Room 611

Thursday, February 2. 2012

2012-02-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our work on the foundations of Geography starting with the Five Themes. In order to understand the increasingly complex and interconnected world we live in we need to find a way to make sense of information in a way that doesn't overwhelm us. The Five Themes (Location, Place, Human-Environment Interactions, Movement, and Regions) are a framework for making sense of geographic data. Today we'll cover the Human-Environment Interactions, Movement, and Regions and then we'll move on to systems. This is an important class as everything we look at in geography will be through the lens of systems science. We'll look at systems, feedback, equilibrium, and thresholds. For more help with positive and negative feedback loops take a look at Chapter 2 of Gerry Martin's on line Human Ecology textbook

B Block Law 12 - Yesterday we looked at the divisions of Public (criminal, constitutional, and administrative) and Private law (tort, family, contract, property, and labour law). We didn't get to the assignment I wanted to work though yesterday so...Your assignment will be to look up the penalties for a law (in the Canadian Criminal Code) that you disagree with and explain why we should have stronger or lighter penalties for this law. Look at yesterday's blog site for more information on the example of "Mischief" C.C. 430. (1) We'll take a brief look at the history of law (focusing on Hammurabi, the Mosaic code, and the Justinian code) and then move into reading case studies and citations.

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you'll be looking at the three branches of government in Canada (Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches). Check out the "How Parliament Works" section on the About Parliament section on the Parliament of Canada website.

Wednesday, Febuary 1. 2012

2012-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Law 12 - Today we will continue our Introduction to Law unit by taking down a few notes on the five functions of law and the divisions of Public (criminal, constitutional, and administrative) and Private law (tort, family, contract, property, and labour law). Lastly we'll take a look at the differences between Substantive and Procedural Law. Your assignment will be to look up the penalties for a law (in the Canadian Criminal Code) that you disagree with and explain why we should have stronger or lighter penalties for this law. Consider "Mischief"

C.C. 430. (1) Every one commits mischief who wilfully
(a) destroys or damages property;
(b) renders property dangerous, useless, inoperative or ineffective;
(c) obstructs, interrupts or interferes with the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property; or
(d) obstructs, interrupts or interferes with any person in the lawful use, enjoyment or operation of property.

Punishment

(2) Every one who commits mischief that causes actual danger to life is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for life.

So if you are protesting the removal of old growth trees in a location and hammer spikes into trees then you are endangering the life of fallers (who would use chainsaws and chainsaws don't mix well with metal spikes)...that means you're eligible for life in prison much the same as if you tampered with someone's break lines in their car. Is that sentence too harsh or too light? Why? that's an example of what I'd like you to consider. You may use the pocket criminal codes in class or may use the computer to check the statutes on line.

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you'll get your textbooks and then you’ll be looking at the three levels of government in Canada (Federal, Provincial and Municipal), their roles and responsibilities, and how they interact with each other. You’ll also discuss Aboriginal self-governance. You’ll do a quick review of yesterday and today’s discussions, and then Ms. Krahn will ask you to work on definitions for the following terms: democracy (direct and representative), constitutional monarchy, Canadian Constitution, federalism, residual powers and regionalism. There will also be a question to answer about the your feelings on municipal autonomy from Counterpoints, p. 247, #9: Should municipal governments be given autonomy from the provinces, including the power to set their own taxes?

And yes, Ms. Krahn will be collecting this for marks.

If you’re interested in knowing more about the struggle with federalism vs. regionalism in Canada, check out this great episode from The Agenda called ‘Is Canada Governable?

C Block Geography 12 - Today you'll take your Observing as a Geographer assignment and share it with a partner. They'll add comments and ask questions and then it will be your responsibility to write two paragraphs on your photo. It is important to remember that when you ask questions (like "I wonder why there are no trees in this picture?") that you try to answer them as best as you can (make inferences and leaps in logic if necessary). If there's time, we'll work on the foundations of Geography starting with the Five Themes. In order to understand the increasingly complex and interconnected world we live in we need to find a way to make sense of information in a way that doesn't overwhelm us. The Five Themes (Location, Place, Human-Environment Interactions, Movement, and Regions) are a framework for making sense of geographic data. Today, hopefully, we'll cover the first three to four themes and then tomorrow we'll finish our look at them and move on to systems and spheres.

Tuesday, January 31. 2012

2012-01-31T07:03:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Geography 12 - Today we'll work on learning to observe as a geographer would where we'll look beyond simple observations and try to see a larger picture with connections to the wider world. We'll practice an analysis of a photo in class and you'll start working on your first assignment for the course which is a geographic analysis of a photo from a Canadian Geographic magazine. You'll need to use the Observing as a Geographer Would questions (in your week 1 package that you'll get today) to help with your analysis.

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you'll be starting your unit on Government. You’ll begin by discussing why government exists, and work on a social experiment to see how the role of government develops in social organizations. You’ll also briefly look at different political philosophies, or ‘isms’, and how these theories influence the political spectrum.

B Block Law 12 - Today we will continue our discussion on what crime is, why we have laws, and figure out the difference between what is legal what is moral and what is ethical. Next we'll come up with a list of laws that we know about and then we'll take down a few notes on the five functions of law.

Monday, January 30. 2012

2012-01-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

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

A Block Social Studies 11 - Welcome to Social Studies 11. This class will be split between Ms. Alison Krahn from the University of British Columbia and I for the semester. Term three will be taught by Ms. Krahn and she will cover Canadian government along with Canadian history for the first half of the 20th Century. I will step in a little after Spring Break and cover the last half of the 20th Century and global social geography. Today you will go through the course outline package and become familiar with the routines and structures of room 611. We will take the class to orient ourselves to the curriculum and work through a small think-pair-share activity.

B Block Law 12 - Welcome to Law 12. Today we will go through the course outline package and then we'll talk about career paths that are available with Law. Next we'll get together in groups and discuss what crime is, why we have laws, and figure out the difference between what is legal what is moral and what is ethical. We'll put that together on some large sheets of paper and end with a class discussion on what we worked on in groups.

C Block Geography 12 - Welcome to Geography 12...the most important class you'll ever take in your life. Today we will go through the course outline package and become familiar with the routines and structures of room 611. We will take the class to orient ourselves to the curriculum and get ready to look at observing as a geographer would. Tomorrow, we'll head outside for some observational and analytical skill development. Be prepared to look beyond simple observations and try to see a larger picture with connections to the wider world. We'll practice an analysis of a photo in class and you'll start working on your first assignment for the course

EXAM WEEK January 25-27, 2012

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi family...it is exam week here at Vanier.

For Law 9/10 students, there are still some of you who have yet to submit your forensic science website project to me. I posted the final marks for the grade 9's yesterday and the grade 10 marks will be outside room 611 Thursday afternoon. So far nobody has submitted an incorrect URL for your web page project and that's good but I'll repeat it again there are a few of you who have yet to submit a URL so that I can see your work. Your web page project was due Tuesday so I would highly encourage you to e-mail me your URL even if your webpage is incomplete. This way I can give you marks for what you have completed.

For Social Studies 11 students, your exam was yesterday afternoon and there were certainly a few eye raising questions on the test. Your exams are being marked externally and you'll need your PEN (Personal Education Number) to access your grades at the Ministry of Education website - most likely in late February. I'll have your school grades posted outside room 611 by Thursday afternoon.

For Geography 12 students you have a quick lunch before your exam on Thursday. I'll have a vegetable and fruit platter along with juice and sandwich stuff for you. Your exam will be two hours in length in room 611 from 1:00 until 3:00. Your final marks in Geography (exam included) will be posted Friday by noon. Good luck to you all.

Tuesday, January 24. 2012

2012-01-24T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

You have assignments due today...please do not give me any "My dog ate my homework" or "My computer crashed with all my work on it" excuses. Turn in your work today please.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we start with our final quiz in the course. This quiz will be on crimes, arrests, searches, pre-trial hearings and trial procedures. After the quiz we'll finish our look at the court structure in our province and then I'll take the last bit of class to finish any questions you have from the question box. Finally, we'll wrap up the course and you'll need to hand in your URL for your forensic science web page project today.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today in class you'll finish your work with your partner on the infographic poster on the commodity / resource / monoculture crop that you researched on Friday. The goal of this assignment is to understand the connections between the social problems (gender, health, children, etc.) in HIPC's with economic development. We'll then take time out of the day to review for tomorrow's Provincial Exam.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will take the whole class to watch the rest of the movie Home that we started yesterday. We'll talk about the things you can do to address the problems / issues that the movie raises. Think about the title. What is our collective home? Now think about the statement from the beginning of the film...

Listen to me, please. You're like me, a homo sapiens. A wise human. Life; a miracle in the universe appeared around 4 billion years ago and we humans only 200,000 years ago, yet we have succeeded in disrupting the balance so essential to life. Listen carefully to this extraordinary story, which is yours, and decide what you want to do with it.

Monday, January 23. 2012

2012-01-22T21:23:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're back in the library for our last day for your final small project. Remember that you need to create a case study and I'd highly suggest that you look at previous examples on the Ministry of Education Exam Site. Take a look at yesterday's blog site entry to find out more information on the questions and how you need to ask them...

Using your understanding of Geography and the Data provided:

1. Describe the (physical and natural characteristics of your chosen area or the factors that lead to the problem at hand)
2. Explain how humans have (contributed to the problem or have affected the environment)
3. Suggest (solutions to the problem or reasons why the problem is so difficult to solve)

You need to have your case study - as well as an answer sheet completed by tomorrow

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll go to the library for an extra block to finish our web page project. Your web page project is due tomorrow in class and you'll need to give me the URL of your web page so that I may view it. Please make sure that the spelling of the web page address is correct. If your page is forensicchemistry.com and you give me the address forinsicchemistry.com then I won't be able to view it and therefore will not be able to mark it. The best way to give me your address is to cut and paste the address and mail it to me (my e-mail address is on the course outline). Thanks and I look forward to seeing your work.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today in class you'll work with your partner to compile your infographic poster on the commodity / resource / monoculture crop that you researched on Friday. Don't forget that you're trying to tie this topic to a country that depends upon your commodity. Take Ethiopia...coffee is its largest export crop and the staple of its export economy (some estimate that 60% of its economy is based on coffee exports). 15 million of its 75 million people in Ethiopia depend on the coffee industry for work. The problem is that on the UNDP Human Development Index Ethiopia ranked 170th out of 177 countries and the quality of life for those in the coffee industry is low. If the price of coffee goes down, then so does the amount of money that Ethiopia can generate. This is one example so try to make a connection with your industry and a country that depends on it. I'll have smelly felts and coloured pencils for you to work with.

Friday, January 20. 2012

2012-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we are going to examine the impacts of developing countries relying upon one monoculture crop as a major source of export income. We'll be in the library today to gather data on an export crop where you and a partner are going to create your own infographic on one of the following resources/topics: Bananas, Coffee, Cocoa, Cotton or Tobacco. Once you've chosen your topic I will provide you with an information sheet of data on your topic. It is your responsibility to search out more data on your topic (specifically population and the human development index rating for a country where that crop is relied upon).

Infographics are a great way to graphically depict statistical data so what are they? John Emerson wrote a great little document called Visualizing Information for Advocacy An Introduction to Information Design (http://backspace.com/infodesign.pdf) and his explanation of Infographics/Information Design is that…

Information design uses pictures, symbols, colors, and words to communicate ideas, illustrate information or express relationships visually. Effective design is not just a matter of making text pretty or entertaining, but of shaping understanding and clarifying meaning. Information design adds seeing to reading to make complex data easier to understand and to use...Some familiar forms include charts, graphs, maps, diagrams or timelines. These can be big or small, simple or complex, published in print or electronic media. Information design can help you present your information in a clear and compelling way, persuasively convey facts or ideas or discover something new in your data.

So where can you find examples of Infographics?

GOOD is the integrated media platform for people who want to live well and do good. GOOD is a company and community for the people, businesses, and NGOs moving the world forward. GOOD’s mission is to provide content, experiences, and utilities to serve this community.
Information Is Beautiful is the media platform for David McCandless an independent data journalist and information designer. McCandless’ passion is visualizing information – facts, data, ideas, subjects, issues, statistics, questions – all with the minimum of words.
New Internationalist magazine formed the basis of the data we used in today’s class. You can find the issues here: Coffee; Chocolate; Bananas; Tobacco; Cotton

Tools to help you create infographics can be found at:

Pie Color This delightfully easy tool simply asks how many slices you want the pie to have and then begins work. Once you select the number of pieces, the next screen asks for the values, provides options to set the colors of the pieces and the background, as well as the size of the pie graph.
Star Planet This site includes three options--Stat Planet, Graph Maker, and Map Maker. Star Planet has a wide range of already developed maps and graphs while Graph Maker and Map Maker have users create Flash-based maps and graphs with data sets provided from their own research or from various reputable sources available at the web site.
Creately is an easy-to-use drop and drag interface for creating a wide range of charts, graphics, and info pictures. The free version allows you to work on a single diagram at a time. Registration is required for saving diagrams as well as exporting as an image, PDF, Creatly file, or emailing

Other sites include Wordle, Tagxedo, and Many Eyes.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today I'll show you the episode of Law & Order from Season 14 called "Bodies". This is the episode that we didn't get to watch last week and there are some very good questions about legal ethics and attorney-client privilege here. From TV.com...While investigating the death of a teenaged girl, the detectives stumble on a pattern of crimes that indicate they are after a serial killer. The suspect, however, puts the prosecutors through an ethical ringer when he discloses his attorney's knowledge of the victims and their whereabouts.
Your questions from the last few days are due today and if there's time remaining we'll examine the three court levels in British Columbia.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll briefly look at climate change. We'll examine the possible future for BC and Vancouver Island and see the issues that will confront us with water, drought, landslides, species migration, forest transformation, air quality degredation, glacial retreat, energy disruptions and coastal flooding to name a few.

After this, we'll watch Home, an incredible documentary by Yann Arthus-Bertrand who also helped to initiate a foundation called Good Planet. Please take some time to share this movie with as many family and friends as you can. You can watch it on line at the YouTube homeproject's channel or connect with it on the film's Facebook page.

Think about the title. What is our collective home? Now think about the statement from the beginning of the film today...

Listen to me, please. You're like me, a homo sapiens. A wise human. Life; a miracle in the universe appeared around 4 billion years ago and we humans only 200,000 years ago, yet we have succeeded in disrupting the balance so essential to life. Listen carefully to this extraordinary story, which is yours, and decide what you want to do with it.

Thursday, January 19. 2012

2012-01-18T19:38:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Yesterday I had a chance to watch a brilliant commercial about access to fresh water from World Vision

FYI: World Vision is a non-profit organization (however it is denominational - Christian) that works in three areas for the developing world: disaster management, development assistance and advocacy (human rights, economic justice and peace).

Today we'll take a look at the Human Development Index which focuses on health, poverty and hunger, education, and environmental issues in countries around the world. Don't forget a good resource is the UNDP HDI Report. We'll take a few notes down on HIPC's (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) and the cycle of poverty looking at two power points about material wealth and food (based on photography from Peter Menzel). Later we will make a connection between the social problems (gender, health, children, etc.) in HIPC's with economic development. We will examine traditional economies which are based in primary industries and subsistence farming and compare those with developing and developed economies.

There is an excellent news story on the CNN Freedom Project called Chocolate's Child Slaves.

From the CNN site: It may be unthinkable that the chocolate we enjoy could come from the hands of children working as slaves. In the Ivory Coast and other cocoa-producing countries, there are an estimated 100,000 children working the fields, many against their will, to create the chocolate delicacies enjoyed around the world.

This story is a good example of the social problems associated with development and the reliance upon monoculture for economies in developing countries. More on this tomorrow.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll continue our work from yesterday on trials in BC and courtroom procedures. After we'll review the three court levels in BC (Provincial Court, Supreme Court and BC Court of Appeals). As a class we'll collectively complete questions 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, and 26 of the assigned question handout. Don't forget that on Monday you’ll have your final quiz. While you work on the questions, I will put on a video to help you with the answers .

B Block Geography 12 - Today we've got the portable lab back in the class for our second day for your final small project. Remember that you need to create a case study and I'd highly suggest that you look at previous examples on the Ministry of Education Exam Site. Take a look at yesterday's blog site entry to find out more information on the questions and how you need to ask them...

Using your understanding of Geography and the Data provided:

1. Describe the (physical and natural characteristics of your chosen area or the factors that lead to the problem at hand)
2. Explain how humans have (contributed to the problem or have affected the environment)
3. Suggest (solutions to the problem or reasons why the problem is so difficult to solve)

Wednesday, January 18. 2012

2012-01-18T07:09:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 -Today we'll start by finishing the on line video called the Story of Stuff.

Remember this video connects to the topic of human consumption that we began looking at last week and to the case study for the final exam. Speaking of the case study...today we'll begin work on our final project for the year. You need to create your own case study question...On the Provincial Exam you have a case study (essay) that is worth 18 out of 93 marks (this means that one question is worth almost 20% of your final exam mark). There is no way to study for a topic, per say, because the topic changes from year to year. The case study is a skill based question; in essence it asks you to look at the Big Picture which really is what Geography is all about. The case study is divided into three sections:

The first question will always be asking you to describe and explain the physical environment of the subject area (which could be the North Sea, the Arctic, Indonesian rain forests, the Colorado River, Lake Baikal, etc..). In this you will need to look at the data they provide you and provide detailed information about the area in question.

The second question will always be asking you to assess or interpret the human impact on the subject area (which usually includes economic benefits and detractions, environmental and social impacts, etc...). In this you will need to make connections to the larger picture (e.g.: drilling for oil in the arctic has both local and global implications - oil spills, disruption of wildlife, global
warming).

The last question will always be about explaining the difficulties in coming up with solutions to the problems at hand or assessing the management of the area in question usually the competing environmental perspectives - economic gain versus environmental stewardship).

So, you to create a case study and then answer it too. You need to identify a location around the world from the following list: An Island or an Island Chain, a Lake, a River Basin, a Sea or a small Ocean, a Protected Land, a River Delta, a Desert, a small Country, an Aquifer (large), or any area where there is conflict between humans and the environment. You will need to gather and compile data and information about:

1. The physical environment of your chosen location (biomes, soils, & climate)
2. Human activities in your chosen location (economic, cultural, & social)
3. Identify the conflict & damage done to the environment by humans
4. Include a map of your chosen location

Once you have done this then you will need to write up the question (use the Ministry of Education’s format), compile the data on two sheets for students to use and then You'll need an answer key too because next week you will be sharing your case study with another student in the class and they'll have to answer it. Check out the Ministry of Education Exams site for examples of case studies (along with answers)

D Block Social Studies 11 - So yesterday we got caught up in a conversation about the history of human population and didn't get to the topics we needed to cover. Today we'll start with China's One Child policy. We'll work through questions 1-4 on the Reading a Graph activity on page 327 and questions 2 & 3 on page 331 in the Counterpoints textbook together as a class. This work (along with the information on page 328) will help you with your Population activity. After, we will take a look at population distribution, density, carrying capacity, and the limits to population growth (pages 332 - 337 in the text). You'll have the rest of the class to work on your population assignment (due Friday). Our next topic is living standards, poverty, debt, and health on a global scale.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll quickly take a look at searches and then we'll focus our attention on the procedures associated with a criminal trial here in BC. We'll look at who is in the courtroom, what kind of evidence can be introduced and used and the stages of a trial. You'll get a few questions to look at today:

What is "Burden of Proof" in a criminal trial and who has it?
In your own words explain what "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" means
List the steps in selecting juries for trials and explain the role of a jury in a criminal trial
Which side (Crown or Defence) presents first in a criminal trial and why?
What is a "leading question"?
What is cross examination?
What is the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence?
Criminal Offences activity (in your package there is a page titled Criminal Offences and it asks you to match the categories of offences with the pictures on the page)
Criminal Defences activity (in your package there is a page titled Defences and it asks you to try to define the defences associated with the pictures on the page)

Tuesday, January 17. 2012

2012-01-17T07:08:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today is our last day in the lab to work on the forensic science web page project that is due next week. When you finish your site please provide me your URL and I will check it out an post a link on this site. Do not forget that you need a links page that is in essence your bibliography and you need at least one print source for the project. Next Tuesday will be your last quiz in the class and tomorrow, when we're back in the class, I'll hand back your work and we'll look at court room procedures. Thursday w'll look at sentencing and the court levels here in BC.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today I'll give you some time to continue yesterday's work from "The Human Population: History and Concepts" handout (finishing up mortality factors, discussing rate of natural increase and looking at both population pyramids and the demographic transition model). We'll then move into dependency ratio and China's One Child policy. We'll work through questions 1-4 on the Reading a Graph activity on page 327 and questions 2 & 3 on page 331 in the Counterpoints textbook together as a class. This work (along with the information on page 328) will help you with your Population activity. Tomorrow we'll look at population density, carrying capacity, and begin our look at living standards.
BBC News - Has China's One Child Policy Worked?
BBC News - China 'Steps Up' One Child Policy
China's One Child Family Policy
China's One Child Polict Enters New Phase

B Block Geography 12 - To start the class, we will discuss Jared Diamond's book Collapse, trying to make sense of how civilizations in the past collapsed (Maya & Rapa Nui) and extrapolating his findings to our modern society today. We'll look at the twelve major modern environmental problems that Diamond identifies and examine his conclusions about our potential future. Remember to ask me about bunnies and Australia, specifically the 24 bunnies that the British brought with them in 1859 and how much the Australian government spends annually to control them. See Diamond talk at TED here.

Monday, January 16. 2012

2012-01-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - The topic for today in Geography is consumption. On Friday we began the class with the National Geographic Human Footprint DVD. We got through scenes 1-4 and today I’d like you to show scenes 5 (sweets, fruits and vegetables) through 17 (conclusion) – this will take about 1 hour and 11 minutes of class time. When the DVD is over I'd like you to answer the following:

Why do different cultures use and consume things at different rates? What do the numbers and facts in the video say about North American society?
In some areas of the world people are already in conflict over a limited amount of natural resources. How will a growing population affect people’s access to food, potable (safe drinking) water, and fuel? What affect might the population increase have on pollution and encroachment on wildlife habitats?

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library to continue work on the final project of the year...your forensic science webpage project. I posted this last Monday but here again is the criteria for this assignment:

LAW 9 / 10 Forensic Science Web Page Project:

It will be your responsibility to create one section of the G.P. Vanier Forensic Science/Criminology web page. You will need to find the following information about your chosen subject / topic:

1. A description of your subject which includes an explanation of what is (history, background information, people associated with it, important milestones and discoveries)
2. An explanation of how your topic is collected at the crime scene and the tools that are used to interpret the evidence at the crime lab.
3. An description showing how the subject is used to solve crimes (identifying suspects, showing the cause of death, tracing the source of evidence or identifying a possible alternate crime scene)
4. Graphics - photos, illustrations, and animations that show and explain your subject
5. Case Study - Provide one example of how your subject was used to solve a real crime.
6. Provide URL’s as links for further investigation of your subject.

Subjects / Topics to choose from (NOTE: Since there are many of you in the class I have limited the amount of people per topic to two - 2 - so if on the list below it says chosen already then two people have already selected that topic and you'll need to choose another topic):

Forensic Anthropology
DNA
Fingerprinting (chosen already)
Ballistics (chosen already)
Forensic Entomology
Hairs and Fibers
Questioned Documents
Toxicology (chosen already)
Forensic Serology (chosen already)
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Odontology (chosen already)
Computer Forensics (chosen already)
Forensic Chemistry
Ask for other topics

For the forensic science web page assignment, there are many on line web page creation sites (including this site which is kind of like a bloggers for dummies site). Try the following:
http://www.weebly.com/
http://sites.google.com/
http://www.webs.com/
http://www.yola.com/
http://www.wix.com/
Of course the creation of your site is really the last step in the process. Once you've chosen your topic (through me) you will need to get started working on finding information about it. Don't forget there are some fabulous print resources in the library and you must have at least one print source for this assignment.

Here are some previous examples of the Forensic science web page project for you to look at if you'd like:
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Serology or Forensic Serology
Computer Forensics
Forensic Physics
Forensic Toxicology
Forensic Voice Identification

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today the focus for the class is on demography and population. On Friday I handed out a photocopied package of information and questions to you called “The Human Population: History and Concepts”. We'll talk about fertility (crude birth rates) and mortality (crude death rates) and the RNI (rate of natural increase). We'll examine the demographic transition model and watch a couple of short videos. After each video, I'd like you to tell me what you observe and I hope to have a discussion on the population information. After this, you'll need to work on the questions in the “The Human Population: History and Concepts” handout for the rest of the class

The Miniature Earth Project

National Geographic 7 Billion

Population Explosion from ZPG (Population Connection)

Friday, January 13. 2012

2012-01-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at resources, resource use, and management issues. We'll talk again about renewable and non-renewable resources along with the four ethical views on resource use (economic/exploitation; preservationist; balanced-multiple use; and ecological or sustainable). After, we'll watch the first few sections of the Human Footprint DVD we previewed yesterday. Don't forget starting today I'd like you to track your water consumption for the week.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today you'll have some time to finish the activity you started with Mr. Doll on Wednesday and we'll take a quick look at issues surrounding multiculturalism in Canada. After this, we'll begin our look at human-social geography. We will start with population issues and today you'll get a handout on the history of human population. We'll talk about fertility (crude birth rates) and mortality (crude death rates) and the RNI (rate of natural increase). We'll examine population pyramids and the demographic transition model.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today you'll have some time to work through the rights and obligations upon arrest poster that we started yesterday. This will be due on Monday when we go back in the lab for our next two days of research for our forensic science webpage activity. When we've had a bit of time to work on the poster I'll show you an episode of Law & Order from Season 14 called "Bodies". From TV.com...While investigating the death of a teenaged girl, the detectives stumble on a pattern of crimes that indicate they are after a serial killer. The suspect, however, puts the prosecutors through an ethical ringer when he discloses his attorney's knowledge of the victims and their whereabouts.
Your questions from the last few days are due today.

Thursday, January 12. 2012

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will finish our look at the radical transformation of Canadian society in the later half of the 20th Century. I'll go over the work from the last three days and we'll try to make sense of the dizzying pace of change that altered our "identity". The overarching question we'll try to answer is:

To what extent have Local, National, and Global forces shaped Canadian identity?

Tomorrow sees us begin our look at the state of the world today - focusing on population, differing standards of living, economic development, environmental concerns and the conflict that arises from the combination of these factors.

C Block Law 9/10 - I'll quickly review the three types of Mens Rea (Criminal Intent, Recklessness, and Knowledge) and then we'll talk about ways to compel someone to show up in court. We'll discuss appearance notices, summons; and arrests (along with the rights of private security guards and citizens), we'll talk about your rights and obligations upon arrest, searches with and without warrants and pre-trial releases (bail, recognizance, and surety). For the end of today's class, I've got a few questions and an activity I'd like you to work on. The questions deal with getting an accused person to show up to court:

Name the three ways in which the police can bring an accused person to court
What two questions must a Justice of the Peace ask when deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant
Explain when a police officer may make an arrest without an arrest warrant
Explain the three situations when a citizen may make an arrest
What are the limitations on the powers of private citizens or security guards when making an arrest
Saul is stopped by the police and told he is being arrested for impaired driving. He says "Oh no" and runs off. Has Saul been arrested? Explain.
Talia is accused by a store owner of shoplifting. The police ask her to go to the station house for questioning and she goes with them voluntarily. Has Talia been arrested? Explain.

After you finish these questions you can continue the small poster assignment you got at the end of class yesterday. Remember you need to show the rights and obligations of an arrested person. Illustrate your poster with drawings in order to help graphically describe your rights and obligations upon arrest.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we look at the ethics associated with resource use alond with the different forms of "capital" and understand the concept of "natural capital". We'll also look at renewable and non-renewable resources along with the four ethical views on resource use (economic/exploitation; preservationist; balanced-multiple use; and ecological or sustainable). We'll talk about over-consumption and unsustainable resource use practices using the example of water consumption and the Aral Sea and we'll end the class with a seemingly simple question...."How Much do You Consume?" Today I'll ask you to begin tracking your family's water consumption for the week and you can use the water footprint calculator at the H20 Conserve website. I'll then show you the National Geographic DVD Human Footprint. There is a great interactive flash site that is connected to the DVD which helps you calculate your Human Footprint.

Wednesday, January 11. 2012

2012-01-11T08:20:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are going to make sense of ecosystem evolution and community succession (thrown in will be the terms establishment and extinction). We'll try to understand how species co-evolve and adapt to create complex communities (self regulation and emergent properties) and then we'll look at Mount St. Helens to understand primary and secondary succession. We'll watch the last portion of the DVD "Fire Mountain: The Eruption and Rebirth of Mount St. Helens" in order to better grasp the rates of recovery for ecosystems around the volcano. The embedded video below from PBS is also a very good (specifically chapters 3 "The Blowdown Zone" and 5 "Bouncing Back") You'll need to complete questions 21 & 22 from page 662 of your Geosystems text along with a question on fire ecology and the effects of modern fire suppression. For more on ecosystem services and conservation see the National Geographic Earth Pulse website.

Watch Mt. St. Helens: Back From the Dead on PBS. See more from NOVA.

For the audio slide show of "Life Returns to the Blast Zone" click here and then launch the interactive feature.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will work on the history of Quebec “nationalism” and the roots of the separatist movement (Chapter 8 pages 190-204 in the Counterpoints textbook). We'll go through pages 198 – 204 as a class and then we will watch Canada: A People’s History episode “Years of Hope and Anger” chapter 12 "October 1970". This deals with the Front de Libération de Québec (Quebec Liberation Front) whose actions culminated with the kidnapping of James Cross (who was released) and Pierre Laporte (who died while in FLQ custody) in the province of Quebec. The Canadian Prime Minister (Pierre-Eliott Trudeau) responded by imposing the War Measures Act in Quebec (suspending civil liberties). You'll need to work on questions 4 a & 5 a from page 194. The Parti-Quebecois came to power in 1976 and in 1980 held a referendum in the province of Quebec to determine if there was a desire to pull the province out of confederation (really it was a convoluted form of independence where the province would still maintain Canadian currency but be able to make its own laws). To help understand this we'll watch Canada: A People’s History “In an Uncertain World” chapters 3 “The Choice”. In the end the province voted 59% "non" and 40% "oui". Since it was somewhat close the government of Canada reopened constitutional talks and "repatriated" the constitution from Great Britain. In this, however, Quebec once again felt "betrayed" or left out. In order to understand this we'll watch the Canada A People's History "In an Uncertain World" chapter 6 “The Night of the Long Knives”. After you'll need to work on the following questions 1, 3, 4, 5, & 7a from page 200.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll continue with our focus on Criminal Law in Canada; specifically looking at the physical and mental elements of a crime, the three types of criminal intent, attempts, conspiracies and the four parties to an offense. We will go through some important points in the note package I handed out to you for the course and then you'll have a few questions to work on:

Name and explain the two parts of a criminal offence
List and explain the three types of Mens Rea
Explain the difference between Intent and Motive in Criminal Law.
Name and briefly explain the kind of offence that does not require Mens Rea
What is the main requirement for an attempted offence? For a conspiracy?
Read the following sections of the Criminal Code carefully. For each offence, describe the Actus Reus and the Mens Rea:
343. Everyone commits robbery who…assaults any person with intent to steal from them
342. Everyone who…has in their possession a credit card that they know was obtained by the commission of an offence (ie stealing or fraud) is guilty of an offence
131. everyone commits perjury who, with intent to mislead, makes a false statement under oath knowing the evidence is false
209. Everyone who, with intent to defraud any person, cheats while playing a card game is guilty of an offence
As a joke, Jason points a gun, which he believes is not loaded, at Lana and fires. Lana dies of a gunshot wound to her head. Decide if Jason a) had the Actus Reus for the offence; and b) will be found guilty of murder (intentionally causing Lana’s death)

After this I'd like you to make a small poster (on 11x17 paper) showing the rights and obligations of an arrested person. Illustrate your poster with drawings in order to help graphically describe your rights and obligations upon arrest. We'll have time to continue this tomorrow in class.

Tuesday, January 10. 2012

2012-01-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library for your next day to work on your final assignment of the year which I posted on the blog yesterday. You are going to create a webpage on a particular area of study in forensic science and you should have already chosen your topic. Please use yesterday's blog entry to make sense of the criteria for the assignment. Do not forget that you will need to have at least one print source and I have many books (as does the library). This assignment is due in two weeks on January 24th. Tomorrow we're back in the class to talk about the physical and mental elements of a crime, the three types of criminal intent, attempts, conspiracies and the four parties to an offense.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll continue to examine the transformation of Canadian society in the 1960's and the 1970's. I'll have you finish the work on the protest movements in Canada (youth and anti-war; women; environment; and first nations). and we'll also take a look at the CCF and social welfare in Canada. Yesterday you worked on questions 2 & 3 from page 183 of the Counterpoints textbook and today I'll have you add question 2 from page 176 as well. Tomorrow we'll examine the Quebec-Canada relationship and Thursday we'll look into the issue of multiculturalism in Canada.

B Block Geography 12 - Today is a crucial day in Geography 12; we will be discussing biogeochemical cycles - specifically the carbon and nitrogen cycles. We will also be discussing the flow of energy through an ecosystem (trophic layers and food webs). It is very important that you review systems and feedback from week 1 of the course. For a great on-line text resource check out the Human Ecology textbook by Gerry Marten. For more on cycles in ecosystems check out:
Biogeochemical Cyles at Windows to the Universe
Biogeochemical Cyles at Geography 4 Kids
Biogeochemical Cyles at Michael Ritter's on line "The Physical Environment" text
Trophic Pyramids and Food Webs at Physical Geography
Food Chains and Food Webs
Build a Food Web "Chain Reaction" game
Bill Nye video "(It's the) Food Web" by Food Webby Web on the Soundtrack of Science
McGraw Hill BC Grade 7 Science textbook animation on PCB's and Bioaccumulation

Monday, January 9. 2012

2012-01-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we shift our focus to look at ecosystem components. We'll identify what an ecosystem is (along with its abiotic and biotic components) and understand what a community is. We'll see what Tim and Moby have to tell us about ecosystems and then you'll need to work on questions 1, 4, 6, and 8 from page 661 of your Geosystems textbook. For help on ecosystems check out:
"The Concept of the Ecosystem"
Ecosystem Fundamentals
Ecological Systems
Living Things: Habitats & Ecosystems

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we start in the class with our second to last quiz in the class. Once we've finished this then we off to the library to begin work on the final project of the year...your forensic science webpage project. Here again is the criteria for this assignment:

LAW 9 / 10 Forensic Science Web Page Project:

It will be your responsibility to create one section of the G.P. Vanier Forensic Science/Criminology web page. You will need to find the following information about your chosen subject / topic:

1. A description of your subject which includes an explanation of what is (history, background information, people associated with it, important milestones and discoveries)
2. An explanation of how your topic is collected at the crime scene and the tools that are used to interpret the evidence at the crime lab.
3. An description showing how the subject is used to solve crimes (identifying suspects, showing the cause of death, tracing the source of evidence or identifying a possible alternate crime scene)
4. Graphics - photos, illustrations, and animations that show and explain your subject
5. Case Study - Provide one example of how your subject was used to solve a real crime.
6. Provide URL’s as links for further investigation of your subject.

Subjects / Topics to choose from (NOTE: Since there are many of you in the class I have limited the amount of people per topic to two - 2 - so if on the list below it says chosen already then two people have already selected that topic and you'll need to choose another topic):

Forensic Anthropology
DNA
Fingerprinting (chosen already)
Ballistics (chosen already)
Forensic Entomology
Hairs and Fibers
Questioned Documents
Toxicology (chosen already)
Forensic Serology (chosen already)
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Odontology (chosen already)
Computer Forensics (chosen already)
Forensic Chemistry
Ask for other topics

For the forensic science web page assignment, there are many on line web page creation sites (including this site which is kind of like a bloggers for dummies site). Try the following:
http://www.weebly.com/
http://sites.google.com/
http://www.webs.com/
http://www.yola.com/
http://www.wix.com/
Of course the creation of your site is really the last step in the process. Once you've chosen your topic (through me) you will need to get started working on finding information about it. Don't forget there are some fabulous print resources in the library and you must have at least one print source for this assignment.

Here are some previous examples of the Forensic science web page project for you to look at if you'd like:
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Serology or Forensic Serology
Computer Forensics
Forensic Physics
Forensic Toxicology
Forensic Voice Identification

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we begin our look at the radical transformation of Canadian society in the later half of the 20th Century. We'll try to make sense of the dizzying pace of change that altered our "identity". We'll examine the dramatic changes to Canada's culture and identity as a result of the "baby boom" generation. We'll look at how the government tried to protect Canadian culture and the economy along with the development of both the environmental and woman's rights movements. The overarching question we'll try to answer is:

To what extent have Local, National, and Global forces shaped Canadian identity?

We'll watch a few episodes of Canada: A People's History and then you'll need to work on questions 2 & 3 from page 182 of the Counterpoints textbook.

Friday, January 6. 2012

2012-01-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are going to look at soil: specifically structure, properties, and formation. We'll understand what a soil profile looks like and discover how colour, texture, and acidity differentiate soils. You'll need to complete questions 1 & 4 from page 620 and 8 & 11 from page 621 in your Geosystems textbook.

US Department of Agriculture - NRCS: What is Soil?
The Physical Environment: an introduction to physical geography - Soil Systems
Canadian Soil Information System
Discovery Education The Dirt on Soil
US Bureau of Land Management Soil Biological Communities for Kids
Soil Net

C Block Law 9/10 - On Monday we start with our final forensic quiz and then we are back in the library for you to begin work on another major project - this time it is a forensic science webpage (more on Monday). I'll start today by answering some of your "Burning Questions" about Law that you've always wanted answered. These are the anonymous questions that you put in the Law Question Box and I'll take some time both today and next week to answer them. When we've gone over a few questions I'll put on an episode of CSI (#301 Revenge is Best Served Cold). From tv.com...

Catherine and Nick investigate street racing after one of the drivers is found dead out in the desert at an abandoned airstrip. Back in town, Grissom and his crew look into the death of a poker player who suffered a violent convulsion in the middle of a high-stakes game with three others. As always, things aren't what they seem.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll finish the Mulroney era for Canada's involvement in the Cold War. Yesterday we discussed the debt slashing policy of the Conservatives in the 1980's and touched on supply side economics and trickle down theory. Today we'll look at NAFTA and the Foreign Investment Review Agency. We'll also examine Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms in the Soviet Union and the eventual "collapse" of the Berlin Wall and the sphere of Soviet influence. I'll have you add questions 1 & 2 from page 156 to your work from yesterday (questions 2, 3, & 4 from page 150). We'll also watch the last ten minutes of the Atomic Cafe video and I'll also show you an NFB cartoon by Richard Condie called "The Big Snit" (which is a weird take on the cold war but more of a short movie about the relationship between a husband and wife From the NFB: This wonderfully wacky animation film is a look at two simultaneous conflicts, the macrocosm of global nuclear war and the microcosm of a domestic quarrel, and how each conflict is resolved. Presented with warmth and unexpectedly off-the-wall humor, the film is open to a multitude of interpretations). All of your Cold War questions will be due today.

After, we'll examine the dramatic changes to Canada's culture and identity as a result of the "baby boom" generation. We'll look at how the government tried to protect Canadian culture and the economy along with the development of both the environmental and woman's rights movements.

Thursday, January 5. 2012

2012-01-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - So yesterday we got caught up in the United Nations and the programs that they offer like the UNDP, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR and peacekeeping. So today, we'll take a look at Canada's role in the post-Vietnam world in two sections - the Trudeau Era and the Mulroney Era. We'll look at NORAD, CIDA, la Francophonie, SALT, SDI, FIRA, FTA, NAFTA, Glasnost, Perestroika and the end of the Cold War. You'll need to work on questions 2, 3, and 4 from page 150 and questions 1 & 2 on page 156 from the Counterpoints textbook today.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll finish the fingerprint activity that we started yesterday in class. You will need to identify the total number of loops, arches, and whorls for each finger (and thumb) for the class (26 sets of prints) and then graph the data. The graph is a comparative bar graph. For each finger (thumb, index, middle, ring & pinky) count up the total number of loops, arches, and whorls and graph that out next to each other (don't forget the five questions that I have up on the board related to the fingerprint graphing activity). When we're done we'll review the extraction and analysis of DNA and talk about its importance in police detective work.We'll do this by using the Rice University CSI Web experience site which you've already worked on in the class.This will get us ready for our next quiz which will be on Monday.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will begin looking at biomes and biogeographic realms. Biomes are the major regional groupings of plants and animals discernible at a global scale. The distribution of these biomes is connected to climate, soil, and the physical topography of the earth. Biogeography is the study of the distribution and patterns of plants and animals throughout the biosphere.

Using chapter 20 of your Geosystems textbook, I would like you to describe the adaptations and structure for flora and fauna (plant and animal) in each of the following terrestrial biomes (land based not aquatic): Equatorial & Tropical Rain forest (ETR); Tropical Seasonal Forest and Scrub (TrSF); Tropical Savanna (TrS); Mid latitude Broad leaf & Mixed Forest (MBME); Needle leaf & Montane Forest (NF/MF); Temperate Rain forest (TeR); Mediterranean Shrub land (MSh); Mid latitude Grasslands (MGr); Deserts (DBW & DBC); and Arctic & Alpine Tundra (AAT). At the end of this there are questions 8, 12, 13, & 15 from page 693 to complete as well.

While you work on this I will have the Planet Earth Pole to Pole episode on for you to watch.

Wednesday, January 4. 2012

2012-01-04T07:01:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will continue our work on climatology. You will need to finish up the climate description activity from yesterday and questions 9, 14, and 19 from page 326 in your Geosystems text. After we'll look at how climate graphs are created and interpreted and then begin work on drawing and interpreting two climate graphs (Day 70 in your week 16 package: Bahia, Brazil and Yuma, Arizona). For help on how to draw climate graphs see:
Climate Graphs
Interpreting Climate Graphs

D Block Social Studies 11 - Over the next two days we will finish our look at the Cold War. Just a note of interest...North Korea conducted a test by detonating a nuclear bomb on May 25th 2009 so there is still an appetite for countries to develop a nuclear weapons program even in our post-cold war world (for more on North Korea's test and their nuclear program check out the article from the British paper "The Telegraph" here or the Associated Press article here). We'll take a look at Canada's role in the post-Vietnam world in two sections - the Trudeau Era and the Mulroney Era. We'll look at NORAD, CIDA, la Francophonie, SALT, SDI, FIRA, FTA, NAFTA, Glasnost, Perestroika and the end of the Cold War. You'll need to work on questions 2, 3, and 4 from page 150 from the Counterpoints textbook today.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today, you're going to get fingerprinted. To start we will continue our look at criminal forensics by looking at how investigators estimate time of death, how fingerprints are "lifted" at a crime scene (including what AFIS is). After, we will all get one set of fingers (and thumb) on one hand fingerprinted (our non dominant hand) by using graphite pencils and scotch tape. You will need to identify whether or not your prints are loops, arches, or whorls and then place them up on the blackboard. We will then count up the total number of loops, arches, and whorls for each finger (and thumb) for the class and graph the data. The graph is a comparative bar graph. For each finger (thumb, index, middle, ring & pinky) count up the total number of loops, arches, and whorls and graph that out next to each other comparing each set of data on one graph.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome back family; I hope your Christmas break was enjoyable. Today's schedule is C-D-A-B

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at criminal forensics by looking at how investigators estimate time of death, how fingerprints are "lifted" at a crime scene (including what AFIS is), what the "Four T's" are for marks at a scene, how fibres are used, and what ballistics is. Tomorrow we'll do our fingerprinting activity and Thursday we look at the use of DNA and try to understand the process of analyzing it and you'll have a crime to try and solve in class.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today, we'll start the class by examining the Cold War in greater detail. We'll learn about the economic and political ramifications on Canada of an ideological conflict between the two superpowers. I hope you got a sense of the fear associated with nuclear war and communists (Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt - the House Un-American Activities Committee which became known as the ideology of "McCarthyism"). We also took a look at the Truman Doctrine (President Truman pledged assistance to "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures"). We will also be looking at the creation of the United Nations - focusing on the structure of the organization. You'll look at the General Assembly and Security Council along with other UN organizations like UNESCO, ICJ, UNICEF, UNHCR, and others. You'll watch a Brainpop video on the UN and will discuss the purpose and intent of the organization both in the Cold War world and the modern world as well.

B Block Geography 12 - Today and tomorrow we are going to take a look at climatology and climate types on the planet. We will make sense of the Koppen climate classification system and today you'll need to explain in your own words the follwing climates: Af, Am, Aw, Cfb, Csa, Csb, Dfb, Dwb, Dfc, Dwc, ET (don't say it!), Bw, and Bs (Many thanks to Michael Ritter for his on line Physical Environment textbook!). You'll also need to complete questions 9, 14, and 19 from page 326 in your Geosystems text.

For help with Koppen - Geiger see:
Blue Planet Biomes - World Climates
Physicalgeography.net - Climate classification
About.com - Koppen chart

Friday, December 16. 2011

2011-12-16T07:29:00.000-08:00

Aaah today is the last day before Christmas Break here at Vanier. We have an altered schedule for the day that looks like this:

C Block 9:05-10:00
AG 10:05-10:15
D Block 10:20-11:15
Assembly 11:20-12:20
Lunch 12:20-1:00
A Block 1:05-2:05
B Block 2:10-3:15

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at crime scene investigation and you'll have time to work on your assignment in class; then we will watch the CSI episode "Burden of Proof" (Season 2 Episode 215). Don't forget that your Clue Us In crime scene assignment is due today.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Your "Cold War Flashpoints" activity where you will analyze the following four conflicts through a W5H approach: Korean War, Vietnam War, Suez Crisis, and the Cuban Missile Crisis is due today. Remember that W5H = Who (countries & people) was involved; What happened during the conflict; When did the conflict take place; Where did the conflict break out and spread to; Why did the conflict occur; and How was Canada involved and affected by the conflict. While you're completing this we'll continue with the Atomic Cafe movie that we've been watching in class.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will begin watching Twister; one of the greatest yet dumbest disaster movies of the 1990's. Your job is to identify as many errors in meteorology as possible AND you'll need to figure out which character is MOST like Mr. Young.

Some errors are easy - NO! It is not possible to survive an EF5 tornado strike above ground tethered to drainage pipes. Some are more subtle - the Fujita scale was introduced in 1971 and in the 1969 flashback scene (at the beginning of the film) the weather reporter on the television (portrayed by Oklahoma City KWTV 9 meteorologist Gary England) said an F5 tornado was about to strike...two years before the scale was introduced by Dr. Ted Fujita!

Now as to characters...as I said above there are bits of Mr. Young in most of the characters in the movie your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to figure out who Mr. Young is most like. The mission is not impossible so is it Dr. Jo Harding? Bill Harding? Dustin 'Dusty' Davis? Robert 'Rabbit' Nurick? Jason 'Preacher' Rowe? No, Mr. Young is not like Dr. Melissa Reeves or Dr. Jonas Miller so let's get that over with now :) Let's have some fun with the movie

Alan Ruck is Robert Nurick "Rabbit" (and Ferris Bueller's friend Cameron too!)
Bill Paxton is Bill Harding "the Extreme"
Helen Hunt is Dr. Jo Harding
Philip Seymour Hoffman is Dustin Davis "Dusty"

Thursday, December 15. 2011

2011-12-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll examine the Cold War in greater detail. We'll learn about the economic and political ramifications on Canada of an ideological conflict between the two superpowers. I hope you got a sense of the fear associated with nuclear war and communists (Senator Joseph McCarthy's communist witch hunt - the House Un-American Activities Committee which became known as the ideology of "McCarthyism"). We also took a look at the Truman Doctrine (President Truman pledged assistance to "free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures") which helps you understand your "Cold War Flashpoints" activity where you will analyze the following four conflicts through a W5H approach: Korean War, Vietnam War, Suez Crisis, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Remember that W5H = Who (countries & people) was involved; What happened during the conflict; When did the conflict take place; Where did the conflict break out and spread to; Why did the conflict occur; and How was Canada involved and affected by the conflict.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library to do one of two things...Either you may use the block to finish your Clue Us In crime scene reconstruction activity (which I'll be taking from you tomorrow) or you may work on the Rookie Training section of the Rice University CSI Web experience site. Don't forget that you should complete the training for Forensic Biology (DNA), Toxicology, Firearms and Toolmarks (Ballistics), Medical Examiner (Pathologist) and CSI Ethics FIRST. Eventually I'd like you to work through the intermediate case (Canine Caper). Rice University CSI Web Adventure site.

B Block Geography 12 - Today you have a unit final on weather...No problems! I am certain that you will do well on this test as you've shown me that you can read and interpret a weather map with greater ability than most news "weather forecasters". Tomorrow we watch the movie "Twister" and in the time remaining after the test you may work on your Okanagan Valley topographic map assignment that we began on Tuesday.

Wednesday, December 14. 2011

2011-12-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will spend the entire class finishing our work on the Okanagan Valley topographic map out of the Canadian Landscape Air Photo & Topographic Map textbook. The map can be found on pages 27-31 of the text and you will need to work on questions 1 a-c, 2 i, ii & c, 3 a & b, 5 a, b, c, & d, 8, 9 a, b, c, and 11. This work needs to be finished for tomorrow's class and please do not forget our unit final tomorrow as well.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today you have your World War Two unit final quiz. We'll mark the first two sections in class and then you will be working on a "Cold War Flashpoints" activity where you'll analyze the following four conflicts through a W5H approach: Korean War, Vietnam War, Suez Crisis, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. You'll have the next two classes to work on this and you'll have a few handouts to help. NOTE: W5H = Who (countries & people) was involved; What happened during the conflict; When did the conflict take place; Where did the conflict break out and spread to; Why did the conflict occur; and How was Canada involved and affected by the conflict.

We'll examine the Canadian involvement in the Korean Wa r (from Vetrans Affairs Canada...The year is 1950. The Second World War is over. The United Nations has been in place for just five years, and is working to promote global peace and security. Canada is brimming with optimism as Canadians look forward to a prosperous and peaceful second half of the 20^th century. Suddenly, an international crisis is brewing in the Korean peninsula and people, the world over, are holding their collective breath. What happens next is history).

We'll then look at Lester B. Pearson the Suez Crisis and the creation of the UNEF (from the Dominion Institute Project...Although Canada had no direct economic, military or political stake in the crisis, Canadian Foreign Minister Lester Pearson became a front line player at the United Nations. Working intensely from the end of October into early November 1956, Pearson proposed the world’s first ever peacekeeping force at the UN General Assembly. Using his vast web of connections and decades of experience, he persuaded the world assembly to make the UN force a reality).

Next we'll look at the Cuban Missile Crisis (from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum...For thirteen days, the world waited, hoping for a peaceful resolution to the crisis. No one was sure how the Soviet leader would respond to the naval blockade and U.S. demands. Recognizing the devastating possibility of a nuclear war, Khrushchev turned his ships back. The Soviets agreed to dismantle the weapon sites and, in exchange, the United States agreed not to invade Cuba).

Last we'll look at the Vietnam War (from American Experience...in 1964 president Lyndon B. Johnson has the Gulf of Tonkin resolution passed that allows the US to "take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression." The Resolution allows Johnson to wage all out war against North Vietnam without ever securing a formal Declaration of War from Congress). CBC has a good site dedicated to Canadian involvement in the war and you can find it HERE.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll start with your next quiz in the course on crime scene searches and crime lab technicians. After the quiz we will continue our look at criminal forensics by looking at how investigators estimate time of death, how fingerprints are "lifted" at a crime scene (including what AFIS is), what the "Four T's" are for marks at a scene, how fibres are used, and what ballistics is. Friday we'll do our fingerprinting activity and Thursday we'll go to the library to work on the Rice University's CSI: The Experience Web Adventure.

Tuesday, December 13. 2011

2011-12-13T07:13:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll be in the classroom and we'll examine the people who work in a forensic lab. The forensic scientists we'll look at today are:

Forensic Anthropologists
Forensic Biologists
DNA Specialists
Forensic Serologist
Forensic Botanists
Forensic Dendrologists
Forensic Chemists
Forensic Toxicologists
Forensic Odontologists
Forensic Entomologists
Forensic Geologists
Forensic Pathologists
Forensic Physicists
Ballistics Specialists
Forensic Psychologists
Fingerprint Analysts
Voice Identification Specialists
Forensic Artists
Document Examiners
Computer Forensic Specialist
Forensic Photographer

Check out SFU's "So you want to be a Forensic Scientist" webpage or check out the "All you ever wanted to know about Forensic Science in Canada but didn't know who to ask" booklet compiled by Dr. Gail Anderson and posted by the Canadian Society of Forensic Science. When we're finished you may continue working on your "Clue Us In assignment" (due on Thursday this week) and prep for your quiz tomorrow.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll finish our look at World War 2 by examining the effects of the war on Canada and then we'll prepare for tomorrow's unit final quiz. I'll have you work on three questions from the Counterpoints textbook and then watch the American Civil Defense video "Duck and Cover" along with a bit of the Atomic Cafe movie in class. The Atomic Cafe contains civil defense movies from the 1940's through the 1960's and will help you understand the culture of fear that developed throughout the Cold War. Today we'll watch the first few sections that deal with the Manhattan Project and the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will spend the entire class working on Okanagan Valley topographic map out of the Canadian Landscape Air Photo & Topographic Map textbook. The map can be found on pages 27-31 of the text and you will need to work on questions 1 a-c, 2 i, ii & c, 3 a & b, 5 a, b, c, & d, 8, 9 a, b, c, and 11. For an on line version of the map check out http://yellowmaps.com/topo/_kelowna_bc/index2.htm You will have today and Thursday to work on this assignment.

If you need help with topographic interpretation check out the following websites:
Understanding Topographic Maps
Topo 101 - Natural Resources Canada
Introduction to Topographic Maps - Idaho State University
United States Geological Survey Topographic Map site
Reading Topographic Maps Chapter 2 in NWCG PMS 475 "Basic Land Navigation"

Monday, December 12. 2011

2011-12-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 -

C - Geography 12 - Today is our LAST DAY in the library for our severe weather power point project. Remember that Discovery Channel has a great series called Raging Planet with some cool video footage that you could embed in your power point presentation here: Discovery Channel Raging Planet Your project will need to be submitted into the assignments directory at school NO LATER than Thursday, December 15th. This will give me enough time to have them marked before the Christmas Break. If you have completed the project or have some time during this block then I'd like you to take half an hour to play the game stop disasters. The scenario I would like you to work on is the Caribbean Island Hurricane. There is a population of 180 people in your town and you will need to develop some housing, a hospital, a school, and secure the boats in the harbour. You have a budget of $50,000 to work with and don't forget to develop some defenses to protect people, buildings, and livelihoods. When you click on an object square you will likely get three choices: info, develop, & defences. Read through your options and try to uncover all 15 key facts (which will give you extra points). When you finish keep a track of your highest score (you might get through two or three games) and respond to this post with things you learned and what your scores were. Have fun playing and learn something.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will spend the entire class in the library working on our crime scene reconstruction project. Don't forget that both the library and I have many books that you can use for your project. Please note that you have a quiz on crime scene searches on Wednesday and I would spend a bit of time reviewing pages 9-12 in the class booklet.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll begin with the last section of Schindler's list that we didn't get to on Friday. We'll then talk about the end of the war in Europe and switch our focus to the Pacific. We'll look at the Manhattan Project and the use of nuclear weapons in Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki). This takes us to V-J Day and the end of World War Two. You'll have a unit final quiz on Wednesday in class and we'll review our chapter tomorrow.

Friday, December 9. 2011

2011-12-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are in the library for day two of research for our severe weather power point project. Remember that there are these things in the library called "books"; you may remember what they look like...there are paper pages with pictures and information on them bound together. Sarcasm aside please remember that you will need to have at least one print (book or magazine) source for your presentation. I have books in my room on severe weather that you might want to look at. The purpose of this project is to learn about severe weather and your topic in depth. Please do not plagiarize work and present it as if it were your own. Show me what you have learned. Today is our last day this week to work on this during class time so don't get lost on youtube watching videos of people getting struck by lightning or hit by hail (no matter how cool that is!) Having said that the Discovery Channel has a great series called Raging Planet (we've watched it in class) with some cool video footage that you could embed in your power point presentation here: Discovery Channel Raging Planet

Click here at the Weather Channel to see the before and after photos of the Alabama tornadoes that caused horrific damage last May.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library so that you may continue your work on the Clue Us In crime scene investigation project. Please remember that the library has books on forensic investigation and I have books on crime scene investigation as well. Use these resources to aid you in the development of your project. Remember you need to create a crime...replicate the crime scene...investigate the crime as if you were an R.C.M.P. officer...and prepare a dossier file to hand over to Crown Counsel so that they may prosecute the case. Good Luck. An excellent on line resource that you can use is Forensic Magazine - Check out the "Crime Scene" tab. Click on the magazine logo below to go to the website.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Your World War II propaganda poster is due today and you'll have time to finish both it and the three questions from yesterday's class (1 a & b from page 127 and 1 & 2 from page 122 of the Counterpoints text). After this we'll take some time to talk about the Holocaust during the Second World War in Europe. We'll talk about the Wannsee Conference in January 1942, after which the Nazis began the systematic deportation of Jews from all over Europe to six extermination camps established in former Polish territory -- Chelmno , Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Majdanek. We'll then watch two sections of the movie Schindler's List. The first section we'll watch is the liquidation of the ghetto in Krakow by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen. The second section we'll watch is when a group of women are taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Hopefully we'll have some time to talk about the sections afterwards.

Thursday, December 8. 2011

2011-12-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today in class we'll continue our look at World War Two by focusing on the internment of Japanese Canadian citizens here in British Columbia. This sad event in Canadian history was the culmination of years of racism and xenophobia on the west coast. Japanese Canadian citizens were excluded from a 160 kilometer range from the coast, were sent to detention camps and were deprived of their civil liberties. Japanese Canadians lost all their possessions (houses, farms, fishing boats, companies and personal goods) which the government sold off to keep them from returning to British Columbia. It wasn't until 1949 that they regained all of their rights and that all restrictions were lifted. You'll have to work on questions 1 a and b from page 127 out of the Counterpoints textbook. Next our focus in class turns to Operation Overlord or D-Day in Europe.

It is important to understand the both the horrors of modern war and the insanely difficult conditions that the allied soldiers had on Juno, Gold, Sword, Utah, and Omaha beaches. We'll discuss the efforts of the allies and then we'll watch a Canada: A People's History episode that explains the events. With the time left in class you can work on questions 1 & 2 from page 122 of the Counterpoints textbook as well as your propaganda poster that is due in tomorrow's class.
For more on Juno Beach, the Canadian efforts in Normandy and D-Day check out:
Juno Beach Interactive Centre
World War II - Canada in Normandy
Veterans Affairs Canada - Normandy 1944

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are in the library so that you may continue your work on the Clue Us In crime scene investigation project. Please remember that the library has books on forensic investigation and I have books on crime scene investigation as well. Use these resources to aid you in the development of your project. Remember you need to create a crime...replicate the crime scene...investigate the crime as if you were an R.C.M.P. officer...and prepare a dossier file to hand over to Crown Counsel so that they may prosecute the case. Good Luck.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are off to the library to begin two days of class time working on our severe weather power point assignment. The assignment follows:

It has been a few months now since your geographic consulting company created a successful report for the town of Orting Washington on the dangers of Mt. Rainier and building a new school to accommodate growth. After some well deserved time off, you then completed a pamphlet for Parks Canada on the dangers of Mass Wasting in the Canadian Rockies which is still being distributed to back country enthusiasts. With the profits that your company made from the Parks Canada contract, you decided to take some time off and headed to the American Midwest for a 10 day Tornado Alley tour with Violent Skies Tours. True to form you made some contacts with people through the owners of the company and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has hired your company to create a PowerPoint presentation on severe weather. NOAA has indicated that the topics that you can research are: Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Thunder Storms, Lightning, Hail, Blizzards, Ice Storms, Drought, or Fire Storms. You will need to research the following about your topic:

1.What causes the Severe Weather Event to occur?
2.What kinds of damage does the Severe Weather Event inflict?
3.How is the Severe Weather Event detected and monitored?
4.Where does your chosen Severe Weather Event occur most often in North America?
5.What safety precautions should one take in order to survive your chosen Severe Weather Event?
6.Give examples of the most extreme occurrences of your chosen Severe Weather Event that has happened in Canada, the United States and the world.
7.A List of the websites that you used to assist in the compilation of this assignment.

There are some websites of note that can help:
National Severe Storm Laboratory (click on the education tab)
National Hurricane Centre
Storm Prediction Centre About Tornadoes
FEMA (look at Plan and Prepare)
Environment Canada Summer Weather Hazards webpage
How the Weather works
The weather world 2010 project
USA Today Weather and Climate Science page
Hurricane Preparation website
Winter Weather Awareness
Weather Channel Classroom
UK Official weather classroom
NOAA Weather classroom Jet Stream
ONE STOP SHOPPING!!- COLORADO UNIVERSITY LINKS PAGE FOR NATURAL DISASTERS

Wednesday, December 7. 2011

2011-12-07T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - We'll spend the class finishing our review of hurricanes. We’ll start with the Raging Planet Hurricane episode (yesterday, we left when Dr. Ivor Van Heerden was surveying the damage from Hurricane Ike on Galveston Island off the east coast of Texas) and then we’ll take a look at climatology and climate types on the planet, making sense of the Koppen climate classification system. Tomorrow, Friday and Monday we're in the library working on our next project which I'll post more on tomorrow.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today is the 70th anniversary of the attach on Pearl Harbor and we'll finish our look at the military campaigns we began yesterday (Blitz & Barbarossa in Europe and Hong Kong and Pearl Harbor in the Pacific). We'll also examine Dieppe and Canada's role in that battle today. Tomorrow we'll focus on Japanese Internment and D-Day. You have the rest of the class to work on your propaganda poster for Canada in World War Two.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at crime scene investigation. We will look at the basic stages of a search, documenting evidence, and examples of what is included in a crime scene investigator's toolkit. After this you may continue your work on the crime scene investigation project (Clue Us In). You'll have some time as the week goes along to finish up this crime scene reconstruction activity and the assignment is due next Thursday, December 15th, 2011. I posted the details of this assignment on this blogsite so check out yesterday's entry for help.

Tuesday, December 6. 2011

2011-12-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to continue your look at crime scene investigation procedures and we will begin our work on our case study project.

You will need to imagine that you are a constable in the Comox Valley R.C.M.P. detachment specializing in criminalistics and crime scene analysis. You are going to create a crime scene dossier file that you would normally put together for the Crown Counsel. You have been called out to a crime scene here in the Comox Valley and when you arrive at the scene you need to begin your narrative report. What do you need to do?

•Create a crime (ex: murder, arson, kidnapping, assault)
•Choose eight pieces of evidence (from the list below) that you would find at the crime scene and either help you solve the crime or mislead the investigators
•Create a victim, a perpetrator, two other potential subjects, & witnesses (not necessary)
•Create a dossier file that contains the following: a walk through narrative; pictures of the eight pieces of evidence (with a description, a tag number, and an explanation of where it was found); a detailed crime scene diagram/sketch with pictures of what the crime scene looked like and the identification of evidence; forensics lab sheets for each piece of evidence that describes the evidence and explains what the evidence tells you; transcripts of any interviews conducted by investigators (including potential eyewitnesses or suspects); a narrative of how you "solved" the crime so that the Crown Counsel can move forward with laying charges and proceed to trial.

Evidence to choose from: human hair, synthetic hair, carpet fibres, cotton fibres, bullet cartridges, bullet holes, finger prints, foot/shoe prints, blood stains (drip, splatter, pool), bodily fluids, skin epithelials, tube of lipstick, can of coke, apple core, piece of rope, body, accellerants, matches, money (wallet), poisons, bugs or larvae (blowflies), cigar or cigarette but, mug, tire treads, or any other trace evidence but you must approve the other evidence with me.

I will have examples for you to look at and we will also work on this in the library on Thursday and Friday this week.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will be covering the military strategic movements in Europe and the Pacific at the beginning of World War Two. You'll look at the Fall of France, the Battle of Britain (Operation Sea Lion & the Blitz), along with Barbarossa in Europe. In the Pacific you'll look at Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong. This sets us up for the Canadian led operation at Dieppe along with Ortona and D-Day which we'll look at tomorrow. Thursday sees us look at Japanese internment in Canada and Friday we'll examine the holocaust. Next Monday we'll finish World War 2 with the Manhattan Project, VE day, Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of the war. In the class for the next few days you'll be working on a propaganda poster encouraging Canadians to get involved in world war 2. I'll have previous examples for you to look at in class.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at severe weather switching our focus to hurricanes. We'll look at the conditions necessary for hurricane development and then look at the Saffir-Simpson scale (wind speed, storm surge, and damage to structures). Your activity will be to track (plot out the path) of Hurricane Diana from 1984 and answer two questions (including question 18 from page 248 of your Geosystems text). For more on predicting Hurricane Landfall check out: Predicting Hurricanes and the NOAA Predicting Hurricanes site too.

While you are working on the questions I'll show you some footage of Hurricane Ike and the damage done to Galveston Island (on the Raging Planet Hurricane episode).

Raging Planet: Hurricane (2009) - Part 1 by bigcenterprises

If there's time today we'll start watching National Geographic's Inside Hurricane Katrina.

The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina is very personal to me. Although I was not directly impacted by the hurricane (I did not lose loved ones; nor did I lose property in the storm) my wife and I were married on August 5, 2005 just north of New Orleans. We spent time talking with the people of New Orleans and making friends there. We traveled the Gulf Shores road (Highway 90) through Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, and Gulfport. Three weeks later after a clear warning from the director of the National Hurricane Center, Dr. Max Mayfield (someone who I met at a professional workshop five years earlier), Katrina made landfall along the border between Louisiana and Mississippi. Now it wasn't as if politicians didn't know about the potential disaster that could befall New Orleans if a major hurricane was to strike. Dr. Ivor van Heerden ran a simulation (Hurricane Pam) the previous year at Louisiana State University. His test results were provided to FEMA, state, and local officials. People knew. People in power knew. Heck, I even knew and I'm just a geography teacher living on the opposite end of the continent. The DVD asks some hard questions and I hope to begin a lively discussion with you about them.

CBC News In Depth: Hurricane Katrina
CNN Special: Hurricane Katrina
NOAA: Hurricane Katrina
BBC: Hurricane Katrina
NOLA: Hurricane Katrina
NOVA Science Now: Hurricane Katrina

Monday, December 5. 2011

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we look at mesoscale convective complexes and tornadoes. I'll show you some footage of a tornado captured on video by a Kansas television crew. This footage was actually detrimental to tornado safety as most people who saw it assumed that a highway overpass provides shelter and safety.

This proved deadly with the May 3, 1999 Moore Oklahoma F5 tornado. We'll also watch footage of the Moore tornado and see the damage it wrought. We'll watch the wind episode from the BBC Series "The Weather" and hear from a man that survived a direct strike from an EF5 tornado. At the end of the class you will need to work on questions 15 and 16 from page 248 of your Geosystems textbook.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at crime scene investigation. We will look at examining a dead body and review the scientists in the forensic crime lab. Tomorrow, you'll get a photocopied handout of your "Clue Us In" crime scene reconstruction/investigation assignment that you'll have time to work on in the library next week.
If you are interested in playing crime scene investigation on line go to: Rice University's CSI: The Experience Web Adventure
We'll work on Rookie Training together next week.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll start with out 1920's & 1930's Quiz. We'll mark the multiple choice and matching sections together and then we'll look at Canada's response to the outbreak of World War Two, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the concept of Total War. To help with this you'll need to work on with questions 1 through 4 on page 105 of the Counterpoints text. Your "Dictatorship for Dummies" project is due today please make sure you get it to me by the end of the day.

Friday, December 2. 2011

2011-12-02T07:09:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Yesterday you worked on questions 2, 3, and 5 from page 98 in the Counterpoints text and we quickly reviewed the rise of the Dictators in Europe. Today we'll look at Canada's response to the War, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and the concept of Total War. To help with this you'll need to work on with questions 1 through 4 on page 105 of the Counterpoints text. While you're accomplishing this, we'll watch the first part of the CBC series Love, Hate and Propaganda focusing on the first episode "The Strongmen". From the CBC website...

The Strongmen is the story of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin and Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Each employed propaganda in their own way to gain absolute control over their citizens. In Italy, the face of fascism is that of Benito Mussolini, a colourful performer, and a brutal thug who counts Hitler as his friend and ally. In Russia, Joseph Stalin's insistence on total devotion would range from the horrific to the tragic-comic. And in Japan, Emperor Hirohito is seen as a demi-God, able to protect his people from all outside threats.

The Spanish Civil War in 1936 is effectively a dress rehearsal for the real war that would soon erupt between the Axis and Allied powers, and Communist and Fascist ideologies. In the Pacific, Japan launches a brutal attack on Nanking, foreshadowing the barbarity that would soon engulf Europe.

Your 1920's - 1930's quiz will be Monday (December 5th) so please prepare this weekend.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will begin our look at crime scene investigation. We will look at the basic stages of a search, documenting evidence, and we'll see examples of what is included in a crime scene investigator's toolkit. After this, After we'll watch a Criminal Minds episode P911. From TV.COM...
A young boy who had disappeared a year ago turns up for sale by a child pornographer on an online auction. A former profiler who now heads the FBI's Innocent Images Unit asks Gideon and the BAU to help her save the boy's life. We'll try to make sense of the profile that the BAU creates at the end of the episode.

B Block Geography 12 - Today, we'll look at Thunderstorms. We will look at how thunderstorms develop and what damage they can do. I'll show you a few quick videos of hail and lightning to see how they form and then we'll watch the Lightning episode of Raging Planet. While this is on, you'll need to work on questions 13 and 14 from page 248 of your Geosystems textbook. A week from next Tuesday (December 13th) you'll have a unit final. UCAR: How Thunderstorms Work
FEMA: Thunderstorms
physicalgeography.net: Thunderstorms also found here
National Severe Storm Laboratory: Thunderstorms

Thursday, December 1. 2011

2011-12-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today you have your second quiz in Law. After the quiz, we are going to watch an episode of "I Detective" called Terror Tactics. In this show the investigation of a crime is followed and at key points the narration stops and you'll be asked to make a decision as if you were a detective in the case. I will ask you to keep track of your choices and we'll see what kind of criminal investigator / detective you'd make! If we finish this activity then we'll start with our unit on crime scene procedures and we'll look at what the basic stages of a crime scene search are. The following are some great web pages to help understand the procedures:
Learning for Life Crime Scene Search study guide
U.S. Department of Justice Crime Scene Investigation guide
Criminal Profiling Crime Scene searches (FBI guidelines)

If you are interested in crime scene investigation as a career check out the BCIT courses (in Burnaby!) here

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we're back in the class and we'll begin our look at the steps to world war two and Canada's response. We'll review your work on the rise of dictators and then we'll examine German aggression in terms of European politics. Next we'll look at isolation and appeasement along with Canada's declaration of war. I'll show you some archival footage from Germany and then you'll need to work on questions 2, 3, and 5 from page 98 along with questions 1 through 4 on page 105 of the Counterpoints text. Your 1920's - 1930's quiz will be tomorrow (December 2nd) and we'll have a quick review for that.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will look at reading a weather map. You can practice by using the following web pages: Wisconsin station model exercise WW2010 University of Illinois weather page Weather Report.com Your activity is to be the weather forecaster for Detroit Michigan and on page 17 of your week 13 package look at the synoptic chart figure out the probable weather for the next two days.

We'll use a small device called the Weather Cycler to help us today.

Wednesday, November 30. 2011

2011-11-30T06:26:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we start looking at storms and "CYCLOGENESIS"...sweet! We will look at mid-latitude cyclones and the source regions of air masses that cause these storms to develop. We'll analyze the difference between the three dimensional structure of a warm front and a cold front and we'll finish watching our BBC friend Mr. Donal McIntyre and his efforts to combat wet extremes on the planet. Your work to accomplish for the day is questions 1, 2, and 5 from page 147 and question 10 from page 248 in your Geosystems textbook. The following sites will help with cyclogenesis:
Michael Ritter's The Physical Environment: An Introduction to Physical Geography on line text
National Weather Service Jet Stream on line weather school
University of Illinois WW2010 Weather Wold Project
Rapid Cyclogenesis Web lesson
Environment Canada Understanding Cyclogenesis

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we are in the library for our last day to work on the Dictatorship for Dummies project. This assignment is due on Monday and you will have no more computer room nor class time to work on it. As this is your first major project for term four, doing well on it can be a very effective way of starting off the term well! Please ask as many questions as you need to do well. Good luck!

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to finish up our crime map of the Comox Valley in order to understand geographic profiling and criminal hot spots. We've identified both the Break and Enter and Thefts for the city of Courtenay from June to November 2011. On your map you'll need to colour the areas of criminal activity - those areas with a higher concentration of crime will need to be shaded in warmer colours (orange to red) while those areas that have lower concentrations of crime will need to be shaded in cooler colours (green to blue). Attached to your map will be an explanation of what areas are prone to crime (based on the map) and why you think that is. I'll also need you to hand in your profile of a student hacker/cracker that you were assigned on Monday.

Tuesday, November 29. 2011

2011-11-29T07:01:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll do a quick review for your second quiz (this Thursday) dealing with the topics we covered in Law 9/10 last week (mass & serial murder, profiling, and criminal pathology). After, we'll finish our look at profiling by examining Geographic profiling. I'll ask you to brainstorm a list of locations in the Comox Valley that you feel crime will be more prevalent in and you'll have to justify your reasoning. We'll work on a Comox Valley Crime Map from the Comox Valley CrimeStoppers website. For more on Geographic profiling check out:

Mapping Crime by Keith Harris
Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation
RCMP Geographic Profiling

Los Angeles Auto Theft hot spots 2003

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will continue our work on the Dictatorship for Dummies project that we started in the library yesterday. This is your first major project for term two and can be a very effective way of starting off the term well! You will have today and tomorrow to work on this assignment and please ask as many questions as you need to do well. Good luck!

B Block Geography 12 - First we'll finish two sections of the BBC DVD The Weather on wind (focusing on wind speeds in hurricane Andrew and the EF5 Moore, Oklahoma tornado). Today we'll look at atmospheric moisture, humidity, and the four atmospheric mechanisms that cool a parcel of air to its dew point & cause precipitation (orographic, convectional, frontal, and radiative cooling). You will complete questions 9 from page 211 and 21 & 23 from page 212 of your Geosystems textbook. While you are working on the questions I'll have the BBC DVD The Weather on for us to watch the WET episode. The Weather is a major BBC documentary exploring the extremes of the world's climate with the engaging presenter Donal MacIntyre and in WET we rde with the rain from the wettest place in Europe to the wettest place in the world, with a stop under the parched Texan skies, where farmers hope to harness the power of nature to create rain. From the first drop of a monsoon to the floods that kill millions each year, water brings life and death in equal measure

Monday, November 28. 2011

2011-11-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll start by reviewing the Coriolis force, along with global scale winds and pressure circulations. We'll talk about the Horse Latitudes, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Doldrums. After, we'll continue our look at weather; working on an activity called “Air: The High and Low of it” in your week 14 package. After you have finished this activity you need to complete questions 19 and 21 from page 177 in your Geosystems textbook.

Don't forget, we'll start the class by looking at the synoptic chart for North America and begin to understand weather station plots. Take some time on the following sites to learn more and to practice your weather operational analysis capabilities:
WW2010 - University of Illinois Weather site
National Weather Service "Jet Stream" online weather school
American Meteorological Society "Data Streme"
British Broadcasting Corporation Reading Weather Maps
USA Today Reading Weather Maps

Practise at: Weather Office (Environment Canada) Operational Analysis Charts or at the Data Streme site above

C Block Law 9/10 - Since we're looking at profiling...I'll have you try to build a criminal profile of a computer hacker. I'd like you to read through the section in your class text (handout) on “geographic profiling” and then using the information about organized criminals on page 7 of your handout, try to build a profile of a person who commits criminal mischief (computer hacking) in the class. Complete this as a “dossier file” and imagine that it will be provided to the computer forensics department of the local R.C.M.P. detachment. Here is some information about hackers to add to your profile.

From the article Psychological Profile of Network Intruder by Dragan Pleskonjic, Veljko Milutinovic, Nemanja Macek, Borislav Djordjevic and Marko Caric

A hacker is defined as a person who knowledgeably use computer to avoid rules and restrictions. All kinds of network intruders can also be called hackers. A simple conclusion can be made - hacking is about respect, reputation and acknowledgment. Any individual might be tempted to believe that hackers are very altruistic, do serve the environment and are socially engaged. Hackers try to solve interesting problems, and they learn to keep score primarily by what other hackers think of their skill.

Hackers are more or less anonymous so it is not easy to provide detailed information about their activity and motivation. Does the very fact that they spend much time using computer for activities not considered to be scientific but yet involving curiosity, suggests their personality? Is the choice of their interest caused by their inner disharmony? Regarding the amount of damage they caused, rough answer would often be yes! However, we should emphasize once again that it difficult to properly classify all those invading network systems.

• most of computer users are white males aging 12-28 years
• most of hackers have a good repertoire of social skills
• the term middle-class is meaningless, for most computer users considers themselves members of middle-class

Intrusion in the network system requires skill, creativity and very often the ability to deceive other people. It can be classified as a mixture of computer skills and psychology. In any case, it would be person who uses the secrets of his trade to make all kinds of manipulations. It does not necessarily mean that he deceives everybody and everyone, but it definitely means that in many situations he feels relieved of moral responsibility for his actions. Moreover, he would often justify them. Hackers are likely to practice their profession until the age of thirty after which time most of them willingly leave such way of life. This comes in support of a profile of typical young burglar who is not critical enough of his actions. The fact that they are young and reckless, however, cannot fully justify such behavior A hacker is particularly inspired by the opportunity to commit a crime of theft without being physically present. Even the reward can come by itself. The ones who steal are called thieves. The ones who cause damage to the property are called destructive.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we're in the class with the notebook lab to begin work on our "Dictatorship for Dummies" or "Complete Idiot's Guide to Dictatorship".

Before we get to the assignment we'll watch the Simpsons episode "The Joy of Sect". From tv.com...Homer gets a brochure from a religious group at the airport and being highly gullible, he goes to their retreat. Because of Homer's intelligence quotient they have more trouble brainwashing him than the rest of Springfield most of who are all sucked into joining this cult. When they finally succeed with Homer, he signs over the family house to the Leader. The Leader begins taking over various media outlets, making Mr. Burns envy him. Seeing an opportunity to pay even less in taxes, Mr. Burns tries to form his own cult, although he is unsuccessful. Homer and the family move to an agricultural compound and begin picking beans. When the children become just as brainwashed as Homer, Marge escapes and enlists the help of Lovejoy, Flanders, and Willie to kidnap her family. They are able to deprogram them and then Homer tries to show the cult that the Leader is a fraud. When he does, and life returns to normal.

The purpose of watching the Simpsons is to look at the cult of the leader as they say in the episode "The leader is good,the leader is great.We surrender our will, as of this day". Mussolini and Hitler clearly played up the cult of the leader so consider that when looking at the resources for this assignment. Now...Five great print resources in the library are the Longman 20th Century History Series written by Josh Brooman: Italy and Mussolini 1900-45 (945.091 BRO); Weimar Germany 1918-33 (943.086 BRO); Hitler's Germany 1933-45 (943.086 BRO); Stalin and the Soviet Union 1924-53 (947 BRO) and Roads to War the Origins of the Second World War 1929-41 (940.53 BRO). In the class I have copies of the Time-Life Series The Third Reich: The New Order; The Twisted Dream; and Storming to Power. I also have a copy of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A history of Nazi Germany by William L. Shirer and two books on Fascism - one by Stanley Payne and the other by Alan Cassels. Your textbook is a good resource (see pages 92-96) and you could also look at Friday's blogsite entry for on line resources. We'll transfer into the library tomorrow to continue work on this first project of term two.

Friday, November 25. 2011

2011-11-25T07:04:00.000-08:00

Because of the parent interview day yesterday, today's schedule is D-C-B-A

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we begin our Dictatorship for Dummies project. It will be your job to create a "Dictatorship for Dummies" or "Complete Idiot's Guide to Dictatorship" book. These guides will need to use the experiences of Joseph Stalin in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Adolph Hitler in Nazi Germany, and Benito Mussolini in Fascist Italy in order to describe the following:

What is a dictatorship?

What social and economic conditions allowed the development of dictatorships?

How did the dictators come to power? (did they create or join a political party? How did they get elected or did they? What factors allowed them to assume control of their country?)

How did the dictators hold on to power? What did they do once they got power to consolidate their control?

What did they do to convince the people of their country to abandon their rights?

How can the reader of the book become a dictator? (a step-by-step guide)

Use the notes that I will hand out to you, the photocopied information about Germany, Italy, and the U.S.S.R., the Internet, and your textbook in order to get the information you need to create your Idiot's Guide or Dummies book. You are, in essence, showing how to become a fascist dictator (getting and then holding on to power).

Your textbook is a good resource (see pages 92-96) and you could also look at the following on line resources:
20th Century European Dictators
Totalitarianism in Europe
Death of the Father: An anthropology of the ends of political authority
Italy's Fascist Dictator by Jim Osborn
Italy and Germany 1936-1940

C Block Law 9/10 - We started our look at the "Unholy Trinity" of serial killer characteristics and today we'll continue our look at these people by examining the psychopath.We'll watch a video on how profiling was developed in the F.B.I. Behavioural Science Unit (through the efforts of many highlighted by the work of John Douglas) today. The first part of the video focuses on Wayne Williams and then looks at Robert Hansen. Don't forget that in Canada the R.C.M.P. call the technique criminal investigative analysis.

For the rest of the class I'll need you to wrap up your work on your serial killer poster assignment as it is due on Monday (November 28, 2011).

B Block Geography 12 - Today, in order to understand the Coriolis force, we'll watch the Simpsons episode Bart vs Australia (you can watch it here).

After we find out that in the country Rand McNally water travels backwards, people wear hats on their feet, and hamburgers eat people...we will really make sense of the Coriolis force. No, toilets are not affected by the Coriolis force but both meso and macro scale weather patterns are. After we will look at winds and pressure circulations. We'll understand where the permanent areas of high and low pressure are on the planet and figure out what that means for a macro-scale pressure gradient wind pattern. We'll try to understand what the Coriolis force is and see how it affects wind. We'll also talk about the Horse Latitudes, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Doldrums. You will need to complete question 1 from page 176 and questions 9 & 15 from page 177 of your Geosystems textbook.

Pau Hana Ohana

Wednesday, November 23. 2011

2011-11-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at weather by reviewing yesterday's topics of energy distribution and the greenhouse effect (and connect those topics to global warming). Our next focus will then be on heat and temperature in the atmosphere. We'll take a look at two sections of the National Geographic video "Six Degrees Could Change the World" (1 to 3 degree temperature changes). In class today, you will need to work on questions 9 & 11 on page 118 AND questions 5, 8, 12 & 13 from page 141 and 16 from page 142 of your Geosystems textbook. We will pay more attention to global warming and climate change later on in the course. For more on the Six Degrees video check out the Interactive Site for the documentary here.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll watch the episodes from Canada: A People's History that we missed yesterday. In essence we'll review the fears of Communism and Socialism in Canada along with the CCF, the Union Nationale, and the Social Credit party. In insecure times fear and hope are two motivators of social change. We will try to examine how both hope and fear were used to achieve political gains in the 1930's. Next we'll talk about federal-provincial relations (equalization payments & the Rowell-Sirois commission) and you will work on questions 1 & 2 from page 89 and 2 & 3 on page 90 from the Counterpoints text. For the last few minutes of class you'll have the opportunity to ask questions about Fascism, Mussolini, Hitler, and also about Stalin (not Fascist but totalitarian) in preparation for next week's "Totalitarian Dictatorship for Dummies" project.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we have the netbooks in the class in order to continue work on our serial killer research activity which is due next Monday in class. If you have completed the research for this assignment then you can print off your work and start to assemble your poster.

When looking for the typology of Serial Killers (for your assignment) consider the following excerpt from the book Serial Murder and the Psychology of Violent Crimes:

Serial Murder by Holmes, R. M., & DeBurger, J. E. (1988) identifies the following

1.Visionary Type—these murderers kill as a result of command hallucinations, delusions, or visions whose sources customarily include the forces of good or evil. These offenders are typically psychotic, leaving the crime scene in utter disarray. The homicides occur quickly with no extensive acts of torture. Frequently, the assailant relies on weapons of opportunity to commit his crimes and discards or locates the death instrument(s) in the victim’s body.

2.Mission-Oriented Type—the goal for these slayers is to kill certain types of people or to rid society of particular types of individuals. These serial murderers target victims based on their ethnicity, occupation (e.g., prostitutes), and/or age. Additionally, they determine whom to assail based on whether the person is deemed unworthy, undesirable, or somehow less than human. To illustrate, Jack the Ripper targeted prostitutes and viewed them as disposable. He dehumanized their bodies through mutilation in the process of killing them. In a letter written to the press by Jack the Ripper, he stated, “I am down on whores and shan’t quit ripping them.” Typically, the murders occur quickly and they are often planned. The mission-oriented offender does not engage in postmortem activities such as necrophilia or dismemberment and the weapon employed is not disposed of at the crime scene.

3.Hedonistic Type—these offenders murder as a result of sensation seeking or otherwise derive some sort of pleasure from their killings. Holmes and Holmes divided this type of assailant into two subcategories: the lust killer and the thrill killer. Both are summarily described below.

The lust killer murders principally for sexual gratification even if this does not entail traditional intercourse. However, sex or multiple sadistically erotic acts with a live victim are common. Sexually arousing behavior is the driving force for this offender, even after the person has killed the victim. Moreover, this attacker may also be sexually excited and/or satisfied from the murder itself. Ritualistic displays of sexual mutilation, facial disfigurement, cannibalism, body dismemberment, vampirism, and necrophilia are routinely featured in this type of homicidal act. The body is often concealed and the murder weapon taken. Close contact murder; specifically, beating or manual strangulation, are noted as most common.

The thrill killer murders for the visceral excitement the assailant experiences. However, once the victim is dead, the offender loses complete interest. As a result, the process of killing is prolonged as long as possible through extended acts of torture. The use of restraints and the presence of bite marks and burns on the victim’s body are characteristic behaviors for this type of slayer. Sadistic acts whose frequency is prolonged as long as possible prior to death, a concealed corpse, manual or ligature strangulation, and an animated victim during multiple sexual acts all characterize the patterns and motives of this type of assailant. manual or ligature strangulation, and an animated victim during multiple sexual acts all characterize the patterns and motives of this type of assailant.

4.Power/Control Oriented Type – these offenders harbor deep-seated feelings of inadequacy or attempt to compensate for a perceived lack of social or personal mastery over themselves by thoroughly dominating their victims. Holmes and DeBurger maintained that the primary motive for these offenders is not sexual in nature. Instead, these assailants desire complete and unfettered control over and subjugation of their powerless victims, including during the postmortem period. Consequently, torture, the use of restraints, strangulation, severed body parts, and decapitation are all routinely featured in these homicidal acts. A profound sense omnipotence – having the ultimate power of life or death over one’s victims as they cower and plead for their lives – fuels this type of serial killer. The act of murder is extended in order to increase the felt sense of gratification. The offender’s modus operandi is planned and organized, the body is concealed, and the weapon is absent.

Tuesday, November 22. 2011

2011-11-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will venture off to the library to begin work on a small project about nasty people. It will be your job to create a poster on a serial killer.

INTRODUCTION TO LAW 9/10 SERIAL KILLER POSTER ASSIGNMENT
Select a criminal from the list below and discuss your selection with me to obtain approval to proceed with your research no later than Today. No more than two students may choose the same criminal and your selection of a criminal is on a first-come, first-served basis. Prepare a poster on your criminal that must include the following information:

1. Name of the criminal (including an image of them) along with any aliases they may have.
Summary (not details) of the crime(s) the criminal committed, with corresponding dates (year only) of the crimes.
2. Explain the type of victim that the criminal sought
3. Explain how the criminal was caught (by whom & how? What led to his/her capture?)
4. Indicate the criminal's background, childhood, method of committing the crime, and characteristics which cause the criminal to fit within the particular theory you selected.
5. State, define, and explain the criminological theory, (classical, biological, psychological, sociological, or integrated) which explains the criminal's behaviour
6. State which serial killer category the criminal is: mission-oriented, hedonistic, visionary, power/control, thrill killer, expedience killer; (and define whichever category you select)
List:
Robert William Pickton
Clifford Olson
John Wayne Gacy
Ted Bundy
Dennis Rader (BTK)
David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)
Jeffrey Dahmer
Gary Ridgeway (Green River Killer)
Henry Lee Lucas & Otis Toole
Richard Ramirez (Night Stalker)
Aileen Wurnos
Dorothea Puente
Karla Homolka & Paul Bernardo
Genene Jones (Angel of Mercy)
Ed Gein
Angelo Buono & Kenneth Bianchi (Hillside Stranglers)
The Zodiac Killer
Robert Hansen
Wayne Williams
Edmund Emil Kemper III
Charles Ng & Leonard Lake
Coral Eugene Watts
Cary Stayner
John Allan Mohammad & Lee Boyd Malvo (Beltway Snipers)
Danny Rolling (Gainesville Ripper)
Joel Rifkin
Randy Kraft
Albert Fish
Kenneth Allan McDuff

Here are a few links to help you get started:

TruTv Serial Killers site
How Stuff Works Serial Killer Web Site
Federal Bureau of Investigation Serial Killers site
All Serial Killers web site
Kari Sable serial killers site
Internet Crime Archives
Seize the Night Serial Killers Web Site
Mind of a Killer
About.com Serial Killer web site
Mental Floss Female Serial Killer Web site

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will take the block to discuss the changes in the social fabric of Canadian society as a result of the Great Depression in the 1930's. To start the class you and a partner will work together on the Using Statistics in History questions 1 a, b, 3, and 4 from page 81 in the Counterpoints text. By doing this we will be able to see the impacts of the Great Depression on the Prairies in 1932 and 1933. We'll discuss your work and then we'll watch the Canada: A People's History episode Descent Into Chaos. After we'll focus on the political parties that emerged in reaction to the harsh economic and political climate of the time. We will look at the Union Nationale (Maurice Duplessis), the Social Credit Party (William "Bible Bill" Aberhart) and the Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation (J.S. Woodsworth). We'll even talk about the Canadian Nationalist Party (Joseph Farr) and the National Social Christian Party (Adrien Arcand) which were both unabashedly fascist (Arcand eventually became the leader of the National Unity Party. We will take some time to watch Canada: A People's History (The Enemies Within, Dear Mr. Prime Minister, A Clean Sweep, and The Politics of Hope). Lastly you'll need to work on questions 1 & 2 on page 89. Tomorrow we'll look at equalization payments, the Rowell-Sirois commission and begin our look at the rise of dictators in the 20's & 30's.

B Block Geography 12 - Today you will be finishing the “Sunlight and the Seasons” (week 11 package "Solar energy and the reason for seasons"). After you have finished this activity you need to complete questions 17, 19, and 20 from page 62 in your Geosystems textbook. After we'll begin looking at Albedo, energy distribution, the greenhouse effect and temperature (if there's time we'll watch the BBC DVD “The Weather” episode on heat (Grrrr, Donal MacIntyre is doing my job!).
NASA has a good website (Earth Observatroy Global Warming) that tries to explain the concept of climate change and global warming without a biased political viewpoint for or against the subject. Check it out. You could also look at the Hyper Physics website from the department of Physics and Astronomy at Georgia State University.

Monday, November 21. 2011

2011-11-21T00:57:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at weather; working on an activity called “Sunlight and the Seasons” (week 12 package "Solar energy and the reason for seasons"). After you have finished this activity you need to complete questions 17, 19, and 20 from page 62 in your Geosystems textbook.

Don't forget, we'll start the class by looking at the synoptic chart for North America and begin to understand weather station plots. Take some time on the following sites to learn more and to practice your weather operational analysis capabilities:
WW2010 - University of Illinois Weather site
National Weather Service "Jet Stream" online weather school
American Meteorological Society "Data Streme"
British Broadcasting Corporation Reading Weather Maps
USA Today Reading Weather Maps

Practise at: Weather Office (Environment Canada) Operational Analysis Charts or at the Data Streme site above

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to start the class with your first quiz in the course...Relax I'm certain that you'll do fine. After, we'll spend time discussing the differences between mass and serial murder. We will look at profiling and begin to understand what a psychopath is. Dr. Robert Hare of the University of British Columbia created a checklist called the PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist Revised). Later this week we'll be in the library to begin the first project in the course.

D Block Social Studies 11 - To start the class today we will examine the causes of and the long term impacts of the 1929 stock market crash. We will examine the factors that led Canada (and the world) into an ever deepening depression and identify the attempts made to draw the country out of the financial turmoil that lasted throughout the 30's. We never got to it so today you have question 1 a & b from page 79 in Counterpoints to work on.

Do You Know this Tag?

2011-11-18T15:31:00.001-08:00

This Tag was made sometime on Friday (November 18th) in the boys bathroom here at Vanier. If you have any information leading to the identification of the tagger could you please contact Mr. McRae or another administrator in the office. You could also let me know or if you wish to provide an anonymous tip feel free to call Comox Valley Student Crimestoppers @ 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Thanks for helping to make our school a better place!

Friday, November 18. 2011

2011-11-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Aaaah snow. Environment Canada listed the following this morning:

Warnings

East Vancouver Island
4:40 AM PST Friday 18 November 2011
Snowfall warning for
East Vancouver Island continued

Local snowfall amounts of 5 cm expected this morning for East Vancouver Island.

This is a warning that significant snowfall is expected or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

Radar continues to show a band of heavy snow across Strait of Georgia and over central areas of East Vancouver Island. Localized snowfall accumulations of up to 5 centimetres are expected this morning between Parksville and Comox. Only isolated showers or flurries are expected elsewhere.

OK so school is in session and in weather today we'll be talking about air pollution, specifically the anthropogenic additions to our atmosphere. We will look at the effects of nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides on human health and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Environment Canada Air Pollution site
David Suzuki Foundation Air Pollution Site
National Public Radio site on the London "Killer Fog" of 1952
EPA website on acid rain

D Block Social Studies 11 - We'll continue with yesterday's work on economic cycles on how material consumption drives the North American economic market and determine what impact losses on the stock market has on consumer confidence. 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 few Brain Pop videos and then we'll watch Crash: The Next Great Depression. From the History Channel website:
The Next Great Depression looks at the current economic meltdown in the US and compares and contrasts it with the lead up to the Great Depression, the 1929 Crash, its immediate aftermath and what brought us out of the Depression. Threading first person accounts with expert interviews, the special lets viewers understand how much history is repeating itself and what does history tell us about our future?

You have only question 1 a & b from page 79 in Counterpoints to work on.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll start by finishing up work on our "Typical Victim" of Assault. Don't forget to look through the crime statistics in your course booklet on page 4 for help. Who will most likely be assaulted 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. Next 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. For the second portion of the class in order to greater understand criminal profiling we'll watch an episode of Criminal Minds.

Thursday, November 17. 2011

2011-11-17T06:28:00.000-08:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll start our look at the Stock Market crash of 1929 and see the long term impacts it had on the Canadian economy. We'll see how material consumption drives the North American economic market and determine what impact losses on the stock market had on consumer confidence (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 few Brain Pop videos and take a few notes today. You have only question 1 a & b from page 79 in Counterpoints to work on.
History Channel: the 1929 Stock Market Crash
Susanna McLeod Stock Market Crash 1929 Canada
CBC Archives Black Monday
You Tube Stock Market Crash video

C Block Law 9/10 - For the first part of today's class, you will continue drawing what you think the typical victim of an assault looks like. We will go over the demographic statistics about victims and the factors that add to the risks of being a victim (consider age, gender, social status, relationship status, race or ethnicity, prior victimization, behaviour, location, culture, etc...). With this information , you'll get a better idea of who can become a victim of crime and why.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll begin our look at stratospheric ozone. After looking at the ways that ozone protects us and understanding how it can be destroyed by CFCs (Tim and Moby will help us here) you'll need to complete questions 8 and 9 from page 90 in your Geosystems textbook. For more information on Ozone look at:
US Environmental Protection Agency Stratospheric Ozone page
European Commission on the Environment Ozone page

Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips indicated today that predicting the weather is becoming much more difficult. "It's almost as if you can't look at the past to tell us what the future is," David Phillips told CBC News. "There's a new norm: Expect the unexpected." Check out the article here.

Wednesday, November 16. 2011

2011-11-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today you do not have Geography class as it is post-secondary liaison day here at Vanier. There will be representatives from the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Island University, Thompson Rivers University, Royal Military College, North Island College and the British Columbia Institute of Technology here at the school (along with a few others). If you are interested UVIC, SFU, VIU, and TRU offer both a B.A. and a B. Sc. in Geography while BCIT offers a GIS training program and I'm sure they'll tell you more about what they have to offer you in terms of Geography. Don't forget that the American Association of Geographers has a good site about geography careers here. Enjoy and remember that Geography Rules. Back to weather tomorrow.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Yesterday we worked on review of the 1920’s in Canada where you were to use chapter 3 in the Counterpoints textbook (pages 48-72) in order to identify the important events, changes in and challenges to Canada for the following four topics:

1. Arts, Culture, and Leisure
2. Government, International Autonomy, and Political Parties
3. Industry, Jobs, and Wealth
4. Society (race, gender, social class), Urbanization, and Values

You'll be in the library today where you'll continue your work on this activity. For the second part of this activity I’d like you to create four flash cards on Canadian personalities from the 1920’s. For this you'll need to choose a person from the list below and identify their accomplishments. The front half of the flash card should have a picture of them along with their name and the back half of the card should list out who they were, what they did and why they were important.
Names:
J.S. Woodsworth
Lionel Conacher
William Lyon Mackenzie King
Bobbie Rosenfeld
Agnes McPhail
Joe Capilano
Emily Murphy
Wilfred “Wop” May
Mary Pickford
Edward “Ted” Rogers
Emily Carr
Archie Belaney “Grey Owl”
Tom Thompson
A.Y. Jackson
Frederick Banting
Fay Wray
Armand Bombardier
Robert Nathaniel Dett

C Block Law 9/10 - Today you have the class work on the following assignment:

Every day we have specific routines we engage in. Many of these routines are tailored to preventing us from becoming victims of crime. We do things like lock our doors, watch where we walk at night, or avoid walking alone. We take these actions because at some level we are afraid of the possibility of being a victim of crime. Despite taking these actions people often fall prey to crime in Canada.

Is there a “typical” victim of crime? I would like you to explain and draw the typical victim of that crime now. I want you to think about STEREOTYPES...What would the stereotypical victim of an assault look like and behave like? An assault is any unwanted application of force so who would be the typical person in school that would be punched, shoved, or picked on? You will need to keep in mind the demographic statistics about victims and the factors that add to the risks of being a victim. This will be due on Friday. You will need to look at the following factors when determining who might be a target for violent crime in Canada:

• Gender
• Age
• Social Status (wealth and social cohorts)
• Relationship status
• Behaviour / Demeanour
• Location

So there are two things you need to accomplish:

A) Identify the characteristics listed above of the most likely victim of that crime (you may cheat and look in the course handout/booklet I gave you to see some characteristics - look at page 4)

B) Draw what you believe the typical victim of the violent crime, that you chose, to look like (11 x 17 paper will be provided for you).

Tuesday, November 15. 2011

2011-11-15T07:02:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/ 10 - Today we are going to finish our look at the biological and sociological reasons for crime. After, we'll talk about the victims of crime. Crime Victimization is a huge area of study in Criminology and we'll try to make sense of some victim statistics. You'll need to bring your coloured pencils tomorrow as you will be drawing what you think the typical victim of an assault looks like. You will need to keep in mind the demographic statistics about victims and the factors that add to the risks of being a victim. This will be due on Friday and then you will have a quiz on Monday. The quiz will be on the first four pages of your notebook (the topics we covered in Law 9/10 this week).

D Block Social Studies 11 - So today you'll continue your Decade on a Page activity that reviews the 1920's in Canada. Using chapter 3 in the Counterpoints textbook (pages 48-72) you need to identify the important events, changes in and challenges to Canada for the following four topics:

Arts, Culture, and Leisure

Government, International Autonomy, and Political Parties

Industry, Jobs, and Wealth

Society (race, gender, social class), Urbanization, and Values

You'll need to look at: prohibition in Canada and branch plants in Canada; William Lyon Mackenzie King, the Halibut Treaty, the Chanak Affair, the Statute of Westminister and the King-Byng crisis; Aboriginal title and cut off lands (including Joe Capilano), racial segregation and immigration laws, Emily Murphy and the Person's Case; as well as the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, the US influence on Canadian culture and other topics that we'll go over today in class.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at weather, the best topic ever! Like every day in our unit, we'll start by looking at the synoptic chart for North America and begin to understand weather station plots. The two sites we'll use are the Weather Office (Environment Canada) and Data Streme.

For the rest of the class we'll look at the composition and vertical structure of the atmosphere focusing on the bottom two layers (Troposphere and Stratosphere) through this we'll complete the Atmosphere in the Vertical activity along with the questions on ozone. I'm so excited to be starting weather! Hail, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes are four on "the list" get ready, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

Monday, November 14. 2011

2011-11-14T08:12:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today....Oh today we start weather, the best topic ever! Before we get to my favourite topic you need to hand in to me your topographic maps of Medicine Hat and after, you'll need to brainstorm a list of things you know (or think you know) about weather and questions you've always wanted answered about the topic. After, we will look at extremes of weather to get an idea of how cool (or hot) weather really is. I'm so excited to be starting weather! Hail, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes are four on "the list" get ready, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Every day we are going to start by looking at the synoptic forecast along with weather maps.
Data Streme
Envrionment Canada: Weather Office Comox

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll share your own theories of why crime happens. We'll see if there are any similarities amongst the different theories we made and try to understand just what that may mean. Next we'll look in the course text (handout) and discuss the biological AND sociological reasons for criminal behaviour. Tomorrow we'll look at victims and victimology.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Using chapter 3 in the Counterpoints textbook (pages 48-72) you need to identify the changes in and challenges to Canada for the following four topics:

Arts, Culture, and Leisure
Government, International Autonomy, and Political Parties
Industry, Jobs, and Wealth
Society (race, gender, social class), Urbanization, and Values

This will be done in a webbed format and needs to show the massive cultural and economic shift that occurred in the 1920's. When completing this activity you'll need to identify any connections between the topics that you can and I'll spend some time going through these topics with you in the class today and tomorrow.

Thursday, November 10. 2011

2011-11-10T06:21:00.000-08:00

We have an assembly bell schedule today in order to accommodate the Remembrance Day assembly. The day looks like this:

D 9:05 - 10:00
AG 10:05 - 10:15
C 10:20 - 11:15
Assembly 11:20 - 12:20
Lunch 12:20 - 1:00
B 1:05 - 2:05
A 2:10 - 3:15

D Block Social Studies 11 - So yesterday we got caught up in talk about Communism and some other big "isms" (Liberalism, Conservatism and Socialism). Today we'll get to yesterday's work that we didn't cover. So, we'll look at the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and assess its impact on countries throughout Europe and here in Canada. After this we'll discuss what a union is and the perception of unions in 1919. Lastly I'd like you to look at the section on the Winnipeg General Strike in your Counterpoints textbook and work on questions 1 & 2 from page 51.

C Block Law 9/10 - So yesterday we clustered your reasons why people commit crime into categories. You looked at biological factors and sociological factors that may contribute to crime. Today, you'll get two handouts on Crime Theories. The first handout will be on Economic exclusion and Social exclusion where you'll read a fictional story about "Suzanne" and will need to identify the factors that led her to a life of crime. The second handout will be on Classical, Biological, Sociological and Interactionist crime theory where you will need to evaluate them (what you like about them and what you disagree with them about)...don't worry we'll go through them together in class today. After, you'll have to complete part two of today's assignment - this means you need to create your own theory of why crime happens. Remember you need to use the brainstormed list we did in class along with part one of the assignment (analysis of classical, biological, sociological, and interactionist theories).
Use the Crime Theory Web Site found on this link.

B Block Geography 12 - Today you have your Gradation Unit Final test. This test will take the whole class to complete and if came prepared then I am certain you will do fine. Relax, breathe, and dazzle me with what you know.

Now I know our weather unit starts on Monday but there's a warning of a storm of "epic proportions" for the weekend here in BC. Check out the article on it here.

Pau Hana Ohana

Wednesday, November 9. 2011

2011-11-09T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are continuing our work on the Medicine Hat Topographic map. You need your Canadian Landscape topographic map book and the Medicine Hat map can be found on pages 40-42. You will need to work on questions 1 a, b and d, 2 a & b, 3 a-e, and 7 a-d. This work is due on Monday but you should get it finished by the end of class today. If you don't get this work finished and wish to work on this activity out of the class I would highly suggest you ask me questions ahead of time. You can find topographic maps of Medicine Hat on Google Maps (Type in Medicine Hat Alberta on a Google search and click on maps at the top and then choose "Terrain" as an option). Do not forget that you have a unit final test tomorrow. Please take all of your marked/corrected work out of the bin in the class and spend some time preparing this weekend.
For other maps and information on Medicine Hat that will help you with some of the topographic map assignment questions check out Tourism Medicine Hat

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will spend the first part of the class discussing Communism. We'll take some notes down about Communist ideology and Marxism. We'll briefly look at the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 and assess its impact on countries throughout Europe and here in Canada. After this we'll discuss what a union is and the perception of unions in 1919. Lastly I'd like you to look at the section on the Winnipeg General Strike in your Counterpoints textbook and work on questions 1 & 2 from page 51.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll start by reviewing yesterday's work (I'll get it back up on the board); next you'll get a handout on Crime Theories and you will need to evaluate them (what you like about them and what you disagree with them about)...don't worry we'll go through them together in class today. After, you'll have to complete part two of today's assignment - this means you need to create your own theory of why crime happens. Remember you need to use the brainstormed list we did in class along with part one of the assignment (analysis of classical, biological, sociological, and interactionist theories).
Use the Crime Theory Web Site found on this link.

Law 9/10 Forensic Science Websites

2011-11-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

Below is a list of hyperlinked topics for a forensic science web page project that the G.P. Vanier Law 9/10 class completed this term. I was very pleased to see the efforts of the Law 9/10 students who worked hard on their projects; they learned a great deal about criminal psychology, crime scene investigation, the lab work involved in solving crimes, police detective work and the legal process in proving guilt.

Forensic Toxicology - Alisha
Fingerprinting - Toni
Forensic Anthropology - Dana (pwd: bones)
Ballistics - James
Serology - Kyle
Computer Forensics - Katrina
Fingerprinting - Marina
Forensic Anthropology - Victoria
DNA - Rachel
Toxicology - Mollie
Forensic Entomology - Nic
Forensic Chemistry - Tarrin
Forensic Odontology - Analise
Ballistics - Graham
Forensic Serology - Cassie
Forensic Anthropology - Luke
Forensic Entomology - Alex
Forensic Odontology - Ari
Forensic Serology - Tavis
DNA - Talison

Tuesday, November 8. 2011

2011-11-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Welcome to Introduction to Law, also known as Law & Order: Vanier and sometimes known as CSI: Vanier. This term class is a very short but exciting look at criminal law in Canada. The course is organized much like an episode of Law & Order. The first two weeks of the course deal with criminological studies (the study of crime - we will focus on why crime is committed). The next month of the class deals with criminal forensics and detective investigation. The last three weeks of the class deal with the "order" component of Law & Order where we'll follow the process of arrest, trial, and sentencing for crimes committed. Each week we spend Monday in the Library either doing some research on a specific topic or preparing our major project. We also spend each Friday watching an episode of of CSI, Law & Order, Cold Case Files, Millennium, Criminal Minds, or Forensic Files (but there's always a question about what you watch). There are only 41 classes in the term so attendance and keeping on top of your work are crucial elements of a successful grade in the class. Today I want you to brainstorm a list of all the reasons you can think why someone would commit a crime and we'll collect all of your ideas on the board for a discussion.

D Block Social Studies 11 - You have your unit final test on World War One today. If you studied and came prepared, I'm sure that you will do well. We'll mark the first three sections together and then with the remaining time left in class you'll be able to work on the Canada in World War One poster that is due tomorrow.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are working on the Medicine Hat Topographic map. You need your Canadian Landscape topographic map book and the Medicine Hat map can be found on pages 40-42. You will need to work on questions 1 a-d, 2 a & b, 3 a-e, and 7 a-d. This work is due Thursday and I will give you tomorrow's class to work on this activity as well. If you wish to work on this activity out of the class I would highly suggest you ask me questions ahead of time. You can find topographic maps of Medicine Hat on Google Maps (Type in Medicine Hat Alberta on a Google search and click on maps at the top and then choose "Terrain" as an option). Do not forget that you have a unit final test on Thursday. Please take all of your marked/corrected work out of the bin in the class and spend some time preparing. Good Luck.

Monday, November 7. 2011

2011-11-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - This is it...today is the last day for you in Criminology 12. Today, we finish our seminar discussions on the topics you've been researching. Thank you to everyone who has presented so far and I am really looking forward to seeing what Criminological topic you're going to share with the class today. When we are finished, we'll quickly look at social order crimes. I'll remind you that we already looked at the difference between what is deviant and what is criminal and this topic covers crimes that straddle the line between the two. We'll look at the legal definition of "obscenity" so that we can understand the difference between the subjective and objective beliefs of obscenity. Immoral acts are distinguished from crimes on the basis of the social harm they cause. Acts that are believed to be extremely harmful to the general public are usually outlawed, whereas acts that only the harm the actor themselves are more likely to be tolerated. Acts that are illegal because they are viewed as a threat to morality are called public order crimes. People who lobby hard for their morals to become law are called moral entrepreneurs or crusaders. Think about Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD). From Craig Reinarman's article Social Construction of an Alcohol Problem:
The credibility of MADD, especially at its outset, was impeccable. The parents of children who have been killed in drunk-driving accidents are exceptionally strong symbols. There are few groups of victims who can inspire as much sympathy and adherence as the grieving mother. And this is one of the central foundations of MADD's success. The organisation was started in August of 1980 in Sacramento, California by a woman named Candy Lightner whose daughter had been killed by a hit-and-run drunk driver with multiple DUI (driving under the influence) convictions some 4 months prior. During the criminal proceedings Lightner was appalled by the apparent leniency and lack of concern demonstrated by the justice system towards drunk drivers and the rights of the victim. The campaign began with her tireless lobbying in the initial months and a strong push to make drunk driving a political issue where it had previously not been.
The power of moral entrepreneurs can be quite strong and we'll see that today.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will look at deserts and desert environments. We'll see what Tim & Moby have to say about deserts and we'll analyze the different types of deserts. I'll show you the Namib desert and the Skeleton Coast and then you'll define alluvial fan, playa, yardang, and sand dune. You'll have a question on desertification and there are some good websites to help here:

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
USGS Desertification page
Green Facts Scientific page on Desertification

If there's time we'll watch the Planet Earth video on Deserts. Do not forget that you have a unit final test on Thursday.
Great Sand Dune National Park Colorado, U.S.A.

Remember we talked about about what used to be under the Saharan desert sands? Check out the image and article on Visible Earth about ancient riverbeds below the Saharan sands and also Check out the article here about "lost" cities found underneath the Libyan desert

C Block Law 9/10 - Today is the last day of Law. We'll finish the Bones episode that we started last Friday, we'll wrap up the course and you'll need to hand in your URL for your forensic science web page project today.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we are back in the library to finish work on a World War One poster assignment. Although the cost in lives was great, the First World War helped transform Canada into a modern industrial nation with international standing. So, in a poster you need to assess and explain the Political, Economic, Social and Cultural changes to Canada, from the outset to the end of the First World War. Your over riding question is: What effect did Canada’s participation in the First World War have on Canadian society and its status as a nation?
Don't forget to use both print and digital resources for your poster. The Canadian War Museum has a very good online exhibit of Canada in World War One - here.

Friday, November 4. 2011

2011-11-04T07:06:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll continue with your questions that you submitted for me to answer yesterday. We'll do this for about half an hour and then we'll watch a Law & Order episode in class.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we're back in the class for you to work on either your Treaty of Versailles work or your poster project that you began yesterday. The Treaty of Versailles work is due today in class as I want to get it back to you in order for you to begin preparations for your unit final. I'll give you a quick review for the unit final in class today and you should begin studying for it as it will be on Tuesday (November 8th).

A Block Criminology 12 - Today, we continue our seminar discussions on the topics you've been researching. Thank you to everyone who has presented so far and I am really looking forward to seeing what Criminological topic you're going to share with the class today. Remember you've got a minimum of five minutes but no more than about eight minutes today so that we can accommodate everyone. Good luck.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're looking at glaciers and we'll make sense of how they erode the landscape and examine the landforms they create. We'll understand the differences amongst the various alpine and continental glaciers and we'll define: cirque, arete, pyramidical peak, hanging valley, truncated spur, esker, drumlin, kettle lake, and fjord; along with questions 3, 8, and 12 from page 587 in your Geosystems text.
For glacier websites check out:
Geoscape Nanaimo ice age legacy
Geoscape Fort Fraser landscapes left by continental glaciers
Northern Saskatchewan ice age explanation
Canadian Geographic Mountains of Canada: Glaciers
USGS Glaciers of Canada book
National Snow & Ice Data Center All About Glaciers
Tongass National Forest Icefields & Glacier facts
Atlas of Canada Glaciers in Canada
USGS Glacier terminology
Eastern Illinois University Department of Geography glacier notes
Encyclopedia of the Earth: Glaciers
Rocky Mountain National Park glacier basics
NOTE: Don't forget you have a test next Thursday (November 10, 2011)and you should spend time this weekend preparing.

Thursday, November 3. 2011

2011-11-02T21:31:00.001-07:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we are in the library to begin work on a World War One poster assignment. Although the cost in lives was great, the First World War helped transform Canada into a modern industrial nation with international standing. So the question you need to answer is:

What effect did Canada’s participation in the First World War have on Canadian society and its status as a nation?

In a poster assess and explain the Political, Economic, Social and Cultural changes to Canada, from the outset to the end of the First World War. Find specific primary source data that will help explain or show the changes to Canada using:

1. Original Documents (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, maps, official records -OR-

2. Creative Works: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art

For each category use point form information that explains the changes to Canada and come up with a summative paragraph that explains your own view about the changes to our country as a result of our participation in the war. Your poster should then have 5 sections (4 point form and 1 written paragraph) and lots of pictures and documents that will help you explain your points of view.

For more on Primary and Secondary source data check http://library.uvic.ca/instruction/research/primvsec.html

C Block Law 9/10 - Here are some previous examples of the Forensic science web page project for you to look at if you'd like:
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Serology or Forensic Serology
Computer Forensics
Forensic Physics
Forensic Toxicology
Forensic Voice Identification
Today we'll be in the classroom wrapping up out look at Criminal Law by focusing on sentencing and the Youth Criminal Justice Act. I'll have a question box for you to place any question you'd like answered but that we didn't get to in the course. I'll try to answer them over the next two days.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're continuing our look at water by focusing on coastal processes and landforms. We will look at how water erodes, shapes, and creates coastal
landscapes by focusing on long shore current & drift. We'll analyze the differences between an erosional and depositional coastline and try to make sense of the hazards of living along depositional coastlines (think Cape Hatteras, North Carolina). For additional information and help on questions 8, 11, 13, & 14 in your Geosystems text go to:

Cerritos College Earth Science Coast Landforms

University of Regina Geomorphology Class notes

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Geomorphology from space site

USGS Coastal & Marine Geology program

NOAA: Pressures on Coastal Environments

There's a great article on the dangers of people moving to coastlines at EARTH magazine here.

There's a great web page on the Graveyard of the Atlantic: Sable Island Nova Scotia. Check out the topographic map here

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll continue with our seminar discussions on the topics you've been researching. I'll ask for "volunteers" rather than "voluntolds" to get the ball rolling today. I am really looking forward to seeing what Criminological topic you're interested in. Remember you've got a minimum of five minutes and this is not a stressful situation. Good luck.

Wednesday, November 2. 2011

2011-11-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Cookie Monster!

You can learn a great deal from Cookie Monster; he is the four year old in us all who is the epitome of instant gratification. But Cookie Monster can teach us about questions and patience...like in the video below

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're back in the library for our last class day to work on our Mass Wasting pamphlet and you can find the assignment on yesterday's blog entry. Today is the last day that I can give you for this assignment as the library is booked solid so you'll need to do some research on your own. This assignment is due next Monday and I'd like you to submit it digitally to me. Please save your document as a publisher file (.pub) and e-mail it to my school mail address...Thanks.

A Block Criminology 12 -Today we start with a quiz on white collar and property crime. After the quiz we'll begin our seminar discussions on the topics you've been researching. Remember you've got a minimum of five minutes and this is not a stressful situation. Good luck.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will spend the entire class finishing our look at the Paris Peace Conferences and the Treaty of Versailles. We worked on "Great Suffering" A, B & C yesterday so you have the block to continue the work we started:

Great Expectations work section questions A, B, and C
Germany Re-Made: The Treaty of Versailles work section questions A and B
Europe Re-Shaped: The Other Paris Peace Treaties work section questions A and B
The League of Nations work section question B
A Dictated Peace: The Treaty of Versailles work section questions A, B and C

For more info see:
UK History Site Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles documents
First World War dot com Treaty of Versailles
You Tube video on Treaty of Versailles
BBC World War One Treaty of Versailles

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll start the class by working through our final quiz in the class. After we'll go to the library for an extra block to finish our web page project. Your web page project is due Monday in class and you'll need to give me the URL of your web page so that I may view it. Please make sure that the spelling of the web page address is correct. If your page is forensicchemistry.com and you give me the address forinsicchemistry.com then I won't be able to view it and therefore will not be able to mark it. The best way to give me your address is to cut and paste the address and mail it to me (my e-mail address is on the course outline). Thanks and I look forward to seeing your work.

Tuesday, November 1. 2011

2011-11-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today you'll be in the library so that you may continue working on your forensic science web page project. Do not forget that this assignment is due next Monday and you can check either yesterday's blog entry or Tuesday October 25th's entry for details. I can't stress this enough...Get it Done!

D Block Social Studies 11 - We'll spend time looking at the effects of 1917 (Russian Revolution & US entry into the war). The last thing we'll do is take a look at Canada's Hundred Days and General Arthur Currie along the fall of the Central Powers in 1918 and armistice. For the next two days we'll be working through the Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles. You'll get a work package of handouts and will be responsible for completing the following:

Great Suffering work section questions A, B, and C

Great Expectations work section questions A, B, and C

Germany Re-Made: The Treaty of Versailles work section questions A and B

Europe Re-Shaped: The Other Paris Peace Treaties work section questions A and B

The League of Nations work section question B

A Dictated Peace: The Treaty of Versailles work section questions A, B and C

To help with the Paris Peace Treaties and the Treaty of Versailles, check out the BBC History: The Ending of World War One

A Block Criminology 12 - Today you'll be in the library so that you may continue working on your criminology seminar project. We'll have a really short quiz tomorrow on property and white collar crimes and then we begin our presentations. I'll have a list that you can sign up for today in the library. Good luck.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're going to the library to start our next project on Mass Wasting. The assignment is below and is also in the K Drive here at school in the Mr A. Young folder (K/Mr. A. Young/Geography12)

You can also find the assignment in today's section of your week 9 package. Today tomorrow are the only days that I can give you for research as the library is booked solid so you'll need to do some research on your own. Here are some websites to help...
Forest Service National Avalanche Center
United States Geological Survey Landslides Hazard
Federal Emergency Management Association Landslide & Debris Flow
National Park Service Mass Wasting
Geological Survey of Canada Landslides
Parks Canada Mountain Guide
University of Kentucky Earth Science Department Mass Wasting animation
Parks Canada Backcountry Avalanche Information
National Atlas of the United States Landslides
OUC Foundations of Physical Geography Mass Wasting

Monday, October 31. 2011

2011-10-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween family. Today's spooky schedule is A-B-C-D

Also...Happy 7 BILLION Day. Estimates are that today the population of the world will hit the 7 Billion mark. What does that mean for you?

Find out what your population number is at the BBC site here.

A Block Criminology 12 - OK so this is it. These are the last two days to get your seminar topic prepared and ready to go for Wednesday and Thursday this week. Now let's talk about stress. Some of you are not too fond of public speaking and find it an unpleasant experience. It doesn't have to be. You have five minutes (or more if you need it) to present information on a criminology topic to the class. The information is about something you are interested in and why you are interested in it. Some of you have indicated that you're panicking about speaking in front of the class which is both natural and actually kind of funny (given that you all have done this already just not in a structured format). So look through the following websites to help you plan for your talk:

CAASAA Public Speaking Skills
How to Conquer Public Speaking Fear
Toastmasters Tips & Techniques
Overcoming the Fear of Speaking to Groups
Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
The Art of Speechmaking

We start Wednesday with our last quiz in the class and then we move on to presentations for the remainder of the week.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we will quickly review rivers and streams (floodplains) and after we will discuss floods and watch portion of a video on the Red River flood of 1997 ("Flood of the Millennium") as well as the Raging Planet video on floods. Then, you'll need to work on the Red River flood study in your week 9 package.

Some web pages to help with the causes of floods and flood protection measure are:
Public Safety Canada: Floods
Environment Canada: Floods
City of Winnipeg: Floods
Atlas of Canada: Floods
How Stuff Works: Floods
USGS: Floods
Clips from the Raging Planet Flood video can be seen here

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library for your next day to work on your final assignment of the year which I posted on the blog last week. You are going to create a webpage on a particular area of study in forensic science. For the forensic science web page assignment, there are many on line web page creation sites (including this site which is kind of like a bloggers for dummies site). Try the following:
http://www.weebly.com/
http://sites.google.com/
http://www.webs.com/
http://www.yola.com/
Of course the creation of your site is really the last step in the process. Once you've chosen your topic (through me) you will need to get started working on finding information about it. Don't forget there are some fabulous print resources in the library and you must have at least one print source for this assignment.

LAW 9 / 10 Forensic Science Web Page Project:

It will be your responsibility to create one section of the G.P. Vanier Forensic Science/Criminology web page. You will need to find the following information about your chosen subject / topic:

1. A description of your subject which includes an explanation of what is (history, background information, people associated with it, important milestones and discoveries)
2. An explanation of how your topic is collected at the crime scene and the tools that are used to interpret the evidence at the crime lab.
3. An description showing how the subject is used to solve crimes (identifying suspects, showing the cause of death, tracing the source of evidence or identifying a possible alternate crime scene)
4. Graphics - photos, illustrations, and animations that show and explain your subject
5. Case Study - Provide one example of how your subject was used to solve a real crime.
6. Provide URL’s as links for further investigation of your subject.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll take a look at the effects of the war on the "Home Front" and examine how the government conscripted wealth (paid) for the war (income tax & victory bonds). We'll examine government propaganda and then spend more time looking at the Suffragette movement (along with Nellie McClung and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union). We'll watch the Canada: A People's History documentary "Our Investment in Blood" (Volume 5 Chapter 3) and you'll need to complete question 2 from page 39 of the Counterpoints text.
Check out the Canadian War Museum First World War poster site here or the McGill War posters webpage here or the Canada at War enlistment posters here.
For more on propaganda techniques in war check out:
Global Issues
Media Awareness Network
Propaganda Critic

Friday, October 28. 2011

2011-10-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - Today, we'll start by finishing two chapters in the movie "The Corporation" that deal with the pathology of commerce and the corporate mindset. Pay careful attention to Marc Barry, a Competitive Intelligence Professional or more commonly known as a a corporate spy. Listen to what he has to say about corporate greed. After we'll watch the television show White Collar episode Hard Sell which deals with stock manipulation and churning the value of stock in a boiler room (metaphor). From tv.com...

The scam is a "pump and dump", in which a group of "junior Gordon Gekkos" is selling bad stock. The guy in charge buys a large amount of dollar stocks, and has his men inflate the price by selling it over the phone. When the price peaks, guy in charge dumps the stock and leaves the buyers holding worthless shares. The average person loses $30,000, and some victims have lost their homes. The boiler room is mobile, moving to a new location after each stock dump

B Block Geography 12 - Today we look at stream profiles, deltas, and floodplains. We are focusing on the erosive action of rivers along with the landforms that they create. You will need to define nickpoint, undercut bank, point bar, and slip-off slope along with copying a meandering stream profile (figure 14.15 on p.460 in the Geosystems text) and a diagram on oxbow lake formation (figure 14.16 on p.461 in the Geosystems text). Your homework is questions 17, 20, 21 & 22 from page 482 in your Geosystems text.

Diagram from William Galloway of the University of Texas

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll start a Law & Order episode, Performance from year 5. From tv.com...Briscoe and Logan set out to identify the apparent victim in a snuff film, but find her alive and really the victim of a points-for-sex club at her prestigious high school.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we start by reviewing 1917 - a crucial year in the First World War (Don't forget we already know about Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele). We will take a look at the crisis surrounding conscription (Military Service Act) and see how that issue divided Canada. We'll also look at the Suffragette movement (Nellie McClung) and the Wartime Elections Act of 1917 that was tied to the Military Voters Act. you'll get three supplemental hand-outs today: "The Conscription Crisis"; "A Country Divided the conscription crisis"; and "The Suffrage Movement women get the vote". Using the handouts, you'll need to work on a casualty / enlistment graph for 1917 in class and work through questions 1 & 3 on page 39 and 1 & 4 on page 42 in your Counterpoints text along with the Reconnect questions 1 & 2 on the handout "The Conscription Crisis".

For more info see:
Histor!ca Conscription crisis 1917
Conscription Crisis
Mapleleafweb 1917 voter changes

Thursday, October 27. 2011

2011-10-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today Ms. Krahn will be working with you on the role that Canadian women played in the First World War. You'll look at the Suffragette movement (Nellie McClung) and see how women were finally enfranchised in Canada. You'll also look at work roles on the home front and how women served overseas. For more check out:
Support and Substitution
Queen's University archives Women & WW1
Women in the Royal Canadian Navy
Canadian Nurses in WW1
Canadian History Project: Women in World War 1

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll review the three court levels in BC (Provincial Court, Supreme Court and BC Court of Appeals). You'll need to complete questions 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, and 26 of the assigned question handout by Friday this week (you'll have time both today and tomorrow to work through this). Don't forget that on Monday you’ll have your final quiz. While you work on the questions, I will put on a video to help you with the answers .

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're looking at streams and drainage basins. You'll need to work on a few definitions, a diagram, and questions 1, 3, 10, 11, and 12 from page 481 in your Geosystems textbook. A map of Canada's drainage basins can be found here and the Canadian Atlas online has a great section on drainage basins too. Notes on these topics can be found here. Don't forget that we looked at this topic on Tuesday when we took our walk along the Tsolum River so try to think of what we looked at when working through this work.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today, you'll be introduced to Edwin H. Sutherland's Differential Association Theory (he introduced the concept "white collar crime"). We'll take a few notes and see what we can find on the Internet about white collar crime....spoil alert LOTS!
National Check Fraud Center
Robert O. Keel White Collar Crime
Canadian Encyclopedia White Collar Crime
Federal Bureau of Investigation White Collar Crime Division
Understanding White Collar Crime
News Stories of White Collar Crime
After, we'll watch Chapters 1-8 in the movie "The Corporation" and for our last blog entry, you will need to work on the "Can Corporations Commit Murder" questions 1 & 2 from page 285 as well as question 1 from page 291 in your Criminology the Core textbook. Please do not forget that the documentary is an opinion piece...it is trying to persuade you that a corporation acts like a psychopath. Not all business is bad but we do need to understand the "corporate view" of white collar criminal activity.

Watch the documentary on You Tube here!

Wednesday, October 26. 2011

2011-10-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're looking at water. The USGS diagram below shows the distribution of water on the planet and explains the amount of water available for "human use". You'll note that there is precious little water available for 6.7 billion people. Then consider that the flora and fauna of the biosphere require water as well and you can see the importance of water to all forms of life on the planet.

Today we'll look at the properties of water in its three phases and then you'll need to sketch a diagram of the hydrologic cycle (page 253 in Geosystems). Next you'll need to define: condensation, evaporation, transpiration, precipitation, sublimation, percolation, aquifer, zone of aeration, and zone of saturation. Lastly you'll need to complete questions 2 & 5 from page 210, 1 from page 278, and 14, 16, & 18 from page 280 all in your Geosystems text. To help look at the United States Geological Survey Water Cycle website and ther University of Kentucky Geology Department flash animation site.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we shift our focus and look at White Collar Crime. We will begin by learning how to identify a pyramid / ponzi scam (for more take a look at How Stuff Works). After, we'll quickly look at individual exploitation of an institutional position, influence peddling & bribery, theft and employee fraud, client fraud and corporate crime. We'll end the class with a discussion about business and corporate culture. What is it that makes a successful business person and what kind of ethical behaviour is valued by corporate culture? From the Business Ethics Forum blog site:

An outstanding in-depth article on the Value of Corporate Values can be found in an article by Reggie Van Lee, Lisa Fabish, and Nancy McGaw in this month's S+B. Based on a survey at 365 companies in 30 countries, the authors claim "increasingly, companies around the world have adopted formal statements of corporate values, and senior executives now routinely identify ethical behavior, honesty, integrity, and social concerns as top issues on their companies’ agendas". The highlights of the survey and article are:

A large number of companies are making their values explicit. That’s a change — quite a significant change — from corporate practices 10 years ago. The ramifications of this shift are just beginning to be understood.

Ethical behavior is a core component of company activities.

Most companies believe values influence two important strategic areas — relationships and reputation — but do not see the direct link to growth.

Most companies are not measuring their “ROV.”

Top performers consciously connect values and operations.

Values practices vary significantly by (continental) region.

The CEO’s tone really matters.

The article provides quantitative data about these 7 findings and concludes with "A commitment to corporate values may be in vogue, but the public will remain suspicious until corporations both understand and can demonstrate that they are committed to using values to create value". What we are looking at is what makes people abuse the public trust in corporations. We will look at stings, swindles, and chiselling and discuss ImClone (Martha Stewart) and Bre-X. For more on Corporations look at the website for the documentary The Corporation (which we'll watch part of tomorrow)

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll finish up the chart activity that I asked you to work on in yesterday's class. We'll spend time today looking at Vimy Ridge (1917), the first time that all four Canadian Regiments faught together as one force. Vimy is widely seen as the birth of Canadian nationalism and we'll watch the Canada: A People's History documentary on it today.Your chart on the four battles will be due at the end of class today. After looking at Vimy and Passchendaele (third battle of Ypres) we'll find out about the war in the air (along with Canada's ace Billy Bishop) and the role of the Canadian Navy (along with the effect of the munitions mishap in Halifax harbour between the Imo and the Mont Blanc). There will be a few questions from Counterpoints to end the class.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll finish the questions I gave you on Monday. To review they are:

What is "Burden of Proof" in a criminal trial and who has it?

In your own words explain what "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" means

List the steps in selecting juries for trials and explain the role of a jury in a criminal trial

Which side (Crown or Defence) presents first in a criminal trial and why?

What is a "leading question"?

What is cross examination?

What is the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence?

Criminal Offences activity (in your package there is a page titled Criminal Offences and it asks you to match the categories of offences with the pictures on the page)

Criminal Defences activity (in your package there is a page titled Defences and it asks you to try to define the defences associated with the pictures on the page)

After, you'll go through the three court levels in BC (Provincial Court, Supreme Court and BC Court of Appeals).

Tuesday, October 25. 2011

2011-10-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are in the library to begin work on the final project of the year...your forensic science webpage project. I posted this last Thursday but here again is the criteria for this assignment:

LAW 9 / 10 Forensic Science Web Page Project:

It will be your responsibility to create one section of the G.P. Vanier Forensic Science/Criminology web page. You will need to find the following information about your chosen subject / topic:

1. A description of your subject which includes an explanation of what is (history, background information, people associated with it, important milestones and discoveries)
2. An explanation of how your topic is collected at the crime scene and the tools that are used to interpret the evidence at the crime lab.
3. An description showing how the subject is used to solve crimes (identifying suspects, showing the cause of death, tracing the source of evidence or identifying a possible alternate crime scene)
4. Graphics - photos, illustrations, and animations that show and explain your subject
5. Case Study - Provide one example of how your subject was used to solve a real crime.
6. Provide URL’s as links for further investigation of your subject.

Subjects / Topics to choose from (NOTE: Since there are many of you in the class I have limited the amount of people per topic to two - 2 - so if on the list below it says chosen already then two people have already selected that topic and you'll need to choose another topic):

Forensic Anthropology
DNA
Fingerprinting (chosen already)
Ballistics (chosen already)
Forensic Entomology
Hairs and Fibers
Questioned Documents
Toxicology (chosen already)
Forensic Serology (chosen already)
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Odontology (chosen already)
Computer Forensics (chosen already)
Forensic Chemistry
Ask for other topics

For the forensic science web page assignment, there are many on line web page creation sites (including this site which is kind of like a bloggers for dummies site). Try the following:
http://www.weebly.com/
http://sites.google.com/
http://www.webs.com/
http://www.yola.com/
Of course the creation of your site is really the last step in the process. Once you've chosen your topic (through me) you will need to get started working on finding information about it. Don't forget there are some fabulous print resources in the library and you must have at least one print source for this assignment.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we will spend the entire class looking at the efforts of the Canadian Expeditionary Force on the western front in World War One. We will discuss the second battle of Ypres in 1915 and the first use of chlorine gas in warfare. We'll see the horrors of "das blutbad" - the Somme (Allied casualties 623,907 + German casualties 465,000 = 1,088,907 men in 4 months!). The casualties associated with this battle were largely due to using antiquated battle techniques in modern "mechanized" warfare (Sir Douglas Haig). 85% of the Newfoundland Regiment was wiped out in this battle (58,000 British troops were lost in the first day of the battle). Lastly we'll look at Vimy Ridge (1917), the first time that all four Canadian Regiments faught together as one force. Vimy is widely seen as the birth of Canadian nationalism and we'll watch the Canada: A People's History documentary on it today to end the class. Your job for work/homework will be to briefly explain each battle, identify Canada's role in them, and explain the results (impact). Don't forget to use the resources from yesterday's post for Ypres, Somme, Vimy, and Passchendaele which I'll post here for you again:

The Great War Trench website

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we're back in the library for another day to work on the term end project or to complete blog work that has yet to be finished. I posted this yesterday but in case you forgot...If you're finished all of your blog entries then you can begin to research your seminar topic. Instead of an essay or a survey of criminological theory worksheet I thought I'd give you the opportunity to spend some time looking at something that really interests you in Criminology. So basically I'd like to have a seminar on Wednesday and Thursday next week, where you have up to five minutes to present information on a criminology topic to the class. You can look at a specific crime, a specific criminal, a specific criminological theory, a criminal justice & enforcement technique that reduces crime, or any other criminological topic but it really should be of interest to you. So if you're really interested in gangs you can choose that (what they do, how they do it, where they operate). If you're really interested in a specific gang you can choose that (the Hells Angels or the Bandidos). If you're really interested in how police infiltrate gangs you can choose that. What should this look like? You'll have five minutes and you can use either your blog or powerpoint or some web based resource for graphic information. Tell the class what you found out about your topic and why it interests you.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we take the class to walk down to the Tsolum River to look at fluvial processes and riparian environments. We could not have a better day weather wise for this field trip and I hope that you brought some sturdy shoes with you for our exploration of the river.

Monday, October 24. 2011

2011-10-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will have our last journal entry. This week we'll look at white collar and corporate crime and today I'd like you to work on a journal entry based on questions in the textbook (and the documentary "The Corporation" that we'll watch this week). I'd like you to answer the question "Can Corporations Commit Murder?" If a corporation is considered as a person in law (as it is in the US) who can be held liable (responsible) if a corporation kills people? Use questions 1 & 2 from page 285 as well as question 1 from page 291 in your Criminology the Core textbook to help. Find an example of a story where a company was held responsible for the death of people and use it to support your ideas. Check out the following: Redefining Corporate Crime (look at the bullet points half way through the article) Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 (a law in the UK) Corporate Crime
Reporter Top 100 Corporate Criminals (most are fraud, antitrust and financial) Newser (news
stories about corporate crime).

If you're finished all of your blog entries then you can begin to research your seminar topic. Instead of an essay or a survey of criminological theory worksheet I thought I'd give you the opportunity to spend some time looking at something that really interests you in Criminology. So basically I'd like to have a seminar on Wednesday and Thursday where you have up to five minutes to present information on a criminology topic to the class. You can look at a specific crime, a specific criminal, a specific criminological theory, a criminal justice & enforcement technique that reduces crime, or any other criminological topic but it really should be of interest to you. So if you're really interested in gangs you can choose that (what they do, how they do it, where they operate). If you're really interested in a specific gang you can choose that (the Hells Angels or the Bandidos). If you're really interested in how police infiltrate gangs you can choose that. What should this look like? You'll have five minutes and you can use either your blog or powerpoint or some web based resource for graphic information. Tell the class what you found out about your topic and why it interests you.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll look at Mass Wasting (falls, slides, and flows). We will figure out the causes of Mass Wasting by looking at both the driving and resisting forces on hillsides and slopes. We will try to figure out some slope stabilization practices and specifically we'll look at what has been done at Goose Spit to stop erosion of the Willemar Bluffs along Balmoral Beach. We'll also review the problems of the Sea to Sky highway (Hwy 99 from West Vancouver to Squamish). You will define rock fall, debris avalanche, landslide, mudflow, and soil creep and work on questions 27 & 32 from page 443 in your Geosystems text.

SWEET Landslide video from National Geographic

SWEET Japanese Landslide video

United States Geological Survey Landslides Hazard
Federal Emergency Management Association Landslide & Debris Flow
National Park Service Mass Wasting
Geological Survey of Canada Landslides
University of Kentucky Earth Science Department Mass Wasting animation
National Atlas of the United States Landslides
OUC Foundations of Physical Geography Mass Wasting

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll quickly take a look at searches and then we'll focus our attention on the procedures associated with a criminal trial here in BC. We'll look at who is in the courtroom, what kind of evidence can be introduced and used and the stages of a trial. You'll get a few questions to look at today:

What is "Burden of Proof" in a criminal trial and who has it?
In your own words explain what "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" means
List the steps in selecting juries for trials and explain the role of a jury in a criminal trial
Which side (Crown or Defence) presents first in a criminal trial and why?
What is a "leading question"?
What is cross examination?
What is the difference between direct and circumstantial evidence?
Criminal Offences activity (in your package there is a page titled Criminal Offences and it asks you to match the categories of offences with the pictures on the page)
Criminal Defences activity (in your package there is a page titled Defences and it asks you to try to define the defences associated with the pictures on the page)

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll examine the horrors of trench warfare in World War One. We'll look at the advances in technology that caused the stalemate on the Western Front and the slaughter of millions of men. To begin we'll take a few notes down about the Schlieffen Plan and the Western Front. Next we'll look at what trenches were like and then we'll watch the Canada: A People's History episode "Go Out and Meet Death Bravely"

The Great War Trench website

Thursday, October 20. 2011

2011-10-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - So we'll get to what we didn't get to yesterday. Today we'll watch the first two chapters of the Canada: A People's History documentary (Volume 5 Ordeal By Fire). I'll have you take a few notes down about the Canadian Expeditionary Force annd then you'll need to work on questions 1 & 2 from page 24 as well as question 2 from page 47 along with questions 2, 3, and 4 from page 28 of the Counterpoints textbook. Lastly we'll talk about the technology of warfare in 1914 - 1915 and how the mechanization of war enabled a horrific toll to be exacted upon soldiers and the landscape.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll start with the small poster assignment you got at the end of class yesterday. Remember you need to show the rights and obligations of an arrested person. Illustrate your poster with drawings in order to help graphically describe your rights and obligations upon arrest.

For your your final assignment of the year you are going to create a webpage on a particular area of study in forensic science and today you may choose your topic.

LAW 9 / 10 Forensic Science Web Page Project:

It will be your responsibility to create one section of the G.P. Vanier Forensic Science/Criminology web page. You will need to find the following information about your chosen subject / topic:

1. A description of your subject which includes an explanation of what is (history, background information, people associated with it, important milestones and discoveries)
2. An explanation of how your topic is collected at the crime scene and the tools that are used to interpret the evidence at the crime lab.
3. An description showing how the subject is used to solve crimes (identifying suspects, showing the cause of death, tracing the source of evidence or identifying a possible alternate crime scene)
4. Graphics - photos, illustrations, and animations that show and explain your subject
5. Case Study - Provide one example of how your subject was used to solve a real crime.
6. Provide URL’s as links for further investigation of your subject.

Subjects / Topics to choose from:
Forensic Anthropology
DNA
Fingerprinting
Ballistics
Forensic Entomology
Hairs and Fibers
Questioned Documents
Toxicology
Forensic Serology
Forensic Pathology
Forensic Odontology
Computer Forensics
Forensic Chemistry
Ask for other topics

For the forensic science web page assignment, there are many on line web page creation sites (including this site which is kind of like a bloggers for dummies site). Try the following:
http://www.weebly.com/
http://sites.google.com/
http://www.webs.com/
http://www.yola.com/
Of course the creation of your site is really the last step in the process. Once you've chosen your topic (through me) you will need to get started working on finding information about it. Don't forget there are some fabulous print resources in the library and you must have at least one print source for this assignment.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we begin with some time to continue your shoplifting poster and then we'll look at burglary & Break and Enter. I'll give you a few notes and then you'll need to answer the following: What characteristics must a good burglar have? (Look at Neil Shover's explanation on page 264) and What are the differences between male and female burglars? After that we'll watch an episode of Leverage (the Snow Job) from Season 1. Keep an eye on the skill set of the burglars and watch how they play their mark.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we continue our look at chemical weathering by focusing our attention on karst topography and caves. We'll look on Google Earth at Guangxi province in China, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, and Arecibo in Puerto Rico. If you go to the Geoscape Nanaimo webpage you can find some really good graphic and information about Karst on Vancouver Island (on the left hand panel click on "Our Rock Foundations" and you'll find the subsection on caves and karst). For homework you'll need to define: stalactite, stalagmite, flowstone, sinkhole/doline, and karst valley. You'll need to answer question 17, 20, 21, and 23 from page 443 in your Geosystems text and explain how tower karst (pagodas) forms and identify where it can be found. We'll watch the Planet Earth Cave episode and you can see the opening sequence here. This will help you with the week 7 questions on Karst topography and solution cave formation. Check out the National Geographic article "Cave of the Crystal Giants" which is about Cueva de los Cristales, or Cave of Crystals, a limestone cavern with glittering selenite crystal beams discovered in 2000 nearly a thousand feet below ground in the Naica mine in northern Mexico.

For cool pictures of solution cave formations check out The Virtual Cave. Also if you wish to see these features "live" you could travel 40 kilometres south and go to the Horn Lake Caves.

Wednesday, October 19. 2011

2011-10-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today, you'll need to work on the physical weathering questions in your week 7 package: definition of frost action, exfoliation, and pressure release jointing along with questions 10, 12, 13, and 15 from page 442 of your Geosystems textbook. You can find the answers between pages 420-423 in the text. Next, we move on to chemical weathering. We'll take some notes down about carbonation (solution), oxidation, and hydration and fill in a chart on weathering types, rates, and their connection to climate conditions.

Lastly you'll need to work on questions 17, 20, and 21 from page 443 in the Geosystems text and you can find the answers between pages 423-427 in the text.
We'll use the animations found at the University of Kentucky Earth & Environmental Sciences department

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll focus our efforts at the beginning of class on auto theft. You'll need to explain the five types of motor vehicle theft and identify how you can protect your vehicle from being stolen (target hardening strategies). The Kanetix website below lists the top vehicles stolen in Canada and check out this article on the Macleans website for the article on the top 100 cities for auto theft in Canada.
Crime Stoppers Bait Car website
Auto Theft Canada
Kanetix.ca Auto theft in Canada
After this, you'll have some time to finish up our shoplifting poster from yesterday.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll quickly review the four causes of the first world war (Hint: we've talked about them, taken notes about them, done a question about them, and reviewed them so you might want to remember them for both your near and distant future). Next we'll go through the initial stages of conflict from Gavrillo Princip's assassination of the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife through the ultimatums and mobilizations that brought the wider European continent into conflict by September 1914.

C Block Law 9/10 - I'll quickly review the three types of Mens Rea (Criminal Intent, Recklessness, and Knowledge) and then we'll talk about ways to compel someone to show up in court. We'll discuss appearance notices, summons; and arrests (along with the rights of private security guards and citizens), we'll talk about your rights and obligations upon arrest, searches with and without warrants and pre-trial releases (bail, recognizance, and surety). For the end of today's class, I've got a few questions and an activity I'd like you to work on. The questions deal with getting an accused person to show up to court:

Name the three ways in which the police can bring an accused person to court
What two questions must a Justice of the Peace ask when deciding whether to issue an arrest warrant
Explain when a police officer may make an arrest without an arrest warrant
Explain the three situations when a citizen may make an arrest
What are the limitations on the powers of private citizens or security guards when making an arrest
Saul is stopped by the police and told he is being arrested for impaired driving. He says "Oh no" and runs off. Has Saul been arrested? Explain.
Talia is accused by a store owner of shoplifting. The police ask her to go to the station house for questioning and she goes with them voluntarily. Has Talia been arrested? Explain.

Now I'd like you to make a small poster (on 11x17 paper) showing the rights and obligations of an arrested person. Illustrate your poster with drawings in order to help graphically describe your rights and obligations upon arrest.

Tuesday, October 18. 2011

2011-10-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll continue with our focus on Criminal Law in Canada; specifically looking at the physical and mental elements of a crime, the three types of criminal intent, attempts, conspiracies and the four parties to an offense. We will go through some important points in the note package I handed out to you yesterday and then you'll have a few questions to work on:

Name and explain the two parts of a criminal offence
List and explain the three types of Mens Rea
Explain the difference between Intent and Motive in Criminal Law.
Name and briefly explain the kind of offence that does not require Mens Rea
What is the main requirement for an attempted offence? For a conspiracy?
Read the following sections of the Criminal Code carefully. For each offence, describe the Actus Reus and the Mens Rea:
343. Everyone commits robbery who…assaults any person with intent to steal from them
342. Everyone who…has in their possession a credit card that they know was obtained by the commission of an offence (ie stealing or fraud) is guilty of an offence
131. everyone commits perjury who, with intent to mislead, makes a false statement under oath knowing the evidence is false
209. Everyone who, with intent to defraud any person, cheats while playing a card game is guilty of an offence
As a joke, Jason points a gun, which he believes is not loaded, at Lana and fires. Lana dies of a gunshot wound to her head. Decide if Jason a) had the Actus Reus for the offence; and b) will be found guilty of murder (intentionally causing Lana’s death)

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we start by reviewing the work from yesterday's class where we started our look at the economic causes of the first world war. Today we'll focus on imperialism and militarism. We'll then look at the British naval escalation (HMS Dreadnought) and the massive arms development in Germany. After this we'll review the system of alliances (Triple Alliance / Triple Entente) and nationalism (Serbian "Black Hand" and Austria-Hungary control over the Balkans). Lastly we will look at Gavrillo Princip and the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia. You will need to work on the "Making Connection" questions 1 & 2 from the "Balance of Power" handout. You will also need to work on questions 1 & 2 from page 24 along with question 2 from page 47 in the Counterpoints textbook.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will continue our look at property crime and theft. We'll turn our focus to shoplifting and you'll need to answer the following:

What are the differences between a professional and an occasional thief?
What is a "situational inducement"?
What is a "Booster", a "Heel", a "Snitch", a "Fence"?

For the rest of today and tomorrow you'll work on the following activity:

You work for the Retail Council of Canada and have been hired to create a poster campaign about shoplifting. The poster campaign has two purposes:

To help employees identify people who are shoplifting and
To explain how to reduce shoplifting in stores (target hardening and target removal strategies)

Look at figure 11.2 on page 257 in the Criminology text for help. Here are some further ideas and points.....

Spot the Shoplifter: Unfortunately, there is no typical profile of a shoplifter. Thieves come in all ages, races and from various backgrounds. However, there are some signs that should signal a red flag for retailers. While the following characteristics don't necessarily mean guilt, retailers should keep a close eye on shoppers who exhibit the following:

Spends more time watching the cashier or sales clerk than actually shopping.
Wears bulky, heavy clothing during warm weather or coats when unnecessary.
Walks with short or unnatural steps, which may indicate that they are concealing lifted items.
Takes several items into dressing room and only leaves with one item.
Seems nervous and possibly picks up random items with no interest.
Frequently enters store and never makes a purchase.
Enters dressing room or rest rooms with merchandise and exits with none.
Large group entering the store at one time, especially juveniles. A member of the group causes a disturbance to distract sales staff.

This will take the whole class to complete and will be handed in on Thursday for marks.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're going to start our new unit on gradation. We've looked at the process of building up the land through tectonics and energy from below. Now we'll focus on breaking down the surface of the Earth and today we cover "geomorphology". We'll look at some slopes on Google Earth and then you will need to work on questions 2, 5, and 6 from page 442 in your Geosystems text. The United States Geological Survey has a good web page on Landslides here and this flash animation website from the University of Kentucky Geology department will help as well.
The Atlas of Canada has a good site on Landslides in Canada as does the Geological Survey of Canada.

Monday, October 17. 2011

2011-10-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will have the opportunity to get caught up on our journal work. So far you should have four entries:

personal theory of crime
short and long term effects of being a crime victim
serial & mass murder in Canada (Olson & Lepine)
hypermasculinity & sexual assault

Today should be your fifth entry and I'd like you to tell me about auto theft. I'd like you to look up information on why people steal cars, where in Canada most cars are stolen from, what types of vehicles are most commonly stolen and I'd like you to tell me how much auto theft is actually happening in Canada (rates). Then I'd like you to tell me methods of protection (how to stop your car from being stolen).

B Block Geography 12 - Today we finish Dante's Peak and don't forget that you have a series of questions to answer about the volcanology of the movie. Today is the main portion of the volcanic eruption and the effects that Dante's Peak takes on the small town that sits in a valley near its base. Speaking of small towns sitting at a base of a volcano...your Orting High School construction report (Case Study) is due today. Please make sure you submit your explanations as to whether a new school should be built in this small town that sits in a valley near the base of Mount Rainier.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will finish up the fingerprinting activity that we began on Friday. You will all get one set of fingers (and thumb) on one hand fingerprinted (our non dominant hand) by using graphite pencils and scotch tape. You will need to identify whether or not your prints are loops, arches, or whorls and then place them up on the blackboard. We will then count up the total number of loops, arches, and whorls for each finger (and thumb) for the class and graph the data. After you've finished your graph we'll turn our focus to Criminal Law in Canada; specifically looking at the physical and mental elements of a crime, the three types of criminal intent, attempts, conspiracies and the four parties to an offense.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today, to start, you'll have some time to finish your document analysis activity from Friday, then you'll receive a few photocopied handouts on the outbreak of World War 1 (The Balance of Power, The Eastern Question and The Road to War). We'll look at the four underlying causes of Imperialism, Nationalism, Militarism, and the System of Alliances

First World War Causes

BBC History of WW1 - Causes

Canadian War Museum - First World War

Friday, October 14. 2011

2011-10-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will take the first twenty-five minutes of class to write our violent crime quiz. After we'll finish the Criminal Minds episode from Friday (The Aftermath) and discuss the profile of the unsub. Lastly, we'll begin our look at property crimes, where we'll discuss the history of theft and make sense of the differences between occasional and professional thieves. You'll need to answer the following:

What are the differences between a professional and an occasional thief?
What is a "situational inducement"?
What is a "Booster", a "Heel", a "Snitch", a "Fence"?

B Block Geography 12 - Thank you for your effort on your test yesterday. Remember I pushed the due date for the Orting project to Monday but if you have it done please hand it in to me. Today we are watching one of the worst disaster movies of all time...Dante's Peak. You will have a series of questions to answer about the volcanology in the movie. Believe it or not there are actually some good things about the movie. Seriously though there are too many errors in science to count but you'll need to try to identify a few. We'll finish as much of the movie as we can today.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today you'll write quiz three of the course on crime scenes and forensics. After the quiz we will continue our look at criminal forensics by getting fingerprinted. We will all get one set of fingers (and thumb) on one hand fingerprinted (our non dominant hand) by using graphite pencils and scotch tape. You will need to identify whether or not your prints are loops, arches, or whorls and then place them up on the blackboard. We will then count up the total number of loops, arches, and whorls for each finger (and thumb) for the class and graph the data. If there's time, we'll finish the CSI episode from season 3 that we began last week (Abra Cadaver where Grissom, Warrick, and Sara investigate when a woman vanishes while taking part in a magician's act. The primary suspect is the magician. Catherine and Nick investigate the apparent overdose of a rock star).

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we are going to finish the Laurier Era work we started this week. First we'll look at yesterday's work on the changes to the economy of Canada in the early 20th Century. We'll talk about advances in technology and the resource extraction economy. We'll talk about unions and the gap between wealth and poverty and you'll need to hand in questions 1-3 from page 16. For the rest of the class, we'll understand the differences between primary and secondary sources in historical research and I'll have you practice that by working on questions 1-7 on page 18-19 in the Counterpoints textbook (Building Your Skills: Analyzing primary and secondary sources). For more information to help on "The Last Best West" see the Canadian Museum of Civilization on line exhibit. For more on primary documents see the Ontario History Quest.

Monday we are turning our focus to the underlying causes of the First World War.

Thursday, October 13. 2011

2011-10-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Yesterday we looked at ethnocentricism, xenophobia, and racism. This will help with questions 1 to 4 on page 13 in the Counterpoints, especially the ones on assimilation of aboriginal culture, restrictions on Asian immigration, and fear over the changes to Canadian culture. Yesterday I posted some links and for Residential Schools and Assimilation see:
CBC News Residential Schools
CBC A History of Residential Schools in Canada
Residential Schools at Surviving the Past

For Asian Immigration restrictions see:
Canada In the Making: Asian Immigration

Those questions are due today and for the remainder of the class we'll take a look at the changes to the economy of Canada in the early 20th Century. We'll talk about advances in technology and the resource extraction economy. We'll talk about unions and the gap between wealth and poverty and you'll need to complete questions 1-3 on page 16.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll be back in the library working on the Rookie Training section of the Rice University CSI Web experience site. Don't forget that you should complete the training for Forensic Biology (DNA), Toxicology, Firearms and Toolmarks (Ballistics), Medical Examiner (Pathologist) and CSI Ethics FIRST. Today I'd like you to work through the intermediate case (Canine Caper). Rice University CSI Web Adventure site.
If there's time after then you can continue work on your Clue Us In crime scene project which is due next Monday.

B Block Geography 12 - Today is your Tectonics Unit Final Test. I hope you come prepared (A.K.A. you studied!) If you did study then I'm sure you'll do fine. You'll need the entire block for the test. Good Luck!

A Block Criminology 12 - So yesterday we got caught up in Pepe le Pew (who in the cartoon committed break and enter, criminal mischief, kidnapping, criminal harassment and sexual assault). Today I'll finish up the violence section with you by looking at abuse, domestic assault and terrorism all which will help you with your unit quiz on Friday. After, we'll begin property crime, where we'll discuss the history of theft and make sense of the differences between occasional and professional thieves.

Wednesday, October 12. 2011

2011-10-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll get into the movie Dante's Peak. All the really cool stuff (Volcanic destruction) that happens in the movie starts off pretty quick after about 40 minutes into the movie. You have questions from the movie that are due on Friday and I'll give you time to answer them after we finish the movie. NOTE: Your Orting, Washington case study is due Friday and you have a unit final tomorrow so please keep on top of things.

A Block Criminology 12 - OK so we know where violence comes from. We know what homicide is, the divisions of murder and why people do it. We understand what sexual assault is, the typology of assault and the motives for doing it. Today I'll finish up the violence section with you by looking at abuse, domestic assault and terrorism. You'll have a unit quiz on Friday and tomorrow we'll begin property crime.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today you have time to work on the questions from the end of yesterday's class. Our focus today is understanding the culture of Canada at the turn of the century. You'll need to understand the following concepts: prejudice, stereotyping, ethnocentricism, xenophobia, and racism. This will help with the questions on assimilation of aboriginal culture, restrictions on Asian immigration, and fear over the changes to Canadian culture.
For Residential Schools and Assimilation see:
CBC News Residential Schools
CBC A History of Residential Schools in Canada
Residential Schools at Surviving the Past

For Asian Immigration restrictions see:
Canada In the Making: Asian Immigration

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll be in the library working on the Rookie Training section of the Rice University CSI Web experience site. I'd like you to mess around and coomplete the training for Forensic Biology (DNA), Toxicology, Firearms and Toolmarks (Ballistics), Medical Examiner (Pathologist) and CSI Ethics. Tomorrow I have the library booked again and you'll have time to work through the intermediate case (Canine Caper). Rice University CSI Web Adventure site.

'Superhero' in Seattle arrested for assault

2011-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

'Superhero' in Seattle arrested for assault Sympatico.ca News

OK Criminology family remember that we takled about "Phoenix" Jones and the Rain City Superhero Movement? Looks like poor Phoenix can't avoid an assault charge. Remember there is a reason why we have a police force...the police serve as the official law enforcement arm of the justice system. They exist so that we can avoid vigilantism in society. Nonetheless it looks like a real life version of the Incredibles (an no Phoenix Jones is not Mr. Incredible) is about to befall members of the Rain City Superhero Movement.

Tuesday, October 11. 2011

2011-10-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at criminal forensics by looking at how investigators estimate time of death, how fingerprints are "lifted" at a crime scene (including what AFIS is), what the "Four T's" are for marks at a scene, how fibres are used, and what ballistics is. This week we'll do our fingerprinting activity, we'll work through two of the modules of the Rice University CSI website and you'll have a crime to try and solve in class.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we start looking at the Laurier Era in Canadian history. I want you to think about what life was like, here in the Comox Valley, 100 years ago in 1911. How big was the community? Where did people live? What did people do? What were manners like? What were the values of society? Look at the Courtenay and District Museum and Archives to see pictures.

Cliffe Avenue around 1900

Check out the "Get Briefed" website to see some information about the Laurier Era in Canada.

After this discussion I'll have you look through pages 9-12 in the Counterpoints textbook and work on questions 1-4 on page 13 (due tomorrow).

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we are going to the library to work on our next blog / journal entry. Below, you'll find a question on hypermasculinity, male socialization, and sexual assault. I will need you to answer that question and then find a news story about a sexual assault. You will need to try to explain the motivation and roots of the behaviour of the assaulter in the story.

Explain how sexual behaviour could be socialized in males. Do you think that males who commit sexual assault are "hypermasculine"? Why and where do men learn "hypermasculine" behaviour?

The factors that predispose men to commit sexual assault include evolutionary factors, male socialization, psychological abnormality, and social learning. Most criminologists believe that rape is not sexually motivated. The evolutionary and biological factors of males suggest that sexual assault may be instinctual and developed over the ages in an effort to perpetuate the species. This notion holds that men who are sexually aggressive will have a reproductive edge over their more passive peers. Conversely, the male socialization view argues that men are socialized to be the aggressors and expect to be sexually active with many women. Sexual insecurity, then, may then lead some men to commit sexual assault to bolster their self-image. Hypermasculine men typically have a callous sexual attitude and believe that violence is manly. Finally, another view is that men learn to commit sexual assaults as they learn any other behaviour.

Here is another perspective on this issue. Think about the media we are exposed to in youth...

Check out more at the official Miss Representation website.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we are watching one of the worst disaster movies of all time...Dante's Peak (oh Bond...James Bond; I mean Dalton...Harry Dalton of the USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory you dedicated vulcanologist yet tortured soul).

You will have a series of questions to answer about the volcanology in the movie. Believe it or not there are actually some good things about the movie. I'm a big fan of the lahars and the pyroclastic flow is a fairly decent recreation. What I really want is a truck that can drive over top and through a lava flow like the US Forest Service truck in the movie...That would be sweet! Seriously though there are too many errors in science to count but you'll need to try to identify a few. We'll finish the movie on Wednesday. By the way I'd like to remind you that you have a unit final on tectonics this Thursday...please prepare yourself so you should:

study
eat
sleep

A note about your test. You will have a unit final on tectonics (and to a smaller extent topographic map skills and systems) this Thursday...That is October 13th. At the beginning of the year I handed you a review for the final exam (in your course outline) so look over the weeks one through five note/assignment packages and the review on the course outline to see what you should prepare for. If all else fails ask for help.

Friday, October 7. 2011

2011-10-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today is your Government of Canada unit final test and if you prepared for it I am certain you will do well. You have the whole block to complete this test. Good Luck

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll be in the classroom and we'll examine the people who work in a forensic lab. When we're done we'll watch a CSI episode from season 3 (Abra Cadaver where Grissom, Warrick, and Sara investigate when a woman vanishes while taking part in a magician's act. The primary suspect is the magician. Catherine and Nick investigate the apparent overdose of a rock star). The forensic scientists we'll look at today are:

Forensic Anthropologists
Forensic Biologists
DNA Specialists
Forensic Serologist
Forensic Botanists
Forensic Dendrologists
Forensic Chemists
Forensic Toxicologists
Forensic Odontologists
Forensic Entomologists
Forensic Geologists
Forensic Pathologists
Forensic Physicists
Ballistics Specialists
Forensic Psychologists
Fingerprint Analysts
Voice Identification Specialists
Forensic Artists
Document Examiners
Computer Forensic Specialist
Forensic Photographer

Check out SFU's "So you want to be a Forensic Scientist" webpage or check out the "All you ever wanted to know about Forensic Science in Canada but didn't know who to ask" booklet compiled by Dr. Gail Anderson and posted by the Canadian Society of Forensic Science.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're back in the library to continue our research on the Orting high school case study. Should the town of Orting, Washington, build a new high school to attract people to their community or not? What will the impact of increased population be on the tiny town that sits in the shadows of Mt. Rainier? The assignment is in your week 5 package and was posted on this blogsite so check out yesterday's entry. Remember my note of caution...

What is the greatest danger to Orting? Of all that could potentially happen at Mount Rainier what poses the greatest threat? Now ask yourself what triggers that threat? What causes it to happen? Last think about the statistical likelyhood of that event happening. How likely is the event to occur in the next 5, 10, 100, or 1000 years? Check out the risk analysis section of the COTF website for help here.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will finish our look at the causes for sexual assault. We'll look at evolutionary and biological factors (remember Sigmund Freud's Thantos and Eros or instinctual drives that allowed species to be successful?) We'll look at modern male socialization (boys are taught to be aggressive, forceful, tough, and dominating...think about how boys play when they're young). We'll look at hypermasculinity (where some men have callous sexual attitudes and believe that violence is "manly"). We'll look at violent experiences (remember that those boys who were exposed to violence in the household are more likely to commit violent acts when they grow older) and we'll look at Sexual motivation (social, cultural, and psychological forces...think about the messages hidden in Axe body spray commercials).

We'll watch a Criminal Minds episode today "The Aftermath". The BAU (Behavioural Analysis Unit) investigates a serial rapist who had been attacking young women at religious schools and stopped for six weeks. He has resumed his attacks, but is now targeting a different demographic of women. We'll try to understand what type of sexual assaulter the unsub is and unpack his motives.

Enjoy the long weekend...Pau Hana Ohana!

Thursday, October 6. 2011

2011-10-06T07:03:00.000-07:00

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

D Block Social Studies 11 - You have the class today to finish the case study work on the Abrams v. Doug Collins & North Shore Free Press Ltd. (1996) B.C. human rights tribunal cas3 (questions 1-3 on page 303 of the Counterpoints textbook). Don't forget that you have a test tomorrow. I gave you a review of the government in Canada this week and yesterday we went over the booklet. You have a test tomorrow in class so use the remaining time to review your package, organize your notes, pick up your marked work and prepare for tomorrow's unit final. Study, Sleep and Eat for tomorrow. Don't forget that there is a quick guide to test questions in your course outline. Good luck.

From Canada's Hate Crime Clearinghouse...

Abrams v. North Shore Free Press Ltd. and Collins (No.3) (1999), 33 C.H.R.R. D/435 (B.C. Tribunal)

In this case, the Complainant, Harry Abrams claimed that the Respondents, North Shore Free Press Ltd. and Doug Collins, published or caused to be published articles that discriminate against Jewish persons and are likely to expose those persons to hatred or contempt on the basis of race, religion and ancestry, contrary to Section 2 of the British Columbia Human Rights Act, S.B.C. 1984, c. 22, now Section 7 of the British Columbia Human Rights Code, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 210. In particular, he alleged “that the continual barrage of articles written by Mr. Doug Collins promoting his view on Holocaust revisionism and Jewish conspiracies, have a cumulative affect of promoting hatred and contempt towards Jewish people.” The Respondents countered that Section 2 of the British Columbia Human Rights Act violates Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The tribunal decided that there was sufficient evidence to rule in favor of the complainant. Collins and the North Shore News were ordered to cease publishing statements that are likely to expose Jewish persons to hatred and contempt and refrain from committing the same or similar contravention, and pay a fine of $2,000 to the Complainant as compensation for the injury they had caused to his dignity and self respect.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library for the last day this week so that you may continue your work on the Clue Us In crime scene investigation project. Please remember that the library has books on forensic investigation and I have books on crime scene investigation as well. Use these resources to aid you in the development of your project. Remember you need to create a crime...replicate the crime scene...investigate the crime as if you were an R.C.M.P. officer...and prepare a dossier file to hand over to Crown Counsel so that they may prosecute the case. Good Luck.

B Block Geography 12 - Today we're off to the library to begin our first day of research on the Orting high school case study. Should the town of Orting, Washington, build a new high school to attract people to their community or not? What will the impact of increased population be on the tiny town that sits in the shadows of Mt. Rainier? The assignment is in your week 5 package and was adapted from the following website: http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/volcano.html

Websites of help for this assignment:

The following URL’s will help:
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Rainier/framework.html
http://davem2.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/volcano.html
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/lahar/index.php
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/cover2.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/mshnvm/
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Rainier/Hazards/OFR98-428/framework.html
http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/dem/MountRainier.htm
http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/xml/abtus/ourorg/dem/Mt%20rainier%20learning%20to%20live%20w%20risk.pdf
http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/xml/abtus/ourorg/dem/EMDiv/MP/PC%20Volcanic.pdf
http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/Abtus/ourorg/dem/EMDiv/Planning.htm
http://www.cityoforting.org/Lahar_Information.html
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/savageplanet/01volcano/03/indexmid.html
http://www.uccs.edu/~geogenvs/ges199/rainier/orting.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7886762/
http://projects.ups.edu/gjones/fall2004/AB/BridgeForKids/
http://www.bridge4kids.com/index.html

Just a note of caution...

What is the greatest danger to Orting? Of all that could potentially happen at Mount Rainier what poses the greatest threat? Now ask yourself what triggers that threat? What causes it to happen? Last think about the statistical likelyhood of that event happening. How likely is the event to occur in the next 5, 10, 100, or 1000 years? Check out the risk analysis section of the COTF website for help here.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll begin with a discussion about rape and sexual assault in Canada. You'll take down a few notes on what a sexual assault is along with the three levels of sexual assault in Canadian Law. I would like to focus on Groth's typology of rapist and then examine the causes for sexual assault. We'll look at evolutionary and biological factors (remember Sigmund Freud's Thantos and Eros or instinctual drives that allowed species to be successful?) We'll look at modern male socialization (boys are taught to be aggressive, forceful, tough, and dominating...think about how boys play when they're young). We'll look at hypermasculinity (where some men have callous sexual attitudes and believe that violence is "manly"). We'll look at violent experiences (remember that those boys who were exposed to violence in the household are more likely to commit violent acts when they grow older) and we'll look at Sexual motivation (social, cultural, and psychological forces...think about the messages hidden in Axe body spray commercials).
For more info check out the following sites:
Teen Handbook on Sexual Assault (Sarnia Sexual Assault Survivor's Centre)
The Devastation of Sexual Assault (Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime)
Prevent Sexual Violence: Love Shouldn't Hurt Youth Zone
Alberta Association of Sexual Assault Centres

Consider the message that this commercial sends to people...

Wednesday, October 5. 2011

2011-10-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today I will review the upcoming project/assignment that you have (building a new school in Orting Washington). We'll start watching Mega Disasters: American Volcano to help; this is a sweet "what if" disaster video and it explains the dangers of the slumbering giant...Mount Rainier.

Now for fun (as if there isn't enough Volcano fun already in Geography 12)...

Remember how I was talking with you about walking on Lava in Hawaii? Below you'll find a YouTube video compilation of a series called "On the Volcanoes of the World" where French vulcanologist Guy de Saint Cyr takes people around the world to study Volcanoes....Sweet!

You could also watch the Hawaii episode here.

Or you could watch this...

Yeah that would probably be me.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will spend a few minutes reviewing our discussion of serial and mass murder from yesterday and then try to understand a little bit about psychopathology. To better understand the people that commit heinous acts of murder, we'll take the class to understand what a "psychopath" is. Too often people throw the term psycho around without really understanding what it means so we'll look at Dr. Robert Hare's PCL-R (Psychopathy Checklist Revised). The diagnosis "Psychopath" is closely related to Antisocial Personality Disorder in the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition). We'll end the class looking at the motivations of mass and serial murder and dispel the myths surrounding those who commit them. After we'll finish the Law & Order Criminal Intent episode "Jones" about a psychopathic killer. If there's time we'll finish our look at mass murder by focusing on Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who killed 13 students at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado (for more see school shooters) and the leader of the "People's Temple"- the Reverend James Warren "Jim" Jones and the mass suicide of over 900 people in Jonestown Guyana.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today you've got the block to finish questions 1-3 on page 303 dealing with the Abrams v. Doug Collins & North Shore Free Press Ltd. (1996) B.C. human rights tribunal case. Don't ask, “Do we have to write a letter for question one?” and the answer is yes. You have today and tomorrow to work on this and it will be due tomorrow. You have your review package for the unit final test and we'll go through it in preparation for Friday's unit final.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are back in the library so that you may continue your work on the Clue Us In crime scene investigation project. Please remember that the library has books on forensic investigation and I have books on crime scene investigation as well. Use these resources to aid you in the development of your project. Remember you need to create a crime...replicate the crime scene...investigate the crime as if you were an R.C.M.P. officer...and prepare a dossier file to hand over to Crown Counsel so that they may prosecute the case. Good Luck.

Tuesday, October 4. 2011

2011-10-04T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to the library so that you may continue your work on the crime scene investigation project (Clue Us In). You'll have some time as the week goes along to finish up this crime scene reconstruction activity and the assignment is due next Friday, October 14th, 2011. I posted the details of this assignment on this blogsite so check out yesterday's entry for help.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll start with the Charter. I'll go over your fundamental freedoms (section 2), your legal rights (sections 7-14) and your equality rights (section 15). After I'll have you work on questions 1-3 on page 303 dealing with the Abrams v. Doug Collins & North Shore Free Press Ltd. (1996) B.C. human rights tribunal case. Don't ask, “Do we have to write a letter for question one?” and the answer is yes. You have today and tomorrow to work on this and it will be due on Thursday (when you've got your test). I'll give you your review package today and we'll go through it tomorrow in preparation for Thursday's unit final.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll try to make sense of mass and serial murder. First we'll finish the Law & Order Criminal Intent episode "Jones" that we started on Friday and chat about it afterwards. After that we'll we'll discuss murder and homicide. We'll discuss the divisions of murder in Canada (1st and 2nd degree and manslaughter), the extent of murder in Canada, and murderous relations (acquaintance and stranger homicide). Finally, I'd like you to explain the types of serial and mass murderer along with the reasons why they commit these crimes. You can find the answers to this in the work of Jack Levin and James Alan Fox "Multiple Homicide: Patterns of Serial and Mass Murder". The summary of their work is on pages 234 and 235 of the textbook in the Criminological Enterprise section. For more info look at the work of John Douglas (former FBI profiler) on mindhunter.com (look in the article section and there is a great read entitled "So, you want to become a profiler..."). You will need to use this work to help with yesterday's blog entry.

In order to understand mass murder and motives we will dedicate some time this week to the murders at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado a decade ago. We'll examine the Department of Justice (FBI) Critical Incident Response Group report "The School Shooter: A Threat Assessment Perspective" and the Columbine Review Commission report of Governor Bill Owens. In essence we'll look at the background of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold as well as the types of behavior, personality traits, and circumstances in the family, school, and community environment that should be regarded as warning signs of school shooters.

B Block - Geography 12 -Yesterday we took some notes about the five types of volcanoes and watched Bill Nye talk about them....Volcanoes!

Today I will show you some footage of the Kilauea eruption (both pahoehoe and aa flows) and the Soufriere Hills volcanic eruption on Montserrat. We'll then look at the differences between explosive and effusive volcanic eruptions (think silica and gas) and you'll have a big question to look at. Tomorrow we will focus on Mount Saint Helens, Thursday we'll look at our case study and focus on Mount Rainier and then both Friday and next Tuesday (after Thanksgiving) we're in the library working on our first project. For more on what makes an explosive as opposed to an effusive eruption look at:

The Geological Society of the UK

Monday, October 3. 2011

2011-10-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will be in the library to work on our third blog entry and I'd like you to find out as much information as you can about two notorous Canadian murderers... Clifford Robert Olson Jr. (Serial) and Marc Lépine (Mass). For this assignment I'd like you to tell me what they did and why they did it....use Levin & Fox's typology of serial and mass murder to explain motives. Do not use Wikipedia as your source for this assignment use the links on the names above. Aside from answering what they did and why they did it, also try to answer what can we learn from their horrific actions and is it ever possible to stop people like this in Canada? Why or Why not?

B Bloock Geography 12 - Today....Oh today we start on Volcanoes....Sweet! It's a Bill Nye the Science Guy video (brought to you by the Law Offices of Magma, Lava, Tefra, and Pumice making mountains out of vent holes for over four billion years) and then we'll try to understand the five different types of volcanoes, with examples, and see if we can figure out where these beasts are on the planet. This all sets us up for our Mt. Rainier project later on next week. We'll look at the Mount Saint Helens eruption of 1980 (May 18th at 8:32 am) and watch some sweet vids on Kilauea. Warning: Geek Alert! (By the way at the 1:55 minute mark of the video you'll see Bill @ Mount Saint Helens...not too far off from where the picture of he and I was taken....like I said Geek Alert!) If you missed it here's the YouTube link to the video we're watching in class

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to continue your look at crime scene investigation procedures and we will begin our work on our case study project.

You will need to imagine that you are a constable in the Comox Valley R.C.M.P. detachment specializing in criminalistics and crime scene analysis. You are going to create a crime scene dossier file that you would normally put together for the Crown Counsel. You have been called out to a crime scene here in the Comox Valley and when you arrive at the scene you need to begin your narrative report. What do you need to do?

•Create a crime (ex: murder, arson, kidnapping, assault)
•Choose eight pieces of evidence (from the list below) that you would find at the crime scene and either help you solve the crime or mislead the investigators
•Create a victim, a perpetrator, two other potential subjects, & witnesses (not necessary)
•Create a dossier file that contains the following: a walk through narrative; pictures of the eight pieces of evidence (with a description, a tag number, and an explanation of where it was found); a detailed crime scene diagram/sketch with pictures of what the crime scene looked like and the identification of evidence; forensics lab sheets for each piece of evidence that describes the evidence and explains what the evidence tells you; transcripts of any interviews conducted by investigators (including potential eyewitnesses or suspects); a narrative of how you "solved" the crime so that the Crown Counsel can move forward with laying charges and proceed to trial.

Evidence to choose from: human hair, synthetic hair, carpet fibres, cotton fibres, bullet cartridges, bullet holes, finger prints, foot/shoe prints, blood stains (drip, splatter, pool), bodily fluids, skin epithelials, tube of lipstick, can of coke, apple core, piece of rope, body, accellerants, matches, money (wallet), poisons, bugs or larvae (blowflies), cigar or cigarette but, mug, tire treads, or any other trace evidence but you must approve the other evidence with me.

I will have examples for you to look at and we will also work on this next week in class.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today you've got a bit of time to finish up Friday's work:
You'll have to answer the following questions:

What is a pressure group? What is a lobbyist? How do they influence government?
What is the role of the media in the political process (think news, reporting, campaigns, and advertising)? and
What is civil disobedience? What are the three "guidelines" for practicing civil disobedience?

Next we'll be looking at the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. You need to look through pages 275 to 276 in your Counterpoints text and summarize our legal rights outlined in sections 7-14 of the Charter (figure 11-7 on p. 276 would be a good place). Next, you need to identify what our fundamental freedoms and equality rights are (page 299) - Note: This should be in point form. Last, work on questions 1-3 on page 303 dealing with the Abrams v. Doug Collins & North Shore Free Press Ltd. (1996) B.C. human rights tribunal case. Don't ask, “Do we have to write a letter for question one?” and the answer is yes. You have today and tomorrow to work on this and it will be due on Friday (when you've got your test).

Friday, September 30. 2011

2011-09-30T07:06:00.000-07:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we'll start by finishing the Tsunami video we started yesterday in class: America's Tsunami Are We Next?. You'll need to complete two questions this weekend along with today's activity on plate boundaries. When we finish the video you'll then work on a plate tectonic boundary map of the world. You will need coloured pencils to copy the plate map from your Geosystems text or if you're not here check out:
http://www.platetectonics.com
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html
http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/plates1.html
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.html
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/PlateTectonics/Graphics/framework.html
Ensure that you use different colours for divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries. You'll need to name the plates and show the relative direction that they travel as well. HINT: Do NOT forget the Juan de Fuca plate!

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will spend a few minutes reviewing our discussion of violence and psychopathy from yesterday. After I'll have you watch a Law & Order Criminal Intent episode "Jones" about a psychopathic killer. From Wapedia...

In this episode, Detective Goren and Eames are investigating the death of a pretty, petite woman found drowned in her bathtub.

The detectives go to work, turning down a more high-profile case because this one looks interesting. Suddenly, they find themselves awash when a second victim is another petite woman found naked and washed up on shore just days apart. Goren quickly deduces she, too, was drowned in a bathtub. But the case turns out even bigger as a third body is found, with similar body type and strangled but not drowned. Later, a fourth woman is killed.

The investigation leads Goren and Eames to an abusive, cocaine-addicted lawyer. The connection is that the women were his clients and he also was taking them for a significant amount of money to help feed his gambling addictions. The detectives dig into the case, knowing that he has one more unknown victim remaining on his list. Since Goren and Eames are unable to get help from his wife, they race in a desperate attempt to save the potential victim.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Yesterday we looked at the five major political parties, their platforms and tried to select a party that most represents your beliefs. today you'll start by working through questions 1, 2, and 4 on page 258 of the Counterpoints textbook. After we'll take a look at other ways of influencing government such as civil disobedience, mass media, pressure groups and lobbyists (if you're good we may watch an episode of Family Guy - episode 303 "Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington). You'll have to answer the following questions:

What is a pressure group? What is a lobbyist? How do they influence government?
What is the role of the media in the political process (think news, reporting, campaigns, and advertising)?
What is civil disobedience? What are the three "guidelines" for practicing civil disobedience?

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at crime scene investigation. We will look at the basic stages of a search, documenting evidence, and examples of what is included in a crime scene investigator's toolkit. After this, we will watch the CSI episode "Burden of Proof" (Season 2 Episode 215). This leads us into your "Clue Us In" crime scene reconstruction project next week. On Monday I'll give you the criteria/outline for the project and then we'll be in the library from Tuesday through Thursday to work on it.

Pau Hana Ohana

Thursday, September 29. 2011

2011-09-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

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

Because it is Terry Fox day here at Vanier the schedule for the day is altered. It looks like this:
D 9:05-9:55
C 10:00-10:50
Assembly/Run/Lunch 10:55-1:15
A 1:20-2:15
B 2:20-3:15

D Block Social Studies 11 - Yesterday we got caught up in a discussion about economics, politics and recent US & Canadian history...no big deal as it was a good conversation. Today we'll get back on track by looking at the five major political parties and their platforms. I'll have you look through the platforms and try to select a party that most represents your beliefs. You'll need to explain why you would choose that party if you were eligible to vote today. After I'll have you work through questions 1, 2, and 4 on page 258 of the Counterpoints textbook.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we will continue our look at crime scene investigation. We will look at examining a dead body and review the scientists in the forensic crime lab. Tomorrow, you'll get a photocopied handout of your "Clue Us In" crime scene reconstruction/investigation assignment that you'll have time to work on in the library next week.

Don't forget that this Friday your poster is due (Serial Killer profiling analysis). If you are interested in playing crime scene investigation on line go to: Rice University's CSI: The Experience Web Adventure
We'll work on Rookie Training together next week.

B Block Geography 12 - Yesterday we looked at earthquakes and the seismic gap concept (focusing on Izmit Turkey in 1999). Today....Oh today we look at Tsunamis and the west coast of North America. We'll watch sections of the Discovery Channel documentary "America's Tsunami: Are we Next?" You will have two questions to work on tonight in your week four package:

How do Tsunami’s work? from p.11 &

Why can tsunamis cause such damage and devastation? What are some characteristics of the wave that factor into how much damage it could cause? How do coastal or shoreline features factor into the extent of damage? What role could a warning system play? How effective would a warning system be for the west coast of Vancouver Island? Why?

You can find more information at:
PBS documentary "The Wave that Shook the World"
PEP Tsunami Preparedness website

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll finish watching the Warner Brothers cartoons that we started yesterday in class and we'll wrap up our discussion with a few notes on the question: Where does violence come from? We'll look at personal traits, ineffective families, evolutionary factors, exposure to violence, cultural values, substance abuse, and firearm availability. After that we'll we'll discuss murder and homicide. We'll discuss the divisions of murder in Canada (1st and 2nd degree and manslaughter), the extent of murder in Canada, and murderous relations (acquaintance and stranger homicide). If there's time I'd like to talk about multiple homicides (mass and serial murder) and motives for killing other human beings.

Wednesday September 28. 2011

2011-09-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

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

B Block Geography 12 - Today we shift our focus (pun intended) to earthquakes. We'll look at some video of the aftermath of the Izmit Turkey 1999 Mw7.4 earthquake along the North Anatolian fault. We'll also look at the Loma Prieta (San Fracisco) 1989 Mw6.9 earthquake along the San Andreas fault. We'll try to compare the two and then take some notes down about the three types of faults. After, you'll have a series of questions to complete from the Geosystems text (14, 15, 16, & 19 from p. 412). Check out the cool interactive activity at National Geographic Forces of Nature or the Today in Earthquake History at the USGS. For more information check out the Digital Geology webpage on earthquakes.

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we'll watch some Warner Brothers cartoons with all the glorious violence in them and we'll have a discussion about the acceptance of violence in our modern culture. While we watch the cartoons I want you to think about the implicit and implied messages that each cartoon sends to kids (rather than the explicit and obvious messages) and then we'll talk about what those messages do even if kids understand the difference between cartoon and real violence. We'll then complete our discussion with a few notes on the question: Where does violence come from? We'll look at personal traits, ineffective families, evolutionary factors, exposure to violence, cultural values, substance abuse, and firearm availability. Tomorrow, we'll try to make sense of homicide along with mass and serial murder.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll be looking at elections in Canada (including the 2011 Federal election held this past May) specifically focusing on political ideology and the parties that follow specific ideologies. A political ideology deals with goals (how society should work) and methods (how to reach the goals). We'll look at the major political parties in Canada: Liberal, Conservative, New Democratic, Green, and Bloc Quebecois. Well see what their platforms (goals and methods) were/are.

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to finish up our crime map of the Comox Valley and understand geographic profiling and criminal hot spots, If we finish this activity then we'll start with our unit on crime scene procedures and we'll look at what the basic stages of a crime scene search are. The following are some great web pages to help understand the procedures:
Learning for Life Crime Scene Search study guide
U.S. Department of Justice Crime Scene Investigation guide
Criminal Profiling Crime Scene searches (FBI guidelines)

If you are interested in crime scene investigation as a career check out the BCIT courses (in Burnaby!) here

Tuesday, September 27. 2011

2011-09-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

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

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we are going to start with your second quiz dealing with the topics we covered in Law 9/10 last week (mass & serial murder, profiling, and criminal pathology). Since we lost yesterday's class to the power outage we'll work on what we missed so... from yesterday's blog entry - After your quiz, we'll finish our look at profiling by examining Geographic profiling. I'll ask you to brainstorm a list of locations in the Comox Valley that you feel crime will be more prevalent in and you'll have to justify your reasoning. We'll work on a Comox Valley Crime Map from the Comox Valley CrimeStoppers website.

D Block Social Studies 11 - Since we lost yesterday afternoon's class to the power outage we'll need to focus a bit harder today. So, today we'll talk about the ways you can influence government, focusing on elections and voting. We'll look at representation by population, the first past the post system, and the concept of proportional representation. You'll need to work on 1, 2, 3, and 4 on page 253 along with 1 and 2 on page 258 of your Counterpoints textbook today. For help on why you should vote see:
Elections Canada Young Voters Site
Elections Canada Electoral System explanation
Compulsory voting in Australia explanati on
Electoral Reform in BC First Past the Post or STV
About.com First Past the Post vs Proportional Representation
Historical record of Canadian Voter turnout
2011 Election Results CBC

A Block Criminology 12 - Today we will start with our Victimology quiz and then look at violent crime. We will focus on the roots of violent crime today. Where does violence come from (personal traits, ineffective families, evolutionary factors, exposure to violence, cultural values, substance abuse, and firearm availability)?

For homework tonight I would like you brainstorm a list of all the entertainment you can think of that is based in violence. Think of video games (HALO), television programs (CSI), books (30 Days of Night comics), movies (Saw), music (ONYX, Biggie, Megadeath, Anthrax, Slayer), sports (MMA, WWE), and other forms of entertainment. Take some time and scan through the TV channels this weekend (yep watch TV for homework). Can the roots of violence be traced back to youth? If so should we ban Warner Brothers cartoons? Is Bugs Bunny bad for kids? Comedy and violence are intermingled into a typical or formulaic narrative story.....Wile E. Coyote chases the Road Runner, Elmer Fudd chases Bugs Bunny, Sylvester chases Tweety Bird andthey inflict carnage on each other. The end is always the same....someone wins, someone loses, the loser is humiliated and we laugh at them (good clean wholesome fun). So tomorrow we'll watch some Warner Brothers cartoons with all the glorious violence in them and we'll have a discussion about the acceptance of violence in our modern culture. Think about the implicit and implied messages that each cartoon sends to kids.

An excellent source of information on violence in media and its link to aggression is the Media Awareness Network.
Check out Time Magazine for a good article on "Seeking the Roots of Violence".

B Block Geography 12 - For the first part of the class Mr. Claassen will take you to the library to work on your Graduation Transitions assignment. When that is finished and you're back in Geography, you'll work on your Day 14 assignment (define anticline & syncline, and work on questions 4 - 5 from page 412 in your Geosystems text). You will also have the opportunity to work on your Day 13 Juan de Fuca plate and Geothermal energy questions as well. For help with the geothermal energy check out:

USGS Other Energy Sources (Geothermal)

Canadian Geothermal Energy Association

US Energy Information Agency Energy Kids Geothermal

Monday, September 26. 2011

2011-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

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

A Block Criminology 12 - Today your journal / blog entry is to post your response to Friday's question:

What are the short and long term impacts on victims of Crime? Use Harper in the Law & Order episode you watched today (Friday) and Chapter 3 pages 54-7 in Criminology: The Core textbook to help.

Next, I'd like you to find an article (news story) about a victim of crime and for that you should outline the impacts of the crime on them. Finally, using the two stories (one fictional and one real) explain what we should do to mitigate (soften the impact) the impacts of crime on victims (be realistic). Don't forget to find stories on crime in Canada check out the Canoe CNews crime archives.

B Block Geography 12 - Today in class you’ll look at tectonics and plate boundaries. You’ll have to take down a few notes on divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries along with hot spots and then you'll need to work on two questions on geothermal energy and the effects of the Juan de Fuca plate and ridge just off our shores.

For more on Plate Tectonics check out:

Earth Floor: Plate Tectonics
UCal Berkeley Plate Tectonics animated Gifs
NASA: Our Restless Planet animation library
Plate Tectonics Earth View
Plate Tectonics animations - University of Kentucky
UCAR - University of Michigan - Plate Tectonics
Essentials of Geology textbook Plate Tectonics animations

C Block Law 9/10 - Today we'll do a quick review for your second quiz (tomorrow) dealing with the topics we covered in Law 9/10 last week (mass & serial murder, profiling, and criminal pathology). After, we'll finish our look at profiling by examining Geographic profiling. I'll ask you to brainstorm a list of locations in the Comox Valley that you feel crime will be more prevalent in and you'll have to justify your reasoning. For more on Geographic profiling check out:

Mapping Crime by Keith Harris
Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation
RCMP Geographic Profiling

Los Angeles Auto Theft hot spots 2003

D Block Social Studies 11 - Today we'll finish our government structure work. We've looked at the legislative and executive branches of government and I'll have you take down a chart comparing the structure of the federal and provincial/territorial governments. Today we'll talk about the ways you can influence government, focusing on elections and voting. We'll look at representation by population, the first past the post system, and the concept of proportional representation. You'll need to work on 1, 2, 3, and 4 on page 253 along with 1 and 2 on page 258 of your Counterpoints textbook today. For help on why you should vote see:
Elections Canada Young Voters Site
Elections Canada Electoral System explanation
Compulsory voting in Australia explanati on
Electoral Reform in BC First Past the Post or STV
About.com First Past the Post vs Proportional Representation
Historical record of Canadian Voter turnout
2008 Election Results CBC