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.

A Model UN

Today, we will continue learning about the United Nations and preparing for our project. You will represent assigned countries in the UN General Assembly.

To start out, we will complete some introductory research today. Even though you have been assigned to a group, you will complete the first section by yourself. You will need a piece of loose leaf paper. Title the assignment: "UN Introductory Research". Label this section "Part 1: Background". Complete the following questions under Part 1:

1. In order to be part of the General Assembly, you need to know what it is. Read this UN General Assembly overview page. Using the information on the page, explain what the General Assembly is, define its functions and powers, and describe how it makes decisions.
2. Why would countries want to be part of the UN General Assembly? What do they get out of it?
3. Examine the front page of the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, or Washington Post. List at least three worldwide problems currently in the news. For each, hypothesize how the UN General Assembly could help solve the problem.

Country Portfolio
Each country has been assigned a folder under the Y:\Ramin World Geography folder. In order to find yours, click on your class period, then select the name of the country you were assigned.

You will save all work, research, and other assignments during this project to your country's folder.

Signature Sheet
Read and fill out the country signature sheet ("National Delegate Portfolio") with your group members. You can see a copy of this in your group's folder on the Y: drive.

Country Profile
With your partners, you will develop a profile of the nation you will represent by researching the background, economic system, and political system of your specific country using the resources provided in class. The profile should include the following information:

• geographic location
• physical features
• climate
• a description of the political system
• form of government
• demographic information
• economic system and statistics
• issues of domestic concern
• regional or local conflicts
• membership in major alliances and organizations
• global issues that may have a direct impact on your nation

You will use the "Country Profile Worksheet" to complete this portion of the assignment. Open the document, then follow the instructions it includes.

Country Profile Research Sites
You can use any of the sites below to find information about your country. Don't be afraid to browse the sites and use the search functions. The first site might not be the best site!

• All sites on the PSM LRC page
• News sites we've used previously -- use the search function!
• The CIA World Factbook