MSH4.1.10."Merger" & Confrontation

Topic: Road to "Merger" & Confrontation, 1959-1963

Enquiry Question: Why did a "merger" take place between Singapore and Malaya?

PERIOD I

• Review: What is/are the assumption(s) in the enquiry question?
  
• Understanding goals:
  
• Why did the PAP want merger with Malaya?
  
• Political reasons
  
• Security reasons
  
• Economic reasons
• Why did Malaya NOT want "merger" after 1961?
  
• Security reasons
• Demographic reasons
  
• Economic reasons
  
• Why did Malaya want "merger" after 1961?
  
• Security reasons
• Territorial reasons
  
• Demographic reasons
• Why were there oppositions to the formation of Malaysia?
• Disputed territories
• Neo-colonialism
• Domestics politics

PERIOD II

• Review: Why was Malaysia formed in 1963? Why were there oppositions to Malaysia?
  
• Performances:
• You will be divided into a proposition and 2 opposition parties.
  
• Research your arguments to the following assertion:
• Tunku Abdul Rahman accepted Singapore into Malaysia to stem the communist threat in Singapore. How far do you agree?
• Present your arguments in a debate in Term 2 Week 3.
  
• Assessment:
• 3% Presentation points to be credited to CA1.3.
  
• Arguments will be assessed for
  
• Participation
• Research
• Persuasiveness
  

Bill Gates limits his children's computer gaming time

HSS4.1.9.People Policies

Topic: Growth of Nation - People & Population Policies in Singapore

Enquiry Question: How did people and population policies in Singapore facilitate the growth and development of Singapore?

PERIOD I

• Review:
  
• the Straits Times, 24 Feb 2007
• Understanding goals:
  
• Stages of Population development & policies in Singapore: reasons, benefits, problems and solutions
  
• Coping with post-war growth:
  
• The price of development: decline in population growth
  
• Meet the challenges of sustainable development with an aging population
  
• Coping with an aging population
  
• Individual initiative
  
• Family support
  
• Community assistance
• Government provisions

PERIOD II

• Performances:
  
• Mind-mapping for chapter on Population (due in class this week)
• Mind-mapping for chapter on Housing (due in class next week)
• Notes:
• Notes for this chapter will be printed for you. You can also download a soft copy for yourself. Filename: HSS.PEOPLE.NOTES.PDF
  

• Preview
• acknowledgment: MOE/ETD/http://www.evideo.edu.sg/index.asp

HSS3.1.9.Governance

Topic: Singapore: Nation in the World/Governance in Singapore
Enquiry Question: How is governance practised in Singapore? What are the guiding principles of governance?

PERIOD I

• Review: Singapore: A Nation in the World
• Nationhood & its challenges: What do you need to ensure:
  
• National Security
• Diplomacy
  
• Defence
• Economic Survival
• Industrialisation
• Trade
  
• Social Cohesion
• Social needs: Education, Healthcare & Housing
• National identity
• Understanding goals: What is a government?
• What is Governance: Elected and Electorate
• What is Government: Legislative, Executive & Judiciary
• Performances:
  
• Workbook activities:
• Preview:
• 
  
  

Period II

• Review: What is a good government?
• Understanding goals: What are the principles of good governance
• Incorruptible Leadership
• Pragmatic & Forward-looking government
• Meritocratic Policies
• Fairness & transparency in decision-making
• Performances:
• Workbook activities:
• Apply the principles of good governance to the management of your CCA
• identify the examples of good governance
• identify the examples of the lack of good governance
• propose how you will address the areas where good governance is lacking
• Assessment:
  
• Apply the principles of good governance to your experience at the Sec 3 camp.
• identify the examples of good governance & otherwise
• explain why you think good governance is important
• post your reflections as comments to this lesson blog.
• Up to 3% to CA1.3 for balanced consideration of perspectives to reach final judgement
• 1 point: Analyses the key ideas of the subject
  
• 2 points: Synthesizes analysis into balanced explanation
• 3 points: Evaluates explanations to reach a judgment

Green with envy over a red dot

SEA3.1.9.Colonialism in SEA

Topic: The Concept of SEA/Reasons for Colonialism in SEA
Enquiry Question: What is Southeast Asia? Why did the Europeans come to SEA?

PERIOD I

• Review: Images & Impressions of SEA
  
• Understanding goals:
  
• What is Southeast Asia?
  
• Geography. Ethnicity or Political system?
• Why did the Europeans come to Southeast Asia?
• Exploration
  
• Expropriation
  
• Expansion

PERIOD II

• Understanding goals:
• What were the reasons for the imposition of colonial rule?
• French imperialism
• British imperialism
  
• How was colonial rule established?
  
• French colonialism in Indochina
• British colonialism in Malaya
  
• Performances:
• present pictorial background histories to EITHER Indochina OR Malaya (choose one)
  

MSH4.1.9.Struggle for Self-goverment

Topic: Singapore's Struggle for Self-government
Enquiry question: How did Singapore journey towards self-government?

Period I

• Review: What did the British do for Singapore's constitutional development?
  
• Limited constitutional experiments: some voters, few parties, fewer seats
  
• Rendel Commission & Constitution
  
• Rise of left-wing unionism, activism and politics
• Performances
• Give evidence and explain how these consideration affected Singapore's prospects after 1945:
• Why was Singapore left out of the Malayan Union & Federation of 1948?
  
• What did the British do for Singapore's constitutional development?
  
• Assessment
• SEQ: Constructing Explanation & Reaching Judgment
• Explain why Singapore was not included in the Federation of Malaya, formed in 1948. (12)
• How beneficial was the impact of the Rendel Commission report (1954) on the people of Singapore? Explain your answer. (13)

• Understanding goals: What was the significance of the 1955 Singapore Elections?
• What were the political aspiration of the Singapore Labour Front?
  
• Why did the 1956 London Talks fail?
• Was the 1957 London Talks a success?

Period II

• Review: What was the significance of the 1955 Singapore Elections?
• Understanding goals: What after self-government?
  
• What was important about the 1958 Singapore Constitution?
• What was at stake in the 1959 Singapore Elections?
• Performances:
• Compare Singapore's constitutional development with that of Malaya? Was Singapore's constitutional development lagging that of Malaya's? Why was this so?
• Assessment:
• SBQ 2004: The 1957 Talks were controlled by London
  
• to be attempted in class
  

MSH4.1.8.Singapore 1945-1955

Topic: Singapore's Constitutional Development, 1945-1955

Enquiry Question: What was Singapore's prospect after separation in 1945?

PERIOD I

• Understanding goals:
  
• How was Singapore linked to Malaya?
  
• Administrative centre of the Straits Settlements, Residential System & Federation
  
• Economic transhipment hub and entrepot centre
  
• Strategic/military role as bastion of British power in the Far East
• Why was Singapore left out of the Malayan Union & Federation of 1948?
  
• Racial composition factor
  
• Strategic/military factor
  
• Security- Communists threat factor
  
• What did the British do for Singapore's constitutional development?
  
• Limited constitutional experiments: some voters, few parties, fewer seats
  
• Rendel Commission & Constitution
  
• Rise of left-wing unionism, activism and politics
• Performances
• Give evidence and explain how these consideration affected Singapore's prospects after 1945:
• How was Singapore linked to Malaya?
  
• Why was Singapore left out of the Malayan Union & Federation of 1948?
  
• What did the British do for Singapore's constitutional development?
  
• Assessment
• SEQ: Constructing Explanation & Reaching Judgment
• Explain why Singapore was not included in the Federation of Malaya, formed in 1948. (12)
• How beneficial was the impact of the Rendel Commission report (1954) on the people of Singapore? Explain your answer. (13)
  
• To be completed for presentation on 23 Feb 07
  
• Preview

Letters from Iwo Jima

HSS4.1.8.Education & Health Services

Topic: Growth of Nation - Health & Education Services in Singapore
Enquiry Question: How did health and education services in Singapore facilitate the growth and development of Singapore?

PERIOD I

• Understanding goals:
  
• Stages of Education & Health Services in Singapore
• Catering to masses' basic needs
  
• Introduction of Specialisation & Improvements
  
• Reforms to meet the challenges of 21st century
• Goals of Education services
  
• Building economic skills
• Inculcating national loyalty
• Fostering social cohesion
• Goals of Healthcare services
  
• Improving accessibility
• Ensuring afforability
• Promoting self-reliance
  

• Preview
• acknowledgment: MOE/ETD/http://www.evideo.edu.sg/index.asp
  
  
  • Performances:
    
  • Mind-mapping for chapter on Education and Health services (due in class this week)
  • Mind-mapping for chapter on Population (due in class next week)
  • Notes
  • Notes for this chapter will be printed for you. You can also download a soft copy for yourself. Filename: HSS.EDUHEA.NOTES.PDF
    

MWH3.1.8.Nazi Germany UPDATED

PERIOD I

• Review: What was life like under Hitler?
• Performances:
  
• We would have discussed these aspects of life under Hitler's regime.
  
• You are to make a judgement about what was life like under Hitler.
  
• Attempt to answer the question: did Hitler's rise bring more harm than good?
  
• Comment in this post. Closing date 23 Feb 07. To be added to percentile marks of CA1.1
  
• 1 point: Analyses the key ideas of the subject area
• 2 points: Synthesizes analysis into balanced explanation
• 3 points: Evaluates explanations to reach a judgment
• Assessment:
• SBQ - comparisons on Nazi Germany UPDATED
  
• Para1: State an item/point of SIMILARITY in CONTENT
  
• Provide "evidence" from Source B
• Provide "evidence" from Source C
• Para 2: State an item/point of DIFFERENCE in CONTENT
  
• Provide "evidence" from Source B
• Provide "evidence" from Source C
• Para 3: State an item/point of DIFFERENCE in TONE
  
• Provide "evidence" from Source B
• Provide "evidence" from Source C
• Para 4: State an item/point of DIFFERENCE in PURPOSE
  
• Provide "evidence" from Source B
• Provide "evidence" from Source C
• VIDEO: Auschwitz
• PREVIEW: Life if Beautiful

• PREVIEW: Sophie Scholl

MWH3.1.7.Nazi Germany

Topic: Rise of Authoritarian Regimes: Nazi Germany
Enquiry-question: Was the rise of authoritarian regimes inevitable, and did
they bring more harm than good?
PERIOD I

• Admin
• Review of SBQ Assignment on inferencing.
• Review: What was Europe like after WWI?
  
• Peace Conference & Treaty of Versailles
  
• League of Nation & Global Disarmament
  
• Recovery & reintegration of Germany into international community
  
• Understanding goals: How did Hitler rise to power?
  
• the effects of the Great Depression
  
• the rise of Communists
• the attractiveness of the Nazi Party
  
• Performances:
  
• How did Hitler come to rise to power. Listed above are 3 possible reasons.
  
• Your task is to explain how each of these points is linked to Hitler's to rise to power with evidence and elaboration.
• Assessement:
• 1 point will be award to each successful prepared attempt. To be credited to CA1.1 percentile score.
  
• VIDEO: Triumph of the Will; The Nazis: A Warning from History
  

PERIOD II

• Review: How did Hitler come to power?
  
• Understanding goals: What was life like under Hitler? Did it bring more harm than good?
• Economic Autarky
  
• Military Rearmament
  
• Political dictatorship
• Communists
• Socialists & conservatives
  
• SA & SS
• Social control
  
• Jews & Gypsies
  
• Youths & Women
• Media & Propaganda
  
• Performances:
  
• We would have discussed these aspects of life under Hitler's regime.
  
• You are to make a judgement about what was life like under Hitler.
  
• Attempt to answer the question: did Hitler's rise bring more harm than good?
  
• Comment in this post.
  
• Assessment: SBQ - comparisons
• Preview: The Pianist

MWH4.1.7.End of Communism

Topic: End of Communism
Enquiry-question: Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe & Soviet Union?

PERIOD I

• Admin
• reminder about CA1.2. Pls check assessment components here.
• Review: How did Gorbachev try to solve the problems of the USSR?
• Understanding goals:
  
• Perestroika
• Glasnost
• intended outcomes & unintended consequences
  
• Performances: pls complete notes-worksheet
  
• identify the problems of the USSR,
  
• propose the solutions,
  
• discuss the intended outcomes,
  
• explain the unintended consequences.
  

PERIOD II

• Review: Was Gorbachev successful in solving the problems of the USSR?
• Reformism in Eastern Europe
• Nationalism in the Socialist Republics
  
• Renewal in the Russian Federation
• Performances: GCE O Level 2004 SBQ.
• Assessment: review of answers

PREVIEW

• Goodbye Lenin
  
  
  
• Social Studies: Health & Education Services in Singapore
• Pls complete mind-maps assignment from 2006.
  

3H Talk-pic: French Occupation of the Ruhr

Dear 3H,

Share your answers to the question posted to you today. Remember the context. We were discussing the 3 reasons for the weakness of the League of Nation, one of which was its lack of moral authority. I argued that the lack of moral authority was evidenced from the French Occupation of the Ruhr.

Your task is to explain:
How did the French occupation of the Ruhr in 1923 undermine the moral authority of the League of Nations?

Points for grabs:
1: Applies relevant knowledge of subject area
2: Analyses the key ideas relative to knowledge of subject area
3: Synthesizes analysis into a coherent explanation in context

Each attempt that demonstrates any of these attributes earn a corresponding khooky point (1, 2, or 3). Discussion window closes when any one student attains 3 points.
________________________________
OK. The jury is back. Here is the verdict:

Samuel: 3pts
Ryan Chen: 1pt
Peixiang: 1pt
Azmeer: 1pt
Dev: 1pt
James: 2pts
Stanley: 1pt
Bastian: 2pts
Mingyang: 2pts
Xiuqi: 2 pts

These points will be added to the percentile marks of CA1.1

My answer:
The French occupation of the Ruhr in 1923 undermined the moral authority of the League of Nations because the Ruhr lies in the Rhineland which has been decreed by the LON and accepted by the French as a demilitarised zone.

It would have cut the argument short if we had looked at the location of the Ruhr, and realised it lies in the demilitarised Rhineland. An deployment of troops into the Ruhr (and therefore into the Rhineland) would have contravened the terms of the Treaty of Versailles whose enforcement is under the moral authority of the LON.

MWH4.1.6.End of Communism

Topic: End of Communism
Enquiry-question: Why did communism collapse in Eastern Europe & Soviet Union?

PERIOD I

• Admin
• reminder about CA1.2. Pls check assessment components here.
• Review: In what ways did the Chernobyl accident reflect the problems in the Soviet Union?
• Technological inefficacy
  
• Political secrecy
  
• Economic decline
• Understanding goals: How did Gorbachev try to solve the problems of the USSR?
• Perestroika
• Glasnost
• Performances: pls complete notes-worksheet before Period II
  
• identify the problems of the USSR,
  
• propose the solutions,
  
• discuss the intended outcomes,
  
• explain the unintended consequences.
  

PERIOD II

• VIDEO: Collapse of Communism
• Review: How did Gorbachev try to solve the problems of the USSR?
• Understanding goals: Was Gorbachev successful in solving the problems of the USSR?
• Reformism in Eastern Europe
• Nationalism in the Socialist Republics
  
• Renewal in the Russian Federation
• Performances: GCE O Level 2004 SBQ.
• Assessment: self-review of answers
  

MWH3.1.6.Communist Russia

Topic: Rise of Authoritarian Regimes: Communist Russia II
Enquiry-question: Was the rise of authoritarian regimes inevitable, and did
they bring more harm than good?

PERIOD I

• Admin
• Review of SEQ Assignment on Unit 2.1. Workbook pg. 49.
• Remarks: Marking scheme, sample essays
  
• Review: How did Stalin come to power? Was his rise to power inevitable?
  
• control of party mechanism
• elimination of party rivals
• establishment of personality cult
  
• Understanding goals: What was life like under Stalin? Did it bring more harm than good?
  
• Collectivisation
• Industrialisation
• Performances: making inferences
  

PERIOD II

• VIDEO: October
• Review: Stalin's Collectivisation & Industrialisation
  
• Understanding goals: What was life like under Stalin? Did it bring more harm than good?
• Purges
  
• Propaganda
• Personality cult
• Performances: making inferences
• Assessment: Peer reviews

ONGOING ASSESSMENT

Watch Source A.
What can you infer about life under Stalin in the Soviet Union? (5)

1. Post your answers in comments as according to the answering rubrics of an inference SBQ.
2. LORMS for Inference SBQ applies.
3. Bonus will be added to percentile marks of CA1.1.
4. Open to students from 3G07 and 3H07.
5. Please identify yourself by your name and class when posting. Incomplete identification will render attempt void.
6. Closing date: 12 Feb 07 2359hrs.

Source A: A Soviet film entitled "New Moscow".

SPIEGEL ONLINE - The Downside of the Boom: China's Poison for the Planet

SPIEGEL ONLINE, 02/01/2007
---------------------------------------------------------------------
The Downside of the Boom: China's Poison for the Planet
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Can the environment withstand China's growing economic might? As one
of the planet's worst polluters, Beijing's ecological sins are
creating problems on a global scale. Many countries are now feeling
the consequences.

By Andreas Lorenz and Wieland Wagner

You can download the complete article over the Internet at the
following URL:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,461828,00.html

More about this issue
---------------------------

SPIEGEL Special: Globalization, the New World: Cheap, Cheerful and
Chinese?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,385446,00.html

The World's Toxic Waste Dump: Choking on Chemicals in China
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,387392,00.html

SPIEGEL Interview with China's Deputy Minister of the Environment:
"The Chinese Miracle Will End Soon"
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,345694,00.html

Postcard from China: Workers Complete Three Gorges Dam
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,417473,00.html

The River Runs Black: China Takes on Pollution -- Sort of
http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,395543,00.html