World Geography 1(B) 24-25-1(B) Assignments

Research information on a country or archipelago in Asia or Oceania. Use the graphic organizer as your guide and use the CIA Factbook for your research. You can also use Google for additional information. As you conduct your research, be sure to identify the major social, economic, and environmental issues in your country and explain which SDGs would help and how.

The final project will be presented on a Google Slide Show.

Let's take a closer look at Indonesia, a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea.

What are some of the economic, environmental, and social challenges Indonesia faces?

Review the Five Themes of Geography, complete a fact sheet, and a map.

Today we will explore the Five Themes of Geography of India by reading a series of articles, each with a different theme, to discover the Location, Place, Region, Human-Environment Interaction, and Movement to describe India.

Assignment:
1) We will work in small groups
2) Each group will be assigned an article and graphic organizer
3) Read the article and answer the questions
4) Think of a creative way to convey the information to your classmates by creating a Google Slideshow or infographic
5) Present to class
6) Complete Note Catcher during presentations

Today we will begin our unit on South Asia, the fastest growing region of the world. By 2050, more than 50% of the world's economic activity will be run through this part of the world. So, it is important when spend some time learning about the region. The essential question for this unit is: How do people adapt to their changing environments, economies, and societies in a time of climate change, resource scarcity, and conflict?

Our lesson today will focus on discovering the geography of South Asia and identifying the major environmental, economic, and demographic issues facing the region.

After you finish your notes, please complete the digital map activity and create a map of South Asia using the template attached.

This week we will wrap up our Africa unit by watching a movie that embodies many important character traits such as perseverance, ingenuity, and hard work. This is a true story of William Kamkwamba, a boy living in Malawi during the great floods there in 2001, and his quest to save his village from famine after the grain fields were ruined. It’s really an amazing story, one that I know you’ll enjoy!

Today we will watch the video below that highlights the lives of millionaires in the Democratic Republic of Congo and how it contrasts to lives of the millions that help them gain their wealth. As the video plays we will fill out the sheet also attached.

The DRC is one of the poorest countries on the planet with one of the highest proportions of millionaires. While 70% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day, 6% are millionaires. Businessmen, artists, former rebel leaders or evangelists, many have made fortunes in chaos. In the capital, Kinshasa, these new rich live in the heart of secure and luxurious enclaves, while elsewhere, children work several hours a day tens of meters underground extracting coltan.

Director: Guillaume Dumant

The history of Africa has contributed to many of the problems modern African nations face today: poverty, hunger, lack of education, poor infrastructure, violence, and inequality. What role do the Sustainable Development Goals play in trying to lift modern Africa into prosperity? Today we will examine some of the issues facing countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Mali, Chad, South Sudan, Malawi, and others. Working in your groups, identify a major issue and examine how the SDGs will serve as a blueprint to their future success.

After the Berlin Conference ended in 1885, a new era of Imperialism in Africa began, leading to intense pressure between nations for control of Africa's valuable minerals. This competition was one of the causes of World War I (1914-1918). In the decades that followed, including World War II (1939-1945), Africa saw a surge in decolonization movements as weakened European powers struggled to maintain control. African soldiers returning from the war with new ideas and a desire for self-determination fueled the fight for independence. But what were the consequences?

This week we will take a look at the history of Africa and the impact European colonization had on the continent. 

Prior to the Berlin Conference in 1884-85, Africa was characterized by diverse kingdoms, city-states, and cultures, with European influence primarily limited to coastal trading posts, but the conference marked the beginning of a rapid "Scramble for Africa" where European powers aggressively claimed and divided the continent. 

The environment we live in has an impact on how our civilizations develop economically, socially, and politically. Africa has hosted many great empires over the ages, but despite having contact with both Europe and Asia, did not keep up in these areas (except Wakanda). There are many environmental, political, and social issues issues facing Africa today. Here is one possible theory to explain why.

As we close out our South America unit, we will take one last look at the favelas of Rio de Janeiro by exploring the "Beyond the Map" and learning more about what makes them sustainable communities.

Use the links in the document below to access the videos from the Google Beyond the Map site on Rio de Janeiro and complete the graphic organizer.

Today we will look at Brazil's most famous city: Rio de Janeiro. We will study the impact of "urbanism" on Rio's development, how the environment impacted Rio's culture as a tourist destination, and how people created sustainable communities when no government would help them. 

Review this slideshow and the information contained in the links inside the slide to complete this study guide. Attached is a copy of the study guide in case you lose your paper copy.

Today we will examine how three South American countries - Bolivia, Colombia, and Brazil - use their resources to support economies of scale, that is, an economy based on one resource large enough to support its population. We will do this through the lens of three teenagers - Omar (Bolivia), Daniella (Colombia) and Vinicius (Brazil). Listen to their stories and learn from their experiences. When finished we will discuss what we have watched, and complete the writing activity attached. 

Let's explore the Five Themes of Geography of South America! First, we will review the FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY: Location, Place, Region, Movement, and Human-Environment Interaction. Then we will look at how we can describe South America using each of these themes. CHALLENGE: Write a paragraph describing South America using language from the Five Themes. Attach you document to the assignment.

In this unit, we will explore the geography of South America and apply our lessons from the sustainability unit to identify and solve some of the continent's most pressing issues. Later in the unit, we will conduct an in-depth study of South America's largest country: Brazil.

Topics we will cover include:

Identifying physical and human characteristics of South America
How the natural resources of a nation contribute to the economy
How children of South America are impacted by the economic policies of nations
Impact of global demand for resources on people and the environment

Now that we have explored our personal ecological footprint, the human footprint of consumption, and the unit on Sustainability let's examine global sustainability issues around the world. Working in groups, you will choose a region of the world, and a sustainability issue affecting a country in that region. You will develop an essential question, conduct research, and present your findings to your audience in a Google Slideshow.

Please utilize World Book online to start your research.

     Username: nhbook
     Password: barn

Make a copy of the slideshow template and attach it to your assignment to start. Use this as a graphic organizer to organize your research.

Create a poster of your assigned SDG according to the directions below.

Use the SDGs to solve the problems indicated in each scenario.

Use the Ecological Footprint Calculator to determine your carbon & ecological footprints. Use the graphic organizer to collect your data. After you analyze the data, brainstorm ways you can reduce that number and re-test. Any difference?

Once completed, use the data to create an infographic on the "footprint" worksheet explaining how you can help live sustainably. Refer to the rubric and examples from previous classes for specific requirements and ideas.

Let's take a closer look at population growth and population density. Watch the short video on population growth and complete the attached Google Form. Then read the slideshow: "Calculating Population Density" and complete the worksheet.

1) Human Population Through Time
It took most of human history for our population to reach 1 billion—and just over 200 years to reach 8 billion. But growth has begun slowing, as women have fewer babies on average. When will our global population peak? And how can we minimize our impact on Earth’s resources, even as we approach 10 billion?

2) Calculating Population Density
Understanding population growth and population density will help humans make better decisions about our future. Read the instructions and try your hand and calculating current world population densities.

Today we will look at the trends in POPULATION GROWTH and POPULATION DENSITY up to the year 2100 by reading the article "Predicting the World Population" from the November, 2020 issue of Junior Scholastic, and completing two population growth activities.

Assignment #1: IMAGINE THE POPULATION OF TOMORROW. Complete the activity per instructions using the website Imagining tomorrow's population linked below.

Assignment#2: POPULATION DENSITY exercise. Using a calculator, find the correct population density for each of the countries listed on the worksheet, and respond the following question on the back of the paper: What surprised you about the data on population density? What issues may arise in countries with high population density?

Try to re-imagine the entire world's population as a village of just 100 people. What do you know about the lives of your fellow villagers? Watch the the video linked below and fill out the graphic organizer as you watch. Then take that info and complete the mini-project attached.

In this unit, you will learn how human activities such as the consumption of food and energy, and the need for global economies, affect the planet. You will also learn about the concept of SUSTAINABILITY, and the tools we have to preserve the planet, maintaining balance with the environment, economy, and social justice.

Assignment: Please complete the "Global Scavenger Hunt" worksheet that was handed out in class. A copy is attached if needed.

Now that we have learned about maps, it's time to use that knowledge and create your own thematic map. See the assignment attached.

How do geographers use maps to gather information about our world? Today we will learn about different types of maps and how they help us gather information on physical geography, climate, population growth, historical boundaries, and even economics and natural resources. This is our last core concept before we introduce Unit 2: Sustainability.


Attached are the notes on maps and five exercises that will help familiarize you with different types of maps. I know it looks like a lot, but just work through them one at a time.

Failed crops in Africa are limiting the world's cocoa supplies. What does this mean for our favorite chocolate treats?
Today we will learn more about the global cocoa shortage and how it relates to themes we will study this year. Read "The High Price of Chocolate" in the October, 2024 issue of Junior Scholastic and answer the attached questions.

Junior Scholastic password: fogcloud6774

Learn how geographers organize the globe into hemispheres, and use latitudes and longitudes in order to tell us where things are located on the Earth. 

There are TWO assignments:
1. Read the article on the history of the compass and answer the questions.
2. Create your own Compass Rose per instructions

Choose anyplace in the world you would like to explore. Use the rules from the slideshow to identify the FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY for that place. You do this by:
1) Completing the graphic organizer with the information you find.
2) Creating a Google Slideshow with the information

Include a title slide and one slide per theme (six total). Attach it to this assignment. See my slideshow as an example.

Using your map and graphic organizer, complete this quiz on the United States.

Let's see how well you know the world map. Click on the Google slide and follow the instructions.