1. Students worked in the library today on their research assignment that is due on Friday.

1. Students worked again on researching for their major assignment due Friday for class. They were given examples and guidance on how to integrate a quote (phrase or sentence that is not your own) into their essay. Some of them were a little confused thinking they have to put in a quote of someone ‘saying something’ about their topic. They just have to use information from another source to back up what their topic is.

1. Students were given their major essay that is the last piece of work for this course. They have Monday, Tues, Wed, and Thurs to work in class on the assignment with library and computer access given. The assignment is due on Friday and no assignments will be accepted after that date.
2. There are few assignments in this second portion of the class. The students have this essay, its reference page and possibly a set of chapter questions yet for assignments before the marks are put together. This essay is the major piece of work for this part of the semester and will determine how you do in this course. Be careful and put your full attention to doing well at it.

1. This is the assignment that was given yesterday that students didn’t get to work on because of Track. Today’s class was used so students to get a handle on their start. A few of us discussed several events in Canadian history that may have seemed small in significance but in the grand scheme of things, according to a French-speaking Canadian who has felt alienated by Canada’s policies for decades, it would only continue to strengthen their resolve to separate. Students did very well of getting into the mindset of the assignment and writing from a first-person perspective.
2. This assignment is due, typed, for Friday.

1. I handed back the student exams from Units 1,2,3 and 4 today. I encouraged students to begin studying for their History 30 final and told them they could use their exams as partial study guides.
2. We continued with our discussion of Canada’s role in the International stage in the later part of the Twentieth Century. I mentioned to them, also, that Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, has recently threatened America. America would like to build a missile radar station (part of missile defence) in Europe to ensure they are prepared if Iran or Iraq attack with nulear capabilities. Putin said if the Americans build the station hewould aim their Russian missiles at it in anticipation. Remind you of the Cold War??

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1. Yesterday, with just a handful of students in class, we had some great discussions. One of these was a talk about the House of Commons and the difference between a minority and majority government. I had the kids turn their desks to face the middle of the room, we moved Meagan Dyck to the back to play the Speaker of the House Of Commons, and I did a little role play to show just how interesting it gets during the sessions. Today, students joined me in the projector room and we watched clips of footage from Question Period. It gets crazy! It gets loud, and rowdy, and there is a lot of posturing or making themselves look good for the camera. The question was, “How, do you imagine, does the actual work of running the country and making progress in decisions actually happen, despite all this noise?!”
The kids loved the videos!
2. We moved back into the classroom shortly and continued with our notes.

1. Many students were not in attendance today, and a few others were still touring. However, we continued on with class. With there being a smaller, more intimate, group to share with, we had some great discussions about different concepts we have covered in class.  We discussed more the difference between a minority and majority government, we discussed more about NORAD and how there are several countries with radars established to guard against (Communist owned) missiles, and we did a little role playing about what a day in the life of an MP in the House of Commons is really like. It was a great discussion today in class. Unfortunate so many missed it.

1. We began yesterday reading through the typed notes for Unit four. As I read through the points, students have to fill in the missing words on their handout. They also are asked to write things in the margins when we cover a topic that could use more description or explanation. (I have been really pleased with how their listening skills have developed and some are getting better at recognizing that the few minutes it takes to write the extra information pays off in the end with higher marks and better understanding. Good job!)
2. We had a good discussion, despite a few students interupting (CHRIS AND CALVIN), about the Security Council of the United Nations. Having watched the movie The Interpreter in English earlier this year, students should have a clear understanding of the function and set up the the U.N. The Security Council is a group of five countries that are stronger, more prominent powers that were allied together during the Second World War. These five countries EACH have veto power to overrule anything the other nations pass.
3. We discussed, briefly, how Truman was able to get the “okay” from the U.N. and not be vetoed by countries in the Security Council, namely the Soviet Union and China, in order to begin their entry into the Korea War. Obviously, since the Soviets were fighting for the spread of Communism in Korea, and the Americans were fighting to stop that, all the Soviets had to do was use their veto power and the authorization to go to war would have been withheld. At the time, though, China was disallowed from being involved with the U.N. and Security Council and the Soviets were boycotting their involvement as well until China was allowed back in. This was Truman’s chance to bypass both the Soviets and China and get the approval for war, because those countries weren’t present to say ‘nay’. Interesting, hmm? Timing is as important in history as it is in life.

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Here is a report on sanctions the Security Council more recently imposed against Iran for continuing to enrich their Uranium industry, a possible nuclear danger to the world.

1. We began the class by handing back Unit three exams to students to have a look through. Most were pleased by their effort.
2. Students were then given back their question sheets from last week they completed after reading the handout titled “The Quiet Revolution”. We read through the questions together with students ellaborating on answers and asking questions of their own for clarification.
3. Next, students were given the Unit Four typed notes. On the front page, they had to write four items that were demonstrated on the board. These four conceps basically summarize each of our units to date and show the progression of a similar theme, Canadian History, and how each unit relates and links to the next. This was meant to help students see the bigger picture and where in that picture Unit four begins.
4. Next, we started reading through the notes with students listening carefully to fill in the missing answers. We had a good discussion about American aggression in wars, why they believe Canada has such a close relationship with our Southern neighbour, and whether we are in an equal relationship or a dominated one.
5. We will continue with the discussion and notes tomorrow.

On a side note, I told the kids I would post this documentary on the blog. We discussed the idea that Canada is such a peaceful nation and only involved in peace-keeping in recent world wars. It is not always so well known, though, that Canada is a major arms manufacturer and creates a lot of the materials the Americans use in their warfare. For example, the now-famous Agent Orange that was used in the napalm that devestated the landscape and human lives in the Vietnam war was actually created by Canadian companies, not something Canada would like to see advertised. Do we have the right, still, to believe our hands are not dirty with blood from war?

Here is the documentary that compares the Napalm that has been banned by the Geneva Convention to the napalm the Americans used recently in the war in Iraq. (This new napalm is the exact same chemical formula but is missing one ingredient. The one, unfortunately, not missing is the oxidizing agent that feeds the chemical with oxygen to keep it burning through the flesh. Chemical warfare, happening today. What do you think? Necessary? Is the possible casualty loss worth the risk. Is the opportunity cost measured properly? (Ask me what opportunity cost means.) 😀

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