essay questions

You will choose TWO of the following topics to write on:

1. The forces of globalization are powerful and have far-reaching effects. Give a good working definition of globalization, and describe its many effects. You may choose to discuss how it affects economics, culture, the environment, politics, migration, or even how it has affected your own life.

2. Jared Diamond refers to the people of New Guinea as “among the most culturally diverse and adaptable people in the world,” yet they have much less than modern Americans. Diamond has developed a theory about what has caused these huge discrepancies among different countries, and he says it boils down to geographic luck. Give several examples from Guns, Germs and Steel to support Diamond’s theory.

3. Describe the settlement and migration patterns in North America over time. You may wish to discuss the original inhabitants of the region, the very first people to arrive from other lands, the continuing appearance of immigrants from various countries, and the immigrants who continue to come to North America right up to the present day.

4. The title of the film, God Grew Tired of Us, seems to be somewhat ironic after hearing the account of the boys first hand. Explain why the title is ironic using specific examples from the film. Do the boys really believe that God had abandoned them? Or is their faith stronger than ever? Why?

5. What is Human Geography? Explain the concept of Human Geography as an academic discipline, while addressing the five themes of Human Geography that we studied in class.

Good luck, and write well!

(Also, thanks to all of you who offered condolences on the passing of Bones, our horse. Very much appreciated.)

Last day of the semester, but...

...sadly, I won't be in class today for Section 03's last day.

I suggest you continue the review without me. How? Well, a couple of you (maybe Adam and Katlyn, or Pete, or Laina) could lead the class. Get one person to submit the test so you have the answers in front of you. Have my Saturday blog there so you know which questions to skip ("Who cares?"). Go through the questions and briefly discuss them, like we were doing last week.

If any of you brought in any food, enjoy! I'm sure you'll leave Mr. Couchman's room nice and clean.

For all sections: remember to bring your book to the exam tomorrow. You can use it on the test, then you will turn it in to your proctor.

You can email me today, or leave comments on my blog, if you have any last-minute questions.

I'll be back tomorrow for the exam. I'm looking forward to seeing most of you next semester for Western Civilization! And if you're not in my class next semester, please say Hi in the halls.

Do well on exams this week!

Live! From Maryland! It's Sunday night!

Big news! Have you guys checked the World Population clock lately? We just went over 6.8 billion people! Woo-hoo! (Although that's not necessarily a good thing, at least until one billion of us aren't hungry...)

Judging by the comments, it looks like many of you are checking my blog. That's a good thing. You can't be too prepared for a test with almost 200 questions on it.

Good luck to all of you on ALL your tests this week!

weekend update

Happy Saturday!

Thanks to Kailey for reminding me to post the quiz for God Grew Tired of Us. It can be found here and under Useful Links. If you have a question about any of the answers (What was the tribe the Lost Boys belonged to? It was the Dinka), just post it under comments, and I'll answer it as soon as I can - or maybe one of you will answer it first!

Reminder, in case you were absent: here are the questions from the practice exam that will NOT be on the test.

2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 16, 18, 20, 21, 22, 32, 33, 35, 38, 40, 41, 43, 45, 47, 48, 49, 52, 55, 56, 57, 59, 69, 71, 74, 75, 77, 78, 79, 82 through 86, 88 through 93, 95 through 100, 116, 117, 129, 141 through 155, 157 through 165, 168, 169, 177, 179, and 181 through 185.

If I need to, I will update again tomorrow. Keep checking!

Study hard!

test prep

Under "Useful Links," I have posted the YouTube link to Guns, Germs and Steel - Part 1. Once you're there, you can find parts 1 through 6, which is everything we watched in class.

I also have the link to the website for the Katrina video.

Keep checking my blog for updates. I want you to have all the info you need to be prepared for next week's test.

(A number of you still haven't posted the mini-research assignment on Sub-Saharan Africa. You must contact me to avoid going 0-for-50 on this assignment.)

reviewing for the exam continues (plus extra credit info)

I love teaching you guys. You make me laugh.

In addition to the practice exam we have been reviewing in class, I have posted a test you took back in October on Guns, Germs, and Steel. It's found under Useful Links.

If we have time to go over these questions in class, we will. If we run out of time, you will need to look up the answers yourself.

This reminds me - if we miss any class due to snow, I will post a list of questions from the practice test that will NOT be on the semester exam.

Finally, I am offering 10 points of extra credit if you attend this Saturday's Pow Wow at John Carroll. I will be there from 10 am to around 2 pm. To get your EC, make sure you find me and tell me you are there. You should stay for at least an hour, although once you arrive you will want to stay longer. It's all good, but IMHO the Grand Entry (at 1 pm) is the best part. You can read more about it at their website and here.

See you soon.

the semester exam approacheth

Sections 01 and 05 began the practice test in class today. It would be a good idea to finish the test at home tonight for homework, as the exam is one week from today. Taking this test is an excellent way to get reacquainted with material we haven't covered since early in the school year. We'll review answers in class tomorrow. (Section 03 reviewed answers today.)

Please remember to bring your textbooks to class. We want to reunite everybody with the text they were issued back at the beginning of the year. Remember, if you don't turn in that book, you'll have to pay for it.

last week before exams

This was a good class for Section 03. We took the practice test, which is one of the first steps toward taking next week's semester exam.

I would like everyone to bring their book to class every day this week. We are making sure you all have the book you were issued back in August, since you will be required to turn in your book when you take the semester exam. Today we actually reunited one student with her own book, which she hadn't seen in quite some time.

Yet another reminder that the semester exam will count for 20% of your semester exam - a good reason to take all your exams seriously, and to prepare accordingly.

we're baaaaack - tomorrow

Some random thoughts:

• I hope you all had a great time this holiday break. Went fast, didn't it...?
• When the semester ends, I am going to need to collect your Human Geo textbook. And when I say "your" book, I mean the one you were issued. Please be sure to bring your book to class with you every day this week.
• In the coming week we will be reviewing for the semester exam. Another good reason to bring your book to class.
• I'm still working on grading your papers. Thanks for your patience.
• I have graded your mini-projects, which many of you did not post. See me if you want to "fix" that 0-for-50 grade.
• I will also be including a 100-point assignment called "Class Participation" which will be a measure of your input and your involvement in our class.

See you back in class soon!