Friday, December 19, 2014

December 19


Merry Christmas! Please enjoy your break! Please remember that you have your Unit 3 Final Exam on Tuesday, January 6th. Please see the study guide below.



This exam will be entirely multiple choice format. It will be on Tuesday, January 6th. Please study the following material:
  • make sure that you have read Chapters 9-12 in Perspectives on Ideology
  • study all key concepts from the Chapters 9-12 Worksheets (see below)
  • study all questions/answers from the Chapters 9-12 Worksheets
  • "Political Challenges to Liberalism" (PowerPoint presentation)
Review the following notes/packages:
  • Democratic Systems
  • Non-Democratic Systems
  • types of dictatorships
  • techniques of dictatorships
  • Civil Rights Movement
  • authoritarian systems (China notes)
  • review the economic and political spectrum (again!)
  • re-read the notes on rights that I put on the board (Charter of Rights and Freedoms to War Measures Act)
  • FLQ Crisis 1970
Know the following key concepts/key events/key terms/key people:
  • assimilation
  • self-interest
  • humanitarianism
  • Indian Act
  • residential school system
  • enfranchisement
  • the White Paper
  • the Red Paper
  • “war on terror"
  • authoritarianism
  • consensus decision-making
  • direct democracy
  • military dictatorship
  • oligarchy
  • one-party state
  • party solidarity
  • representation by population
  • proportional representation
  • representative democracy
  • responsible government
  • democracy
  • single-member constituency (first past the post)
  • the Senate
  • the House of Commons
  • the House of Representatives
  • the Senate
  • mixed-member proportional system
  • lobby groups
  • American Bill of Rights
  • Anti-Terrorism Act
  • Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  • emergency and security legislation
  • illiberal
  • language legislation
  • Bill 101
  • Bill 178
  • Bill 86
  • Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms
  • respect for law and order
  • terrorism
  • rendition
  • the War Measures Act
  • enemy aliens
  • internment
  • the Emergencies Act
  • USA PATRIOT Act
  • consumerism
  • environmental change
  • extremism
  • pandemics
  • postmodernism
  • global warming
  • Kyoto Protocol
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • drought



Merry Christmas! Please enjoy your break! Please remember that you have a multiple choice test on Tuesday, January 6th. This test will cover material from the Authoritarian and Single-Party States unit, and will use old Diploma Exam questions. On Friday, January 9th you will write a Paper 2 on Topic 3: Authoritarian and Single-Party States. Please see this post for advice on how to write a Paper 2. Remember for this Paper 2 that you're writing on January 9, 2015 you only need to know Hitler and Stalin. I split you into three large groups: Mao, Castro and Peron. Each of your groups will need to be further subdivided into the following subtopics:
  • origins and nature of the single-party state (in Mao's China, Castro's Cuba and Peron's Argentina)
  • establishment of authoritarian and single-party states
  • domestic policies and impact: political, economic, social and religious policies; status of women, treatment of religious groups and minorities
Ultimately, each group will need to put together a substantial presentation on their assigned dictator and these sub-topics.

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

December 17


You wrote your Chapter 10 Test today. We also started a film study of the HBO documentary "Shouting Fire" today, which we should be able to finish off tomorrow. Please remember that your Chapter 12 Key Terms and Questions are due on Friday.


We started talking about your IA Historical Investigation assignment that will be due during your Grade 12 year. I gave you a booklet that looked at the various parts of the IA, and I went through a PowerPoint presentation on the IA as well. You picked your IA topics today as well. We're booked into a computer lab tomorrow so we can do a little bit more initial work on the IA. On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 you will be writing a multiple choice exam on the Authoritarian and Single-Party States unit (Unit 7 Dictatorships on the wiki). This exam will use old Diploma Exam questions. On Friday, January 9, 2015 you will be writing a Paper 2 on Topic 3 topics (Authoritarian and Single-Party States).


I'm going to give you a little advice for writing your Paper 2 in January 2015. Some of this advice applies to the actual Paper 2 Exam that you will be writing in May 2016. The actual Paper 2 Exam consists of five topics, we'll deal with three of them over the course of this semester, and next year. The topics that we cover are Topic 1: Causes, Practices and Effects of War, Topic 3: Authoritarian and Single-Party States, and Topic 5: The Cold War. We'll deal with Topic 1 and Topic 5 next year. The Paper 2 that you write in January 2015 deals only with Authoritarian and Single-Party States. On the actual Paper 2 Exam, each of the five topics will have six questions, and you will have to answer two of them. For the Paper 2 that you're writing in January 2015 you just have to answer one of the questions.

Here are some general rules about the Paper 2 that you'll write in May 2016:
  • For each topic on the Paper 2 Exam, three out of the six questions will be 'named' questions. This means that in Topic 3, three of the questions will refer to particular states or leaders. (ex. Analyze the methods used by either Castro or Mao to maintain his position as the ruler of a single-party state.)
  • For each topic on the Paper 2 Exam, two out of the six will be 'open-ended' or general questions. This means you can choose any suitable example that you have studied. (ex. Examine how and why one leader of a single-party state was able to make a successful bid for power.)
  • For each topic on the Paper 2 Exam, one out of the six will ask about 'social, economic or gender issues'. (ex. Discuss the role and status of women in two single-party states, each chosen from a different region.)
Make sure that you know what your IB command terms mean.  (ex. analyze, compare and contrast, discuss, evaluate, examine, to what extent)

For the upcoming Paper 2 in January 2015, make sure that you review Hitler and Stalin.

The themes that you should study for Topic 3 are as follows:

Origins and nature of authoritarian and single-party states

This theme asks you to look at the rise to power of authoritarian and single-party state leaders or the emergence of authoritarian or single-party states. You need to consider what kind of circumstances made it possible for this to happen and what kinds of methods were used by the leader to take power.

Establishment of authoritarian and single-party states
This theme asks you to look at the leader or the state once power has been assumed and other political parties or groups have been suppressed. You need to consider how power is maintained, probably through the use of popular policies and/or terror.

Domestic policies and impact
This theme asks you to look at the way the state is actually structured and what kind of policies are carried out. You need to consider what kind of programme is put into practice and how economic and social policies are created and implemented. You will also need to know something about the role of women, attitudes towards religion and the kind of culture that developed inside the state.

Other pieces of advice:

  • choose your question carefully
  • on the actual Paper 2 Exam, you'll only have about 45 minutes to write each answer (remember you answer two questions for a 90 minute exam)
  • make sure that you do a quick 5 minute plan for your essay (if it's a compare and contrast question, set up a chart with similarities that two leaders had in common, and their differences in the other column)
Do's:

  • Do read the question very carefully and make sure that you can answer it. If a specific time period is mentioned, do you have enough material to cover it all? If the question asks about social and economic policies, do you know enough about both?
  • Do answer the question that is asked on the exam paper and not a similar one you prepared earlier!
  • Do plan your answer and include this plan on your exam answer sheets.
  • Do begin with an introduction and always refer to the question in the introduction.
  • Do define any key words such as 'totalitarian' or 'authoritarian' if the question mentions these.
  • Do use a comparative structure if the question asks you to compare and contrast.
  • Do include DATES! When you are writing about why something happens, you will usually need to refer to what came before (cause and effect), and so knowing the order in which events happen is very important.
  • Do refer to the question in each paragraph, to make sure that your answer stays focused.
  • Do finish with a conclusion that sums up your arguments.
  • Do include some reference to different historical interpretations, if this is appropriate.
Don'ts:

  • Don't write down everything you know about a topic; you need to select only relevant material.
  • Don't leave out facts and dates. Your arguments need to be supported, so saying that Castro used guerrilla tactics to come to power is fine, but you need to support this statement with evidence of how he did this.
  • Don't just list what historians say about a topic; use historiography to support your arguments not replace them.
  • Don't use quotations to replace your arguments. If you use quotations, explain why and link them to your arguments.
  • Don't use 'I think ... ' or 'In my opinion ... ' but instead write, 'It is clear that..,' or 'Given the evidence. it can be seen that., .' Try to keep an 'academic' tone to your writing.
Introductions and conclusions - don't neglect these!

Introduction

There is no formula for a good introduction. While some students will state very clearly how they will structure their answers, others may simply give some relevant background and their thoughts on the question. Examiners will want to know that you have understood the question and have grasped its implications. Think of it as a 'first impression', leading the examiner to think 'Good, they are on the right track'. Also, if you are answering an 'open-ended' question that may, for example, ask about the rise to power of a leader, then you can state here what time period you will focus on. In the case of Nasser, for instance. would you begin in 1952 or 1948 or earlier? Also, are there terms that need to be defined? If so, it is a good idea to do this in the introduction.

Conclusion
Here is your chance to make a 'lasting impression'. You will need to summarize your arguments concisely, but not by repeating them one by one, this is tedious add much to the answer. If you have a nice quotation that is relevant (make sure it is!) and sums up your argument, then use it in the conclusion. It may spark the marker's interest and leave a good impression.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

December 16


I told you to read through the USA PATRIOT Act and Anti-Terrorism Act section of the Social 30-1 study booklet. We watched a documentary called "Unconstitutional" (or at least part of it), and as you watched the video, you were supposed to complete the film study questions in the 30-1 study booklet. Please remember that you are writing your Chapter 10 Test tomorrow, and you can find the study guide below.


This test is multiple choice format, with 55 questions. Please review the PowerPoint "Political Challenges to Liberalism". You're responsible for all key terms and questions from the Chapter 10 Worksheet.

Please review the following as well:
  • Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Non-Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Structure of Canadian Government
  • Structure of American Government
  • similarities/differences between the parliamentary system and presidential system
  • types of dictatorships
  • techniques of dictatorships
  • authoritarian systems
  • proportional representation concept
  • first past the post system
  • review political and economic spectrum (again!)



I finished off the Adolf Hitler PowerPoint today. I will upload a revised version of this presentation this afternoon to the wiki. If you are interested in looking into the Holocaust, please check out the PowerPoint on the Holocaust and the 36 Questions About the Holocaust that is on the IB 20 wiki. You should also check out the Hitler PDF document that Mrs. Breadner uploaded to the wiki that is from an IB companion textbook.

Monday, December 15, 2014

December 15


You wrote your Unit 3 WRA I three source analysis assignment today in the Blenheim Room. If you missed class today, and it was an explained absence, you will have to make arrangements to write this assessment on another day. Please remember that you have your Chapter 10 Test on Wednesday. Please see the study guide below.



This test is multiple choice format, with 55 questions. Please review the PowerPoint "Political Challenges to Liberalism". You're responsible for all key terms and questions from the Chapter 10 Worksheet.

Please review the following as well:
  • Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Non-Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Structure of Canadian Government
  • Structure of American Government
  • similarities/differences between the parliamentary system and presidential system
  • types of dictatorships
  • techniques of dictatorships
  • authoritarian systems
  • proportional representation concept
  • first past the post system
  • review political and economic spectrum (again!)




We continued our Authoritarian and Single Party States unit today, by watching Part 2 of the A&E Biography of Adolf Hitler, "The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler". After the documentary, I continued the lecture from the "Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany" PowerPoint presentation.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

December 11


I did a homework check on your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions today. We watched the Smithsonian Channel documentary "9/11: The Day that Changed the World", which took the rest of the period. We'll finish off the documentary tomorrow, and then look at the USA PATRIOT Act. Please check out the important dates below.

  • Unit 3 WRA I three source analysis is on Monday, December 15th
  • Chapter 10 Test is on Wednesday, December 17th (please see the study guide below)

This test is multiple choice format, with 55 questions. Please review the PowerPoint "Political Challenges to Liberalism". You're responsible for all key terms and questions from the Chapter 10 Worksheet. Please review the following as well:
  • Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Non-Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Structure of Canadian Government
  • Structure of American Government
  • similarities/differences between the parliamentary system and presidential system
  • types of dictatorships
  • techniques of dictatorships
  • authoritarian systems
  • proportional representation concept
  • first past the post system
  • review political and economic spectrum (again!)



We watched the A & E Biography of Adolf Hitler called "The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler". We'll continue to look at the emergence of a single-party state in Nazi Germany tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

December 10

Sorry for the later post tonight. I've been having a rough couple of days...

I gave back your Unit 2 Essays today. I covered the concept of illiberalism, so if you missed class today, you need to get the notes that you missed from a classmate. We also watched a video on the FLQ Crisis from the History's Turning Points series. As you watched this video, you were supposed to fill in the blanks on the film study that is in your Social 30-1 study booklet. Please remember that your Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due tomorrow. On Monday of next week, you'll be writing your Unit 3 WRA I using the Quest A+ system. On Wednesday, December 17th you'll be writing your Chapter 10 Test, please see the study guide below.


This test is multiple choice format, with 55 questions. Please review the PowerPoint "Political Challenges to Liberalism". You're responsible for all key terms and questions from the Chapter 10 Worksheet. Please review the following as well:
  • Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Non-Democratic Systems (handout notes)
  • Structure of Canadian Government
  • Structure of American Government
  • similarities/differences between the parliamentary system and presidential system
  • types of dictatorships
  • techniques of dictatorships
  • authoritarian systems
  • proportional representation concept
  • first past the post system
  • review political and economic spectrum (again!)



I showed you a video from the BBC 20th Century History series called "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia". We also looked at historiography with the PowerPoint presentation "Stalin and the Historians". We're starting our examination of the emergence of the single-party state in Germany under Hitler tomorrow.

Thursday, December 04, 2014

December 4


I went through some additional notes for page 267 in your Social 30-1 study booklets. We also talked a little about the controversy and debate that is taking place in Alberta Legislature surrounding Bill 10 and Bill 202. Here is a link to an article with some videos about both Bill 10 and Bill 202.

Here are some very important due dates for next week:
  • USA-Canada Comparative Government Assignment is due on Monday, December 8th
  • US Civil Rights Movement Essay Outline is due on Tuesday, December 9th
  • Chapter 9 Key Terms and Questions are due on Wednesday, December 10th
  • Chapter 11 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday, December 11th



I continued with the Joseph Stalin and the USSR PowerPoint lecture today. I also showed you the Stalin and the USSR PDF that Ms. Breadner put up on the IB 20 wiki from an IB companion textbook for Topic 3 on the Paper 2. You must complete questions in both work sections from the "stalinandtheussr" PDF document that you can find on the IB 20 wiki under Unit 7 Dictatorships.

Tuesday, December 02, 2014

December 2

Sorry for the later post tonight...

We completed our case study example of an authoritarian government today by examining China. I showed you a couple of videos from the BBC 20th Century History series, "One Man's Revolution" and "China Since Mao". I strongly encourage you to read the Modern History of China notes that are in your 30-1 study booklet. Please remember that questions 1-14 and long answer question 2 from the U.S. Civil Rights Movement are due tomorrow.


I covered a lot of background material for our Authoritarian and Single-Party States unit today by lecturing on the 19th century political spectrum, the 20th century political spectrum, the principles of individualism and collectivism, the economic-political grid, and the techniques of dictatorship. We'll cover some basic economics tomorrow before we jump into talking about Joseph Stalin.

Monday, December 01, 2014

December 1


I went through the non-democratic systems section of the "Political Challenges to Liberalism" PowerPoint presentation. I also assigned some homework that is due on Wednesday: you must complete questions 1-14, and long answer question 2 on the Civil Rights Movement assignment that is in your 30-1 study booklets. You must also do the essay outline that is part of this assignment for Tuesday, December 9th. Please remember that your Comparative Government Assignment is due next Monday.


You wrote your Paper 3 essay today. I also talked a little bit about our next unit called Authoritarian and Single Party States. I will have to teach you a lot of background information on the 19th century political spectrum and the 20th century political spectrum and the economic political grid, as well as principles of individualism and collectivism.

Friday, November 28, 2014

November 28


I gave you updated marks for your Unit 2 Final Exam. I went through the American system of checks and balances, and then assigned the Comparative Government Assignment. Please work with a partner on this assignment. This assignment is due on Monday, December 8th. Make sure that it is a comparative chart, and make sure that you include pros and cons for the appropriate sections. We spent the rest of class time doing small group discussion on the following four questions:

  • Should the voting age be lowered?
  • Should voting be mandatory?
  • Should everyone over the age of 18 be allowed to vote?
  • Is the first past the post system democratic?



I showed you a video from the U.S. History series on "Expansionism" today. As you watched the video you had to write notes on the documentary. I also went through how to write a Paper 3. You will be writing a Paper 3 on Monday. You will have 5 minutes to write an outline for your essay, and 50 minutes to write the Paper 3.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

November 27

Sorry for the late post tonight...

You wrote your Unit 2 WRA II Essay today in the Blenheim Room. We'll continue with Unit 3 material tomorrow.


We finished watching the History Channel documentary on the "Mexican-American War". You might want to check out this PBS website on the Mexican-American War. Tomorrow, we'll be looking at the big picture of American expansionism, and also we'll look at how to prepare and write a Paper 3.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

November 25


I covered some key concepts today in class (if you missed class today, get the notes from a classmate), including first past the post (FPTP), simple plurality, single member constituency, single vote, and proportional representation (PR). We re-cast the 2011 Canadian federal election to reflect what the results might have been if Canada employed PR. You then got your Unit 2 WRA II essay question sheet today. You'll be writing the Unit 2 WRA II Essay on Thursday, November 27th in the Blenheim Room and breakout room. Both classes are working with Ronald Reagan quotes, funny how that worked out. I also did a homework check on your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions.


We started a PowerPoint lecture on "American Expansionism" that I will finish off tomorrow. We'll do a closer examination of the Mexican-American War tomorrow. We should be able to finish off all of the content of our History of the Americas by Friday, and then you will be writing a Paper 3 on Monday. We'll start looking at Authoritarian and Single-Party States on Tuesday of next week.

Monday, November 24, 2014

November 24


I finished off going through the democratic systems notes in your Social 30-1 study booklet. I also went into a little detail on the structure of the Canadian government diagram. You'll get your Unit 2 essay question sheet tomorrow. You'll be writing your Unit 2 WRA II essay in Thursday's class.




We had our four options debate on the War of 1812 today, which took the entire period. We will be continuing our examination of the Nation-Building and Challenges unit by looking at American expansionism tomorrow.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

November 20


You wrote your Unit 2 Final Exam today in class. If you missed this test today, please see me on Monday, and we'll make arrangements to have you make up this exam. You will get the results of this exam on Monday. Your Chapter 10 Key Terms and Questions are due on Tuesday, November 25th.


I finished off the PowerPoint presentation called "The Jacksonian Age" today. I then went through the formation of political parties in American history. Some of the topics covered when I was talking about this will be covered in Grade 12 IB History. If you missed class today, you'll need to get notes from a classmate. I also gave out the option number assignments for the War of 1812 four option debate that we will be doing in Monday's class. (Eric you can be Option 1). By Tuesday of next week we should be starting to wrap up the last bit of the Nation-Building and Challenges unit, American expansionism culminating in the Mexican-American War. Once we have finished covering the Mexican-American War we will have finished the last topic in our Grade 11 History of the Americas course and we will proceed to get into a Paper 2 Topic 3 unit, Authoritarian and Single Party States.


Wednesday, November 19, 2014

November 19

Tomorrow in tutorial, I will be going through the three source analysis assignment that the IB 20 HOTA group wrote last week. If you (Grade 11 IB students) feel that you don't need to attend this tutorial session, it isn't mandatory. If you are a Grade 12 student, you can still come in to look over past exams.

I did a homework check on your Political Compass survey questions. We started looking at different democratic systems today: direct democracy, representative democracy and we started the parliamentary system. We'll continue this next week. Please remember that you're writing your Unit 2 Final Exam tomorrow.

The Unit 2 Final Exam is on Thursday, November 20th. It will be a 70-75 multiple choice question test. In your textbook, this is material from Chapters 3-8. It is recommended that you focus on your review on the PowerPoint lectures and material from your Social 30-1 study booklet. Please look at the studying hints below:

  • study "The Development of Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "Responding to Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Evolution of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Techniques of Dictatorship" (ppt)
  • study "20th Century Rejections of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War" (ppt)
  • study the key concepts from the Chapters 3-8 worksheets
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise)
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal 
  • please see summary notes from the Ideologies textbook on the Mixed Economy Case Studies #14 (Sweden) and #15 (Canada), #16 (Japan), #17 (Fascism and Nazism)
  • also see the Democratic Socialism booklet on Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you and the booklet that I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia" (see film notes)
  • Stalin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes
  • Economic Planning in the USSR booklet
  • techniques of dictatorships (USSR and Nazi Germany case studies)
  • modern liberalism
  • features of the Nazi state
  • Hitler's rise to power
  • Characteristics of Democracy
  • Characteristics of Dictatorship
  • Democratic Systems notes
  • Non-Democratic Systems notes
  • Types of Dictatorships notes (includes Techniques of Dictatorships as well)
  • A Comparison of Communism and Fascism notes
  • Totalitarianism notes
  • Fascism/Nazism booklet (has techniques of dictatorship in Nazi Germany and USSR)
  • do a brief review of the political spectrum and economic spectrum and the quadrant model



You wrote your Unit 6 Quiz today at the beginning of class. I also started a lecture on the Andrew Jackson presidency, which I will hopefully finish tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

November 18


I did a homework check on your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions today. We also watched a video from BBC World called "10 Questions About Democracy" (here is a link to the companion website if you'd like to here what people had to say again). You are responsible for finishing the entire film study that went along with this video for tomorrow's class (I'll be doing a homework check on it, and in all likelihood, we'll be able to discuss some of the questions in the video). You have another homework assignment tonight: please go to the following website-Political Compass, complete the political survey (from the left-hand navigation menu, click on "Take the test"), print off where you fall in the economic-political grid and bring it to class tomorrow. We'll be able to talk about this tomorrow. Please remember that you have your Unit 2 Final Exam on Thursday, November 20th, check out the study guide below. I also gave back the results of your Cold War Exam as well today.


The Unit 2 Final Exam is on Thursday, November 20th. It will be a 70-75 multiple choice question test. In your textbook, this is material from Chapters 3-8. It is recommended that you focus on your review on the PowerPoint lectures and material from your Social 30-1 study booklet. Please look at the studying hints below:

  • study "The Development of Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "Responding to Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Evolution of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Techniques of Dictatorship" (ppt)
  • study "20th Century Rejections of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War" (ppt)
  • study the key concepts from the Chapters 3-8 worksheets
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise)
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal 
  • please see summary notes from the Ideologies textbook on the Mixed Economy Case Studies #14 (Sweden) and #15 (Canada), #16 (Japan), #17 (Fascism and Nazism)
  • also see the Democratic Socialism booklet on Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you and the booklet that I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia" (see film notes)
  • Stalin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes
  • Economic Planning in the USSR booklet
  • techniques of dictatorships (USSR and Nazi Germany case studies)
  • modern liberalism
  • features of the Nazi state
  • Hitler's rise to power
  • Characteristics of Democracy
  • Characteristics of Dictatorship
  • Democratic Systems notes
  • Non-Democratic Systems notes
  • Types of Dictatorships notes (includes Techniques of Dictatorships as well)
  • A Comparison of Communism and Fascism notes
  • Totalitarianism notes
  • Fascism/Nazism booklet (has techniques of dictatorship in Nazi Germany and USSR)
  • do a brief review of the political spectrum and economic spectrum and the quadrant model


We finished off the PBS documentary "The War of 1812" today. I assigned the TOK links in your History of the Americas on pages 86-87. This exercise is due tomorrow. You also have to complete the War of 1812 website assignment that is on the IB 20 wiki under Unit 6: Nation-Building and Challenges. This website assignment is due on Thursday. Please remember that you are writing your Unit 6 Quiz tomorrow. Please study the "Forging the New Republic" PowerPoint presentation and the War of 1812 (check out the collaborative notes section on the wiki for summary notes, and the causes, practices and effects of the War of 1812).

Monday, November 17, 2014

November 17


You wrote your Cold War Exam today. I also did a homework check on your "Good Night, and Good Luck" film study assignment. Please remember that you have your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions due tomorrow. You have another major assessment this week, your Unit 2 Final Exam on Thursday. Please see the study guide below. STUDY!

You will get the results of your Cold War Exam tomorrow.

The Unit 2 Final Exam is on Thursday, November 20th. It will be a 70-75 multiple choice question test. In your textbook, this is material from Chapters 3-8. It is recommended that you focus on your review on the PowerPoint lectures and material from your Social 30-1 study booklet. Please look at the studying hints below:

  • study "The Development of Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "Responding to Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Evolution of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Techniques of Dictatorship" (ppt)
  • study "20th Century Rejections of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War" (ppt)
  • study the key concepts from the Chapters 3-8 worksheets
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise)
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal 
  • please see summary notes from the Ideologies textbook on the Mixed Economy Case Studies #14 (Sweden) and #15 (Canada), #16 (Japan), #17 (Fascism and Nazism)
  • also see the Democratic Socialism booklet on Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you and the booklet that I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia" (see film notes)
  • Stalin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes
  • Economic Planning in the USSR booklet
  • techniques of dictatorships (USSR and Nazi Germany case studies)
  • modern liberalism
  • features of the Nazi state
  • Hitler's rise to power
  • Characteristics of Democracy
  • Characteristics of Dictatorship
  • Democratic Systems notes
  • Non-Democratic Systems notes
  • Types of Dictatorships notes (includes Techniques of Dictatorships as well)
  • A Comparison of Communism and Fascism notes
  • Totalitarianism notes
  • Fascism/Nazism booklet (has techniques of dictatorship in Nazi Germany and USSR)
  • do a brief review of the political spectrum and economic spectrum and the quadrant model



You got some marked assignments back from me today: your French Revolution DBA Assignment and your Latin American Revolutionary Leader Facebook Assignment. I showed you a Crash Course in History YouTube video on the War of 1812 to start with, and then we started watching a documentary on the War of 1812 today. Please remember that you have a Unit 6 Quiz on Wednesday (matching and OPVL analysis) which covers the "Forging the New Republic" PowerPoint lecture and the War of 1812 (make sure you study the causes, practices and effects on the wiki under Collaborative Notes and the War of 1812 booklet).

Here is the YouTube video that I showed you in class:

Friday, November 14, 2014

November 14


I went through the differences between positive and negative freedoms. I gave you the remainder of time to work on your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions, which are due on Tuesday, November 18th. Your film study questions on "Good Night, and Good Luck" are due on Monday, November 17th. Please remember that you are writing your Cold War Exam on Monday as well. You can find the study guide for the Chapter 7 (Cold War) Exam below. You're also writing your Unit 2 Final Exam on Thursday, November 20th, and you can find the study guide below.



It is a multiple choice test with 70-75 multiple choice questions. This test is on Monday, November 17th. Please make sure that you have read Chapter 7. Here are some other study tips:
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War (ppt)"
  • study all notes on the Origins and Causes of the Cold War
  • study notes on the Korean War
  • study notes on the Cuban Missile Crisis
  • study notes on the Vietnam War (see notes package and Vietnam War booklet, and the notes that I sent to you on the Vietnam War)
  • make sure that you know all the Cold War Concepts
  • know the chronology of events of the Cold War (study the Cold War timeline and the Vietnam War timeline, and the end of the Cold War timeline that I will be giving you in subsequent class)
  • know key events that we've emphasized in class (for example: Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War) plus other key events from the timeline
  • know major arms reduction agreements (bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements), please study the notes that I will give you next week on this topic.
  • know about the formation of alliances (NATO, Warsaw Pact) and the formation of "spheres of influence"
  • anything that I gave you as a handout is testable material and should be reviewed!!
  • know how the Cold War ends and its results/consequences




The Unit 2 Final Exam is on Thursday, November 20th. It will be a 70-75 multiple choice question test. In your textbook, this is material from Chapters 3-8. Please look at the studying hints below:

  • study "The Development of Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "Responding to Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Evolution of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Techniques of Dictatorship" (ppt)
  • study "20th Century Rejections of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War" (ppt)
  • study the key concepts from the Chapters 3-8 worksheets
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise)
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal 
  • please see summary notes from the Ideologies textbook on the Mixed Economy Case Studies #14 (Sweden) and #15 (Canada), #16 (Japan), #17 (Fascism and Nazism)
  • also see the Democratic Socialism booklet on Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you and the booklet that I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia" (see film notes)
  • Stalin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes
  • Economic Planning in the USSR booklet
  • techniques of dictatorships (USSR and Nazi Germany case studies)
  • modern liberalism
  • features of the Nazi state
  • Hitler's rise to power
  • Characteristics of Democracy
  • Characteristics of Dictatorship
  • Democratic Systems notes
  • Non-Democratic Systems notes
  • Types of Dictatorships notes (includes Techniques of Dictatorships as well)
  • A Comparison of Communism and Fascism notes
  • Totalitarianism notes
  • Fascism/Nazism booklet (has techniques of dictatorship in Nazi Germany and USSR)
  • do a brief review of the political spectrum and economic spectrum and the quadrant model


I finished off the "Forging the New Republic" PowerPoint presentation today. You can find this lecture on the IB 20 wiki under Unit 6. I also gave you the War of 1812 reading booklet today as well. We'll be doing a four options debate on the War of 1812 on November 24th.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

November 13


We finished watching "Good Night, and Good Luck" today in class. This film explores a lot of issues that are relevant to today. You also have to understand the political climate at the time in the United States to fully understand the movie. Many Americans were drawn to communism in the 1930s due to the effects of the Great Depression, especially academics and those in the labour fields. In the movie they made reference to friends and spouses that had attended meetings long ago. The "Red Scare" caused a huge backlash against those sympathetic to communism or the USSR. Remember, during WWII the Soviet Union was an ally, and many people may have attended meetings out of curiosity. The junior Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy in 1950 charged there were communist sympathizers in the U.S. State Department. Hearings were held, charges were discovered to be unfounded. McCarthy continued accusing communist infiltration in the Democratic Party. McCarthy became the chairman of the House Subcommittee on the investigation of un-American activity (HUAC). On December 2, 1954, McCarthy’s actions were called into question and his accusations were deemed unfounded. On Murrow's show "See it Now", he begins to publicly go after McCarthy. A very public feud develops when McCarthy responds by accusing Murrow of being a communist. Murrow is accused of having been a member of the leftist union Industrial Workers of the World, which Murrow claimed was false.
In this climate of fear and reprisal (which we now refer to as McCarthyism), the CBS crew carries on and their tenacity ultimately strikes a historic blow against McCarthy. Historical footage in the movie also shows the questioning of Annie Lee Moss, a Pentagon communication worker accused of being a communist based on her name appearing on a list seen by an FBI infiltrator of the American Communist Party. In the first half of the film Murrow talks about how McCarthy didn't create the political climate and anti-Communist hysteria sweeping the country, but that he capitalized on it for political gain very effectively. As David Strathairn (playing Murrow in the film says, "We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason if we dig deep in our history and doctrine and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate and to defend causes which were, for the moment, unpopular. We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot escape responsibility for the result. There is no way for a citizen of the Republic to abdicate responsibility." The film is framed by the performance of the speech given by Murrow to the Radio and Television News Directors Association in 1958, in which Murrow harshly admonishes his audience not to squander the potential of television to inform and educate the public. I found this short video on YouTube that spliced together Edward R. Murrow's speech that appears at the beginning of the film and continues at the end of the film. I find that this speech has relevance even today when you talk about the level of discourse in the media. Your answers to the film study questions (1-12) are due on Monday, November 17th. You also had a little bit of time to work on your Chapter 8 Key Terms and Questions (which are due on Tuesday, November 18th). You should have some time tomorrow to work on your Chapter 8 work tomorrow. Please remember that your Vietnam War Assignment is due tomorrow (November 14th), simply complete sections A-C on page 190 in your Social 30-1 study booklets.







It is a multiple choice test with 70-75 multiple choice questions. This test is on Monday, November 17th. Please make sure that you have read Chapter 7. Here are some other study tips:
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War (ppt)"
  • study all notes on the Origins and Causes of the Cold War
  • study notes on the Korean War
  • study notes on the Cuban Missile Crisis
  • study notes on the Vietnam War (see notes package and Vietnam War booklet, and the notes that I sent to you on the Vietnam War)
  • make sure that you know all the Cold War Concepts
  • know the chronology of events of the Cold War (study the Cold War timeline and the Vietnam War timeline, and the end of the Cold War timeline that I will be giving you in subsequent class)
  • know key events that we've emphasized in class (for example: Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War) plus other key events from the timeline
  • know major arms reduction agreements (bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements), please study the notes that I will give you next week on this topic.
  • know about the formation of alliances (NATO, Warsaw Pact) and the formation of "spheres of influence"
  • anything that I gave you as a handout is testable material and should be reviewed!!
  • know how the Cold War ends and its results/consequences




The Unit 2 Final Exam is on Thursday, November 20th. It will be a 70-75 multiple choice question test. In your textbook, this is material from Chapters 3-8. Please look at the studying hints below:
  • study "The Development of Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "Responding to Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Evolution of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Techniques of Dictatorship" (ppt)
  • study "20th Century Rejections of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War" (ppt)
  • study the key concepts from the Chapters 3-8 worksheets
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise)
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal 
  • please see summary notes from the Ideologies textbook on the Mixed Economy Case Studies #14 (Sweden) and #15 (Canada), #16 (Japan), #17 (Fascism and Nazism)
  • also see the Democratic Socialism booklet on Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you and the booklet that I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia" (see film notes)
  • Stalin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes
  • Economic Planning in the USSR booklet
  • techniques of dictatorships (USSR and Nazi Germany case studies)
  • modern liberalism
  • features of the Nazi state
  • Hitler's rise to power
  • Characteristics of Democracy
  • Characteristics of Dictatorship
  • Democratic Systems notes
  • Non-Democratic Systems notes
  • Types of Dictatorships notes (includes Techniques of Dictatorships as well)
  • A Comparison of Communism and Fascism notes
  • Totalitarianism notes
  • Fascism/Nazism booklet (has techniques of dictatorship in Nazi Germany and USSR)
  • do a brief review of the political spectrum and economic spectrum and the quadrant model


I started Unit 6 material today by starting a PowerPoint lecture called "Forging the New Republic". We'll continue this lecture tomorrow by starting at the War of 1812. I gave you the results of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Age Test, as well as the Social 20-1 Written Response Assignment I (WRA I). You will be writing a Unit 6 Quiz on Wednesday of next week. Since we just started this unit today, you should be able to do well on this test, simply by keeping up with the material that is covered in class.




Wednesday, November 12, 2014

November 12


We started looking at the film "Good Night, and Good Luck" today in class. This film explores McCarthyism in the early 1950s. The film study that I provided you with also has a film review (if you are having a hard time understanding the film so far, it might be a good idea to read this over tonight), and some study questions and some discussion questions. This film definitely has relevance in today's world (which we'll be talking about more tomorrow and in Unit 3 of the course). Hopefully, we'll finish off the film tomorrow, and be able to have a short discussion period of some of the issues the film raises. In all likelihood, the study questions from the film study will be due on Monday. Please remember that you have your Chapter 7 Exam (Cold War Exam) on Monday, November 17th and your Unit 2 Final Exam on Thursday, November 20th. Please see the study guides for both tests below. I also did a homework check on your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions today. Your Vietnam War Assignment is due on Friday, November 14th.




It is a multiple choice test with 70-75 multiple choice questions. This test is on Monday, November 17th. Please make sure that you have read Chapter 7. Here are some other study tips:
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War (ppt)"
  • study all notes on the Origins and Causes of the Cold War
  • study notes on the Korean War
  • study notes on the Cuban Missile Crisis
  • study notes on the Vietnam War (see notes package and Vietnam War booklet, and the notes that I sent to you on the Vietnam War)
  • make sure that you know all the Cold War Concepts
  • know the chronology of events of the Cold War (study the Cold War timeline and the Vietnam War timeline, and the end of the Cold War timeline that I will be giving you in subsequent class)
  • know key events that we've emphasized in class (for example: Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War) plus other key events from the timeline
  • know major arms reduction agreements (bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements), please study the notes that I will give you next week on this topic.
  • know about the formation of alliances (NATO, Warsaw Pact) and the formation of "spheres of influence"
  • anything that I gave you as a handout is testable material and should be reviewed!!
  • know how the Cold War ends and its results/consequences



The Unit 2 Final Exam is on Thursday, November 20th. It will be a 70-75 multiple choice question test. In your textbook, this is material from Chapters 3-8. Please look at the studying hints below:

  • study "The Development of Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "Responding to Classical Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Evolution of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Techniques of Dictatorship" (ppt)
  • study "20th Century Rejections of Modern Liberalism" (ppt)
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War" (ppt)
  • study the key concepts from the Chapters 3-8 worksheets
  • please see the summary notes from the Ideologies textbook: Chapter 7 (Private Enterprise)
  • supply-side economics
  • boom and bust cycle/business cycle
  • laws of supply and demand, Adam Smith, invisible hand, market forces
    self-interest, consumer sovereignty, competition, private ownership, profit motive
  • basic economic problems/questions
  • advantages/disadvantages of the market economy
  • causes of the Great Depression
  • FDR and the New Deal 
  • please see summary notes from the Ideologies textbook on the Mixed Economy Case Studies #14 (Sweden) and #15 (Canada), #16 (Japan), #17 (Fascism and Nazism)
  • also see the Democratic Socialism booklet on Sweden (indicative planning, "cradle to the grave" economics)
  • characteristics of a mixed economy
  • nationalization
  • privatization
  • democratic socialism
  • welfare capitalism
  • Keynesian economics
  • the business cycle and fiscal and monetary policies (study all of the notes I gave you and the booklet that I gave you)
  • demand-side economics
  • neo-conservatives
  • monetarism
  • trickle down economics
  • supply-side economics
  • Thatcherism and Reaganomics
  • Milton Friedman
  • Friedrich Hayek
  • how Keynesian economics deals with a recession (remember "the percolator": increase circulation of money reducing taxes, increase government spending on "make work" projects, and reduce interest rates, which according to Keynesian economics is going increase demand for goods and services and lead to more money circulating in the economy)
  • how supply-side economics deals with a recession (remember "trickle down coffee maker": government should stimulate the goods and services sector of the economy by reducing corporate and personal taxes, eventually benefits will "trickle down" to the middle class and working class, make connections between supply-side economics and laissez faire economics/classical liberalism)
  • advantages and disadvantages of a mixed economy
  • neo-conservative criticism of government intervention
  • characteristics of a centrally planned economy
  • advantages and disadvantages of a centrally planned economy
  • Marx notes (sent by e-mail)
  • Lenin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • establishment of the Soviet Union
  • Soviet economic system (top-down decision-making process)
  • Lenin's War Communism and the New Economic Policy
  • "Stalin and the Modernization of Russia" (see film notes)
  • Stalin notes (sent by e-mail)
  • "Changes to Soviet Society After Stalin" notes (this bridges the gap between Stalin and Gorbachev)
  • Gorbachev to Collapse Notes
  • Economic Planning in the USSR booklet
  • techniques of dictatorships (USSR and Nazi Germany case studies)
  • modern liberalism
  • features of the Nazi state
  • Hitler's rise to power
  • Characteristics of Democracy
  • Characteristics of Dictatorship
  • Democratic Systems notes
  • Non-Democratic Systems notes
  • Types of Dictatorships notes (includes Techniques of Dictatorships as well)
  • A Comparison of Communism and Fascism notes
  • Totalitarianism notes
  • Fascism/Nazism booklet (has techniques of dictatorship in Nazi Germany and USSR)
  • do a brief review of the political spectrum and economic spectrum and the quadrant model

We completed our debate on Haiti today. I gave you some time to work with your option groups. You had to create an opening speech, and then we proceeded with a "popcorn style debate" until we reached closing speeches. Unfortunately, we ran out of time during this debate to hear closing arguments from all sides. Please remember that your Latin American revolutionary leaders Facebook assignment is due on Friday, November 14th. On Wednesday, November 19th you will be writing a Unit 6 Quiz (Nation-Building Challenges). We will start covering Unit 6 material tomorrow.

Friday, November 07, 2014

November 7


You watched excerpts from "Born on the Fourth of July" today. Please remember that I'm going to be doing homework checks on material that you covered while I was in Montreal this week. Your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions are due on November 12th.

Your Vietnam War Assignment is due on November 14th. Your Chapter 7 Test is on Monday, November 17th. The study guide for this test is below.
A. PEOPLE
Identify and explain the role each played in the Vietnam War
1. Ho Chi Minh
2. Ngo Dinh Diem
3. Lyndon B. Johnson
4. Richard M. Nixon
5. Viet Minh
6. Viet Cong
7. Le Duc Tho
8. Henry Kissinger
9. William Westmoreland
10. "Draft Dodger"

B. CONCEPTS/TERMS
Explain the significance of the following with regards to the Vietnam War (identify participants or individuals if appropriate)
1. Ho Chi Minh Trail
2. defoliation
3. "search and destroy" mission
4. "Vietnamization of the war"
5. Gulf of Tonkin Incident
6. My Lai Massacre
7. domino theory
8. Kent State University protest (May 4, 1970)
9. Tet Offensive (January 1968)
10. Geneva Agreement (1954)

C. ISSUES
Provide the information requested
1. The predominant religion of Vietnam
2. The battle which marked the end of French colonial rule in Indo-China
3. The scandal which led to the only resignation of an American President
4. The Vice President who replaced the President after his resignation
5. Why was November 1963 a "bad month" for the governments of South Vietnam and the United States?

As we will see, public support for the Vietnam War changes over time as more and more American soldiers are killed. We see a growth in the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, and the media also played a role in the turn of popular opinion against the war. I REALLY recommend that you have a look at the this series of photographs from the Vietnam War era, pretty powerful imagery (make sure that you read the captions too). Here is a link to the NPR that explains the story behind the photograph below, definitely worth the time to read or listen to the podcast, and make sure that you look at the photo gallery of Eddie Adams' photographs of the Vietnam War.


There are certain iconic images associated with the Vietnam War. Here is another:

The above photograph is of Phan Thị Kim Phúc, O.Ont (born in 1963), she is a Vietnamese-Canadian best known as the child subject of a Pulitzer Prize winning photograph taken during the Vietnam War on June 8, 1972. The iconic photo taken in Trang Bang by AP photographer Nick Ut shows her at about age nine running naked on the street after being severely burned on her back by a South Vietnamese napalm attack. Contrary to popular myth, the US Air Force were not involved in the attack, and only two US troops were within 60 miles (97 km) of the scene, neither of whom had any say in the bombings. Still, it is a powerful image associated with the war.

I'm posting the study guide for your Chapter 7 Test (Cold War Exam) below. You have a lot of review and studying to do, that's why I'm posting this study guide so far in advance (this test is on November 17th).

It is a multiple choice test with 70-75 multiple choice questions. Please make sure that you have read Chapter 7. Here are some other study tips:
  • study "The Origins of the Cold War (ppt)"
  • study all notes on the Origins and Causes of the Cold War
  • study notes on the Korean War
  • study notes on the Cuban Missile Crisis
  • study notes on the Vietnam War (see notes package and Vietnam War booklet, and the notes that I sent to you on the Vietnam War)
  • make sure that you know all the Cold War Concepts
  • know the chronology of events of the Cold War (study the Cold War timeline and the Vietnam War timeline, and the end of the Cold War timeline that I will be giving you in subsequent class)
  • know key events that we've emphasized in class (for example: Berlin Airlift, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War) plus other key events from the timeline
  • know major arms reduction agreements (bilateral agreements and multilateral agreements), please study the notes that I will give you next week on this topic.
  • know about the formation of alliances (NATO, Warsaw Pact) and the formation of "spheres of influence"
  • anything that I gave you as a handout is testable material and should be reviewed!!
  • know how the Cold War ends and its results/consequences



You had the entire class period to work on your Latin American revolutionary leaders Facebook assignment. You could work with a partner on this assignment if they are covering the same leader. This assignment is due on Friday, November 14th. Please use the PowerPoint Facebook template that is on the IB 20 wiki under Unit 4 Independence Movements.

Thursday, November 06, 2014

November 6


You watched "Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam" today. Hopefully you came close to finishing this documentary off in this class. I'm posting a copy of the documentary here on the blog as well.




You went to the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Period 4A, and then in Period 4B you had your regular class. You were supposed to read pages 38-47 in your History of the Americas textbook. You were supposed to complete the comparison chart of page 44 of the textbook that compared Simon Bolivar, Jose de San Martin and George Washington. You were also assigned a Latin American revolutionary leader today. You are supposed to go the computer lab to work on the Latin American revolutionary leader Facebook assignment tomorrow. Please use the PowerPoint Facebook template that is on the IB 20 wiki under Unit 4 Independence Movements. The name of the PowerPoint template is "PowerPoint Facebook Research Template". It's filled in for John F. Kennedy, but it can easily be modified. Don't forget to put creative ads into your Facebook page!

Wednesday, November 05, 2014

November 5


You had some time to work on your Cold War Events Notes in your Social 30-1 study booklets. I'll do a homework check on this when I get back. I will also do a homework check on your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions on November 12th as well, so make sure that you're keeping up with all of these homework assignments. You were also supposed to complete your Southeast Asia package that is part of your 30-1 study booklets. Your Vietnam War Assignment is due on November 14th, it is on page 190 in the 30-1 study booklet.


You should have gone through the Latin American Revolutions PowerPoint lecture today. Please make sure that you bring your History of the Americas textbooks to class tomorrow.

Tuesday, November 04, 2014

November 4


You watched a couple of videos today, one from the Discovery Channel called "Escape from Berlin" and the other from the BBC 20th Century History series called "Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Khrushchev". You should have also read, highlighted and annotated the section in your 30-1 study booklet on the Cuban Missile Crisis (pages 178-182).


You had some time to read over your Haitian Revolution booklets. You also were given about 40 minutes to prepare in your small groups for the four options debate that will be happening on November 12th.

Monday, November 03, 2014

November 3


I gave you back your Unit 1 WRA I today. I didn't really talk about it in class. If you have any questions, please see me in tutorial next week. I showed you a video from the BBC 20th Century History series called "Cold War Confrontation", which covered the Berlin Blockade and the Korean War. You have to read up and study the Korean War on your own. There is a PowerPoint presentation on the Social 30-1 wiki under Unit 2 that you should check out. There are also notes on the Korean War in your Social 30-1 study booklet on pages 171-177. I gave you the remainder of class time to work on your Cold War Events Notes chart that are in your 30-1 study booklets on pages 166-169. You'll get some more time to work on this tomorrow.



You wrote your French Revolution and Napoleonic Age Test today. You should get the results of this test back when I return from Montreal next week. I also gave you your assignments for the four options debate on Haiti today. You'll be doing this debate on Wednesday, November 12th.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

October 30


I finished off the PowerPoint lecture on "The Origins of the Cold War" today. Please remember that you don't have school tomorrow since it is a CBE system-wide PD Day. I'll see you on Monday of next week. Please also remember that your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions are due on Thursday, November 6th, so this long weekend might be a good time to complete that work and read Chapter 7.


We started our examination of the Haitian Revolution today. I went through the PowerPoint presentation on the Haitian Revolution that is up on the IB 20 wiki (it's under the Independence Movements section). If you want to watch a YouTube video from the Khan Academy on this topic, please see the video below. I also gave you booklets that cover the Haitian Revolution and will set up our four options debate that we will do Wednesday, November 12th. Please remember that you have your Unit 5 Test on Monday, November 3rd. The study guide is included below.

Haitian Revolution (Part 1): Slaves rebel in Saint-Domingue (Haiti). Rise of Toussaint L'Ouverture.


  • know the causes of the French Revolution (short term, long term, economic, political, social, intellectual)
  • know the structure of French society during the Old Regime
  • know Napoleon's domestic policy
  • know Napoleon's foreign policy (Continental System in particular)
  • know key battles in the Napoleonic Wars (results of the Battle of Trafalgar, Russian campaign, the Battle of Leipzig, and the Battle of Waterloo)
  • know chronology of key events in the French Revolution
  • know the chronology of key events in the Napoleonic Age
  • know the key players at the Congress of Vienna (country and representatives)
  • what were the major decisions of the Congress? what were the guiding principles at the Congress of Vienna
  • know the 19th century political spectrum (please see the graphic below; values and characteristics of the various positions on the spectrum; what groups are represented on the various positions on the spectrum?; what phases/accomplishments of the French Revolution are represented on the spectrum?)

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

October 29


We started our examination of the Cold War today. I started a lecture called "The Origins of the Cold War", which I will hopefully be able to finish off tomorrow. I stopped lecturing at the Potsdam Conference. You had about 30-35 minutes to work on your Chapter 7 Key Terms and Questions, which are due on Thursday, November 6th. Your next exam in class will be on November 17th covering the Cold War.


You wrote a WRA I today on the influence of the Enlightenment on the French Revolution. Please remember that your Unit 5 Test on the French Revolution and Napoleonic Age is on Monday, November 3rd, you can find the study guide for this exam below.


  • know the causes of the French Revolution (short term, long term, economic, political, social, intellectual)
  • know the structure of French society during the Old Regime
  • know Napoleon's domestic policy
  • know Napoleon's foreign policy (Continental System in particular)
  • know key battles in the Napoleonic Wars (results of the Battle of Trafalgar, Russian campaign, the Battle of Leipzig, and the Battle of Waterloo)
  • know chronology of key events in the French Revolution
  • know the chronology of key events in the Napoleonic Age
  • know the key players at the Congress of Vienna (country and representatives)
  • what were the major decisions of the Congress? what were the guiding principles at the Congress of Vienna
  • know the 19th century political spectrum (please see the graphic below; values and characteristics of the various positions on the spectrum; what groups are represented on the various positions on the spectrum?; what phases/accomplishments of the French Revolution are represented on the spectrum?)