test review

Today we reviewed the Population test we took last week.  As always, it is recommended that you keep your corrected test for later reference.

More on Migration tomorrow - promise!

mapping the past

Good to hear how much you enjoyed learning some of your family history.  It's pretty amazing to look at our sections' maps and see how far our relatives came, just to end up here in Maryland.

More on migration the next time we meet.

What could be clearer?

The due date for this Migration assignment is Monday morning at 8:00 for all sections.

I always make it clear when one section has a different due date than another.  This was not the case with this assignment.

Here's how it was worded in the original posting:  Both parts of this assignment are due no later than Monday morning, October 18.  You must post before 8:00 am.  Penalties will apply for lateness.  Each part of the assignment is worth 50 points, for a total of 100 points.

This assignment was posted early TUESDAY morning, and pointed out in class on Tuesday.  This means you had over five days to work on it.

I've read a number of your migration stories, and many of them are fantastic.  I hope you learned a lot about where you've been, and where you might be going.

a treat for your day off

This video doesn't really have that much to do with Human Geography.  

I suppose it required international cooperation.  

You could say it's an example of technological innovation.  

But mostly it's just a really cool video 

I thought you might all enjoy.  

Feel free to leave a comment if you like.

(And don't forget about your migration project...!)

Your own personal migration

Here is your assignment for the "break."

Part One:  I want you to imagine your future.

In less than eight years you will have completed both high school and college.  You will have decisions to make about what you will do for a living and where you will live.  Think about two places you would like to move - anywhere in the world - after graduation from college.  Write out the reasons why you would like to move there.  Discuss why you chose these locations.  Consider pull forces and push forces.  What would be the downside of moving?  What would be the advantages?  You should write at least 300 words, and post this to your blog.

Part Two:  I want you to investigate your past.

America is an incredibly diverse land.  Our nation is made up from people from all over the world.  Check with your parents, grandparents, and other family members, and discover when your family first arrived from another country.  Describe where your parents were born, where your grandparents were born, and keep working backwards until you find ancestors who were born someplace other than the United States (or, just go back as far as you are able).  Ask questions of your relatives - find out about where they may have migrated, both from outside the US or within the country.  Write at least 300 words on your findings, and post this to your blog.

Both parts of this assignment are due no later than Monday morning, October 18.  You must post before 8:00 am.  Penalties will apply for lateness.  Each part of the assignment is worth 50 points, for a total of 100 points.

short project for the "break"

As I'm sure you are aware, this is a very short week.  Classes on Monday and Tuesday only. The PSATs on Wednesday (with a one-hour late bell AND early dismissal).  No classes on Thursday or Friday - essentially, a four day weekend.

Frankly, I'm concerned that your teenage brains will atrophy due to this extended period with no intellectual stimulation.  So I am going to give you a fun little (graded) project to do over the "break".  The details will be listed on this blog after school on Tuesday.  I just wanted you all to be aware that it is coming.

quiz on population

Sections 04 and 05 have a quiz on population Monday.  Section 01 takes their quiz Tuesday.

What's on this quiz?  All the terms we have been studying (see my Learn! These! Terms! blog post from October 6).  Know the math that you need to compute these terms.  You don't need to know the demographic transition model.

The quiz is worth 50 points.  Matching, fill in the blank, short answer.  Email me with questions. 

How to take a screenshot

In class we talked about a kind of milestone coming for the population of the world: 6.9 billion people.  Sometime next month we will hit that number, and if you can grab a screenshot of our population clock at that moment, I will try to make it worth your while - with a big apple, some extra credit, or something else cool.  The video below shows you how to grab a screenshot.

How To Take a Screenshot on Howcast

The result will look something like this:

Population Pyramids

The complex yet important population pyramids were the focus of today's class.

Tomorrow we tackle the demographic transition.  If you want to read up on it to be ready for tomorrow's class, there is a link to the right that should be helpful.

Learn! These! Terms!

THESE are the terms and concepts you will need to learn and know for our Population unit.

life expectancy

birthrate  

death rate

RNI (rate of natural increase)

TFR (total fertility rate) 

net migration rate 

population pyramid

You may have noticed the new links I have posted on population pyramids and demographic transition.   Please get familiar with them, too.

test review

Today was the 01 section's turn to review their last test.  Smart students will keep this review in a safe place, as these questions have a funny way of turning up later - on semester exams, for example.

review of the last test

So, what did Sections 04 and 05 learn today?

• Mr. Schick's tests can be kind of hard
• details are useful in any essay
• a Muslim religious leader is called an imam
• it wasn't Colby's birthday, but it sure felt like it for awhile

Don't forget to post to your blog today, 04 and 05!

population terms

If you didn't finish up in class, your weekend homework is to complete the wiki-definitions and CIA Factbook statistics.  The assignment is described in yesterday's blog post entitled "population studies: defining our terms ."

Have a great weekend!

monsoonapalooza

So, Tropical Storm Nicole chased us out of school today.  The 04 Section got class in, and they did the population work you see two posts below.  05 will do that work tomorrow, while 01 takes the test that half the class missed yesterday.

Don't forget - tomorrow is Picture Day, so everybody come in looking fantastic.