Review Questions/Homework

The review questions from class are below. Tonight, you must choose 5 of these that you did not complete in class (or from the Extra Credit post below) to complete. Do the questions in your notebook. You can certainly choose to do more than 5 if you want. Number each question, and title the page "Quarter 4 Exam Review."

Have your notebook on your desk and open to this assignment at the start of tomorrow's class. It is worth 10 points.

1. Where are the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers located? Why are they important?
2. What are the two most important resources in the Middle East? Which one is most important? Explain your response.
3. Examine the map on p. 492. What type of climate dominates the Middle East? Now examine the text on pp. 491-492. How might this climate and the land that goes with it affect life for people in the region?
4. Based on the map on p. 492, where would you expect most people in the region to live? Explain your response.
5. Examine the information on p. 496. Why are both modern and ancient techniques used to gather water in the Middle East?
6. What does “desalinization” mean? Why is it important in the Middle East? Why would we not use a similar process here in Chicago?
7. Examine the map at the bottom of p. 498. Where can most oil be found in the Middle East?
8. What are some of the risks of transporting oil?
9. What is Islam? How is it similar to Christianity? Different? (pp. 503-504)
10. What are the 5 pillars of Islam? Describe each.
11. What does it mean to have a “theocratic” government? Do we have a theocratic government in the U.S.? Explain.
12. Look at pp. 506-507. How do the requirements of their religion affect Muslims on a daily basis?
13. Examine the box on p. 513. What is a “refugee camp”? Why do so many Palestinians live in these?
14. What are the two branches of Islam?
15. Who is the president of Libya?
16. Who was the president of Egypt?
17. What is the capital of Egypt? Libya?
18. Who was the leader of the Al Qaeda terrorist group?
19. Why is the United States currently fighting in Afghanistan?
20. What does NATO stand for? UN?
21. What is the capital of China?
22. What is the capital of Japan?
23. Which mountains can be found southwest of China?
24. What desert can be found north of China?
25. Name the three most important rivers in China, from north to south.
26. Name and describe each of the three major religions found in East Asia.
27. What religion is practiced by the Israelis? By the Palestinians?

Extra Credit!!

For a maximum of 10 points extra credit (2 points per question), complete the following on loose leaf and turn them in to me on Monday. Remember: in order to receive credit, answers must be written in complete sentences.

1. Who was Muhammad? What impact did he have on the Middle East and North Africa?
2. Imagine that you are a merchant trying to travel from Spain to India to sell your products. Describe two different routes you could take to get there quickly.
3. Could you say that the American presidency is a dynasty? Explain your response.
4. Which of the following models for urban planning offers a more accurate depiction of the way in which the city of Chicago is set up: the multiple nuclei model or the concentric zone model? Explain your response.
5. Describe the main beliefs of Confucionism, Taoism and Buddhism.

UN Position Papers: The Final Stretch!

Today you will have your final opportunity to work on your paper in class. Rough drafts are due printed and in my hands at the end of this class period. You must also save the draft in your country's folder on the Y: drive as "Your last name - Your country - RD".

Your final draft is due Friday at the beginning of class. Your paper must be printed and stapled before you walk in to the classroom on Friday.

First, open up your annotated bibliography. I will look at each student's AB today in class. Make sure it is saved to your country's folder on the Y: drive in the following format -- "Your last name - Your country - Biblio".

Then, open up your paper. You have the remainder of the class period to work on this today. I am happy to take a look at any papers in class today, but be aware that we have a limited amount of time in the lab.

Remember -- these should be 1 1/2 pages single spaced.

If you believe you  are finished with your paper, print out a copy. Trade your paper with one of the other people representing your country. Read your group member's paper and write comments/constructive criticisms directly on the paper. Remember -- you are trying to help one another get the best grade possible.

When you get your paper back, make the edits recommended by your partner on the copy you are saving to the Y: drive. Print your rough draft and turn it in to me.

If you finish early, or are simply waiting for me to look over your information, you may visit the NY Times topics page for Osama bin Laden. This page includes all of the articles produced by the NY Times about bin Laden, including everything related to his death this weekend.

For extra credit, choose up to two articles to read. For each, write a (minimum) 5-7 sentence paragraph summary. Include specific, important information in your summaries. Send each summary to me in an e-mail with "Your last name - bin Laden EC" in the subject line. Each summary is worth 5 points extra credit.

Thursday, 4/21/11 Paper Work

Today, your first task is to save your annotated bibliography to your country's folder on the Y: drive (here is the rubric). Save it with the following information in the title of the file: "Your last name -- Your country name -- Biblio". Make sure each entry includes the citation, your annotation (with summary and evaluation), and is approximately 5-7 sentences each. Include your heading.

Once you've done that, it is time to start putting your position paper together. Remember -- you should have one source which tells you about your assigned committee and two sources which tell you about your country's opinion/history on that committee. Use your annotated bibliography and the questions you answered from the research sheet.

The rubric for the paper can be found here, and the model which you MUST follow can be found here. If you have not read the model and rubric yet, do this first. These documents will show you exactly what information you must include in your paper. You can also take a look at the example position paper before you get started.

You should have all of the information that you need to complete your paper at this point. If you need to look for additional sources, you may access the sites previously discussed in class -- basically, anything on the LRC page, as well as anything I've posted on this blog.

We will be in the computer lab on Tuesday, May 3 to save the papers to the Y: drive. This is your assignment over break -- make sure you ask me any questions before you leave.

The final paper is due Wednesday, May 4.

Tuesday, 4/19/11 Homework

Complete the following in your notes. The assignment is due on your desk at the start of Tuesday's class. It is worth a total of 10 points. Don't forget to write in complete sentences. You will need to use chapter 28 section 1 from your book.

1. What did the Communist Party attempt to do when it came to power in China? What was the result?
2. How did this change in the 1980s?
3. What is meant by the term “rural economy”?
4. Why is farming still important to China?
5. What is meant by the term “industrial economy”?
6. What are China’s most important industries?
7. Based on the passage, what is a “consumer”?

Monday, April 18: Homework!

Complete the following in your notes. The assignment is due on your desk at the start of Tuesday's class. It is worth a total of 10 points. Don't forget to write in complete sentences. You will need to use chapter 28 section 1 from your book.

1. What is a "Sphere of Influence"?
2. What was the Boxer Rebellion?
3. What was the goal of the Rebellion? Who did the Boxers rebel against?
4. What happened after the rebellion?
5. Who was Mao Zedong?

Model UN Committees

When we hold our Model UN conference after Spring Break, your entire group will represent your country in the General Assembly. In addition, each individual group member will represent your country as a delegate in a specific committee:

• The UN Security Council
• The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
• For groups with 3 people: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Each of the committees has a link to its website. You will need to decide which member of your group attends each committee.

You will ultimately write a position paper to present to each committee. A position paper is literally just what it sounds like: a paper written to explain a person (or in this case, country's) position on a given topic. You will write your paper to demonstrate your knowledge of current and historical events of your country, the topics, positions of other countries (both allies and advisories), and justifications for the your country’s position.

Ultimately, you will turn in two final products on Wednesday, May 4:

1. A typed position paper which follows the template below and this rubric.
2. A typed, minimum 3-source annotated bibliography which follows this rubric.

Follow the steps below to complete your paper successfully.

1. Examine the Position Paper Template.
2. Examine the Position Paper Example.
3. Begin researching and annotating information about your country's role in your assigned committee. Begin by writing a question you would like to answer -- ex: What does my country think about nuclear energy? What security concerns does my country have? What is my country's position on human rights? Use the research sites we have examined before to complete this. A recommended list is at the bottom of this post.
4. Begin typing your annotated bibliography. Remember to record the exact links for each of your sources. You can find a review of the annotated bibliography format at the Purdue OWL.
5. Begin typing your information into your paper. Follow the specific format provided. Begin by giving the background of the UN committee you are a part of. Then, discuss what your country's goal is for that committee. Finally, justify your country's position and offer some possible solutions for the problem.

You will ultimately present the information in your paper to the other students in your committee. You will work together to discuss and vote on potential solutions for the problem.

Recommended Research Sites:

• All PSM LRC Sources
• The CIA World Factbook
• The New York Times (hint -- search for your country's topic page)
• The UN's official website
• Any other sources I have previously approved

If you are absolutely stuck and you have tried all of the links provided, you may be able to find an additional source. All outside sources must be approved by me.

Also, check your Y: drive folder -- I graded and made notes on your research sheet projects. If you are missing information, make sure you find it! It will help you in your final project.