Jack the Ripper - assignment notes

When writing up your Jack the Ripper assignment, remember that you are presenting a case for the prosecution of one of the suspects. Your case must include sections on the following:

1. Profile of your suspect(s)

• which includes all known biographical details - e.g: where they were born, their age, occupational history.
• a psychological profile - e.g: what was known about their character, behaviour, history of mental illness.

2. Alleged relationship with murders

• did the suspect know them? did he have a dislike of a certain group of people?
• where was your suspect at the time of the murders? does he have an alibi?

3. Evidence

• discuss the evidence and how it implicates your suspect?

4. Motive

• why would your suspect commit these gruesome murders?

5. Background to the murders

• what was life like in London in 1888? how was it different from today?
  

6. Timeline of events
7. Sources / References

Climate Change - essential knowledge

The following should be considered "essential knowledge" when it comes to climate change. If you don't know the following questions, it is your job in the next session to find the answers.

1. Can you present the workings of climate change in a diagrammatic model?

"/>

2. What are the main GHG's (Greenhouse gases)?

3. Find graph data that demonstrates the correlation between global warming and rising sea levels. Describe the relationship between these two phenomena.

4. What are the projected levels for global warming over the next century? Why are there a range of projections?

5. What are the impacts of global warming? List 8 along with a brief description.

6. What strategies can we use to ameliorate climate change? Discuss 2 in detail.

Joining the Dots of Climate Change, Increasing Foreign Debt and Internation Security.

Former US Democratic Vice-President Al Gore shot to fame again last year when he was awarded in conjunction with the scientists composing the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) the Nobel Peace Prize for raising international awareness about the climate change crisis, especially through his award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

More recently he gave a speech in which he succinctly connects the climate crisis, the mushrooming foreign debt (used to buy foreign oil as America's reserves decline), and international security issues particularly in unstable, oil-producing regions. He goes on to challenge America to change course.



T. Boone Pickens is a Texan oil man, billionaire, and life-long Republican voter. He is currently investing US$10 billion to build the world's largest wind farm in northern Texas.



As unlikely as it may seem that these two successful and powerful from opposing political parties would agree, they share some similar views.

Write a brief response to this talk in which you:
1) explain in your own words the common problem at the root of climate change, foreign debt and international conflict.
2) the relationship between these problems.
3) the solution(s) as proposed by Al Gore and/or Boone Pickens.
4) your opinion on these presentations.

Political Issues in Society

Western Australia has just held an election and it may not be so long until the next federal election. During an election campaign the various parties advocate for or against a range of political issues. The aim of this assignment is to investigate one particular issue in depth and then present it to the class in the form of an oral presentation. (Note: You will also submit your notes online, but more on that later.)


You are expected to take a partisan point of view in this assignment. That means you are taking a particular stance or point of view in favour or against a particular political issue (see examples below). You will be assessed on both your understanding of the topic, and upon your ability to provide a convincing argument.

Political Issues
You may choose from the following list of political issues (or negotiate with your teacher to do an issue of interest to you). No two students may select the same issue unless they are on opposing sides of the issue.

• that there should be free public health care for all.
• that we should build nuclear reactors to power our cities.
• that we should deregulate retail trading hours so that shops are open all the time.
• that we should reduce the number of migrants coming to Australia.
• that there should be stronger laws against animal cruelty.
• that possession and use of marijuana should be decriminalized.
• that mining uranium should be banned.
• that there should be stronger laws against advertising and use of alcohol and tobacco.
• the we should build a light rail infrastructure in Perth.
• that primary, secondary and tertiary education in Australia should be free of charge.
• that there should be tough laws against abortion.
• that we should allow the growing of genetically modified plant crops and domestic animals.
• that we should scrap the costly Medicare public health insurance fund and make everyone use private health insurance (user pays).
• that gay marriage should be legally recognized.
• that we need tougher penalties against polluting industries to protect our biosphere.
• that there should be a rebate on purchase of solar panels and/or a feed-in tariff for electricity provided to the grid by privately owned solar panels.
• that gun ownership should be legal for all citizens.
• that terminally ill people should have the right to die.
• that there should be a "3 strikes and you out" policy for repeat criminal offenders.
• that Australia should have a bill of rights.

Assessment

Information, Communication & Participation - Applying and Communicating Findings

Level 3.4: The student justifies decisions from a personal perspective using some evidence and begins to review original understandings when communicating findings.

Level 4.4: The student develops and informed opinion and communicates this witha particular purpose or audience in mind.

Level 5.4: The students communicates findings in ways that show consideration of the facts, opinions and motives for a particular viewpoint when justifying generalisations made.

Level 6.4: The student when communicating findings develops conclusions, justifies personal stances by discussing logically and considering viewpoints and evidence presented by others. They justify their personal stance by discussing logically and considering the viewpoints and evidence presented by others.

Level 7.4: The student communicates findings based on evidence gathered, according to the purpose of the investigation and can justify own values stance and the validity and conclusions drawn by others. Students examine the values position inherent in the viewpoint they represent and analyse the values cited by people who support or oppose a viewpoint different from their own.

Assessment Checklist

• Have you prepared a detailed arguement with ample supporting material (examples, statistics, case-studies, historical pre-cursors)?
• Have you rehearsed your oral presentation?
• Have you posted your written arguements to the Ning.com forum?
• Have you posted supporting materials like diagrams (pictures, graphs, tables) or videos to the Ning.com site and linked to them from your written argument?
  

Heroes in History

Task
Your task is to investigate the life of an eminent person in history who is widely recognized for their leadership, courage, determination, compassion and commitment to making the world a better place. Their inspiring personal qualities will have had an impact upon the culture in which they lived, and possibly well beyond. They may be an inspiration to you personally.



Having conducted an investigation, you will write a biography of this eminent person and make a brief presentation to the class.

The biography should answer the following questions:

• where were they born? where did they grow up?
• what position(s)/role(s) did this person occupy during their lifetime?
• were they a member of any group(s)?
• what are they most remembered for?
  
• what influences (e.g.: gender, race, socio-economic status, location) shaped the early development of this eminent person? what shaped their attitudes and views?
• what were the views/morals/beliefs/principles that they espoused?
• why did they espouse these views?
• what circumstances led them to becoming involved in the work/struggle that made them so renowned as a hero?
• what impact/influence did they have upon their culture? how did they change their culture?
• what was their legacy to future generations?

Assessment Criteria
Culture - level 2

• The student is able to describe the role and some of the achievements of an eminent person.

Culture - level 3

• The student can explain the role and main achievements of an eminent person, and describe some way in which this person affected his/her culture.

Culture - level 4

• The student is able to explain the role and main achievements of an eminent individual in some depth, detailing a path of development through life, organisations that they participated in, and key principles or beliefs that they are known to have espoused. The student can also identify key ways that this eminent person changed/impacted upon his/her culture.

Culture - level 5

• The student can explain how an eminent person's gender, race, socioeconomic status and cultural context influenced his/her political or religious beliefs, and how this caused them to take perilous/defiant actions that were intended to benefit others. The student can detail the eminent person's key beliefs/principles as well as their achievements, as well as provide an explanation of how they influenced/changed a culture.

Culture - level 6

• The student can explain in detail how an eminent person's gender, race, socioeconomic status and cultural context influenced his/her beliefs and decion(s) to take perilous/defiant actions that benefitted others. The student can detail the eminent person's beliefs/principles, as well as their achievements. They can discuss the lasting legacy of these achievements upon society and culture.

Culture - level 7

• The student has an depth understanding of the social, cultural, economic and political factors that were part of the formation of an eminent person. The student understand both how the eminent person was formed through historical factors, and how this person acted upon their conscience to alter the course of events in their cultural context in a substantial way which affected many/all others in that culture. The student has thoroughly researched the details of the eminent person's life (e.g.: significant events growing up, organisations they were a part of, important beliefs and principles they espoused) and is able to provide a detailed report on these and how they related to the society in which they lived. The student is able to explain the lasting impact and legacy that this eminent person has had on their culture (and other cultures beyond their own) and how their beliefs and actions continue to inspire others.
  

Micro-Enterprise Project

Objective: To gain an overview of how a business operates and the market within which it operates through the setting up and conducting of a micro-business activity.

Procedure: The following are a checklist of activities through which each group must work through to successfully conduct their businesses.

• Write up a proposal for what kind of business you would like to operate, and include information about what resources you will require to run it.
• Get permission to conduct the business from Mr Hanna and/or Mr Bonner. Inform them of the date(s) that you intend to conduct your business.
  
• Get permission to use any equipment that is required.
• Design a market survey to gauge interest from your potential market.
• Conduct your market survey.
• Collate/Compile your market survey results. Interpret them in order to understand the level of demand for your product or service. Adjust your business plan if necessary.
• Devise a budget. Find out what your input costs will be, and how much you will need to sell to reach your break-even point.
• Organise to loan equipment (if necessary).
• Tally up income and donate profits to charity. :)
• Devise a profit & loss statement.
• Write up a report detailing your findings and submit.

Report:

• Explain why your group initially chose your business activity.
• With reference to your market surveys, discuss your anticipated levels of demand. What other kinds of information did you discover from your surveys.
  
• Explain the operation of your business.
  
• How was what you expected about sales different from how sales turned out in reality.
  
• What did you learn about operating a business from this process?
• Did you learn any generic lessons about supply and demand, or about marketing through this process?
• If you were to run a micro-business again, what would you do differently? Why?
  

Final Submission:

1. Business proposal.
2. Profit & loss statement.
3. Any advertising (or details thereof) that you did.
4. An example of your survey sheets.
5. Your collated survey data.
   
6. Report.

Assessment Criteria:
Resources level 4

• Understands that people can make decisions about efficient use of resources.
• Understand that people make decisions in order to be efficient and enterprising in their use of resources.
• Understands that people act in various ways to make workplaces more effective.

Resources level 5

• Understands that people's ability to make efficient use of resources is affected by their access to, and ownership of, various resources.
• Understands that people's ability to manage resources in enterprising ways is affected by their access to, and ownership of, various resources.
• Understands that the structure of workplaces influences the extent to which people can improve their effectiveness.

Resources level 6

• Understands that the extent to which people are able to meet their needs and wants is influenced by their level of access to, and ownership of, resources.
• Understands that the quality of management decisions impacts on people's ability to satisfy their needs and wants.
• Understands that a variety of circumstances affect the opportunities for, and ability of, people to participate effectively in workplaces.

Investigation of International Economies

The economies of the nations of the world are very different. There are developed and developing countries. Some countries have a lot of natural resources which they use in their primary industries, others have a large pool of labour and use this in their manufacturing and service industries.

Your task shall be to investigate the economy of one nation and to report on it in the following ways:

1. What natural resources does this nation have?
2. What sectors of the economy are the biggest employers?
3. How are economic decisions made? Who makes them?
4. Find out what the most important (largest) industry is in this nation. Is it more labour-intensive or capital intensive? Explain.
5. Does this nation use advanced technology in its economy? If so, provide an example.
6. What is one of the major economic problems faced by this nation (e.g.: unemployment, poverty, inflation, debt)? Explain how this problem effects this economy and what the government and/or businesses are doing to solve it.
7. In what ways is this nation's economy similar to and/or different to Australia's economy?