Tues. Sept. 8 -- WELCOME BACK! -- today students received the course expectation sheet and I went over the topics to be covered throughout the course as well as introducing some samples of the verbal-visual essay/collage; students worked on personal introductions; students received their first assignment which should be handed in on Fri. Sept. 11th

 

Wed. Sept. 9 -- today we started the personal introductions; we also completed a quiz entitled Testing Your Knowledge of Psychology and took it up afterwards

 

REMINDER: Complete and hand in your personal questions. 

 

Thurs. Sept. 10 - today we read a case study on Pierre Lebrun and then read the interpretations of this event written from the perspective on an anthropologist, sociologist and psychologist -- students wrote summary notes for each perspective

 

Fri. Sept. 11 -- today I collected your personal questions; we finished the personal introductions; we had a class discussion about the various aspects of the Pierre Lebrun case study

 

Mon. Sept. 14 -- today I went over the definitions of Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology; I also went over the 5 steps of the Social Science Inquiry Model; determining the reliability of various sources; issue of bias; various research methods -- Check the Grade 11 Docs page for notes on these topics -- I will post the definitions for anthropology, sociology and psychology tomorrow

 

Tues. Sept 15 -- today we started our study of various well-known anthropologists, sociologists and psychologists -- students worked with a partner to summarize the theories of their assigned social scientist  -- we will begin presentations tomorrow -- you must find a way to act out/demonstrate the specific theory for each theorist

 

Wed. Sept. 16 -- today I gave students time to write their summaries of their theorist on chart paper and prepare their dramatization of his/her theory; we started the presentations and managed to cover almost all the anthropologists -- we will continue with the presentations tomorro

 

REMINDER: Please bring in newspapers (Toronto Star, National Post, Globe & Mail, etc.) -- we will need them for an upcoming assignment.  The sooner you bring them in the better.

 

Also, remember to bring in an artifact which we will use for an activity starting next week.  Please bring your artifact in by Monday Sept. 21st.

 

 

REMINDER: 1. Bring in an artifact for Monday.  We will need it for an in-class activity. 2. Bring in newspapers.  See note above.  3. Check the list of topics for the verbal-visual essay/collage on my Grade 11 Docs page.

 

Mon. Sept. 21 -- today we finished going over the last few theorists; I introduced the verbal-visual essay/collage assignment

Check the Grade 11 Docs page for the library handout on how to do an annotated bibliography in APA format.

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: Students will sign up for their selected topic for the verbal-visual essay/collage on Thurs. Sept. 24th between 8:00 am and 8:25 am in Room 203.  First come, first served.

 

 

                 Make sure that you bring newspapers to class tomorrow.  We will need to use them in class.   

 

 

Wed. Sept. 23 -- today we debriefed our artifact activity from yesterday; we brainstormed the common traits of A, S and P using a Venn diagram; I distributed the verbal-visual essay/collage on a social issue assignment (final course assessment worth 15% of the 30%) and went over the various phases; I also showed some examples of collages; I also showed exemplars of the newspaper assignment which we will be working on tomorrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tues. Sept. 29 -- today we wrote our first quiz; today was also an early release day and classes ended @11:30 am

 

Continue working on your newspaper assignment and continue finding resources for your social issue.

 

Wed. Sept. 30 -- today students brainstormed the similarities and differences between human beings vs animals; we wrote a note on the five unique characteristcs of human beings; we also watched two short videos: 1. Do Animals Reason? -- focused on 4 animals -- trigger fish, starling, dolphin and chimpanzee -- each one was given a problem and then had to solve it; 2. Konrad Lorenz -- father of modern ethology and his studies of geese and imprinting and rank order (hierarchy) 

 

Thurs. Oct. 1 -- today we finished discussing the two short videos we watched yesterday -- I have posted a summary note for both videos on the Grade 11 Docs page; students also wrote out definitions for the following: nature (heredity), nurture (environment); needs, drives, survival instincts, motivation, isolate child, feral child); we also discussed the difference between nature vs nurture the influence each has on our personality development; finally, we discussed various socialization agents and students copied a short note from an overhead

 

Fri. Oct. 2 -- today we watched a video entitled Nature vs Nurture hosted by Phil Donahue -- students made jot notes on various aspects of the video

 

REMINDERS: 1. The newspaper assignment is due next Fri. Oct. 9/09.  If you need help, bring in a rough copy of your assignment and I can then determine if you are on the right track.

 

2. Also continue looking for resources for your annotated bibliography for your verbal-visual essay/collage on a social issue.  The bibliography is due on Wed. Oct. 28/09.

 

 

 

Tues. Oct. 6 -- today students worked in groups and made notes on various feral and isolate children -- the groups will present their specific child tomorrow

 

 

REMINDER: The make-up quiz will be given tomorrow during the second half of both lunch periods -- Period C @ 12:00pm and Period D @ 1:15pm.  Be on time!

 

 

REMINDER: Your newspaper assignment is due tomorrow!!

 

Fri. Oct. 9 -- today I collected your newspaper assignments; we were in the library working on your annotated bibliographies for your verbal-visual essay/collage on a social issue

 

                                            Wishing all of you an enjoyable and Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Tues. Oct. 13 -- today we watched a documentary on Genie -- this video gave a much more detailed account of Genie's background and treatment by her parents and later, various researchers and caregivers

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: We will be having a unit test on Thurs. Oct. 22/09.  An outline will be posted in the next few days.

Basically the test will cover everything we've done since the quiz -- i.e. nature vs nurture, socialization, socialization agents, various feral and isolate case studies, etc.

 

Wed. Oct. 14 -- today students started working on their feral or isolate role plays; they need to continue formulating their questions for either an anthropologist, sociologist or anthropologist -- the feral or isolate child should know the answers to all the questions

 

Thurs. Oct. 15 -- today students had time to work on their feral or isolate role plays -- groups should be ready to present their role plays on Mon. Oct. 19th -- check the Grade 11 Docs page for an outline of what to study for our unit test

 

Start reviewing for our unit test on Thurs. Oct. 22/09.  Make sure that you have all the notes on the various feral and/or isolate children from the Grade 11 Docs page.  There is a note on the importance of socialization as well.

Some students still need to send me their summary notes of their specific feral or isolate child.

 

Fri. Oct. 16 -- today students had half the class to finish up their questions for their role play which will be presented on Mon. Oct. 19th; we also read the case study of the Montreal Massacre  which happened on Dec. 6, 1989  (Marc Lepine was the mass murderer)-- students then wrote summary notes of the three viewpoints (Anthropological, Sociological and Psychological)

 

REMINDERS: 1. Study for our unit test on Thurs. Oct. 22/09 -- check test outline on the Grade 11 Docs page; 2. Continue working on your annotated bibliographies on your chosen social issue (due: Wed. Oct. 28/09)

 

Mon. Oct. 19 -- today students had a bit more time to work on their role plays; we had one group perform -- we will need to finish the other role plays tomorrow -- students should study for their test on Thursday

 

Tues. Oct. 20 -- today we continued with the presentation of the feral/isolate role plays -- we will need to finish the last few groups tomorrow

 

REMINDER: Study for our unit test on Thursday.  See my comments above from last Thursday and Friday.

 

 

 

Study for our unit test tomorrow!

 

Thurs. Oct. 22 -- today we wrote our unit test -- continue working on your annotated bibliographies

 

Fri. Oct. 23 -- today we finished the last role play presentation; we also watched a documentary on the Child Brain -- see the Grade 11 Docs page for a summary note

 

FOR HOMEWORK: Students should continue working on their annotated bibliographies on their specific social issue for the verbal-visual essay/collage.

 

Mon. Oct. 26 -- today I distributed a diagram of the teen brain and students coloured in the various parts of the brain; we started watching a documentary on the teen brain which dealt with schizophrenia and drug and/or alcohol addiction -- check my Grade 11 Docs page for a summary note of the teen brain video

 

Tues. Oct. 27 -- today students read an article entitled What Makes Teens Tick and wrote summary notes which were handed in at the end of class

 

Wed. Oct. 28 -- today students finished watching the rest of the video on the teen brain we started watching on Monday;

check my Grade 11 Docs page for a summary note of this video

 

Thurs. Oct. 29 -- today we watched another documentary entitled Inside the Teen Brain -- check my Grade 11 Docs page for a summary note; I also introduced the Teen Vision assignment which is due on Fri. Nov. 13th --

 

Fri. Oct. 30 -- students had a work period to work on their Teen Vision assignment

 

Mon. Nov. 2 --  today I introduced a new unit -- stress and mental health -- students wrote notes on the definition of stress, four stages of stress, effects of stress physically, emotionally and behaviourally -- I also distributed a chart which showed the different categories of the various mental and neurological disorders

 

Tues. Nov. 3 -- today we continued the introduction to mental health -- we looked at various famous people who have at some time in their lives suffered from a mood and/or anxiety disorder; I also distributed a handout on neurotic vs psychotic disorders as well as the different types of therapies and professionals who can help a mentally ill individual -- I also went over schizophrenia and introduced the mental/neurological disorder research assignment -- see the Grade 11 Docs page

 

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Ms. Stevens and I have pushed back the deadline for Parts 2 and 3 of the verbal-visual essay/collage (research notes and quotations and comments for A, S and P) to Mon. Nov. 30th.

 

Wed. Nov. 4 -- due to the university and college sessions in the morning, the Period E class was in the library working on researching their specific mental/neurological disorder

 

Thurs. Nov. 5 -- today students were in the library continuing their research of their specific mental/neurological disorder -- presentations will begin on Mon. Nov. 9

 

Fri. Nov. 6 -- today students had more time to work on their mental/neurological disorders  -- all groups should be ready to present on Monday

 

Mon. Nov. 9 -- today we started the presentations -- we will need to continue tomorrow

 

Tues. Nov. 10 -- today we continued with the presentations -- we will need to finish the last one tomorrow

 

Wed. Nov. 11 -- today we had our Remembrance Day Assembly and therefore had an assembly schedule -- students watched a documentary entitled Anxiety's Hostages -- focused on three people with anxiety disorders (OCD, social phobia and fear of flying/claustraphobia) -- check for a summary note on the Grade 11 Docs page

 

REMINDER: Your Teen Vision assignment is due on Friday November 13/09.

 

Thurs. Nov. 12 -- today I went over the format for the research notes and quotations and comments for the verbal-visual essay/collage -- the remaining time was given to rok on the Teen Vision assignment -- the deadline has been pushed back to Mon. Nov. 16/09.

 

Fri. Nov. 13 -- today students started watching A Beautiful Mind -- the true story of a brilliant mathematician (John Nash) who lived with paranoid schizophrenia -- while watching, students will be making point form notes on various aspects of the movie (John's personality, delusions, hallucinations, how his wife and/or friends helped him cope with his illness, clues which tell us what/who is real or not) -- we will finish the movie on Monday

 

Mon. Nov. 16 -- today  I collected the Teen Vision assignments; we continued watching A Beautiful Mind -- we will need to debrief the various aspects of John Nash's experiences tomorrow

 

Tues. Nov. 17 -- today I was on a fieldtrip with my Grade 10's -- students finished the end of Beautiful Mind and started working on their personal reflections of the movie

 

Wed. Nov. 18 -- today we discussed the various aspects of A Beautiful Mind; I distributed a note on defence and escape mechanisms

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1. We will be having a unit test on Fri. Dec. 4/09.  I will post a test outline in the next few days.  Basically review the teen brain information, the notes on stress and stress management, the various mental and neurological disorders, therapies, defence and escape mechanisms, perception, sensation, long and short term memory, sensory memory

and  VITTMN.

Mon. Nov. 23 -- today we looked at some additional optical illusions on a website by Michael Bach as well as the Jesus illusion and some 3D chalk drawings; students wrote a very short note on V I T T M N -- an acronym which doctor's use to assess a person's brain and bodily functions (Vascular, Infection, Trauma, Toxin, Metabolic and Neurological) -- check the Grade 11 Docs page for an outline of the test which will be written on Fri. Dec. 4/09.

REMINDER: Your personal reflections for A Beautiful Mind are due tomorrow (Tues. Nov. 24/09). This is a bonus assignment.  Remember to provide examples from the movie to back up your views.

Tues. Nov. 24 -- today we discussed memory -- short term, long term and sensory memory -- I also went over sensation and perception again and students added the three factors which influence perception to their note from Friday; I started the communication unit -- we looked at various doodles and students were asked to interpret them -- shows that we all interpret information differently and this may be why we have miscommunication between people; I also went over verbal and non-verbal communication and students copied a note on the Communication Model

Wed. Nov. 25 -- today I continued with some points about memory; we also looked more closely at non-verbal communication -- students performed mini skits using primarily non-verbal communication and limited verbal output (i.e. eye contact, proxemics, hand gestures, facial expressions, body language, etc.) -- check the Grade 11 docs page for a note on memory as well as a note on non-verbal communication (There is a note on the definition of communication already.)

ANNOUNCEMENT: Ms. Stevens and I have pushed back the deadline for the research notes and the quotations and comments to
Tues. Dec. 1/09.

Thurs. Nov. 26 -- today I continued with some additional notes on communication -- 12 Roadblocks to Communication and I distributed a handout on Communication Styles -- check the Grade 11 Docs page for notes on Non-verbal Communication as well as the 12 Roadblocks (you will need this note for tomorrow's class); I also went over the impact of gender on non-verbal communication

Fri. Nov. 27 -- today students were divided into five groups representing one of the main characters in The Breakfast Club -- while watching the film students are looking for use of you and I messages, communication roadblocks, communication styles, etc. -- they each received a worksheet

Mon. Nov. 30 -- today we continued watching The Breakfast Club -- students will be working in their groups tomorrow to continue analyzing their specific character which they will present to the class

Check the Grade 11 Docs page for the notes on the various mental and neurological disorders.  I did not have notes for all the disorders in either of my two classes so I posted what I had.  You may need to get a note from the other class if needed.

REMINDER: Your research notes, quotations and comments for your social issue for the verbal-visual essay/collage are due tomorrow (Tues. Dec. 1/09)

Tues. Dec. 1 -- today I collected your research notes and quotations and comments for the verbal-visual essay/collage;
students worked in their Breakfast Club groups to prepare for their presentations of their specific character to the class

ANNOUNCEMENT: We will be writing our test on Mon. Dec. 7/09.