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

Lessons from the Holocaust

And I Said Nothing

In Germany they first came for the Communists and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionist, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me and by that time no one was left to speak up.


TASK: Write personal reflection on the atrocities of the Holocaust and how it has (or hasn’t) changed the world.

Keep these questions in mind:
• Who is to blame for the Holocaust?
• Could the Holocaust have been stopped?
• How to the "Stages of Isolation" show the gradual persecution leading to the annihilation of the Jews?
• What would you have done if you lived in Germany during the Third Reich?
• How does the passage "And I Said Nothing" portray the actions of the people in Germany during Third Reich? What is the danger in saying or doing "nothing"?
• What lessons must be learned from the Holocaust?
• How do we, as responsible and aware human beings, ensure that an event such as the Holocaust or any type of racial genocide never occurs again?
• Do you think we have “learned our lesson” from the Holocaust, use examples to support your point of view from more recent history

To view some images from the Holocaust click the following links.
http://www.phdn.org/histgen/schmitz/indexeng.html
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/phototoc.html

Election Time

ELECTION ON! Try Vote Compass




Many Social Studies students will remember trying politicalcompass.org to find out where they were on the "political spectrum" -- but were often left with questions about what it meant and how it related to Canadian politics. As you may know, Canadian voters are heading to an election on May 2. CBC News has made their own spectrum quiz -- http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/. Try it and leave a comment regarding your results-- I'm interested to know if you are surprised by the results or not (e.g. did you end up matched up with a party you probably wouldn't vote for?). Also, why do you think people might vote for a party that doesn't match up with their beliefs?

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.

Exploring Your Political Views

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!