May 11 - Activity Directions

Good morning everyone - sorry I can't be there but I have fallen victim of a virus... we all know how fast they can spread! I've been evaluating my symptoms and am pleased to report that I do not have H1N1.

Today you are going to go beyond the general aspects of World War I and focus on four specific battles. The battles that you will be investigating are key battles fought by Canadians - this is important because I want you to understand the emergence of nationalism in Canada during WWI.

Today you are going to be using PowerPoint as an organization tool for your answers to the questions below. For every answer you will make one PowerPoint slide so in the end, you will have a slide show that describes the Battle of Ypres, the Somme, Vimy, and Passchendaele. On Thursday, we will be watching the movie Passchendaele in class.

You will are only required to use the Canada at War website (http://wwii.ca/index.php) but feel free to expand your research to other sites if you feel the need. The Canada at War website is an incredible compilation of information and includes footage, stories and in-depth descriptions of each battle.

DO NOT CUT AND PASTE INFORMATION - TAKE INFORMATION AND PUT IT IN YOUR OWN WORDS. PLAGIARISM RESULTS IN MARKS OF ZERO.

FOR EACH BATTLE:
- Slide one: title and date
- Slide two: map (eg. where is vimy?)
- Slide three: casualties
- Slide four: explanation of the battle - what was the aim of this battle?
- Slide five: how were Canadians involved in this battle?
- Slide six: results (was it successful or not, did they achieve their goals etc)
- Slide seven: explanation: what influence/impact did this have on Canadian nationalism?
- Slide eight-ten: pictures with captions illustrating battle

I will be there tomorrow (hopefully) to clarify any questions that you may have. Please use your class time wisely. We will discuss a due date tomorrow based on how hard you work in class today! Spend the time getting involved and interested in these battles - they are a critical aspect of our history!

H1N1 - Swine Flu

It is important to keep on top of current events - the H1N1 outbreak is no exception! I have now changed the current event topics on the tool bar to the left to bring up any articles on H1N1 (formerly known as swine flu)! When you read the articles, think about how this might have an affect on our community and even our school!

May 1-May 4

We have been watching 'All's Quiet on The Western Front' to get an indepth understanding of World War One and the consequences of Total War and Trench Warfare. I'm always interested in this movie because it is written from the German perspective - something we usually overlook!

This classic novel is a must read for everyone! We will follow up the movie with group discussions to get you thinking about the emotional component of warfare.
- How were conditions at the Western Front different from expectations in training camp?
- In the attack, what did the machine gun do to the glory of war and individual heroism?
- What was the pattern of battle? What preceded the attack?
- After four years of war, how was the German home front affected? Were there still parades, crowded streets and joyous sounds of going off to war?
- How does Paul confront his former teachers? How do the young students react to his vision of the war?
- What is ironic about Kat's and Paul's deaths?
- Describe the attitude of this movie toward World War I and all wars.