2nd Quarter Geography Project                 Due:  Wed., January 16

 

Objective:  create a poster or display that shows one or more geographic themes

Materials:  whatever materials you need

     Good place to start www.geocities.com/bettypartington615      for country brochures...links for  

     info…world…world project links.

Procedure: 

1. Look through the list of possible ideas.  Choose, change, or come up with a new one.  Could also be a brochure or PowerPoint presentation or iMovie/iDVD
2. Research an idea or two and see how much information you come up with.
3. Decide on a topic and write a proposal outlining your idea and include a rough drawing
1. Outline: topic sentence, major ideas & supporting details, and conclusion
2. Due:  __Fri. Dec. 14, 2006____
4. Once your topic is approved you may begin work.  Research your topic thoroughly
5. Each project must include the following...
1. outline or proposal – see above #3
2. written narrative – may be part of the presentation
3. map – must have the five map elements – title, legend, scale, location & direction
4. bibliography – as least 2 sources.

 

NOTICE: You may work in pairs, but be cautioned…I expect TWICE as much work.  Also, be careful who you choose to work with.  Every year people pair up, and the partner does not do his/her part- you get stuck!  Don’t be afraid to say “No,  I’ll work on my own.”

 

Assessment:

1. Map – at least one
2. Neatness
3. ***Content Quality – clear & easy to understand
4. Visual illustrations or props
5. Visual explanation – complete paragraphs and/or captions
6. Creativity

Rubric:

	multiplier % value	Master 4	Artist 3	Apprentice 2	Novice 1
Outline or Proposal	X 2 (8%)	Well thought out proposal	Good idea of proposal	Adequate proposal	Minimum idea or proposal
Content & Explanation	X 7 (28%)	Thorough  description of topic including a narrative or captions	Good description of topic including a narrative or captions	Adequate description of topic including a narrative or captions	Minimum description of topic including a narrative or captions
Map-Geog Significance	X 6 (24%)	Informative & descriptive map  Answers where & why there?	informative map answers… where & why there?	relevant map answers where or why?	a map
Visual illustrations or props – enhance the project	X 6 (24%)	> 11 visuals - relevant, enhance, descriptive, and appealing to view	8-11 visuals -relevant, enhance, and descriptive and nice to view	5 - 7 visuals – relevant, enhance, and descriptive and OK to view	<4  visuals that are relevant and descriptive but do not enhance
Visual Appeal	X 4 (16%)	creativity: project is artistic and very pleasing to view neat and concise	creativity: project is artistic and  pleasing to view neat and concise	creativity: project is artistic and somewhat pleasing to view neat and concise	creativity: project is artistic and is OK to view neat & concise

Presentations will begin Jan 19, so be prepared!!!

Possible Geography Project Topics

Geography is a subject that can cover just about any topic as long as it can be mapped.  Think of something you are interested in and a topic may come to you.  These are just a few possibilities. 

 

Please do something new and different for you…I rather you did not recycle an old project.

1. Diffusion: America is a diverse culture.  Many cultures can be seen when we look at the streets of a city, watch TV, listen to music, dance, eat, etc.
1.  Choose one or two cultural traits in the U.S. and tell where it originated and explain how it got here (diffusion: trade, migration, interaction, conquest, exploration).  Whenever there is interaction between cultures, there are exchanges of ideas and other cultural traits. 
2. For example:     Where did these things come from?                                                       Coffee, spaghetti, rope, explosive powder, chewing gum, beans, potatoes, holiday traditions, technology, music or dance, clothing, jewelry-personal ornaments, etc.

 

2. Matching Game:  “Items Around the World”.  Choose a topic.  You must have a minimum of 20 different items and include several (3-4 minimum) for each continent (excluding Antarctica).  This needs to include images.  Following are just suggestions…
1. Traditional clothing               
2. Food                                           Variation: match clothing, homes, etc. to climate
3. Different types of homes
4. Origin of a cultural trait such as customs, jewelry, hats, what is considered “beauty”
5. Cultural or Physical Landmarks              Do not do country/state & capitals – too boring.

 

3. Country Travel Brochure:                                   Include anything of interest such as…

Map(s)                                                            place to visit – physical & cultural                                        money

Clothing to wear (climate)                             traditional food                                                                       items to shop for

Traditional music                                           unusual customs                                                                     architecture

Transportation                                               famous people (history, science, etc)                                    traditional clothing

Religion/superstitions                                    translate language (useful-hello, etc)                                    unique animals

Fast facts                                                        significant historical events(s) and/or current conflict         greeting customs

PICTURES- must be from the country                                                                                                         Also, props/ traditional food, etc. are OK

 

4. Global Marketplace:  Choose a product, write to a company and find out where the raw materials or ingredients and/or parts come from.  Then, explain how these materials came together to make your favorite product.  Could be any product: snow board, cosmetics, car,???

 

5. Foreign Imports: Go to the food or clothing store and find where 10-15 items are made, grown or processed.  Why are they made overseas?  Where do the raw materials come from?  For food what type of climate are they grown in?

 

6. Pet Origins: Choose several pets (variety of dogs, horses, cats, fish, reptiles, etc. or compare & contrast 5-6 breeds) and describe where they originated and what adaptations they made to their natural environment.  Their original purpose (dogs or horses- work, retrieve, show???)  What were they bred to do?  How did or do they get here?

 

7. Topographic maps & Their uses:  Make a model of a topographic map and show how useful it is.  Example, make a model of Marshalls Creek and show where the bypass is going through.  Or, design a ski resort- slopes, lifts, lodge, condominiums, roads.  Or, location of cell towers for best service.
8. Man and the Environment:
1. You are a Clothing Designer for different climate areas of the world- adapt clothing to the environment/ climate.  Explain, why your clothing is adaptive to the climate.  Use local fabrics, materials/fur ???   Variation: describe the traditional clothing as it relates to the environment.

 

2. Architect or Building Contractor – take into account different building codes or environmental hazards such as earthquakes.  Use local building materials.   Variation:  describe the traditional homes/buildings as it relates to the environment.

 

3. Environmental Change- Describe a biome and how man uses, changes, and the consequences of changing it.  For example:  What are the causes, effects, possible solutions (role of Population Growth/Economics) of environmental change such as deforestation, salinization, desertification, ozone depletion, toxic trash, global warming, air & water pollution, etc.    Use specific examples of places in the world.

 

9. Urban Growth & Location: How have urban areas grown:  Has industry, transportation, resources, raw materials, source of power, location had anything to do with the growth of cities?  How has changing transportation technology changed growth and the sphere of influence of a city?  (ie., horse & wagon…canal…railroads…trucks)  What is the function of a Gateway City?

Example, Use Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg as an example of rapid growth.  Look back in history and see how the towns began to grow.  What was the importance of transportation and relative location to New York City and Philadelphia?  How has transportation, economics, and population growth changed over the years?  What strains have occurred on the people, public services-hospitals, fire, police, schools,  and the environment as the populations have grown?

 

10. Geography and History:                 Some possibilities…
1. Explorers – where did they go and why did they go there?
2. Wars- where are/were they and why are they fighting?
3. Battles- what was the topography/vegetation like and how did it influence the clothing, military equipment, strategies of the battle, and the outcome of the battle?
4. Migration Routes- Example:  The Oregon Trail, Lewis & Clark Trail & other trails to the west.  How did geography influence the destinations, routes taken, hazards and dangers encountered, success of the migration, and changes to cultural landscape.

 

11. Cultural Landscape:
1. Choose an area (ie. Pennsylvania) and look at different place names, architecture, foods, etc. and explain how different cultures influenced the different landscapes of Pennsylvania
2. Example:  Influence of Native Americans, the Dutch, Swedes, English, Moravians, Germans, eastern Europeans, and later immigrant groups.
3. Place names come from original settlers and rarely get changed no matter who moves in.  Look at place names and determine the group that gave us the name.
4. Look at architecture, economic activity, foods, etc. from around the state.  What group brought them?  There are plenty of cultural traits that can be included.

 

12. The Spread of Diseases:   How do they move from place to place?

 

13. Cultural Traits:  Choose a particular cultural characteristic or an aspect of a culture (foreign) that you find interesting.  What is the background and characteristics for that trait.  For example, if you are interested in the Japanese Samurai Warrior, what is their origins, what was their code of conduct and their role in society, and what happened to them????

 

14. Culture Guessing game:   construct a GAME where others in the class guess the name of a city or country from the clues you give them.  Give 4-5 clues to include religion, economic information, customs, homes, music, food, language, clothes, personal ornaments, games, sports, holidays & traditions, pets, inventions/discoveries, and/or physical and cultural landmarks.  Be sure to include pictures.

 

 

Remember, you can make changes to suit your interests!!!