Transgender

Hi Everyone!

Here's the link to the video on gender identity that we watched in class today:

https://www.coursera.org/lecture/health-gender-spectrum/what-is-the-difference-between-sex-assigned-at-birth-and-gender-identity-zB7Vi

This Coursera (online) course from Stanford University offers an introduction to the experiences of six transgender children and their families. Through stories and short teaching videos, online learners gain a better understanding of gender identity and the gender spectrum. 

LINC Survey

Hi Everyone,

Please complete the LINC student survey about your personal experience in LINC this term.

Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/LINC-Sept-Nov-2018

Changing the Voting System in Canada?

Hello LINC 7 Students!

Citizens in BC are now being asked if they would like to change our current voting system in Canada.

Here's a link to a video about the current "problem" situation.

Here's the link to a video about the complexities of Proportional Representation.

Enjoy! :)

The MindUP Curriculum

Hi LINC 7 Students,

Here's the link to Goldie Hawn's MindUP curriculum.

You can preview "excerpts" of the curriculum by clicking on the various links on this page.

I've copied four pages of the Grades 3-5 curriculum for you to read at home, but I hope you'll check out the website as well. The video here is also worth watching. We watcedh the first half of it in class today.

Another great video has teachers talking about the MindUP program, and there's a good photo of Goldie Hawn here too!

Videos and Music!

Hello LINC 7 Students!

Here's the link to Taylor Mac's performance of "The People Have the Power."

Here's the link to Stan Rogers singing "Northwest Passage."

Here's the link to the movie trailer for "Daylight Saving."

St Roch Voyage

http://arcticnorthwestpassage.blogspot.com/2016/08/videp-through-northwest-passage-st-roch.html

Preparing for Justice Theatre

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Next Monday, November 5, we'll be going to the auditorium to watch PARKING LOT PUNCH-UP, a play about bullying in a high school.

To prepare for this play (by learning courtroom vocabulary), please review these "Quizlet" sites:

Courtroom Language Quizlet:

https://quizlet.com/_5hfojm

Language from the assault trial Quizlet

https://quizlet.com/_5h65rq

Learning CPR

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Tomorrow, we have our First Aid workshop in Building B, Room 1206, with Wayne Wong.

Please make sure you are there at 9:20 am.

Please preview at least one of these videos to help you understand the instructions.

Here's a 5 minute video demonstration of CPR.

Here's a longer video (9 minutes) containing many great details about dealing with an emergency situation.

Staying alive, staying alive! :)

Building Canada's Railroad

Hello LINC 7 Students,

On Monday we'll watch this video about the building of the railway across Canada.

Please watch it as a preview if your listening is weak. You can watch it with the subtitles on.

The creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway was a task originally undertaken as the National Dream by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald.

The government wanted to build a railway linking the west and the east within 10 years of July 1871. Macdonald saw it as essential to the creation of a unified Canadian nation that would stretch across the continent.

First, the government had to make a contract with a company to build the railroad.

Competition for the lucrative contract to build the railway was intense, and in 1872, wealthy railway promoter Sir Hugh Allan (photo below) was awarded the contract..

However, Allan had also contributed around $350,000 to the Conservative party's election campaign!

When this became public knowledge in 1873, Sir John A. Macdonald's government was forced to resign. This was called the Pacific Scandal.

 

Here's another good link to the History of the Railway.

This is a long PDF file, but if you skim and scan it, you can get an idea of the various stages of the story of building our national railway. :)

 

:Legalization of Marijuana!

Hi Everyone,

Wednesday marks the official legalization of marijuana in Canada - a truly historic day!

Please check out what's happening in Uruguay:

https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/evqnpk/heres-what-uruguay-has-learned-when-it-comes-to-legalizing-weed

Canadian History

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Here is the link to a new story about Sir John A. Macdonald.

Newfoundland Accent (dialect)

Hi Everyone,

Here's the link to that funny video of Mark teaching you how to speak like someone from Newfoundland !

Asking Tag Questions

Hi Everyone,

Here's a great video explaining the difficulties of asking, understanding and answering negative questions:

https://www.engvid.com/negative-questions-in-english/

Please watch this video and we will practice asking more negative questions next week.

Orange Shirt Day

Hello Everyone,

September 30 is Orange Shirt Day, honouring survivors of Canada's residential schools.

Residential School Story

Orange Shirt Day takes place in Canada on September 30. This annual event honours survivors of Canada’s residential schools. The orange shirt represents the indigenous child whose everyday life was stripped away.

Phyllis Webstad was six years old in 1973 when she chose a bright, new orange shirt to wear for her first day of school. When she arrived at the residential school in Williams Lake, BC, her orange shirt (a gift from her granny) was stripped off and she never saw it again. Phyllis was devastated and she felt worthless. Those feelings remained with her into adulthood, and the colour orange has always reminded her of that pain.

When Phyllis began sharing the story of her first day of school as part of her healing process, the idea for Orange Shirt Day caught on. Since 2013, many schools and businesses across Canada have taken part in this day to acknowledge the pain and harm caused to First Nations children through the residential school system. 

All LINC teachers at VCC encourage you to wear orange on the last day of school in September (Sept. 27). 

As part of our work on the History and Geography of Canada, we'll be studying residential schools and the devastating effect that they had on Indigenous people across Canada -- even into the 1970s. The last residential school was closed in 1996.


Key Facts About Residential Schools

Residential Schools: government-sponsored schools run by churches  

Primary Purpose: to integrate or assimilate Indigenous children into mainstream, Euro-Canadian culture  

Number of students who attended: 150,000 (estimate)  

Number of students who died: 6,000 (estimate; records incomplete)  

How long did they operate?
Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario, accepted first boarding students in 1831.
Gordon Residential School in Punnichy, Saskatchewan, closed in 1996. 

Federal Ridings in Canada

Hello LINC 7 Students,

When you are doing pages 132 and 133 in your homework handout, you'll need to use UPDATED information.

Unfortunately, the info in the book that I copied in OUT OF DATE!

Please get the CORRECT INFORMATION at this website:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_federal_electoral_districts

Feminism

Today we were discussing the word "feminist". Here's an shortened version of an editorial (opinion) from a website called Voices of Youth:

Lately, the word 'feminism' has been given a bad reputation.

Strangely, it isn't just certain men who reject the idea of feminism due to their dominance over women in the past. It's women themselves who reject the word -- young women whose mothers and grandmothers have fought for equality.

These women do not have anything against equality, but they do have a problem with feminism.

Social media posts criticize it, and women across the globe fiercely deny being labelled a 'feminist', even though it represents everything that they are.

Over time, the word has been perceived as a means of putting down (criticizing) men -- maybe even suggesting that women are better than men.

Fundamentally, however, that is not what the feminist movement is all about.

Feminism is simply about equality. It is about equal pay. It is about equal opportunities. It is about giving someone the same chances in life to aim higher and achieve, not because of their gender but because of their determination and skills. It is about giving someone the chance to make something of themselves, regardless of their distinctions.

So, if this is the case, why aren't feminists just called "equal-ists"?

If we truly are working for egalitarianism (equality), then the confusion caused by feminism must be removed.

Federal Elections

Hello LINC 7 Students!

Check out your federal electoral riding by using this webpage:

http://www.elections.ca/scripts/vis/FindED?L=e&PAGEID=20

This is How Canada Talks!

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Do you say "runners" or "running shoes"? Or do you say "sneakers"?

Do you say "pop" or "soft drink"?

Do you say "cutlery" or "utensils"?

Do you say "corner store" or "convenience store"?

Canadians DON'T AGREE! There are regional differences and preferences for these words and many others!

Check out this fun website:

http://www.the10and3.com/this-is-how-canada-talks/

Smartphone Use Test for you!

Please complete on the Smartphone Compulsion Test

When you are finished, write down your score!

Welcome LINC 7 Students!

Welcome Everyone to my LINC 7 Blog!!

Here's the link to the CBC's Sunday Morning radio program:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-september-2-2018-1.4806169

Please listen again to help you improve your listening skills.

Make sure you understand the new vocabulary by looking up words on your smart phone or tablet! :)

City of Vancouver services

Hello LINC 7 Students!

I'd like you to watch this video and take some good notes on the key points of information in it.

It's about some of the services provided by the City of Vancouver. 

Bees

Hello Everyone,

Here's the link to the short (4 minute) video about the honey bees on the roof of the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Please watch it and answer the questions I gave you.

This video will give you an "up close" experience of bees, following a local TV news reporter. The head beekeeper is Allen Garr, and this is not his ONLY job!

Note the special headgear and clothing that will keep them both safe from bee stings!

Enjoy!

Humour

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Today we were talking about understanding humour in English. It's certainly one of the most challenging aspects of learning a new language!

Here's a website with several classic Far Side cartoons. They often have a "dark" sense of humour!

Enjoy! :)

Preparing for our Tour

Hi LINC 7 Students,

Here's the link to the video on the green roof we'll visit on Wednesday, May 16.

Listen and complete the handout for Monday.


In class on Thursday, we were talking about the process of gentrification or making a "poor" neighbourhood into a more "wealthy" neighbourhood -- for profit!

Here's the link to a news article on this topic.

There is a shift happening in the makeup of Vancouver's downtown eastside, known as home for people struggling with mental illness, addiction and homelessness. Today, entrepreneurs, developers and more wealthy residents have moved into the edge of this neighbourhood at an alarmng rate, thanks to skyrocketing real estate prices and relaxed zoning restrictions.

May Day 2018

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Today is May 1, May Day.

In BC, celebrations often take place not on May 1, but during the Victoria Day long weekend, later in the month, when the weather is likely to be better.

The longest continually observed May Day in the British Commonwealth is held in New Westminster. There, the first May Day celebration was held on 4 May 1870!

Here's an interesting article on jobs coming back to the United States.

Please read this online article and answer the questions on the handout. We'll discuss this on Wednesday in class.

Earth Day 2018

Hi Everyone,

Sunday is Earth Day -- a day to consider our impact on our planet!

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22. Worldwide, various events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Earth Day was started by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental "teach-in" first held on April 22, 1970. Since then, it has grown and grown, and is recognized around the globe.

There are lots of activities going on in Vancouver on Sunday to celebrate Earth Day. Please check out this page, which lists many different events around the city!

Enjoy Earth Day!

Social Isolation and the Internet

Hello LINC 7 Students,

In discussing culture shock, we talked about the increase in alienation and social isolation, particularly for young people in our culture.

Here's a great webpage on five different ways that social media can contribute to social isolation. Each of the five ways is on a different page -- just click on "NEXT". Each page is short!

https://www.activebeat.com/your-health/women/5-ways-social-media-contributes-to-social-isolation/


By the way, regarding the confusion between 'lay' and 'lie':

You lie down on the sofa (no object), but you lay the book down on the table (the book is the object). This is in the present tense, where you are talking about doing something now: you lie down on the sofa, and you lay down a book.

How do we remember?  
Well, remember that lay, which begins with the letters L-A, has a long A sound like its definition: to place. On the other hand, lie, which starts with the letters L-I, has a long I sound like its definition: to recline.

Carbon Footprint

Hi LINC 7 Studnets,

In class this week, we've been discussing our individual and collective "carbon footprint" as part of our inquiry into the environment.

A carbon footprint is defined as:

The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support an individual's activities, usually given in tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are produced by burning fossil fuels, such as gas and oil.

For example, when you drive a car, the engine burns fuel, which creates a certain amount of CO2, depending on its fuel consumption and the driving distance. When you heat your house with oil, gas or coal, then you also generate CO2. Even if you heat your house with electricity, the generation of that electrical power may also have emitted a certain amount of CO2. When you buy food and goods, the production of the food and goods also created some quantities of CO2.

Your carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of CO2 (carbon dioxide), which were caused by your activities in a given time frame. Usually a carbon footprint is calculated for the time period of a year.

Please watch this short video explaining your carbon footprint. (2 minutes)

And here's a website where you can actually calculate your own personal carbon footprint! Remember: smaller is better (more green) when it comes to carbon footprints!

https://www.nature.org/greenliving/carboncalculator/index.htm

Welcome to the Spring Term 2018

Hello Wonderful LINC 7 Students!

Our first theme this term will be The Environment -- starting with your personal environment: your home. Whether you live in a small rented apartment or own a large house, your home says something about you and your life.

In North America, people often talk about "spring cleaning." The season of spring brings new life into our world, and so cleaning and clearing out the old stuff allows room for the new.

Here's a good website to give you some practical examples of how to clear out the old and declutter your space:

https://www.thespruce.com/decluttering-your-entire-home-2648002

Lots of clutter is often a symptom and a cause of stress -- and can affect every part of your life. Clutter can distract you, weigh you down, and in general it invites stress into your life.

Often, however, clearing out the clutter can seem a huge task if you don’t know where or how to start. 

The best way to tackle the decluttering of your home, your work space, and your life is to take things one small step at a time.


Small steps will lead to big improvements that will be easier to maintain over the long-run.

LINC Dept Survey

Hello Everyone,

Please complete this survey about your experience in our LINC class this term. It will take you less than five minutes.

This time, you don't have to enter the dates for this term. It just one page! SIMPLE!

Just click on "Mornings" and "Monday-Thursday".....

https://www.surveymonkey.ca/r/QDBP7JQ

Clarifying Instructions

Hello Everyone,

Here are the links to a useful series of reading and questions about understanding and clarifying instructions. First, read the short articles and then answer the questions using the drop-down menus OR filling in the correct words. The program will help you! Have fun!!

1.
https://www.settlementatwork.org/lincdocs/linc5-7/03-interact.w.others/LINC7/social_interact/11.conf_clrfy_instrns/11.conf_clrfy_instrns_act1_sent_mtch_cust.htm

2.
https://www.settlementatwork.org/lincdocs/linc5-7/03-interact.w.others/LINC7/social_interact/11.conf_clrfy_instrns/11.conf_clrfy_instrns_act2_gfill.htm

3.
https://www.settlementatwork.org/lincdocs/linc5-7/03-interact.w.others/LINC7/social_interact/11.conf_clrfy_instrns/11.conf_clrfy_instrns_act3_wordform.htm

4.
 https://www.settlementatwork.org/lincdocs/linc5-7/03-interact.w.others/LINC7/social_interact/11.conf_clrfy_instrns/11.conf_clrfy_instrns_act4_rhub.htm

Critical Thinking

Hello LINC 7 Students,

Here's the link to the YouTube video that introduces you to Critical Thinking.

And here's the link to the video on Critical Reading Skills.