Students have read the article "Technology and the law" in Upfront magazine.
Discussion touched on cyberbullying. Students were divided as to whether a law would help ameliorate the lives of students who were attacked.
The nature of democracy was observed. Democratic decision-making is a lengthy process, accompanied by much debate.
The adversary system of US government was introduced. A struggle between liberals and conservatives is normal and healthy under the adversary system. Also acting as adversaries some of the time are the 3 branches of govt: the legislative, executive and judicial. The 3 branches check, or stop, and balance each other.
From the Greek: demo, "the people" and cracy, "rule by."
See a digital version of the magazine online. .
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Demographics, the study of populations
Demographics are the characteristics of a human population as used in government, marketing or opinion research, or the demographic profiles used in such research.
Commonly used demographics include
gender,
race,
age,
income,
disabilities,
mobility (in terms of travel time to work or number of vehicles available),
educational attainment,
home ownership,
employment status, and even
location.
Therefore my observational demographic profile of the group
in the photo -
50% female, 99% white, median age 32, income 40,000, mobility 100%, education: college degree, home owners 40%, 70% employed,
90% East Shreveport.
Notable demographics:
- The US "baby boom" generation was unusually populous.
- Impoverished nations: the people tend to have large families so that the children help support the family income. These nations cannot afford a welfare or social security system. The children are expected to aid the parents in time of illness or in advanced age.
- wealthy nations: the people tend to have the smallest number of children.
From Wikipedia:
Japan has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, at 81.25 years of age as of 2006.[122] The Japanese population is rapidly aging, the effect of a post-war baby boom followed by a decrease in births in the latter part of the twentieth century.
The changes in the demographic structure have created a number of social issues, particularly a potential decline in the workforce population and increases in the cost of social security benefits such as the public pension plan. Many Japanese youth are increasingly preferring not to marry or have families as adults.[124] Japan's population is expected to drop to 100 million by 2050 and to 64 million by 2100.[123] Demographers and government planners are currently in a heated debate over how to cope with this problem.
Commonly used demographics include
gender,
race,
age,
income,
disabilities,
mobility (in terms of travel time to work or number of vehicles available),
educational attainment,
home ownership,
employment status, and even
location.
Therefore my observational demographic profile of the group
in the photo -
50% female, 99% white, median age 32, income 40,000, mobility 100%, education: college degree, home owners 40%, 70% employed,
90% East Shreveport.
Notable demographics:
- The US "baby boom" generation was unusually populous.
- Impoverished nations: the people tend to have large families so that the children help support the family income. These nations cannot afford a welfare or social security system. The children are expected to aid the parents in time of illness or in advanced age.
- wealthy nations: the people tend to have the smallest number of children.
From Wikipedia:
Japan has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world, at 81.25 years of age as of 2006.[122] The Japanese population is rapidly aging, the effect of a post-war baby boom followed by a decrease in births in the latter part of the twentieth century.
The changes in the demographic structure have created a number of social issues, particularly a potential decline in the workforce population and increases in the cost of social security benefits such as the public pension plan. Many Japanese youth are increasingly preferring not to marry or have families as adults.[124] Japan's population is expected to drop to 100 million by 2050 and to 64 million by 2100.[123] Demographers and government planners are currently in a heated debate over how to cope with this problem.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Guidelines for comparison essays in geography class indie work
The rubric (required elements) that will guide essay writing in geography class includes:
1. Colorful opening. There are 3 recommended ways to create an interest-getting opening: a) use a quote b) ask a question c) write with vivid description.
2. Blend the topics continually in the paper. Do not write a block of material about one topic and then write a separate block about the other topic. Integrate the topics as you offer insight and evidence.
3) Use comparison terms:
* different from,
* the same,
* Both,
* similar to,
* Neither, ... nor,
* like X is (adjective),
* ... than X is (adverb) than.
* both, ...
* either...or
* likewise
* similarly
* although,
* but neither...
* nor
* however
* on the other hand
4. Specific examples must be used to support generalities. An example: generality - The Incredibles was an awesome movie. specific - The Incredibles appealed to me because the characters (especially the mom and the teen sister) were believable. They sounded like people I know.
5. Grammar counts.
6. Spelling, too. When in doubt, see a dictionary or ask me.
7. Punctuation is paramount. Again, ask me or your Grammar Check software.
8. Include documentation via "according to ...". This means include your source - from World Book to your little brother - in the body of your writing. Usually you place it at the end of the first or second sentence, says Grammar For Today.
9. Write a snappy title. Ways to make a title fun are to tweak a song or movie title or use alliteration. Also, write an explanatory subtitle. Example: "Dinkas are Incredibles;" "Many refugees from the Sudanese Dinka tribe have moved from poverty in east Africa to comfort in the US."
10. Finally, please don't put quotation marks around your title - unless you are quoting someone.
1. Colorful opening. There are 3 recommended ways to create an interest-getting opening: a) use a quote b) ask a question c) write with vivid description.
2. Blend the topics continually in the paper. Do not write a block of material about one topic and then write a separate block about the other topic. Integrate the topics as you offer insight and evidence.
3) Use comparison terms:
* different from,
* the same,
* Both,
* similar to,
* Neither, ... nor,
* like X is (adjective),
* ... than X is (adverb) than.
* both, ...
* either...or
* likewise
* similarly
* although,
* but neither...
* nor
* however
* on the other hand
4. Specific examples must be used to support generalities. An example: generality - The Incredibles was an awesome movie. specific - The Incredibles appealed to me because the characters (especially the mom and the teen sister) were believable. They sounded like people I know.
5. Grammar counts.
6. Spelling, too. When in doubt, see a dictionary or ask me.
7. Punctuation is paramount. Again, ask me or your Grammar Check software.
8. Include documentation via "according to ...". This means include your source - from World Book to your little brother - in the body of your writing. Usually you place it at the end of the first or second sentence, says Grammar For Today.
9. Write a snappy title. Ways to make a title fun are to tweak a song or movie title or use alliteration. Also, write an explanatory subtitle. Example: "Dinkas are Incredibles;" "Many refugees from the Sudanese Dinka tribe have moved from poverty in east Africa to comfort in the US."
10. Finally, please don't put quotation marks around your title - unless you are quoting someone.
Indie work: comparing Henry Miller Shreve and Larkin Edwards
Indie work topic:
Comparing the diplomat-pioneer Larkin Edwards to engineer-pioneer Henry Miller Shreve.
You may research the fellows via google as well as quote your teacher's notes.
Comparing the diplomat-pioneer Larkin Edwards to engineer-pioneer Henry Miller Shreve.
You may research the fellows via google as well as quote your teacher's notes.
Open notes quiz Tues/Wed: 5 themes of geography and mondotrudeau notes
Place, Region and Location were featured in class last week as we studied the relative location of Magnet and the factors which inspired the founding and growth of Shreveport.
Notice the cross-cultural tourism event in the illustration: the Dragon Boat Races on the Red River. While I'm sure the Caddo peoples also raced boats, theirs were heavy dug-outs. These Chinese craft are based on ancient and heavy log-based designs. But the modern craft are light and of modern construction.
The team paddling sport of dragon boat racing originated in China over 2000 years ago, says Wikipedia.
Chinese dragons are traditionally believed to be the rulers of rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and the rains of heaven. There are earth dragons, mountain dragons and sky or celestial dragons (Tian Long) in Chinese tradition.
The races are associated with big celebrations in Hong Kong, Shanghai, on the Yangtze River, and in other East Asian nations such as Malaysia and Singapore.
The city of Vancouver, Canada, is also known for its dragon boat enthusiasm. Wonder why?
Quiz: about 14 mult-choice questions.
Notice the cross-cultural tourism event in the illustration: the Dragon Boat Races on the Red River. While I'm sure the Caddo peoples also raced boats, theirs were heavy dug-outs. These Chinese craft are based on ancient and heavy log-based designs. But the modern craft are light and of modern construction.
The team paddling sport of dragon boat racing originated in China over 2000 years ago, says Wikipedia.
Chinese dragons are traditionally believed to be the rulers of rivers and seas and dominate the clouds and the rains of heaven. There are earth dragons, mountain dragons and sky or celestial dragons (Tian Long) in Chinese tradition.
The races are associated with big celebrations in Hong Kong, Shanghai, on the Yangtze River, and in other East Asian nations such as Malaysia and Singapore.
The city of Vancouver, Canada, is also known for its dragon boat enthusiasm. Wonder why?
Quiz: about 14 mult-choice questions.
Cochon de lait is the Cajun French term for a pig roast
The pig was the universal protein source for pioneers in Louisiana. When the winter days hit their lowest temp, the men gathered to butcher the hogs. Of course, every bit of the porker was made into edible items, from snout to feet to tail.
The Cajuns have a special event called Cochon de Lait. It literally translates from French to English as "pig in milk", but would be better called a "suckling pig," says David Walker.
He says, "A Cochon de Lait is basically a cajun pig roast of a whole young pig. The pig is slow roasted for 6 to 12 hours. That is what makes a Cochon de Lait an event rather than just cooking a meal. It's an extended "male bonding", "story telling", "bull shooting", "beverage of your choice drinking", "fire tending" event!"
Today ecologists recognize that the enormous amounts of phosphates emitted by pigs endangers the environment. Phosphates drain into rivers and seas and cause "dead zones."
But scientists in Australia have found a way to get pigs to absorb phosphates. Called the Enviropig, the new swine have been genetically engineered to aborb up to 50% more phosphates, says Popular Science monthly.
The Cajuns have a special event called Cochon de Lait. It literally translates from French to English as "pig in milk", but would be better called a "suckling pig," says David Walker.
He says, "A Cochon de Lait is basically a cajun pig roast of a whole young pig. The pig is slow roasted for 6 to 12 hours. That is what makes a Cochon de Lait an event rather than just cooking a meal. It's an extended "male bonding", "story telling", "bull shooting", "beverage of your choice drinking", "fire tending" event!"
Today ecologists recognize that the enormous amounts of phosphates emitted by pigs endangers the environment. Phosphates drain into rivers and seas and cause "dead zones."
But scientists in Australia have found a way to get pigs to absorb phosphates. Called the Enviropig, the new swine have been genetically engineered to aborb up to 50% more phosphates, says Popular Science monthly.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Shreveport in Place and Location: the Texas Trail and Coates Bluff settlement
As Americans headed West, says caddohistory.com, some people sent their possessions ahead on steamboats up the Red River. The families traveled on horseback or in wagons, frequently traversing this area because it was higher ground. This was known as the Texas Trail numerous years before Shreveport was founded.
James Huntington Cane and William Smith Bennett opened a store in a one-room cabin about 1832 and called it “Cane’s & Bennett’s Bluff.”
Saloons, gambling houses, and dance halls appeared on Commerce Street, giving entertainment to those who had arrived here in the course of moving westward. 2
When the Caddo Indians sold their land to the United States in 1835, they gave a section of the land to their friend and interpreter, Larkin Edwards, who had arrived from Tennessee at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. 3
Edwards sold the land in that same year to Angus McNeill, who located a claim where Shreveport was built. McNeill along with Cane, Bennett, Thomas Taylor Williamson of Arkansas, Sturgis Sprague from Mississippi, Bushrod Jenkins from Natchitoches Parish, James Belton Pickett from South Carolina, and Henry Miller Shreve from Pennsylvania were the founders of the Shreve Town Company on May 27, 1836. 4 These seven investors established the town and invited Shreve to plat it (lay out officially measured sections).
Your teacher has pointed out that in fact they were land speculators; their investment was a gamble.
It was born “Shreve’s Town” and renamed “Shreveport” in 1839. 6 This was the second city in Louisiana, planned because of the fertility of the land and the location along the Red River after it was opened. 7 They formed a community measuring eight streets long and eight wide with the Public Square on Block 23.8 These streets now form present-day downtown Shreveport.
With Texas gaining its independence in 1836, Shreveport’s main street was named Texas Trail and renamed Texas Avenue after its extension. Caddo Street was named for the Caddo Indians, who first owned the land, and Cotton bears the name of the area’s staple crop. Hopeful names were given to Commerce and Market Streets, as the founders anticipated their development into prosperous business streets; the first market house also stood at the northwest intersection of Texas and Market Streets. Fannin, Travis, Milam, and Crockett Streets honor those who died at Goliad, the Alamo, and San Jacinto. Edwards Street remembers Caddo Indian interpreter Larkin Edwards, McNeill Street bears the name of the Shreve Town Company’s president. Spring Street called to mind the nearby springs,
which gave water to the cattle and pasture of the owner of a nearby pioneer boarding house. Lake Street was fittingly named, as it was interrupted by Silver Lake. 9
Shreveport had been challenged by another rising community, Coates Bluff, which had opened the first area post office on April 10, 1838. 10 The community, located on what is now Stoner Hill, had begun with a trading post owned by McLeod and Carr.
Using the Eradicator, Shreve dug a ditch across the forty-two-yard neck of the river circle that went around Coates Bluff, leaving the community dry. 11
James Huntington Cane and William Smith Bennett opened a store in a one-room cabin about 1832 and called it “Cane’s & Bennett’s Bluff.”
Saloons, gambling houses, and dance halls appeared on Commerce Street, giving entertainment to those who had arrived here in the course of moving westward. 2
When the Caddo Indians sold their land to the United States in 1835, they gave a section of the land to their friend and interpreter, Larkin Edwards, who had arrived from Tennessee at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. 3
Edwards sold the land in that same year to Angus McNeill, who located a claim where Shreveport was built. McNeill along with Cane, Bennett, Thomas Taylor Williamson of Arkansas, Sturgis Sprague from Mississippi, Bushrod Jenkins from Natchitoches Parish, James Belton Pickett from South Carolina, and Henry Miller Shreve from Pennsylvania were the founders of the Shreve Town Company on May 27, 1836. 4 These seven investors established the town and invited Shreve to plat it (lay out officially measured sections).
Your teacher has pointed out that in fact they were land speculators; their investment was a gamble.
It was born “Shreve’s Town” and renamed “Shreveport” in 1839. 6 This was the second city in Louisiana, planned because of the fertility of the land and the location along the Red River after it was opened. 7 They formed a community measuring eight streets long and eight wide with the Public Square on Block 23.8 These streets now form present-day downtown Shreveport.
With Texas gaining its independence in 1836, Shreveport’s main street was named Texas Trail and renamed Texas Avenue after its extension. Caddo Street was named for the Caddo Indians, who first owned the land, and Cotton bears the name of the area’s staple crop. Hopeful names were given to Commerce and Market Streets, as the founders anticipated their development into prosperous business streets; the first market house also stood at the northwest intersection of Texas and Market Streets. Fannin, Travis, Milam, and Crockett Streets honor those who died at Goliad, the Alamo, and San Jacinto. Edwards Street remembers Caddo Indian interpreter Larkin Edwards, McNeill Street bears the name of the Shreve Town Company’s president. Spring Street called to mind the nearby springs,
which gave water to the cattle and pasture of the owner of a nearby pioneer boarding house. Lake Street was fittingly named, as it was interrupted by Silver Lake. 9
Shreveport had been challenged by another rising community, Coates Bluff, which had opened the first area post office on April 10, 1838. 10 The community, located on what is now Stoner Hill, had begun with a trading post owned by McLeod and Carr.
Using the Eradicator, Shreve dug a ditch across the forty-two-yard neck of the river circle that went around Coates Bluff, leaving the community dry. 11
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Syllabus, Magnet geography / Trudeau / 2010-2011
As guided by the comprehensive curriculum, which insures topical uniformity across the parish . . .
Aug: basic skills in geography (2 weeks)
Sept: US & Canada (4)
Oct: Central & South America & the Caribbean (3) also, Europe begins.
Nov 4: schools closed for presidential election.
Nov: Europe (4)
Dec: Russia & Northern Eurasia (3)
Jan: Middle East (SW Asia) & Mediterranean Afric
Feb: Sub-Saharan Africa (3)
March: South & Central Asia (3)
April: East Asia (3)
May: Australia & Oceania
Geography is a social studies regimen in which Robert Trudeau's students take a humanities approach appropriate to a college-oriented high school curriculum.
The class integrates
* study of language (especially Greek and Latin roots)
* literature (often through classic films such as Gandhi and Lawrence of Arabia)
* architecture (students make abbreviated models of buildings such as the Taj Mahal and the Great Mosque at Mecca)
* cuisine (taste this Japanese nori, or cultivated seaweed, and write down 5 sensory words)
* music (ethnic or classical music is played in the classroom daily)
* map study (students can draw and label a map comprising the entire world by year's end), * economy (per capita income, standard of living) and
* history (empires, wars, rulers).
Subject-matter units may vary in order and substitutions may occur according to world conditions.
Skills emphasized in geography class comprise the higher thinking modes:
questioning
evaluation
composition
analysis
synthesis
The primary theme is that students are encouraged to gather information about a nation / culture and compare it to previously-studied nations.
Quizzes focus on reading and organizational skills. Reading comprehension is a key to this class as well as to your future success in school and work.
Analysis: to take apart the elements of a culture:
* land - ex., from the cold Himalayas to bustling Shanghai
* resources - petroleum, alumina, arable land, work ethic
* history - golden eras, wars, colonialization, empire
* arts - architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, clothing
* philosophy - What is the theme of Confucianism? can you identify the difference between Buddhism and Taoism?
* government - authoritarian, socialist, democratic
* economy - free enterprise, government controlled, modified
* ethnic groups - Mongolian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Creole
* language - Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese
* religions - the degrees of fervor in Christian, jewish and Muslim communities
Synthesis: combine elements of cultures to offer a theme or thesis.
Ex., a) Write a brief essay showing the similarities in Chinese and American cultures. b) Create an annotated map that shows the influence of Buddhism across several nations in Asia.
Questions which accompany each class activity emphasize interpretation and comparison.
Ex.: if most of the world's poor population cooks over charcoal, what are the indirect stresses on the environment? answer: not only air pollution, but deforestation (charcoal being the product of partially burned trees). Deforestation leads to excessive erosion of topsoil and to an extreme danger: a decline in agricultural production.
Learning styles exploration and communication styles evaluation are the subtext for this social studies class.
* How effective is repetition? How can repetition be made bearable?
* How does art - ex., illustrations - enhance learning? Does color add significant impact to communication?
* Does a hands-on activity (for instance, a puzzle map) enhance retention of material?
* Does a multiple-choice quiz create involvement in a general audience? Is multiple-choice more appealing than a fill-in-the-blanks quiz? Why?
If students both see material on the board, write it down, add an illustration, add color, create a quiz and write an essay on the material do we reach a high level of understanding and retention? That is this teacher's idea of a thorough lesson.
Composition engages students in the highest mode of thinking.
Written communication must be
orderly; logic and chronology and thoughtful transitions must be in evidence. Writing must be:
* detailed - examples and documentation make a full-bodied article.
* lively - a snappy title and colorful opening are mandatory.
* credible - "according to" and a source must accompany all fact and even presentations of opinion. Meanwhile, we also avoid plagiarism.
* insightful rather than lengthy - while offering an adequate amount of evidence is important, the highest level of writing demonstrates questioning, offers a thesis and demonstrates leaps of imagination.
Materials
Rand McNally Quick Reference World Atlas is used in class virtually every day and on every quiz. It comprises demography, topography, political life, and spatial relationships. The RMQRWA offers students opportunities for exploration, memorization and global insight.
Presentations and activities developed by your teacher from material in the NY Times, Public Broadcasting, National Geographic, World Book and numerous additional sources.
The Class Web Site at http://mondotrudeau.blogspot.com is designed to help create a partnership in learning between student, teacher and parents. Assignments, activities, notes, announcements and tests are updated regularly. Here you will find opportunities for bonus credit writing assignments and a place to catch up on notes and tests when you are ill or otherwise absent.
Guest speakers and field trips offer a first-hand learning opportunity. Students' questions are highly valued during these experiences. Post-activity essays afford us an opportunity to evaluate the experience.
Evaluation
Memorization is exercised by a regular schedule of map tests. Spelling counts, as it does all one's life.
Open Notes Multiple Choice Tests offer a challenge to students' ability to take accurate notes, to organize their notes and to use pertinent resources, such as notes from the class web site and resource books in the classroom. Also measured by Open Notes Tests is the ability to read questions and the ability to use deduction in choosing answers.
Essays
Student growth in communications and thinking skills are challenged in the most stringent way by essay questions. Students are given evidence in handouts and expected to follow essay guidelines.
Projects
Special teamwork assignments such as making Powerpoint presentations are an important part of a varied academic diet.
Independent work
Essays are the primarily recommended form of independent work. Each week I suggest several topics for research and writing. From time to time I may allow students to bring a taste of a foreign cuisine to school. I also encourage audio-visual projects such as video and other photography projects.
Email is my way of extending my care to the 143 students I teach each day. Email may be used for bonus work or regular assignments when needed.
Parents and students' questions are answered efficiently by the use of email.
Benchmarks
Instruction and student achievement will be based on these items, as mandated by the Department of Education:
Solving geographic problems by use of geographic materials.
Organizing material by formulating mental maps.
Determining how location and social, cultural, and economic processes affect the features and significance of regions.
Analyzing the structure and interconnectedness of regions.
Determining the social factors that impact human systems.
Analyzing demographic materials.
Comparing economic systems.
Examining the role of technology in human achievement.
Describing the earth's physical challenges and searching for solutions.
Using concepts such as chronology and conflict to analyze history.
Interpreting primary and secondary sources.
Conducting research in efforts to analyze historic issues.
Analyzing cause and effect relationships.
Analyzing and demonstrating an understanding of nations' changes in the modern era.
Analyzing the origins, central ideas and impact of great religions and philosophies.
Tracing the interconnectedness of peoples through research into national and cultural forces.
Grade level Expectations
Competent use of all sections of the atlas.
Mental mapping.
Comparison of cultures.
Use of graphs and diagrams in communicating geographic material.
Drawing conclusions about locations based on the evidence in maps and graphs.
Analysis of economic forces.
Demonstrate an understanding of demographics.
Inquire into the forces that create war and peace.
Describe the cultural forces that link the world's regions.
Aug: basic skills in geography (2 weeks)
Sept: US & Canada (4)
Oct: Central & South America & the Caribbean (3) also, Europe begins.
Nov 4: schools closed for presidential election.
Nov: Europe (4)
Dec: Russia & Northern Eurasia (3)
Jan: Middle East (SW Asia) & Mediterranean Afric
Feb: Sub-Saharan Africa (3)
March: South & Central Asia (3)
April: East Asia (3)
May: Australia & Oceania
Geography is a social studies regimen in which Robert Trudeau's students take a humanities approach appropriate to a college-oriented high school curriculum.
The class integrates
* study of language (especially Greek and Latin roots)
* literature (often through classic films such as Gandhi and Lawrence of Arabia)
* architecture (students make abbreviated models of buildings such as the Taj Mahal and the Great Mosque at Mecca)
* cuisine (taste this Japanese nori, or cultivated seaweed, and write down 5 sensory words)
* music (ethnic or classical music is played in the classroom daily)
* map study (students can draw and label a map comprising the entire world by year's end), * economy (per capita income, standard of living) and
* history (empires, wars, rulers).
Subject-matter units may vary in order and substitutions may occur according to world conditions.
Skills emphasized in geography class comprise the higher thinking modes:
questioning
evaluation
composition
analysis
synthesis
The primary theme is that students are encouraged to gather information about a nation / culture and compare it to previously-studied nations.
Quizzes focus on reading and organizational skills. Reading comprehension is a key to this class as well as to your future success in school and work.
Analysis: to take apart the elements of a culture:
* land - ex., from the cold Himalayas to bustling Shanghai
* resources - petroleum, alumina, arable land, work ethic
* history - golden eras, wars, colonialization, empire
* arts - architecture, painting, sculpture, literature, clothing
* philosophy - What is the theme of Confucianism? can you identify the difference between Buddhism and Taoism?
* government - authoritarian, socialist, democratic
* economy - free enterprise, government controlled, modified
* ethnic groups - Mongolian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Creole
* language - Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese
* religions - the degrees of fervor in Christian, jewish and Muslim communities
Synthesis: combine elements of cultures to offer a theme or thesis.
Ex., a) Write a brief essay showing the similarities in Chinese and American cultures. b) Create an annotated map that shows the influence of Buddhism across several nations in Asia.
Questions which accompany each class activity emphasize interpretation and comparison.
Ex.: if most of the world's poor population cooks over charcoal, what are the indirect stresses on the environment? answer: not only air pollution, but deforestation (charcoal being the product of partially burned trees). Deforestation leads to excessive erosion of topsoil and to an extreme danger: a decline in agricultural production.
Learning styles exploration and communication styles evaluation are the subtext for this social studies class.
* How effective is repetition? How can repetition be made bearable?
* How does art - ex., illustrations - enhance learning? Does color add significant impact to communication?
* Does a hands-on activity (for instance, a puzzle map) enhance retention of material?
* Does a multiple-choice quiz create involvement in a general audience? Is multiple-choice more appealing than a fill-in-the-blanks quiz? Why?
If students both see material on the board, write it down, add an illustration, add color, create a quiz and write an essay on the material do we reach a high level of understanding and retention? That is this teacher's idea of a thorough lesson.
Composition engages students in the highest mode of thinking.
Written communication must be
orderly; logic and chronology and thoughtful transitions must be in evidence. Writing must be:
* detailed - examples and documentation make a full-bodied article.
* lively - a snappy title and colorful opening are mandatory.
* credible - "according to" and a source must accompany all fact and even presentations of opinion. Meanwhile, we also avoid plagiarism.
* insightful rather than lengthy - while offering an adequate amount of evidence is important, the highest level of writing demonstrates questioning, offers a thesis and demonstrates leaps of imagination.
Materials
Rand McNally Quick Reference World Atlas is used in class virtually every day and on every quiz. It comprises demography, topography, political life, and spatial relationships. The RMQRWA offers students opportunities for exploration, memorization and global insight.
Presentations and activities developed by your teacher from material in the NY Times, Public Broadcasting, National Geographic, World Book and numerous additional sources.
The Class Web Site at http://mondotrudeau.blogspot.com is designed to help create a partnership in learning between student, teacher and parents. Assignments, activities, notes, announcements and tests are updated regularly. Here you will find opportunities for bonus credit writing assignments and a place to catch up on notes and tests when you are ill or otherwise absent.
Guest speakers and field trips offer a first-hand learning opportunity. Students' questions are highly valued during these experiences. Post-activity essays afford us an opportunity to evaluate the experience.
Evaluation
Memorization is exercised by a regular schedule of map tests. Spelling counts, as it does all one's life.
Open Notes Multiple Choice Tests offer a challenge to students' ability to take accurate notes, to organize their notes and to use pertinent resources, such as notes from the class web site and resource books in the classroom. Also measured by Open Notes Tests is the ability to read questions and the ability to use deduction in choosing answers.
Essays
Student growth in communications and thinking skills are challenged in the most stringent way by essay questions. Students are given evidence in handouts and expected to follow essay guidelines.
Projects
Special teamwork assignments such as making Powerpoint presentations are an important part of a varied academic diet.
Independent work
Essays are the primarily recommended form of independent work. Each week I suggest several topics for research and writing. From time to time I may allow students to bring a taste of a foreign cuisine to school. I also encourage audio-visual projects such as video and other photography projects.
Email is my way of extending my care to the 143 students I teach each day. Email may be used for bonus work or regular assignments when needed.
Parents and students' questions are answered efficiently by the use of email.
Benchmarks
Instruction and student achievement will be based on these items, as mandated by the Department of Education:
Solving geographic problems by use of geographic materials.
Organizing material by formulating mental maps.
Determining how location and social, cultural, and economic processes affect the features and significance of regions.
Analyzing the structure and interconnectedness of regions.
Determining the social factors that impact human systems.
Analyzing demographic materials.
Comparing economic systems.
Examining the role of technology in human achievement.
Describing the earth's physical challenges and searching for solutions.
Using concepts such as chronology and conflict to analyze history.
Interpreting primary and secondary sources.
Conducting research in efforts to analyze historic issues.
Analyzing cause and effect relationships.
Analyzing and demonstrating an understanding of nations' changes in the modern era.
Analyzing the origins, central ideas and impact of great religions and philosophies.
Tracing the interconnectedness of peoples through research into national and cultural forces.
Grade level Expectations
Competent use of all sections of the atlas.
Mental mapping.
Comparison of cultures.
Use of graphs and diagrams in communicating geographic material.
Drawing conclusions about locations based on the evidence in maps and graphs.
Analysis of economic forces.
Demonstrate an understanding of demographics.
Inquire into the forces that create war and peace.
Describe the cultural forces that link the world's regions.
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Quiz #2: Hydrologists & Kinesiologists
1. The Ozark Mountains: a) Northern Arkansas b) Southern Arkansas.
2. Before the 1700's there was quite a conflict between the a) Osage and the b) Iroquois. Which was the more powerful tribe?
3. The date of the Louisiana Purchase: a) 1783 b) 1803 c) 1835 d) 1836.
4. Which is sweeter, more succulent (juicy) and more aromatic (appealing aroma), the a) pimento, or cherry pepper, or the b) red bell pepper?
5. The Spaceship Earth project is an example of learning that we may term
a) tactile b) holistic c) kinetic d) mnemonic.
6. With a population of 6.8 billion, most people on earth are competing to get an adequate supply of jobs, food, housing and __ . a) living space b) money
c) ecosystem d) water.
7. One of these nations has a totalitarian government, one which has absolute power in regards people's lives. a) China b) India c) Asia d) Africa.
8. 40N, 74W: a) Beijing b) New York City c) Paris d) Chicago.
9. The most important item learned in the recent Mississippi Valley map quiz:
a) 10 states b) tributaries c) memorization d) mnemonics.
10. A hydrologist might be a geologist. T / F
11. The Caddos, Celts, Zulu and Choctaw are indigenous peoples but the aborigines of Australia are not what we call indigenous. T / F
12. There is a great ocean current which flows around the peninsula of Florida and moves slowly north along the Atlantic coast. It is the: a) equatorial b) Canary c) North Atlantic d) Gulf Stream.
13. The devastating Katrina sequence seen in New Orleans in 2005: a) wind-rain-broken levees-flooding b) rain-broken levees-wind-flooding c) flooding-broken levees-wind-rain.
14. Relatively large Island which visibly separates the Caribbean from the Gulf of Mexico: a) Cuba b) Florida c) Venezuela d) Haiti.
1. Northern Ark.
2. The Iroquois; return to the Caddo history to see the explanation.
3. 1803
4. pimento
5. tactile
6. water
7. China
8. NYC
9. mnemonics
10. T
11. F
12. Gulf Stream
13. wind-rain-broken levees-flooding
14. Cuba
2. Before the 1700's there was quite a conflict between the a) Osage and the b) Iroquois. Which was the more powerful tribe?
3. The date of the Louisiana Purchase: a) 1783 b) 1803 c) 1835 d) 1836.
4. Which is sweeter, more succulent (juicy) and more aromatic (appealing aroma), the a) pimento, or cherry pepper, or the b) red bell pepper?
5. The Spaceship Earth project is an example of learning that we may term
a) tactile b) holistic c) kinetic d) mnemonic.
6. With a population of 6.8 billion, most people on earth are competing to get an adequate supply of jobs, food, housing and __ . a) living space b) money
c) ecosystem d) water.
7. One of these nations has a totalitarian government, one which has absolute power in regards people's lives. a) China b) India c) Asia d) Africa.
8. 40N, 74W: a) Beijing b) New York City c) Paris d) Chicago.
9. The most important item learned in the recent Mississippi Valley map quiz:
a) 10 states b) tributaries c) memorization d) mnemonics.
10. A hydrologist might be a geologist. T / F
11. The Caddos, Celts, Zulu and Choctaw are indigenous peoples but the aborigines of Australia are not what we call indigenous. T / F
12. There is a great ocean current which flows around the peninsula of Florida and moves slowly north along the Atlantic coast. It is the: a) equatorial b) Canary c) North Atlantic d) Gulf Stream.
13. The devastating Katrina sequence seen in New Orleans in 2005: a) wind-rain-broken levees-flooding b) rain-broken levees-wind-flooding c) flooding-broken levees-wind-rain.
14. Relatively large Island which visibly separates the Caribbean from the Gulf of Mexico: a) Cuba b) Florida c) Venezuela d) Haiti.
1. Northern Ark.
2. The Iroquois; return to the Caddo history to see the explanation.
3. 1803
4. pimento
5. tactile
6. water
7. China
8. NYC
9. mnemonics
10. T
11. F
12. Gulf Stream
13. wind-rain-broken levees-flooding
14. Cuba
Henry Miller Shreve, the steamer & flat boat and a modern log jam
In the beginning was the flat boat. Men wielding poles gave it direction; it used the current for most of its conveyance. Sides of salted bacon, barrels of molasses and stacks of animal pelts were among the products of the region which could be shipped south by flat boat.
But no one would get rich on the trade engendered by flat boats.
The development of this region was first spurred by steam boats.
Henry Miller Shreve was the developer of the shape and style of the Mississippi River Steamboat, according to author and professor Gary Joiner.
His design featured -
- a wide, shallow draft hull -
- 2 decks
- boiler on main deck
- improved engine
The steamboat brought wealth to the Red River valley through increased trade. Imagine giant stacks of cotton bales on the front and rear decks of a steam boat.
Shreve also enabled river traffic by clearing the Red of a log jam called the Great Raft. By one account the obstructions in the channel stretched from Shreveport to Baton Rouge.
He developed a steam-powered work craft called a Snag Boat to fully leverage the clearing of the river of the masses of heavy trees and debris. The Snag Boat featured a split front hull topped with an armature, or frame, that enabled the men to better use a winch and pulley to extract heavy trees from the river sediment.
Cave-ins of dirt and trees were the main elements of the log jam. The jam was so thick that islands developed in the main channel.
Today Shreveport faces a transportation problem somewhat similar to that of the Great Raft. It is the air access problem due to the oddly high cost of flying in or out of Shreveport Regional Airport.
We need a visionary in the mold of Henry Shreve to clear the obstructions in local air traffic. If we can find a way to lower ticket prices to a competitive level, this region will surely develop more wealth and comfort.
But no one would get rich on the trade engendered by flat boats.
The development of this region was first spurred by steam boats.
Henry Miller Shreve was the developer of the shape and style of the Mississippi River Steamboat, according to author and professor Gary Joiner.
His design featured -
- a wide, shallow draft hull -
- 2 decks
- boiler on main deck
- improved engine
The steamboat brought wealth to the Red River valley through increased trade. Imagine giant stacks of cotton bales on the front and rear decks of a steam boat.
Shreve also enabled river traffic by clearing the Red of a log jam called the Great Raft. By one account the obstructions in the channel stretched from Shreveport to Baton Rouge.
He developed a steam-powered work craft called a Snag Boat to fully leverage the clearing of the river of the masses of heavy trees and debris. The Snag Boat featured a split front hull topped with an armature, or frame, that enabled the men to better use a winch and pulley to extract heavy trees from the river sediment.
Cave-ins of dirt and trees were the main elements of the log jam. The jam was so thick that islands developed in the main channel.
Today Shreveport faces a transportation problem somewhat similar to that of the Great Raft. It is the air access problem due to the oddly high cost of flying in or out of Shreveport Regional Airport.
We need a visionary in the mold of Henry Shreve to clear the obstructions in local air traffic. If we can find a way to lower ticket prices to a competitive level, this region will surely develop more wealth and comfort.
Coates Bluff Nature Trail, adjacent to Magnet, Stoner Elem and Montessori
Here is a look at the North-South open space on the river side of Magnet, Stoner Elem and Montessori for Shreveport. This area, blank on the map, is an old river bed.
When the Great Raft clogged the main body of the Red River, side channels were developed. This former river bed, now an open space and wooded bottom, was a loop. The neighborhood called Anderson Island was created by this and other loops of the river.
This wooded area is being developed into a nature trail by a civic group called A Better Shreveport. The person who identified this area was nature education specialist Jon Soul of Montessori. .
When the Great Raft clogged the main body of the Red River, side channels were developed. This former river bed, now an open space and wooded bottom, was a loop. The neighborhood called Anderson Island was created by this and other loops of the river.
This wooded area is being developed into a nature trail by a civic group called A Better Shreveport. The person who identified this area was nature education specialist Jon Soul of Montessori. .
Mapping overview / East Shreveport; Magnet and neighbors
Classes are reviewing the 5 Themes of Geo and the mapping sensibility that accompanies the sense of place, location, region, movement and human-environment interaction.
On this map students will be able to sketch and identify -
Red R.
Teague Parkway
Fant Parkway
Stoner Ave
Youree Dr
Olive St
Magnet / Valencia Park
Students were helped in adding
Stoner Hill Elem
Montessori School for Spt
and identifying a North-South open space on the river side of three schools: Magnet, Stoner Elem and MSS. This area, blank on the map, is an old river bed.
When the Great Raft clogged the main body of the Red River, side channels were developed. This open space / wooded bottom was a loop of the river. The neighborhood called Anderson Island was created by this and other loops of the Red.
This wooded area is being developed into a greenway or nature trail by a civic group called A Better Shreveport. The person who identified this area was nature education specialist Jon Soul of Montessori. .
On this map students will be able to sketch and identify -
Red R.
Teague Parkway
Fant Parkway
Stoner Ave
Youree Dr
Olive St
Magnet / Valencia Park
Students were helped in adding
Stoner Hill Elem
Montessori School for Spt
and identifying a North-South open space on the river side of three schools: Magnet, Stoner Elem and MSS. This area, blank on the map, is an old river bed.
When the Great Raft clogged the main body of the Red River, side channels were developed. This open space / wooded bottom was a loop of the river. The neighborhood called Anderson Island was created by this and other loops of the Red.
This wooded area is being developed into a greenway or nature trail by a civic group called A Better Shreveport. The person who identified this area was nature education specialist Jon Soul of Montessori. .
Reviewing the 5 Themes of Geography
The 5 Themes of Geography include
- Location, both relative location and absolute location.
- Place, including physical characteristics of place and human characteristics of place.
- Human-environment interaction, comprising human adaptation to the environment, human modification of the environment, and human dependency on the environment.
- Movement, which includes movement of people, movement of goods and movement of ideas.
- Regions, subdivided into formal regions, functional regions and vernacular regions.
Review quiz
Which item of the 5 Themes is indicated by
1. Shreveport's humid climate.
2. Tax incentives (rewards) for movie production in Shreveport.
3. The Gulf Coastal Plain includes Shreveport.
4. Shreveport's indigenous people were expelled around 1835.
5. Shreveport is some 300 miles north of New Orleans.
6. The Fant Parkway was built alongside the Red River in the 1970's.
7. People in the media sometime refer to this area as "S-B Land."
8. Hispanic people comprise (make up) about 2% of the population.
9. Eldorado and Sam's Town are casinos (casino means "house" in Italian) that were added to the Shreveport side of the Red River.
10. Water from the Red River can be purified for use as a municipal (having to do with a city) water supply.
The S-B map:
1. Name the curving, NW to SE thoroughfare (area where things are moved).
2. Name the principal N-S conveyance (area where things are moved).
3. Spt's downtown buildings are north of I-20. T/F
4. Magnet is across the red from a major institution in Bossier:
a) La Boardwalk b) Diamond Jacks / Isle of Capri Casino c) Barksdale Air Force Base.
5. I-20 is basically a highway that carries traffic a) East-West b) North-South c) NW - SE across the US.
1. Human-Environment adaptation
2. Movement of ideas and goods.
3. Place / physical characteristics.
4. Movement of people.
5. Location, relative.
6. Human-environment modification.
7. Regions, vernacular.
8. Place, human characteristics.
9. Human-environment modification.
10. Human-environment dependency.
- Location, both relative location and absolute location.
- Place, including physical characteristics of place and human characteristics of place.
- Human-environment interaction, comprising human adaptation to the environment, human modification of the environment, and human dependency on the environment.
- Movement, which includes movement of people, movement of goods and movement of ideas.
- Regions, subdivided into formal regions, functional regions and vernacular regions.
Review quiz
Which item of the 5 Themes is indicated by
1. Shreveport's humid climate.
2. Tax incentives (rewards) for movie production in Shreveport.
3. The Gulf Coastal Plain includes Shreveport.
4. Shreveport's indigenous people were expelled around 1835.
5. Shreveport is some 300 miles north of New Orleans.
6. The Fant Parkway was built alongside the Red River in the 1970's.
7. People in the media sometime refer to this area as "S-B Land."
8. Hispanic people comprise (make up) about 2% of the population.
9. Eldorado and Sam's Town are casinos (casino means "house" in Italian) that were added to the Shreveport side of the Red River.
10. Water from the Red River can be purified for use as a municipal (having to do with a city) water supply.
The S-B map:
1. Name the curving, NW to SE thoroughfare (area where things are moved).
2. Name the principal N-S conveyance (area where things are moved).
3. Spt's downtown buildings are north of I-20. T/F
4. Magnet is across the red from a major institution in Bossier:
a) La Boardwalk b) Diamond Jacks / Isle of Capri Casino c) Barksdale Air Force Base.
5. I-20 is basically a highway that carries traffic a) East-West b) North-South c) NW - SE across the US.
1. Human-Environment adaptation
2. Movement of ideas and goods.
3. Place / physical characteristics.
4. Movement of people.
5. Location, relative.
6. Human-environment modification.
7. Regions, vernacular.
8. Place, human characteristics.
9. Human-environment modification.
10. Human-environment dependency.
Stoner Ave at Fant Parkway: Riverscape development, Shreveport, will be adjacent to Magnet
In this illustration you see the plan for a housing development, a neighborhood, that will be built adjacent to Magnet on the Fant Parkway side of the campus. It is to be called Riverscape.
In the illustration can you tell that the person's hand is pointing to Magnet campus? The finger is on the tennis courts.
Above is the campus proper, with PAC, central wings and even E wing. Above E wing is the outline of the oval track. At the top is Stoner Ave.
In the illustration can you tell that the person's hand is pointing to Magnet campus? The finger is on the tennis courts.
Above is the campus proper, with PAC, central wings and even E wing. Above E wing is the outline of the oval track. At the top is Stoner Ave.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Back to school night: Thurs, Sept 9, 5:30 pm
Back to School Night will take place on Thursday, 9/9/10, beginning at 5:30 PM.
Parents of Freshmen should meet in the Performing Arts Center, while parents of upperclassmen should meet in the 1st Period classroom of their child.
Looking forward to meeting you!
If you cannot be there, don't hesitate to ask questions via email: trudeau11@gmail.com.
Parents of Freshmen should meet in the Performing Arts Center, while parents of upperclassmen should meet in the 1st Period classroom of their child.
Looking forward to meeting you!
If you cannot be there, don't hesitate to ask questions via email: trudeau11@gmail.com.
Class of 2014 Speed Meet on Fri, Sept 10, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
The Freshman Speed Meet is a mixer designed to get all the first-year students better acquainted. Organized by parents, the event will feature food, prizes and the chance for everyone to broaden their networks.
In the cafeteria from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
More info: trudeau11@gmail.com
In the cafeteria from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
More info: trudeau11@gmail.com
Sketching / mapping the Magnet campus
Students will prepare for walking tours of the campus by reviewing mapping and land forms. Also, review the 5 themes of geography.
If it makes any difference to you, please wear "walking shoes" this week.
- will make sketches of 3 aspects of campus view: a) front of campus - aesthetic view. b) looking up at campus hill from old river valley below the tennis courts. c) looking across campus wings from 2nd floor of E wing.
- sketch and compare with aerial view via Google maps.
- observations on advantages of each view via discussion and notes.
- viewing campus in context of city: connecting streets, proximity to other institutions, centrality, implications for future.
- Brief essay describing the campus in terms of the 5 themes. 5 pts.
If it makes any difference to you, please wear "walking shoes" this week.
- will make sketches of 3 aspects of campus view: a) front of campus - aesthetic view. b) looking up at campus hill from old river valley below the tennis courts. c) looking across campus wings from 2nd floor of E wing.
- sketch and compare with aerial view via Google maps.
- observations on advantages of each view via discussion and notes.
- viewing campus in context of city: connecting streets, proximity to other institutions, centrality, implications for future.
- Brief essay describing the campus in terms of the 5 themes. 5 pts.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Bees at RW Norton Art Foundation, Shreveport; why shouldn't Magnet have bee hives, too?
Gepgraphy students, let's explore a plan to contact Hummer & Sons, local beekeepers, to add hives to the Magnet campus.
Are you aware of the precipitous loss of bees across the country?
"The decline in the US bee population, first observed in 2006, is continuing, a phenomenon that still baffles researchers and beekeepers.
Data from the US Department of Agriculture show a 29 percent drop in beehives in 2009, following a 36 percent decline in 2008 and a 32 percent fall in 2007.
This affects not only honey production but around 15 billion dollars worth of crops that depend on bees for pollination.
Scientists call the phenomenon "colony collapse disorder" that has led to the disappearance of millions of adult bees and beehives and occurred elsewhere in the world including in Europe.
Researchers have looked at viruses, parasites, insecticides, malnutrition and other environmental factors but have been unable to pinpoint a specific cause for the population decline," says breitbart.com.
Are you aware of the precipitous loss of bees across the country?
"The decline in the US bee population, first observed in 2006, is continuing, a phenomenon that still baffles researchers and beekeepers.
Data from the US Department of Agriculture show a 29 percent drop in beehives in 2009, following a 36 percent decline in 2008 and a 32 percent fall in 2007.
This affects not only honey production but around 15 billion dollars worth of crops that depend on bees for pollination.
Scientists call the phenomenon "colony collapse disorder" that has led to the disappearance of millions of adult bees and beehives and occurred elsewhere in the world including in Europe.
Researchers have looked at viruses, parasites, insecticides, malnutrition and other environmental factors but have been unable to pinpoint a specific cause for the population decline," says breitbart.com.
Friday, September 03, 2010
Because of the British Empire, we look for this sign when traveling in almost any nation
Water Closet, as a word for restroom, was a term spread across the globe during the time of the British Empire (1600's - 1900's).
Signage in places such as train stations, parks and hotels is usually abbreviated to WC.
You'll see signs for the WC on every continent and even in nations that were not technically owned by the British.
It's a term even used in some classes at Magnet.
Signage in places such as train stations, parks and hotels is usually abbreviated to WC.
You'll see signs for the WC on every continent and even in nations that were not technically owned by the British.
It's a term even used in some classes at Magnet.
Indie work (independent): building bonus points and raising the average in geography / Trudeau
How to excel in geography class - and at Magnet
Trudeau's web site notes print-out
High school is a game. Suss each teacher's game rules and you'll feel better and better. You will find that each instructor has particular priorities and patterns. Eventually will be able to sense and anticipate how to excel under each teacher.
Students under Robert Trudeau:
1. Slow down as you read and research the answers on the quizzes. Focus. Work on the accuracy of your reading.
Have a print-out of your web site notes. Use a highlighter. Read the web site entries every night.
2. Do Indie Work, aka bonus credit work. Each week I'll put topics on MondoTrudeau that will allow you to find a good assignment. The comparison essays you write will be not be easy to compose, but you will earn important points. Indie work must be submitted via GoogleDocs.
See the essay guidelines under Comparison Essays.
3. Tutoring via after-school time or via email. If you would like extra help, I will be happy to explain and to guide you. Thursday and Fridays are good days for me to work with you. Drop me a line at trudeau11@gmail.com to set a day.
This week's indie work:
In a brief essay (about 1 page, doublespaced, typed, sent via email) compare
Shreveport to Bossier City, mostly on their demographics (statistics) and history.
Cite a source.
Trudeau's web site notes print-out
High school is a game. Suss each teacher's game rules and you'll feel better and better. You will find that each instructor has particular priorities and patterns. Eventually will be able to sense and anticipate how to excel under each teacher.
Students under Robert Trudeau:
1. Slow down as you read and research the answers on the quizzes. Focus. Work on the accuracy of your reading.
Have a print-out of your web site notes. Use a highlighter. Read the web site entries every night.
2. Do Indie Work, aka bonus credit work. Each week I'll put topics on MondoTrudeau that will allow you to find a good assignment. The comparison essays you write will be not be easy to compose, but you will earn important points. Indie work must be submitted via GoogleDocs.
See the essay guidelines under Comparison Essays.
3. Tutoring via after-school time or via email. If you would like extra help, I will be happy to explain and to guide you. Thursday and Fridays are good days for me to work with you. Drop me a line at trudeau11@gmail.com to set a day.
This week's indie work:
In a brief essay (about 1 page, doublespaced, typed, sent via email) compare
Shreveport to Bossier City, mostly on their demographics (statistics) and history.
Cite a source.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
No question that Otzi's an indigenous fellow
Otzi is one of the most famous aboriginal people on the planet. Some 5000 years ago he died on a mountaintop in the Austrian Alps. Some 20 years ago he was discovered in a frozen state where he had lain since 3000 BC.
Today we know a great deal about him from his clothing, weapons, his skin and even his DNA.
See more about here about Otzi the Ice man.
Today we know a great deal about him from his clothing, weapons, his skin and even his DNA.
See more about here about Otzi the Ice man.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
5 Themes of Geography / Shreveport Bossier
Students are in small teams to write 9 multiple-choice questions using the material in my 5 Themes of Geography sheet.
In so doing, they will move to higher levels of thinking and use of imagination.
They will develop an appreciation for the mechanics of tests.
They will learn about S-B.
They will develop an understanding of the 5 themes.
Following the writing of their questions there will be a session for developing the art of presentation as they read their best questions to the class.
In so doing, they will move to higher levels of thinking and use of imagination.
They will develop an appreciation for the mechanics of tests.
They will learn about S-B.
They will develop an understanding of the 5 themes.
Following the writing of their questions there will be a session for developing the art of presentation as they read their best questions to the class.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Quiz on the background of the Caddo peoples
Caddo Quiz / geography / Trudeau
1. The name for the state of __ used by one of the tribes of the Caddo nation has come into widespread use. a) Louisiana b) Mississippi c) Texas d) Oklahoma
2. The home of the Caddo today: a) Louisiana b) Mississippi c) Texas d) Oklahoma
3. The first European explorer to visit the Caddo: a) Iberville b) DeSoto
c) Bienville d) Nacogdoches.
4. Principal nations involved in colonization: a) France & Spain b) France & England c) Spain & England.
5. The Caddo were devastated by diseases brought by the colonials. Another word for devastated: a) damned b) defiled c) dislocated
d) decimated.
6. Which group first invaded the Caddo lands? a) Osage b) US troops c) European colonists d) Choctaw.
7. Based on the sound and appearance of the word, the term Anglo must refer to the settlers from a) England b) Spain c) France d) Germany.
8. Was the date of the Louisiana Purchase before or after the US treaty with the Caddo? a) before b) after c) both.
9. One of Louisiana's neighbors was classified as a separate and foreign nation during the 1800s. That was a) Alabama b) Texas c) Arkansas d) Mississippi.
Please see the reading on which these questions are based:
http://mondotrudeau.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-background-of-name-of-this-august_17.html
1. Texas 2. Oklahoma 3. DeSoto 4. France & Spain 5. decimated
6. Osage 7. England (see the ngl sound) 8. before 9. Texas
1. The name for the state of __ used by one of the tribes of the Caddo nation has come into widespread use. a) Louisiana b) Mississippi c) Texas d) Oklahoma
2. The home of the Caddo today: a) Louisiana b) Mississippi c) Texas d) Oklahoma
3. The first European explorer to visit the Caddo: a) Iberville b) DeSoto
c) Bienville d) Nacogdoches.
4. Principal nations involved in colonization: a) France & Spain b) France & England c) Spain & England.
5. The Caddo were devastated by diseases brought by the colonials. Another word for devastated: a) damned b) defiled c) dislocated
d) decimated.
6. Which group first invaded the Caddo lands? a) Osage b) US troops c) European colonists d) Choctaw.
7. Based on the sound and appearance of the word, the term Anglo must refer to the settlers from a) England b) Spain c) France d) Germany.
8. Was the date of the Louisiana Purchase before or after the US treaty with the Caddo? a) before b) after c) both.
9. One of Louisiana's neighbors was classified as a separate and foreign nation during the 1800s. That was a) Alabama b) Texas c) Arkansas d) Mississippi.
Please see the reading on which these questions are based:
http://mondotrudeau.blogspot.com/2010/08/what-background-of-name-of-this-august_17.html
1. Texas 2. Oklahoma 3. DeSoto 4. France & Spain 5. decimated
6. Osage 7. England (see the ngl sound) 8. before 9. Texas
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Project on the Five Themes of Geography as they apply to Shreveport
Students will add color to a one-sheet project based on a map of Shreveport-Bossier that includes notes illustrating The 5 Themes of Geography and the municipality of Shreveport. In group work students will also compose 9 multiple-choice questions based on the 5 Themes material. Include answers. Up to 5 pts to be awarded in class.
* Location
- Relative Location - Shreveport is 3 hours east of Dallas. It is 4 hours drive north of Houston. It is also over 6 hours drive north of New Orleans.
- Absolute Location - Shreveport: 32N, 94W
* Place
- Human Characteristics - Shreveport's population is about 51% African-American and 47% Caucasian.
- Physical Characteristics - Shreveport is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain and the valley of the Red River.
* Human-Environmental Interactions
- Humans adapt to the environment - much of the year is hot and humid. Might that be why the city has relatively few sidewalk cafe tables?
- Humans modify the environment - the edge of the Red River is marked by casinos, Riverview Park and the Fant Parkway bike trail.
- Humans depend on the environment - Shreveport's water supply is Cross Lake. Bossier's water supply is the Red River.
* Movement
- People - Shreveport's indigenous population was forced out of the region in the mid 1800's. The Caddo mostly re-settled in Oklahoma.
- Goods - Until recently the GM Hummer was manufactured in Shreveport.
- Ideas - Tax incentives offered by the state have drawn Hollywood movie productions to Shreveport.
* Regions
- Formal - The state of Louisiana.
- Functional - NW La.
- Vernacular (perceptual) - the Bible Belt.
More examples of the 5 Themes here.
* Location
- Relative Location - Shreveport is 3 hours east of Dallas. It is 4 hours drive north of Houston. It is also over 6 hours drive north of New Orleans.
- Absolute Location - Shreveport: 32N, 94W
* Place
- Human Characteristics - Shreveport's population is about 51% African-American and 47% Caucasian.
- Physical Characteristics - Shreveport is part of the Gulf Coastal Plain and the valley of the Red River.
* Human-Environmental Interactions
- Humans adapt to the environment - much of the year is hot and humid. Might that be why the city has relatively few sidewalk cafe tables?
- Humans modify the environment - the edge of the Red River is marked by casinos, Riverview Park and the Fant Parkway bike trail.
- Humans depend on the environment - Shreveport's water supply is Cross Lake. Bossier's water supply is the Red River.
* Movement
- People - Shreveport's indigenous population was forced out of the region in the mid 1800's. The Caddo mostly re-settled in Oklahoma.
- Goods - Until recently the GM Hummer was manufactured in Shreveport.
- Ideas - Tax incentives offered by the state have drawn Hollywood movie productions to Shreveport.
* Regions
- Formal - The state of Louisiana.
- Functional - NW La.
- Vernacular (perceptual) - the Bible Belt.
More examples of the 5 Themes here.
In-class project: Atlantic storm tracking map
Student maps should be spread across 2 notebook pages (N & S Amer on the left, Europe & Af on the right). Include the outlines of the following land masses:
Western Europe
West Africa
S America
Central America
N Amer
Cuba (separates the Caribbean from the Gulf)
Atlantic
Caribbean
Gulf of Mexico
Ocean currents:
- N and S Equatorial
- N Atlantic
- Gulf Stream
- Canary
Equator
Prime Meridian
Tropics
40N, 40S and 50W, 2E
Use color.
Add a title.
Western Europe
West Africa
S America
Central America
N Amer
Cuba (separates the Caribbean from the Gulf)
Atlantic
Caribbean
Gulf of Mexico
Ocean currents:
- N and S Equatorial
- N Atlantic
- Gulf Stream
- Canary
Equator
Prime Meridian
Tropics
40N, 40S and 50W, 2E
Use color.
Add a title.
Basics of geography: the projections used in constructing maps
Goal: that students demonstrate knowledge that there are many ways to scientifically create maps.
See this article and illustrations at the US Geological Survey site.
A map projection is used to portray all or part of the round Earth on a flat surface. This cannot be done without some distortion.
Every projection has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. There is no "best" projection.
The mapmaker must select the one best suited to the needs, reducing distortion of the most important features.
Mapmakers and mathematicians have devised almost limitless ways to project the image of the globe onto paper. Scientists at the U. S. Geological Survey have designed projections for their specific needs—such as the Space Oblique Mercator, which allows mapping from satellites with little or no distortion.
This document gives the key properties, characteristics, and preferred uses of many historically important projections and of those frequently used by mapmakers today.
Which ones best suit your needs?
Every flat map misrepresents the surface of the Earth in some way. No map can rival a globe in truly representing the surface of the entire Earth. However, a map or parts of a map can show one or more—but never all—of the following: True directions. True distances. True areas. True shapes.
For example, the basic Mercator projection is unique; it yields the only map on which a straight line drawn anywhere within its bounds shows a particular type of direction, but distances and areas are grossly distorted near the map's polar regions.
On an equidistant map, distances are true only along particular lines such as those radiating from a single point selected as the center of the projection. Shapes are more or less distorted on every equal-area map. Sizes of areas are distorted on conformal maps even though shapes of small areas are shown correctly. The degree and kinds of distortion vary with the projection used in making a map of a particular area. Some projections are suited for mapping large areas that are mainly north-south in extent, others for large areas that are mainly east-west in extent, and still others for large areas that are oblique to the Equator.
The scale of a map on any projection is always important and often crucial to the map's usefulness for a given purpose. For example, the almost grotesque distortion that is obvious at high latitudes on a small-scale Mercator map of the world disappears almost completely on a properly oriented large-scale Transverse Mercator map of a small area in the same high latitudes. A large-scale (1:24,000) 7.5-minute USGS Topographic Map based on the Transverse Mercator projection is nearly correct in every respect.
A basic knowledge of the properties of commonly used projections helps in selecting a map that comes closest to fulfilling a specific need.
See this article and illustrations at the US Geological Survey site.
A map projection is used to portray all or part of the round Earth on a flat surface. This cannot be done without some distortion.
Every projection has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. There is no "best" projection.
The mapmaker must select the one best suited to the needs, reducing distortion of the most important features.
Mapmakers and mathematicians have devised almost limitless ways to project the image of the globe onto paper. Scientists at the U. S. Geological Survey have designed projections for their specific needs—such as the Space Oblique Mercator, which allows mapping from satellites with little or no distortion.
This document gives the key properties, characteristics, and preferred uses of many historically important projections and of those frequently used by mapmakers today.
Which ones best suit your needs?
Every flat map misrepresents the surface of the Earth in some way. No map can rival a globe in truly representing the surface of the entire Earth. However, a map or parts of a map can show one or more—but never all—of the following: True directions. True distances. True areas. True shapes.
For example, the basic Mercator projection is unique; it yields the only map on which a straight line drawn anywhere within its bounds shows a particular type of direction, but distances and areas are grossly distorted near the map's polar regions.
On an equidistant map, distances are true only along particular lines such as those radiating from a single point selected as the center of the projection. Shapes are more or less distorted on every equal-area map. Sizes of areas are distorted on conformal maps even though shapes of small areas are shown correctly. The degree and kinds of distortion vary with the projection used in making a map of a particular area. Some projections are suited for mapping large areas that are mainly north-south in extent, others for large areas that are mainly east-west in extent, and still others for large areas that are oblique to the Equator.
The scale of a map on any projection is always important and often crucial to the map's usefulness for a given purpose. For example, the almost grotesque distortion that is obvious at high latitudes on a small-scale Mercator map of the world disappears almost completely on a properly oriented large-scale Transverse Mercator map of a small area in the same high latitudes. A large-scale (1:24,000) 7.5-minute USGS Topographic Map based on the Transverse Mercator projection is nearly correct in every respect.
A basic knowledge of the properties of commonly used projections helps in selecting a map that comes closest to fulfilling a specific need.
Open notes, multiple choice quiz on Th/Fr: identifications, vocab and reading comprehension
The weekly geography quiz will comprise -
- vocab, such as mnemonic, pimento and hydrology.
- identifications such as meridian and parallell.
- reading comprehension from a selection on map projections.
- from 11 to 15 questions.
Your homework every night: read and notate the web site.
- vocab, such as mnemonic, pimento and hydrology.
- identifications such as meridian and parallell.
- reading comprehension from a selection on map projections.
- from 11 to 15 questions.
Your homework every night: read and notate the web site.
Mississippi valley map quiz Tues/Wed: 15 pts on memorization & spelling
Mississippi valley map quiz as announced and practiced in class on Fri:
Students will rapidly create and label a sketch map on a blank sheet of paper.
Mnemonics will make the task an easy preparation.
- Blocky sketch showing states and rivers in their general perspective.
- 10 states - each correctly spelled.
- 4 tributaries - spelling!
- Gulf of Mexico
Students will rapidly create and label a sketch map on a blank sheet of paper.
Mnemonics will make the task an easy preparation.
- Blocky sketch showing states and rivers in their general perspective.
- 10 states - each correctly spelled.
- 4 tributaries - spelling!
- Gulf of Mexico
Friday, August 27, 2010
Holistic teaching: kinesiology, oxygenation and stress relief
If I teach you ways to stimulate your brain and relax your muscles then your overall performance at school may be enhanced. It's part of holistic teaching.
Some guiding ideas -
Teachers can design holistic teaching practices, says the Univ of Wisconsin, by creating lessons which incorporate learning experiences from all three domains: the cognitive (thinking), the affective (feeling), and the psychomotor or physical (kinesthetic, tactile, and/or physical).
Kinesiology, from the Greek words kinesis (movement) and kinein (to move), also known as human kinetics, is the science of human movement. It is a regulated health profession that focuses on physical activity.[1]
Oxygenation occurs when oxygen molecules (O2) enter the tissues of the body. For example, blood is oxygenated in the lungs, where oxygen molecules travel from the air and into the blood.
The body’s natural relaxation response is a powerful antidote to stress. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and progressive muscle relaxation can help you activate this relaxation response.
Some guiding ideas -
Teachers can design holistic teaching practices, says the Univ of Wisconsin, by creating lessons which incorporate learning experiences from all three domains: the cognitive (thinking), the affective (feeling), and the psychomotor or physical (kinesthetic, tactile, and/or physical).
Kinesiology, from the Greek words kinesis (movement) and kinein (to move), also known as human kinetics, is the science of human movement. It is a regulated health profession that focuses on physical activity.[1]
Oxygenation occurs when oxygen molecules (O2) enter the tissues of the body. For example, blood is oxygenated in the lungs, where oxygen molecules travel from the air and into the blood.
The body’s natural relaxation response is a powerful antidote to stress. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization and progressive muscle relaxation can help you activate this relaxation response.
Fifth anniversary of the flooding of New Orleans and decimation of the Gulf Coast by Hurricane Katrina
In important ways the hurricane spared New Orleans: winds and rain were manageable. But the larger pattern of storm winds pushed massive amounts of water into channels and canals around the Crescent City.
Then the levees failed.
The breaching of the levees by high waters produced the flooding that devastated New Orleans.
Here's the Times-Picayune (Nola.com) interactive description of the disaster.
Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast the winds, rain and tidal surge of Katrina were cataclysmic. In Louisiana, the small city of Slidell was horribly stricken by high winds and storm-forced flooding.
Thus "Katrina" was a true monster.
Then the levees failed.
The breaching of the levees by high waters produced the flooding that devastated New Orleans.
Here's the Times-Picayune (Nola.com) interactive description of the disaster.
Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast the winds, rain and tidal surge of Katrina were cataclysmic. In Louisiana, the small city of Slidell was horribly stricken by high winds and storm-forced flooding.
Thus "Katrina" was a true monster.
Spaceship earth: teaching and using the system of coordinates that we call latitude and longitude
Teaching coordinates and Spaceship Earth
1. Color, cut and paste globes of lat. and long. from p. 5, textbook.
- Identify sample coordinates; see the terms parallel and meridian.
- Use the globes as part of your Spaceship Earth Teaching Project.
2. Great Circle route sketches, p 6.
3. What's distorted on a Mercator projection? Is a Robinson projection
more accurate than a Mercator? Why?
4. Making our own Atlantic Hurricane Tracking map
- refer to WG, p. 28 and p. 63. Identify -
Europe
Africa
S America
North Amer
Gulf Stream
North Atlantic Current
Canary Current
Equatorial Current (N Equatorial and S Equatorial)
Read about the Coriolis Effect on prevailing winds.
5 themes of geography . . .
Location of the people? Manhattan
Character of the place? Island at confluence of
Interaction of people and the place?
Movement of people, goods and ideas?
Comparison of places: how are they similar and how different?
1. Color, cut and paste globes of lat. and long. from p. 5, textbook.
- Identify sample coordinates; see the terms parallel and meridian.
- Use the globes as part of your Spaceship Earth Teaching Project.
2. Great Circle route sketches, p 6.
3. What's distorted on a Mercator projection? Is a Robinson projection
more accurate than a Mercator? Why?
4. Making our own Atlantic Hurricane Tracking map
- refer to WG, p. 28 and p. 63. Identify -
Europe
Africa
S America
North Amer
Gulf Stream
North Atlantic Current
Canary Current
Equatorial Current (N Equatorial and S Equatorial)
Read about the Coriolis Effect on prevailing winds.
5 themes of geography . . .
Location of the people? Manhattan
Character of the place? Island at confluence of
Interaction of people and the place?
Movement of people, goods and ideas?
Comparison of places: how are they similar and how different?
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Indigenous peoples: the original inhabitants
The adjective indigenous has the common meaning of "from" or "of the original origin".
Indigenous peoples are people, communities, and nations who claim a historical continuity and cultural affinity with societies endemic to their original territories that developed prior to exposure to the larger connected civilization associated with Western culture, says Wikipedia.
Other terms for indigenous peoples include aborigines, aboriginal people, native people, first people, fourth world cultures and autochthonous.
Indigenous peoples are people, communities, and nations who claim a historical continuity and cultural affinity with societies endemic to their original territories that developed prior to exposure to the larger connected civilization associated with Western culture, says Wikipedia.
Other terms for indigenous peoples include aborigines, aboriginal people, native people, first people, fourth world cultures and autochthonous.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
What does a Hydrologist do?
One of the themes of geography class is water and its scarcity and how to share it smartly.
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, says Wikipedia, including the hydrologic cycle and water resources. A practitioner of hydrology is a hydrologist, working within the fields of either earth or environmental science, physical geography, geology or civil and environmental engineering.
Domains of hydrology include hydrometeorology, surface hydrology, hydrogeology, drainage basin management and water chemistry, where water plays the central role. Oceanography and meteorology are not included because water is only one of many important aspects.
Hydrological research can inform environmental engineering, policy and planning.
The term hydrology is from Greek: ὕδωρ, hydōr, "water"; and λόγος, logos, "study".
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, says Wikipedia, including the hydrologic cycle and water resources. A practitioner of hydrology is a hydrologist, working within the fields of either earth or environmental science, physical geography, geology or civil and environmental engineering.
Domains of hydrology include hydrometeorology, surface hydrology, hydrogeology, drainage basin management and water chemistry, where water plays the central role. Oceanography and meteorology are not included because water is only one of many important aspects.
Hydrological research can inform environmental engineering, policy and planning.
The term hydrology is from Greek: ὕδωρ, hydōr, "water"; and λόγος, logos, "study".
Fruit or nuts as a school day snack, rather than crunchy Cheetos (which, in truth, I love)
The theme of holistic teaching means we should try to reach each learner through a variety of means. Thus I care about establishing healthy snacking patterns for students at Magnet.
Bring a fruit or nut snack to class in the next class for a bonus of 2 pts.
Bring a fruit or nut snack to class in the next class for a bonus of 2 pts.
Mimal & Wiktm and mnemonics
Mr Mimal and Mr Wiktm ("Well, I know the math," said one of my students) are not real fellows. They are imaginary people. We call them mnemonics.
Mnemonics are memory aids. They help students learn, especially when it comes to memorization. Mimal helps people remember the states that border the Miss R on the west side. Wiktm is his podna on the east.
In class students used a US map handout to denote the 10 Miss valley states.
Pupils colored them in the practice of tactile learning - using the sense of touch.
Then the class added 5 of the tributaries ("contribute") of the Miss.
- the Ohio, Tenn, Missouri, Ark and Red rivers.
How is that network of rivers like an early form of the internet? That's a question for brief response on the next quiz.
How is a Philadelphia cab driver connected to a dock worker in New Orleans?
There's an answer that relates to our map.
Finally, I call our sketch-based learning the Einstein approach. That's because Einstein used visualization throughout his entire life, says slideshare.net.
At the age of 16 Einstein used visualization when he discovered that the speed of light was always constant. Einstein believed that visual understanding was the most important form of education and more important than knowledge. Later in life Einstein would write: “ I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world.”
Mnemonics are memory aids. They help students learn, especially when it comes to memorization. Mimal helps people remember the states that border the Miss R on the west side. Wiktm is his podna on the east.
In class students used a US map handout to denote the 10 Miss valley states.
Pupils colored them in the practice of tactile learning - using the sense of touch.
Then the class added 5 of the tributaries ("contribute") of the Miss.
- the Ohio, Tenn, Missouri, Ark and Red rivers.
How is that network of rivers like an early form of the internet? That's a question for brief response on the next quiz.
How is a Philadelphia cab driver connected to a dock worker in New Orleans?
There's an answer that relates to our map.
Finally, I call our sketch-based learning the Einstein approach. That's because Einstein used visualization throughout his entire life, says slideshare.net.
At the age of 16 Einstein used visualization when he discovered that the speed of light was always constant. Einstein believed that visual understanding was the most important form of education and more important than knowledge. Later in life Einstein would write: “ I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination circles the world.”
Spaceship Earth teaching project
Teaching a lesson in latitude and longitude / the Spaceship Earth teaching project
6 pts
Due Th, Fri, Sept 2, 3.
- Using your Spaceship Earth sheet, teach a person review of latitude and longitude.
- Your pupil might be a sibling, a parent, a peer, a child or an adult.
- Identify the equator and prime meridian.
- Sailors, pilots and the makers of GPS (Global Positioning System) devices are among those who depend on this grid system.
- After explaining the coordinate system, have the student add a line of both latitude and longitude to your map.
- Show your student the coordinates for Shreveport on the map: 32N, 94W.
- Ask your student to place these major cities using only the coordinates.
New York City: 40N, 74W
Paris: 49N, 2E
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 23S, 43W
Johannesburg, South Africa: 26S, 28E
Complete the project by getting your
Pupil's
- signature,
- status (3rd graders, mom, uncle, etc) and
- occupation (student, etc),
Be prepared to stand and make a brief presentation to the class when the assignment is due.
6 pts
Due Th, Fri, Sept 2, 3.
- Using your Spaceship Earth sheet, teach a person review of latitude and longitude.
- Your pupil might be a sibling, a parent, a peer, a child or an adult.
- Identify the equator and prime meridian.
- Sailors, pilots and the makers of GPS (Global Positioning System) devices are among those who depend on this grid system.
- After explaining the coordinate system, have the student add a line of both latitude and longitude to your map.
- Show your student the coordinates for Shreveport on the map: 32N, 94W.
- Ask your student to place these major cities using only the coordinates.
New York City: 40N, 74W
Paris: 49N, 2E
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 23S, 43W
Johannesburg, South Africa: 26S, 28E
Complete the project by getting your
Pupil's
- signature,
- status (3rd graders, mom, uncle, etc) and
- occupation (student, etc),
Be prepared to stand and make a brief presentation to the class when the assignment is due.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Notes on population, Ramadan and coordinates
Implications of the world population of 6.8 billion -
- a crowded planet, therefore . . .
- food shortages
- water "
- housing "
- jobs "
India: democratic government. Fastest population growth.
China: totalitarian / Communist government. The central authorities control population by the policy that states "One family, one child."
* Required for geography class: Hammond Notebook Atlas or the Rand McNally Notebook Atlas.
Spaceship Earth project -
- Cutting, coloring, pasting, adding info: a tactile, or hands-on lesson.
- World Geo reading on coordinates: pp. 5 - 7, 35, 237.
- Pangaea - theory of massive continent that split apart into today's several continents.
- oblate - oval
Ramadan Mubarak! ("Happy Ramadan!")
- a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset.
- one billion Muslims across the world.
- feast that ends Ramadan: Eid al Fitr.
- a crowded planet, therefore . . .
- food shortages
- water "
- housing "
- jobs "
India: democratic government. Fastest population growth.
China: totalitarian / Communist government. The central authorities control population by the policy that states "One family, one child."
* Required for geography class: Hammond Notebook Atlas or the Rand McNally Notebook Atlas.
Spaceship Earth project -
- Cutting, coloring, pasting, adding info: a tactile, or hands-on lesson.
- World Geo reading on coordinates: pp. 5 - 7, 35, 237.
- Pangaea - theory of massive continent that split apart into today's several continents.
- oblate - oval
Ramadan Mubarak! ("Happy Ramadan!")
- a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset.
- one billion Muslims across the world.
- feast that ends Ramadan: Eid al Fitr.
The implications of 6.8 billion people
Feeding, supplying water, offering housing and creating jobs for a crowded planet is a problem in most nations today.
The recent rapid increase in human population, says Wikipedia, over the past two centuries has raised concerns that humans are beginning to overpopulate the Earth, and that the planet may not be able to sustain present or larger numbers of inhabitants.
The population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death, around the year 1400;[2] at the beginning of the 19th century, it had reached roughly 1,000,000,000 (1 billion). Increases in life expectancy and resource availability during the industrial and green revolutions led to rapid population growth on a worldwide level. By 1960, the world population had reached 3 billion; it doubled to 6 billion over the next four decades.
The scientific consensus is that the current population expansion and accompanying increase in usage of resources is linked to threats to the ecosystem. Many environmental problems, such as rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, and pollution, were believed to be aggravated by the population expansion.[6]
The recent rapid increase in human population, says Wikipedia, over the past two centuries has raised concerns that humans are beginning to overpopulate the Earth, and that the planet may not be able to sustain present or larger numbers of inhabitants.
The population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death, around the year 1400;[2] at the beginning of the 19th century, it had reached roughly 1,000,000,000 (1 billion). Increases in life expectancy and resource availability during the industrial and green revolutions led to rapid population growth on a worldwide level. By 1960, the world population had reached 3 billion; it doubled to 6 billion over the next four decades.
The scientific consensus is that the current population expansion and accompanying increase in usage of resources is linked to threats to the ecosystem. Many environmental problems, such as rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, global warming, and pollution, were believed to be aggravated by the population expansion.[6]
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Enrichment reading: the history of navigation
Enrichment reading: the history of navigation
The first record of boats large enough to carry goods for trade is around 3500 B.C., says boatsafe.com, and this would mark the birth of the art of navigation.These first navigators stayed close to shore and navigated by sight of landmarks or land characteristics that they could see. Usually they traveled by day and sought a calm harbor or anchorage at night. They did not have charts but lists of directions, similar to today’s cruising guides.
When they did venture out of sight of land, the navigator was able to determine his latitude (north/south direction) by observing the height of the sun during the day and the North Star at night.
Please see more at boatsafe.com.
The first record of boats large enough to carry goods for trade is around 3500 B.C., says boatsafe.com, and this would mark the birth of the art of navigation.These first navigators stayed close to shore and navigated by sight of landmarks or land characteristics that they could see. Usually they traveled by day and sought a calm harbor or anchorage at night. They did not have charts but lists of directions, similar to today’s cruising guides.
When they did venture out of sight of land, the navigator was able to determine his latitude (north/south direction) by observing the height of the sun during the day and the North Star at night.
Please see more at boatsafe.com.
Multiple choice, open notes test: first quiz in geo class on Wed-B/Th-A
For the first quiz, prepare your class notes and notes from MondoTrudeau articles.
Typically your teacher's questions address vocab, facts and implications of the material. Refer to the practice quiz on Caddo history.
The quiz will be an open notes test of some 12 questions. Most questions will be multiple choice.
You must always be ready for a "constructed response" question/answer. That means a question to be answered in 2 or 3 sentences that shows your ability to offer appropriate facts in a mini-essay. You must also show strength in grammar, spelling and construction.
5 pts. Due on Wed/Th.
Typically your teacher's questions address vocab, facts and implications of the material. Refer to the practice quiz on Caddo history.
The quiz will be an open notes test of some 12 questions. Most questions will be multiple choice.
You must always be ready for a "constructed response" question/answer. That means a question to be answered in 2 or 3 sentences that shows your ability to offer appropriate facts in a mini-essay. You must also show strength in grammar, spelling and construction.
5 pts. Due on Wed/Th.
World geography project: latitude & longitude review via Spaceship Earth poster
This week in class -
Students will demonstrate knowledge of latitude and longitude via a colorful one-sheet project called Spaceship Earth.
Designations -
- equator
- prime meridian
- examples of latitude N and S, of medians both E and W.
- a major city in each quardrant.
- major bodies of water.
- world population
- texture via cutting and pasting 2 elements (I did narrow lines for the equator and the prime meridian.)
- color.
- title.
Students will demonstrate knowledge of latitude and longitude via a colorful one-sheet project called Spaceship Earth.
Designations -
- equator
- prime meridian
- examples of latitude N and S, of medians both E and W.
- a major city in each quardrant.
- major bodies of water.
- world population
- texture via cutting and pasting 2 elements (I did narrow lines for the equator and the prime meridian.)
- color.
- title.
World Geography additional text: The 2009 World Almanac Notebook Atlas by Hammond Atlas Corp
With the help of the local Barnes & Noble staff, I have decided on requiring of my World Geography students the 2009 World Almanac Notebook Atlas (Hammond) by Hammond World Atlas Corporation.
It costs $6.95 at full price.
Barnes & Noble has plenty of store and warehouse stock. You might be able to order it online for the equivalent price or at a savings. Please investigate.
The reasons for requiring an additional atlas:
a) the textbook maps are useful but not as large and detailed as these.
b) the data in the textbook was compiled some 12 years ago.
c) the paperback atlas represents a family resource - it encourages quick use in researching material from TV, movies, books, magazines and discussions.
Please secure the book asap. My extended deadline will be Sept 6.
Questions? trudeau11@gmail.com.
It costs $6.95 at full price.
Barnes & Noble has plenty of store and warehouse stock. You might be able to order it online for the equivalent price or at a savings. Please investigate.
The reasons for requiring an additional atlas:
a) the textbook maps are useful but not as large and detailed as these.
b) the data in the textbook was compiled some 12 years ago.
c) the paperback atlas represents a family resource - it encourages quick use in researching material from TV, movies, books, magazines and discussions.
Please secure the book asap. My extended deadline will be Sept 6.
Questions? trudeau11@gmail.com.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
What's for lunch this week: Pimento Cheese sandwich
Pimento cheese is a common food in the Southern United States. The basic recipe for most pimento cheese spreads has few ingredients: sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, salt and pepper, blended to either a smooth or chunky paste[1]. There are a multitude of regional ingredients, which include but are not limited to: Velveeta cheese, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, jalapeños, dill pickles, onions, or garlic[2][3][4].
The primary way pimento cheese is eaten is as a sandwich on soft white bread, and is considered a Southern comfort food[7].
The pimento or cherry pepper is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). The flesh of the pimento is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper.
"Pimiento" is the Spanish word used in English.
The primary way pimento cheese is eaten is as a sandwich on soft white bread, and is considered a Southern comfort food[7].
The pimento or cherry pepper is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper (Capsicum annuum). The flesh of the pimento is sweet, succulent and more aromatic than that of the red bell pepper.
"Pimiento" is the Spanish word used in English.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Out of print: the long-valued Rand McNally Quick Reference World Atlas!
You may cease the quest for the Rand McNally Quick Reference World Atlas. I apologize for your inconvenience.
Two weeks before school began I checked online to make sure that copies of my work-horse would be available. There seemed to be a more than adequate supply. Little did I know that Rand McNally had ceased publication of the $6 book. Nor did I realize that the listings of used copies would give way to "out of stock."
Meantime, we will use the maps in the textbook.
Sorry!
Two weeks before school began I checked online to make sure that copies of my work-horse would be available. There seemed to be a more than adequate supply. Little did I know that Rand McNally had ceased publication of the $6 book. Nor did I realize that the listings of used copies would give way to "out of stock."
Meantime, we will use the maps in the textbook.
Sorry!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
"Caddo:" what's the background of the name of this august secondary school?
"The Caddo Nation is a confederacy of several Southeastern Native American tribes," says Wikipedia, "who traditionally inhabited much of what is now East Texas, northern Louisiana and portions of southern Arkansas and Oklahoma. Today the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma is a cohesive tribe with its capital at Binger, Oklahoma.
The Caddo lived in the Piney Woods eco-region of the United States up to the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and often near the Caddo River.
Several Caddo villages were resettled, including the community of Elysian Fields, Texas, and Nacogdoches and Natchitoches, both of which have kept their original names. The Caddo were progressively moved further west until they reached what is now western Oklahoma.
Caddo food varied in many types, the most common being dried corn. Sunflower seeds and pumpkins were also important staples with cultural significance, as were wild turkeys.
The Caddo first encountered Europeans in 1541 when the Hernando de Soto Expedition came through their lands.[16] De Soto's force had a violent clash with one band of Caddo Indians, the Tula, near Caddo Gap, Arkansas.
The Caddo tribes were divided into three confederacies when first encountered by the Europeans, the Hasinai, Kadohadacho, and Natchitoches, and loosely affiliated with other tribes. The Haisinai lived in East Texas, the Kadohadacho lived near the border of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and the Natchitoches lived in now northern Louisiana.[17]
With the arrival of missionaries from Spain and France a smallpox epidemic broke out that decimated the population. Measles, influenza, and malaria also devastated the Caddo, as they were Eurasian diseases to which they had no immunity.[14]
Before extensive European contact, some of the Caddo territory was invaded by migrating Osage, Ponca, Omaha and Kaw, who had moved west beginning about 1200 CE because of years of warfare with the Iroquois in the Ohio River area of present-day Kentucky. The Osage particularly dominated the Caddo and pushed them out of some former territory, becoming dominant in the region of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Having given way over years before the power of the former Ohio Valley tribes, Caddos later negotiated for peace with Spanish, French, and finally Anglo-American settlers. After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the United States government sought to ally with the Caddos. In 1835 the Kadohadacho, the northernmost Caddo confederacy, signed a treaty with the US to relocate to then Mexico. This area had been rapidly transformed by greatly increased immigration of European Americans, who in 1836 declared independence from Mexico with the Republic of Texas.[14]
"Texas" comes from the Hasinai word táysha, meaning "friend."[18]"
Please answer the reading comprehension quiz which follows on the blog; the questions are taken directly from this article.
The Caddo lived in the Piney Woods eco-region of the United States up to the foothills of the Ozark Mountains and often near the Caddo River.
Several Caddo villages were resettled, including the community of Elysian Fields, Texas, and Nacogdoches and Natchitoches, both of which have kept their original names. The Caddo were progressively moved further west until they reached what is now western Oklahoma.
Caddo food varied in many types, the most common being dried corn. Sunflower seeds and pumpkins were also important staples with cultural significance, as were wild turkeys.
The Caddo first encountered Europeans in 1541 when the Hernando de Soto Expedition came through their lands.[16] De Soto's force had a violent clash with one band of Caddo Indians, the Tula, near Caddo Gap, Arkansas.
The Caddo tribes were divided into three confederacies when first encountered by the Europeans, the Hasinai, Kadohadacho, and Natchitoches, and loosely affiliated with other tribes. The Haisinai lived in East Texas, the Kadohadacho lived near the border of Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and the Natchitoches lived in now northern Louisiana.[17]
With the arrival of missionaries from Spain and France a smallpox epidemic broke out that decimated the population. Measles, influenza, and malaria also devastated the Caddo, as they were Eurasian diseases to which they had no immunity.[14]
Before extensive European contact, some of the Caddo territory was invaded by migrating Osage, Ponca, Omaha and Kaw, who had moved west beginning about 1200 CE because of years of warfare with the Iroquois in the Ohio River area of present-day Kentucky. The Osage particularly dominated the Caddo and pushed them out of some former territory, becoming dominant in the region of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma.
Having given way over years before the power of the former Ohio Valley tribes, Caddos later negotiated for peace with Spanish, French, and finally Anglo-American settlers. After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the United States government sought to ally with the Caddos. In 1835 the Kadohadacho, the northernmost Caddo confederacy, signed a treaty with the US to relocate to then Mexico. This area had been rapidly transformed by greatly increased immigration of European Americans, who in 1836 declared independence from Mexico with the Republic of Texas.[14]
"Texas" comes from the Hasinai word táysha, meaning "friend."[18]"
Please answer the reading comprehension quiz which follows on the blog; the questions are taken directly from this article.
Looking historically at the name "Caddo" - a diagnostic quiz
The Caddo in 4 States quiz -
- concepts in social studies
- using context to enrich your vocabulary
1. "Confederacy:" a) organized group b) rebels c) native Americans.
2. "cohesive tribe:" a) conflicted b) sticking together c) diminishing
3. Ozark Mountains: a) southern Arkansas b) northern Arkansas
4. Nacogdoches and Natchitoches were names that came from the: a) settlers
b) native peoples c) we are not sure of the source.
5. This article implies that the Caddo consumed ___ protein. a) much b) little
6. "Kadohadacho" were tribal peoples also known as the a) Hasinai b) Natchitoches c) Caddo.
7. "Decimated" means a) measured b) destroyed c) aided by.
8. The Ohio Valley tribe that overpowered the Caddo: a) Iroquois b) Hasinai c) Osage.
9. In 1836, one year after the founding of Shreve Town, aka Shreveport, the Republic of __ proclaimed freedom from the vast nation of Mexico.
a) Texas b) Oklahoma c) the United States.
10. T / F The name "Texas" comes from the Spanish language term for "friend."
11. "August" has a meaning beyond (see the title of this article) the name of the 8th month: a) high in status b) warm to hot c) small to medium-sized.
1.a2.b3.b4.b5.b6.c7.b8.c9.a10.f11.a
- concepts in social studies
- using context to enrich your vocabulary
1. "Confederacy:" a) organized group b) rebels c) native Americans.
2. "cohesive tribe:" a) conflicted b) sticking together c) diminishing
3. Ozark Mountains: a) southern Arkansas b) northern Arkansas
4. Nacogdoches and Natchitoches were names that came from the: a) settlers
b) native peoples c) we are not sure of the source.
5. This article implies that the Caddo consumed ___ protein. a) much b) little
6. "Kadohadacho" were tribal peoples also known as the a) Hasinai b) Natchitoches c) Caddo.
7. "Decimated" means a) measured b) destroyed c) aided by.
8. The Ohio Valley tribe that overpowered the Caddo: a) Iroquois b) Hasinai c) Osage.
9. In 1836, one year after the founding of Shreve Town, aka Shreveport, the Republic of __ proclaimed freedom from the vast nation of Mexico.
a) Texas b) Oklahoma c) the United States.
10. T / F The name "Texas" comes from the Spanish language term for "friend."
11. "August" has a meaning beyond (see the title of this article) the name of the 8th month: a) high in status b) warm to hot c) small to medium-sized.
1.a2.b3.b4.b5.b6.c7.b8.c9.a10.f11.a
Class of 2014 Talent Show performance night scheduled for Tues, April 19, 6:30 pm, PAC
In the Magnet tradition, the Class of 2014 will enjoy the team-building and celebration of talent that comes from producing an all-freshman talent show.
The performance night will be Tues, April 19, 6:30 pm, in the PAC.
We've accepted a Tues night showtime because the Magnet PAC calendar is chock full of activities. This was the best date available when your sponsor visited the school calendar.
Try-outs will be held Th and Fri, Ap 7 and 8, after school - in the PAC.
The week of Rehearsals will be held during testing week: April 11 - 15.
Performers and production staff (set, costumes, sound & lights, etc) will be expected to be present Mon - Fri from 3:50 to 5 pm (or later, on some days).
Teacher sponsors are Robert Trudeau and Ginger Marks.
We welcome all forms of performance talent: readings, acting, martial arts, dressage, etc. Please see your sponsors for developing the possibilities.
The performance night will be Tues, April 19, 6:30 pm, in the PAC.
We've accepted a Tues night showtime because the Magnet PAC calendar is chock full of activities. This was the best date available when your sponsor visited the school calendar.
Try-outs will be held Th and Fri, Ap 7 and 8, after school - in the PAC.
The week of Rehearsals will be held during testing week: April 11 - 15.
Performers and production staff (set, costumes, sound & lights, etc) will be expected to be present Mon - Fri from 3:50 to 5 pm (or later, on some days).
Teacher sponsors are Robert Trudeau and Ginger Marks.
We welcome all forms of performance talent: readings, acting, martial arts, dressage, etc. Please see your sponsors for developing the possibilities.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Water Bottle represents an industry that is far from helpful and deserves a second look by consumers
Tapped, an excellent documentary hitting DVD this week, details, with grim thoroughness, the multiple overlapping evils of the bottled water industry, says NPR.org.
Basically, the film contends, the bottled water industry is an ecological and consumer nightmare from end to end.
Corporations like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle mine public water sources and sell it back to the public at criminal markup. (Forty percent of bottled water is just recycled tap water from municipal sources.)
Of course, all of this water has to be transported, processed, packaged and retailed – with attendant energy costs. Most of those plastic bottles end up in landfills, or the ocean. The statistics are dispiriting.
According to the film, Americans buy 29 billion single-serve bottles of water each year. About 20 percent are recycled. Transporting the water uses about 18 million gallons of oil.
Basically, the film contends, the bottled water industry is an ecological and consumer nightmare from end to end.
Corporations like Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Nestle mine public water sources and sell it back to the public at criminal markup. (Forty percent of bottled water is just recycled tap water from municipal sources.)
Of course, all of this water has to be transported, processed, packaged and retailed – with attendant energy costs. Most of those plastic bottles end up in landfills, or the ocean. The statistics are dispiriting.
According to the film, Americans buy 29 billion single-serve bottles of water each year. About 20 percent are recycled. Transporting the water uses about 18 million gallons of oil.
Saturday, August 07, 2010
US no longer leads in college degrees, ages 25 to 34 - 11 nations ahead of US in finishing degrees
From NY Times columnist Bob Herbert
According to a new report from the College Board, the U.S. is 12th among developed nations in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees. The report said, “As America’s aging and highly educated work force moves into retirement, the nation will rely on young Americans to increase our standing in the world.”
The problem is that today’s young Americans are not coming close to acquiring the education and training needed to carry out that mission. They’re not even in the ballpark. In that key group, 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree, the U.S. ranks behind Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Israel, France, Belgium and Australia. That is beyond pathetic.
“While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy,” the report said, “the educational capacity of our country continues to decline.”
Continues Herbert:
But instead of exercising the appropriate mental muscles, we’re allowing ourselves to become a nation of nitwits, obsessed with the comings and goings of Lindsay Lohan and increasingly oblivious to crucially important societal issues that are all but screaming for attention. What should we be doing about the legions of jobless Americans, the deteriorating public schools, the debilitating wars, the scandalous economic inequality, the corporate hold on governmental affairs, the commercialization of the arts, the deficits?
Why is there not serious and widespread public engagement with these issues — and many others that could easily come to mind? That kind of engagement would lead to creative new ideas and would serve to enrich the lives of individual Americans and the nation as a whole. But it would require a heavy social and intellectual lift.
Your teacher:
Bob Herbert is a heavy-handed writer who should avoid words like "nitwits" and the phrase "beyond pathetic." He is "name calling" and demonstrating how writers sometimes take cheap shortcuts in opinion pieces.
Nonetheless, I share his concern. As your teacher I pledge to work hard to ready you for college and other advanced studies.
According to a new report from the College Board, the U.S. is 12th among developed nations in the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with college degrees. The report said, “As America’s aging and highly educated work force moves into retirement, the nation will rely on young Americans to increase our standing in the world.”
The problem is that today’s young Americans are not coming close to acquiring the education and training needed to carry out that mission. They’re not even in the ballpark. In that key group, 25- to 34-year-olds with a college degree, the U.S. ranks behind Canada, South Korea, Russia, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland, Norway, Israel, France, Belgium and Australia. That is beyond pathetic.
“While the nation struggles to strengthen the economy,” the report said, “the educational capacity of our country continues to decline.”
Continues Herbert:
But instead of exercising the appropriate mental muscles, we’re allowing ourselves to become a nation of nitwits, obsessed with the comings and goings of Lindsay Lohan and increasingly oblivious to crucially important societal issues that are all but screaming for attention. What should we be doing about the legions of jobless Americans, the deteriorating public schools, the debilitating wars, the scandalous economic inequality, the corporate hold on governmental affairs, the commercialization of the arts, the deficits?
Why is there not serious and widespread public engagement with these issues — and many others that could easily come to mind? That kind of engagement would lead to creative new ideas and would serve to enrich the lives of individual Americans and the nation as a whole. But it would require a heavy social and intellectual lift.
Your teacher:
Bob Herbert is a heavy-handed writer who should avoid words like "nitwits" and the phrase "beyond pathetic." He is "name calling" and demonstrating how writers sometimes take cheap shortcuts in opinion pieces.
Nonetheless, I share his concern. As your teacher I pledge to work hard to ready you for college and other advanced studies.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Make a model of the ocean-crossing catamaran made of plastic bottles called Plastiki
Student adventurers: make a paper model of Plastiki to explore lessons in re-use of plastic products and to investigate additional sustainable technologies.
See more on Plastiki at National Geographic.
See more on Plastiki at National Geographic.
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