En 12: Friday, 13 Jan

Today we had the second day of discussion around the short story "Touching Bottom."  I really enjoyed watching you share your ideas.  On Monday you will write on the story using a prompt that you create.  Take a look at the story and try to see if you can find any other quotations that will support the argument you decide to take.  Also, take a chance to think about how you might expand your conclusions to give a fuller synthesis of your thoughts.

Enjoy your weekend.

SS 11: Friday, 6 Jan

Today we looked at the Depression.  We used the PPT as a guide for our discussion.  We learned how the stock market works and how the 1927 drop in wheat prices "telegraphed" the upcoming problems.  We saw how the Canadian response was limited when compared to the American New Deal.  We never did "blast our way onto world markets." Can you remember about the five cent piece?  For homework, I'd like you to read from both the text AND the workbook:

text: pp 82-91

workbook: pp 76-82 (review from today's lesson)
workbook: pp 77-85 (new information needed for Monday's pre-class quiz)

Enjoy your weekend.

(Remember you can review the PPT vis the Slideshare link on this blog).

SS11: Thursday, 5 Jan

Today we heard your "labour songs;" I thought some of them showed a good connection to the history we've studied. 
We also reviewed the economic terms from Falks's Exercise #9.  If you missed that, it would be a good idea to connect with someone who was here and copy the notes = 2 minutes of work. 
We watched two episodes (farmers/Winnipeg General Stike) from the People's History series and then debriefed them. 
Finally, I assigned a 150 word (one-page) paragraph on the following prompt: Identify the features of 1920s Canada."  Basically, I am asking you to choose 3-5 items from the list at the beginning of Chapter Three of the workbook and then organize them into a "what/so-what" paragraph.  Don't be flowery: write a topic sentence and then write the facts as you see them.  Nate came up with a good opener.  It went something like this:

             When the soldiers returned from the First World War they hoped for success and promise but found then had more battles to fight.

A possible closer might be: 

             In spite of the difficulties there was hope, but it seemed to end when Black Tuesday signalled the beginning of the Great Depression.


We decided that four possible issues to cover would be (1) the Winnipeg General Stike - labour; (2) the Persons Case - women's rights; (3) technology: ex. cars, radios, telephones, washing machines; and, (4) inflation - the economy = primary vs. secondary industry - USA/branch plants.

PLEASE HAVE THE PARAGRAPH READY TO HAND IN AT THE START OF FRIDAY'S CLASS.

SS 11: Tuesday, 3 Jan

Today we discussed women in the eras before and after the First World War.  We noted changes in rights and freedoms.  One of the events that most clearly illustrates women's fight for equality was the 1929 Persons Case: please read the text (p. 60) section on this item and be prepared to discuss it in class.

We also discussed the labour movement in general,  and the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike, in specific.  It is interesting to see how fearful the authorities were of "bolshevism" and how they saw labour as being linked to it.

Finally, we saw how trade and industry shifted towards the USA after the war.  Please read the text section on branch plants for homework.

Tomorrow we'll look at life in general in the 1920s.  I've got a table for you to complete - it is good for comparison.  Also, you will compose your labour movement songs to a catchy tune of your choice.

SS 11 Dieppe Tutorial: Thursday, 10 Nov

Dieppe Raid Tutorial

Use the links to access the tutorial on Dieppe.  The conclusions in Part Three connect to the topic of the D-Day invasion and involve opportunities for investigation and some real historical thinking.

Dieppe: Part One
Dieppe: Part Two
Dieppe: Part Three

Here is the link to the CBC site:
CBC Archives

SS 11 PPT Tutorial: Canada and the Italian Campaign: Tuesday, 8 Nov

Italian Campaign Tutorial:

Use the links to access a 37 minute, four-part PPT tutorial on the Italian Campaign.

Italy: Part 1
Italy: Part 2
Italy: Part 3
Italy: Part 4

SS 11: Friday 4 Nov 2011

Canada and the Battle of the Atlantic Tutorial

Use the links to view the three-part tutorial for the PPT lesson.  I tried to add more discussion for each slide.  If you have any questions, post them as a comment and I will respond.

Part 1    14:31 minutes
Part 2    10:22 minutes
Part 3      9:53 minutes



If you are interested, here is the link to the BBC history site; it has a simulation game and lots of good content on the Battle of the Atlantic.  There are numerous other rich sites on this topic on the Internet.  Remember, the best written responses will always include something original that comes from without the material presented by the course instructor.

Convoy Info and Simulator

After you view the tutorial and survey the information in you Falk handbook, use the paragraph summary at the end of Part 3 to help organize your ideas, then write a 150 paragraph on the following prompt:

      "Discuss how the Royal Canadian Navy met the challenges of the Battle of the Atlantic."