Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Thursday, May 16 - Friday, May 17. 2024

Oh families...it's one of my favourite times of the school year. I am off with 30+ family members to Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens. I leave you in the most capable hands of Ms. McDonald for the next two days. 

Thursday's schedule is DCBA and Friday's schedule is ABCD

A Block Criminology - Today we'll try to understand how media reports crime and try to take a theoretical perspective on what we've viewed so far in the course. To do this, we'll watch 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. 

FYI: The province of British Columbia has a higher number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls than any other province or territory in Canada. British Columbia accounts for 160 cases, 28% of NWAC’s (Native Women’s Association of Canada) total database of 582 and is followed by Alberta with 93 cases, 16% of the total. NWAC has found that only 53% of murder cases involving indigenous women and girls have led to charges of homicide.This is dramatically different from the national clearance rate for homicides in Canada, which was last reported as 84%. (From Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in British Columbia, Canada)

So we'll not only watch the episode, we'll compare it to other forms of coverage (On the blog below...Vice, Al Jazeera, or How Stuff Works or the CBC's Missing and Murdered website). 
Should this have been the documentary? 

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 Al Jazeera...

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:



 
Highway of Tears from Natanael Johansson on Vimeo.


You have some questions you need to work on: 
  1. What main story do you think Investigative Reporters Bob Friel and Peter Van Zant wanted to tell (Is it about Madison Scott? Loren Leslie? Cody Legebokoff? Colleen MacMillen?  Pamela Darlington? Gale Weys? Bobby Jack Fowler? Ramona Wilson?) How can you infer that? How much of the episode focused on the actual missing women from the Highway of Tears? (Look at the Media Smarts article Media Portrayals of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women) compare that to the Gloria Steinem Woman episode and/or “Highway of Tears” film by Natanael Johansson
  2. Why did the show focus on Madison Scott first, Loren Leslie next and then the victims along the Highway of Tears afterwards? (Look at the article NEWSWORTHY” VICTIMS? Exploring differences in Canadian local press coverage of missing/murdered Aboriginal and White women along with the NPR article What We Know (And Don't Know) About 'Missing White Women Syndrome' or the New Yorker article The Long American History of “Missing White Woman Syndrome") 
  3. What audience do reality crime shows appeal to & why do you think so (think demographics - age or gender or social class or occupation - and Psychographics - personal attitudes and values like security or status or caring or exploration/growth) What can Uses and Gratification Theory do to help explain the audience for True Crime stories? What techniques did the editors and storytellers of the 48 Hours Mystery show use to get you invested in the story of the episode? Compare that to the Gloria Steinem Woman episode and/or “Highway of Tears” film by Natanael Johansson
  4. What "values" does the 48 Hours Mystery on the Highway of Tears communicate to its audience? Why do you think the producers and editors framed the story the way that they did? Compare that to the Gloria Steinem Woman episode and/or “Highway of Tears” film by Natanael Johansson

Maybe you could compare the CBS 48 Hours Mystery with the CBC / APTN show Taken: Highway of Tears






Some websites to help with your questions:

CBC news (article) Highway of Tears murders probed by CBS '48 hours'
CBS 48 Hours Mystery "The Texas Killing Fields"...From Bustle "The Texas Killing Fields are part of a 50-mile stretch that runs along Interstate 45, between Houston and the Island city of Galveston, Texas, dubbed the “highway to hell.” There have been 30 bodies found in this haunted place since the early ‘70s" - This show aired the previous fall and again in the summer before the Highway of Tears was aired (on Nov 17, 2012)

AND...If you would like some academic reading check out "Theorizing Media and Crime" which is chapter one of Media and Crime written by Yvonne Jewkes. OR you could check out the yesterday's video on Agenda Setting and Framing to help with question #4 above. AND I loved the show the Newsroom...more on it when we look at the portrayal of women in crime media...but here's a discussion on what is newsworthy

    Washington Post (article) "My Favorite Murder’ and the growing acceptance of true-crime entertainment" and the My Favorite Murder Instagram site
    Entertainment Weekly (article) "Confessions of a Court TV Addict"
    New York Times (article) "Is True Crime as Entertainment Morally Defensible?"
    Globe and Mail (article) "Our addiction to true crime has a human cost"
    CBS News This morning (article) "Why women are fueling the popularity of true crime podcasts"
    The Guardian (article) "Serial thrillers: why true crime is popular culture's most wanted"
    Quartz (article) How “true crime” went from guilty pleasure to high culture
    The Atlantic (article) The New True Crime
    Vulture (article) "The Ethical Dilemma of Highbrow True Crime"...from the article
    Network news magazine shows like Dateline and 48 Hours are somber and melodramatic, often literally starting voice-overs on their true-crime episodes with variations of “it was a dark and stormy night.” They trade in archetypes — the perfect father, the sweet girl with big dreams, the divorcee looking for a second chance — and stick to a predetermined narrative of the case they’re focusing on, unconcerned about accusations of bias. They are sentimental and yet utterly graphic, clinical in their depiction of brutal crimes.
    Consuming Television Crime Drama: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

      And of course don't forget the REDress project


      B Block Legal Studies - We're off to the library for researching charges, defenses to charges, finding out punishments and beginning to write your case memo assignment. Here's the format...

      How to Write and Format a Legal Memo - The legal memorandum is the most formal, polished, and comprehensive written document for reporting the results of legal research. It summarizes and analyses the relevant law and applies it to a particular fact situation. In practice, the memorandum can be a crucial document to a case or file. It explains a specific area of law, analyzes a given fact pattern in light of the law, and makes a recommendation for a course of action based on the analysis. Writing a legal memorandum requires that you think like a lawyer. Accordingly, given its importance and potential uses, your memorandum should adhere to the hallmarks of excellent legal writing, including organisation. A well-organised memorandum conveys a lucid, methodical way of thinking about the problem. When structuring your memorandum, you should show that your writing is a transparent window into your thoughts. There is no one right way to organize a memorandum; you can appropriately structure your memorandum in many ways. For the purposes of this assignment, however, you can use the following template

      Legal Memo Model Template Memorandum...


      TO: Assigning Lawyer
      FROM: You
      DATE: When Memo is Due
      RE: [Case/Matter Number] [Client Name] [Matter Name] – [Subject of Memo]

      Summary of Assignment: This is a brief summary regarding the memo. Lawyers are often busy, juggling dozens of cases at once. They might not immediately recall why they asked you to investigate the matter at hand. A quick summary will help jog their memory. Describe the context. State briefly what you have been asked to do and why (e.g., upcoming court appearance, client seeking legal opinion, legal question arising from draft agreement, proposed legislation, bench memo for a pending case).

      Here is an Example: [As per our discussion on (date)]/[In response to your email request on (date)], this is a discussion on the state of the law regarding…

      Issues Presented
       1. Whether [issue X applies to this situation]
       2. Whether [issue Y applies to this situation]

      Short Answers
      1. Yes, [short explanation].
      2. No, [short explanation].

      These are short answers. Often new lawyers want to expand, clarify, and qualify themselves here. This is not the place for that. This is where you take a stand and state your opinion in two or three sentences. There will be time to address all aspects of the issues in the main portion of the memo. 

      Facts: Present an overview of the case/matter at hand. State the legal question(s) asked or the issue(s) considered in the memorandum. They map your approach to the problem. Make sure to include details that are of importance to the specific issues presented. Summarize all legally relevant facts from the cases as you understand them - AND explain how they connect to the potential charges. If appropriate, do so in a chart, table, or diagram. In any case, be concise and precise. Chronological order is often most helpful (unless another order seems more logical and makes the information clearer, such as grouping sets of facts that raise separate issues). Separating and numbering the facts might make them more understandable. If there is some disagreement or uncertainty about the facts, say so and state both sides. Articulate briefly, clearly, simply, concisely, precisely, and accurately. Break down each question into all relevant sub-issues. Present separately issues and sub-issues as questions. Deal with pivotal issues first. List issues and related sub-issues in a logical order.

      Discussion: Describe the relevant law (e.g., legislation, cases) and commentary on the law (e.g., texts, encyclopedias, policy statements), then apply them to the facts of your case. Analyse each issue separately. Show your reasoning, using a step-by-step approach. Address fairly any arguments on both sides of an issue. Identify any pertinent missing information and potentially outstanding issues. Anticipate what positions and counterarguments might be advanced by the opposing side. Make any suitable recommendations about a course of action. Be creative. Think strategically. Focus on getting results. Give an opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of your position. Present persuasively the best arguments based on any relevant legislation and common law principles. Show your reasoning. Reach a conclusion. Ensure that it is supported by the law. [Subheading – first issue] Generally speaking, always lead with the most important issue first. [Subheading – second issue] Address second issue here.

      Conclusion: This part is a terse summary of your answers to the issues you have identified above based on your assessment of the likely application of the law to your case. Answer the question(s). Be direct, clear, and complete. Do not be indecisive, hesitant, or inconclusive. Take a stand. Identify any doubts about the outcome. Any qualifications of your opinion should be based on reason and supported by the law. Do not reiterate your legal analysis. Do not introduce “new” information (i.e., information that does not appear in your discussion). Wrap it up with a statement of what you expect happen. “Given the case law and the facts of this particular matter, issue 1 should…”

      **Sources Consulted**: List the authorities you reviewed, starting on a new page, or add a completed standard checklist of sources consulted. Include full, accurate citations for cases and secondary sources for current and future reference. Identify any helpful Web sites visited. List your sources in a logical order



      PLEASE REMEMBER...we are a high school law class and not in first year law at university. If you would like, you can check out The Canadian Legal Research and Writing Guide which has a section on writing legal memorandums (they even have a sample memorandum of law you could look at for formatting or you could check this sample here too).



      So for case 1 (Corley Hoogans) consider this as a structure/start

      TO: Crown Counsel Young
      FROM: You
      DATE: May 15. 2024
      RE: R. v. Hoogans (2024) - Preference of Criminal Charges

      Issues Presented:
      1. Whether Corley Hoogans should lawfully be charged with Possession of a Prohibited Substance under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act of Canada. R.S.C. 1996, c. 19 , s. 4 (1) 
      2. Whether Corley Hoogans should lawfully be charged with Trafficking in a Prohibited Substance under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act of Canada. R.S.C. 1996, c. 19 , s. 5 (1) 
      Short Answers:
      1. Yes or No (think actus reus and mens rea here)
      2. Yes or No (think actus reus and mens rea here)
      Facts:  Present an overview of the case/matter at hand. State the legal question(s) asked or the issue(s) considered in the memorandum. So, here you are basically stating what the criminal charges / constitutional rights issues are connected to the scenario you are writing about. Make sure to include details that are of importance to the specific issues presented. In doing this you are summarizing all legally relevant facts from the case as you understand them AND explain how they connect to the potential charges. So, what is/are the charge(s) and what are the facts that support that/those charge(s). In terms of Hoogans, if yes to trafficking then what facts support that charge and if yes to possession then what facts fit that charge?

      If you'd like, you may do this section in a chart, table, or diagram format, however, be concise and precise (be brief, clear, simple, and accurate). If there is some disagreement or uncertainty about the facts, you need to say so and state both sides. Break down each question into all relevant sub-issues (are there problems or issues with the charges or the situation?) and list issues and related sub-issues in a logical order.


      You write the fact section so that someone unfamiliar with the matter will get a concise and complete picture of the facts used in your legal analysis and conclusion. You include enough background facts to present the case coherently. Review your facts to make sure that each one is Legally Relevant (ask yourself: Does this fact prove or disprove an element in the case?) and Gives Background (ask yourself: What's needed to paint the big picture? - These are the facts that tell your story). Organizing the facts chronologically is usually convenient and efficient.

      That's all you should get to this week. On Tuesday, I'll talk about the Discussion section and begin looking at defenses with you.

      C Block Human Geography - On Thursday we'll look at the Key Question: Why Do Religions Organize Space in Distinctive Patterns? We'll look at places of worship, organizational structure, holy places, calendars, and cosmogony. Generally speaking universalizing religions are more likely to consider places holy that are associated with key events in the founder’s life, whereas ethnic religions’ holy places are tied to physical features present in their hearths, such as mountains, rivers, or rock formations. 

      So:
      1. What does sacred mean?
      2. What is a holy place?
      3. What is a pilgrimage?
      4. Who goes on pilgrimage and Why?
      Have you made a pilgrimage? If so, where did you go? If not, and you could, where would you go?

      • Who organised the trip?
      • Why did you go?
      • How did you get there?
      • What did you do along the way?
      • Where did you eat?
      • Where did you stay?
      • Did the place feel spiritual? Why?
      • What did you do when you got there?
      • Did you buy any souvenirs? Why did you buy them? Momentos? To give as presents?

      To help, here are a few things to consider:





      from PBS Sacred Journeys Six stages characterize every pilgrimage:
      1. The Call: The opening clarion of any spiritual journey. Often in the form of a feeling or some vague yearning, that summons expresses a fundamental human desire: finding meaning in an overscheduled world somehow requires leaving behind our daily obligations. Sameness is the enemy of spirituality.
      2. The Separation: Pilgrimage, by its very nature, undoes certainty. It rejects the safe and familiar. It asserts that one is freer when one frees oneself from daily obligations of family, work, and community, but also the obligations of science, reason, and technology.
      3. The Journey: The backbone of a sacred journey is the pain of the journey itself. In India, pilgrims approach the holy sites barefoot. In Iraq, they flagellate themselves. In Tibet, the more difficult the trip the most merit the pilgrim acquires. In almost every place, the travelers develop blisters, hunger, and diarrhea. This personal sacrifice enhances the experience; it also elevates the sense of community one develops along the way.
      4. The Contemplation: Some pilgrimages go the direct route, right to the center of the holy of holies, directly to the heart of the matter. Others take a more indirect route, circling around the outside of the sacred place, transforming the physical journey into a spiritual path of contemplation.
      5. The Encounter: After all the toil and trouble, after all the sunburn and swelling, after all the anticipation and expectation comes the approach, the sighting. The encounter is the climax of the journey, the moment when the traveler attempts to slide through a thin membrane in the universe and return to the Garden of Origin, where humans lived in concert with the Creator.
      6. The Completion and Return: At the culmination of the journey, the pilgrim returns home only to discover that meaning they sought lies in the familiar of one's own world.

      The Ganges: India's Most Polluted Holy River | Rivers And Life | TRACKS

      Your question is to read the section about Holy Places and make notes on three case studies:  Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism (pages 200-204 in the text)


      On Friday we'll look at the purpose of religious calendars and the talk about ceremonies connected to death rituals in various religions. So:
      1. What do you think of death?
      2. Why do some cultures mourn death and others celebrate it?
      3. How would you like to be remembered?
      4. Would you prefer to be buried, cremated or another kind of ritual?



      And your questions are (pages 206 and 208-211 in the text):
      • What is the principal purpose of the religious calendar in a universalizing religion? 
      • What is the most prominent feature of the calendar in an ethnic religion? 
      • Both the Jewish and the Muslims use a lunar calendar, yet in a different way and with very different results.  Explain. 
      • Why do different Christian branches celebrate Easter on different days? 
      • What are some of the cultural or religious factors that influence methods of disposing of bodies other than burial?

      D Block Physical Geography - For those of you not joining us, Ms. McDonald would like to look at tropical cyclones with you. From Ms. McDonald...
      Make a Hurricane


      GeoSystems Core questions:

      Where do tropical cyclones happen and what are they called in different parts of the world?
      What conditions need to be present for a tropical cyclone to form?
      Describe the physical structure of a tropical cyclone (see diagrams on the next page)
      What are the steps in the formation of tropical cyclones? (table 4.2)
      What are the most common impacts of a tropical cyclone?
      What is the predicted future of tropical cyclones?


      Discussion Questions:

      In what ways was the United States better equipped to sustain a hurricane than Puerto Rico?  ​
      In what ways was the United States better supported after the hurricanes of 2017 than Puerto Rico?​
      What are the long-term affects of the devastation of the 2017 hurricanes in Puerto Rico?

      Paragraph question: 

      What are some of the differences in how LEDC (less economically developed countries) and MEDC (more economically developed countries) are affected by tropical cyclones? 


      The Mount Saint Helens fit...👀❤


       

       

      Posted by Geo Teacher at 3:58 PM

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