Thursday, November 24. 2016

To accommodate our guest, the Hon. Mike Bernier Minister of Education, today's schedule is A-B-C-D

A Block Geography 12 - 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. We'll see what Tim and Moby have to say about air pollution and we'll also look at the Environment Canada Air Quality Index

BC Air Quality Readings
Real Time Air Quality Index Map
The Habitable Planet: Air Pollution
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

Today there is an article on the New York Times about the smog covering New Delhi

Every day we are going to start by looking at the synoptic forecast along with weather maps.
Data Streme
Envrionment Canada: Weather Office Comox

The Weather Network

B & C Blocks 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.

After, we'll watch episode 1 of "The Dark Years" a National Film Board cartoon about the Great Depression in Canada. From IMDb..."A wildly disparate group of Canadian newsmen sets out to cover the major events of the 1930s in ways that will guarantee their newspaper - The Toronto Daily Star - comes out on top. Viewers relive the stories of the toughest decade of the 20th century told through the excitement, romance and razzle dazzle coverage of a big city newspaper. Series uses original animation, archive and eye-witness accounts". I'll have you answer the following while watching:               

1. Why did Prime Minister Mackenzie King tell Canadians that the Stock Market Crash would have little impact on Canada?
2. What promise did Prime Minister R.B. Bennett and his Conservative Party make to get elected in 1930?
3. Should prime ministers try to minimize citizens’ anxieties during a crisis?
4. While the economic conditions in the 1930s prevented many people from spending money on consumer goods, the newspaper industry was surprisingly profitable. Why?
5. What was the extreme response of some people to the financial crisis?
6. What was the “jungle”? What happened to the people who lived here who could no longer cope with the Great Depression?
7. How did unemployed men travel around the country, without paying? What was this called?
8. What program did the government set up to deal with the unemployment crisis?
9. Where were the convicted members of the Communist Party of Canada taken, and what were the conditions there?

D Block Crime, Media and Society 12 -Today we'll continue our look at some theories about media. We'll examine Agenda Setting, Framing, the Hypodermic Needle or Magic Bullet, Cultivation, the Knowledge Gap, Uses and Gratification as well as Dependency theory.

After we'll try to connect these theories to the 48 Hours Mystery episode on the Highway of Tears. From CBS:

Since 1969, at least 18 women have gone missing or have been murdered along Canada's infamous Highway 16. Locals call it "The Highway of Tears." The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Highway of Tears task force, Project E-PANA, consists of 13 homicide investigations and five missing peoples investigations. 

So we'll watch the episode and then I have a few things I'd like to talk with you about...We'll try to understand how media reports crime and try to take a theoretical perspective on the show and why it was made the way that it was presented to the audience. I have three questions for you to work on (and I'll give you time to work on them today):

1. What main story do you think Investigative Reporters Bob Friel and Peter Van Zant wanted to tell?
2. Why did the show focus on Madison Scott first, Loren Leslie next and then the victims along the Highway of Tears afterwards?
3. Why do you think the producers and editors framed the story the way that they did?

For some more recent coverage check out the CBC Virtual Reality documentary on Ramona Wilson and the Highway of Tears...
 

or Vice TV's Searchers: The Highway of Tears


or How Stuff Works on the Highway of Tears


or if you get VICELAND as a television channel there is a great show called WOMAN and there is an episode on murdered and missing Aboriginal women; here's a preview:


And of course don't forget the REDress project