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Data for European Countries

Use the data you gathered yesterday, along with the data from the chart below to answer the following questions.

1. What European countries do you think colonized Latin America?
2. How do you think colonization has affected Latin American countries?
3. What other inferences can you make about the Latin American countries you collected data about? 

	Major Languages	Major Religions	GDP (Country Comparison to the World)
United Kingdom (England)	English	Christian	9
Spain	Spanish Catalan	Roman Catholic	14
France	French	Roman Catholic Protestant	10
Portugal	Portuguese Mirandese	Roman Catholic	51
Netherlands	Dutch Frisian	Roman Catholic Protestant	23

Maps of Mexico

Please use the following 3 maps and 1 link to answer the questions provided in class.


Mexican States





North America: Climate Regions

 


Mexico: Landforms













Mexico's Natural Resources

Current Events

ALL 10 CURRENT EVENTS ARE DUE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST!!!

Here is the form if you need it!

Regions of the U.S.

Today we are going to start talking about the different regions of the U.S.  We will be using this website about the regions of the U.S. for help.

On Monday you should

1. Shade map
2. Glue map in notebook
3. Add a key

Economics Terms

Throughout the year, we will be talking about the economies of different countries and regions of the world.  So, to get started, we need to answer the question, what is the economy and learn some basic economic terminology. 

Please use this website to help you define the following 10 terms in your notebook.

• producer
• consumer
• human resources
• human capital
• natural resources
• capital
• entrepreneur
• profit
• Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• inflation

Election 2012

This week and next we will be talking about U.S. government and the upcoming elections.  We will be talking about the positions on the ballot, the major political parties, and doing research about where the candidates stand on issues. 

Here are some links to help you out with your Election Packet
Electoral College
Dictionary
Barack Obama
Mitt Romney
Amy Klobuchar
Kurt Bills
Joe Atkins
Paul Tuschy
Presidential Candidate Match

Help Wanted Posters

Today we will start talking about the upcoming elections.  There are people being elected to various positions throughout the U.S.  Over the next week and a half, you will be learning about what the positions are, who is running, what the candidates are saying and on election day, you will cast your own vote.

Today, you will do some research on one elected position and create a help wanted advertisement for the position. 

Your help wanted ad should show

• Requirements for the position
• Duties of the position
• Salary/benefits
• Qualities in a good candidate

Helpful Links

• President
• Senate
• House of Representatives

State Road Trip Project

This week we have been working on a State Raod Trip Project.  Students had to choose 6 locations to visit within 1 state. 

This project starts our exploration of North America, while building on our use of the 5 Themes of Geography and ABCs of culture.

Students had to

1.  Identify 6 locations to visit

2.  Plan a route

• Calculate distance between stops
• Find the absolute location for each stop

3.  Research locations and write a postcard about each stop

• Each postcard includes an illustration and written description of the place. 

Population of U.S. and Canada

Today we will be working on a map of the U.S. and Canada.  Follow the instructions on the map to find the countries and physical features to label on the map.  You can use these physical maps for help.

To color the map, please use the two sources below to shade the population of the states within the U.S., and provinces and territories of Canada accourding to their population.  Make sure to include a key on your map!

Population of Canadian provinces and territories

Business Location Assignment

Driving around Inver Grove Heights, you can see a number of new businesses opening.  What kinds of businesses do you think Inver Grove Heights still needs?  How do people decide on the location of their business?

For this assignment, you are going to be answering those two questions, using the 5 themes of geography as your guide. 

You will need to

1. Create a new business.
• Decide on the type of business.
• Choose a name for your business.
2. Choose a location for your business.
• Should be in or near Inver Grove Heights.
• Consider the themes of place, movement, regions and human-environment interaction as you choose your location.
3. Prepare a presentation about your business.
• On printer paper, draw a scetch of what your business will look like.
• Write a 3/4 page to 1 page explanation of the location you chose for your business, and why that is the best location for your business.  Make sure to address the geography themes of location, place, movement, regions and human-environment interaction in your presentation. 
• Be prepared to share this information with the class.

You will be graded on

• Appropriateness of location choice
• Understanding of the 5 themes of geography
• Quality of written response
• Quality of oral presentation

5 Themes of Geography Stations

In order to learn more about each of the 5 Themes of Geography in greater depth, you will be completing a series of 6 stations.  Each station focuses on a different theme of geography.

At some stations you will need to use web sources to help you complete your assignment.  Helpful links are listed below.

Station 1: Absolute Location

Station 2: Relative Location

Station 3:  Regions & Google Account Set Up

Station 4: Place

• Landforms with definitions and pictures

Station 5: Movement

• McDonald's Information
• McDonald's World Map

Station 6: Paper Globes

• World Map

5 Themes of Geography

Good morning and welcome to the geography blog!  I'm so sorry I'm not there today, but my baby is very sick.  Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow to finish up your paper plate globes and start talking about some of the 5 themes in more depth.

Today, I want you to become familiar with the 5 themes of geography.  The 5 themes give us a framework to use as we study geography throughout the year.  Each of the 5 themes is a different area to focus on as we study the world.

To help you organize your notes on the 5 themes of geography, you are going to make a foldable. 

Here is a link to the power point with help making your foldable. 

Here is a link to the Prezi with notes on the 5 themes of geography.

 

CURRENT EVENTS DUE FRIDAY!!!

Just a quick reminder that you need to have 10 current events turned in by Friday!!!

Final Project

CREATE-A-COUNTRY

“In short, then, the environment often plays a key role in shaping a

culture.  Climate, landforms, and natural resources can help determine

what people eat, what they do for a living, how they play,

what they build, what they wear, their language, and much more.”

Your Task:  Create a country and culture of your own design.  You will create a map of the country and a picture book of the culture traits.

___1.  Name your country! 

___ 2.  Create a flag for your country

___ 3.  Select a climate for your country

q  Use pages A6-A7 for help

___4.  Create a map of your country

q  Draw the borders

q  Add the 5 map characteristics

§  Title

§  Latitude and longitude

§  Compass

§  Scale

§  Key

q  Add

§  Political boundaries (countries, states, cities)

§  Landforms (bays, mountains, rivers, lakes, hills, etc)

·       Make sure the landforms match your climate!

§  Resources (natural materials available to make things)

§  Transportation Routes (roads, railroads, etc)

q  Other Options (You can show these if you want to)

§  Climate and weather

§  Population patterns

§  Ethnic/religious patters

q  NOTE:  If your map gets too crowded you could make two maps- one that shows political features, and another that shows physical features

___5.  Create an ABC Picture Book to explain the culture of your country

q  Look at the ABCs of culture list you have.

q  Each letter should have a short written description and a picture.

q  EVERYONE must use the letters E, G and X

q  You must also do

o   For an A: 18-23 more letters

o   For a B: 12-17 more letters

o   For a C: 6-11 more letters

REMEMBER:  The culture needs to match with the environment & climate of your country!!!

Great Barrier Reef

Today you will be doing some research on the Great Barrier Reef.  Your task is to search for answers to the following 5 questions.  Make sure to record the sources you use!

Source

1.  What is the Great Barrier Reef?
2.  Where is the Great Barrier Reef?
3.  Why is the Great Barrier Reef one of the natural wonders of the world?
4.  What benefits does the Great Barrier Reef have on Australia's economy?
5.  What damage has been done to the Great Barrier Reef?  Why is that a concern?

Also, here's a cool infographic on the Great Barrier Reef.

China and the Internet

Here is an interesting graphic about China's use of the internet.

While Chinese people are spending a growing amount of time online, the Chinese government also places restrictions on what people can access.  Read here and here for more information.

What do you think is or will be the impact of China on the Internet?  Why do you think the Chinese government places so many restrictions on Internet use?  How would you feel if the U.S. did the same?

Hinduism and Buddhism

Today you will be gathering data about Hinduism and Buddhism.  This website will be very helpful to complete the assignment.

We will also be talking about Confucianism.  Here is the Prezi we will be viewing in class.

Africa is Not a Country Project

Frequently, I hear students, and others, mistakenly call Africa a country or assume all of countries in Africa are the same. In reality Africa is a large continent with over 50 different countries, with diverse cultures.

In order to help students see the diversity among African countries, students have been working on the Africa is Not a Country project. For this project, students had to pick one ABC of Culture and research that topic in 5 African countries (one from each region). For example, if a student chose A, they would research the art in the 5 African countries they chose.

Students should have the project completed and turned in by Friday, April 20.

H20 for Life

Every 20 seconds, a child dies from water- related diseases. In an effort to raise awareness about water issues worldwide, and support work being done to give more people access to clean, safe water, we will be holding our Third Annual H2O Walk at IGH Middle School after school on Thursday, April 26th.

In preparation for the H2O walk, we will be spending some time in geography discussing water problems around the world.

In addition any student who chooses to participate in the H20 Walk, and turns in a written reflection what they learned participating in the walk will earn extra credit in geography.

You can find more information about the walk here, and see more water facts here and here. If you have more questions about the IGHMS walk, you can contact Mr. Anderson (andersoh@invergrove.k12.mn.us).

Africa's 5 Regions

For your Africa is NOT a Country project, you will need to be familiar with the 5 regions of Africa. Use the map to shade your political map to identify the 5 regions. Don't forget to include a key on your map (like the one on this map)!

Map source

Arab Spring Newspaper Article

As we have been talking about in class over the past week, the Arab Spring is a hot topic in the news. Since the first protests began in Tunisia over a year ago, there have been thousands of articles written about the fight for change in the Middle East.

Now it's your turn. Based on the information you have already gathered in class, and additional research on the topic, write your own newspaper article about what has been happening in the Middle East. You may choose to do an overview article giving details about overall trends, with examples from different Middle Eastern countries, or you may choose to do a more in depth article on what has been happening in one country.

You should write your article like a typical news story. Newspaper writers use an inverted pyramid approach to writting their articles. That is, you put the most important information first, and the information gets less important as you read.

Here are some guidelines for writing your article:

1. Decide what your article will be about


2. Research the topic of your article.


3. First Paragraph:
   · First sentence should grab the reader’s attention.
   · Following sentences should tell who, what, when, where and why.


4. Following paragraphs: give details


5. Last paragraph: wrap up your article


6. Come up with an informative and attention grabbing headline.


7. Proofread and edit your article.

Arab Spring

Today we will continue learning about the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring is a series of protests and revolutions that have been taking place during the past year. People are fighting against their governments in hopes of getting more rights and changing their countries for the better.

You will be assigned one country to focus on. You can find a bunch of helpful websites here.

If you were gone on Monday, you may want to watch this short video to catch up.

Tri 3 Updates

I have made a few changes to my class policies for 3rd trimester. Please review the changes below.

Current Events

• 10 due by the end of the trimester (last day will be Friday, June 1)


• Turn them in at any time


• Still no sports or entertainment


• Can do 2 for extra credit

Late Work

• All late work must be in by the end of the unit we are studying


• No work will be accepted after the last day of the unit

Extra Credit Option

• Decorate my door Must be related to our current area of study


• Please check in with me before you get started!

Middle East Country Comparison

It's time for another country comparison chart, this time for the Middle East. You will use the CIA World Factbook to find the information. Make sure you're choosing countries in the Middle East!!

Europe RAFT

Here is an extra copy of the RAFT assignment.

A few reminders:

• Pick a CITY


• Keep a list of your sources! Include name of website, FULL URL and author (if available).


• Turn in project, source list and project on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17th!

The European Union

Today we are going to begin talking about the European Union. To begin, you will be doing some research to find the answers to the following questions.
Please write down at least the bold part of each question, and your answer in the Europe section of your notebook. For each question, you should also identify the source of your information (what website did you use?).

1. What is the European Union (EU)?


2. How many countries are part of the EU?


3. What do other countries have to do to join?


4. Why was the EU created?


5. What does the EU do?


6. What are some advantages to being part of the EU?


7. What are some current problems facing the EU?

Below are links to a couple of websites you may find helpful, or you can search for your own.

Wikipedia- European Union

European Union

High School Registration

Today students had a presentation from the Simley counselors about registering for high school. Over the next two weeks, students will be making decisions about what classes they want to take next year.

The registration form must be signed by a parent and returned no later than Thursday, February 16th. We will be registering for classes during geography that day.

There is a parent meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 14th at 6:30pm for any parent who wants more information about registration.

European Country Comparisons

Today we are going to gather some data to use in comparing European countries. You will gather data about 3 countries of your choice, plus the European Union as a whole using the CIA World Factbook. Here's an extra copy of the worksheet, just in case.

[image source]

Europe Maps and Worksheet

This week we have been learning about the geography of Europe. Students should have completed or be working on a political map, physical map and physical features and natural resources worksheet. All three need to be in by the end of class tomorrow, along with the usual current event.

Happy Digital Learning Day!

Today we are going to spend some time talking about digital literacy. Specifically, the top 5 mistakes teenagers (and others) make when online.

Click on the article here.

What do you think? Do you think these are common mistakes? What other things you think teenagers need to be careful of when online?