Tuesday, October 30, 2007

October 30 Reminder

REMINDER: YOUR PROJECTS ON "WORLD CULTURES" - DUE NOVEMBER 1ST (THURSDAY)

Chapter 4 Cultures of the World

Culture is a "Total Way of Life."

Culture includes:
1. the work people do
2. their behaviors
3. their beliefs
4. and the way people do things...

- A particular group's individual skills, customs and ways of doing things are called CULTURAL TRAITS.

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:
material things such as houses and other structures, television sets, food or clothing...sports, entertainment and literature are also elements of culture.

Other parts of culture may not be visible(things that you cannot physically see)...they include: spiritual beliefs, ideals, government, and ideas about what is right and what is wrong. Language is also a very important part of culture.

PEOPLE AND THEIR LAND:
Human-Environment Interaction - Geographers want to know how landforms, climate, vegetation, and resources affect culture.
Example: Japan is very mountainous...therefore it's difficult to farm. So, Japan relies heavily on food from the sea...they eat a lot of fish and seaweed.

Cultural Technology - tools and skills people use...stone tools and the ability to make them, computers and the Internet are also ways in which people learn to create and use technology.

Cultural Landscape - includes any changes to its environment.
Example - many people live on the sides of mountains...farmers cut terraces into the sides of the mountains in order to farm on flat areas.(see page 78)

The Development of Culture...early cultures developed through the 4 following stages...they are: the invention of tools, the discovery of fire, the growth of agriculture and the use of writing.

Agricultural Revolution: Farming provided a steady food supply. Therefore, birthrates rose, death rates dropped and as a result, the population increased...cities developed...people produced food, others developed special skills such as pottery, metal workers, tailors etc...People developed laws and governments...writing developed...creating Civilizations.

Monday, October 29, 2007

OCTOBER 29 - NOVEMBER 2 (PLANS)

MONDAY - Ch. 4 section 2; read pages 82-86; complete section 2 worksheet/in class
--continue with "World Culture" project

TUESDAY - Discuss answers to sect. 2 worksheet.
--"World Culture projects"

WEDNESDAY - Work on World Culture projects...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

THURSDAY - Projects due/Presentations

FRIDAY - World Cultures - presentations - 1/2 day...dismissal 11:31

Monday, October 22, 2007

SOCIAL STUDIES - WEEK OF OCT.22-26



MONDAY - CHAPTER 3 TEST...EARTH'S HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Read pages 74 and 75...My Side of the Mountain...do questions 1,2,3(p. 75)

TUESDAY - Correct p. 75: 1,2,3 - Intr. Ch. 4 Cultures of the World
Read pages 76 - 81 Assign p. 81 1-3.

WEDNESDAY - Correct p. 81 1-3; Read and discuss p. 82 - 86 Social Groups, Language and Religion

THURSDAY - Section 2 worksheet. Compare various religions of the world.

FRIDAY - United Streaming - "World Cultures/Religions"

Monday, October 8, 2007

CHAPTER 3 - EARTH'S HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

CHAPTER 3 ( SECTION 1)

WHERE DO PEOPLE LIVE?
This section focuses on Population and Population Distribution:

POPULATION - total number of people...spread unevenly over the Earth's surface.
POPULATION DISTRIBUTION - describes the way population is spread out over the Earth.
DEMOGRAPHERS- people who study world populations...examine rates of birth, death and marriage...they look at reasons why people choose to live in certain areas.

Population distribution is uneven, why?
Much of the Earth's landforms are rugged mountains, hot deserts and dry land with little vegetation...few people choose to live in these places.
BETTER PLACES TO LIVE:
1. Near bodies of water - rivers and lakes are natural "roads" for travel and trade.
-also they provide fresh water -drinking and farming...
2. Flat and Fertile soil - easier to grow food and build...(plains and valleys), coastal areas...make it easy to trade(shipping)
3. Climate - people like to live where it is not too hot or too cold...and in areas where this is plenty of rainfall...good for raising crops and animals.
Also, people choose to live in an area that has plenty of natural resources...
POPULATION DENSITY - average number of people living in a square mile or kilometer
population densities vary from one area to another...Japan high population density...Canada...very low..
How to figure out Pop. Density: divide number of people living in an area by the number of square miles of that place...

OCTOBER 8 - 12 (PLANS)

MONDAY - "A GROWING POPULATION" - Read and discuss pages 60 - 63(chapter 3, section 2)Assign worksheet page 37(graphic organizer)

TUESDAY - MEAP TESTING(4TH AND 5TH HOURS)

WEDNESDAY - MEAP TESTING ( 4TH AND 5TH HOURS)

THURSDAY - Correct wksht. page 37. Assign page 63 Writing Activity..."World Hunger"

FRIDAY - Read section 3, chapter 3...pages 64 - 69...Assign p. 69 discussion questions

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

PLANS - WEEK OF OCT. 1-5

MONDAY- WORK ON NATURAL DISASTER ASSIGNMENTS(LAPTOPS)
-Where it happened, why it happened...immediate and long term effects...write a news report explaining the disaster...pictures can be used...

TUESDAY - Collect Natural Disaster Assign...(students may share work with class)

read and discuss pages 54-59/ Assign p. 59 (1&3)

WEDNESDAY - Correct p. 59 (1-3)
Assign worksheet- "Where do People Live?"

THURSDAY - Quiz- "Where do People Live?" Chapter 3, section 1
Read section 2 of chapter 3...

FRIDAY - United Streaming video - "WORLD POPULATION"