Tuesday, November 29, 2016

East Asia Sketch Map Questions

East Asia Sketch Map Questions:
1.  Where do you think population is most dense?  Give at least two factors to support your prediction.
2.  Where do you think population is least dense?  Give at least two factors to support your prediction.
3.  Why is water such an important resource?
4.  What factors would explain why there is so much agriculture?
5.  Which factors best explain why population is so sparse in the North and West?
6.  Which industries would you expect to grow the most?  Why?






Religious Tolerance In SE Asia

Today's task is to investigate religious tolerance in SE Asia.

1.  Log into the cloud and open Google Apps For Students
2.  Use the following link to access the articles, maps, and data to help you respond to the "Student Response Organizer." There is also a chart to remind you of the different religions in the region.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1MUdxetj8MAb1NDZ3dwbWJQWDQ
3.  When finished, complete the "FINAL ASSESSMENT."

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Environmental Issues In China

The folder with all of the articles, steps, and products that are due is here:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1MUdxetj8MANkdBdlY2ZkVWUG8

You will be picking one environmental issue, doing research and creating a news report.  All resources are in the folder "Environmental Issues In China."

The research is due 28/29, report is due 30/31

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Population in India and China

POPULATION ISSUES IN CHINA AND INDIA

OVERVIEW:

China and India are the two most populous countries in the world, but they have taken very different approaches to population control. Students will gather population statistics for these two countries, read about population issues in both places, and determine whether India should adopt a one-child policy like the one implemented by the Chinese government.

OBJECTIVES:

      Discuss why a country might try to limit its birth rate
      Compare life expectancy and per capita income for China and India
      Use and online database to compare other population indicators for China and India
      Write paragraphs explaining what these population statistics reveal about China and India
      Read and answer questions about the population situation in China and India

PROCEDURE/EVALUATION:

  1. Go to https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html.

  1. Compare China and India on the following indicators:
    1.  life expectancy
    2.  population size
    3.  per capita income (GDP-per capita)
    4. birth rate
    5. death rate
    6. literacy rate
    7. infant mortality

  1.  Record the numbers you see. Make a chart that displays the information in an orderly way

  1. What do these numbers reveal about China and India? Support your answer with specific examples from the statistics.


  1. Read the article about China’s population controls and India’s family planning policies here:  http://www.country-studies.com/china/population-control-programs.html

    1. What factors contribute to China's birth rates?


    1. What is the government’s role in this country’s growth rate?


    1. Should India have a one-child policy like China’s? Why or why not? Use specific examples from the research.

    1. Hypothesize the economic reasons why people might want to have smaller families. In particular, how might limiting the number of children in a family affect the family’s ability to earn and save money?


    1. Can you think of examples of the reverse scenario, in which it would make more financial sense for a family to have more children? Explain. 

    1. Discuss the force that was sometimes used to “encourage” China’s one-child policy in a negative way.  In your opinion, could this happen now?


  1. Read the following article published by the Associated Press which appeared in The Denver Post as well as in many newspapers around the country in July of 2010. 


  1. Looking this article in a strictly economic sense, is this an effective population control?  Why?

  1. What is the ethical dilemma of government involvement in population controls?

  1. What is your reaction to this article?




Monsoon Asia

India: Monsoon
Web Quest Challenge

Water in India is a matter of extremes, veering between drought and floods, life and death. There is no other place on the planet with such wide vacillations between wet and dry. Water weighs so heavily on the Indian mind that the Hindu faithful see the country’s rivers as sacred. Yet, at the same time, mastery of these holy rivers has been vital to India’s existence.1

Against this background this is a Web Quest Challenge for students to explore many aspects of the
monsoon in India, begin to understand the importance of the monsoon to the very existence of the
people, its place in the culture and some of the current issues in its management on the macro scale in
the day to day lives in rural and urban areas.

1.  Watch the introductory video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNl7URLPMKU

2.  Listen to music
The monsoon is celebrated with song and dance in the popular culture aka bollywood movies and pop
music as well as in classical music traditions.
Suggested search terms: Raag Megh Malhar or bollywood rain songs
o Do you know any other songs about rain?
o How do you feel when it rains?
o What season is most important to you and why?

3.  The Damned- read the following article and answer the questions:
Some places have too much water and some none at all.
o What can we do? Explore issues around building big dams to manage water in the article
o Other countries have also dammed rivers to try and manage the water supply. Can you find
examples from other countries and compare outcomes?

Answer the following questions:
o What are problems India faces when it comes to water? Too much rain, too little rain?
o How are people in rural areas affected? Do urban dwellers fare better?
o How would you cope with either too much rain or not enough drinking water?

5.  2012 Floods and Drought
As the above author mentions India veers between drought and floods – but 2012 saw both extremes at around the same time in different parts of the country.  Write a 3 or 4 sentence summary about how the floods and drought affected India in 2012.
Suggested search terms: India Monsoon floods 2012 and India drought 2012

6.  The Challenge

o Are there any solutions to weathering an unpredictable monsoon?

Monday, November 7, 2016

Monday, October 31, 2016

South Asia Sketch Maps

1. Log into the cloud- then open "Google Apps for Students."
2. Turn to pages 264-265 in the book.
3.  Sketch 2 maps- A political map, and a physical map.
4.  Open the following document for a list of things that need to be on each map:
https://drive.google.com/a/austinisd.org/file/d/0B1MUdxetj8MAdjZyVVVhcjZBZTg/view?usp=sharing

5.  Answer the following questions:
Which areas are probably the most densely populated?  Why?
Which areas are probably the least densely populated?  Why?
Which areas would you think are most affected by extreme weather?  Why?
If you had to choose where to live on the map, where would it be?  Why?  (Think about access to water, elevation, etc...)

Hinduism - Key Points and Symbols

Hinduism - Key Points and Symbols

1.  Get out your "Basic Hindu Beliefs" graphic oganizer.
2.  Use the following website to find key points about each belief.  The "CONCEPTS" tab is very helpful.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/
3.  Create a symbol for each belief.
4.  The Sub will pass out 21.C - "Brainstorming Ideas for a Mandala of Hindu Beliefs."  Complete this side with 3 questions FIRST.
5.  Then- flip the paper over and complete your Mandala- there are colored pencils at the front of the class.  One symbol goes in each section of the Mandala, arranged in a way that shows how the beliefs relate to each other.
6.  The Mandala is due Friday/Tuesday

Friday, October 28, 2016

The Nacirema

Today we will look at a culture called the Nacirema.  Please read the article http://www.sfu.ca/~palys/Miner-1956-BodyRitualAmongTheNacirema.pdf
and answer the following questions:

1.  Where do the Nacirema live?
2.  What is the Nacirema's belief about the human body?
3.  How is wealth measured?
4.  What is the most important part of the shrine room? What is kept there?
5.  What happens to the charm after it has served its purpose?
6.  Where does the holy water come from?
7.  What do the Nacirema do to their mouths several times a day?
8.  Why do adults willingly go to the holy mouth man?
9.  What daily bodily ritual is performed only by men?
10.  What is the medicine men's special temple?
11.  Why do the Nacirema allow parts of their body to be cut out?


Friday, October 21, 2016

Migration Part 2

Today's lesson involves learning about the stories of refugees.


Go to the website: http://www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/stories/  (you can copy and paste)

Select a refugee and read their story, then respond to Immigration Study Cases...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1psEBDmNev0CAhnVbz9ZlW6MYqmrFNZ_lo_xb3tWEj-w

(You may have to click at the top where it says "open with google docs")

Migration Part 1

Today's lesson involves investigating an interactive map.

Go to the website:  http://www.iom.int/world-migration (you can copy and paste to your browser)

When you click on a country, it will show you how many migrants come to/from the country and where they go/come from.  The In/Out switch is at the top.

Once you click on a country, you can hover over any other place on the map to see how many people go to/from your selected country.

Migration Flow Interactive Map Questions:

Directions: Observe the international migration, 2015 map and find patterns in migration.

1. What country hosts the largest population of migrants? What other countries also host a very large population of migrants (List at least 3)?

2. Why do you think these countries attract, or “pull” migrants? (List at least one economic, political, and social reason)

3. List 3 countries that host a very small population of migrants?

4. Why do you think these countries lose or”push” away migrants? (Again—think about economic, political, and social reasons)

5. Name 2 countries that are taking in more than 250,000 migrants.


6. Based on what you observe in the map, can you make any hypotheses about migratory relationships between countries? State and defend at least one hypothesis. (EX: It is probable that Country A takes in many migrants from Country B because they are very close geographically. The maps also show that Country A is gaining migrants, while B is losing migrants).