Thursday, November 27, 2008

November 27


I gave you back the results of your Unit 2 Final Exam today in class. I then started a presentation called "Nations, Nation-States and Internationalism", which I will continue on Monday. On Monday, we'll be looking at the United Nations. Please remember that you have your Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment tomorrow.


We started watching a movie called "Who Killed the Electric Car?" with a film study sheet to go along with it. We'll finish this movie off tomorrow. Please remember the upcoming important dates next week, outlined below.
  • TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Monday, December 1st
  • Unit 3 In-Class Position Paper is on Tuesday, December 2nd
  • Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment is on Thursday, December 4th
  • E-Waste Written Response Assignment is due on Friday, December 5th (for homework check marks, please see the November 26th post for details and a hyperlink to the article)
  • Unit 3 Final Exam is on Thursday, December 11th (I will post a study guide for the Unit 3 Final Exam on December 4th)

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

November 26


Most of today's class period was spent writing your Unit 2 Final Exam. I will let you know the results of this test tomorrow in class. Please remember that on Friday you will be doing a Part A In-Class Writing Assignment based on material from Unit 2. Make sure that you bring your textbooks to class tomorrow because we will be looking at material from Unit 3, specifically Chapter 9.


We finished watching "Shipbreakers" today as well as finishing off the presentation called "Globalization and Sustainability". I have sent this presentation to you already, along with the Unit 3 Essay Question Sheet (you are allowed to bring notes that you put on this sheet into class on December 2nd when you write your In-Class Position Paper for Unit 3) and a Unit 3 Position Paper Outline Sheet (useful for outlining/planning out your essay). Please check your e-mail inboxes! I have one message bounce back to me already, so if you didn't get this message, please send me an e-mail tonight!!



In connection with watching "Shipbreakers" today, and talking about the life cycle of a ship and the sustainability of the shipbreaking industry, I thought it would be interesting to look at another example of an industry that has environmental consequences that are sort of "out of sight, out of mind". I'm talking about e-waste. National Geographic Magazine had a feature on e-waste in their January 2008 issue that I would like you to read. Here is the hyperlink to the article: click here. I'm giving you some time to read this article and complete a one-page written response to the article (this written response is due on Friday, December 5th, it'll be for homework check marks incidentally). In your written response to the magazine article I would like you to focus on the following question: What can be done to make e-waste more environmentally friendly, and increase the sustainability of this industry?

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

November 25


I started a presentation today, which I will finish tomorrow called "Globalization and Sustainability". We looked at one definition of sustainable prosperity, the concept of ecological footprints and what factors contribute to Canadians having such big ecological footprints. We also looked at the sustainability of the shipbreaking industry and the life cycle of a ship. We started watching the documentary "Shipbreakers", which we will also finish off tomorrow.
  • TNC Dossier Assignment is due on Monday, December 1st
  • Unit 3 In-Class Position Paper is on Tuesday, December 2nd
  • Unit 3 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment is on Thursday, December 4th
  • Unit 3 Final Exam is on Thursday, December 11th


I collected your Unit 2 Research Dossier Assignments today at the beginning of class. Every day that you are late handing these dossiers are not handed in means 10% off your mark (it works out to -3.5 marks per day). We started looking at Unit 3 material today, specifically completing a opinion survey that gave you results as to whether you are more of a nationalist or an internationalist. Your Unit 3 Final Exam is tomorrow, please make sure that you have prepared for it! You have a Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment on Friday.

Monday, November 24, 2008

November 24

I'm taking the blog public again. I have removed the ability to make comments though. If any of my students have a question please send me an e-mail message. If any teachers out there have a question, you can find my contact information under "View My Complete Profile", I'm usually pretty good at responding to questions and requests.


We finished watching "Globalisation is Good" in class today, while completing the film study that goes along with the film. I will be doing a homework check on this film study tomorrow, so if you have any blank spaces on your film study, please go to Google Video and watch the uploaded video there. I also did a lecture today called "The Impact of Globalization on Environments", which corresponds to Chapter 13 material. I will send this presentation to you tonight.


You wrote your in-class position paper today for Unit 2. Your Unit 2 Dossier Assignment is due tomorrow. Your Unit 2 Final Exam is on Wednesday, it is 75 multiple choice questions. I never sent out a study guide for this test, but here's a basic guide: know all of the key concepts from the Unit 2 Worksheet. Make sure that you review all materials that I gave you or sent to you from the following broad topics: World War I, Paris Peace Conference and the Treaty of Versailles, the Interwar Years, rise of ultranationalism in Germany, Japan, and Italy, World War II, the Holocaust, genocide, and contemporary examples of genocide, decolonization and self-determination (think of the case studies that I emphasized).

Friday, November 21, 2008

November 21


You watched the video "Globalization is Good" today while completing a video study guide for it.


You wrote your Chapter 7-8 Test today. You have your in-class position paper on Monday in the Blenheim Room, and your Unit 2 Dossier Project is due on Tuesday.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

November 20


We spent most of the class talking about how to write a position paper. The difference between arguments, examples and evidence. We also looked at the structure of an argumentative essay. You have your Chapter 7-8 Test tomorrow.


We finished watching "The Other Side of Outsourcing" and completing the film study sheet that went along with it. We then spent the rest of the class talking about how to write a position paper. The difference between arguments, examples and evidence. We also looked at the structure of an argumentative essay.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

November 19


We looked at a case study of national self-determination, specifically Kosovo. I gave you a package of readings related to the declaration of Kosovo independence in February 17, 2008. Some countries in the world have recognized the independence of Kosovo, whereas others did not recognize Kosovo as an independent country. I collected your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions at the end of the class. You will have a Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment on Monday, November 24th.

We watched a video called "Impacts of Globalization" today in class, and completed a film study sheet that went with it. This film introduced the concept of the Human Development Index (HDI) which we will look at again in Unit 4. We started watching "The Other Side of Outsourcing" today and worked on a film study that went along with it. We'll finish this documentary tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

November 18


We finished watching "The Age of Wal-Mart" and completing the film study that went along with it. I went through a presentation called "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization". I will send this presentation to you. Here is a hyperlink to this presentation as well: Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Globalization.

We finished watching "Gandhi" today in class. Your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow.

Monday, November 17, 2008

November 17


Most of today's class was spent writing your Chapter 10-11 Quiz. You should get the results of this quiz later this week.


I did a homework check on your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions at the beginning of class. We continued watching "Gandhi" and working on the film study that goes along with it.

Friday, November 14, 2008

November 14


I showed you a few examples of the TNC Dossier Assignment that were completed last year. We started a film study of Wal-Mart today called "The Age of Wal-Mart", which we will finish on Tuesday. You have your Chapter 10-11 Quiz on Monday.

Here are the hyperlinks to the presentations that cover Chapter 10 and Chapter 11:


We started our film study of "Gandhi" today. We will be continuing this film on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Please remember that you have your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions due on Monday, November 17th. You also have your Chapter 7-8 Test next Friday. The study guide is below.


This test is on Friday, November 21st. It will consist of 20-24 key terms in a matching section, and 3 short answer questions. Please study the following PowerPoint presentations:

Please study the following notes packages/film study packages:

  • 36 Questions About The Holocaust
  • Turning Points in History: The Atomic Bomb (film notes)
  • White Light/Black Rain (film notes)
  • Shake Hands with the Devil (film notes + package)
  • Unit 2 Worksheet (chapter questions for Chapter 7 and 8)
  • make sure that you have read Chapters 7 and 8!
  • read the links about the genocide in Darfur that I sent to you!


1. Please study the following key concepts/key people/key events:

  • genocide
  • crimes against humanity
  • war crimes
  • the Holocaust
  • ethnic cleansing
  • lebensraum
  • Weimar Republic
  • Final Solution
  • decolonization
  • successor state
  • self-determination
  • Wansee Conference
  • Nuremberg Trials
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Jawaharlal Nehru
  • Mohammed Ali Jinnah
  • home rule
  • Hutu
  • Tutsi
  • Romeo Dallaire
  • Manhattan Project
  • Hiroshima
  • Nagasaki
  • Robert Oppenheimer
  • FDR
  • Harry Truman
  • Potsdam Conference
  • Slobodan Milosevic

2. You should be able to answer any of the questions from the Unit 2 worksheet from Chapter 7 and 8.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

November 13


I gave you a readings booklet today on India, and you were to use that booklet to take notes on background information on India, in preparation for our film study of Gandhi. We will start watching "Gandhi" in class tomorrow. You should also read over the booklet that I gave you on various case studies of genocide. Your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions are due Monday.


We continued watching "The Corporation" today in class. I also gave you the TNC Dossier Assignment, and we drew lots to see which TNC you will be doing research on. We'll be looking at Wal-Mart tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

November 12


I did a presentation/lecture today on "Contemporary Examples of Genocide", which I will send to you. I will also send you some information on the genocide in Darfur as well. This will be additional information to the booklet that I gave on some contemporary examples of genocide, such as the Armenian genocide, the Ukrainian famine, the Rwandan genocide and ethnic cleansing in the Former Yugoslavia.


We continued to watch "The Corporation" today in class. You should have completed both Parts 1 and 2 of the film study at this point in the film.

Friday, November 07, 2008

November 7


We started watching "The Corporation" and completing a film study sheet to go along with it today. We'll continue watching the film next week as well. You have your Chapter 10-11 Quiz on Monday, November 17th. Please see the study guide below.

This quiz has a matching section and a short answer section. Please make sure that you review Chapters 10 and 11. Please review your answers to questions/activities from your Unit 3 worksheet, as well as the key terms (from Chapter 10-11 and from the PowerPoint presentations).

Please review the following two PowerPoint presentations:

1. "Foundations of Economic Globalization"

2. "Expansion of Economic Globalization"


You should know these key terms really well:

  • Bretton Woods Agreement
  • international monetary system
  • fixed exchange rate
  • gold standard
  • floating exchange rate
  • World Bank
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF)
  • centrally planned economy
  • free market economy
  • recession
  • John Maynard Keynes
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • Milton Friedman
  • totalitarian
  • General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
  • tariff
  • World Trade Organization (WTO)
  • Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
  • North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

You should also be able to answer the following questions:

  • What is economic globalization?
  • How did 20th century world events shape contemporary economic globalization?
  • What factors laid the foundations of contemporary global economics?
  • What were the major global institutions that were created at the Bretton Woods Agreement?
  • What are the major differences between the ideas of John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek?
  • What factors contribute to expanding globalization?
  • How do international agreements and organizations contribute to expanding globalization?
  • How do transnational corporations contribute to expanding globalization?
  • How do communication technologies contribute to expanding globalization?
  • What are the benefits of the WTO system?
  • What are some criticisms of the WTO?




We finished watching "Shake Hands with the Devil" today in class. Your film study questions for this film are due on Wednesday, November 12th.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

November 6


We started watching "Shake Hands with the Devil" today. You are to complete the film study sheet and hand it your completed answers and questions about the film on Wednesday.


We continued watching "Life + Debt" today, while completing the film study sheet. I collected your Advantages and Disadvantages of the WTO charts today. We'll start watching "The Corporation" tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

November 5


I delivered a presentation on the 8 Stages of Genocide, and then we started our film study of "Shake Hands with the Devil". We'll start the film tomorrow.


I gave you a reading booklet on the WTO system. Your homework assignment tonight is to create a chart outlining the advantages and disadvantages of the WTO system. We also started watching the film "Life + Debt", which we will continue tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

November 4


I gave you back the results of your Unit 2 Final Exam and your Unit 2 Part A In-Class Writing Assignment. I then finished off the presentation "The Expansion of Economic Globalization". We also talked about the U.S. Presidential Election, and made predictions about the outcome.


We finished off "White Light/Black Rain" today and the film study sheet that went along with it. We also talked about the U.S. Presidential Election, and made predictions about the outcome.

Monday, November 03, 2008

November 3


You wrote your Unit 2 Final Exam today, which took most of the period. I did a homework check on your Chapter 11 Key Terms, and a homework check on whether or not you printed off your "Foundations of Economic Globalization" PowerPoint notes. We'll be continuing with Unit 3 tomorrow material, specifically, looking at the Expansion of Economic Globalization (Chapter 11 material).


I gave you back the results of your Chapter 5-6 Test at the start of class. We then began our film study of "White Light/Black Rain", which we will finish tomorrow.