Assignment #13

Hello E7A,

Over the past few classes, we've talked about the causes and events of the War of 1812. Your next assignment is to think about all that you've learned and respond.

Using the information you have about the War of 1812, respond to the following questions (should be about a page in length, either handwritten, computer typed or on your blog).

Who won the War of 1812? Why do you think that?
Is there always a winner in a war? Why or why not?

Assignment #12 - Prepare for Class Discussion

Students in E7B,

Next Day 4, we will be having a class discussion about two topics: The Loyalist refugees and the War of 1812. Your task is to research the following questions. You do not have to write anything on your blog, but you will be marked on your participation in our class discussion. This is your chance to prepare.

Read over these questions and research the topics. Make jot notes, either on paper or on a new blog post. Your jot notes will help you in our class discussion.

-How did the influx of Loyalist refugees change things in Canada?
-What were some of the causes (the reasons that it started) of the War of 1812?
-What were some of the effects (the things that happened because of) of the War of 1812?
-What would life for a Canadian look like, feel like and be like at this time in our history? (1775 - American Revolution started, 1783-1784 - approx. 50 000 Loyalists migrated to Canada, 1812-1815 - War of 1812) (Social life, material life, working life, institutions)

Assignment #11 - URGENT

Ladies and gentlemen,

Please check out this website and hand in a hand-written single spaced 12-page report about it by tomorrow at 7 a.m.

E7/8 - Today we Live Blog

Good morning, E7/8,

Today we'll be live blogging. That means that we'll all be working on our blogs simultaneously while we are sitting here in the Lab.

I don't mind if you work with a partner today so long as the two of you stay on task. I reserve the right to split you up if I feel you are not on task.

I've listened carefully and thought a lot about what you said about blogging, and I'll be making some changes.

Today, for example, you are going to do some research and you won't be marked on the finish product, but you will be marked on your process of gathering information and then participating in our class discussion.

Your job today is to look at the questions at the bottom of this post and figure out some ways to answer them so that when we have a class discussion about these topics next class, you will be well prepared.

Please let us know if you find any particularly wonderful sites.

In answering the questions, you may use full sentences or jot notes, your choice. As you publish answers, let me know so that I can link to you. Hopefully this will enable us to get an online discussion going. Post anything that you find interesting - links, information...

None of these questions have simple answers. They all have complex, involved answers. Try to give yourself a bit of an overview of some of the issues involved. You will do research to find some answers, you can talk with your partner and you will use your own inferencing skills to come up with some answers to the following:

Grade 7s
-How did the influx of Loyalist refugees change things in Canada?
-What were some of the causes (the reasons that it started) of the War of 1812?
-What were some of the effects (the things that happened because of) of the War of 1812?
-What would life for a Canadian look like, feel like and be like at this time in our history? (1775 - American Revolution started, 1783-1784 - approx. 50 000 Loyalists migrated to Canada)

Grade 8s
-How did the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway change Canada? -What were some of the causes of the Red River Rebellion?
-What were some of the effects of the Red River Rebellion?
-What would life for a Canadian look like, feel like and be like at this time in our history? (1881-1885 - construction of the CPR, 1869 - Red River Rebellion)

Adrily Has Done it Again

The incredible Adria and Emily in E7/8 have made another hilarious and informative video. They made great use of 18th Century slang. Their bunny joke is a highlight.

A Loyalist/Patriot Game

Santana the Magnificent has found an amazingly cool game where you work your way through different tasks and questions and determine whether you would have been a Patriot or a Loyalist living during the American Revolution.

Let me know if you've played the game and what the outcome was!

Want Some Bonus Marks? - Special thanks to Santana!

Santana continues her wonderful 'net research skills. She has found all kinds of exciting sites, including the following:

#1. An article about Black Loyalists.
#2. Many articles from different points of view in America about the American Revolution.
#3. Some American heroes of the American Revolution. How do you think the Loyalists saw these people? What about the British North Americans?
#4. An article from the American point of view describing the causes and effects of the American Revolution.
#5. I haven't played a lot on this one yet, but it's pretty neat - HistoryWorld. If you check this one out, let me know what great features it has!

For some bonus marks, you can check out these sites and write a review on your own blog, linking others to them. As always, if you do a bonus assignment, send a comment my way so that I know to check it out!

Mapping Your Way through History

Santana (my #1 Internet researcher) has found yet another amazing site. Canadian Geographic hosts all kinds of capital ("cool" from the 18th century) sources, including Historical Maps.

The site is super, duper awesome. You pick a year and you are shown a map of Canada from that time. There are really clear legends and a description of important events PLUS bonus facts. As well, there are many wonderful links in each description. This is a great place to start your research for ANY Canadian History topic. Amazing.

As well, you can click on a link on the right-hand side of the page to do a Canada Quiz. This is a great, comprehensive quiz. There are questions that go along with each map and chunk of information. As well, unlike some not so great Internet quizzes, the answers are available to you after you've completed the questions. That means you can actually learn from your mistakes (the best reason to MAKE mistakes!).

I strongly suggest you check out this site. We certainly will be using it as a class in the future.

Change of Schedule - Day 4

 

Hello students in E7A, E7B and E7/8,

Starting the week we come back from March Break, we will be blogging in the Lab two times (instead of three times) a cycle. On Day 4, you will need to bring a notebook or a binder with you to my classroom. We will meet outside my room and go over what we'll be working on for the next little bit.

From now on, Day 4 classes take part in my classroom - Room 108!

Will Life Be Worth Living in 2000?

I found a hilarious article from 1961 that predicts the future.  The writer feels that there will be a lot of change and that all those changes won't be wonderful.  It reminds me of the work you've done in predicting the history of the future. 

Great News - I'm going to change the Due Dates for #9 and #10!

Hey Cupcakes,

Let's talk about Assignments #9 and #10 at school on Friday - many people feel that they cannot get finished on time. No worries. We'll select a new due date during class on Friday!

ESL Assignment H

Hello again, English language learners!

Your next assignment is to talk about school in Canada and school in your home country.

1.) You must create a new post and write about three things that you like about Canadian school. 

2.) You must write about three things that you liked about school in your home country. 

3.) Then, tell us which you like better and why.

ESL students - Assignment G

Hello English language learners!

Your next assignment is a lot like your last one. You have to check out this website and answer these questions in full sentences.

1. What was the population of Canada in 2002?

2. What are the two official languages in Canada?

3. How long are women expected to live in Canada (life expectancy)?

4. How long are men expected to live in Canada (life expectancy)?

5. What are three types of jobs that people have in Canada (work force)?

When you have finished this assignment, please leave a comment on this post.

ESL Students - Assignment F

Check out this website about Canadian Facts and Trivia. Read the facts and then start a new post to answer the following questions in full sentences:

1. In population density, how many people are there in every square kilometer in Canada (this is an average)?

2. What are five inventions that have been created in Canada?

3. Where is the world's smallest jail?

4. Is Canada the first or second largest country in the world?

When you are finished your assignment, leave a comment on this post.

ESL Students - Assignment E

Hello English language learners,

Here is your newest assignment.

I have found a quiz about Canada. There are ten questions on it. Try to answer as many as you can. Which ones did you know? Which ones were more difficult. For your assignment, start a new post. Tell me what you learned from the quiz and write 5 Canada quiz questions of your own.

When you have finished this assignment, please leave a comment here.

Baby Mike is sick

Hello ladies and germs,

Dr. Prof. Mike is sick today. You can visit his blog and send him well-wishes if you wish to wish him well.

Hopefully he'll be back tomorrow.

Historical Trends by the Decade

The incredible Santana has discovered one of the greatest sites I've ever seen. You can select a decade and there are lists of important events, who is "in", who died, the "bad guys", entertainment, music, literature, art, slang, and fashion and beauty. This site is an excellent place to start your research or enhance your diary or journal. So, so cool! I love it!

18th Century Slang

Do you want to make your letter or diary entry more authentic? Check out this list of 18th century slang. Then say some of them out loud with a British accent. It's capital.

Grade 8s - Assignment #10: Diary/Letter from the Railroad

Hi Grade 8s,

Your new assignment is up on Mike's blog. Check it out and get rocking!

You will write as someone involved with the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1881-1885.

If you're stuck for information, here are some places to get started
The Railroad in General
-Wikipedia entry on the Canadian Pacific Railway, lots of basic information
-The Canadian Pacific Railway website traces the history of the Railway, this may help if you are writing from the point of view of a person overseeing its construction.
-The Canadian Encyclopedia has an article that includes information about some of the people in charge of the railroad and the great importance of its construction

Chinese Railway Workers
-Historica has a one minute video depicting the danger of building a railroad that cut through mountains
-The Wikipedia entry on the History of Chinese immigration to Canada explains what life was like for Chinese immigrants in the section "Immigration for the Railway".
-The Chinese Canadian Culture Online Project presents information about Chinese Railroad workers
-Parks Canada posted an article commemorating Chinese Railroad workers lost during the construction of the railway
-This is the text of a speech made to the US House of Representatives in 1999 commemorating the lives of Chinese Railroad workers and their contributions to the building of the transcontinental railroad. There are also photos included.
-This is an excellent article that includes information about how much the Chinese workers were paid for their backbreaking labour. It also describes what happened to the workers after they died. Heavy stuff.
-Gordon Lightfoot, a Canadian singer wrote the song, "The Canadian Railroad Triolgy". Read over the lyrics or listen to the song to help you out with some ideas.

You will be evaluated based on the following expectations:
-Point of view - you have done an excellent job "stepping into the shoes" of your writer and we can fully understand his or her opinion
-Information used - your letter or diary has lots of information based on fact
-Map included - you have included a map of where these people were living and/or working
-Link to three sites you used for information
-Vocabulary - you use appropriate vocabulary
-Creativity - your work is written in your own words and in a unique way

Here is what you are expected to learn:
-explore the Canadian Pacific Railway as a factor contributing to the settlement and development of western Canada
-use a variety of resources and tools to gather, process and communicate information
-identify some key individuals and groups whose efforts led to the railway's completion
-use a variety of sources to locate relevant information about the building of the railway
-analyze, synthesize and evaluate historical information
-describe and analyse conflicting points of view about a historical event
-use appropriate vocabulary to describe inquiries and observations

Hey E8C - This one's for you!

E8C,

Mr. Campbell and I are currently trying to figure out how to teach you together. Up until now, you've been doing Geography in the classroom with Mr. Campbell and History with me in the Lab. Your Geography course is finished and Mr. Campbell and I are now working together to teach you History.

What I'd like to know from you is whether you'd like to continue blogging, add more blogging days or stop blogging altogether. Also, I need your advice on how to make things work with two teachers and one course. Please answer the poll question below and leave a comment to weigh in.

Grade 7s - Assignment #9: Loyalist Diary/Letter

Hello GRADE SEVEN buddies,

Check out your newest assignment. Mike has assigned it. It's super awesome. You get to write an imaginary diary entry or letter from the point of view of a Loyalist or a British North American meeting Loyalists for the first time during the American Revolution (1775-1783).

The details are on Mike's blog.

Some sources to start your search
-The Wikipedia entry on Loyalists (this includes information on where the settlements were and a list of well-known Loyalists)
-The Wikipedia entry on Black Loyalists
-Here is a major destination of early Loyalist refugees
-The Mysteries of Canada website has a good article on United Empire Loyalists
-The Wikipedia entry on United Empire Loyalists has a list of settlements and links to websites about them, as well as an explanation of why some people added UE to the end of their names.
-A short history of the UEL
-This short article discusses some of the immediate effects of the influx of UEL into Canada
-hand-drawn Loyalist maps - so cool!
-a list of real Loyalists - some inspiration for names, perhaps?
-this is an incredible list of real Loyalists and some information about each one - it is organized alphabetically
-here is what what given to every Loyalist who "fought for the Crown"
-this page has lots of links, I've already linked to some, but there are certainly more of interest

***Research, research, research BEFORE you start writing! There is so much interesting information, don't rush into the quickest bit, the writing. Find out loads of information first!***

You will be evaluated based on the following expectations:
-Point of view - you have done an excellent job "stepping into the shoes" of your writer and we can fully understand his or her opinion
-Information used - your letter or diary has lots of information based on fact, including the areas of settlement
-Map included - you have included a map of where these people were living
-Link to three sites you used for information
-Vocabulary - you use appropriate vocabulary ("The crown", "Loyalists", "Patriots", "Upper Canada", "Lower Canada"...)
-Creativity - your work is written in your own words and in a unique way

Here is what you are expected to learn:
-Explain the origins of English settlement in North America after the fall of New France
-Describe the migration and settlement experiences of various groups of settlers
-Use a variety of resources to gather, process and communicate information about the beginnings and development BNA
-Identify themes and personalities from the period
-Explain the historical impact of the American Revolution on the settlement of BNA
-Describe different groups of people who took part in the Loyalists' migration
-Analyze, synthesize and evaluate historical information
-Describe and analyze conflicting points of view about historical events
-communicate the results of inquiries for specific purposes and audiences
-use appropriate vocabulary to describe inquiries and observations

See how much you are learning!

To Blog or Not To Blog?

Thank you to those of you who have responded to the poll asking whether you'd like to continue blogging in Geography. I really appreciate those of you who took the time to write a comment and let me know what you think.

This is the first time I have taught using blogs and, like you, I am learning a lot! Your work continues to improve as you use the tools available to you more and more effectively. I am especially impressed with your work on Assignment #8. I have read some wonderfully creative and well-researched imaginary interviews.

Some issues you have raised and that I am thinking about:

More class discussion - Some people have suggested that we do some class discussion along with our blogging. I think this is a great idea. So far, you have been working fairly independently on your blogs (and doing a great job, may I add!), I will work on finding ways to interact even more.

More guidance from the teacher - In other classes you've taken in the Social Studies (History, Geography), you are used to having the teacher lead you through a concept and then you do a reading or an assignment. With our projects so far, I've been releasing the responsibility to you. You have been responsible for working with information I've given you, that I've directed you towards or that you've found on your own. Some of you want more guidance and I will be happy to provide that to you.

More clarity - You may not believe it, but you are flying through curriculum expectations for your grade. What I will do is I will let you know, with each assignment, which curriculum expectations you are covering (there is a whole bunch of stuff you're expected to learn each year and that's put together in curriculum documents that teachers refer to). Also, I've started to add more information at the end of posts to tell you how I'll be evaluating each assignment. People have also expressed that they miss learning in units. I'll add more info at the beginning of assignments to let you know which unit we're working on. I'll get even better organized and hopefully that will help you.

.

Fewer Assignments - Some of you have said that you would like more time to read your peers assignments before you are given your next one. I've been trying to give you assignments of different lengths, but to also keep you busy during class time. I'm thinking about how many assignments to give you.

Distractions - Several of you have said that blogging is distracting. I'd argue that it's not the blogging that is distracting, but it's all the other cool stuff on the Internet that is distracting. It is up to you to monitor your use and make sure you are staying on task. The world is a distracting place and I think it is an invaluable tool to learn how to stay focused amidst many other tempting things.

.

Once again, I really appreciate your opinions and I really appreciate the respectful, mature way in which you are expressing them. Like I've said, I am learning from our blogging project along with you, and your input helps me to continue to learn and improve my teaching. Thank you.

If there are any other issues you'd like to raise, please don't hesitate to do so in the comments area.

Contest Hosted by Helena

Check it out!

Geography is Coming...

I have heard from many of you who have said you love blogging. Please leave a comment to tell me what you love about blogging and what you do not love about blogging. If you do not love learning History through blogging, please tell me what I can do to help you learn better.

Movie Time with Louis Riel

Rania in E7B found a website that has several links to different sources about Louis Riel, including a site with several videos.

He's a Poet and We Didn't Even Know It

Alma in E7B discovered that Louis Riel is a poet. Check it out on her blog or look at even more information.

Escape to Canada

This morning we saw an awesome assembly, bringing to life many elements of Black History/African Heritage. Inspired by that, Jessica in E7B was doing research on Harriet Tubman. She found a really neat online game where you experience what it would be like to be a slave escaping to freedom in Canada.

Be Creative! Be! Be! Creative!

Hello dollies,

I absolutely encourage and embrace any creativity you can bring to these assignments. This is a learning process for all of us (even me, your perfect teacher!) If you can figure out a better way to present your information, let me know. Helena and Sarah in E7/8 were in one of my classes last year and are a great dramatic duo. They will be working together to create their Louis Riel interview. They came to me with the request to incorporate their powers (what word did you use, girls? It was something better than that!) and made an arrangement that is fair and still showcases the things they've learned. Awesome. Another group is looking into getting their mark through a video of their interview. Just as awesome. Come and see me or leave me a comment with if you have creative ideas you'd like to try out. I'm happy for you to try new things, we just have to make a deal so that it's fair!

Just FYI, I felt I needed to offer you this because my brother Sam (who many of you will remember) was very upset about homework on the weekend. He was assigned a project in which he HAD TO use visual aids. He feels he works better without visual aids. He got stuck on that one requirement and had difficulty getting the content for his project completed. I learned a lesson from that. I always try to create assignments that I feel will be fun-teresting (fun+interesting) for you. Sometimes I get things wrong. Please, in a respectful way, tell me how you can reach a higher level of success - the options for creativity on your blog are ENDLESS!

I look forward to reading about and seeing all your juicy brain nuggets!

Mike is Blogging

Hello pals,

Our hardworking Co-op student, Dr. Prof. Mr. Mike, has started a blog. You should read it. He will be posting assignments for you. Don't worry, I'll link to him when he does. In the meantime, though, read his posts (he's very funny) and feel free to comment. He is also giving a great example to you of what you can do with your own blog. You may write on it at any time, not just when responding to assignments.

Go blog-crazy!

Live the Change - Bonus Assignment I

Hey buds,

I've been working with a group of five students to form a club in school. They are interested in making a change in the world, and living that change. They are considering a list of options for causes to support, both in fundraising and awareness raising. They have some wonderful ideas, and I wanted to throw a few into the mix as well.

If you are interested in doing a Bonus Assignment once you are done all your work, check out the websites below and think about some ways that students at Fielding (including you!) can contribute. You can write a comment here telling me that you've made a new post on your own blog. In your post. describe one or more of the causes I linked to and write about ways we can support them. Not only can this score you bonus marks, but we may use some of your fantastically creative ideas in our new (as yet unnamed) social consciousness club!

Canadian Kids Making a Difference

Help Lesotho - I travelled to Lesotho, a small country inside South Africa four years ago with an organization called Help Lesotho. Many students helped me to raise money and write letters for the children in this developing country. They do lots of wonderful things to help children.

SOS Children's Villages - When I was in Lesotho, I got to visit an amazing orphanage run by SOS Children's Villages. It is different than most orphanages, in that they build "families". Ten children live in a house together with a foster "mother" and grow up as brothers and sisters. There are several SOS Children's Villages around the world.

Kids Helping Kids - Kids Helping Kids is an organization that empowers youth to make a difference in the world. They work on a number of different projects.

The Happy Factory - The Happy Factory has a mission to provide a toy for every child around the world. They helped me out when I went to Africa by sending me a huge box of amazing toys that I was able to distribute in Lesotho. For many of the children who received toys, it was the first one they'd ever had. Pretty incredible.

Ryan's Well - There are many influential Canadians who will leave a legacy long after they're gone. One of those was a young boy named Ryan. From the age of six (!), he started raising money and telling people about the need for clean drinking water for all children. His organization, Ryan's Well, is helping to make that a reality.

Free the Children - Another inspirational young Canadian, Craig Kielburger started an organization called Free the Children when he was twelve years old. Their mission is to end child labour and provide schooling for all children, regardless of where they were born. Free the Children does unbelievable projects, from building schools to the Vow of Silence to Me to We Day.

War Child

Girls Helping Girls

Taking IT Global

Canada World Youth

Kiva Microloans

Did you find any other great sites? What are your awesome ideas? Who inspired you? What projects were you moved by?

Random Acts of Kindness

Hey friends,

This week is Kindness Week in Ottawa. People of all ages are encouraged to be extra conscious of how to be kind to others. I have already seen Random Acts of Kindness around the school today. I saw a student loan another student a pencil without even having to be asked. I saw a student offer to share her snack with another student who forgot his.

Do you have some ideas of ways to show Random Acts of Kindness? Have you seen any Random Acts of Kindness today? Leave a comment if you wish.

Try every day this week to do at least one thing to help another person. Don't think about who will see you or what benefit it has for you, just do something to be kind to another person.

E7A is Silent!

Hello kittens,

Right now, I am live blogging because there is something super cool going on. I left the Large Gym with my grade 7 girls and found the grade 7 boys lined up in front of the lab - silent. Apparently, this mini Vow of Silence was led by Hanad. We decided to spend the entire period silent. I wonder if we'll get A LOT more work done.

This is a bit of a trial run for March 5-6th when the real Vow of Silence Day happens.

I'm super duper impressed with E7A's control - so far, so silent!

You can leave a comment here and let me know how it feels to be so quiet!

Another interesting thing that you could do (and perhaps score a bonus mark!) is to live blog on your own blog about what this is like!

***Update (Feb 18th - 2:17 p.m.) - Cody is timing us and we've been SILENT so far for more than 30 minutes. Great work.***

***Update: Mariam M has been Live Blogging about our Silent Class. Check out her blog.***

Test Your New France Knowledge!

   Try a quiz to see how much you know about New France.  This is a pretty neat quiz because as you get questions correct, your canoe moves further along the St. Lawrence.  How did you do?  What did you learn that you didn't know before?

  If you liked that quiz, you can try another quiz about Canadian Daredevils.

  Both quizzes come from the website for Kayak Magazine.  Their website is good, but their magazine is better.  If you have a chance, pick up a copy of this magazine, it's a Canadian History magazine for kids and is full of lots of great information presented in a fun way.  

  As always, you are more than welcome, you are encouraged to leave comments after my posts so that I can hear about what you are doing and if the things that I am posting are useful to you!

ESL Students, and Others!

Hello English language learners!

I know that it is difficult to understand some assignments. I would like for you to try some new things. Do these assignments one at a time. Please tell me when you are finished each one.

Assignment A - Look at this website to learn about different provinces and cities in Canada. Start a new post and write about one location in Canada and why it is special.

Assignment B - Look at this website to learn more about locations in Canada and go on a "Sightseeing Tour". You will get to see photos and read more information. Start a new post and write about two places you would like to visit in Canada. Why would you like to go there?

Assignment C - Look at this website to learn about major events in Canadian History. Start a new post on your blog and write about three important events.

Assignment D - Look at this website and answer the 8 questions in the quiz. Start a new post and tell us how many you got correct. What did you learn from these questions?

The Great Upper Canada Adventure

   I found a cool online interactive game, called The Great Upper Canada Adventure, to explore some of the difficulties early Canadian settlers had in moving from Europe to Canada.  You take on the persona of a European peasant family member and make decisions.  It's pretty interesting.  The game is kind of like those "Choose Your Own Adventure" books that I read as a kid.  Based on your decisions, the outcome of the story changes.  If you're done all your assignments or need a break, you can play this.  

   Also, as always, I'll be reading comments that you leave here.  If you play, let me know what you thought, and read and respond to your peers' feedback.  (Note: This is a great way for you to show me that you're working with the information that you're given and for me to see that you're understanding the things your learning - this will help me to give you marks!)

Assignment #8 - The Real Riel

Good Tuesday morning, pals!

I hope that you had an absolutely wonderful LO-O-O-ONG weekend! I'd love to hear what you did this weekend, you can leave a comment and let me know what you did for Family Day! I don't know if you realized, but yesterday was not only Family Day, it was also Louis Riel Day, a holiday celebrated in the province of Manitoba.

Louis Riel was a colourful character who helped to form the country you know and love today. There is a lot of controversy surrounding his legacy. Some people see him as a Father of Confederation, while others see him as a traitor.

In this class, we think a lot about the impact of the things that we do. We've talked a lot about what the world will look like in the future. I wonder if Louis Riel ever thought about how much impact his actions would have on present-day Canada.

Your assignment is to read about Louis Riel to try to understand some of the reasons why people feel so strongly about him, either positively or negatively. You will then write an imaginary interview between you and Louis Riel, giving him an opportunity to talk about himself and defend his decisions. You have to make sure to introduce him, like an interviewer would, telling your audience a little bit about who it is you are talking to and why he is important. Then, you will write three (or more) questions to be asked by you and answered by him. You must write both the questions and the answers.

You should write this as a new post on your own blog and in the form of a script. For example,

Miss Pollock: Welcome, Mr. Banana-Pants. We are so happy to have you here today to talk about all your experiences.

Mr. Banana-Pants: Thanks so much, it's my great pleasure and passion to be here with you today.

(Note: Your interview will obviously be much, much superior to this. It may be difficult to do that, but I have faith in you.)

I suggest that you begin your research by using a search engine (such as google) and entering "Louis Riel", or reviewing some of the information on wikipedia.org or another online encyclopedia. Once you've found out some basic information, you should go into more depth with your search. For some bonus marks, leave a comment here to let us all know where you found great information and what your process was for working on this assignment.

I will be evaluating your Interview with Louis Riel based on the following criteria:

-link to this question

-links to source websites (at least three different sources used)

-interesting questions asked

-insightful answers provided

-accuracy of information

-layout of your post

-conventions: spelling, grammar and punctuation

***UPDATE: (Feb 18th 12:03 p.m.) Jamal in E7B found a one-minute long video about Louis Riel. You can check it out by visiting his blog.***

***UPDATE #2: (Feb 18th 2:13 p.m.) Hanifa in E7A also found a wonderful site with lots of information about Louis Riel.***

***UPDATE #3: (Feb 23rd 1:11 p.m.) The lovely Carly in E7/8 has found two sites that have not yet been linked to. Check out her first link and her second link.***

***UPDATE #4: (Feb 23rd 1:16 p.m.) Magnificent Jessica has found a site for research as well. Remember that each of you have to use three sites for reference!***

***UPDATE #5: (Feb 24th 8:32 a.m.) Hasan has found two sites that he thinks are really helpful.***

***UPDATE #6: (Feb 24th 8:33 a.m.) Ahoy,Metis (yes, you do say it like "Matey"): Tale and Firas in E7/8 have learned about what Metis means. Tale has even created an explanation for you to check out.***

***UPDATE #7: Froher in E7/8 found a site that she found helpful.***

***UPDATE #8: Russell in E7B found a site that he liked.***

***UPDATE #9: Marsha has made a post describing lots of great sources.***

***UPDATE #10: Alem in E8C found a really cool site about the Mysteries of Canada. It has a terrific article about Louis Riel.***

***UPDATE #11: Firas in E7/8 has written an excellent interview.***

Facebook Privacy

Hey friends,

  I was stumbling around the Internet over the weekend and spotted this helpful article.  I have explained to many of you about facebook and facebook privacy settings.  I know that most of you are currently using facebook.  There are loads of great things abou facebook, but the privacy settings that are standard are not so great.  Automatically, when you join up, you have very little privacy.  Almost anyone can see almost anything that you put up onto facebook, including pictures that other people post of you.  A lot of people have gotten in trouble for things they have posted themselves or that others have posted about them.  You can keep yourself safer. 

  

There are 10 tips included in this article to help you manage your privacy settings better.  Check out this article to help you out with your own privacy on facebook, the writer tells you step-by-step how to increase your privacy.

   Here is a super short list of tips (most of them are the same as the ones in the other article), The Purple 'Puter Lady talks about teaching her students about facebook privacy.

  Do you use facebook?  Why do you like using it?  What are some problems you've had with the privacy settings?  Leave a comment here.

Rock On, Blog On!

Hello Dance Machines,

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Whew...I just popped into the Gym and it looks like you're all having a CRAZY time!

I hope those of you who went to the dance had a great time. Those of you who had finished all your assignments on time - WELL DONE! Some of you (like Sam and Hanifa) were finished in plenty of time and helped others. Thank you so much!

Many of you were conscientious and realized that you owed me an assignment (or several assignments!) and joined me during recess or at the beginning of the dance. That shows maturity and that you take responsibility for your actions. Thank you, I appreciate this.

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Some of you had incomplete work and chose not to do anything about it. I find that disappointing. I truly hope that you take some responsibility and complete your assignments this weekend. You have four days off and I hope to see all those missing assignments appear and receive notices of that in my comments. If I do not receive all missing work by Tuesday, students will be spending time off the yard, missing your own social time to make up for the time you have obviously wasted in class. We'll start fresh on Tuesday with new work to do, so you better be caught up. Please do not put us in a situation where we need to take further action to get your work in.

As always, if you've done something special (written a relevant, but non-required entry, added a cool quiz or poll, thought of something really innovative), please write a comment on one of my posts. I moderate all comments and I take a chance to read through them at least once every two days. I respond to comments as quickly as possible.

Those of you who are all done - enjoy your weekend!

Those of you who still have to catch up - enjoy your weekend of blogging!

Shh...

Are you interested in taking a Vow of Silence for an entire day?  In order to raise awareness for children all over the world whose voices are not heard, those who cannot express their needs and wants, you can vow to stay silent for twenty-four hours.  That means no talking, no texting, no blogging with words, no note writing, no instant messaging, no facebook updates.  It also means you'll be sacrificing your voice for a full day to think of others and remind your friends, family and teachers to do the same.

Let me know what you think by commenting here.

Free the Children has tons more info.

Get Your Dancing Shoes On!

Hey friends,

Make sure you have all assignments completed before the dance on Thursday afternoon. If you're not sure which ones are due, just check your Due Date list on the right hand side of this page.

I am available and will be set up in the Intermediate Lab during second break on Thursday if you want to come in and work.

If you still owe me assignments, you can join me in the Computer Lab until they are completed. As soon as I've checked them over, you can head on into the dance.

Student Sample

Hey folks,

I just wanted to quickly direct your attention to Emily's blog. She has completed Assignment #7 in a very thorough manner. She did an excellent job. I suggest you look at it if you are feeling stuck. She followed most instructions very well.

Two suggestions I've given her are:
-Make sure all three influential Canadians are Canadians
-Write your biography in the third person, not the first person (for example: "Emily cured cancer" rather than "I cured cancer).

Love it. Keep on blogging in the free world.

Comments: A Quick Reminder

Those of you with funky templates,

Make sure that people can comment on your blogs! I just tried to comment on Amit's blog and was unable to! Egads! Go to Settings-->Comments-->Show comments in pop-up window

Also, make sure that people do not need to type in a scrambled word. For that, go to Settings--->Comments-->Show word verification for comments-->"No"

Have a friend comment on your blog so that you know comments work. The Tech Experts are pro at this if you still need extra help.

***Note to Tale - try following these directions or ask a Tech Expert for help - I'll be back tomorrow if this doesn't work!***

The Holocaust

If you complete all your assignments and are looking for more topics to blog about, Hanifa has a great idea.  She wrote a post about the Holocaust.  Some of the stuff that you are learning from Jen (our teacher from Jer's Vision) is pretty heavy and pretty emotional.  Sometimes it's really good to reflect on it and get your feelings out.  Your blog is a perfect place to share that.  Thanks for the great idea, Hanifa.

Assignment #7 - Canadian Personalities

Hello cupcakes,

For this assignment, you will be checking out some of the great online resources of the Canadian Museum of Civilizations. There are several parts to this assignment. Do this assignment step by step, but make sure to double check that you've done EVERYTHING before you publish it. Organize your post so that it is easy for readers to tell which question you are answering (see instruction #3 below)

1. Read about the Canadian Personalities in the "Meet the Personalities" section.

2. Start a new post on your own blog.

3. Link to this assignment in your post and make sure to introduce each section of your post by writing the question that you are answering either in bold or in another colour.

4. Answer the following questions:

a.) Which category of Canadian Personalities interested you the most? Did you like the "we inspired", "we founded", "we fought", "we built" or "we governed" section the best? Why?

b.) Which personality interested you the most? Why? Find an image of him or her to embed (add to the body of your post) and write, in your own words, a short description of what he or she did and why he or she is your favourite. If you get information from any source, you must credit it by creating a link to it (that includes information from the site that I've asked you to look at).

c.) In your post, suggest three more influential Canadian personalities that could be added to this site. Why did you choose these people? Which categories would they fit into? Link to information about each of them.

5. Vote on your favourite Canadian personality. (Click on the link to vote)

6. Turn the volume down on your computer, and play the Mystery History-Maker Match-Up. Find out which personality you have the most in common with.

7. Go back to your post and answer the following question:

d.) Which History-Maker did you have the most in common with? Were you able to figure it out from the clues given? What do you share with that person? What are some things that are different between you and that person?

8. Think long and hard about this part and then post an answer to this question on your blog:

e.) One hundred years from now, (in 2109!) imagine that students are learning about Canadian History Makers and they discover you. What will you be remembered for? How were you a Canadian History Maker? You are using your imagination, so think about some things that you would like to accomplish in your life and imagine that you have all the accomplishments of your life to look back on. Write a short profile of yourself, imagining the contributions you have made to the future of Canada. (Write this as though you've lived your whole life. You may have been a phenomenal athlete, the first black Prime Minister, cured cancer...use your imagination!)

***Update (Feb. 12th, 2:20 p.m.) - Some of you have done an absolutely AMAZING job with this assignment. Those of you who need to see some great examples should check out Sabrina's post and Jessi's post. ***

Amazing Students!

You guys rock!

Check out what Santana has done. She found an awesome website that tells you what important historical events occurred every day of a year. She's also added a gadget on her blog that updates daily with that same information. Awesome! Also, how can you not adore her blog title - "Love This History"?

Sarah has found a super, duper neat-o widget. You can create a quiz (similar to those 10 question quizzes on BrainPop) and embed it on your site. I strongly suggest that you do her quiz. Embarrassingly, I only got an 8/10. See if you can beat my score!

Let me know, in my comments, if you've discovered something super amazing!

African-Canadian Profiles Competition Update

Hello gang,

Scroll all the way to the bottom of this screen and you'll see a list of the top African-Canadian profiles that have been written so far. Next week, the top 20 will begin reading their assignments on the morning announcements. As new postings are added, I will continue to update the list. Stay tuned and check often!

What If I'm Done All My Assignments?

Hello friends,

Some of you have been rocking through all your assignments - keep it up!

There are a few students who rush through assignments in a hurry and forget to follow some important instructions. Please make sure that you read over the requirements carefully. I take the time to write everything out and you all know how to read. Make sure you follow the instructions fully.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - PUH-LEEZE SPEIL CHEKK!

I keep hearing the same question over and over, "What should I do when I'm done all my assignments?" Here is a list of suggestions so I can save my lovely voice for singing Sam, Haron and Mariam Me's theme songs.

If you are done all your assignments:
-Make sure that all assignments have been edited and spell checked
-Make sure you've properly followed all instructions for every assignment
-You can add relevant images or photos to your assignments
-You can add surveys or polls to your blog
-Read over my blog posts for advice and exciting information
-Read and respond to comments you have recieved on your blog
-Read over your peers' blog posts to see what they're up to
-Comment on my blog to ask questions or point me to something really interesting you've done
-Comment on your peers' blogs, noticing things they've done well, and things they can continue to work on
-When you visit other people's blogs, comment to tell them you've been there and what you think of what they're doing. That will encourage them to check out your blog as well

Helena Gives Some Advice, Which Reminds Me...

Hey ladies and germs!

Helena in E7/8 never ceases to amaze me! She has posted an amazing entry giving advice to you, her peers, on how to write even better blog entries. She has outlined the process that she uses in her own writing. This is something helpful for all of you to read.

It's so interesting for me to see the process that you use when you do your work. Remember that you can use your blogs for any History related things. Some of you have embraced this and have written reflective entries, made polls or contests, and commented on things that are going on in Canada today. That is perfect. In addition to the marks that you will get for completing your assignments, you can get bonus marks for using your blogs creatively to share relevant information. Some of you have done creative things, like add video bars, music, personalized templates, etc. That is a good way to personalize your blog, but is not relevant, so will not get you bonus marks.

To get bonus marks, be CREATIVE and RELEVANT. I look forward to seeing all the cool things you come up with. If there is something you want me to check out, simply leave a comment for me.