Tuesday, May 2. 2017

Today's schedule is C-D-A-B

C Block Social Studies 11 - We'll see how material consumption drives the North American economic market and examine economic cycles. The economic cycle is the natural fluctuation of the economy between periods of expansion (growth) and contraction (recession). Factors such as gross domestic product (GDP), interest rates, levels of employment and consumer spending can help to determine the current stage of the economic cycle. We'll determine what impact losses on the stock market had on consumer confidence in 1929, or 2008 or... (We will not examine Supply-Side economics or Keynesian macroeconomic theory - you should take Mr. Rebitt's classes if you are interested here). We'll try to understand stocks and shares, supply and demand, and the costs of using credit. We'll also look at protectionism and see how it impacts international markets. We'll watch a the Crash Course Economics video below and take a few notes today.

Why is the Stock Market Crash of 1929 relevant today? David Frum explained the link between 1928 and 2008 like this:

Americans assumed crushing levels of debt in the 2000's to buy expensive homes, homes they assumed would continue to rise in price forever. In 2007, household debt relative to income peaked at the highest level since 1928. (Uh oh.) When the housing market crashed, consumers were stranded with unsustainable debts, and until those debts are reduced, consumers will drastically cut back their spending. As consumers cut back, businesses lose revenue. As businesses lose revenue, they fire employees. As employees lose their jobs, their purchasing power is reduced. As purchasing power is lost throughout the economy, housing prices tumble again.
Rinse and repeat.

Think Canada is immune? From the Toronto Star last month (March 2017)...

Fuelled by mortgages and low interest rates, household debt has been climbing steadily in recent years. Policy-makers have raised concerns about household debt and see it as a key risk to the economy. While interest rates have been low for years, making borrowing money cheap for Canadians, some have expressed concerns about what could happen when rates rise or if there is a shock to the economy that results in a large number of job losses.The increase in the key debt ratio came as income rose by 1.1 per cent, while household credit market debt gained 1.2 per cent. Statistics Canada said the amount of household credit market debt rose to 167.3 per cent of adjusted household disposable income in the fourth quarter, up from 166.8 per cent in the third quarter. 

That means there was $1.67 in credit market debt for every dollar of adjusted household disposable income.

D Block Introduction to Psychology 11 - We'll finish our look at colour and then I'll have two questions to wrap your brain around:

1. Imagine for a moment what your life would be like if you couldn’t see. Do you think you would be able to compensate for your loss of sight by using other senses (why/why not)?
2. Color is not a physical property of our environment. What function (if any) do you think color vision serves? What is your favourite colour? Why do you think it is your favourite? Do you associate colour with taste? Can colour affect your behaviour and mood (how)?

After we'll examine the sense of hearing. Sound waves that are collected by our ears are converted into neural impulses, which are sent to the brain where they are integrated with past experience and interpreted as the sounds we experience. This translates into our ability to hear nature, to appreciate music, and to communicate with one another through spoken language.

After you'll need to fill in a diagram of the Ear and answer the following too

1.  Given what you have learned about hearing, are you engaging in any activities that might cause long-term hearing loss? If so, how might you change your behaviour to reduce the likelihood of suffering damage 

A Block Introduction to Law 9/10 -  Today we'll finish up work on our "Typical Victim" of Assault or Theft (here at school). Who will most likely be assaulted or stolen from and why? Now you are taking information and enhancing stereotypes for the people you are drawing. The stereotypes you're basing your drawings on are an example of profiling. Later this week we'll take a deeper look at criminal profiling starting with a look at what psychopathy really is along with the differences between serial and mass murder. The poster is due on Thursday and next Monday you'll have a quiz then begin your first major assignment in the course.

B Block Law 12 - Today and tomorrow we'll finish our look at Criminal Law by shifting into sentencing. We'll look at the objectives of sentencing (deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, re socialization, and segregation). You will need to answer the following questions over the next two days:

1. Define: absolute discharge, conditional discharge, probation, mitigating circumstances, aggravating circumstances, suspended sentence, concurrent sentence, consecutive sentence, intermittent sentence, indeterminate sentence, parole, day parole, statutory release, pardon, restorative justice, sentencing circle, closed custody, and open custody
2. Questions: page 298 Review Your Understanding question 3; page 301 Review Your Understanding question 1; page 314 Review Your Understanding question 1

We'll be finished our Criminal Law unit tomorrow and then Thursday this week we'll begin looking at Civil Law and Civil procedures. I'll have your final project ready for you by no later than next Monday. The questions from today are due by the end of Thursday's class.