Finals have been graded and over the course of the week, I am leaving individual comments and thoughts with each student. Below are some general ideas that came out of my review of your work. Thanks for a great year and have a safe and fun summer!
1. The chats were generally not as strong as the chats we had in the classes leading up to the exam. I think part of this was nerves and part was the fact that this was an "exam", but it had a few non-traditional exam elements. We actually had more time for the chat during the exam than during class yet on the whole produced fewer good sources and what seemed like less truly engaged conversation. In the future, I need to think about how to get students to be as comfortable on this section as they were in class.
2. Agricultural Revolution. In general, responses to these questions were strong and everybody finished in the allotted time. In the first part, I was looking for an explanation of how agriculture led to cities; that seemed well understood. Most people had no problem identifying where the revolution happened, though I was looking for an explanation of what it was about that geography that allowed it to happen and some folks didn't give that explanation. On the question of a modern decline in agriculture, many folks hit upon the idea that famine, war, and general chaos could cause a breakdown in the very structures -- professions, cities, etc -- that the agricultural revolution allowed for in the first place.
3. In general, folks did very well on the comparison of Egyptian and Greek concepts of death. If you took notes during our discussions about the Ka and the Book of the Dead, you had a definite advantage.
4. Herodotus vs. Thucydides proved a little tricky, but most people got it. Basically, as we discussed during prep, Herodotus gathered all of the stories he could and therefore presented a varied and interesting, but occasionally not-entirely-based-in-fact history; Thucydides on the other hand is considered the father of scientific history and worked hard to only include sources he could vet. So, newspaper articles that centered on showing people's opinions and the stories they had to tell would fit into the former, while more analytic reporting would fit into the latter.
5. Rome. This one caused problems for a lot of people, and for that reason I only weighed it as half-value. Folks who did get more credit were those who looked for the big picture -- for example, finding a case of political corruption and comparing it to the stories of political corruption in Suetonius; or finding a story discussing American politics and comparing the structure of our political system to the political system in Rome. I don't think the time limit was a problem here, as all of you had completed 30 minute essays in class; I felt by giving you an extra 10 minutes you would have time to prepare. Next time, I am likely going to drop the essay format altogether and ask that people write straightforward formal outlines: thesis, three pieces of evidence, explanation/analysis, conclusion.
6. Third Crusade. Overall, people did express their understanding that an argument can be made that Richard may have been more the warmonger and Saladin more the reasonable one. That's a crucial understanding to what is a difficult history. Some folks were much more creative in how they did this. In general, I was not crazy about the Richard campaign wikis; perhaps you might have even worked better on these individually. I found most to be simply a picture and a generic slogan -- high quality meant using the primary sources available as the source of your slogans; perhaps that was too much to be expected in a partnership and under time constraints. On the Saladin op-ed, credit was given to those folks who reasoned according to the historical record and demonstrated that they understood the history; some folks did very well on the Saladin part.
7. The Black Death. In general, folks did very well here. I was looking for a clear explanation of where it came from, what it was, who is presented itself on the body, and how it affected people. This question was about looking at history through a micro rather than a macro lens.
8. Romanesque vs. Gothic. In general, I was very impressed. I was looking for clear examples of Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals and a clear understanding that you knew how each type of cathedral represented the theology of its time. Good stuff.
9. Renaissance Man. While some people wrote excellent pieces explaining what a Ren Man was and demonstrating through quotes and pictures why their vote was picked, in general people lost credit on this question. I know it was late in the exam and we'd been working hard for a long time, but most answers read as generic and unsupported claims. Remember: sources -- both primary texts and artworks -- matter. If you remember nothing else from this class, remember that in any argument you need to back up what you say with clear evidence.
10. Thank you for your consideration. I have learned a lot about teaching from being with you all this year and I look forward to seeing how things go for you at JC. Remember that you can always email or tweet me for advice in other classes; I will be leading the virtual Latin class on next years program and will be at JC for student meetings regularly.
Be sure to look over your exam and compare it to these notes. Most grades fit in the 80 to 95 range, which is good. The basic breakdown was 97 = A+, 95 = A, 90 = A-, 88 = B+, 85 = B, 80 = B-, 75 = C, 70 = Pass. As I said, I am spending this week leaving individual comments, so you should see those soon.
Best,
Wojo
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
West Civ Final 2011
Honors Western Civilization
R. Richard Wojewodzki
The John Carroll School
June 8, 2011
Exam Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes / 30 minute extension available
In the following exam, you are going to be asked to do the work of a historian. Please read the questions carefully as many of them have multiple parts. If you have any difficulty understand concepts or terms, look them up. In real life, historians have the power of the Internet at their fingertips; so too do you on this exam. Further, there will be sections of this exam that assess your ability to collaborate in real-time over the web. This is an essential part of the real work of the 21st century historian and it is something in which you are going to demonstrate fluency.
Lastly, remember that history is as personal as it is public. Think hard about these questions before answering. Don’t just Google yourself into a panic. Use the resources of the Internet History Sourcebook, the BBC History site, National Geographic, the Met Museum, Nova, PBS, Infotrac, Grolier, Biography.com, the Internet Archive, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and all of the resources we have used in class. Also remember to refer back to the Twitter lists we put together during review; they are full of good sources -- but beware the occasional not-so-good source: When using a source, ask yourself, “Would Your Teacher Use This Source?”
If you use a source, cite it by in-text citation and noting the source after your response with an APA citation in a mini-bibliography (even of there is only one source) -- this includes pics, maps, etc. Check here to review APA format: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Please post all of your answers onto your blog. For Google Maps, please embed them so that I can actually go into your map rather than just look at a screenshot. If you have any computer problems, let me know immediately and get on one of the Macs. Also, it is important to me that I see the breadth of your understanding as well as the depth of specific knowledge, so I will be keeping you to the timed format. I will offer up to a half-hour after the official exam time for anyone who wants to go back and edit or complete any sections from the exam to do so.
I trust you will all do your very best work and I looking forward to seeing the results.
1. What is History? Get together in groups of five. You will be having a five minute discussion on which way to understand history is best: Linear, Cyclic, Hegelian (thesis + antithesis = synthesis), or Vortex (history goes back and forth through high points and low points). Please create a public TodaysMeet room of your own for you discussion (you will need to come up with a name for your room). Please sign into the chat with your real name; I will be giving you credit based on: your contribution to the chat, the quality of sources you bring into the chat, the quality of your interaction asking and answering questions and dialogue within the chat, the historical and logical accuracy of your chatting, and the quality of your argument and evidence. When complete, post the link to the room on each of your blogs.
2. Agricultural Revolution. (appx 15 minutes) This is a three part question: 1) In a one paragraph brief constructed response, explain why the Agricultural Revolution was so important to the development of cities. 2) Create a Google Map showing where the Agricultural Revolution took place and tag the map with a label that explains why the geography of this place was so conducive to the production of stable agriculture. 3) Write a short (two to three paragraph) newspaper article describing a future where the agricultural system has collapsed; think about all of the things in society that would break down.
3. Egypt and Greece. (appx 10 minutes) In two or three paragraphs, compare and contrast the Egyptian and Greek views of the Afterlife. For Egypt, here is a copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead: http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/ and here is an excellent article on Greece that I expect you to cite: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm
4. Herodotus vs. Thucydides. (appx 10 minutes) Please look through the following archive of articles about 9/11: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/sept_11_2001/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=September%2011&st=cse and find one article that seems to approach the topic in the style of Herodotus and one article that approaches the topic in the style of Thucydides. In a two paragraph response, explain specifically why you chose the articles you did and be specific in explaining where you see the style of Herodotus or Thucydides in them. You may discuss via chat with classmates; but no two responses should be the same. I will be coming around during this section to answer questions and help out.
5. Rome. (appx 40 minutes) Please write a five paragraph academic essay on the following: “Is it fair to say the United States is the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire?” Here’s the catch: You must look through http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/ and find three stories happening today in the world to back up your argument. Things to think about: Republic vs. Empire, the Bad Emperors and the Good Emperors (if you use these, be VERY specific and cite specific events from the lives of the emperors as accounted in Suetonius [see: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-index.html]), the “Decline and Fall” of the Roman Empire, etc. In your essay, be sure to mention at least three specific examples from Ancient Rome and three specific examples from the newspapers. Cite properly.
6. The Third Crusade. (appx 20 minutes) This is a two part question. 1) Work with a partner to create a wiki (make a public wiki at wikispaces.com) promoting Richard’s Crusade. The wiki should have the feel of a political campaign, so you should come up with slogans based on historical writings from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html#The Third Crusade and you should include visual material such as historically accurate flags, images, etc. Make sure the wiki is public and then put a link to it on your blog. 2) Then each of you will individually write a two-paragraph op-ed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op-ed) from the point-of-view of the Saladin about why the Crusades are unjustified and your vision of how the Jerusalem problem should be handled.
7. The Black Death. (appx 10 minutes) Three part question. Major source -- The Decameron: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/boccacio2.html 1) Explain how the Black Death started and what its spread meant for the people of Europe. 2) Imagine you are a Medieval physician. Describe exactly what the Black Death looks like, what it does to a victim, and what techniques you attempt as a physician to either stop it or relieve the sufferer from his or her pain. 3) In a paragraph or two, explain how you think people in contemporary America and people you know would respond if a plague on the scale of the Black Death were to occur.
8. Romanesque vs. Gothic (appx 5 minutes) Collect three images of Romanesque cathedrals and three images of Gothic cathedrals from Wikimedia Commons and, in a paragraph or two, explain how the architecture of each represent the differing theologies of the eras.
9. Renaissance. (appx 10 minutes) Who do you think best represents the ideal of the “Renaissance Man”: Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, or Shakespeare? In a two to three paragraph response, you will need to define what a “Renaissance Man” is and you will need to find at least three works of art or direct quotes from letters, poems, plays, etc. to support your claims.
10. Bringing it all Together (appx 5 minutes) Free response: Do you feel like you learned something this semester?
R. Richard Wojewodzki
The John Carroll School
June 8, 2011
Exam Length: 2 hours and 15 minutes / 30 minute extension available
In the following exam, you are going to be asked to do the work of a historian. Please read the questions carefully as many of them have multiple parts. If you have any difficulty understand concepts or terms, look them up. In real life, historians have the power of the Internet at their fingertips; so too do you on this exam. Further, there will be sections of this exam that assess your ability to collaborate in real-time over the web. This is an essential part of the real work of the 21st century historian and it is something in which you are going to demonstrate fluency.
Lastly, remember that history is as personal as it is public. Think hard about these questions before answering. Don’t just Google yourself into a panic. Use the resources of the Internet History Sourcebook, the BBC History site, National Geographic, the Met Museum, Nova, PBS, Infotrac, Grolier, Biography.com, the Internet Archive, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and all of the resources we have used in class. Also remember to refer back to the Twitter lists we put together during review; they are full of good sources -- but beware the occasional not-so-good source: When using a source, ask yourself, “Would Your Teacher Use This Source?”
If you use a source, cite it by in-text citation and noting the source after your response with an APA citation in a mini-bibliography (even of there is only one source) -- this includes pics, maps, etc. Check here to review APA format: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Please post all of your answers onto your blog. For Google Maps, please embed them so that I can actually go into your map rather than just look at a screenshot. If you have any computer problems, let me know immediately and get on one of the Macs. Also, it is important to me that I see the breadth of your understanding as well as the depth of specific knowledge, so I will be keeping you to the timed format. I will offer up to a half-hour after the official exam time for anyone who wants to go back and edit or complete any sections from the exam to do so.
I trust you will all do your very best work and I looking forward to seeing the results.
1. What is History? Get together in groups of five. You will be having a five minute discussion on which way to understand history is best: Linear, Cyclic, Hegelian (thesis + antithesis = synthesis), or Vortex (history goes back and forth through high points and low points). Please create a public TodaysMeet room of your own for you discussion (you will need to come up with a name for your room). Please sign into the chat with your real name; I will be giving you credit based on: your contribution to the chat, the quality of sources you bring into the chat, the quality of your interaction asking and answering questions and dialogue within the chat, the historical and logical accuracy of your chatting, and the quality of your argument and evidence. When complete, post the link to the room on each of your blogs.
2. Agricultural Revolution. (appx 15 minutes) This is a three part question: 1) In a one paragraph brief constructed response, explain why the Agricultural Revolution was so important to the development of cities. 2) Create a Google Map showing where the Agricultural Revolution took place and tag the map with a label that explains why the geography of this place was so conducive to the production of stable agriculture. 3) Write a short (two to three paragraph) newspaper article describing a future where the agricultural system has collapsed; think about all of the things in society that would break down.
3. Egypt and Greece. (appx 10 minutes) In two or three paragraphs, compare and contrast the Egyptian and Greek views of the Afterlife. For Egypt, here is a copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead: http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/ebod/ and here is an excellent article on Greece that I expect you to cite: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dbag/hd_dbag.htm
4. Herodotus vs. Thucydides. (appx 10 minutes) Please look through the following archive of articles about 9/11: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/sept_11_2001/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=September%2011&st=cse and find one article that seems to approach the topic in the style of Herodotus and one article that approaches the topic in the style of Thucydides. In a two paragraph response, explain specifically why you chose the articles you did and be specific in explaining where you see the style of Herodotus or Thucydides in them. You may discuss via chat with classmates; but no two responses should be the same. I will be coming around during this section to answer questions and help out.
5. Rome. (appx 40 minutes) Please write a five paragraph academic essay on the following: “Is it fair to say the United States is the modern day equivalent of the Roman Empire?” Here’s the catch: You must look through http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/ and find three stories happening today in the world to back up your argument. Things to think about: Republic vs. Empire, the Bad Emperors and the Good Emperors (if you use these, be VERY specific and cite specific events from the lives of the emperors as accounted in Suetonius [see: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/suetonius-index.html]), the “Decline and Fall” of the Roman Empire, etc. In your essay, be sure to mention at least three specific examples from Ancient Rome and three specific examples from the newspapers. Cite properly.
6. The Third Crusade. (appx 20 minutes) This is a two part question. 1) Work with a partner to create a wiki (make a public wiki at wikispaces.com) promoting Richard’s Crusade. The wiki should have the feel of a political campaign, so you should come up with slogans based on historical writings from http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.html#The Third Crusade and you should include visual material such as historically accurate flags, images, etc. Make sure the wiki is public and then put a link to it on your blog. 2) Then each of you will individually write a two-paragraph op-ed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op-ed) from the point-of-view of the Saladin about why the Crusades are unjustified and your vision of how the Jerusalem problem should be handled.
7. The Black Death. (appx 10 minutes) Three part question. Major source -- The Decameron: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/boccacio2.html 1) Explain how the Black Death started and what its spread meant for the people of Europe. 2) Imagine you are a Medieval physician. Describe exactly what the Black Death looks like, what it does to a victim, and what techniques you attempt as a physician to either stop it or relieve the sufferer from his or her pain. 3) In a paragraph or two, explain how you think people in contemporary America and people you know would respond if a plague on the scale of the Black Death were to occur.
8. Romanesque vs. Gothic (appx 5 minutes) Collect three images of Romanesque cathedrals and three images of Gothic cathedrals from Wikimedia Commons and, in a paragraph or two, explain how the architecture of each represent the differing theologies of the eras.
9. Renaissance. (appx 10 minutes) Who do you think best represents the ideal of the “Renaissance Man”: Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, or Shakespeare? In a two to three paragraph response, you will need to define what a “Renaissance Man” is and you will need to find at least three works of art or direct quotes from letters, poems, plays, etc. to support your claims.
10. Bringing it all Together (appx 5 minutes) Free response: Do you feel like you learned something this semester?
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Weekly Writing Format
News Flash: Starting tomorrow, April 7th, we will stop doing dailies. Instead, we will be concentrating on the weekly essays. This week's rough draft we are finishing in class. From then on, every Wednesday you will have a rough draft due for Peer review (you'll receive participation credit: P/F for having the draft ready). On your rough draft, please underline the thesis statement and in a different color prove it is an opinion by writing the opposite side; underline one quote properly cited with in-text citations for each body paragraph; make bold your four-sentence analysis of each quote; analysis should explain how the quote serves to support your thesis. After peer review, a final draft will be due on Fri by Midnight.
Eleven-Point Critique (for peer reviews and grading of final drafts)
1. 5 paragraphs -- 5 to 7 sentences per paragraph.
2 Clear, coherent thesis statement expressing an opinion to be argued in the paper.
3. One quote or piece of sourcable evidence properly cited in APA format per body paragraph /
proper in-text citation format
(author, date). APA format bibliography at end of paper. Use top-notch sources (BBC, Met Museum, Nat Geo, Internet History
Sourcebook, school-library based databases, etc.)
4. Four sentences per body paragraph analysis. This is your own analysis demonstrating how the evidence supports your thesis.
5. Solid conclusion demonstrating the validity of the argument.
6. Emphasis: Put strongest evidence in the fourth paragraph.
7. No 1st or 2nd person personal pronouns (I, we, us, me, my, myself, you, etc.)
8. Academic Tone: No slang, no contractions, make it coherent and readable.
9. Avoid generalizations -- give specific information; I'm not looking for you to write an "encyclopedia" article. I'm looking for
your ability to construct an academic argument.
10. Avoid unnecessary information: "more" quotes doesn't mean a "better" paper.
11. Original and honest writing voice and a creative and remarkable take on the subject.
Eleven-Point Critique (for peer reviews and grading of final drafts)
1. 5 paragraphs -- 5 to 7 sentences per paragraph.
2 Clear, coherent thesis statement expressing an opinion to be argued in the paper.
3. One quote or piece of sourcable evidence properly cited in APA format per body paragraph /
proper in-text citation format
(author, date). APA format bibliography at end of paper. Use top-notch sources (BBC, Met Museum, Nat Geo, Internet History
Sourcebook, school-library based databases, etc.)
4. Four sentences per body paragraph analysis. This is your own analysis demonstrating how the evidence supports your thesis.
5. Solid conclusion demonstrating the validity of the argument.
6. Emphasis: Put strongest evidence in the fourth paragraph.
7. No 1st or 2nd person personal pronouns (I, we, us, me, my, myself, you, etc.)
8. Academic Tone: No slang, no contractions, make it coherent and readable.
9. Avoid generalizations -- give specific information; I'm not looking for you to write an "encyclopedia" article. I'm looking for
your ability to construct an academic argument.
10. Avoid unnecessary information: "more" quotes doesn't mean a "better" paper.
11. Original and honest writing voice and a creative and remarkable take on the subject.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Human Geography Final Exam 2011
This exam will test not your ability to memorize information, but your ability to actually become a researcher in human geography. Work swiftly but accurately and pay attention to the directions. All work should be posted on your blog (one blog post per question). Please write the honor pledge at the bottom of your exam.
1. 1) Explain the sudden dip on the following graph. 2) Explain how statistics can help to elucidate/explain the significance of historical events. Give a specific example such as any we discussed in class.
2. Using Google Maps Street View at http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/ please answer the following questions: 1) What color is the car parked in front of 30 Vesey St.? 2) What time was is when the Google pics were taken (hint... explore down Vesey St.). 3) What is the name of the chapel that sits in front of the WTC site? 4) How many people on the top deck of Broadway Gray Line Bus 71512 (standing in front of the AT&T store) are wearing sunglasses?
3. According to today's issue of http://www.koreatimes.com/ what is the most unfriendly city in the USA? (Please give the name of the city and the url of the article).
4. Why are there so many names for "soda pop" in New Mexico? https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-sD7sQz-eSOLi0auVeFvyrVttq5HoI9x2cAOMjrLreB9vANsKQ8Zu8d9DkadSW3mDmMdP8MvtQst_xQUH1KkMcTLuMihaXbuv15nkvGGDIAWydw0Q8OWYM74tmusIJQTOSEdaJK8dWk/s1600/Pop_vs_Soda.gif
5. Find Sudanese 'Lost Boy' John Dau's Twitter feed and send him a Tweet congratulating him on the South Sudan vote. Cite this BBC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12252699 in your Tweet by using the URL shortener. Take a screen shot of your Tweet and post it as a pic on your blog.
6. Read: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html and answer the following; use the research from NOAA to support your answers. 1) What causes climate change? 2) Is human activity contributing to climate change? 3) Is the climate warming? 4) If global warming is real, why has the East Coast of the USA been hit with massive blizzards the last two years?
7. 1) View http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5088011&acct=wdmgeninfo and explain what a regional food hub is and why they are essential to sustainable agriculture and food distribution. 2) Go to http://www.harfordfarms.com/ and explain where you would find USDA approved organic poultry, beef, and vegetables closest to John Carroll. 3) Write a proposal for the JC cafeteria for a "JC Sustainable Food Day"; plan out where they could acquire organic foods and how they (and you) could help educate the school community on the issue of sustainable agriculture.
8. Choose a country that begins with either the second or fourth letter in your first name from http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/ and create a Google Presentation comparing that country to the USA. Supplement your presentation with resources, data, and pictures from CIA World Factbook, Wikimedia Commons, BBC News, NY Times, National Geographic, and PRI's The World (at least one citation from each of those sources).
9. France will chair the G-20 this year. Please read http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2011/01/10/obama-et-sarkozy-s-entretiennent-sur-le-g20-et-le-terrorisme_1463703_3222.html and explain the French president's position on fighting terrorism and whether he thinks the US is an ally or not.
10. Go to http://www.g20.org/about_faq.aspx and read FAQ #6. Out of the nine topics mentioned, which in your opinion are the three most important. 1) Briefly explain why you think these are the most important three. 2) Find two significant web resources for further study of each of the three (total six web resources). Your sources must be of high quality and meet our class requirements for a serious source; furthermore, you are finding two sources for each so that the sources can aid in vetting one another's accuracy.
11. Go to CIA World Factbook; choose a country under 'East and Southeast Asia'. Then open a new 'My Map' in Google Maps and complete the following: 1) Find the three largest cities in your chosen country; pin the cities and give details for population in the description box of each. 2) Estimate the geographical area of the largest city in your country as compared to the geographical area of Bel Air, MD (i.e. Beijing is ___ approximately ____ times larger in geographical area than Bel Air, MD. 3) Bring up the traffic map and explain whether the traffic in your city is better or worse on average at this time of day than the traffic in New York City. All of your answers go in the description box. Please make sure to 'share' the map with me and post the link on your blog.
12. What does the following gapminder graph tell us about the relationship between health expenditures and global health? www.bit.ly/d74oHw
13. Using the data from this gapminder graph www.bit.ly/b9p3dA and encyclopedic information from Wikipedia, explain the following: 1) Why is the UK in the lead in the beginning? 2) Why does the USA surpass the UK when it does? 3) Why the drop in CO2 production around 1929? 4) When does China enter the picture? 5) Despite the fact that there are far more people in China than in the USA, the data shows that the US population consumes much more CO2 -- why? 6) Explain Trinidad and Tobago in the 1940s. 7) Explain Luxembourg. 8) Explain all of the tiny countries near the top.
14. With a partner, write up a 10-step plan of ways that our school could use technology to live up to its stated mission of preparing young men and women "to serve responsibly in shaping a more just and compassionate global society".
1. 1) Explain the sudden dip on the following graph. 2) Explain how statistics can help to elucidate/explain the significance of historical events. Give a specific example such as any we discussed in class.
2. Using Google Maps Street View at http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/ please answer the following questions: 1) What color is the car parked in front of 30 Vesey St.? 2) What time was is when the Google pics were taken (hint... explore down Vesey St.). 3) What is the name of the chapel that sits in front of the WTC site? 4) How many people on the top deck of Broadway Gray Line Bus 71512 (standing in front of the AT&T store) are wearing sunglasses?
3. According to today's issue of http://www.koreatimes.com/ what is the most unfriendly city in the USA? (Please give the name of the city and the url of the article).
4. Why are there so many names for "soda pop" in New Mexico? https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-sD7sQz-eSOLi0auVeFvyrVttq5HoI9x2cAOMjrLreB9vANsKQ8Zu8d9DkadSW3mDmMdP8MvtQst_xQUH1KkMcTLuMihaXbuv15nkvGGDIAWydw0Q8OWYM74tmusIJQTOSEdaJK8dWk/s1600/Pop_vs_Soda.gif
5. Find Sudanese 'Lost Boy' John Dau's Twitter feed and send him a Tweet congratulating him on the South Sudan vote. Cite this BBC article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12252699 in your Tweet by using the URL shortener. Take a screen shot of your Tweet and post it as a pic on your blog.
6. Read: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalwarming.html and answer the following; use the research from NOAA to support your answers. 1) What causes climate change? 2) Is human activity contributing to climate change? 3) Is the climate warming? 4) If global warming is real, why has the East Coast of the USA been hit with massive blizzards the last two years?
7. 1) View http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5088011&acct=wdmgeninfo and explain what a regional food hub is and why they are essential to sustainable agriculture and food distribution. 2) Go to http://www.harfordfarms.com/ and explain where you would find USDA approved organic poultry, beef, and vegetables closest to John Carroll. 3) Write a proposal for the JC cafeteria for a "JC Sustainable Food Day"; plan out where they could acquire organic foods and how they (and you) could help educate the school community on the issue of sustainable agriculture.
8. Choose a country that begins with either the second or fourth letter in your first name from http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/ and create a Google Presentation comparing that country to the USA. Supplement your presentation with resources, data, and pictures from CIA World Factbook, Wikimedia Commons, BBC News, NY Times, National Geographic, and PRI's The World (at least one citation from each of those sources).
9. France will chair the G-20 this year. Please read http://www.lemonde.fr/ameriques/article/2011/01/10/obama-et-sarkozy-s-entretiennent-sur-le-g20-et-le-terrorisme_1463703_3222.html and explain the French president's position on fighting terrorism and whether he thinks the US is an ally or not.
10. Go to http://www.g20.org/about_faq.aspx and read FAQ #6. Out of the nine topics mentioned, which in your opinion are the three most important. 1) Briefly explain why you think these are the most important three. 2) Find two significant web resources for further study of each of the three (total six web resources). Your sources must be of high quality and meet our class requirements for a serious source; furthermore, you are finding two sources for each so that the sources can aid in vetting one another's accuracy.
11. Go to CIA World Factbook; choose a country under 'East and Southeast Asia'. Then open a new 'My Map' in Google Maps and complete the following: 1) Find the three largest cities in your chosen country; pin the cities and give details for population in the description box of each. 2) Estimate the geographical area of the largest city in your country as compared to the geographical area of Bel Air, MD (i.e. Beijing is ___ approximately ____ times larger in geographical area than Bel Air, MD. 3) Bring up the traffic map and explain whether the traffic in your city is better or worse on average at this time of day than the traffic in New York City. All of your answers go in the description box. Please make sure to 'share' the map with me and post the link on your blog.
12. What does the following gapminder graph tell us about the relationship between health expenditures and global health? www.bit.ly/d74oHw
13. Using the data from this gapminder graph www.bit.ly/b9p3dA and encyclopedic information from Wikipedia, explain the following: 1) Why is the UK in the lead in the beginning? 2) Why does the USA surpass the UK when it does? 3) Why the drop in CO2 production around 1929? 4) When does China enter the picture? 5) Despite the fact that there are far more people in China than in the USA, the data shows that the US population consumes much more CO2 -- why? 6) Explain Trinidad and Tobago in the 1940s. 7) Explain Luxembourg. 8) Explain all of the tiny countries near the top.
14. With a partner, write up a 10-step plan of ways that our school could use technology to live up to its stated mission of preparing young men and women "to serve responsibly in shaping a more just and compassionate global society".
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Video Using Gapminder
Please watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUwS1uAdUcI&feature=player_embedded#!
You'll be interpreting data on the final exam using gapminder.
You'll be interpreting data on the final exam using gapminder.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Let's Not Call it an Exam
Instead, let's call it your final projects in Human Geography.
Basically what you'll be doing is choosing from among a menu of options of mini-projects related to each of the topics we covered in class. You will complete several mini-projects and you may choose the assignments that appeal to you the most. For each mini-project, you will write a short explanation of why the subject matter resonates with you.
Here's a list of the topics:
Basically what you'll be doing is choosing from among a menu of options of mini-projects related to each of the topics we covered in class. You will complete several mini-projects and you may choose the assignments that appeal to you the most. For each mini-project, you will write a short explanation of why the subject matter resonates with you.
Here's a list of the topics:
1. The Post-9-11 World
2. Regionalism and Language
3. Forced Migration: War, Famine, Natural Disasters
4. The Changing Environment
5. Food and Us
5. Food and Us
6. Regional Conflict and Cultural Effects: Israel & Palestine / Afghanistan / India & Pakistan / Tibet
7. AIDS in Africa
8. The Rwandan Genocide
9. South Africa and the History of Apartheid
10. The G-20
11. US / Mexico Relations
12. Immigration in Western Europe
13. What is a Country?
14. Religion and Geography
Some of these mini-projects will be individual and some will be collaborative with other students. Everything will be done online and you will have full-access to the Web.
To prepare, go back over each of the topics we covered this semester and re-read your blogposts. Get together with friends and talk about the topics and help one another think about them. If you don't have time during the day, Skype is a great option.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
If it Were My Home
Please go to http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/ and choose a country that begins with the letter you've been given. Research your country and write a blogpost in the form of a journal or diary entry detailing your experiences in that country as an exchange student. Please include pics (they must include pics of people and homes / indoors).
100pts -- We'll present next class.
100pts -- We'll present next class.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Language and Experience Project
You are to write a blog post of at least 750 words. This will be in a "Q&A" interview style and you are to interview someone who is currently in high school whose first language is not English. You want to learn about what it was like to learn English and what their experience has been like.
You should prepare at least ten questions in advance. Here are some examples: Was it difficult to learn English? In what ways have you benefited from learning the language? Do you still speak your primary language at home or with family and friends? Why / Why not? How did you come to go to school in the United States? What are some of the differences between an American school and a school in your home country?
The published interview is due Monday, Jan 10.
You should prepare at least ten questions in advance. Here are some examples: Was it difficult to learn English? In what ways have you benefited from learning the language? Do you still speak your primary language at home or with family and friends? Why / Why not? How did you come to go to school in the United States? What are some of the differences between an American school and a school in your home country?
The published interview is due Monday, Jan 10.
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