World Geography 2(B)-2(B) Assignments

Research information on a country or archipelago in Asia or Oceania. Use the graphic organizer as your guide and use the linked resources 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. The template will be posted next class.

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

Indonesia is constructing an entire new capital city in Borneo called Nusantara — from scratch. What's at stake?

For decades, overcrowding, pollution, poor resource management, and climate change have caused parts of Jakarta to sink at a an alarming rate of 25 cm per year. To solve this problem, the Indonesian government has proposed building a new capital city on the island of Borneo called Nusantara. Is this a good idea? What is the cost in terms of human and environmental terms?

After the video, read the article "This City is Sinking" from the April, 2023 issue of Junior Scholastic. You can either open the PDF or access the article online for text to speech. When finished, please respond to the questions in the Google Form.

Log in as a Student and enter the code: fogcloud6774

When the article and Google Form are finished, write a persuasive letter to the Indonesian government expressing your concern for the human-environment impact on the people, land, and wildlife of Borneo and Java as they build the new capital of Nusantara. Follow the directions on the document titled "Nusantara Activist Instructions and Briefing Sheet".

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.

Read about the various sustainability issues in India: rapid population growth, air pollution, climate change, and lack of clean water. Complete the Sustainability Challenges Matrix after you review the attached slideshow and videos.

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 articles and graphic organizer
3) Read the articles and answer the questions
4) Complete Note Catcher

No region of the world faces more challenges with the dimensions and urgency comparable to those of South Asia. Read through the attached cases studies and determine the Pillar of Sustainability it impacts, why it is important for the region's future, and at least two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the area's leaders should focus on achieving.

Now that we've talked about NGOs (non-governmental organizations), it's time for you to create your own!

In this project, you will work in groups to develop your own NGO to tackle a major issue in any Sub-Saharan African country. You will complete some research to see what issues exist in your country, name your own NGO and make a mission statement before coming up with an action plan to address the problem you chose. Of course, you will be connecting your data/issue to the SDGs. You will compile all of this into a slideshow that you will present to your class.

Due Dates:
-A Day: Slideshows April 23, Presentations April 24
-B Day: Slideshows April 24, Presentations April 28

Resources have been provided for you to utilize. Please feel free to research on your own (no Wikipedia!), but make sure to include the site in your slideshows. Here is an explanation of them:

-World Atlas: For the Country Profile Sheet
-Ducksters: For the Country Profile Sheet
-BBC News: This one is not provided, you will need to manually search it. In Google, type in "BBC News (Country Name) Country Profile". For the Country Profile Sheet
-World Bank: For the Pillars of Sustainability Organizer
-SDGs: For the Pillars of Sustainability Organizer and Slideshow

There is also a timeline for you to see what point of the project you should be at for each class (3 in class periods). 

Note: You can split up the research between group members. As long as one set of information is on one person's sheet and the rest on another person's sheet, that will be fine. Meaning, you do not need to have both sheets totally filled out. For the slideshow, have one person share it with each group member and that person will be responsible for submitting the slideshow.

Welcome to South America! Please complete your political and physical maps of the continent. Down and print these ONLY if you do not have your paper copies.

In this project, you will analyze the progress of nations towards meeting their SDG targets by 2030.

Based on the data collection for the SDG you researched, grade the five countries on their progress. Use this form to complete the grading and reflection.

After completing the SDGs/Pillars activity, complete this exit ticket.

Using the data you collected from the Ecological Footprint calculator and the video "Human Footprint", create your own "footprint". What mark will you leave on the planet Earth and how can you exhibit some of the skills and knowledge of sustainability? Decorate your footprint with at least FIVE areas of consumption and solutions. 

See the attached rubric for instructions and examples.

How does CONSUMPTION impact SUSTAINABILITY? Consumption of products and services impacts the environment in many different ways. For example, the things we buy contribute, directly or indirectly through the product lifecycle, to climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss and resource depletion on Earth.

As we continue to examine our "Human Footprint", we will look at a 2007 National Geographic documentary on the "mark" humans make on the earth throughout the average lifespan of human existence. Please follow the directions on this graphic organizer (I'll give you a paper copy to work on) and as you watch the documentary, take notes on the actual number of items we use in a lifetime, and write a reflection to the question asked at the end of the worksheet.

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. Once you've watched the video and completed the graphic organizer, completed the assignment attached.

NOTE: If you finish all of your work, please read the article "Is This REALLY Your Friend?" from this month's Junior Scholastic and complete the Close reading Activity questions on the Google Form.

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.

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.

Choose a place in the world (town, city, state, or country) and use Google resources to answer the questions required. You can make a poster, or create a slideshow using the template.

I have included a sample slideshow for your reference.

We will work on this in class on Thursday. It is due Friday, 9/26

Our next Core Concept, 1.2, introduces us to the most basic tool in geography: the compass. Without the compass, humans would have no way of knowing where things are located on the earth. Let's learn about the compass, where it came from, how it developed into an important tool, and has been preserved in art for centuries.  

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

Today we will learn why the study of geography is important to understanding our world. We will do this by talking about one of my favorite subjects: FOOD! After we take notes and read the article: "Where Does This Meal Come From?", we will look at a world map and trace the originals of some ingredients from our favorite meals.