The Learning Lab Project

As you are aware you have been given Wednesday's off as "learning lab" time as part of being in Social Studies 11 honours. This is not time off but time for you to work independently on course material that does not require me, as the teacher, standing over you. It is also a day that allows you to access me individually for help or clarification, complete any outstanding work and/or make up time due to absences. As you know, Wednesday's are not a day off as you are responsible to complete a lesson, however, it is work that you can complete at your own pace and on your own schedule between Tuesday and Thursday.

Please comment on how you have liked or disliked this model. Be constructive and honest.

What if you were the Governor General?

As Canada faces one of it greatest political debates Michaelle Jean has been gone from ceremonial figurehead to a person charged with shaping the nature of democracy in our country.

While we already know what she chose to do, the debate continues to rage across Canada as Canadians look for the "right" and "best" solution to a complex political situation. So based on your knowledge of our political system and your own personal beliefs about the role of government and democracy what do you think Michealle Jean should have done. Remember to provide justification for your decision as you you will have to justify your decision to the Canadian people.

Click here if you want to see Rick Mercer's take on the situation.... Rick Mercer Rant

Canadian Arts and Entertainment

This weeks Blog discussion has two parts:

Part A: The 1920's say the coming of age of Canadian artists with the Group of Seven gaining international recognition for their images of the rugged Canadian landscapes. Since this time Canadian artists, musicians, writers and performers of all types have continued to gain international recognition for their work. Today Canadians such as The Tragically Hip, Mike Myers, Leonard Cohen and Jim Carrey are household names throughout the world for their work in the arts and entertainment industries.

Who is your favorite Canadian artist (this includes musicians, actors etc) and how do you think their work gives Canadians a sense of national pride?

Part B: The twenties in Canada saw an upswing in the economy that meant Canadians were searching for was to spend their "extra" money and fill their leisure time. As a result the 1920's gave birth to a number of "fads" that became wildly popular only to pretty much disappear in a few short years. Take a look at the following video to get a better sense of 20's entertainment.
The Flappers
The Jazz Age

What types of popular activities today do you think may turn out to be just "fads. Personally, while they called the 1920's the Roaring Twenties, I think they may end up calling the 2000's the iPod 2000's.

Do not forget to finish your post with your initials and the period of your socials class or else I cannot give your credit for your response.

Rights of the Child

Read pages 309 - 312 of your Counterpoints textbook discussing Children's Rights.

What year did the United Nations adopt the Convention on the Rights of the Child? Why do you think this convention has become the most universally accepted human rights document?

Visit http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm and read through the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Why do we need a separate this document when we already have the Unversal Declaration of Human Rights (Counterpoints p. 295)?

Check out some of these photo essays http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=photoessays

In May 2002, two Optional Protocols were adopted to strengthen the existing provisions within the Convention. These protocols included new guidelines on the involvement of children in armed conflict, and new guidelines on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

New protocol on armed conflict: The Convention states that no child under fifteen years of age should participate in armed conflict; the new protocol raises this age to eighteen. Currently, over 300,000 children worldwide are engaged in armed conflict.

New protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution, and child pornography: This protocol gives special emphasis to the criminalization of serious violations of children's rights - namely sale of children, illegal adoption, child prostitution and pornography. Similarly, the protocol seeks increased international cooperation, public awareness, and education campaigns in order to better protect children from the violations of these rights. Currently, an estimated 1 million children are employed in the commercial sex-trade.

What do you think is the most important issue facing children around the world today? Where do you think the United Nations should center its focus in coming years? What kind of steps should be taken to combat this problem?

Visit http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/crp/index.htm to see more information on child soldiers.

Personal Rights and Freedoms

Choose a song of your choice that you consider expresses personal freedoms that are enshrined under the Charter. Write a comment with the lyrics and demonstrate rights or freedoms that are important to you. Then comment on why you chose this song, what the message of the song is and how it relates to you and your experience of freedom in Canada.

Exploring Political Systems

Read the following instructions and complete the two activities. These were developed by a friend of mine, Mr. Thielmann, over at DP Todd.

Activity One
Purpose: find out what kind of political views you have and how they compare with world figures and political parties

Instructions:
go to http://www.politicalcompass.org/
read the instructions and complete the quiz
read through your results page to learn about your views
summarize what you learned from the quiz by commenting in response to this posting on the course blog -- http://www.soc11eh.blogspot.com

Tips:
left vs right: left-wing usually means more government control over industry and economy; right-ring usually means less government regulation and intervention (laissez-faire)
authoritarian vs libertarian: authoritarian means powerful government which controls rights and freedoms, sometimes it can be a dictatorship; libertarian means less government control of rights, sometimes less government in general

Activity Two
Purpose: learn about different ways of organizing nations by politics, economy, and values

Instructions:
go to http://www.nationstates.net
read the introduction and sign up to “build” your nation
experiment with the simulation for as long as you need to see how it works, more if you have the time (warning: NationStates can be addictive!)
summarize what you learned from the simulation by commenting on this posting on the course blog -- http://www.soc11eh.blogspot.com

Tips:
See how the choices you make at the beginning affect the kind of country which is generated by the simulator. Look at other countries and issues around the “world” to see what others have done.

I am Canadian!

Read (text below) view or listen (http://canada4life.ca/videos.php?video=1) to the Joe Canadian Molson rant (text below), and some other spoofs.

How do you define being Canadian? Add your own comment to this post with your thoughts on what it means to be Canadian. Create your own Rant about what it is to be Canadian.

Remember to include your initials and the period of your socials class.


MOLSON RANT

Hey,
I'm not a lumberjack, or a Fur trader.
I don't live in an igloo,
or eat blubber
or own a dogsled.
And I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada,
although I'm certain they're really, really nice.

I have a prime minister... not a president,
I speak English and French, not American
and I pronounce it About, not A-boot.

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack,
I believe in peacekeeping, not policing,
diversity not assimilation,
and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.

A toque is a hat,
a chesterfield is a couch,
and it is pronounced Zed,
not Zee... ZED!!
Canada is the 2nd largest land mass,
the 1st nation of hockey,
and the best part of North America.

My name is Joe...
And I am Canadian!

UNBC: Children's Rights Lecture

UNBC: Children's Rights Lecture

Thursday, Jan 24, 7:00 pm

6-213 (Canfor Theatre)

If you attend this lecture post a comment including the following:

• The names and titles of the speakers.
• A brief summary of each speakers' message outlining their main points.
• The purpose of the lecture, eg. a call to action or informational.
• What was the most interesting thing you took away form the lecture.
• What in your thinking on this topic was either changed, reinforced or confirmed.
• How this lecture ties into the themes and topics we have been examining in Social Studies 11.
• What advice would you give to the speakers regarding their presentation or their message.
  

International Aid

NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) and government agencies play an important role in fighting poverty, famine and disease throughout the world. In recent times many of these organizations have been criticized for having too much overhead and administrative costs while not getting enough of the money directly to those in need. Others say that while there are flaws with some of the organizations any amount of aid that reaches these countries is better than nothing.

Visit the following sites and comment on the work these NGOs are doing. What organization would you donate either your time or money to?

Oxfam
The Red Cross
Doctors without Borders
CIDA
War Child
DATA
Unicef
World Vision

Socials 11 in the news

Social Studies 11 is a course that deals with a great deal of history but is really more about what is happening in Canada and the world around us every day. To see evidence of this one really just has to open a newspaper on any given day and take account of the number of news items that directly relate to the themes we study in Social Studies 11.

Just to refresh your memory the themes of this course we have been studying fall into these categories:

• Society and Identity: The 20th century has seen profound change in the social fabric of Canada that has made the search for a Canadian identity a vital issue for Canadians. In examining societalvissues, students gain understanding of the dynamic regional, cultural, and ethnic diversity of
  

• Canadian society: By exploring these issues, students gain understanding of the forces that both shape and reflect the Canadian identity.
  

• Autonomy and International Involvement: Canada has been shaped by significant historical events, both within the country and at a global level. By exploring Canada’s role in world events and examining Canada’s development as an autonomous nation, students come to understand Canada’s position and responsibilities in the international community.
  

• Politics and Government: The study of politics and government builds on students’ prior understanding of government structures, preparing them with the skills, knowledge, and sense of efficacy to become informed and active citizens of Canada. This study will allow students to gain understanding of their Charter rights, political philosophies and parties, elections, and how to influence public policy.
  

• Human Geography: Students develop understanding of the global issues that arise from the disparity in standards of living, how they affect our environment, and our response to the issues.
  

Your task is to review a variety of news sources and identify current event articles and issues that relate to the topics we have been studying for the last 5 months. The issue you select could be a local, provincial, national or world event as long as it fits into Your post must include the following:

1. A link or reference to the article you have selected.
   
2. A summary of the issue and the article.
3. An explanation of how your selection ties into Social Studies 11 and its importance as a world or Canadian issue.
   
4. 2 or 3 questions your article brings up for you that you would like to see answered in the future.

Many of the news links located on the sidebar of this blog are excellent starting points for your news search.