated in, like the 100 Days Offensive.
Your interview or letter should aim to inform your Canadian audience at home about the conditions of war and include details about a minimum of 5 of the following:
- trench warfare
- life in the front lines
- the roles of technology in the war
- the quality of military leadership
- morale of Canadian soldiers
- the effectiveness of Canadian troops
- the impact of war on civilians and towns
- hospitals and medical treatment
- the roles of women in the war
Optional: if you have a relative or person your family knew that served in WWI, you may wish to consider them as a "test subject" for this assignment -- e.g. write the letter from his/her voice or construct an interview with this person. This may require additional research on your part. You could also write this letter as an exchange between a reported and a soldier if that helps you with the writing -- maybe the question and answer formate appeals to you. Poetry is also an option.
Option 2
Instead of a letter home informing your audience about the conditions of war, maybe you'd like to make a work of art instead. This could include: sketches, painting, sculpture, or carving. It should directly relate to some aspect of the Canadian experience in WWI and be done in a style that is (arguably) believable for the time period.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Battle of Quebec activity
JOURNAL ENTRY OR BATTLE RESPONSE
Now that you have attacked or defended Quebec City during our recreation of the Battle of Quebec, I'd like you tell a bit of a story about it. Imagine you were a commander or a soldier involved in the battle -- the one you invented as a group rather than the one that actually took place -- and write about the experience. What happened? What was your role? What did you go through, what did you feel and think about the events? What observations or comments can you make about Quebec, the surrounding area, the steps leading up to the assault on the fortress, or anything else of importance in September 1759? How did it turn out? Your response could take many forms -- for starters, you could simply write it as a journal entry. Use a word file for this. If you'd like to share it with others, copy it from your word file and paste it as a comment on this blog entry. Use the big 11x17 map you used in class to record notes, jot down comments, add details, and so on. It can be rough, it is just a planning map, but I'd like you to hand it in with your journal entry or battle response.
By the way, here is an interesting map that show more of the Quebec area than the map we used for the class activity: http://clements.umich.edu/exhibits/online/1759/1759-Items/10a.Jefferys%20Environs%20of%20Quebec.jpg.
Now that you have attacked or defended Quebec City during our recreation of the Battle of Quebec, I'd like you tell a bit of a story about it. Imagine you were a commander or a soldier involved in the battle -- the one you invented as a group rather than the one that actually took place -- and write about the experience. What happened? What was your role? What did you go through, what did you feel and think about the events? What observations or comments can you make about Quebec, the surrounding area, the steps leading up to the assault on the fortress, or anything else of importance in September 1759? How did it turn out? Your response could take many forms -- for starters, you could simply write it as a journal entry. Use a word file for this. If you'd like to share it with others, copy it from your word file and paste it as a comment on this blog entry. Use the big 11x17 map you used in class to record notes, jot down comments, add details, and so on. It can be rough, it is just a planning map, but I'd like you to hand it in with your journal entry or battle response.
By the way, here is an interesting map that show more of the Quebec area than the map we used for the class activity: http://clements.umich.edu/exhibits/online/1759/1759-Items/10a.Jefferys%20Environs%20of%20Quebec.jpg.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Holiday Traditions
Check out some interesting links:
Christmas through the decades: http://www.queensofvintage.com/christmas-through-the-decades/
Christmas through the decades (tv show): http://www.history.ca/christmas-through-the-decades/video/full-episodes/the-60s/video.html?v=584782403949#christmas-through-the-decades/video/full-episodes
Christmas in the early 1900s: http://www.cardboardchristmas.com/papateds/Christmas1920s.html
1920s Christmas: http://www.cardboardchristmas.com/papateds/Christmas1920s.html
Kwanzaa Traditions: http://www.novareinna.com/festive/kwanzaa.html
Hanukkah Traditions: http://www.hanukkahcelebrations.com/traditions.html
Connections to Winter Solstice: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice-customs.html
A guide to Festivus, Holiday for the Rest Of Us: http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/festivus-complete-guide-seinfeld/

You get the idea... so, what are your holiday traditions? Not everybody celebrates Christmas, but every family has some kind of traditions that are important to them at this time of year, often revolving around food.
Use the comment feature below to mention your favourite holiday tradition, celebration, meal, or activity.
Christmas through the decades: http://www.queensofvintage.com/christmas-through-the-decades/
Christmas through the decades (tv show): http://www.history.ca/christmas-through-the-decades/video/full-episodes/the-60s/video.html?v=584782403949#christmas-through-the-decades/video/full-episodes
Christmas in the early 1900s: http://www.cardboardchristmas.com/papateds/Christmas1920s.html
1920s Christmas: http://www.cardboardchristmas.com/papateds/Christmas1920s.html
Kwanzaa Traditions: http://www.novareinna.com/festive/kwanzaa.html
Hanukkah Traditions: http://www.hanukkahcelebrations.com/traditions.html
Connections to Winter Solstice: http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/december-solstice-customs.html
A guide to Festivus, Holiday for the Rest Of Us: http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/festivus-complete-guide-seinfeld/

You get the idea... so, what are your holiday traditions? Not everybody celebrates Christmas, but every family has some kind of traditions that are important to them at this time of year, often revolving around food.
Use the comment feature below to mention your favourite holiday tradition, celebration, meal, or activity.
Eskimo Tags
Check out this article about "The Little-Known History of How the Canadian Government Made Inuit Wear ‘Eskimo Tags'."
http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/the-little-known-history-of-how-the-canadian-government-made-inuit-wear-eskimo-tags
It is yet another troubling example of how Canadians treated each other in the past, not necessarily one to another, but a government to it's people. How does this compare to other past injustices in our country?
This topic is quite relevant this week -- the final publications of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission have been released. Here is a news link to the story; it includes a summary (and a full link) to the Report's 94 Recommendations -- it's worth having a look.
Are there a few of the 94 recommendations that could be achieved quickly (e.g. within a year)?
Leave a comment below with your thoughts on either the "Eskimo Tags" or the Truth and Reconciliation recommendations.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Confederation Activities
Confederation (encyclopedia article) -- http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/confederation/
Drag and drop the flags of the 13 provinces and territories in the order of when they joined the Confederation (game) -- http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/conf/index.asp
Road to Canadian Confederation (quiz) -- http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz18417915172f0.html
Fathers of Confederation (trivia game) -- http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/13
Early Settlers Life in Upper Canada 1800's (activities) -- https://sites.google.com/site/smartclickeducationservices/early-settlers-life-in-upper-canada-1800s
Fathers of Confederation (info/facts) -- http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1408122550222/1408364702611
---------------------------
Check out some of the above links before beginning your "Confederation News" piece.
Your task: create a headline and brief article for a newspaper on July 1st, 1867 explaining what all the fuss is about. Leave your article as a comment on this blog post. It is highly recommended that you write it our first on a word file and then pasted it in as a comment.
Drag and drop the flags of the 13 provinces and territories in the order of when they joined the Confederation (game) -- http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/games/conf/index.asp
Road to Canadian Confederation (quiz) -- http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz18417915172f0.html
Fathers of Confederation (trivia game) -- http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/13
Early Settlers Life in Upper Canada 1800's (activities) -- https://sites.google.com/site/smartclickeducationservices/early-settlers-life-in-upper-canada-1800s
Fathers of Confederation (info/facts) -- http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1408122550222/1408364702611
---------------------------
Check out some of the above links before beginning your "Confederation News" piece.
Your task: create a headline and brief article for a newspaper on July 1st, 1867 explaining what all the fuss is about. Leave your article as a comment on this blog post. It is highly recommended that you write it our first on a word file and then pasted it in as a comment.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
So you want to come to Canada?
You are on vacation in another country (you choose which one) and you make friends with someone who is interested in and extended stay or even moving to Canada. They ask you to tell them what Canada is all about and what they should expect. They want to know what makes Canada different from other countries. What do you say? Leave a comment below with your response.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Rwandan Genocide documentary
Shake Hands With the Devil. This documentary sticks with you -- the idea that human life could be valued so little by so many is shocking. One hopes that the global community can learn from horrific events, but sadly we seem to repeat them too often.
Good reference on the genocide (read this if you still have questions after watching the documentary): http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm
Having just watched the documentary based on the book, and discussed a bit of the background to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, what do you think?
Why do you think it happened? What might have prevented it? What could prevent it from happening again somewhere else? What do you think of Dallaire?
Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Letters from the Front - Apr 2015
![]() |
| Lunch in the trenches at Fort Oglethorpe |
You've heard or read some "letters from the front" in class. Now, take about 20-30 minutes to explore the following sites to get a feel for some of the details of the front lines in Europe as experienced by Canadian soldiers, then begin the assignemnt:
Canadian Letters & Images Project
http://www.canadianletters.ca/
Letters from the front
http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/transcripts/transcriptMain.asp
First World War Project
http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/trenches.htm
Calgary Highlanders
http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/photos/1914-18/10th.htm
Interactive Trench Game
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/games/overtop/index_e.shtml
Canada’s War Museum on WWI
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/home-e.aspx
Create an interview between a reporter and a soldier or a fictional letter home from a Canadian man on the front lines or woman actively involved at or near the front lines. Assume the person has served at least one of the Battles of Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele, and knows about the other three or maybe other battles that Canada participated in, like the 100 Days Offensive.
Your interview or letter should aim to inform the Canadian public at home about and include details about a minimum of 5 of the following:
- trench warfare
- life in the front lines
- the roles of technology in the war
- the quality of military leadership
- morale of Canadian soldiers
- the effectiveness of Canadian troops
- the impact of war on civilians and towns
- hospitals and medical treatment
- the roles of women in the war
Be sure to include your name & last initial (e.g. Marcy W) so I can sort out who did what. After that, look through some of your classmates' work and offer at least one comment to a classmate offering constructive feedback. Some letters will be selected for further editing and publication online.
Optional: if you have a relative or person your family knew that served in WWI, you may wish to consider them as a "test subject" for this assignment -- e.g. write the letter from his/her voice or construct an interview with this person. This may require additional research on your part.
Optional: if you have a relative or person your family knew that served in WWI, you may wish to consider them as a "test subject" for this assignment -- e.g. write the letter from his/her voice or construct an interview with this person. This may require additional research on your part.
I'm really looking forward to the results.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Industrial Revolution Games
Try one of these
Who wants to be a Cotton Millionaire -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_cotton_millionaire.shtml
Muck and Brass -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_muck_brass.shtml
Who wants to be a Cotton Millionaire -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_cotton_millionaire.shtml
Muck and Brass -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/launch_gms_muck_brass.shtml
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Let me tell you about Canada
You are on vacation in another country (you choose) and you make friends with someone who is interested in and extended stay or even moving to Canada. They ask you to tell them what Canada is all about and what they should expect. They want to know what makes Canada different from other countries. What do you say? Leave a comment below with your response.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Heritage Project feedback
What an amazing couple of weeks we've had experiencing presentations from SS10 students on their Heritage Inquiry they've been conducting off and on over the last few months. I invite this group of students to leave a brief summary of what they did for the Heritage Connections project. Use the comment button below to leave your feedback.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Rwandan Genocide
Shake Hands With the Devil.
Good reference on the genocide (read this if you still have questions after watching the documentary): http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm
Having just watched the documentary based on the book, and discussed a bit of the background to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, what do you think?Why do you think it happened? What might have prevented it? What could prevent it from happening again somewhere else? What do you think of Dallaire?
Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Letters from the Front - The Great War
![]() |
| A Highlander as sentry at a gas post http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/trenches.htm |
Canadian Letters & Images Project
http://www.canadianletters.ca/
Letters from the front
http://www.canadiangreatwarproject.com/transcripts/transcriptMain.asp
First World War Project
http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/trenches.htm
Calgary Highlanders
http://www.calgaryhighlanders.com/photos/1914-18/10th.htm
Interactive Trench Game
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/games/overtop/index_e.shtml
Canada’s War Museum on WWI
http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/guerre/home-e.aspx
Create an interview between a reporter and a soldier or a fictional letter home from a Canadian man on the front lines or woman actively involved at or near the front lines. Assume the person has served at least one of the Battles of Ypres, the Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele, and knows about the other three or maybe other battles that Canada participated in, like the 100 Days Offensive.
Your interview or letter should aim to inform the Canadian public at home about and include details about a minimum of 5 of the following:
- trench warfare
- life in the front lines
- the roles of technology in the war
- the quality of military leadership
- morale of Canadian soldiers
- the effectiveness of Canadian troops
- the impact of war on civilians and towns
- hospitals and medical treatment
- the roles of women in the war
Be sure to include your name & last initial (e.g. Marcy W) so I can sort out who did what. After that, look through some of your classmates' work and offer at least one comment to a classmate offering constructive feedback. Some letters will be selected for further editing and publication online.
Optional: if you have a relative or person your family knew that served in WWI, you may wish to consider them as a "test subject" for this assignment -- e.g. write the letter from his/her voice or construct an interview with this person. This may require additional research on your part.
Optional: if you have a relative or person your family knew that served in WWI, you may wish to consider them as a "test subject" for this assignment -- e.g. write the letter from his/her voice or construct an interview with this person. This may require additional research on your part.
I'm really looking forward to the results.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The Victorian Era
Try a websearch to find out about how Canadians lived during the time of Confederation, plus a little bit before and after -- 1850-1901. This is sometimes called the Victorian Era (both in Canada and in Great Britain). Leave a comment below with what you find, perhaps something you find unusual about the way Canadians lived. To get you thinking about this time period and topic, try this game: http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/en/keys/games/17. You can also use your comment to say what you thought about the game (what you learned from it).
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Explaining Canada
You are on vacation in another country (you choose) and you make friends with someone who is interested in moving to Canada. They ask you to tell them what Canada is all about and what they should expect. What do you say? Leave a comment below with your response.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Monday, April 15, 2013
vote compass bc
BC Provincial Election coming up... just in time for your unit on politics and government.
Hey students... try this out and let me now what you think about the personal results.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bcvotes2013/votecompass
Surprised by what it said? Do you have questions remaining about the survey or method? Leave a comment, please.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Geography - December check in
Hello class. That's Thorin (son of Thrain, son of Thror), carrying both an axe and a sword... why not? The sword is Orcrist, forged by elves in Gondolin long ago. That's what's on my mind, with the Hobbit movie coming out tomorrow. What's on your mind? Could you take a minute to check in? Leave a comment giving a brief description of what you have planned so far for your final project in Geography.
Also, here are some links that we talked about in class but maybe you haven't had a chance to visit...
These are two videos recommended by your classmate CJ as a follow-up to our discussion yesterday on the purpose of our public education system (great discussion by the way!):
Hate school, but love education - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_ZmM7zPLyI
Changing Educational Paradigms - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U
Here is the other Geography teacher's blog I mentioned... notice what her students are talking and thinking about... feel free to leave comments there, too, if you want -- she has invited you to do so.
And finally here is the tool I was telling you about in class... maybe this might be an option for presenting your final project.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
France and North America
Hey SS9 students... as you wrap up your work on the French Revolution and the Settlement of New France -- the two parts of our unit "story" on France and North America -- here are some links to explore.
French Revolution quiz/games
http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/games/walk/walk_frenchrevolution.html
http://www.kongregate.com/games/MitchIngram/the-french-revolution
Videos on the French Revolution
http://www.neok12.com/French-Revolution.htm
Provocative cartoon about revolutionaries in France - the Sans Culottes ("people without pants," named because they wore common-person trousers instead of the silk pants of the rich)
http://www.internationalschooltoulouse.net/y9/student_work/hannah/English/Main%20Events/TheSansCulottes.htm
New France - awesome virtual museum!
http://www.civilization.ca/virtual-museum-of-new-france/introduction/
New France - detailed history
http://www.canadiana.ca/citm/themes/pioneers/pioneers3_e.html
Build up to the war between the French and British in New France (game)
http://1759.ccbn-nbc.gc.ca/index.html
................................
Different topic, but maybe of interest...
Read one or both of these blog posts and leave a comment under the posts with your thoughts... what do you think about the kind of school this educator is describing?
http://www.shift2future.com/2010/09/stephanies-first-day-of-school-in-2020.html
http://www.shift2future.com/2011/01/tylers-loving-school-in-2016.html
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
new option for English 11 and Geography 12
Hey Grade 10 students !
Next year, Grade 11 students have a new option for completing English 11 at D.P. Todd, and completing Geography 12 at the same time.
We are launching a new program that uses blended learning to explore language, writing, literature, landscapes, and environmental education. This approach mixes classroom based learning (with a teacher), student-centered learning in small seminars (facilitated by the teacher), smaller groups (facilitated by students), and independent work (supported by all). The focus will be on the "spark" or learning passion that each student brings, creative use of technology, critical thinking, deep inquiry, project-based learning, integration of the arts, and use of digital portfolios. Examples in the course will come from diverse sources including Tolkien's Middle Earth, local writing and local landscapes, as well as work developed by the students themselves.
Students completing this program receive full credits for both English 11 and Geography 12 -- the learning outcomes from both courses will be addressed. This "Language and Landscape" program takes place in two blocks in one semester (e.g. A & B) and allows flexible attendance during one of the two blocks. All students who have completed English 10 and Social Studies 10 may apply; however, priority placement will occur for motivated students who are excited to learn in a collaborative learning environment.
Next year, Grade 11 students have a new option for completing English 11 at D.P. Todd, and completing Geography 12 at the same time.
We are launching a new program that uses blended learning to explore language, writing, literature, landscapes, and environmental education. This approach mixes classroom based learning (with a teacher), student-centered learning in small seminars (facilitated by the teacher), smaller groups (facilitated by students), and independent work (supported by all). The focus will be on the "spark" or learning passion that each student brings, creative use of technology, critical thinking, deep inquiry, project-based learning, integration of the arts, and use of digital portfolios. Examples in the course will come from diverse sources including Tolkien's Middle Earth, local writing and local landscapes, as well as work developed by the students themselves.
Students completing this program receive full credits for both English 11 and Geography 12 -- the learning outcomes from both courses will be addressed. This "Language and Landscape" program takes place in two blocks in one semester (e.g. A & B) and allows flexible attendance during one of the two blocks. All students who have completed English 10 and Social Studies 10 may apply; however, priority placement will occur for motivated students who are excited to learn in a collaborative learning environment.
Read more about this on the Language and Landscape blog. For more information, tweet me about it @gthielmann or come talk to me in room 180.
I think students have a lot more to offer than we often give you the space to attempt. This program is designed to see what that looks like.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
brainpops
Social Studies 9
If you'd like a different way to learn about the topic we've explored in the last couple weeks, the Industrial Revolution, try this "brainpop"
The short video provides a good review of the main ideas we've worked with, and you might enjoy the Activities, Q&A, Quiz, Experiments, FYI, and Related Topics. Leave a comment if you'd like to share what you learned from the "brainpop" resource.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Human Geography links
We recently watch Hans Rosling's talk on global population growth (here on youtube or here on TED). Here are some other links that might be of interest to you. Feel free to leave a comment on what you learned from watching one or more of these links.
Hans Rosling 200 countries, 200 years, 4 minutes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo
Hans Rosling debunks myths about the developing world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUwS1uAdUcI or http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html
Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine:
Hans Rosling 200 countries, 200 years, 4 minutes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo
Hans Rosling debunks myths about the developing world:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUwS1uAdUcI or http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html
Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine:
http://www.ted.com/talks/hans_rosling_and_the_magic_washing_machine.html
Dianna Cohen: Tough truths about plastic pollution:
http://www.ted.com/talks/dianna_cohen_tough_truths_about_plastic_pollution.html
Mitchell Joachim: Don't build your home, grow
http://www.ted.com/talks/mitchell_joachim_don_t_build_your_home_grow_it.html
Jared Diamond on why societies collapse
http://www.ted.com/talks/jared_diamond_on_why_societies_collapse.html
Al Gore's new thinking on the climate crisis
http://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_s_new_thinking_on_the_climate_crisis.html
James Balog: Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss
http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss.html
or choose another from a theme that interests you at http://www.ted.com/themes
Dianna Cohen: Tough truths about plastic pollution:
http://www.ted.com/talks/dianna_cohen_tough_truths_about_plastic_pollution.html
Mitchell Joachim: Don't build your home, grow
http://www.ted.com/talks/mitchell_joachim_don_t_build_your_home_grow_it.html
Jared Diamond on why societies collapse
http://www.ted.com/talks/jared_diamond_on_why_societies_collapse.html
Al Gore's new thinking on the climate crisis
http://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_s_new_thinking_on_the_climate_crisis.html
James Balog: Time-lapse proof of extreme ice loss
http://www.ted.com/talks/james_balog_time_lapse_proof_of_extreme_ice_loss.html
or choose another from a theme that interests you at http://www.ted.com/themes
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
dallaire and rwanda
Shake Hands With the Devil.
Having just watched the documentary based on the book, and discussed a bit of the background to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, what do you think?
Why do you think it happened? What might have prevented it? What could prevent it from happening again somewhere else? What do you think of Dallaire?
Leave a comment with your thoughts.
Having just watched the documentary based on the book, and discussed a bit of the background to the Rwandan Genocide of 1994, what do you think?
Why do you think it happened? What might have prevented it? What could prevent it from happening again somewhere else? What do you think of Dallaire?
Leave a comment with your thoughts.
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