Monday, October 31, 2011

AP PARTS Homework

For homework tonight, complete the AP PARTS outline we began in class today. Do this on loose leaf paper. It is due at the start of tomorrow's class period, and is worth 10 points.

Remember: follow these steps to complete your outline:


  1. AUTHOR
    Who created the source? What do you know about the author?
    What is the author’s point of view? 
  2. PLACE AND TIME
    Where and when was the source produced? How might this affect the meaning of the source? 
  3. PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
    Beyond information about the author and the context of its creation, what do you know that would help you further understand the primary source? For example, do you recognize any symbols and recall what they represent? 
  4. AUDIENCE
    For whom was the source created and how might this affect the reliability of the source? 
  5. REASON
    Why was this source created at the time it was produced? 
  6. THE MAIN IDEA
    What point is the source trying to convey? 
  7. SIGNIFICANCE
    Why is this source important? What inferences can you draw from this document? Ask yourself, “So what?” in relation to the question asked.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Countries of Europe

Denmark, just one of the 30 countries in Europe you must
know for your European map test.
Here is the list of countries you must know for your map of Europe. The countries in bold are the ones you will be tested on for Friday. If you want to play the map game to study for the quiz, you can find it here.


  1. Portugal
  2. Spain
  3. France
  4. Belgium
  5. The Netherlands
  6. Germany
  7. Switzerland
  8. Italy
  9. Poland
  10. Czech Republic
  11. Slovakia
  12. Austria
  13. Hungary
  14. Slovenia
  15. Croatia
  16. Bosnia & Herzegovina
  17. Denmark
  18. Albania
  19. Macedonia
  20. Greece
  21. Bulgaria
  22. Romania
  23. Ukraine
  24. Russia
  25. Turkey
  26. Norway
  27. Sweden
  28. Finland
  29. United Kingdom
  30. Ireland
Below are the landforms of Europe we will focus on during this unit:
  1. Pyrenees
  2. Apennines
  3. Ural Mountains
  4. The Alps
  5. The Danube River
  6. The Rhine River
  7. The Atlantic Ocean
  8. The North Sea
  9. The Baltic Sea
  10. The Mediterranean Sea
  11. The Black Sea
  12. The Northern European Plain

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Ocean Currents and Europe

Today we will examine the impact of ocean currents on the lives of Europeans and other people around the world. In order to do this, we will use resources provided by the U.S. National Ocean Service.

You will complete all of today's work on a piece of loose leaf paper. Title the assignment "Ocean Currents and Europe."

While you work, keep your notes from last night on your desk. You will need them to complete today's assignment. I will also walk around and grade them during this class period.

Label each section on your piece of loose leaf paper exactly as I have it labeled on this blog post.

Answer in complete sentences -- that means you must re-state the question.

Answer in your own words -- that means you CANNOT simply copy down exactly what is written on the website/in your book.

Part I: Background
  1. Look back to your notes on Chapter 12.2. In what ways do winds affect Europe? Give at least 3 specific examples.
  2. Now you will start looking at the Internet resources we will use today. First, examine the "About" page for the National Ocean Service. Use it to answer the following:
    1. What is the National Ocean Service?
    2. What are its goals?
    3. What is its mission?
Part II: Currents Introduction
  1. Look in your notes or on p. 278 of your book. What current is important to Europe's climate?
  2. Now, examine the NOS site about currents. What is a current? What are two different examples of currents you might be familiar with?
  3. What three factors drive ocean currents? You can either use the information written on the page or listen to the first 5 minutes of this NOS podcast.
Part III: Surface Ocean Currents
We will focus on surface ocean currents today. Use this page from the NOS to answer the following:
  1. What is the difference between coastal currents and surface ocean currents?
  2. What is the Coriolis Effect? How does it affect the circulation of air across the planet?
  3. What are Trade Winds? Why are they called this? How could these winds affect the weather in Europe and other places in the world?
  4. Click on the tab marked Boundary Currents. What is a gyre? What causes gyres to form?
  5. According to the caption below the central image, what flanks each gyre?
  6. What powerful boundary current affects Europe? Record its two names, then explain its impact.
Part IV: Synthesis
Use the information you've learned today, the map below, and the political maps in your textbook's Atlas, answer the questions that follow.

  1. Which location would you expect to have a warmer average temperature: Minneapolis, Minnesota or London, England? Explain.
  2. Which location would you expect to have a warmer average temperature: Chicago, Illinois or Rome, Italy? Explain.
  3. Think back to our discussion of the Columbian Exchange. Using the information you learned in class today, explain why the Columbian Exchange moved in the direction it did, and not the other way.
Back to the Columbian Exchange
The Columbian Exchange, as we learned, did not only affect the United States. It affected all of the continents involved -- Africa, Europe, and North America.

The European country most associated with the slave trade in the United States is Great Britain. In this document, titled Five Readings about the Columbian Exchange, you will hear from an enslaved individual, an accountant, and a slave ship captain. Use the readings to complete the following.
  1. What can we learn about the slave trade from Equiano's account?
  2. What can we learn about it from the Captain Roberts' balance sheet?
  3. What can we learn from Captain Newton's diary?
  4. What effects did the Columbian Exchange have on the three men in these documents?

Monday, October 17, 2011

More Exam Review!

  1. How many hemispheres does the earth have? What hemispheres contain the continent of South America?
  2. How is place different from location?
  3. Imagine that you are the captain of a ship sailing the Atlantic Ocean. How might you use coordinates and lines of latitude and longitude to find your destination?
  4. Look at the map on p. 15. Which country should you move to if you plan to work for an oil company? Explain.
  5. Look at the map on p. 15 again. Then, argue for or against the following statement using the information on the map: "Afghanistan is the poorest country in Southwest Asia."
  6. Look at p. 16. When would a small scale map be better to use than a large scale map?
  7. What are the four layers that make up the earth's INNER structure?
  8. What layer of the earth's OUTER structure are you a part of? Explain.
  9. What is continental drift theory?
  10. True or false: Water is a nonrenewable resource. Explain your answer. Hint: Think about the hydrologic cycle.
  11. What is a landform? Give three examples of landforms you can find in Chicago.
  12. What type of plate boundary is most likely to produce earthquakes? Explain.
  13. What "secret weapon" did the Europeans bring with them to North America? What effects did this have on the native population?
  14. What does GDP tell you about a country? What would GDP per capita tell you about a country?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Extra Credit!

Print and complete the following multiple choice practice for 5 points extra credit:


You can also find the document at this link.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Exam Review Part 2: Vocabulary List

Here are all of the vocabulary terms you will be responsible for on your exam. Note -- you should be able to find these in your notes.

Hint: If you are having trouble remembering some or all of these terms, try making flash cards. This will help you study.

  1. Absolute Location
  2. Relative Location
  3. Hemisphere
  4. Equator
  5. Prime Meridian
  6. Latitude
  7. Longitude
  8. Physical Map
  9. Political Map
  10. Legend/Key
  11. Compass Rose
  12. Scale
  13. Qualitative Maps
  14. Flow-Line Maps
  15. Landforms
  16. Landmarks
  17. Hydrologic Cycle
  18. Relief
  19. Topography
  20. Tectonic Plates
  21. Fault
  22. Earthquake
  23. Seismograph
  24. Epicenter
  25. Richter Scale
  26. Tsunami
  27. Volcano
  28. Ring of Fire
  29. Economy
  30. Economic System
  31. Command Economy
  32. Market Economy
  33. Natural Resources
  34. Per Capita
  35. GDP
  36. Population Density
  37. Beringia
  38. All U.S. landforms
  39. Columbian Exchange

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Exam Review Part 1

These are the first set of review questions you'll see in preparation for your Quarter 1 Exam. Choose 5 of the ten to complete on loose leaf paper. They are due on your desk at the start of tomorrow's class, and are worth 10 points.

Remember -- your exam is worth 25% of your final grade. Choose the review questions that are hardest for you to answer, not easiest.
  1. Explain the difference between relative and absolute location. Give an example for each.
  2. Name and describe the four types of tectonic plate boundary. Then, explain what each type of plate boundary could cause to happen.
  3. What type of information can you learn from a physical map? A political map?
  4. What is the difference between latitude and longitude? (If you want some practice finding latitude and longitude, check out this site!)
  5. What are coordinates? Why are coordinates useful to geographers?
  6. Review the landforms of the U.S. Then, explain a) which mountain range you'd have to cross on a journey from Chicago to New York City, and b) which landform you'd have to cross on a journey from Chicago to Denver, Colorado.
  7. Argue for or against the following statement: Disease enabled Europeans to successfully conquer the Americas. Support your response with text and lecture evidence.
  8. Define “Columbian Exchange”. Describe which continents/countries were involved, what was traded between them, and the reasons trade moved in the pattern it did.
  9. Compare the spread of bacteria such as Listeria in the modern United States with the spread of disease during the time of the Columbian Exchange. Explain why people might be more prepared today than they were then to face a disease outbreak.
  10. Examine the photo to the right at the top of this post. Then, argue whether or not the geographic theme of movement applies to the photo. Explain your response.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Republican Presidential Candidates

Leading Republican candidates
Herman Cain and Mitt Romney
Tomorrow we will be in the classroom -- we'll take a look at the U.S. economy and use the terms you defined last night. Make sure you have those out for me to check at the start of class.
For today, we'll take a look at one important current event. Although it seems like Barack Obama just took office as president, 2012 marks the end of his first term. That means the president will have to run against a candidate from another party.
 
What party does President Obama belong to?
 
What is the other major U.S. party?
 
Currently, the following 9 people are competing to earn the Republican nomination for president.
  • Michelle Bachmann
  • Herman Cain
  • Newt Gingrich
  • Jon Huntsman
  • Gary Johnson
  • Ron Paul
  • Rick Perry
  • Buddy Roemer
  • Mitt Romney
  • Rick Santorum
You have been assigned a candidate to research today. Complete the questions below in an e-mail to me. The e-mail is worth a total of 20 points.
For each question, if you do not use one of the links I've provided, paste the link where you found your information after your answer. You can find most of the information at your candidate's official site.
  1. Name your candidate and paste the link for his/her official website.
  2. What is a Republican? What values does the Republican Party stand for? Use the Encyclopedia Brittanica to answer this question.
  3. What state does your candidate come from? What can you find out about his/her background in that state?
  4. What past experience does your candidate have?
  5. Do you think your candidate's past experience prepares him/her to be President? Explain.
  6. What issues does your candidate seem to care most about? Explain.
  7. Look at the chart at the Real Clear Politics website. Which candidate is currently winning? How is your candidate doing?
  8. Free Space: Find one additional fact about your candidate and explain it here. 

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The Columbian Exchange

European settlers unload goods upon their arrival
in the Americas
Once you've completed your PowerPoint, you will use your textbook (Ch. 6.1) and Internet sources to complete the activity below. You will be examining the movement of goods and people between the U.S., Europe and Africa.

Call the assignment "Columbian Exchange Introduction". Complete it on loose leaf paper.

Part 1
Respond to the following:
  1. Review: When did the earliest people arrive in North America? Where did they come from?
  2. Based on the information in your book, define and describe the Columbian Exchange.
  3. Sketch the Columbian Exchange, showing what moved from place to place at each step.
Part 2
Then, watch this video clip, entitled "When Worlds Collide."
  1. What does the video mean when it mentions a "staple" crop?
  2. What were some foods eaten by people in the Americas?
  3. Argue for or against the following statement using evidence from the video: People in the Americas were better off than people in Europe.
Part 3
Then, watch a second clip from "When Worlds Collide." Use it to answer the questions below.
  1. What is the main idea of this clip?
  2. How did resources from the Americas affect the European economy?
  3. How did contact with the Americas change what Europeans ate?
  4. What are some common foods Europeans tried for the first time because of contact with the Americas?
  5. What "bad habit" did Europeans pick up?
Part 4
Finally, read the article titled "Foods that Changed the World." You will see information on 8 crops. 
  1. Choose 4 crops. Describe why each became very important in the world today.
  2. Which of these crops do you think is most important? Explain.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Library Cards and a Test

Don't forget to bring your Chicago Public Library or suburban library cards to class on Wednesday. Ms. Meers, our librarian, will visit us to talk about how you can use your library card to access online resources for free.

I will give anyone who brings their card in on Wednesday 5 points of Extra Credit!

Also, don't forget -- we've got a test over the political and physical geography of the United States on Friday.