Homework & News

I am a bit disappointed with the quality of work from a number of students in both Grade 7 and Grade 9 especially with the amount of time that is given at school. I would like to remind everyone that when I give you three classes to work on an assignment I am expecting three classes worth of work to be completed. The reason I try to provide ample class time is so that I can help anyone who is struggling and to decrease the amount of work you do at home. However, some of you are not taking advantage of either. Please take charge of your learning and showcase your best work.

I appreciate that some students are using the website Rate My Teacher to reflect on their perception of their teachers. However, I would like to remind everyone to keep the comments polite and helpful. If you rate a teacher negatively or positively it is important for you to provide a comment that will allow them to make changes to improve their teaching. Without the comment the rating is not valuable.

7-01 & 7-07

• Continue working on your Explorer Time Lines. Remember that I am not looking for a normal straight line time line. Make sure to include all of the required information and see how creative you can be while keeping with the theme. These will be due on Monday, November 29.
• Just a reminder that your FN Jigsaw Reflections in D2L are due tomorrow, Tuesday, November 23 and the recording of your memoirs should already be in my D2L dropbox.
• The fourth reading response journal is due on Wednesday, December 8 for 7-01 and Wednesday, December 15 for 7-07.

9-29

• You will be given more class time tomorrow to work on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms assignment that was given out today. Depending on how tomorrow goes you may be given time on Wednesday as well.

The progress reports were sent home yesterday. I know that some of you are not happy with your mark in my class and I would like to help you to fix this. I have encouraged many of you talk to your teachers when you are not sure of something or when you need help. However, there are very few of you that are choosing to do this. Everyone should also be aware that they can redo the majority of their assignments if they so choice though they are required to come and discuss the assignment with me first.

I believe that some of you may be confused as I am generally a fairly laid back and relaxed teacher and this is reflected in my teaching style, the way I approach learning, and also the arrangement of my classroom. However, I have very high expectations and I expect all of you to use your class time wisely and try your best on each and every assignment. If you are unsure of something or need help them I it is your responsibility to seek assistance by talking to me. I would like to see everyone acheiving at the highest level possible yet some of you see disappointed with your mark even though you do not participate in class, use your class time effectively, hand in all of your assignments, hand some assignments in late, do not accept help when it is offered, and do not seek out help yourself.

Please let me know how I can help you out and I will be more than happy to do as much as I can.

Mr. Lang

7-01 & 7-07

• Please be patient with the marking of your memoirs as I am looking at about 48 hours worth of marking as I look over all three copies and edit and compare them as well as adding comments.
• I apologize for the mix up with the FN quiz, you have got to love technology, so we will see how things go and I will just the value of it based on this.
• For Monday please make sure that you have the theme of your time line decided and that you come to class prepared to work.

9-29

• I was impressed with some of your arguments, rebuttals, and comments in the debate though it was also clear that some of you did not prepare at all. Remember that you can only get as much out of your learning as you put in and some of you are putting in very little.
• I encourage you to come and talk to me if you have concerns with your mark because I believe that for some of you your marks in Social Studies was one of your lowest.

Report cards will be going home on Thursday November 18 with parent teacher conferences to follow the following week on Thursday and Friday.

7-01 & 7-07

• FN Jigsaw work is due on Wednesday November 17
• Please make sure to come to class prepared with all of the pieces of your memoir as we will be recording them tomorrow and this will be very difficult to do if you are not prepared.
• There will be a First Nations Quiz on Thursday November 18. The quiz will be open book and will be based on the information that should have been covered in your presentations. We will be trying something new with this so we will see if it works.

9-29

Please come prepared tomorrow with the summary of your sections of the YCJA. Tomorrow you will share your summaries with your debate groups and find out your side of the debate. You will have the rest of class to prepare your arguments and rebuttals. The informal debate will be held on Wednesday November 17.

I have now also added a homework area on the white board at the front of the class because some students seem to be having difficulty using their agenda, listening to the verbal due dates, and also using this homework blog to check anything that they may have missed. I wonder how any one survived, finished any of their work, and got it in on time before these options were available. Remember that ultimately you need to take ownership for your learning.

7-01 & 7-07

• The planning (questions for memoirists and any other planning/ brainstorming you did), the first draft, second draft, and the published copy of your memoir is due on Tuesday November 16.
• I will be collecting all of the information for the First Nation Jigsaw project including: your research, the chart/venn diagrams, and the completed crosswords on Wednesday November 17.

9-29

• Summary of your article, the notes about what else can be done, as well as your reflection about what you think should be done for each of the three cases you examined in your group are due on Monday November 15.