WWII

Responses due by 11:59pm on Wednesday January 18. (approx 200 words)

During the movie Saving Private Ryan the soldiers questioned if their assignment made sense….risking the life of 8 men for one.  In the circumstance of what happened to the Ryan family do you agree or disagree with the mission they were given? Would the mission make more sense if it was composed strictly of volunteer? Would you volunteer? Why or Why not?   At the end of the movie, Captain Miller as he dies tells Ryan “to earn it” . What did this mean?  If you were Private Ryan, how would you have lived your life? Could you do this not feeling any pressure? Guilt?

And finally, provide your overall thoughts of how if at all this  movie impacted your understanding or perception of life as a soldier during WWII.

Canada and the Monarchy

Response due January 11th, 2012 by 11:59 pm.

Part A) Read the article from yesterday’s Toronto Star,  “Young Liberals want to cut royal ties”. In your response, clearly answer the questions and in a well written paragraph explain your view in Canada and the monarchy.

a) As a young Canadian, do you feel that the monarchy is an important part of our country’s heritage and traditions that should be embraced/celebrated? Traditionalists state that the British monarchy is key to our Canadian identity and it is slowly being lost.

b) Should Canada cut its ties with the British monarchy? Do you think  the royal family is  relevant to Canadians in 2012? Some people argue  it would enable Canada to save money (Gov Generals office & Liet Gov in each province) if Canada got rid of our connection to the monarchy, do you think that should be a factor in a decision regarding our government structure and heritage?

c) The Queen is the Head of State in Canada. Should this position be held by the British monarchy or should this be an elected position? Why?

d) Harper’s government has tried to raise the profile of the monarchy in Canada as indicated in the article. Do you think that this strategy has been successful? Why or Why not?

e) Do you think Will and Kate have or will change the image of the British monarchy in Canada or around the world? Why or why not?

Displacement Stories

This week’s responses are due on or before Wednesday, December 7th at 11:59 pm.

Below, you shall find links to sites discussing some of the displacement that has occurred throughout Canada’s history. Review the sites and decide to respond to what you discover in one of them. In your response, you must play the role of a displaced person from your community. Write a letter to the Prime Minister/Head of State of the day (depends on the era) explaining why displacement is a bad idea. Why should your community be spared? Responses should contain specifics mentioned in the readings.

Africville: The Spirit Lives on

Residential Schools: We Were Not the Savages

Internment of Japanese Canadians (provided by Historica)

Métis Historical Timeline

The Deportation of the Acadians (provided by Historica) )

Keep responses to a maximum of 300 words.

Heritage Minute Mania

Heritage Minute Mania Responses due by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, November 23. Think about the Canadian Heritage Minutes you have had the opportunity to see over the years. If you need to refresh your memory, check out this link: Historica Minutes.  There about 75 different minutes in the various categories, so take some time to view at least 10-15. After thinking about /viewing these minutes, respond to these brief questions: Which of these heritage minutes were you most impressed with? Why? Can you adequately summarize such important events in Canadian history in just a minute? What event in Canadian history do you think Historica should make a minute about?

Our Government

Responses due on or before Wednesday, November 16, at 11:59 pm. Three-part response this week: a) In approximately 150 words, tell us what you know about how the government operates in both PEI (provincial) and Ottawa (federal) – particularly before our governmental discussions next week. b) In another 150 (or so) words, explain why you think young people are so uninterested in their federal and provincial governments and unengaged in the political process as a whole. c) What can both levels of government do in order to get youth interested again?

Post-War Stories

 Responses due on or before Wednesday November 20 at 11:59 pm. Our next unit of study is “Boom and Bust – 1920′s & 1930′s”, we will be discussing post-war Canada as it enjoyed both an economic and cultural boom and also a bust (Great Depression). Your task this week is two-fold: Browse the Net to find (and read) some human interest stories from this era. In approximately 200 words each, briefly re-tell (in your own words) a ‘Roaring Twenties’ story and also a Great Depression (or ‘Dirty Thirties’) story. Both stories should have a Canadian theme.

C.E.F. in WWI

 Responses due before 11:59pm on Wednesday November  2.

 We have been studying the valuable role played by the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War One from 1914-1918. Your task this week is to discover additional (and interesting) information. This should be information other than what you have been exposed to in class. For each of the following events, do some reading/research and provide some DID YOU KNOW facts for the following:

a) Training at Salisbury Plain

b) The Second Battle at Ypres

c) The Battle of the Somme and/or the Battle at Beaumont-Hamel

d) Battle of Vimy Ridge

e) Passchendaele

f) Armistice Day for soldiers

Don’t hesitate to include websites as references. Also, try to read responses of your classmates before replying so we can avoid repetition. Remember, facts should have a Canadian connection when possible.

Examining Primary Sources

Responses due by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 19.
Primary sources are original records created at the time historical events occurred (or well after events in the form of memoirs and oral histories). Primary sources may include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews, memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Parliament or the Office of the Prime Minister, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads, buildings, tools, and weapons.
These sources serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used along with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical research.
This week’s task demands that you find a primary source dealing with Canada and World War One.  It could be a diary (lots of these online), a letter from a soldier, a memoir, a newspaper article, interview, etc.  Your task will be to discover a valid World War One primary source and analyse/comment about its significance to you as a researcher and to Canadians in general.  Make sure to provide the link to the Internet site you use in your post.

Thoughts on War

Responses expected by 11:59 pm on Wednesday, October 5th.
We are about to embark on our study of World War One and this week’s questions will coincide nicely with this study. They are designed to make you think, but when you take the time to sit and ponder, I think you’ll come up with some interesting responses.
Is war ever a justifiable means of settling global conflicts (think past and present)?
Ernest Hemingway said: Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.  First of all, what did he mean and, secondly, do you agree/disagree with his opinion?
Discover a quote that best exemplifies your own opinions/notions about war/conflict. After posting your quote, explain how it illustrates your own personal viewpoint. Here’s a few to get you started:
Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent. (Isaac Asimov)
When liberty comes with hands dabbled in blood it is hard to shake hands with her. (Oscar Wilde)

Riel’s Legacy

 

Response due by Wednesday September 28 at 11:59pm.

After some research using this unit’s required readings/viewings and other sites of interest, respond to each of the following questions, which are not asking the same thing:

“I am more convinced everyday that without a single exception I did right.  And I have always believed that, as I have acted honestly, the time will come when the people of Canada will see and acknowledge it.”

At the time of his trial and subsequent execution in 1885, Louis Riel wrote the above words as his justification for his actions in Red River and in Saskatchewan.  What do you think?  Did Riel ‘do right’?  Has the time come when Canadians see and acknowledge that he did right?

Does Louis Riel deserve to be exonerated?

Before his death in 1885, Louis Riel said:  “I know that through the grace of God, I am the founder of Manitoba”.  Do you agree?  Does Louis Riel deserve to be noticed as Manitoba’s Father of Confederation?  Explain, and appeal your case, no matter what side you choose.

Finally, during your research and reading, I expect you discovered something interesting about Riel that we did not cover in class.  Your final task is to share that new piece of knowledge with us in your response.

Responses should be at least 250 words.