March 27

English 10

Today is the last day to finish off the creative writing portfolio.  It is due at the end of the block.   Work on it over the break and hand it in on Monday April 13th otherwise!

First Nations 12

This is the last day to finish of the Impact of the Fur Trade Project.  Hand it in by the end of the day to be free from homework over Spring Break.  Otherwise get it to me on or before April 13th!  My email address is lee.mccall@sd71.bc.ca if you can email me it over the break.  

Humanities 8 

Today we finished off our coat of arms and then watched the beginning of "A Knight's Tale."

Have an amazing Spring Break everyone!!  

March 26

Humanities 8

Today students wrote their religion test.  Afterwards, students did some silent reading.  Then the coat of arms assignment was introduced.  We looked at BC's coat of arms as an example.  Students worked on their coat of arms till the end of class.

English 10

Today students were given the in-depth rubric that will be used to mark their best piece of work in their portfolio.  They were asked to use it to make last minute tweaks before printing off their final version.  The remainder of the class was used to finish their portfolios which is due tomorrow!!  See previous posts for more info.  

First Nations 12

Today we continued to work on finishing off our Impact of the Fur Trade project.  It is due tomorrow by the end of class.  If it in not handed in by the end of the class, then it needs to be handed in on April 13th!!  See previous posts for more info.  

March 26

Humanities 8

Today we are going to start with our test and then students will be asked to silent read until everyone has finished their test.  Next we are going to discuss and introduce the Middle Ages in Europe, which will be our next are of study.  If time allows we will start working on a Coat of Arms assignment, which we will continue with on Friday.  

First Nations 12

Today we will continue to work on our Impact of the Fur Trade project, which is due by the end of the block on Friday.  

English 10

Before heading to the lab, I will go over the English 10 narrative writing rubric.  Students will be asked to use this rubric to decide which piece of their writing is the best.  Students will then be encouraged to seek someone to make suggestions and proofread their work before completing their final copy.  Remember this project is due at the end of the block on Friday!

March 25

First Nations 12

Today we started off the class with a quick video clip from Wab Kinew which briefly discusses the fur trade and the relationship between Europeans and the aboriginal people of Canada.  Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmYu-Wppp3c

Next we headed to the library to continue to work on our Impact of the Fur Trade Project.

English 10

Today we skipped silent reading and I did a brief lesson on the last style of creative writing for our creative writing portfolios - the internal dialogue or stream of consciousness writing- before heading to the computer lab to work on our portfolios.  Below is an exemplar of this type of writing: 

Do I have an original thought in my head, my bald head? Maybe if I were happier, my hair wouldn’t be falling out. Life is short; I need to make the most of it. Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I’m a walking cliché. I really need to go to the doctor and have my leg checked. There’s something wrong. Oh well. The dentist called again, I’m way overdue. If I stopped putting things off, I would be happier. All I do is sit on my fat ass, if my ass wasn’t fat, I would be happier. I wouldn’t have to wear these shirts with the tails out all the time; like that’s fooling anyone. Fat ass. I should start jogging again. Five miles a day; really do it this time. Maybe rock climbing; I need to turn my life around. What do I need to do? I need to fall in love. I need to have a girlfriend. I need to read more; improve myself. Maybe I should learn Russian or something. Or take up an instrument. I could speak Chinese. I could be the screenwriter who speaks Chinese and plays the oboe. That would be cool. I should get my hair cut short; stop trying to fool myself and everyone else into thinking I have a full head of hair. How pathetic is that? Just be real. Confident. Isn’t that what women are attracted to? Men don’t have to be attractive. But that’s not true, ‘’specially these days. There’s almost as much pressure on men as there is on women these days. Why should I be made to feel like I should apologize for my existence? Maybe it’s my brain chemistry. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me. Bad chemistry… all my problems and anxiety can be reduced to a chemical imbalance or some kind of misfiring synapses. I need to get help from them; but I’ll still be ugly though. Nothing is going to change that.

Charlie Kauffman

I was excited to see many students really getting into this type of writing.  Remember the project is due at the end of the class on Friday!

Humanities 8 

Today we worked skipped silent reading in order to make sure we got through our comparison chart and had time to review.  Below are some review questions to prepare yourself prior to the test.  I have also attached the chart in case you are missing some of the notes.  

Religion Review

1.       What 3 religions originated in India?

2.       What religion is the most widespread?

3.       What religion(s) believe in a “creator”?

4.       What religions are monotheistic?

5.       What religions are polytheistic?

6.       What religions are found in the blank spots of your map?

7.       What is the main difference between Christianity and Judaism?

8.       What religion believes in the 5 pillars?

9.       What religion believes in the 5 Ks?

10.   What religions believe in reincarnation?

11.   What religion does not have a god?

12.   What religions are found in Japan?

13.   What religion is associated with a yarmulke?

14.   What religion is associated with a hijab?

15.   What religion is associated with the bindi?

16.   What religions avoid eating pork?

17.   In what religion are cows sacred?

18.   What religion has the 8 spoked wheel as its symbol?

19.   What religion has the torii as its symbol?

20.   What religion is associated with the gurudwara?

21.   What religion is associated with the mosque?

22.   What religion is associated with the mandir?

23.   What religion is associated with the Koran?

24.   What religion is associated with the Torah?

25.   Whose beliefs are passed down through the oral tradition?

26.   What religion are kami associated with?

27.   What is atheism?

28.   What is religious tolerance?

	Christianity	Islam	Judaism	Buddhism	Hinduism	Sikhism	Shintoism	First Nations	Taoism
Symbol	Cross	Star and Crescent	Star of David	Buddha in lotus position. 8 spoked wheel.	Swastika –peace and luck Om –sacred sound	Nishan sahib =emblem 5 Ks (hair, comb, shorts, bracelet, sword)	Torii =wooden gateway	Mythical animals – Thunderbird	Yin -yang
Gods Important figures	God Jesus –son of God (messiah)	Allah Mohammad -prophet	God (El shaddai)	None	Brahman –supreme spirit (Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu)	God (Ik Onkar)	Kami =spirits 7 gods of fortune	The Creator Mythical animals	none
Poly or Monotheistic	Monotheistic	Monotheistic	Monotheistic	N/A	Both	Monotheistic	Polytheistic	mono	n/a
Texts	Bible	Koran (Qur’an)	Torah  (old testament) &Talmud (interpretations)	Tripitaka	Vedas (hymns) & Upanishads (stories)	Guru Granth Sahib (hymns)	Nihongi Kojiki (Japanese myths)	Oral tradition	Tao Te Ching Chuang Tzu
Where started	Palestine	Mecca	Babylon (present day Iraq)	India	Indus Valley	Punjab	Japan	Local environments of N. America	China
Building of worship	Church/Cathedral	Mosques	Synagogue	Shrine (Stupa)	Mandir –temple Shrines	Gurudwara (gateway of the guru)	Shrines	Big House	Gong
Diet	Fasting – to glorify God	No pork or alcohol.	No pork, or shellfish.  Food should be kosher (clean).	Vegetarian	No beef! Cows are sacred.	No meat from ritual slaughter.	N/A	Use only what you need- no waste	Monks and nuns -vegetarian
Dress	Nuns wear a habit, monks and priests wear special robes.	Hijab –head scarf for women Burqa – full head, body face covering	Yarmulke –skull cap	Monks wear special robes	Bindi (red dot on forehead) Sari – woman’s dress Sherwani –men’s coat	Turban 5 Ks (hair, comb, shorts, bracelet, sword)	Priests wear special robes.	Button blanket Masks	No dress code; but colorful silk robes in earlier times

March 24

Humanities 8

Today there was a TOC - Mr Janz.  The class started off with silent reading and then Mr. Janz took the class through a review of the information we had already covered and discussed some current events related to the topic of religion.  The students also continued to add to their religion comparison chart.  

English 10

Silent reading started off the class and then students got to work on their creative writing packages which are due on Friday!  The assignment sheet is posted on the March 20th entry.  

First Nations 12

Students were given the block to work on their "Impact of the Fur Trade" assignment.  The assignment sheet is posted on the March 23rd entry. 

March 23

English 10 

This week we will continue to work on our creative writing portfolios, which will be due on Friday. When we come back from Spring break, we will start our novel study.

Today we will discuss the setting piece and the term atmosphere (the feeling the setting creates).  See below for the examples I will read in class.  Picture prompts are below as well.

Setting examples

Gail stepped into the nursery, her throat tightening at the thick dust floating in the air. Sunlight slipped through the cracked boards covering the window, illuminating a child's wooden rocking horse sitting out on a tattered rug. The toy's wooden seat was worn smooth, coated in dirt, and cobwebs matted the corded mane and tail. 

The air shimmered and a young boy flickered into view. Gail gasped, watching his pale hands grasp at the mane, pulling himself into the seat. Slowly the horse began to rock, much to the jubilation of its ghostly rider.

Angela Ackerman

At the top of the Ferris wheel, the musical roar of the carnival dimmed, letting in the sound of the Amy's excited giggles and the crinkle of paper from the rolled-up bag of popcorn she held tight in one small fist. We shared a grin as she kicked her feet out at the open air. I loved this moment, I lived for it every year--when we reached the pinnacle of the rotation as the carriage opposite us stopped to exchange passengers. I pulled in a deep, clean breath. For one moment everything seemed so clear, so full of potential. So reachable. I could do anything I put my mind to.

Brainstorm ideas for all 5 senses of your chosen setting. 

  

First Nations 12

Today we will watch a short clip on Christopher Columbus and remind students of the assignment given on Friday.  Next I will introduce the Chapter 4 project and students will go to the library to start work on it.  

Chapter 4 Project

Task:  Explain the impact of the fur trade on BC First Nations.  (Indicate both the positive and the negative impacts of the fur trade – social, demographic, economic). Due: Friday March 27th!

Method:  Your choice – poster, essay, power-point, verbal presentation, web etc

Resources:  Key source of information is chapter 4 of your text, but outside resources are also encouraged. 

Criteria	Not Meeting Expectations	Minimally Meeting Expectations	Fully Meeting Expectations	Exceeding Expectations
Organization/clarity of expression	€        Unclear €        Hard to read	€        Attempt made at organization €        Readable	€        Good organization €        Clarity is good €        Headings/paragraphs used	€        Excellent organization €        Easy to read €        Headings/paragraphing well chosen
Product	€        Poor quality €        Doesn’t appear to be finished	€        Satisfactory quality €        Proofreading/finishing lacking €        No enhancements	€        Good quality €        Finishing and proofreading evident €        A few enhancements	€        Excellent quality €        Careful proofreading/finishing €        Enhancements used effectively
Information Social	€        No terms used €        Not enough on-topic info	€        A few terms used €        Minimal information	€        Terms used €        Good quality information €        Key points covered	€        Key terms used €        High quality information €        Thorough examination
Information Demographic	€        No terms used €        Not enough on-topic info	€        A few terms used €        Minimal information	€        Terms used €        Good quality information €        Key points covered	€        Key terms used €        High quality information €        Thorough examination
Information Economic	€        No terms used €        Not enough on-topic info	€        A few terms used €        Minimal information	€        Terms used €        Good quality information €        Key points covered	€        Key terms used €        High quality information €        Thorough examination
Final Analysis	€        No obvious conclusion	€        Satisfactory conclusion	€        Good conclusion	€        Insightful conclusion

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                /24

Humanities 8

Silent reading

Review of discussion on Friday and second case study of religious fanaticism.  

Ted talk on the 5 major religions of the world and start filling in religion comparison chart.