Human Geography of Europe

This week our focus has been on the human geography of Europe. We are learning about the four sub-regions of Europe. In class today we are using the infographics we created yesterday to teach about an aspect of your assigned region. We are using a chart to take notes in class as we add to our knowledge of the four regions.

*Don't forget that the European map quiz is tomorrow!! We have been preparing for this for more than a week. Study study school's your buddy!!

Entering Europe

What are five landmarks in Europe?

Today we finished off our unit on Culture by taking a quiz on language, government, population, and economy.

We began our study of Europe by discussing some major landmarks and then analyzing several features from our atlas section. In groups, we interpreted graphs and maps to find out information about Europe.

Then we got started on our European Mapping Activity. An instruction sheet and 2 maps (physical & political) were given out. You are to correctly find, label, and color the features of both maps. A key must also be provided. We will take a map quiz over the major countries & landforms of Europe on Wednesday, February 29...so study, study school's your buddy!

Create-a-Culture Presentations

How is a country's population growth rate figured?

Today we presented our Create-a-Culture projects. Each group had 10 minutes to detail the culture they created. Each group will be graded per the rubric provided at the beginning of the project assignment.

After presentations, we completed a personal reflection and evaluation to be turned in by the end of class.

Then we spent the last few minutes of class organizing last week's notes on Culture to prepare for a quiz tomorrow!

How do we define culture?

Happy Monday!

I hope you enjoyed your long weekend!
I want to remind you to be prepared to share your Create-a-Culture projects with your group tomorrow in class!! Please make sure to turn in your Group Proposal sheet before you present your project. Each group will have 10 minutes to present. Your presentation should be organized, practiced, and informational. You will be demonstrating the various aspects of culture through this project.

After presentations, you will complete a personal reflection and evaluation regarding this project.

Also, please take a few minutes to look over your notes on culture. We will have a quiz at the beginning of class on Wednesday.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Blagg





"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." -Theodore Roosevelt

Understanding Population

   This week we've continued with our unit on Culture. We discussed language families, types of government, and today we learned about population rates. We began class with a series of statements about population and its affects. With each statement we decided what our "stand" on the statement would be by going to a designated part of the classroom. We discussed varying viewpoints of each statement and then took notes along with a powerpoint about populaiton rates, densities, and distribution.
   Then we individually completed a handout on population pyramids according to the Census Bureau's website.
   The remainder of class was spend working in your groups for the Create-a-Culture project. Remember, your keynote/PPT and your typed papers must be organized in turned in tomorrow by the end of class. We will present our projects on Tuesday, Feb. 21 in class!

Change & Exchange

Today's discussion was about cultural changes and exchanges. We discussed cultural diffusion and how it affects food and religion. Then we completed a partner activity in which we mapped the major world religion and analyzed how those religions traveled.

The Create-a-Culture project was assigned today. Groups were formed and proposal sheets were handed out to record our brainstorm sessions. Your culture project proposal will be turned in for approval on Friday.

the Culture Behind Cave Art

  Our classroom was set up like an art gallery today. Each exhibit had an example of ancient cave art. As a class, we discussed the possible interpretations behind each art exhibit and what it tells us about that society's culture.
  Next we looked at modern examples of cultural expression.
  Then we created our own "cave art" in groups. Each group had to decide on shared characteristic to illustrate at least 6 of the 8 identifiers of culture.

{Please read Ch. 4 in your textbook for class tomorrow.}

Reviewing Climate Regions and Changes

Thursday - We worked on a partner project in class in which we created a climate map complete with latitudes, pictures, and a key. Then we used a worksheet to analyze weather in each region.

Friday - After our current world event research and discussion, we watched a film about climate changes and its effects. We completed a video notes handout as we watched the film and turned in our daily work logs before leaving for the weekend!

Finishing our 1st Unit

What type of climate region do we live in?

Our first test was given today over Unit 1 - Basics of Geography, Mapping Skills, Themes, and Climate.

After the test we turned in our homework - Extreme Weather Current Event.
We also completed a handout about climographs.

What was your favorite thing we learned about from our first unit?

Tomorrow we will begin our unit on Culture!

Climate Regions

  Today we reviewed what we have learned about weather and climate and we watched a film by the Discovery Channel about Extreme Weather. We completed a questions handout about the film as we watched.
  Then we took notes along with a presentation about the climate regions of the world and the basics of soil and vegetation.

*Remember your Extreme Weather homework is due tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will take our test over Unit 1!

Climate & Extreme Weather

How would you describe the type of weather you experience living in the Lexington area? 
   After finishing our ABC Book presentations, we began a new section on Climate and Weather. We completed a handout in class on the various types of landforms and then took notes along with a presentation about what causes climate patterns and extreme circumstance weather. We used our daily work logs to respond to a writing prompt.

   A research handout was distributed to be completed and turned in at the beginning of class on Wednesday. You will need to research a world current event about extreme weather and analyze it with our themes of geography.

   *Remember, we will take our test over Unit 1 (Basic Geography Skills and Mapping) on Wednesday, February 1.

Happy Friday!

  In our Friday tradition, we began class by selecting a current world news article and comparing the article to what we are learning in the classroom. Today you were asked to relate your article to our themes of movement and human-environment interaction. After reading and logging the information on our daily work logs, we took turns sharing our articles in class.
  We took our quiz today over the themes and latitude and longitude. After all quizzes were in, we took turns presenting our ABC Book of South Carolina projects.

Human Environment Interaction

  Today we took notes along with a presentation describing how and why we interact with our environment.
  We watched The Lorax - adapted from the Dr. Seuss book - to get a visualization of how we affect the world around us everyday. After watching we completed a worksheet in which we analyzed the positive and negative effects of that interaction. We also discussed the daily activities we take part in and if those activities are more helpful or harmful to our environments.

*Please remember that tomorrow we will take our first quiz.
*We will also present 4 pages from our ABC Books of South Carolina to the class before turning them in.

Movement

  Today we discussed our 4th theme of Geography. We began class with a film of the different places and regions of America. We used the film to aid our understanding of how people, products, and ideas move through our world.
  After taking some notes along with a lecture, a worksheet was handed out as a homework assignment. You are to use this to log the products in your home that represent movement.
  For the remainder of class we worked on our projects - the ABC Book of South Carolina.

Exploring the Five Themes

  Yesterday, we talked about the 2nd of our Five Themes of Geography: Place. We took a few notes and refreshed our knowledge of latitude and longitude. To put place into practice we had groups create a skit to describe a place that the class had to guess. Then we received an assignment for our ABC Book of South Carolina. This project will count as a quiz grade and is due on Friday, January 27. We received our rubrics for the assignment and spent about 30 minutes getting a start on it.
  Today we explored the theme of Region! We talked specifically about the perceptual regions of the U.S. After a mapping activity and some notes, we spent the rest of class working on our projects.

*Remember you will also have a quiz over latitude/longitude and the themes on Friday!

it's grapefruit day!!

  Today we started class by selecting a current world news article. Sites were provided to look up on your iPad or magazines can be found in the classroom. After reading, we discussed our articles and tied it into the 5 Themes we've been discussing in class.
  Then we completed a map skills handout on projections. On the back of this handout is some more latitude/longitude practice. This needs to be completed as homework to turn in on Monday.
  After a brief presentation on the major types of map projections, we used our grapefruit for a group activity. The goal was to create a globe on each grapefruit and then try to produce a map projection. Each group member received a handout to complete by Monday.

Enjoy your weekend!

*Tissues for the classroom would be appreciated!

a geographer's tools...

What are the two types of location we discussed in yesterday's lecture?

  Today we practiced our latitude and longitude skills! We started with a handout which we completed in class and then we used our iPads to scan a code that took us to an interactive quiz. We then used the handout to find the absolute locations for 11 major cities. (This needs to be turned in for credit.)
  Later, we took notes along with a presentation about some of the tools and technologies used in geography today.
  Tomorrow we will discuss map projections! Remember to bring your grapefruit! :)

Back to the Basics

What is geography?
  We began class today with a graffiti chart - organizing our thoughts about geography and pinpointing a consensus definition.
  Then we explored our textbooks by completing a Textbook Scavenger worksheet during class. These do need to be turned in for daily credit.
  We took our first notes today along with a powerpoint about the basic ideas and tools of geography. We described the Five Themes of Geography (location, place, region, movement, human-environment interaction) and explored location today.
  We ended class by playing Famous Amos - an activity in which you have to guess what location you are in by asking questions to find your relative location.
* Please bring a grapefruit for an activity we will do on Friday!

Welcome to World Geography!

  Welcome back students! I trust you enjoyed your long weekend and are ready for a new semester!
  Today in World Geography we began class with a notecard and a question - If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? We used this to start a class discussion and we will come back to these later - so stay tuned!
  We went over the syllabus today and you need to have a parent fill out the info sheet so you can return it for class tomorrow. We went through introductions and there is a "contract" on the bottom of the parent letter that also needs to be signed and returned for class tomorrow.
  After a little icebreaker activity, we took a pre-test to gauge our geography skills. We reviewed this in class,   but I will also look at these to gain a consensus for our class geography aptitude.
  Today we also got our textbooks! Please make sure to write your name in ink in the front cover. We will use these often during class, so come prepared!
  I'm excited about this new semester and the road ahead of us! Please feel free to email me or come by my room if you ever have any questions or issues.

World Geography Final

  Our final will be over the material we learned about Europe, Russia, Africa, Asia, and the Asia map.
  Exams will be today and tomorrow during normal class schedule. Study guides and unused hall passes must be turned in after final exam for redemption.
  All textbooks must be turned in to my room by Friday.

Good Luck & Hope you have a great rest of the year!