VoiceThread

For those of you who posted your readings of your letters from Angelique, check out your VoiceThread profiles for some feedback. Make sure you listen to the feedback and take some time tonight to practice reading the letters. For those of you who haven't posted your readings yet -- please do so!

Also just a friendly reminder it's spirit week this week! Wear our school colours tomorrow! Enjoy your Sunday!

-Mr. Charalambous

...From Angelique

 I just want to take the opportunity to thank all of you for the great job you did on the letters from Angelique. I posted them up on the wall today -- they look fantastic!

New France Test

Hey everyone just a heads up: this coming Friday (26th) we will be having our test on New France. Here are the things you are expected to know...

Filles du roi

The explorers and founders of New France (Champlain and Cartier)

Coureur de bois

The Jesuits 

The habitants and the seigneurs

The Acadians and their expulsion from Acadia.

We will be reviewing tomorrow so come prepared with your notes!

-Mr. Charalambous

Black Hands: The Trial of the Arsonist Slave

Tomorrow we're going to view the documentary "Black Hands: the Trial of the Arsonist Slave." While you're watching the film, please keep in mind the documents that we've been reading in class. Was there enough evidence to have convicted Angelique of the crime?

Weird Words

Here's a list of the vocabulary that we've developed over the past couple of weeks, while looking at the story of Angelique:

Accomplices:                  Someone who is a part of the crime

Bailiff:                            Person who makes the arrest

Bourgeois:                      Upper class/fancy

Conflicting Evidence:       Does not support the proof given

Corroborating:                Supports the proof already given

Decree:                          Order

Diminish:                       Downplay

Domicile:                       Where you live

Denounce:                     Disapproving of something

Deposed:                       Made a statement/stated

Deposition:                    Statement/Testimony

Desertion:                     Abandoning a place/person/leaving

Embers:                        Coals from a fire

Gaol:                            Prison

Imprudently:                 Rashly

Menaced:                      Drives someone crazy

Mistress:                       Owner of the house/boss

Nullified:                       Made void/ to cancel

Ordinance:                    Law or regulation

Reparation:                   Repaying of debt/fixing things

Rife:                             Abundant

“Said woman:”              (Usually refers to Angelique)

Scapegoat:                    Person or object wrongfully blamed for something

Verdict:                         Final decision

Virtue:                          Particular moral quality

Writ:                            A written order signed by a judge

Torture and the Truth: Angelique and the Burning of Montreal

We have quite the next couple of weeks ahead of us. Not only have we started our new math unit on integers but we have started looking into Angelique and her story. We came up with a number of great questions to frame our inquiry and we'll be working up to our elbows in primary documents from the time period. 

I'm definitely excited for this unit -- reading through Angelique's story will give us the opportunity to hone our reading skills (determining important information, comprehension, identifying bias and perspective and finally, inferring, i.e., reading between the lines). While at the same time, dealing with such difficult readings has given us the opportunity to appreciate the need for good writing (editing skills, knowing your audience...etc).

As always, I appreciate the effort each and every one of you gives in class and look forward to exploring this unit together!

-Mr. Charalambous