Geography

**Email Mr. ** **__Repsch__** **__Josie's link__**


 * The Geography Moodle site is available [|here].**

Current Events 3 Rubric Current Events Early Turn In: 4/16 Current Events Deadline: 4/25

Geography Final Project




 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 1/6 || Following the Christmas break, I used the first day back to go over the new current events assignment. The focus of the current events for the second project will be on debate topics. The goal for the students is to find strong arguments on both sides of an issue and use them to decide which side of the debate they agree with. The details and requirements are posted above. ||
 * 1/7 || No school; Cold Day ||
 * 1/8 || To prepare for our next unit, I presented the students with four skills I feel they need to be successful when working within a group. The skills I presented were Participation, Attending, Listening, and Staying on task. The students took notes on what these skills look like and sound like. I will use these four skills as part of the student's grade during our next unit. ||
 * 1/9 || We continued to work on developing the skills the students will use in their cooperative learning groups throughout the next unit. I introduced 5 jobs today that the students will rotate through each day. The jobs are the facilitator, the time keeper, the recorder, the questioner, and the gopher. The groups then worked on creating a group name and celebration. ||
 * 1/10 || After a 2-hour delay and a visit from the Governor, the students started their first group assignment by reading a section from the Ancient World textbook. Our focus in the first part of the unit is how natural resources influence where people live.

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 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 1/13 || To further illustrate the information the students read in the textbook, we watched a video today called "The First Farmers." The video discussed how farming changed people from hunters and gatherers into civilized populations. Once they adopted farming practices, they needed to be near resources like water that helped them grow the crops the needed. ||
 * 1/14 || We completed the video we started today and discussed connections to topics we have learned earlier in the year. The students then started working on their first real group assignment. The readings for this assignment are posted here.

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 * 1/15 || I will be out of town at a conference for the next three days. The students will be working in their groups taking notes on the sections posted above. The focus of the assignment is to examine how natural resources influence where people live. The resource we are focusing on is water. A quiz will be given on this material next week. ||
 * 1/16 || See Above ||
 * 1/17 || See Above ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 1/20 || No school, In-Service for staff ||
 * 1/21 || No School, Snow Day ||
 * 1/22 || The sub from last week left feedback that the students needed additional time to complete the notes on the Ancient World text. In class, I provided time for the students to work on that. ||
 * 1/23 || Today I went over the different sections from the Ancient World readings pointing out the type of information that will be on the quiz. Due to cancellations and delays, the quiz for this work will now be on Monday. The students worked together in their groups to compile the notes, which they may use on the quiz, however the quiz will be done separately. Students wishing to study for the quiz have access to the pages posted above. ||
 * 1/24 || In class today I returned the Unit Tests from Unit Two. Students who score below a "B" have the option to improve their scores up to a B by taking the following steps:

1) Meet with me to discuss areas that you struggled with. 2) Make test corrections by finding the correct answer in the book (page number and paragraph) 3) Write a one paragraph reflection on what steps you could take to do better next time. 4) Take a test booster quiz next Friday, 1/31/2014.

All these steps must be completed in order to be eligible for the booster. After returning the test, the students moved on to the next part of unit three by reading chapter 20 from our TCI textbook. This chapter looks at life in the desert region of the Sahara. Here will be looking at how physical geography affects the way people live so I chose an area without water; the resource we used to begin the unit.

Reminder that there is a quiz on Monday on the Ancient World material. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 1/27 || The students completed the Ancient World Quiz. ||
 * 1/28 || The students were given time to work on the chapter 20 assignment from last week. I am also re-posting the chapters from unit two. Students who are planning to take a test retake will need the chapters to make the corrections on their previous test.

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 * 1/29 || The students received time today to complete the work from chapter 20. As an extension activity, we are going to examine how people in different specific African countries live and adapt to life in the Sahara and the Sahel. The students will then have a choice (class vote) about the type of assessment that will occur for this part of the unit. The choices will be a quiz or small project.

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 * 1/30 || My classes were given a choice for the type of assessment used to evaluate their understanding of the second learning goal for unit 3. Some classes have elected to do a small project. Posted here are the requirements for that project. Classes who have decided to take a quiz will have that quiz on Monday.

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 * 1/31 || In class today students who wished to take the unit 2 test booster and who completed the necessary steps of remediation were given the opportunity to do so. Students who scored below a "B" but chose not to re-test were asked to complete corrections on their original test. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 2/3 || No school; snow day ||
 * 2/4 || The students were given time to work on the creation of a PSA to combat desertification in one of three African Countries. The requirements for this mini-project are posted above. ||
 * 2/5 || No School, Ice Day ||
 * 2/6 || The students were working on either their PSA or some groups have moved on to the final learning; determining need from greed. The videos posted below will serve as topics for our discussions of need vs greed.

Overfishing video []

Overfishing []

Logging the Rainforest []

Oil Drilling []

Industrial Pollution http://www.ipsnews.net/2006/11/environment-china-world-must-share-blame-for-industrial-pollution/ ||
 * 2/7 || Periods 3,4,and 6 all had time to work on finishing the PSA mini project. Period 7 elected to take quiz on chapter 20 and completed that. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 2/10 || After reading the section on Russia's history from the purple textbook, answer these reading check questions with your group:

Why did Peter the Great want to control land on the Baltic Sea?

What does westernization mean?

What event was known as Bloody Sunday?

What is communism?

What about communism might have appealed to poverty-stricken Russians?

How did the Soviet Union's role in WWII help it become a world power?

What was the "Iron Curtain?"

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 * 2/11 || In class today, we went over the answers to the reading questions listed above. Additionally, I presented a short review of the events of WW II. This was necessary to provide background knowledge for the students about who the Soviets were and what the Soviet Union was. In our next lesson, we will explore what the Soviets did to the Aral Sea in attempt to satisfy our learning goal that questions how humans impact the resources and environment they live in. ||
 * 2/12 || Today the students read chapter 26 from our TCI Geography Alive textbook. The chapter explained how the Soviets diverted water away from the Aral Sea to irrigate cotton fields they had planted as a cash crop. The chapter also examines the environmental impact of this decision. At the end of the chapter I asked the students to discuss if this was an example of the Soviets needing this cotton or if this was an example of human greed? They discussed this question in their groups. Below I have posted the reading and a video about the Aral Sea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC5UIEx83fo ||
 * 2/13 || Another snow day!!! UGH!!! I spoke with my classes on Wednesday and let them know that I would be posting some information here to help them prepare for our Unit Test. I told them that if we are not in school on both Thursday and Friday, the expectations was that they needed to check the wiki and prepare for the unit test. To prepare for the test, I want the students to think about our four learning goals and the journey we have been on in this unit. We started by looking at how natural resources (something occurring in nature used by man) impacted where humans lived. We then went to the Sahara/Sahel region in Africa and looked at how the physical geography can influence how people live and how they adapt to their surroundings. We finished the unit by flipping things around looking at how modern humans are able to change their environment and how they changes can have consequences. Our example for this was the chapter on the Aral Sea. Our final learning goal is to examine examples of human impact on the environment and form an opinion about whether these examples are need or greed? Posted above on 2/6 are examples of human-environmental interaction. To help prepare for the unit test, look at a couple of these examples and decide for yourself if it is need or greed. Make sure that you have examples to help support your opinion. ||
 * 2/14 || To help you be prepared for the unit test, read the following document and consider the two learning goals listed near the top. Pre-reading this document will help you immensely on the test.

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 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 2/17 || The students will be taking part one of the unit test in class today. To prepare for part two, please read the following article.



On Wednesday we will continue with the simulation we introduced to the class last Friday. I am attaching the rules booklet for the simulation so that students who wish to review or get ahead can do that.



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 * 2/18 || Unit Three Test Part Two taken in class today. Some students did not finish and given that we were on a delay schedule, the decision was made to allow the students to have some additional time tomorrow. ||
 * 2/19 || Due to the advisory schedule, classes were shortened today. We gave our students some time to finish the second part of the unit test and to look over part one. The rest of the time was spent answering the students' questions about the new economic simulation we are starting called "World Shipping." The rules of the simulation are post above (2/17). This simulation allows the students to pretend that they are the owners of a shipping company that moves containers of commodities from one country to another. The students may work alone or in groups of 2 or 3 to complete the simulation. The students will be asked to keep a journal each day for reflection about what they learned. This will count for 1/3 of their grade. They will also be given a quiz to demonstrate their understanding of the skills necessary to complete the simulation and some reflection questions. These grades will be individual.

This shipping video is an example of what the kids will be simulating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDmLEFDDd-c&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1 ||
 * 2/20 || Today we began to explain the simulation to the students. We went over the journal, the commodities sheet, the map, and the secret strategy sheet. ||
 * 2/21 || In class today, we continued to prepare the students for the World Shipping Simulation. Topics that were covered were how to calculate the sale price of an item, how to fill out the secret strategy sheet, and the purchasing of fuel. The final 20 minutes of class was provided for students to start working on their strategies. ||


 * Date ||  ||
 * 2/24 || In class today, I introduced the students to the issue of Somalian Pirates and the trouble that is causing for shipping companies and other vessels that travel in the Indian Ocean. The 5 minute video from ABC News was shown ( below). The remaining time was spent working on their route in the world shipping game and looking for places where they could maximize their profits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDU_iyY6dbs ||
 * 2/25 || Today's class was spent working on the route that each group will use in the World Shipping simulation. Students were reminded to continue to complete their daily journals, revisit the rules, and look for areas to improve their route. We also shared with them some abbreviations to use when recording their purchases and sales. Those are posted below.

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 * 2/26 || Our classes today were very short due to the mini-thon, however students did receive time to finalize their routes for the World Shipping game. ||
 * 2/27 || The students were introduced to the balance sheets that we use to have them record their movements and transactions throughout the simulation. They we shown how to complete them and then allowed to complete days 1 and 2 of the simulation. Days 1 and 2 were then checked by one of the geography teachers. The students were also reminded to keep working on learning the cities and countries, the rules of the game, and fine tuning their strategy. ||
 * 2/28 || The students continued to work through their balance sheets. Days 3-6 were checked in class today. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 3/3 || We started class by discussing the issue of textile and clothing production that is happening in other countries, primarily in southeast Asia. This short video clip was used to show the students differences between wages paid in the developed countries and the developing countries.

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3749317.htm

The remaining time was spent on moving through the game. The students were allowed to push on through day 10 of the simulation. While the students were waiting for their balance sheet to be checked, we made a list of possible review questions for them to work through. Some of these questions will be a part of the assignment.

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 * 3/4 || The students continued on their balance sheets for the World Shipping project. They were permitted to go to the last day (16) of the project. ||
 * 3/5 || Today was our last day in the LGI checking balance sheets. The students had the goal to complete the 16 days of the simulation today. The work on the balance sheets was not graded. However, a balance sheet quiz will be given on Friday so that the students can demonstrate that they can complete them and understand the rules of the simulation. To prepare, students should review the rules of the game, practice the countries and capitals that are used in the game, and practice calculating cost and sale price. All of the materials needed to do that (including blank balance sheets) are available on this wiki page (see 2/17).

Tomorrow the students will be given time to answer the reflection questions that are posted above. The questions have been available in class for the past three days and we have encouraged the students to work on them in their groups during down time. The project grade is 1/3 their journal entries, 1/3 balance sheet quiz, and 1/3 reflection questions.

We were happy to see that many groups really tried to turn their $3,000.00 of start-up money into as much cash as possible at the end of the 16 days. We had several groups earn over $9,000.00 dollars. We have decided to reward the groups who accepted the challenge of wanting to be the best by exempting them from the balance sheet quiz. Groups who earned over $8,500.00 received the exemption. ||
 * 3/6 || Students used the class time today answering some of the reflection questions for part of their grade on the world shipping project. Tomorrow they will take the balance sheet quiz. Materials to help prepare for that are posted above. ||
 * 3/7 || The students were given the balance sheet quiz to wrap-up our World Shipping project. Next week I will introduce the final current events project for the year and we will begin a new unit that focuses on world population problems. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 3/10 || The Final Current Event Project of the year. Current Events III requirements and example posted below. The early turn-in date is April 16th and the deadline is April 25th.

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 * 3/11 || Today we started our work on Unit Four by reading an article titled "Seven Billion and Counting." The article introduced the students to the topic of world population and the challenges it presents for countries as the population continues to grow. I also introduced the students to population pyramids. These graphs will help us to very quickly identify what the current and future conditions are most like in a country based upon the population.

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 * 3/12 || In class, we began looking at the problem of a shrinking population. This problem occurs in developed countries where typically families are having fewer children. Some countries have a birth rate below 2. Chapter 15 will illustrate this problem and how countries are dealing with it. The assigned chapters for this unit are posted below.

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 * 3/13 || The students were given a practice quiz with questions from the seven billion article. Many students struggled with this quiz. I spoke with them about the importance of thinking about what you read and how to apply that to something like note taking. The rest of the time was spent working on the reading notes from the ISN for chapter 15. ||
 * 3/14 || No school for students ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 3/17 || I gave the students time today to finish their notes from the ISN for Chapter 15. After that, I had them review the notes with a partner and then work together on composing a type 2 writing assignment. The task was to write a letter to the Prime Minister of Spain concerning their problems with an aging population. Most students were still working on this assignment so I will provide additional time tomorrow. ||
 * 3/18 || Today the students received additional time complete their letter to the Spanish Prime Minister. The letter is due tomorrow. ||
 * 3/19 || I reviewed population pyramids today and showed the students how countries like China, The United States, and India have changed over time. To do this, we used the following website: populationpyramid.net

After the review, we started chapter 30 which covers China and how they are dealing with overpopulation. ||
 * 3/20 || The students were given time to complete the ISN pages for chapter 30. Any work not completed has been assigned for homework for tomorrow. To assist with the processing activity, use these links. They should help provide the data you need.

http://upfront.scholastic.com/issues/10_28_13/book

http://www.nationmaster.com/ ||
 * 3/21 || The students were either given time to complete the work for chapter 30 (period 4) or the answers for chapter 30 were reviewed with the students. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 3/24 || This week we are starting the final portion of our unit on population problems. The final problem we will look at is high population density. The case study we will look at is on Japan. This is chapter 31 from our TCI textbook and that chapter is posted above. The chapter focuses on four areas, transportation, housing, health, and land use. To help prepare the kids, the following videos were shown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0A9-oUoMug&list=PLFC49A86533B2FA38

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6VUOMVKkEs&list=PLFC49A86533B2FA38 ||
 * 3/25 || Classes today were short (35 minutes) due to the PSSA testing. I have decided to give the students class time today and tomorrow to work on their current events project. This will allow them time to ask me questions about anything they are confused about or help with items such as the type 3. ||
 * 3/26 || Current Event work day. ||
 * 3/27 || The students received time to work on chapter 31 (started on Monday). ||
 * 3/28 || The students were given time to complete the reading, reading notes, and processing activities for chapter 31. Any work not completed, should be completed for Monday. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 3/31 || Today we went over the reading notes and processing activity for chapter 31. The unit test for this chapter will be given next week. To prepare for the test, students should review the reading and ISN pages for chapters 15, 30, and 31. ||
 * 4/1 || With the shortened classes and the PSSA testing ending, I gave the students a break today and showed part of an episode of Planet Earth. The connections to geography are obvious and I was surprised that many students had not seen the series. The students seemed to enjoy it. ||
 * 4/2 || In class today we started preparing for the unit test on world population issues. The students will be allowed to have one page of hand written notes to use on the test. I encouraged the students to focus on the fact that all three chapters presented problems with populations, possible solutions to those problems, and evaluating the costs and benefits of those solutions. Their notes should focus on these same concepts, along with vocabulary. The test will be next Wednesday, April 9th. ||
 * 4/3 || The students received additional time to work on their note sheet that may be used on next week's unit test. I also posted two possible essay questions on which they could practice. These questions may not necessarily be on the test, but they are similar to what will be.

1) What historical event was the largest factor in the population explosion? Provide 2 details of how it (the historical event) changed life and populations.

2) Japan has learned to deal with a high pop.density. Using one of the four areas discussed in the book, provide at least 3 examples of adaptations the Japanese have made. ||
 * 4/4 || I spent the class today introducing the final project of the year. In this project I want to give the students a lot of choices for topics and methods of presentation. The options and requirements are posted below. This project will be due at the beginning of June.

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 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 4/7 || Time was given to brainstorm topics and projects for the end of the year project. I went over the formatting and length for the report option and provided some ideas for the Geo-Author projects. Here's a link to a wikipage I created to model the webpage option. http://thirdperiodtopics.wikispaces.com/Mr.+Repsch%27s+80%27s+Page ||
 * 4/8 || Students continued to work on their final projects. I spoke with each student and had them select a topic and a a type of project. For the Geo-Author, I offered the following ideas for stories:

Somalian Pirates Disaster of the Aral Sea Life in a Nike Sweatshop The horror of human trafficking and forced labor The One Child Policy Surviving Hurricane Katrina Industrial Revolution: Life in a Factory Ancient Civilizations ||
 * 4/9 || Unit Test IV: World Populations ||
 * 4/10 || Unit Test IV: Essay Questions ||
 * 4/11 || Time was given to work on either current events or the end of the year project. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 4/14 || As a preview to our next unit, we watched a video called "World Without Oil." The video highlighted what might happen to our society and our world if oil were to run out. The video can be viewed at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1QgJs7zLwU ||
 * 4/15 || Completed the video started yesterday and had a discussion about the impact that resources have on our lives. We then created small groups and each group looked at a collection of magazines to find political/social issues that are going on around the world. The groups created a list of countries and the problems. ||
 * 4/16 || Continuation of the activity from yesterday. Once the groups finished creating their list of problems and countries, I asked them to pick two of the topics they found and to do some additional research. When we return from the break, the groups will present their findings to the class. ||
 * 4/17 || No School ||
 * 4/18 || No School ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 4/21 || No School ||
 * 4/22 || The students were given time to finish their research on the two social issues or political issues they started last week. In tomorrow's class each group will present their findings to the class. ||
 * 4/23 || In class today, I went over the calendar of events for class for the next few weeks and had the students write this information down in their assignment books. We then practiced presenting information to the class by having the small groups present their findings from the day before. This activity will be completed tomorrow. ||
 * 4/24 || Today we completed the practice presentations started yesterday. To continue to build background information, I assigned the students to read chapter 23 from the TCI book. This chapter is about South Africa. The reading is posted below. The students should take one Cornell Note sheet and one sheet only.

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 * 4/25 || In class today, the current events were collected and students had the choice to either work on the Cornell Notes sheet for chapter 23 or the final project. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 4/28 || Today I returned the Unit 4 test and reviewed the answers with the students. Following that, I had students who did not complete the homework complete it while the other kids received time to work on whatever they chose. ||
 * 4/29 || We reviewed what Cornell Notes are and what they should look like. I also introduced a brain storming strategy to help the students know what information they should put into their notes. The last half hour, I had the kids in groups. Their task was to pick one of the three areas where life improved for black South Africans (ch. 23) and decide which one area (lifestyle, jobs, or education) had the greatest impact on their lives. Tomorrow we will use these topics for some practice debating. ||
 * 4/30 || Practice debates ||
 * 5/1 || Impromptu speeches: I gave the students a variety of topics to use for one minutes speeches. The point of the activity was to help the students think on their feet on to help them get used to being in front of the room. ||
 * 5/2 || Time was set aside today to work on the final project of the year. See 4/4/14 for details on the project choices. ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 5/5 || In class today I introduced the Debating Current Issues project and allowed the students to select groups. Countries for the project were randomly selected. ||
 * 5/6 || today the students received time in the library to research their country for the debating current issues project. ||
 * 5/7 || Library Research ||
 * 5/8 || Library Research ||
 * 5/9 || Library Research ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 5/12 || Library Research ||
 * 5/13 || Library Research ||
 * 5/14 || Class Debates ||
 * 5/15 || Class Debates ||
 * 5/16 || Class Debates ||


 * Date || Class Log ||
 * 5/19 || Work period for the final project of the year. This project is due by June 1st. ||
 * 5/20 || Field Day; no class ||
 * 5/21 || Grade Level Debates in the auditorium ||
 * 5/22 || Grade Level Debates ||
 * 5/23 || Grade Level Debates Finals ||

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