PowerPointPresentations

Our discussion on global warming is heating up. (Get it? Warming? Heating up?) More tomorrow as we continue with causes, effects, and controversy.

take a stand!

Global warming, climate change - whatever you call it, it's one of the most important and most discussed issues of our time. In this assignment, you will take a stand on global warming, and defend your position with facts and evidence. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but a well-informed opinion is always based on knowledge and information.

Each of your small groups has spent class time working on a PowerPoint presentation, in which you will attempt to convince the class of your position. It's up to you how many slides you need to make an effective argument. Please make sure the first slide has your section number and the full names of everyone in the group, and the last slide should have the websites and other sources where you found your evidence. We'll let you take the first mod of the next class to polish up your PPt, but most of the work should be done tonight.

Remember, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything!

03 discussing global warming

Very impressive! Section 03 weighed in today on global warming. Some people made some excellent points. It's obvious that many of you feel quite strongly about this (while some of you care very little!) and express yourselves brilliantly.

So don't just sit there...blog about it, 03!

last call for Q1

I'm finalizing your first quarter grades, so check your gradebook, and check comments I have put on your blog. If you have any questions, you must see me in person by 3:00 today (Monday Oct. 26). Any makeup work must be posted (with an email to rschick@johncarroll.org, telling me you're turning in makeup work) by 5:00 today. Make it a priority.

A-B-C's of Global Warming

Your blog will cover three aspects of the global warming discussion.

Your sources of information will include the textbook (p. 56-60) and these online news sources:

* New York Times
* Google news
* BBC News
* Yahoo! News
* Guardian
* The Independent (UK)

Write a paragraph on each of these topics:
A) What are the causes of global warming?
B) What are the effects of global warming?
C) What are the controversies surrounding global warming?

Please provide the links to any website you found helpful in completing this assignment. This is due at the beginning of the next class.

Why YouTube is just as good as a textbook (sometimes)

First, look at Figure 2.11 on page 55 of your text.

Then, watch this video.



Seriously, you guys are so lucky to be living in the 21st century! (Thanks for the video, Katelyn, Hannah, Mike and Alexa)

My recommendation: stare at the video for all 53 seconds. Then read the material found on p. 53 to 55. Then watch the video again. Then read again. Then watch again. Do this for an hour. When you're finished, you will be a meteorologist.

Don't forget to blog.

Okay, now you teach.

We're learning about the different factors that determine our climate. A little bit of reading (p. 53-55) and a little bit of class lecture got us started. Now it's your turn.

In your small groups, you're going to teach the rest of the class about one atmospheric process that controls climate. At least three PowerPoint slides should do the trick. Make them interesting and informative. Start with the info in the text, and expand from there if you think it will help the class understand.

What you don't finish in class is homework, due at the beginning of your next class.

post-Katrina aftermath

Now all the sections have finished watching the Katrina video. We discussed a lot of complicated issues, and I especially want to commend Section 05 for rising to the occasion and asking some interesting questions in class.

In tonight's blog, sum up what you learned or what you found interesting in this video.

I'll be looking at the TodaysMeet tweets soon, and giving out good grades for good questions and comments, and lower grades for...the other stuff.

This weekend you read GLOBAL CLIMATES: An Uncertain Forecast (p. 53), up to the end of Global Wind Patterns, halfway through p. 55. Review this material tonight, and you'll be ready for class tomorrow.

Katrina, Katrina

Section 03 got their first look at Hurricane Katrina: The Storm That Drowned a City. (The website to accompany the video is here.) We also had a (graded) virtual discussion via TodaysMeet.

For tonight's blog, tell me your impressions of the video, plus tell me what you think of the whole TodaysMeet format, and how your class handled it.

Bono says Hi.

Here's a message from Bono to the Human Geography class.


(This is not my endorsement of Bono's words and ideas; it's meant to show you that the things we discuss in class - globalization, poverty, climate change - are also being discussed around the world.)

weekend homework

Now we move on to The Changing Global Environment. What better way to begin than by studying the greatest natural disaster to hit America in your lifetime. Hurricane Katrina: The Storm That Drowned a City, goes into great detail about what happened in New Orleans just a few short years ago. (The website to accompany the video is here.) As we watch, we'll be having a (graded) virtual discussion via TodaysMeet.

Environment, climate, weather, the greenhouse effect, global warming - these are all pretty complicated terms. On p. 53-55 of our text, you can read a pretty thorough explanation of these concepts. Starting with GLOBAL CLIMATES: An Uncertain Forecast (p. 53), read up to the end of Global Wind Patterns, halfway through p. 55. This should help you understand how climate works.

I would also like you to find at least one website related to global warming. See if you can identify one or two of the issues that people are debating, and identify who is on each side of the debate. Post this information before our next class.

Thanks for a great week, you guys! Enjoy the weekend!

catch-up day

This test consists of one fill in the blank section, and two essay questions. There are five steps required to complete this test.
STEP ONE: Copy and paste the following paragraphs into your blog, including the Honor Code.
STEP TWO: In your blog, fill in all the blanks with correct answers. Be sure to use bold font for your answers and delete the underlines.
“On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this graded academic work. I am a person of integrity and I do not cheat.” Agree to this statement by typing your name here: ___________
Globalization is the increasing ____________of people and places through converging processes of ____________ , ____________ , and ____________ change. Those who are pro-globalization believe that wealth will “____________ down” from rich countries to poor countries. They also believe it will spread the benefits of new ideas and new ____________ to all nations. One organization that loans money to nations so they can invest in business is the ____________ . On the other hand, those who are anti-globalization say it is not fair, because the richest ____________% of the world’s people consume ____________% of the world’s resources, resulting in ____________ between “haves” and “have nots.”
Use the CIA Factbook to answer the following questions: In Afghanistan the life expectancy is ____________ , the infant mortality rate is ____________ deaths per 1000 live births, the literacy rate is ____________, and the TFR is ____________ . In Australia the life expectancy is ____________ , the infant mortality rate is ____________ deaths per 1000 live births, the literacy rate is ____________, and the TFR is ____________ .
We often categorize nations as being “developed” or “developing” nations. Vietnam and Mexico would be considered ____________ nations; Japan and Canada are ____________ nations.
The current world population is over ____________ billion people. The number that measures how many children the average woman in a nation will bear is known as the ____________ , which is abbreviated as ____________ . When this number is exactly ____________ , then the population stays the same; if it’s higher, the population goes up, and if it’s lower, the population decreases. The population is growing fastest in ____________ nations.
A population pyramid that is shaped just like a pyramid -- wide on the bottom and narrow at the top -- shows a country whose population is ____________. If it is shaped more like a vase or a soda bottle, that nation’s population is ____________. ____________ people are found at the bottom of the pyramid, and ____________ are found on the left hand side.
When discussing migration, people who are entering a country are known as ____________, and people who are leaving a country are known as ____________. People leave their country for many reasons. An example of a push force is ________________________, and an example of a pull force is ________________________ . If a nation’s net migration rate is a ____________ number, it means more people are leaving the country than are arriving.

STEP THREE: In a short, well-written essay, answer ONE of the following questions:
1) Some people feel very strongly in their pro-globalization opinions, while some anti-globalization advocates have different beliefs. It’s likely that the truth lies somewhere in between. What do you think is the “middle ground” in this argument? Be sure to provide evidence for your opinion.
OR 2) Explain the academic discipline of Human Geography using the five themes. How is this discipline different from the study of physical geography? In your opinion, what is the benefit of studying Human Geography?
OR 3) The demographic transition graph describes the changes in birthrates and death rates that a country experiences over time. Describe the changes that the United States has gone through by using the demographic transition diagram.

STEP FOUR: First, go to the following website and read the news story you will find there: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/world/americas/24mexico.html
Then, in a short yet brilliant essay, summarize that story by relating it to our studies of immigration in class. Try to use terms from the text and from our class discussions.

STEP FIVE: When you have finished your test, publish your post.

sneak preview

Want to see tomorrow's news today?

GG&S test today, PSAT test tomorrow

There is no homework tonight.

I highly recommend you get a good night's sleep tonight, so you come to school tomorrow well-rested and ready to do your best on your PSATs.

Good luck!

Test Tomorrow

All three sections take their test on Guns, Germs and Steel tomorrow (Tuesday).

This will be an old-fashioned traditional test: a Scantron (don't forget your pencil), objective, multiple choice, fill in the bubble test worth 50 points.

The test will cover the portion of the video we viewed in class, and the Guns, Germs and Steel website material that you based your PowerPoints on.

Link to video here. Link to website here.

See you tomorrow!

Goats in the News

If you thought goats were only important to ancient civilizations, think again. Click here to read about how goats are being used today in the city of Baltimore.

In the meantime, here are some fun facts to know and tell about our friend, the goat.

* a herd of 30 goats can eat up to a quarter acre of vegetation a day

* they eat all kinds of poisonous and invasive species of plants including poison ivy

* they can reach vegetation up to six feet off the ground

* the droppings provide natural fertilizer

* they eat brush and not grass

* they have four-chambered stomachs and special enzymes which allow them to digest plants

a look into the future

Today, Section 03 will commence work on our PowerPoints. Class presentations will be done on Monday. The test on Guns, Germs and Steel will be on Tuesday.

Sections 01 and 05 will give their presentations in class today, and will also take the test on Guns, Germs and Steel next Tuesday.

Homework for all three sections: In your blog, write three questions that you think should appear in next Tuesday's test. Please supply the answers to your questions.

Have a great weekend!

What would you say?

Sections 01 and 05, you finished your PowerPoints in class today. If you could sum up your whole presentation in 50 words or less, what would you say?

That's your homework for tonight: briefly, succinctly, describe what you learned doing this assignment.

As for Section 03, you assignment is to continue work on your PowerPoints, as described in class today. See my PowerPoint (embedded below) for further instruction.

(PS Section 03: if you return the stolen foam finger before class tomorrow, there will be no repercussions. If not... a world of hurt awaits...)

Guns, Germs, and Steel: Assignment PowerPoint

The 03 Section just finished watching GG&S today. Their assignment is to blog about the big picture - the relationship between Papua New Guinea and globalization, how to bring a people into the 21st century, or discuss if we even SHOULD attempt to modernize an ancient people.

Sections 01 and 05 will work on the PowerPoiint as we discussed in class. The Assignment PPt is embedded for you below.

GG&S - nearing the end

Today, Sections 01 and 05 finished watching Guns, Germs and Steel (Section 03 finishes tomorrow). In tonight's blog, you should write about the connection between Jared Diamond's story and our studies of globalization.

more GG+S (Guns, Germs and Steel)

Today the 01 and 05 sections watched some more of Jared Diamond's story. Thank you to those of you who made academic contributions to our Todaysmeet.com discussion.

For today's blog, you have a number of options. You can post your class notes. You can raise questions based on what we saw in class today. You can answer some of the questions your class raised. You can share your opinions on using Todaysmeet in class. You can even do all of the above!

Have a great four-day weekend! And remember, you can always check out Guns, Germs and Steel here, or look over the GG&S website here.