Room 611: Friday, December 3. 2021

Today's schedule is ABCD

A Block Criminology - Scooby Doo...I'd like you to watch one of the most recent incarnation...Be Cool, Scooby Doo. We'll watch the episode "Poodle Justice" where Scooby gets to visit the set of his favorite TV show. Here, he meets the lovely dog actress star, Lady Annabelle (his celebrity crush). Unfortunately, he doesn't have the courage to talk to her, and to make matters worse, a gargoyle is scaring everyone off set. This sets us up for our deeper look into the franchise and the messaging it sends about crime and society.

Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated S01 E23 A Haunting in Crystal Cove

I'll have you watch this and then for Monday's blog consider the questions below (about Scooby Doo in general including Scooby Doo Where are You?, The Scooby Doo Show, Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo, What's New Scooby Doo, Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated, and Be Cool Scooby Doo):

What assumptions or beliefs do Scooby Doo’s creators have that are reflected in the content?
How does this make you feel, based on how similar or different you are from the people portrayed in the media product?
How does the commercial purpose (it's made for a profit right?) of Scooby Doo cartoons influence the content and how it's communicated?
Who and what is shown in a positive light? In a negative light? Why might these people and things be shown this way?
Who and what is not shown at all? What conclusions might audiences draw based on these facts?
"How does Scooby Doo explain crime and gender roles to young people"?

Huffington Post article on Daphne's Curse of going from size 2 to size 8
Huffington Post article on Beauty Stereotypes in Scooby Doo

Now although Scooby Doo is fun, we need to look at it through a more critical eye. So, take a look at the elements of Media Literacy...Not only are media constructions (made by humans) but that the receiving audience interprets the meaning of the message themselves. Remember, Scooby Doo is media and media are constructions - Media products are created by individuals who make conscious and unconscious choices about what to include, what to leave out and how to present what is included. These decisions are based on the creators’ own point of view, which will have been shaped by their opinions, assumptions and biases – as well as media they have been exposed to. As a result of this, media products are never entirely accurate reflections of the real world – even the most objective documentary filmmaker has to decide what footage to use and what to cut, as well as where to put the camera – but we instinctively view many media products as direct representations of what is real...now I know Scooby Doo is a cartoon, but for the questions above please Feel free to use the TV Tropes sites on Scooby Doo characters and Scooby Doo Analysis

B Block Physical Geography - Today we'll begin our look at stratospheric ozone and air pollution. Ozone is a gas that occurs both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level. Ozone can be "good" or "bad" for your health and the environment, depending on its location in the atmosphere. After looking at the ways that ozone protects us and understanding how it can be destroyed by CFCs you'll need to complete questions 8 and 9 from page 90 in your Geosystems textbook. We'll also look at air pollution, specifically the anthropogenic additions to our atmosphere. We will look at the effects of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides on human health and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We'll also look at the Environment Canada Air Quality Index.

For us in the Comox Valley PM2.5 pollution refers to very fine particulates - with a size generally less than 2.5 micrometres (µm). It is contained in pollution from gasoline and diesel vehicles as well as *woodsmoke* and industry. This microscopic material when breathed in can penetrate deep into the lungs and can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. This form of pollution is associated with health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, lung cancer as well as diabetes and dementia. High levels of PM2.5 pollution can trigger asthma attacks, heart attacks and other serious medical emergencies, and has a long term impact on lung function particularly in children.

For more information on Air Quality look at:
BC Air Quality Readings
Real Time Air Quality Index Map
The Habitable Planet: Air Pollution
Environment Canada Air Pollution site
For more information on Ozone look at:
Environment Canada Ozone site
US Environmental Protection Agency Stratospheric Ozone page
NOAA Ozone depletion page
EPA Health Effects of Increased UV Radiation

National Public Radio site on the London "Killer Fog" of 1952
EPA website on acid rain

From Vox: Why India’s air pollution is so horrendous
Check out last year's article on CNN indicating that breathing in Delhi air is equivalent to smoking 44 cigarettes a day

Don't forget that 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/D Blocks Social and Environmental Sciences - You're with Benton looking at Orca (Killer Whales). Killer whales, (Orcinus orca) commonly called orcas, are found in all the world’s oceans, but the best known and most studied populations are those of the Pacific Northwest. The Killer Whale is the largest member of the dolphin family, Delphinidae. Its size, striking black and white colouring and tall dorsal fin are the main identifying characteristics. Killer Whales are mainly black above and white below, with a white oval eye patch, and a grey saddle patch below the dorsal fin.

All orcas are top predators, with complex social structures. As a species, killer whales feed on a variety of fish and marine mammals, but individual populations have become specialized to feed on particular prey species. In the Pacific Northwest one group of killer whales feeds exclusively on salmon. These are referred to as “residents” because they remain in inland or nearby coastal waters. A second group, known as “transients,” feeds only on marine mammals. Transient orcas move north and south along the coast from Southeast Alaska and British Columbia as far south as Southern California, but they frequently make forays into the Salish Sea. A third population, known as “offshore orcas” inhabits the water well beyond the coast. Far less is known about offshore orcas, but recent observations show that sharks are an important part of their diet.

The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) community consists of three pods (J, K, and L) totaling 74 whales (2 births last year - 2020). They are social groups of whales that share a maternal ancestor. For tracking purposes, each animal is identified by a pod letter and number. Like humans, killer whales breathe air, produce milk, take naps (although with only one brain hemisphere asleep) and create their own patterns of communication from a large repertoire of sounds. Hold up your hand; you are looking at a killer whale’s front flipper, with some external modifications. The bone structure underneath is very similar. And like us, killer whales lead complex social lives.

The total southern resident killer whale population is at its lowest point since the 1970s. Just 44 orcas have been born since 1998, and within the same time frame, 81 have died or disappeared. One captured the world’s attention in 2018, J35 (also known as Tahlequah), when she gave birth, then carried her dead calf for 17 days and more than 1,000 miles.

From the Center for Whale Research, at least 80% of the SRKWs' diet consists of Chinook salmon. Based on estimates of their food requirements, the average Southern Resident killer whale must consume 18-25 adult salmon daily just to meet its energy requirements.

For more on the J, K, and L Pods check out: