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Past Assignments

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Assignment

Print out and sign--and obtain your parents/guardian signature--the class syllabus attached below.

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Assignment

All work should have been turned in by Friday, January 16. Latework and extra credit will be accepted Tuesday after the holiday.
 
Student should check out and study the study guide posted earlier this week. In addition to that vocabulary and the study questions, they will be held accountable for eveerything that was on the maps thy were assigned.
 
Good Luck!

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Assignment

Thursday, we took notes on Religions of East asia. Notes attached.
 
HW: Map Packet for SE Asia and the Pacific.
 
That is the last assignment for the semester, and the course. The maps should be completed by the end of class on Friday. On Tuesday, we'll review

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Assignment

Lecture: Religions of South Asia.
 
HW: Last current event--Asia or Australia and the Pacific.

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Assignment

Tuesday, we took notes on Asia, East by South (attached). We also received the maps for East Asia.
 
Wednesday, we will take notes on some South and East Asian religions and traditions.
 
On Thursday, the school is holding a "Cocoa and Cram" study hall in the multipurpose room after school until 6:00 PM. Students will receive 20 points extra credit participation points for attending.
 
Attached you can find two study guide documents. One has the vocabulary that students should make sure they have in their Word Bank. The other has some questions which may appear on the test. For the map, which will be one-half of the final, they will be responsible for anything they have (or were supposed to have) located on one of our map assignments.
 
There is also an extra credit crossword assignment (along with a grid) attached.

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Assignment

Monday, we took notes on Keys to understanding North Africa and the Middle east (Attached below) we also took some notes on the three major monotheisitc religions that originated in this region.
 
HW: I handed out the next packet of maps on South Asia (India, Pakistan, etc.). That should be finished during class on Tuesday.

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Assignment

Today, we tried to finish the Africa Map packet. If not handed in Friday, it must come Friday. We have no time to dilly-dally.
 
We took notes to a video, "Africa: Safari, so good" Some questions and answers from this video are attached below.
 
HW: I handed out a Map Packet on Southwest Asia. It will be finished on Monday, but do not expect to get more than twenty minutes to work on it.

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Assignment

1. Warm-up; Examine the map on page 419 and answer the questions 1, 2, & 3
 
2. PowerPoint notes on Subsaharan Africa included as an attachment below.

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Assignment

Tuesday, we went to the Tech Center to have the students take a reading inventory (test). The reason we do this is to see if any students need remediation for their reading. A helpful by product is that students get a printout that identified books in their favorite genres that are within their reading range--not too easy, not too difficult.
 
HW: Study for tomorrow's (Wednesday's) test on Latin America

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Assignment

Today, we started with a warm-up from the reading on Pages 249-251 in the text. We answered questions under #3 Main Ideas a, b & c on page 251.
 
We then took notes on the PowerPoints that are attached below.
 
HW: I gave the students a handout from section 2 and the case study in Chapter 11 that deal with issues confronting Latin American countries today.
 
I also gave the kids an opportunity to earn extra participation points (20) if they attend a meeting of one of our on-campus clubs: This is the text of the assignment(I will attach a list of clubs and their meeting times below.)
: One of the things that successful students do is to become involved with extra and co-curricular activities. One of the ways that successful students accomplish this at Culver City High School is by joining one or more clubs. CCHS has close to 50 clubs!! And if you don’t like any of the clubs we have, you can start your own: There is a process.
For your extra credit (20 participation points), you must visit a club meeting and fill out the information form below. Understandably, it is a good idea to visit a club that you have some interest in.
1. What is that name of the club? _________________________________
2. Who is the faculty sponsor? ___________________________________
3. Where does the club meet and where? Time: ____________ Location: ______________
4. What is the purpose of the club?


5. How many people came to the meeting you visited? ________ Anybody you know? __________
6. What did people do at this meeting?


7. Was the meeting run more by students or more by the sponsor?
Please have the faculty advisor initial or sign here to verify your attendance: ____

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Assignment

 The last day before winter break:
 
African Proverb: "Those who are absent are always wrong."
 
I will return student's folder maps for them to take home over the break. In some cases, they will be making up valuable ground; in some they will be getting extra credit work done. Directions for all of the folder map steps are attached below. Once they have done everything described in those directions, they can choose to color their map like one of the maps in the atlas at the front of the text (make sure to include a color key to explain).
 
I will also explain to them that they can make an extra credit GPERSIANS about ANY country NOT on the world data assignment list (also attached below). They can get up to 25 extra credit points.
 
Finally, and most importantly, they will have a writing assignment as a culmintaing activity for the rainforest conference simulation. Directions are attached below. A rubric will also be attached . 
 
HAVE A GREAT VACATION                                           

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Assignment

We finish the debate part of the conference. Tomorrow all periods will have "claimed" their land based on the simulation's outcome.
 
We also viewed a video on the subject of how the country of Costa Rica handles similar problems in its rainforest. The idea of the st5udent notes for this video is to give them ideas for the writing assignment they will received for the break.
 
HW: Brainstorm ideas that may serve to settle both the environmental and conflict issues that are present in the rainforest of Brazil.

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Assignment

Todfay, we continued our debate on teh use of the rainforest in Brazil
 
HW: Current Event 15==>Latin America

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Assignment

Rainforest debate started.
 
HW: Back side of CH. 11 Section 1 Readers Guide

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Assignment

Today,we started the Brazil Rainforest Conference simulation. During this week, groups of students will debate some strategies for developing the Amazon.
 
Over the vacation, they will write a "letter" to an advisory group suggesting the proper use of the rainforest.
 
HW: Read Chapter 11, Section 1 and complete page 23 of the reading guide (front side only).

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Assignment

Warm-up: Read the Map on page 245 and answer the questions 1 & 2.
 
We watched the second half of the Video "Conquest" from Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel". Students were to take "Cornell" notes. I will attach the answers to the reivew questions below.
 
HW: Finish the Chapter 9 packet (page 5).

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Assignment

Warm-up: Read Pages 230-231 in your text and answer these two questions:
1. What was the anme of the Andean Empire the Spanish conquered in the 1500s?
2. What is the name of the leader of the Spanish conquistadors.
 
Thursday, we watched the first half of the second Episode of the "Guns, Germs and Steel" video. During the video, students made up higher level thinking questions.
 
HW: Finish p. 4 of the Chapter 9 Reading Guide. Also, printout the questions attached below and bring them to class tomorrow.

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Assignment

HW: Current Event==>Latin America. There is NO excuse for not finding an Article on Latin America.
 
 

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Tuesday, we tried to finish the Maps for Latin America. About half of the kids were able to do that on time. The rest should finish at home and turn in tomorrow.
 
HW: Read Section 1 of Chapter 9 and do page 3 of the Chapter 9 packet.

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Assignment

Monday, we took the test on Europe and the Former Soviet Union.
 
HW: Map for Latin America. Students should for sure research the HDIs for the countries labeled on their political map.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/

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Assignment

On Friday, we had a warm-up: Read Pages 388-390 and answer the "Assesssment" questions, part 1, 2 & 3 on P. 390.
 
We watched and took notes on a video from the Textbook series "Voyageur" on RUSSIA.
 
Finish Ch. 15 Packet and prepare for a test on Monday. In this section (Ch. 15) we have added three new words to the word bank:
taiga
continentality
chernozem

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Assignment

Thursday, we warmed-up with these questions on page 340:
1. Where do you find the highest population density in Russian and the Republics? What climate is found in this area? Do you think the climate may have an effect on the population density?
2. How would you describe the ethnic and religious populations of Russia and the Republics? Which is the most widespread ethnic group in the region?
 
We then did a read-around of the text Chapter 15, Section 2, pages 350-352.
 
HW: Finish page 4 of the Reading Guide.
 
Test Monday or Tuesday.

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Assignment

Folder maps
 
HW: Current Event #13: Try to find something on the Former Soviet Union; if not, Europe.

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Assignment

Tuesday,we started with some warm-up questions, 1-3 on pages 338-339:
1.Where arae most of the smaller Republics located? (This is a subjective question, depending on what the student considers to be a smaller republic.)
2. What was the largest republic in the Soviet Union? (Use the inset map of the Soviet Union before 1990.) What is the largest today? (Use the larger map.)
3. To which of the Soviet Socialist Republics did Kaliningrad belong? (Again using the smaller, inset map. Kaliningrad was part of East Prussia prior to World War II, with its chief city of Koenigsberg. The Soviets kicked the Germans out and settled it with Russians to act as a buffer.)
 
Then, we finished our maps of the Former Soviet Union.
 
CW/HW: When students were finished with their mapos, they picked up a Reading Guide for Chapter 15. They were to read Section 1 and answer the questions on p. 3 of the packet.

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Assignment

Monday, we started with a warm-up dealing with pages 336 & 337, questions 1-3
1. The first question was what ocean lies north of Russia? What effect do you think this would have on the climate of the region?
2. How much deeper is Lake Baikal than Crater Lake? (The students need to read the chart on page 336 and subtract one number from the other.)
3. Which country do you think has a higher population density, USA or Russia? (In order to do this, they need to know that in comparing two ratios, where the numerators are similar and the denominators different, that the number with the smaller denominator is the larger number. The chart shows that the United States and Russia have similar populations, but Russia is three times the size of the United States.)
 
We took notes on the Former Soviet Union. They are attached below.
 
I handed out a map packet including two maps: One physical and one political. We should finish these maps during the class tomorrow. I want them to color the political map according to the color key for HDI. I will include the two sites for researching the HUman Development Index below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/

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Assignment

On Monday and Tuesday,we are presenting what we call the GPERSIANS assignment. It is a PowerPoint assignemnt due next Monday to me via E-mail. See documents below for information.
 
MAP TEST ON WEDNESDAY, 11-26-2008!!!!

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Wednesday, we took a map test before we worked on our folder maps.
 
HW: Finish our GPERSIAN PROJECTS. I've already had one submitted.
 
 

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All classes now have had the demonstration and have begun their GPERSIANS assignment which is due next Monday.
 
Tomorrow, we will have a Map Test on both the Physical and Political Map of Europe. Study the maps at the front of chapter 12 on Pages 263 & 264, or A26-A29.
 
There will be NO CURRENT EVENT assignment this week. Happy Thanksgiving.

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Assignment

On Friday, we studied Chapter 12, Sections 2 & 3. WE worked in Section 2 and then did a "read around" to start Section 3.
 
Homework: Complete the Chapter 12 packet, through page 5.

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Assignment

Thursday, I was out at an accreditation workshop. With their sub, Mr. lauritzen, the students viewed a video, "Russian Around Europe" from the ensemble "Standard Deviants". While watching, they completed a sheet of study questions. For those who were absent, the questions and answers are attached below.
 
HW: Begin the reading of Chapter 12 with Section 1 (pages 273-277). Then, do page 3 of the Reading Guide.

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Assignment

Wednesday, we worked on our folder maps. IN order for youi to get an idea of what that whole assignment is about, I'll include an attachment below.
 
HW: Current Event-Europe
 
On Thursday, I will not be present. The agenda for Thursday is as follows:
1. Warm-up: Answer the "Making Comparisons" questions on pages 268 & 270. These refer to the statistics tables on pages 268-271.
2. Watch video: "Russian Around Europe" and Answer the questions on the study guide.
3. HW: Student will receive a packet for Chapter 12. The first page, numbered "page 3", should be completed after reading pages 273-277 in Chapter 12, Section 1.

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europe3.jpg

Assignment

Tuesday, we took notes on the Physical Geography of Europe (attached below). We also worked on the map assignment for the two political maps of Europe. A blank map and directions are also attached, as is a website for finding out the HDIs of the European Countries.
 
HW: Finish Maps
 
Text of Directions for translation in Spanish Version
Europe in the 21st Century
Cooperation
For centuries, Europe has been a divided continent ripped by conflict and war. In the wake of World War II, two groups emerged to forge a new culture of cooperation, NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the European Union (EU). On the first map in this packet, color the countries following the scheme below.
1. European Union: Outline the following countries with the color represented in the color code given…
a. RED (Countries members since 1957-EEC): France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg
b. GREEN (Countries added by the time of the Treaty of Maastricht 1992-EU): Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, Spain, Portugal
c. ORANGE (Countries added since 1992): Austria, Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia
d. PURPLE (Joining January, 2007): Romania, Bulgaria
2. Outline these members of the European Free Trade Association) in YELLOW: Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein (You probably can’t get this one on your map-it’s the little speck between Austria and Switzerland)
3. Within the colored countries, shade in BLUE the interior of these nations that made up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) prior to the fall of the Soviet Union: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany (West), Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom (Along with United States, Canada and Turkey)
4. Shade in BROWN those countries that have joined NATO since the fall of the Soviet Union: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
HDI Europe
Find the HDI for each country. Again, use the websites used for the World Development Data assignment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index
or at http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/
Record it on the list on page 31 (opposite). Then color each country on the map on the reverse of this sheet using the HDI color key used in the World Development Data assignment (see below).
HDI
>.900 Green
.800-.899 Yellow
.700-.799 Orange
.500-.699 Red
<.500 Purple
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries__by_Human_Development_Index

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europe3.jpg

Assignment

In class, this was the warm-up:
Warm-up
1. Use any maps you have, in your book or that you produced, or the gazetteer in the back of your book to give an absolute and relative location for each of these cities:
a. Berlin b. London
c. Madrid d. Paris
e. Budapest f. Warsaw
2. Use those same resources to give a relative location for these places:
a. The Aegean Sea b. The Alps
c. Corsica d. The Strait of Gibraltar
 
We took notes on Keys to Understanding Europe
 
HW: We started labeling a political map of Europe. Label all of the countries and their capitals that are shown on the Map on page 265 of your text. For some of the smaller countries, you will need to use an arrow to show where they are. I will attach a map if you want to get started before returning to school tomorrow. There are also quyestions to answer based on the map.
1. What country extend the farthest north, the farthest west?
2. What are three Scandinavian Countries and at least two other nations that border the Baltic Sea?
3. What countries make up the British Isles?
4. Which European Countries border the Black Sea?
5. What are the different countries that border Switzerland?
 
I will also attach the rest of the map directions for what is due on Wednesday.

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europe-blank-physical.jpg

Assignment

We took the test on Chapter 4. Tghe good news is that 2 students got perfect scores. Good job Malik and Nic!
 
HW: The students have a map of Europe. If you were home today download and print the map I attach to this lesson below and locate these physical features:
Bodies of Water: Adriatic Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Baltic Sea, Bay of Biscay, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Strait of Gibraltar,
 
Peninsulas: Balkan, Iberian, Italian, Jutland, Scandinavian
 
Other Landforms: Massif Central, Meseta, Northern European Plain
 
Islands: Crete, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Sardinia, Sicily
 
Mountains: Alps, Apenines, Balkans, Carpathians, Pyrenees
 
Rivers: Elbe, Danube, Rhine, Seine, Tagus
 
Then answer these questinos based Section One of Chapter 12 and on what you have labeled:
1. Which Sea separates Europe from Africa?
2. What strategic waterway off the Iberian Peninsula is controlled by the United Kingdom?
3. What is the longest river shown on your map?
4. What two large islands comprise the British Isles?
5. What sea separates the Italian and Balkan Peninsulas?

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Assignment

Thursday, we played a review game based on partners giving each other clues to try and guess a word that is in the vocabulary for this chapter.
 
The words that are in the students' word bank are the words that the words in this game are drawn from. The words from the last two sections of the chapter are
state
sovereignty
Divine Rights
Social Contract
parliamentary
presidential
dictatorship
democracy
nation
central business district(CBD)
suburb
urbanization
traditional economy
command economy
market
primary activity
secondary activity
tertiary activity
renewable resources
non-renewable resources
resources
infrastructure
Gross National Product 
Gross Domestic Product
 
Test Friday the 14th

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Assignment

Today, I handed out the Folder Maps and explained how I awarded point for the first ten-week's work.
 
I also collected the World Data Assignment. I shall now vent. I put in considerable time trying to get together an assignment for kids to visualize what kind of differences we can see from statistics about different countries and their levels of development. Today, I collect from about one-third of the students. Another ten to fifteen attempted to turn in something totally unacceptable. Lame excuse upon lame excuse was tried. I am not buying any of that. It was a six-day assignment. Now, since less than half did the assignment, were I to give the map test associated with it, kids would be another 25 points in the whole from the fifty they are now looking at. So, I can't give that map test. So much for curricular design.
 
Homework: Current Event. This week again, Europe and the Former Soviet Union. Again, kids are good at making up excuses for why they can do what they are supposed to do. A student in one class complained the it would be impossible to find an article on Europe or the Former Sopviet Union. I happened to bring in the LA Times and Daily Breeze this morning and found two articles in the first two sections I picked. 

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Assignment

Thursday we introduced the field of Economic Geography. We discussion the dimensions that we will vbe examining all term: Levels of Development; Land Use; Resources: Economic Activities (jobs); Economic Systems; and Trade. We completed the last of the Chapter 4 packet and handed it in.
 
Homework: The assignemnt is a multi-day assignment and will be due next Wednesday 11-12-08. Students should have the bulk of the first four columns filled-in tonight.
 
I will attach the sheet front and back below. I have pasted the text of the assignment below as an experiment to see if it gets translated into spanish when you click on the Spanish option:
World Development Data
(Sample of countries)
In this assignment you will compare pieces of data about a sampling of countries in the world. On the reverse of this page, you have a list of 44 countries and four columns of statistics found in your text, plus a fifth column with a statistic that is calculated by the United Nations.
1. Fill-out the table from the statistics in your text found on the following pages: 196-9; 268-71; 342-3; 408-13; 484-485; 548-9; 616-7; 684
2. For the fifth column, look up the HDI for each country on the following website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index
or the entire report at http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/
3. Next, color in each box according to the color keys on the right side of the page.
4. Finally, color each country on the list according to the color for Human Development Index on the map below:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/

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Assignment

Friday, we took notes on Capitalism and Communism. The brief version follows:
damSmith wrote The wealth of Nations in 1776, so you could consider it an "economic declaration of independence". In it he described some of the changes in manufacturing that were happening at the time: Assembly line, interchangable standardized parts, stam power, metal replacing wood, etc. He described "the Magic Hand" what he called the effect on the the economic system of these factors: private ownership seeking profits in an open market with competition, regulated not by government but by the natural laws of supply and demand. Left alone (laissez faire), these factors would control the economy better than any human planning could.
 
Over the course of the next half century conditions deteriorated for workers. Over crowding in the cities, poor working conditions (low wages, long hours, child labor, unsafe working conditions and unhealthy living conditions) caused those concerned to offer alternatives. One was proposed by Karl Marx ion his works Das Kapital and The Communist Manifesto. In the former, he critique the current state of affairs under capitalism. Labor was being exploited and oppressed by the new upper class, the bourgeoisie. Labor added the value to products, so should reap the profits. If thing did not change, the proletariate would rise up and overthrow the rulers and institute a new regime. This regime would take ownership for the people and create efficiencies which would benefit both he workers and the society at large-and everyone would live happily ever after.
 
By the time this theory was put into action in Russia (arguably the opposite of the kind of industrial economy that communism was suggested for), the experiment lasted 75 years and eventually crumbled from within. Most apparently missing from the model was the concept of competition. The natural incentive to excel was outweighed by fear and/or complacency. Of the four remaining communist economies, Vietnam,North Korea, Cuba and China, one can only look to China for any current economic success. The jury will over time decide whether they have made solid achievements, or simply cosmetic ones paralleling Russian successes in space and the Olympics.
 
HW: Keep working on the World Data Asignment. I explained to all classes today that there were typos which needed to be corrected. I have made those corrections to the print-outs I attached to yesterday's notice. One student finshed the project. She said it took about two hours. So, about 30 minutes each night should get it done on time.

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Assignment

Today, we played a review game for chapter 4 and worked on the assignment that is due on Wednesday.
 
HW: World Data Assignment due on Wednesday the 12th. Looking for a test on Thursday or Friday

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Assignment

Today, we reviewed Chapter 4, Section 3-Urban Geography. We started by listing physcial place characteristics of cities, then went over the reteaching topics for the section.
 
HW: Start p. 39 of the packet-we're down to one sheet) by reading pages 91-95 in the text.

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Assignment

Today,w e got to work on our folder maps. I will be assigning a grade to their ten-week reports. This is what I explained to the kids: I will grade the grid portion only. They will get 100 points iof they have completed the grid, along with the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. They must also have the frame and latitude/longitude numbers in place.
 
I explained that for the semester grade I will assess their drawing of the coastlines. I stressed that I am looking more for accuracy than for completeness; that someone who has drawn all the continents might get a lower score than someone who has not completed them, but has ewverything in the right place and roughly the right size. The main objective of this map is to build a "mental map" of the World.
 
HW: Current Event-Europe and the Former Soviet Union. In one class, student were disappointed that they could not have an article about the election. My response to them: No, but find an article that is about the European resoponse to the election. There may not be something in today's paper, but by next week I am sure there will.

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Assignment

On Monday, we completed the "Reteaching" sheet for Chapter 4, Section 3 "Political Geography". We also took notes on Governments. IN the notes, we discussed what four elements a "state" (The primary political unit) has: Population, territory, sovereignty and government. We discussed thoeries of origins fro governments: Force theory, evolutionary theory, divine rights theory, and social contract theory. We discussed how to classify goevernments based on these dimensions: Geographic distirbution of power (unitary, federal, confederacy), Reltionship between legislative and executive branches (parliamentary vs. presidential) and the location of sovereignty (Does it reside with the many (democracy) or the few (dictatorship).
 
HW: Read pages 87-90 in Chapter 4 and do page 38, the reading guide for Chapter 4, Section 4.
 

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Assignment

Friday,we dealt with governments. In most periods we watched a video, but in 1st period technical difficulties had us saving it for next Monday. The video saught to explain various types of government systems via a quiz-show format.
 
HW: Because of the technical problems and the Club Luaueen, we got a little off-kilter with the homework. The only thing is to remember to put these words in your Word Bank.
 
domestication
Fertile Crescent
beasts of burden
culture
society
ethnic group
innovation
diffusion
acculturation
monotheistic
polytheistic
animistic
birthrate
mortality rate
infant mortality rate
rate of natural increase
fertility rate
push and pull factors
population density
carrying capacity
demography

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Assignment

Thursday, we collected our current events and two parts of the Chapter Four Packet.
 
We first viewed a short video that demonstrates the problem of overpopulation using a dot map and backed by a heartbeat track. It usually captivates the kids. Since it was so short, we talked about it once, then viewed it again.
 
We then looked at how the growth rate actually existed in different eras of humans history: Hunting and Gathering, Agriculture, Industrialism and Post Industrial age.
 
Finally, we reviewed Chapter 4, section 2: Population Geography (Demography)
 
HW: Start page 37 of the packet, the Reading Guide for Chapter 4, Section 3.

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Assignment

As with all Wednesdays, we worked on our folder maps.
 
HW: C urerent Event: This week from Europe and the Former Soviet Union.

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Assignment

Tuesday, we discussed what cultural traits identified an "American". We used that to kick-off a review of the reading from last night and filled-out the Section Reteaching sheet while viewing the powerpresentation for pp. 71-77.
 
HW: Read pp. 78-82 and do page 36 in the Chapter 4 packet.

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Assignment

Today, we watched the second half of "Out of Eden", in which Professor Jared Diamond explains how the domesticationi of animals contributed to the development of civilization and how the New GUineans were disadvantaged because they did not have animals suitable for domestication on their island. we finished by discussing the "Diffusion of Wheat Growing" map.
 
HW: Read pages 71-77 in  Chapter 4, section 1 and complete the reading guide page 35.

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Assignment

On Friday, all classes except period four saw the first half of a video of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs and Steel. We will finish on Monday. (Period four will finish on Tuesday). The study questions are attached. We will spend a total of six periods on this series, which explains in the first episode "Out of Eden" why the development of agriculture-specifically of Wheat and Barley and Animals-affected the rise of civilizations, gave the humans closest to the Fertile Crescent a development advantage and why Europeans came to dominate the world in the 1800s to the mid 1900s. Further episodes will examine what happened when Europeans first entered South America and a later Episode does the same for their entrance into tropical Africa.
 
HW: I have declared a HOMEWORK AMNESTY for Monday. Anything that is overdue can be handed in MONDAY ONLY for full credit instead of the usual half-credit.

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Assignment

Thursday, we took both the Identification and Map tests for northern America, The United States and Canada.
 
HW: Students were given a map and some instructions. I forgot to write the instructions for List B, which were to draw arrows showing the movements described in List B. I hope students paid attention when explained that step in class.

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Assignment

Wednesday, as always, we worked on our Folder Maps.
 
Homework, as always is the current event due Thursday on an evenbt in either Canada, the USA, or both.
 
Test on Thursday: Vocab and Map-Northern America- USA and Canada

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Assignment

Monday, we wrote our essay, comparing Canada and the United States.
 
HW: This assignment is an extra credit assignment. What that means is everybody do it and it is extra credit. They are to make a crossword puzzle out of a list of words that have made their way into English from Native American Languages. The sheet explains it. Students can used the graph paper on the back of the sheet (which I downloaded from the Internet) or use their math graph paper. The instructions are attached.

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Assignment

Tuesday,we introduced the students to a part of the curriculum that we will continue through all the units: Music: A cultural legacy.  In these lessons, we learn a little about the spread of musical ideas into our culture. This lesson was the music of the United States and Canada. In the lesson, we studied about the three main influences on our music: The European, African, and Native American traditions. The PowerPoint presentations is attached below.
 
Tonight's homework is to finish the Crossword Puzzle that they are making up from word of Native American words that have found usage in the English language.
 
Early Warning: On Thursday, we will have a map and vocabulary test. The map will have locations that have been on their two maps that they have completed in this unit: the North America Physical Map and the USA map, with the postal abbreviations and electoral vote counts. The vocabulary part will be on these words: nomads, migration, Columbian Exchange, megalopolis, irrigation, parliamentary democracy, federal, harmony, syncopation, call-and-response, and improvisation. The students will choose a number of those words and write what I call an "Identfication". In order to get all three points per word, they need to define and explain the importance of the word to the study of Northern America.

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On Friday, we performed some pre-writing activities in preparation for a writing assignment scheduled for Monday. (See the prompt and rubric attached.) We explained that the essay should have an introduction, body and conclusion. We showed that the introductory paragraph should hold a thesis statement. We practiced and critiqued thesis sentences (The three options for a thesis for this essay are 1) that the two countries are more alike than different, 2) that the two countries are more different than alike, or 3) that the situation is somehwere in between those poles.) We mentioned that we want to write in the active voice and avoid "I" statements such as "I think".

Homework for the weekend is to complete a map of the United States that I handed out. I changed the worksheet to have the students label each state by its postal abbreviation and the number of electorall votes each has. They will get extra credit, if after getting it back from me that they color in which states Obama wins (blue) and which McCain wins (red) in the upcoming election.

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Thursday, we watched a video that examined Canada's experience with multiculturalism. We also started some pre-writing activities for a Copmpare and Contrast essay involving the United States and Canada.
 
HW: Review Chapters 6 and 7 to make some Venn diagrams comparing similarities and differences between the Human Place Characteristics of the United States and Canada.

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Wednesday: As always, we worked on our folder maps.
 
HW: Current Event: Choose an item that takes place in the UNited States and/or Canada.

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Today, we went over the reteaching sheets from chapters 6 & 7. I wanted to take the kids thorugh these two chapters on Canada and the United States quickly so that we could get to the next project, which is to write an essay comparing the United States and Canada.
 
HW: Put these words in your Word Bank: nomads, prevailing westerlies, migration, Columbian Exchange, megalopolis, irrigation
 
For those who took the time to come to this page, here are the answers that go into the spaces on last night's homework:
1. nomads
2. Spanish
3. Columbian Exchange
4. France
5. Revolutionary War
6. Louisiana Purchase
7. South (east)
8. slave
9. Northeast
10. Civil War
11. Native Americans
12. factories
13. Western Hemisphere
14. suburbs
15. African Americans
16. non-Communist
17. superpower
18. U.S. Constitution
19. representative democracy

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Monday, we took notes on Chapter 6, Section 1 "The History and Government of the USA"
 
HW: Do page 18 of the Reteaching Activity

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Friday, as a warm-up, we completed the part of the Reading Guide packet that covered pages 127-130 in the text (page 5 in the packet).
 
During the remainder of the class,we watched a video called "North America, Ho!" This was a breif overview of the physical and human geography of the region produced by an educational ensemble called the Standard Deviants. I have attached the study question along with some responses for those who were absent.
 
HW: The last page of the packet previews the vocabulary for Chapter 6. Do parts A & B; do NOT do part C! 

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Today,we worked on our folder maps. They are looking good!
 
HW; For Friday--Current Event. This week: Canada or The USA

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Tuesday,we accomplished one logistical mission that I had been preparing for the past couple of weeks. I distributed to each student his/her login name and password for the gradebookwizard.com website, where I keep the gradebook for all my classes. I encourage all students to check in there regularly to take ownership of their progress and, of course to help me correct any mistakes that I might make. I will try to attach the link below.
 
As far as Global Issues curriculum, we went over the section that the students were supposed to read on Monday night. In each class, I had to take time out to admonish those students who did not do their assignment. By their negligence, they were doubly hindered by not being able to participate in the discussioin we had about the section. Please, parents, check on your students nightly. Use this site to gain a few clues about what was discussed in class and engage your students in conversations: "What's the class like? What is a typical day like? Let me see the Reading guide that I read about in the homework bulletins, etc." Even that much of a cursory conversation can be enough to keep the student focused on getting the homework done. 
 
The section dealt with two things: the landform regions and the resources. The section discussed which were shared by both conuntries and which were unique to one of the countries. This foreshadows one of the culminating activities we will have for this unit; namely writing a compare and contrast essay relating facts about both the pyscial and human geography of both countries.
 
AS claawork, we worked on the reading guide for section 1.
 
HW: Do the second page (page 4) of the Reading Guide for Chapter 5. It applies to sSection 2, pages 123-126.
https://secure.gradebookwizard.com/login.aspx

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On Monday, this is what we did in class: First I returned the tests and discussed them with the students. While I was handing back the tests, the students marked three additional mountain ranges that weren't on the assigned map (East Coast Prejudice didn't list Sierras, Cascades, and Coast Range).
 
Then we started with the new unit: Northern America, or Anglo-America. First, I talked about why we designated this as a region (The common British Heritage). The we took notes on the "10 Keys to Understanding Northern America". I will attach the powerpoint below.
 
Homework: Today, I am asking the students to try and take notes (In the Cornell Notes style) for Chapter 5, Section 1, pages 117 to 122.

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Today,we took the test on Physical Geography.
 
Homework was a map of the United States and Canada: Physical
These are the places that were supposed to be labeled:
Arctic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Hudson Bay
Pacific Ocean
Canadian Shield
Coastal Plain
Great Basin
Great Plains
Greenland
Hawaii
Newfoundland
Queen Elizabeth Islands
The Great lakes(Lake Erie, L. Huron, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior)
Great Salt Lake
Great Slave Lake
Lake Winnipeg
Appalachian Mountains
Brooks Range
Mt. McKinley (Denali)
Mt. Whitney
Rocky Mountains
Colorado R.
MacKenzie R.
Mississippi R.
Missouri R.
Ohio R.
Rio Grande
St. Lawrence
Yukon
 
When they are finished labeling, they answer these questions:
1. What mountain range extends 3,000 miles from Alaska south to New Mexico?
2. What group of lake serves as a major shipping channel through its connection to the St. Lawrence River? Name the individual lakes.
3. What body of water does the Mississippi empty into from the lowland known as the Caostal Plain? What major rivers are tributaries of the Mississippi?
4. What rocky interior lowland region encircles Hudson Bay?
5. What are the names of two islands in North America? 

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On Thursday, we did a three part review for Friday's test: We reveiwed map items that might be on the test and we played a review game based on the $20,000 Pyramid, only no pyramid and no $20,000.
 
Each class has heard me explain the following to them:
Bring your notes. Now is when you need them; I will check them for points and you may use them on the test.
Bring your metnal maps. You may not use notes on the map portion.
Bring your book. After the test, you will get a map assignment that uses the book as a reference.

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On Wednesday, as always, we worked on our folder maps. To my enjoyment, some students are already to the stage where they are starting to draw the map. We started with the area around where Panama and Colombia join, where North America begins. (I'll attach the directions). The procedure is to use the rectangles like an artist who is painting from a small item, like a postcard: Use the grid to transfer one to the other.
 
HW: Current Event--This week let's try to get something on Canada or the United States.

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We worked on teh lesson "Interpreting a Climograph" on Page 64 of the text, answering the questions at the bottom of the page.
 
HW: Finish the last page of the Chapter 3 Study Guide. Although it is due tomorrow, I will collect it when they take the test on Friday. We will review on Thursday.
 
Chapter 3 entries into the word bank:
hurricane     tornado    rain shadow     solstice    equinox     drought    convectional
orographic    frontal     El Nino      greenhouse effect     tundra     permafrost     ecosystem    biome      deciduous      rainforest       coniferous   savanna    steppe        prairie

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Monday, we began the lesson by completing reading guide for Ch. 3, Section 2. We then went through Section 3 by reading in class alternately aloud and to ourselves. During the reading we stopped to discussed what we had read.
 
HW: Complete Section 3 reading guide, page 25 in your packet

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On Friday, we started work on Chapter 3. In section 1 of the Chapter we discussed what causes the seasons (we had looked at this briefly on Tuesday, the Autumnal Equinox). We discussed the difference between Weather and Climate: That weather is short-term atmospheric conditions and climate describes long term characteristics and patterns over many years. We listed some examples of extreme weather: Hurricanes, Tornados, Blizzards, Droughts and Floods.
 
What is really most important for us as geographers and our study of the world is the climates of the various regions of the world. We took notes on the factors that influence climate: Wind patterns, Ocean Currents, Latitude-the most important, and Elevation and Topography (orographic effects).
 
HW: Students have a map of the world's ocean currents and some accompanying questions relating to the interpretation of that map.

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Unfortunately, we didn't get as far as I would have liked today. We worked on a map of the world, locating major physical features.
 
HW: Finish Map
 
Im addition kids should add these words from Chapter 2 to their Word Banks:
continents      solar system       atmosphere        lithosphere       hydropshere
biosphere       drainage basin/watershed              groundwater     aquifer
water table     weathering          sediment            erosion            delta
glacier           humus                evaporation         condensation    precipitation
relief              topography         tectonic plates    fault                 tsunami
epicenter       seismograph      Richter Scale

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Assignment

Today we worked on folder maps. We are making some good progress.
 
HW: Current Event #4. The article is not limited to any one region.

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Today, we reviewed our "Topoquest and took notes on Chapter 2, Section 4, "External Forces".
 
HW: Finish page 16, the last page of the Reading Guide for Chapter 2. The packet will be due and handed in tomorrow.

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ON Monday, 9th and 10th grade social studies classes met in the gym for a "Culture Chat" with the administrators and counselors. T
 
HW: Do page 15 in your packet for Chapter 2. It covers Section 3 of Chapter 2, pages 37-41

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On Friday, we looked at landforms.
 
HW: I handed out a fun activity called "Topoquest" students are to place names for different landforms on the drawing. They must also do step II to get full credit.
 

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Today, we reviewed the Cornell Note Taking System. Then we practiced it with Notes from Chapter 2, Section 1.
 
Homework: I handed out a reading Guide packet for Chapter 2. The students are to read Chapter 2, Section 1 and fill out the first page only, page 13, of the Guide.

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Today, we worked on our folder maps.
 
HW: Current Event # 3 (Can deal with any part of the world)

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On Tuesday, we started building our "Word Bank" The Word Bank is like a glossary, but personalized for the student. The definitions in the wordbank should be in the students' own words. In addition, where possible the entry should address the importance of the word. (Example: absolute location==>an exact location using latitude and longitude. It helps us to easily find features on a map.) If it helps, they can use visual clues to help them. (Example: vertical lines drawn to help explain meridians.) A scholar generates his or her own "stuff". Notes, maps, worksheets and the Word Bank all belong to the resources (stuff) that the kids will generate to help them learn about the rest of the world. Today, we started by making ten pages in our bank using the following words key to Chapter 1:
absolute location              Equator                parallel
Antarctic Circle                hemisphere           Prime Meridian
Arctic Circle                     latitude                 projection
cartographer                     longitude              region
compass rose                   legend                  relative location
distortion                          meridian               scale
 
HW: Finish this part of the Word Bank and make sure it is placed in the back of the section devoted to Global Issues in their notebook.

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Today, we had some fun. I gave the kids a sheet for them to fill some information about themselves: Month of birth, favorite foods, etc. Then they went around the room to see if they could find a match among the other students. Our classes are pretty much settled by now, so it is time for the kids to get used to those around them in class.
 
HW: Students have a map on which they will trace the path of Hurricane Katrina. They have a list of the absolute location for Katrina on 8 different days. They are to ID each of those locations on the map with an "x" and the date. Then they are to choose three of those dates and give a relative location for each. This is practice. We will probably do the same procedure for one of the more recent hurricanes for a quiz or test.

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Today, we examined the various elements of a map: Grid, Projection, Scale, Legend or Key, Symbols, Relief, Labeling, etc.
 
We all analyzed one of the maps in the book. Then as groups, we analyzed a map from Dr. Chapman's collection. Each group presented their analysis.
 
HW: Read Pages 20-23 and do questions 1-5 on page 23.
 
C-House and have a good weekend!

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Today, we talked about how to analyze political cartoons. Then I passed out a sheet with four cartoons that related to the aniniversary of the events of 9-11-2001. Student were to choose one of the cartoons and answer a series of questions design to help them interpret and analyze them.
 
HW: Read pages 14-19. Answer questions 1-5 on page 19. Question #3 needs to be changed. Write in "Bahrain" for "Buenos Aires". They put in the wrong map for that question, or the wrong question for the map.

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Today we started our Folder Map Project. This is a semester-long project that will be worked on in class only and each of our short Wednesdays. The homework on each Wednesday will be to write their media (current event) evaluation.
 
HW: Current Event

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Assignment

Tuesday, we worked some from the Atlas in the book, pages A2-A37:
Warm-up questions:
1. List the Countries that lie on the Equator
2. List the Countires that lie along the Prime Meridian

HW: Using page A16 in the book's atlas and the worksheet handed out in class, do the "Time Zone Activity" side of the sheet only.

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On Monday, we reviewed Latitude and Longitude (Finally). Latitude and Longitude practice is due on Tuesday

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Review Course Syllabus with Parent/Guardian and have them sign the back sheet.

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Today, we worked to explain the current event assignment. Students are to finish for tomorrow.

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9-03-08
Today, we did the follwing to address Chapter 1, Section 1 of the texbook:
Warm-up: Read pages 9-5 and answer these questions:
1. What made it possible for Captain Wilkes' "friendly islander" to draw an accurate map for the Captain?
2. If historians work in the dimension of time, what dimension does the geographer work with?
3. List and briefly descibe the "5 themes" of geography:
 
We discussed the 5 themes of geography and the concepts of latitude and longitude.
 
 
BRING a current event on Thursday, we will work on it in class!