Wednesday, November 24, 2010

November Exam

Sooooooo.......the exam is tomorrow. No worries, just follow the notes you have made over the last couple of days. That is some solid stuff and you guys put together some great info. All of the PowerPoints can be found here on the blog and do not forget to look at the quizzes we did this term. The quizzes are a great review of the terms readings.

If you feel you need to practice some questions look at this link....SAMPLE EXAMS look at the questions that deal with the time frame we have studied....1900-1960ish

Also there will be 2 essay ?'s remember the format we discussed. (Intro, Thesis, A, B, C, Conc.)

If you need I will be inthe Boarding House tonight (Wednesday Nov. 24) at 7pm in the 3rd floor common room.

Good luck!!!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Canada and the Cold War


As WW2 came to a close and the United Nations moved towards hoping to be able to provide collective security the world plunged into a prolonged conflict that would see battles fought on many different fronts. The Cold War was a battle of politics, military tensions and sometimes conflicts. But primarily this was a war of conflicting ideologies. Capitalism vs Communism. Democracy vs Totalitarianism. The United States and the Western World vs The Soviet Union and her satellite states.

Due to our Geographic position we were put right in the middle of these two super powers. Yet, due to our political allegiance we always took the side of the United States, while not always approving of their actions.

Take a look at the following links and comment on some of the tensions that existed during the Cold War and how they affected Canada. Try to pick one of the following themes to look at:

THEMES
Soviet Spies
The Red Scare and Fears of Communist subversion
Suez Canal Crisis and Peace keeping
Women and the threat of Nuclear War
Canada and U.S. tensions
Politics and Sports - The Summit Series

LINKS
CBC
Wikipedia
The Summit Series

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

World War 2 and Canada's Contributions

In the next few day's we will focus on a review of the initial WWII battles in Western Europe, and then an explanation of how this influenced the course of the War. More precisely we will be focusing on how Canada was involved in these battles and what kind of effect this may have had on Canadians back home. We will look at:
  1. Battle of Britain and the Commonwealth Air Training Program
  2. Battle of Hong Kong
  3. Battle of the Atlantic
  4. Dieppe
  5. Liberating the Netherlands
Later this term we will get a more in depth report on a few of these and other topics when our Project Presentations for WW2 begin. Group presentations are on the following topics:

1. The Battle of the Atlantic
2. The Italian Campaign
3. Dieppe
4. Conscription

It is important that you stay on top of your readings and finish with your essay on the "History of Film."

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Battle of Britain


As we begin looking at World War 2 we will pause to watch a movie......The Battle of Britain (1969) is a movie set in the year 1940 and is an,

"Historical reenactment of the air war in the early days of World War Two for control of the skies over Britain as the new Luftwaffa and the Royal Air Force determine whether or not an invasion can take place." Written by John Vogel

While dated, this movie is still very entertaining and quite interesting. It also gives us some insight into the desperation of the times and it depicts how many member of the Allies (including Canadians) worked together to defend the skies over Britain from the Nazi Luftwaffa.

Also one of the main characters in the movie is played by Christopher Plummer. He plays the role of a Canadian fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Colin Harvey. Since Plummer is Canadian, he asked for his character's RAF uniform to display the "Canada" on his shoulder flashes.

Check out some trivia facts here:
Trivia about the movie

Read this article for our third seminar of the term:
History in Images

Monday, October 18, 2010

The Great Depression


Desperate times call for desperate measures and the 1930's were definitely desperate times. When faced with the desperation of the Great Depression it is no surprise that many people around the world would begin looking for alternative forms of government to "fix" what had gone wrong. In Canada new parties were formed (CCF, Social Credit and the rise of the Communist party) in response to what many perceived as the inability of the Canadian government to help Canadian people during these times. In Europe we see the rise of Communism and Fascism as people try to find alternative leadership to bring them out of economic hardship. The rise of this new leadership some might say helped lead us to war. The 1930's are often seen as the precursor to the outbreak of World War Two. What we attempted to find out last period is how this economic depression occurred.

Yesterday's lesson focused on the causes of the Great Depression. Often the blame for the Great Depression is placed on the stock market crash triggering the start of the greatest economic recession of the 20th century.

However, we discussed the main causes of the depression in Canada as:
  • Overproduction of manufactured goods and agricultural products
  • Speculation and "buying on margin" on the stock market
  • Protective tariffs (taxes) that made domestic products cheaper, but stalled global trade.
  • The Dust Bowl - poor farming techniques worsened the drought conditions
If you missed class, it is really important that you catch up on the notes and do your best to stay on top of your readings.

The photo above depicts a "Bennett Buggy" - an out-of-fuel car pulled by a horse. Can you find any other Depression inspired images, cartoons or videos??? If you do please explain.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Roaring Twenties

As we move into the inter-war period we begin to look at an exciting decade in the history of Canada. The 1920's is often referred to as the "Roaring Twenties" because this was a time when people made money, they broke social taboos, and they lived on the edge. This was a time when society was changed dramatically with the rise in consumerism, and the social rebellion visible in the form of flapper dresses and dance fads,. The assembly line altered our family living spaces as mass produced products made items like radios, cars and telephones affordable for middle class families. The speculation on the stock market contributed the acceptance of 'credit' as a form of payment, and helped lead to the decline of North America's economy....

We are going to examine how Canadian society, politics and economic systems changed as a result of the 1920s', and also how the values and laws set the stage for the Great Depression, and the rise of the 'Dirty Thirties.'

Class Activities:
Spend some time on this link and try to get a sense for what life was like in the 1920's both in Canada and the U.S.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roaring_Twenties


Extension Activity: What made the 1920's "Roaring"?

Topics: CHOOSE ONE, FIND A VIDEO or PICTURE or ARTICLE or LINK AND SUMMARIZE. (make sure to relate to Canada)

1. Jazz
2. Art
3. Prohibition
4. Movies
5. Sports
6. Inventions (technology)
7. Fashion
8. Other...

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

World War One Reparations

Thanks to Daniel Trakulhoon for forwarding me this neat link to news about Germany paying the last of its reparations from World War One. Read the article and tell me what you think.....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315869/Germany-end-World-War-One-reparations-92-years-59m-final-payment.html?ITO=socialnet-twitter-mailonline

Monday, September 27, 2010

Seminar #2: Woman's Rights

Good day gentleman. I look forward to your presentations today and tomorrow with anticipation of what might be. In order to prepare for the next couple of classes you should be aware of the following.

You will write an essay which will broadly deal with woman's rights in Canada in the teens and twenties. For the seminar ( September 29th day 1, September 30th day 2), you should be aware of the Alberta Five, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, eugenics, Protestant Christianity's social gospel movement and any other information that might be relevant such as the Woman's Liberation Movement of the 1960's.

Some information can be found in Issues: pg. 68, 106 as well the index of SHOC might help with your research. Remember the more you are able to actually participate in the seminar and discuss the issues presented the better.

Following our discussion of the topic, you will be given a focused essay topic and will be asked to right an in-class essay on the topic the next class after the seminar.

For a hint about a potential essay topic maybe look up the difference between Maternal and Equal Rights Feminism.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Blog Assignment #1 - WW1 Battles and The Canadian Corps

The CEF in Action - How did the battles and fighting of World War One affect us as a nation?

In yesterday's class we be spent some time examining 4 key battles in detail - Ypres, Somme, Vimy Ridge, and Passchendaele. It is important that we understand the basics about these wars, but also their significance. Which battle was characterized by the first use of biological weapons in WWI? Which battle was the first to utilize the power of tank warfare? Which battle was considered to be Canada's greatest victory in the Great War? Keep these ideas in mind as we move forward in the term.

Activity: Use the internets...

PART ONE: Examine trench warfare up close. Take a look at the 4 virtual tours by the BBC.

Dog Fight Virtual Tour Trenches - Front Lines Virtual Tour


PART TWO: Choose one of the following topics below, and then answer the questions for the topic by commenting on this post. NOTE: You must leave your first/last name to receive marks & your post will not appear until I have approved it. You only need to send it once. You will receive a mark out of 5 for your post - you will be assessed on your level of analysis and your clarity. Please spell-check your answer, and indicate which topic you chose.

Topics: CHOOSE ONE AND RESPOND.

  • Click on the link and choose a minimum of 2 different topics to read about from the lists.
  • In your post, comment on at least TWO things that you found interesting.
  • Skim the article, and write down 2 things that you found interesting about shell-shock, and its impact on the soldiers and/or their families.
3. Shot at Dawn: Cowards, Traitors, or Victims?
  • Skim the article, and comment on whether or not you believe that corporal punishment should have been used to punish soldiers in WWI. Explain your reasoning.
  • Read over the introduction, and then select the section 2 "Tanks on the Western Front" and one other section of your choice.
  • Comment on 2 interesting things that you learned about tanks.
Extension Activity:

Go to the Fun and Games section on the right side of the blog and play the trench warfare game. It's pretty fun.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Canada at the turn of the century and WW1


The Laurier Era:

We are beginning our year with an overview of what the world and Canada were like at the turn of the century. We will focus first on Canada during the years prior to World War One and some of the cultural, economic and politcial issues that helped to shape our country.

Key textbook references for this unit will be in both Issues and SHOC as you follow the prescribed readings laid out in the syllabus. Main themes for this class will be:
  • Racism and Discrimination - Immigration policies by Borden, Vancouver Riot of 1907, Chinese Head Tax, Komagata Maru Incident, Treatment of Aboriginal peoples including reserves and residential schools.
  • Protest and Dissent - Introduction to early civil disobedience includes Nellie McClung and the Famous Five, suffragettes, trade unions
  • Hope and Discovery - New inventions of Victorian Era including the car, radio, manufacturing line; medical discoveries including penicillin
  • The British Bullies - Canada struggles to stand up to Great Britain as they are forced to fight for the British in South Africa during the Boer War, while the Alaskan panhandle is given away to the Americans.
Assignment
  • Using ONE of the 4 main themes above describe in a couple of sentences - "What was Canada like at the turn of the century?"

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Getting started

So, it's time for you to get you started. This blog will be an important, integral part of the course, and you will be using it throughout the year to catch up on missed assignments, get access to extra reading and interesting articles, and to complete certain homework assignments.

Participating in the blog is mandatory, and so it is important that you learn how to use it. Now, I am not the most sophisticated of computer users, so if you are having problems, or can think of better ways that this blog could be used to help you enjoy Social Studies, then just let me know. In the meantime, you will need a google user name to get started because you will complete your homework assignments by posting comments, insights, and interesting questions.

If you get stuck, or you can't use the blog at home, do not be afraid to ask for help - you are always welcome to use the library computer on your own time, in order to complete your assignments.

How To Post...

Posting a comment is easy, but you will need a google account to do this. At the end of each post there will be a link that shows the number of comments (ex. 0 comments). Click on this link, and you will be given a space to write a response. Please spellcheck your response, and be sure that your comment is respectful.

At the bottom of your comment it will say "Comment as" - select Google Account. Then if you do not have a gmail/igoogle page/blog - you will have to create a new google account. Select a user name, and enter in your email address. Then, you can preview your post to see what it looks like beforehand, and then you're done!

ASSIGNMENT #1

1. Post a comment below, so that you can practice using the blog. No message is necessary, just make sure you leave your first and last name so that I can tell which students have posted.

If you are unsure about how to do this please watch this educational video.....

http://www.screencast.com/t/OGIwYmNk

Monday, August 30, 2010

Chamberlain online is in the HOUSE!!!

Gentleman here is where you will be able to find up to date lessons/powerpoints/notes/handouts/etc. for class this year. Stay tuned for further instructions.....