Course Outline and Objectives /
1st Semester
1st Six Weeks – Physical Geography, Human Geography
Description:
Unit #1 – Physical Geography: Geography is the study of the physical and cultural landscapes of Earth. Geography can be studied in many ways, but for this class, geography will primarily be studied through a regional lens; Students will learn about geography by studying different regions of the world. This will also teach students about latitude and longitude. The physical environment affects human life and settlement, and is crucial to the study of geography. Physical systems include weather and climate patterns as well as movement of the Earth’s plates, and changes in the Earth’s surface and environments. Students will study Earth-Sun relationships, climate patterns and landforms. Plate tectonics and other forces of change will also be covered in this unit. This unit will introduce geographic terminology about the Earth, the internal forces of plate tectonics, the external forces of erosion and weathering, and natural hazards. Human-Environment Interaction comes in many forms, from everyday use of consumer products, to political agreements over environment resources, to natural hazards. Students will learn about natural hazards that affect human settlement.
Unit #2 – Human Geography: Settlement patterns are closely linked to the physical landscape, climate, location of water and resources, and access to trade routes. Historically people settled close to trade routes (usually water routes) in areas of hospitable climate and terrain. This general pattern remains true today, although humans have adapted to harsher climates and more rugged terrain, and trade no longer controls settlement patterns. Population and demographics are key statistics that population geographers analyze. These numbers can give insight into the standard of living, economic activities, and social problems that affect countries and regions around the world. Students will create a population pyramid. Students will learn to analyze population pyramids and demographics for a country and draw conclusions about the standard of living there. Places and regions are identified by unique physical and cultural characteristics. Students will be introduced to the characteristics of place, and the different types of regions. Understanding cultures around the world is immensely important in today’s global society. Cultural geography is the sub-field of geography that focuses on the various cultural characteristics around the world. Although culture is generally thought of as the customs and beliefs of a group of people that are passed from one generation to the next. Cultural identities are formed from languages, religions, ethnicity, customs, beliefs, economic activities, political systems, and even art and technology. This unit will help students to define their own personal culture.
Objectives:
Unit 01: Physical Geography (14 Days)
3 A B; 4 A B C; 8 A B C D; 9 A B; 19 A B
Unit 02: Human Geography (12 Days)
5 A B; 6 A B; 7 A B C D; 10 A B C; 11 A C; 13 A; 16 A; 17 A
2nd Six Weeks – The U.S. & Canada, Latin America
Description:
Unit #3 – The United States and Canada: The United States and Canada are composed of several sub-regions that have unique physical and cultural geography. Students will research the physical, political, economic, and social characteristics that define a particular region in North America with emphasis on both physical and cultural characteristics. Migration within the US is marked by westward and southern movements, and urbanization. This unit allows students to learn about the internal migration of people in the United States, based on city populations and NFL Franchises. It is important to note that NFL Franchises are used for this, since they require a certain amount of population and demand in order to be viable in a city. Students will investigate the population change in cities that have franchises, and propose a new city to locate a franchise. Immigration is a hotly debated issue in American politics today. Particularly, illegal immigration . However, no solution has been found to control illegal immigration. This unit will allow students to learn about the topic of immigration. Natural hazards occur in every part of the United States. The US has every type of natural hazard occur somewhere within its borders. Students will learn about hazardous events in the US and how people have dealt with those hazards. Our northern neighbor, Canada is one of our primary trading partners. Students will learn about Canada, Canadian Geography and Canada’s relationship with the US.
Unit #4 – Latin America: Latin America’s patterns of settlement are closely tied to the physical geography. Deserts, rainforests, mountains, and islands all inhibit growth in settlements. However, this region also has made use of extensive coastlines, most major cities are directly on the coast. The focus will be on the physical geography of Latin America, and how it affects settlement patterns. Students will learn about the diverse physical landscapes and climates of Latin America, and compare the physical geography with population density in order to draw conclusions about patterns of settlement in Latin America. There are many areas of Latin America that have remained almost unchanged over the decades, and even centuries, while growth in some areas has been phenomenal. Reasons for growth primarily center on increased global trade that has created new job markets and a movement of people in Latin America. Many countries still rely on a few major products for export (rum, sugar, bananas, coffee, copper and other minerals) and tourism as their primary source of income. Latin America has been stricken with political instability for several decades. The political history of Latin America is one of war, corruption, and economic downturns. However, many countries are more stable today than ever before. Students will read about controversial events in Latin America and draw conclusions based on what they have learned.
Objectives: Unit 03: USA & Canada (15 Days)
1 A; 3 A B; 4 A; 5 A; 6 A B;7 A B D; 8 A B C D; 9 A B; 15 A;16 A C;20 A
Unit 04: Latin America (12 Days)
4 A B; 5 A B; 6 A B; 7 D B; 8 A B C; 9 A B; 12 A B C; 15 A B C;16 A B C; 20 A B
3rd Six Weeks – Europe & Russia
Description:
Unit #5 – Europe: The physical geography of Europe has shaped the political, economic and cultural characteristics of the nations in this region. Mountain ranges served to protect nations, but were also barriers to trade and caused isolation. Climates shaped agricultural activities in Europe, with the southern edge of this region focusing on crops that could survive a long, dry summer (Mediterranean Climate) while the western and central regions experience year round rainfall that allow for more diverse farming. Additionally, the northern regions of Europe experience a very cold climate, which limits their agricultural growth and therefore promotes other economic activities. Europe faces many environmental challenges that stem from growth and development on the continent. Densely populated areas of Western Europe lead to more human waste and damage to the environment, while the industrialization in Eastern Europe contributes to water and air pollution. Other issues affecting Europe include sustainable development, global warming, energy use and development of alternative fuel sources, deforestation, sea level rises and flooding, light pollution, waste dumping, out-dated factories, and many more issues. Europe is a culturally diverse region with languages, religions, and customs varying across the span of the continent. Three major language families exists (Slavic, Germanic, and Romance) and three major religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism). Within Christianity, there exist Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox. In addition to language and religion, the different cultures of Europe have varying customs, political views, and economic practices. Immigration is a controversial issue across Europe, and particularly in France. Students will examine the issue of immigration in France, including the cultural diffusion and transition that occurs. The European Union unifies 27 countries on the European continent, whether economically, politically, or financially. Arising from the turmoil of the early 20th century (namely World War II), the European Union grew out of the desire for the countries of Europe to unite and rebuild. At first the union was only economic in nature, but over the decades, political and financial unions have been made, most notably with the induction of the Euro. Most European countries now belong to the E.U., although some remain independent for various reasons (Switzerland, Norway, and the Balkans). Students will learn about the origins of the European Union as well as the function of the EU, the advantages and disadvantages to membership, and possible future of unification.
Unit #6 – Russia: Russia is the largest country in the world and spans eleven time zones. Settlement patterns of Russia are uniquely tied to the physical geography. The Ural Mountains initially served as a barrier to development, as well as the harsh climate and landscape of Siberia. Students will examine different aspects of the physical geography and settlement patterns of Russia, and draw conclusions about ways in which the physical geography has affected the human population as well as ways in which humans have modified or adapted to the environment. Russia is rich in cultural heritage, and has experienced all aspects of political leadership and economic activity. For nearly 500 years Russia was dominated by the Romanov Tsars. Russia experienced political upheaval during the early 1900s, and the Soviet Union rose out of the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. This revolution introduced communism and the command economy into Russia. For most of the twentieth century, Russia was the leader of the U.S.S.R., which collapsed in 1991. A democratic and capitalistic Russia emerged, and rapid changes have occurred in Russia since 1991. Students will explore the cultural heritage of Russia. Russia and the Republics is a region that recently has undergone major political and economic changes. While some countries in this region are more developed, other countries are developing. Demographic data can provide detailed information about the standard of living, economic development, and social/cultural values of a country. Students will examine basic demographic data of a country and then use that information to illustrate the political, economic, and social characteristics of a country. Students will look for patterns in the statistics presented to them and infer why those patterns exist. There are many unique and diverse cultures of Russia and the Republics. Although the Russian culture is the dominant one of this region, even Russia has diverse cultural groups. The Republics include Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and all have a unique culture. This lesson will have students explore these varied cultures of Russia and Central Asia, many of which are never even covered in a world geography course. These cultures have long and storied histories, many of which include the domination of other empires, most notably Russia’s attempts at Russification.
Objectives: Unit 05: Europe (19 Days)
2 B; 4 A; 5 A B; 7 B D; 10 B; 11 A B; 13 A B; 14 A; 15 C; 17 A;19 A B; 20 B
Unit 06: Russia (07 Days)
2 A B; 4 A; 5 A B; 6 A B; 7 C; 8 D; 10 A C; 11 B C; 12 A B; 18 B C; 20 A B
Course Outline and Objectives (continued)
2nd Semester4th Six Weeks – Middle East & North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa
Description:
Unit #7 – Middle East and North Africa: Settlement patterns of Southwest Asia and North Africa are closely tied to climate, location of water sources, and location of resources. This unit will allow students to compare settlement patterns to climate, water sources, and resources in order to discover the patterns that exist in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Students will become familiar with Southwest Asia and North Africa through using maps, making inferences about settlement patterns, and making predictions about changes to settlement patterns in the future. Students will research a country of Southwest Asia or North Africa to find factual information about climates, physical landscape, vegetation, natural resources and environmental concerns (e.g. water scarcity or deforestation). The students will also investigate the human population- where it is located and why. Students will be introduced to the religions and cultures of Southwest Asia and North Africa. The students will learn about the location and history of the religions in this region, the basic components of these belief systems, and ways in which these religions have changed ideologically and geographically over time. Conflicts in Southwest Asia and North Africa are key issues in today’s society. This unit will introduce students to social, political and economic factors that play a role in the development and resolution of these conflicts. Students will examine settlement patterns, ways of life, cultural interaction, changes in power and conflict in Southwest Asia and North Africa. Sequent occupancy describes, how the past affects the present. Jerusalem is a good example of this as it illustrates the significance of “place” to three different religions.
Unit #8 – Sub Saharan Africa: Africa is a large continent, with vast and varied landscapes and cultures. Students will examine Sub-Saharan Africa’s physical environments, settlement patterns and economic activities. Sub-Saharan Africa faces many environmental problems, from desertification in the Sahel to flooding in East Africa, to animal culls in South Africa to lack of access to clean drinking water. A growing population and lack of infrastructure has contributed to these problems, but many charitable organizations are trying to aid Africans in addressing these environmental issues. Students will explore how these environmental problems are reshaping the landscape of Africa. The cultures of Sub-Saharan Africa are as diverse as the landscape. In this unit, students will explore a culture or country of Sub-Saharan Africa in more detail by gathering information about customs, traditions, belief systems, language, ethnicity, and more. Conflict is pervasive throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Much of the conflict is violent, stemming from poverty, economic decline, ethnic clashes, and desperation. Students will learn about conflicts and social issues in Sub-Saharan Africa.