Today’s schedule is D-C-A-B
C - 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 on the Cape Verde islands off the west coast of Africa) and then we’ll switch to the National Geographic Inside Hurricane Katrina DVD. I hope that through my stories and the actual footage of the catastrophe you can start to understand the human component to natural disasters. Through this maybe you'll get an inkling as to why I say that this is the most important class you'll ever take in your life. Consider the Political, Environmental, Economic, Physical, and Social effects of the hurricane on not just the Gulf Coast, but the entire United States as a result.
A & D - Criminology 12 - Today we will spend a few minutes reviewing our discussion of violence from yesterday. We'll look at the difference between serial and mass murder 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 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.
B - Earth & Space Science 11 - You're back in the library today for your next day to work on the major project for the year. Don't forget that it is your responsibility to create a review of the Earth & Space Science curriculum for a student in grade 7 (12 to 13 years old). Your next checkpoint is in two weeks (the Friday after you return from your May long weekend) and this will be your first project mark for term four. After that there are just three weeks left in the course to complete your project so please make sure that you use your time wisely.
Nestled away, in the back corner of G.P. Vanier, you'll find room 115 (we used to be 611). Lurking in the shadows of this room is Mr. Young...waiting to pounce on unsuspecting students and natter on about volcanoes, hail, psychopathy, criminal law defenses, cultural diffusion, media theories, crime, and urban models of city development. He loves his job in 115 and can't wait to work with you this year.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Thursday, May 12. 2011
Today's schedule is A-B-C-D
A & D - Criminology 12 - Today we'll try to make sense of mass and serial murder. First we'll finish our discussion of sexual assault that we started on Tuesday and afterwards we'll try to make sense of homicide, mass and serial murder. 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) and we'll take a few notes down about those topics. After this, 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...").
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 - Earth & Space Science 11 - Today is your surface processes unit final test. If you studied and are prepared then I'm certain you will do fine. We will mark the test together in class and then you'll have the opportunity to ask any question that you want answered about weather that has been bugging you. You could ask something like "How is it possible that it can rain in my front yard but be sunny in my back yard"? or "Is it true that you can tell the temperature by listening to crickets"?
C - Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at severe weather, finishing our look at the Raging Planet DVD on tornadoes from yesterday. After we finish looking at tornadoes we'll switch 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.
A & D - Criminology 12 - Today we'll try to make sense of mass and serial murder. First we'll finish our discussion of sexual assault that we started on Tuesday and afterwards we'll try to make sense of homicide, mass and serial murder. 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) and we'll take a few notes down about those topics. After this, 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...").
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 - Earth & Space Science 11 - Today is your surface processes unit final test. If you studied and are prepared then I'm certain you will do fine. We will mark the test together in class and then you'll have the opportunity to ask any question that you want answered about weather that has been bugging you. You could ask something like "How is it possible that it can rain in my front yard but be sunny in my back yard"? or "Is it true that you can tell the temperature by listening to crickets"?
C - Geography 12 - Today we'll continue our look at severe weather, finishing our look at the Raging Planet DVD on tornadoes from yesterday. After we finish looking at tornadoes we'll switch 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.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, May 11. 2011
Today's schedule is C-D-B-A
C - 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.
D & A - Criminology 12 - OK so yesterday we got caught up in the roots of violence and the implicit messages in media about sex. Today, 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). I'll have a question about sexual assault for you to complete today in class.
Tomorrow we look at the different levels of homicide and understand the motivations for multiple murder (both serial and mass).
B - Earth & Space Science 11 - Today we move on to tides, currents, and waves. We will take a few diagrams down about: the properties of an ocean wave; global ocean currents; and spring and neap tides. A good quick video on tides can be found here. You'll work on "For Review" questions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11 from page 405 of your Earth Science and the Environment textbook.
The following two websites may help:
NOAA - Tides and Water Levels
CRD Ocean Currents
C - 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.
D & A - Criminology 12 - OK so yesterday we got caught up in the roots of violence and the implicit messages in media about sex. Today, 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). I'll have a question about sexual assault for you to complete today in class.
Tomorrow we look at the different levels of homicide and understand the motivations for multiple murder (both serial and mass).
B - Earth & Space Science 11 - Today we move on to tides, currents, and waves. We will take a few diagrams down about: the properties of an ocean wave; global ocean currents; and spring and neap tides. A good quick video on tides can be found here. You'll work on "For Review" questions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11 from page 405 of your Earth Science and the Environment textbook.
The following two websites may help:
NOAA - Tides and Water Levels
CRD Ocean Currents
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Tuesday May 10. 2011
Today's schedule is B-A-D-C
B - Earth & Space Science 11 - We'll briefly review the sub-surface geologic structures of the oceans (mid-ocean ridges, island arcs, and sea mounts) and then we'll focus on the abyssal plain and continental margins. You will need to work on questions 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 on page 375 in your Earth Science and the Environment textbook. Check out what Tim & Moby have to say about Ocean Floors here. There is a good animation of Ocean Basin features here. Today we'll watch the Bill Nye: The Science Guy's explanation of oceans and oceanography.
A & D - Criminology 12 - Today we will continue our focus on violent crime. I'll give you a few notes on 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...
C - 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. Next Wednesday (May 18th) you'll have a unit final. UCAR: How Thunderstorms Work
FEMA: Thunderstorms
physicalgeography.net: Thunderstorms also found here
National Severe Storm Laboratory: Thunderstorms
B - Earth & Space Science 11 - We'll briefly review the sub-surface geologic structures of the oceans (mid-ocean ridges, island arcs, and sea mounts) and then we'll focus on the abyssal plain and continental margins. You will need to work on questions 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 on page 375 in your Earth Science and the Environment textbook. Check out what Tim & Moby have to say about Ocean Floors here. There is a good animation of Ocean Basin features here. Today we'll watch the Bill Nye: The Science Guy's explanation of oceans and oceanography.
A & D - Criminology 12 - Today we will continue our focus on violent crime. I'll give you a few notes on 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...
C - 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. Next Wednesday (May 18th) you'll have a unit final. UCAR: How Thunderstorms Work
FEMA: Thunderstorms
physicalgeography.net: Thunderstorms also found here
National Severe Storm Laboratory: Thunderstorms
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Monday, May 9. 2011
Today's schedule is D-C-A-B
D & A - Criminology 12 - Today we will have the opportunity to get caught up on our journal work. So far you should have Three entries:
crime trends and rates (Tuesday, April 26th)
short and long term effects of being a crime victim - Holly Jones case (Monday, May 2nd)
Today should be your fourth 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?
C - 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.
Some good ocean websites are:
Oceans Alive!
Enchanted Learning: All About Oceans
Water Encyclopedia: Ocean Basins
BBC Oceans web page
UN Atlas of the Oceans: About
NOAA Ocean
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