Global Issues--NDA

MISSION STATEMENT

Notre Dame Academy, a Catholic high school dedicated to Mary, exists to educate young women to make a difference in the world.

GLOBAL ISSUES

SYLLABUS

meadowsj@ndapandas.org

COURSE OVERVIEW

Global Issues is a two-semester course that introduces students to a systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth's surface. Unites of study include population, migration, culture, language, religion, ethnicity, political geography, economic development, industry, agriculture, and urban geography. Geographic models and their application are studied. A map of the world will be created from the student's memory. Case studies and literature from around the world are used to compare and explore the situations in our region. Current events will be reported by the students from a diverse pool of sources.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

To introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that has shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth's surface.
To learn about and employ the methods of geographers, especially including observation, mapmaking, data gathering and reporting, and technical writing.
To employ spatial concepts, geographic vocabulary, and landscape interpretation to a variety of locations and situations around the globe and in local areas.
To develop a geographic perspective with which to view the landscape and understand current events.
To develop an appreciation of culture as it fits within the parameters of global diversity.

PREREQUISITES

Students in grade 12 are eligible for Global Issues-. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course to meet a Social Studies requirement.

TEXTS

Class materials will be provided by the instructor built upon the curriculum for AP Human Geography

COMMUNICATION

Students will be trained to be clear and concise in presenting their reports and projects. Some projects will require group work. Students will be required to be part of a study group. Students will use technology along with written and oral presentations.

GRADING POLICY

The quarter grade will consist of the following elements:

--Daily assignments

--Quizzes/Tests

--Activity/Teachable moment sheets

--Oral reports on Current Events

--Participation

--Conduct/Deportment

LATE WORK/ABSENT WORK

A major assignment is due on the date explained by instructor. If you are absent, someone must hand it in on that day (in my mailbox, under my door or email). Because you have an excused absence does not mean assignment is not due—I will try to stay away from Retreat weekends.
No homework will be accepted late. One of the goals of this course is to give you a semblance of a college-type atmosphere as you are seniors and one year away from college. Professors don't take late work (for the most part) or care why the material was not completed timely.
If you have an excused absence when an assignment was due, you must hand it in the next time we meet for class or it will not be graded.
If you are absent the day an assignment is given, you will have the same amount of days to complete the assignment as the rest of the class. That is where the study group will help. You will hand in the assignment on your own accord or it will be a zero; I will not ask for it later.
If you are absent from a quiz or test, you are responsible for coming to me and setting up a make-up date within one week of the assessment. Your test will be an essay. If you fail to do this you earn a zero on the assessment. It is your responsibility to come to me.
If you are having trouble at home, if you are unable to complete an assignment due to technical issues, or if you are struggling to stay ahead in school for any particular reason, please come and talk to me. I will always be open to your dilemma but you must express tome your concerns or you will be given zeros on work and your grades will suffer because of it. If your concerns sound valid I will do what I can to work with you and assist you in any way that I deem fair.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated and a zero will be given to the offenders.
Quizzes/Test will be made up in the Choral Room at 7:15 am.

Class Participation

Your presence in school is the result of significant sacrifice on the part of numerous people. It is therefore your obligation and duty to answer that sacrifice with commitment to do your best and to help others to do so as well. The following behavioral guide is particularly important as we study how to be appropriate in the world:

The Three Pillars of Success

Be Prepared

In body: Come to class well fed, watered, exercised, flushed and rested. (Eat, drink, chew, eliminate, and sleep elsewhere!)

In mind: Come to class with finished homework and ready materials. (What do you think all that free time at home is for anyway?)

In spirit: Come to class with a daily goal and determination to achieve it. (Achievement not attitude opens doors and makes fortunes.)

Be Prompt

Class begins with the bell and a prayer.

Class ends with a verse and my dismissal, not the bell.

Be Polite

We are women who have pledged to make a difference in this world.

We have the responsibility to respect all.

We lack the authority to judge.

We study and uphold the principles of civil society.

Every student starts with a class participation grade of 100 points per semester. In order to maintain the grade of a 100 students must complete all class assignments, participate in class, be respectful and behave appropriately. This course is a discussion based curriculum; you must contribute to class discussions. If the classroom atmosphere is not respectful or appropriate it prevents good classroom discussions. If a student acts inappropriately or shows lack of respect towards another student or the teacher, their participation grade is lowered. Typically the student will also be assigned a detention as well. If a student is not focused in class or completing assignments, his/her participation grade will be lowered. If a student has not contributed to class discussion the grade will be lowered. This evaluation is the most subjective of the course, in that I will be the final determinant of the grade. My expectations are simple: come to class prepared (book, notebook and pen and colored pencils for mapping). Be ready to participate. Behave as a responsible student and classroom citizen.

MATERIALS

Materials needed for class are black pens only, #2 pencils, color pencils, markers, lined paper, copier paper, ruler, liquid paper, notebook binder 1 ½", poster boards, index cards 3"x 5", highlighters, tape and a notebook for the daily warm up exercises and class notes.

Activities, Teachable Moments, Deadlines, TODALSIGs, and Study Groups

Activities and Teachable Moments

These sidebar assignments introduce you to an important part of this course. Making connections and handling/manipulating data. These activities count the same as for a test. Work hard on them! Remember to ask for help if you are unsure.

Deadlines

The activities are set up to follow the class work. They should be nearing completion as we finish a unit of study. Due dates will be discussed in class and then you will fill them in on the syllabus. Please realize that late work, incomplete, or sloppy work will not be accepted. I will grade only quality work. Spelling, punctuation, penmanship, and clarity of writing and thinking are all important. All work muse be in complete sentences unless otherwise noted on the project sheets.

TODALSIGs

When preparing maps, please be neat and accurate. Use colored pencils when possible. Be sure to include TODALSIGs on each map as needed:

T Title of map orientation

O Orientation. Directions, i.e., north, south, east, west

D. Date

A. Author (YOU!)

L Legend. The key to your color scheme, symbols used, etc. This is VERY important.

S. Scale. This is already evident on most maps used in the activities.

I Index. Listing of names on a map. Not probably applicable here.

G. Grid. Letters and numbers. Latitudes and longitudes. Again, not probably applicable on most of the assignments.

S. Source. Where did you get the information you have used to prepare your map? It is important to include references/bibliography.

Study groups:

I strongly recommend that you voluntarily form study groups with three to five other students. The primary goal of a study group is to provide each student with the support, encouragement, and assistance needed to progress academically. The members of a study group should be able to meet outside the class to:

Review class notes and master the body of knowledge, skills and concepts emphasized in this course.

Study for exams so that all members of the group understand and master the knowledge, skills and concepts emphasized in this course.

Complete assignments by working cooperatively, providing the support, encouragement, and assistance needed to make good academic progress.

Let absent group members know what went on in class and interact informally during the semester within and between classes, discussing assignments, synthesizing the course content, and helping each other.

Each of you is INDIVIDUALLY ACCOUNTABLE for all assignments, however please write the name of each member of your study group on the Activity Cover Sheet when you hand activities in for grading. Be sure to sign the Honor Code statement on each cover sheet. You may work on the assignments together. Attempting to receive credit for work performed by another including papers obtained in whole or in part from individuals or other source is plagiarism. Plagiarism is one of the worst academic sins, for the plagiarist destroys the trust among colleagues.

Modification to this syllabus is at teacher's discretion.

COURSE PLANNER

Yearlong projects:

Daily social studies eye openers—quizzes every week based on these factoids.

Analyze a current event each week applying key spatial concepts of human geography.

You will also be assigned a news source to report on once each week.

Create a reasonable copy of world regions being studied culminating in a full global map.

Unit 1 Weeks 1-4 The Nature of Geography

Reading Assignments:

Lecture packet: Introduction to Geography and Maps

Teachable Moment: Is the Internet Making Us Dumber?

Is Google Making Us Stupid?-Atlantic Monthly

The Dumbest Generation—Los Angeles Times

Yes, the Internet Will Change Us (but we can handle it)—Britannica Blog

The Dumbest Generation? Don't be Dumb—Newsweek

William Pattison's Four Traditions of Geography

The Five Themes of Geography

Key Geographical Skills

Content:

Geography as a field of inquiry
Evolution of key geographical concepts ad models associated with notable geographers
Key concepts underlying the geographical perspective: location, space, place, scale, pattern, regionalization, and globalization.
Key geographical skills
1. How to use and think about maps and spatial data
2. How to understand and interpret the implications of associations among phenomena in places.
3. How to recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships among patterns and process.
4. How to define regions and evaluate the regionalization process
5. How to characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places.
Maps of Southeast Asia
Geography packet on South Asia
We will be doing some Election "work" as the school has been chosen to demo the new voting machines. As some of you will be able to vote in the upcoming November election this will be a great prep and intro to doing your Civic duty.

Unit 2 Weeks 5-6: Physical Geography: Weather and Climate

Reading Assignments:

Lecture Packet: Physical Geography: Weather and Climate

Teachable Moments: Dark Energy: Einstein's "Biggest Blunder" Now Seems Like an Accurate Explanation.

Dark Energy-NASA Abstract

What is Your Cosmic Connection to the Elements? NASA poster

Content:

Air Temperature:
Air Pressure and Winds
Ocean Currents
Moisture in the Atmosphere
Climate, Soils and Vegetation
Climate Regions
Climatic Change
Geography packet on
Planning a Tornado safety plan for student's home.
Geographic packet on Middle Asia

Unit 3 Weeks 7-10 Population and Migration

Reading Assignments:

Lecture packet: Population and Migration

Teachable Moment: U.S. Population Exceeds 300,000,000

As the U.S. population clock passes 300 million, experts examine a possible link between growth and prosperity—C.S. Monitor

The Environmental load of 300 million: How heavy?—C.S. Monitor

Content:

Map major and emerging populations, concentrations and describe demographic characteristics of each.
Discuss the concept of ecumene
Calculate arithmetic, agricultural, and physiological densities and describe the strengths and weaknesses of each for demographic analysis
Explain the elements of a population pyramid
Explain the demographic transition model
Define key demographic terms.
Describe natural hazards and do the following:
1. List various types of natural hazards and disasters
2. Map the areas most affected by them
3. Compare with the map of population distribution
4. Hypothesize the degree of danger in various regions
5. Discuss methods that re taken to adapt to these dangers.
View video on "Population" and discuss the impact on the environment.
Distinguish between and give characteristics of the following types of human movement: Circulation and migration, forced and voluntary migration, and push and pull factors.
Discuss the contributions of Ravenstein to the study of human movement and migration.
Use the gravity model to predict migration and evaluate its efficiency and usefulness. Map specific examples of historic and contemporary forced migrations, explaining push and pull factors associate with each example.
Characterize a refugee and refugee populations.
Discuss the migration history of the United States through the following: immigration history; immigration policy; historic and contemporary streams of migration; and internal migration patterns.
Explain how distance decay, intervening obstacles, and migration selectivity factors affect migration and circulation patterns.
Correlate migration patterns to the demographic transition model.
Analyze the unique factor of push pull migration.
Geography packet on Oceania

Unit 4 Weeks 11-13 Cultural Geography, Geography of Language, Geography of Religion

Reading Assignments:

Lecture packet: Cultural Geography

Teachable Moment: Seventeen Years after the first, second African American Governor Sworn in.

Individual development and Identity.

Center for the Study of Democracy" The Politics of Democratic Inclusion."

Obama, Hillary, and Minorities in Office: How Far We've Come, How Far Still to Go.

Content:

Define culture and cultural geography.
Compare and contrast the following aspects of folk and popular culture: origins, methods of diffusion, and culture regions.
Examine specific examples of folk culture and regions.
Examine examples of specific popular cultural traits and discuss their diffusion.
Discuss ways in which cultural traits are affected by and affect the natural environment.
Discuss the role of racism and ethnocentrism in the understanding of the cultural landscape.
Visit an ethnic shop or ethnic area of a local grocery store and look at the bread, cereal, milk, meat and cookies. Write a short analysis of what is similar and what is different in these products. What do they reflect of the culture that uses them?
Discuss the importance and role of language as an element of culture.
Explain how languages are classified and related.
Map the distribution of major language families worldwide.
Show the division of Europe into the following language groups and give specific examples from the major groups: Germanic, Slavic, and Romance.
Describe the following characteristics of English and Spanish:
A origin and historical development
b. worldwide diffusion
c. spatial variation
d. role in cultural convergence

M. Discuss the regional and local variety in language using the following terms: slag, isogloss, and accent.

N .Explain how topoyms are derived and classified and give examples

O. Identify the following characteristics of all major religions:

Point of origin
Method of diffusion
Current distribution
Landscape expression

Map the religious regions of the United States.
Discuss the major branches, their origins, and their current distributions for the following religions: Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism.
Distinguish between ethnic and universalizing religious
1. Holy sited
2. Holy days
3. Methods of diffusion
Describe ways in which the environment influences religion and ways in which religions affect the natural environment.
Discuss various specific religious conflicts around the world in terms of the following:
1. Religious versus politics
2. Religion versus religion—interfaith conflicts
3. Religious versus religion—intrafaith conflicts
Field trip to major churches, mosque or synagogue in the region.
Geographic unit on Middle East

Unit 5 Weeks 14-17 Political Geography

Reading Assignments:

Lecture packet: Political Geography

Teachable Moments: Quebec Declared a Nation Within A United Canada

Separatist movements pose problems in foreign relations—Daily Progress

Why are the Basques so Angry with Spain?—About.com

Types of separatist groups—Google

Content:

Describe the distribution of major ethnicities within the United States:
1. Identify states/regions in which they are clustered
2. Identify regions in which they are mostly absent
3. Provide reason for the present distribution
Examine case studies of ethnic conflicts from different regions
Examine ways in which gender-related issues are expressed spatially, particularly:
1. Economic roles and activity
2. Health and reproduction
3. Level of education
Discuss various nation-state configurations and illustrate them with examples
1. Nation-state
2. Part-nation states
3. Multinational state
4. Stateless nation
Explain the concept of state by:
1. Identifying necessary qualifications and characteristics
2. Listing examples of states in various regions
3. Describing quasi-states
Describe the problems of multinational states and stateless nations.
List advantages and disadvantages of different types of boundaries and provide real-world examples of
1. Natural/physical boundaries
2. Cultural boundaries
3. Geometric boundaries
List advantages and disadvantages of different shapes of states and provide examples
Discuss the concepts of imperialism and colonialism and illustrate some of their consequences on the contemporary political map
Define irredentism and devolution and illustrate with examples.
Summarize the history of the United Nations and identify issues of current importance regarding it.
Maps of the United States will be studied.
Exams: These will be cumulative and you will be provided a study packet a week prior to the exam date.

Unit 6: Weeks 18-21 Economic Development

Reading Assignments

Lecture Packet: Economic Development,

Teachable Moments: Pluto is No Longer a Planet

Pluto kicked out of Planet Club

Breaking News- Pluto not a planet! WorldCon. Report

Scientists: Pluto not a planet. MSNBC

Pluto Not a Planet, Astronomers Rule. Nation Geographic News

Contents

Use examples of human welfare indicators to distinguish between relatively developed and less developed countries
Use examples of economic indicators to classify countries as less developed or relatively developed.
Draw the Brandt line on a world or regional map.
Compare and contrast different theories and models of economic development and the relationship between less developed and relatively developed countries.
Provide examples of the different sectors of a country's economy and explain the economic relationship between them.
View film on World Trade and Globalization and discuss the different economic systems, and compare command and market economies.
Maps of the region will be studied.

Unit 7 Weeks 22-25 Geography of Agriculture-Primary Economic

Reading Assignments:

Lecture Packet: Agriculture

Teachable Moments: Vending Machine Bans Increase in Schools Nationwide.

Schools can taste good: a chef leads the way in making good nutrition a required part of the school day.

Kraft announces Healthy Edge for schools

Colorado State Board of Education: Rules for the Administration of the Healthy beverages policy

Contents:

Explain how agriculture originated and identify its various hearths.
Describe the evolution of agricultural practices from their first use until today.
1. Neolithic Revolution
2. second Agricultural Revolution
3. Green Revolution and biotechnology
Consider how each of the following correlates with specific agricultural regions:
1. Climate
2. Terrain
3. Culture
4. Situation with regard to world markets
Describe and apply the von Thunen model to both small and large scale situations.
Identify the predominant agricultural practices associated with various regions of the world
Use agricultural practice to differentiate between less developed and relatively developed countries
Compare and contrast different types of rural landscapes and settlements:
1. Linear villages
2. Cluster villages
3. Dispersed settlements
Voluntary field trip to Findley Market/ Jungle Jim's to see locavores/diversity.
View film on Agriculture in the World and discuss the food supply and diffusion of food from their point of origin.
Maps of the Americas

Unit 8 Weeks 26-29 Geography of Industry-Secondary Economics

Reading Assignments:

Lecture Packet: Land Use and Resources

Teachable Moments: Is It Easy Being Green? Zero Waste in your Community

San Francisco Plastic Bag Ban Interests Other Cities-NPR

PNNL planning "zero waste" picnic tomorrow-Tricity Herald

Compostable Organics out of Landfills by 2012. Grass Roots Recycling

Beyond Recycling: Getting to "Zero Waste" NPR

Zero Waste

Contents

Explain the Industrial Revolution by:
1. Describing its origin
2. Describing its diffusion and current pattern of industrial regions
Map regional manufacturing zones in each continent and identify the following for each:
1. Origin and resources
2. Current strengths and /or problems
Compare and contrast preindustrial, industrial, and postindustrial life and landscape.
Describe how site and situation factors influence the location of manufacturing an give examples
Discuss the problems created by or associated with industrialization in developed and developing countries.
Make a graphic model that describes the inputs and connections of various industries.

Unit 9 Weeks 30-33 Urban Geography-Tertiary Economics

Reading Assignments:

Lecture Packet: Urbanization

Teachable Moments: Bubbles, Bank Runs, and Bailouts

15 Things you Need to Know About the Panic of 2008-Kiplinger.com

How Banks Work-Lee Ann Obringer

How can mortgage-backed securities bring down the U.S. economy? Josh Clark

How Foreclosures Work. Charles W. Bryant

Contents

Contrast European and North American cities:
1. Central business districts
2. Suburbs and suburban growth
Compare and contrast elements of the following urban models:
1. Concentric zone
2. Sector
3. Multiple-nuclei
4. Galactic city/edge cities
Describe the move of retain and industry to the suburbs.
Explain the growth of suburbs in terms of social, transportation, and economic changes.
Differentiate between three models of North American cities,
Compare and contrast spatial characteristics of cities in the following regions:
1. Latin America
2. Africa
3. Southeast Asia
List and evaluate the problems of the inner city.
Explain and illustrate important models dealing with the urban hierarchy:
1. Central-place theory
2. Rank-size rule and primate cities
View film on Urbanization and discuss the issues.
Field trip (on your own time) around our community visualizing the urban area growth and the activities associated in, around, and out of the city.
View film on Enron