Subject: Geography Year: 7 Dear Students, We hope you are all well. Please be reminded that it is an expectation that you are completing the work that we have set. Work from June 1st should now be uploaded Class Charts. This can be word processed work or a photograph of your work completed in your books or on paper.
Each week in Geography you will be expected to complete a piece of Geography work that should take you between 1 to 2 hours. This is the minimum expectation and there are lots of other useful things you could spend your time completing in your free time as listed below:
Watching Documentaries: Explore the following websites: Read the following books:
Chasing Ice BBC Bitesize Our Place by Mark Cocker Blue Planet Geoguessr Adventures of a young naturalist by Planet Earth Google Maps David Attenbrough Life Gapminder Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall Severn Worlds One Planet Kids World Travel Guide Population and Development – Tim Horizons: We need to talk World Atlas Dyson about population Earthtime.org Factfulness by Hans Rosling National Geographic National Geographic Adventures through the Anthrpocene by Twitter: @BCGeogDept Gaia Vince
Week Title of work Learning Intentions: Deadline for work 1 How is Asia developing into • To know how Asia’s economy compares Friday 5th June 2020 the most important global to other continents. economic region? • To understand the growing importance of Asia. • To analyse the shift in world trade. 2 Where is the Middle East? • To be able to locate where the Middle Friday 12th June 2020 East is in the world and identify the countries which are a part. • To be able to describe the human and physical features of the Middle East. • To be able to research key information about the Middle East. 3 How does the Physical • To be able to locate the physical features Friday 19th June 2020 Geography influence the of the Middle East on a map. Middle East? • To be able to create a travel blog of a 4 week journey though the various physical features of the Middle East. 4 Biomes in the Middle East • To be able to describe the pattern of Friday 26th June 2020 biomes globally in relation to the Curved Earth theory. • To be able to analyse the characteristics of three main biomes in the Middle East. 5 How are plants and animals • To be able to identify desert plant and Friday 5th June 2020 adapted to live in the animal in the desert. desert? • To be able to annotate the key adaptation of desert plant and animals. • To be able to explain how plants and animals have adapted to survive in the desert. 6 Why is the Middle East so • To be able to identify and understand the Friday 3rd July 2020 culturally diverse? factors that cause population density. • To be able to apply this knowledge to the Middle East in explaining why some places are sparsely and densely populated. • To be able to explore the ethnic and religious diversity within the Middle East. If you have any questions about your work please email your class teacher and they will get back to you as soon as they can.
Mr Mullins ([email protected])
Mrs Dawson ([email protected])
Mrs Tahir ([email protected])
Mr Tsintas ([email protected])
Mr Reed ([email protected]) Please follow us on twitter: @BCGeogDept
Topic Overview:
Use the following links to find out more useful information about each of the lessons.
Week Title of work Links to further reading or useful videos
1 How is Asia https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zvp39j6/revision/5 developing into the most important global economic region?
2 Where is the Middle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NawZqrBxCRw East?
3 Physical landscapes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g2TU0HgqTM of the Middle East
4 Biomes in the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fb8143ndo8 Middle East
5 Plant and animal https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/znxsgk7/revision/2 adaptations in the Middle East
6 Cultural diversity in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI1P-FjpA54 the Middle East
Week 1:
Title: How is Asia developing into the most important global economic region?
No other continent has seen greater levels of economic growth in the last 20 years than Asia. China and India now rank in the top 20 countries for global wealth. This growth has been called the ‘Asian Miracle’.
How is the balance of world trade moving? The balance of world trade describes the movement of imports and exports across the world. This balance is now moving eastwards. For example in 1995, the USA had almost 25% of global trade in hi-tech goods, while China had only 3%. By 2005, the US share had fallen to 15%, while China’s share had risen to 15%. The emergence of China as a major global trading hub has begun to change not only the size of its trade, but also the number of its significant trading partners. If China’s growth continues, the size of its economy will overtake that of the USA by the late 2020s. By 2050, the Chinese economy could be almost 50% bigger than the USA’s while the Indian economy may follow suit and surpass the USA a few years after 2050.
Activities: 1) Read Article A. Why is economic growth now spreading beyond China into other Asian countries? 2) Compare the graphs showing the world distribution of manufacturing output in 1990 and 2013. Describe how world output has changed. 3) How has the percentage share of manufacturing output changed between Asia and the developed continents of North America and Europe? 4) Look carefully at map C. What does this map show? 5) How has the world trade and transportation of goods changed? 6) Which part of the world has the largest ports? 7) Which two parts of the world seem to be the most important trading areas?
Week 2: Where is the Middle East?
The Middle East is the region bordered in red on the Map. It is where Asia, Africa, and Europe meet. Middle East is the name for this region, since most of it is in South west Asia. But the name came into use over 100 years ago, and it stuck. Figure 1 Activities:
Q1: What continents does the Middle East fall into?
Q2: Draw an outline of the countries within the Middle East (Figure 2) and find the capital city of these countries.
Q3: Using the images from Figure 3, describe the physical features of the Middle East. How does the landscape vary?
Q4: Using the images from figure 4, describe the human features of the Middle East? How does the man-made landscape differ across different countries?
Figure 2
Figure 3 Figure 4
Q5 : Use your netbooks to complete the fact finding mission about the Middle East.
Week 3: How does the physical geography influence the Middle East?
Activities :
Q1: Using Figure 5, describe the physical features shown.
Q2: What is the difference between human and physical features?
Q3: You have drawn a copy of Figure 2 from Week 1. Use that map to annotate the physical features of the Middle East. Use the internet/Atlas/Figure 6 to help you annotate your map. Below is the criteria you need to include on your map.
Figure 6
Q4: You are to complete a writing task as a geographical explorer through the Middle East. You are to complete a
6 week route across the Middle East which begins in Cyprus and ends in Oman. Describe your trek through the different physical features of the Middle East. The route you take is of your choice. You have own no form of transport so how will you get to your destination? Be imaginative, creative and wise! Think about how you will get food, shelter and water. Week 4: Biomes in the Middle East
What is a biome?
A biome is an area that shares the same animals and plants, the tropical rainforest or a desert. Below are all the major biomes of the world.
Figure 7
Activities:
Q1: Using figure 7, explain why biomes north and south of the globe are colder than biomes close to the equator.
Q2: Use figure 8 and the questions to describe the distribution of biomes in the Middle East.
Q3: Read the information about the three main types of biomes in the Middle East. Find out the following about each biome: the climate, the type of vegetation and the type of animals.
Figure 8
Desert and desert scrub Grassland This biome has an arid (dry) climate where rainfall The climate here consists of hot summers and cold is minimum to zero is some months. winters. They typically have 10-35 inches of Temperatures are hot during the day up to 50˚C precipitation a year. These areas have grass, and some and can drop below 0˚C at night. Vegetation is low bushes, but few trees. (They are sometimes called sparse. Some areas have almost none. Plants that steppe). People herd sheep and goats. Wild animals do grow have tough spiky leaves to conserve include wolves, sand foxes, wild cats, gazelles, and wild moisture. You might see Arabian Oryx, sand cats, boar. snakes, scorpions, eagles, and more.
Forests and shrubland The climate here is dry summers and rainy winters. Summers are typically hot in the low-lying inland areas whilst being cool near colder seas. Forests are evergreen cypresses in Turkey, beside the Mediterranean. You’ll also find delicious and mixed forests. And others thickly covered in shrubs. You might spot bears, hyena, deer, squirrels, hamsters.
Week 5: How are plants and animals adapted to live in the desert?
Think! Why do living organisms have adaptive features?
What might happen to those species who cannot adapt their environment?
What changes might take place in the environment that could disrupt the living of plants and animals?
What is adaptation?
The process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
There are different theories that try to explain animal and plant adaptation. Some theorists say that animals and plants that will survive and thrive are those that can adapt to changes in the environment, e.g. Ice age, droughts, floods, etc.
Cactus
Buttress roots
Activities: Q1. Research how these animals and plants are be adapted to live in their environment? Q2: Read the information sheet about the different animals and plants and how they are adapted to live in the desert. Draw one animal and plant of your choice in your books and annotate the adaptations . Q3: Write a paragraph summarizing how your chosen plant and animal is adapted to survive in the desert.
Camels Camels have many adaptations that allow them to live successfully in desert conditions. Deserts are hot and dry. Winds blow sand all around, so a camel has long eyelashes. It has nostrils that can open and close. Camels’ feet are wide so they can walk on sand more easily. Their huge feet help them to walk on sand without sinking into it. Camels store fat in the hump, not water. The fat can be metabolised for energy. A camel can go a week or more without water, and they can last for several months without food. They can drink up to 32 gallons (46 litres) of water at one drinking session! Camels have thick lips so they can eat the prickly desert plants without feeling pain. The colour of their bodies helps them to blend into their environment.
Desert Tortoise
The desert tortoise may be active during the day or the morning and evening depending on the temperature. The desert tortoise burrows under the sand to protect itself from extreme desert temperatures. Adults can survive for about a year without water. They are able to obtain water from their diet. Tortoises can withdraw their head, legs, and tail into the shell providing themselves protection against predators. Due to lack of rainfall, tortoises dig shallow pits to catch the water. The tortoises may be found waiting by these areas when rain is in the forecast.
Fennec Fox
Their large ears, which are usually 6 inches long (15 centimeters), help dissipate excess body heat on hot days in the desert. The fennec fox seems to be the only carnivore living in the Sahara Desert able to survive without free water. Their kidneys are adapted to restrict water loss, their extensive burrowing may cause the formation of dew, which can then be consumed, and they will receive moisture from the food that they eat. Their burrowing and nocturnal lifestyle helps restrict water loss. Their thick fur helps insulate them from the cold desert nights. Their sandy fur helps to reflect heat, and also provides excellent camouflage. Fennec foxes also have thick fur on the soles of their feet, which insulate against the hot sand of the desert. This extra fur on the soles of their feet also affords them excellent traction in the loose sand.
Cacti
Cacti are well adapted for survival in the desert. They have stems that can store water. They also have widespread root systems that can collect water from a large area. In addition, cacti have spines instead of leaves. These minimise the surface area and so reduce water loss by transpiration. The spines also protect the cacti from animals that might eat them.
Elephant tree
This plant is typically designed to adapt to desert climate, with a thick trunk that stores water for days. It is small in size and its branches are quite small in comparison to the size of its trunk. It also stores water in its lower limbs and wood, apart from the trunk. The foliage of the plant is quite lightly distributed which has flat, long, legume like leaves and exist in paired leaflets. The flowers are born as rounded yellow structures in the bud form and slowly blossom into beautiful small, star shaped white or cream colored flowers. Most of the species of this plant are drought deciduous owing to the warm climatic conditions and has leaves throughout the year, except in drought and extreme cold weather.
Desert Marigold
They are annual and short lived perennial plants which grow between 10 and 30 inches and have very hairy leaves. These hairs help them survive in extreme desert conditions by increasing the reflection of light, which in turn lower the leaf temperatures and also help in blocking UV rays. The flowers these plants grow are bright yellow in colour, hence the name. These spring wild flowers begin blooming in March and stay till November. During rains, these flowers bloom more and the stone slopes they are grown on, look like bright yellow carpets all around. But these flowers are extremely poisonous. Sheep in large numbers have died after grazing on these flowers.
Week 6: Why is the Middle East so culturally diverse?
What is population density?
What factors could affect population density?
Activities:
Q1: Using the images above, explain why some places in the world may be densely populated and some places sparsely populated?
Q2: Use figure 9, which place 1, 2, or 3 would be densely and sparsely populated? Explain the order of population density for climate in the Middle East.
Q3: Using figure 10, which place 1, 2, or 3 would be densely or sparsely populated based on land use in the Middle East?
Give reasons for your answer. Why would people live/not live there?
Q4: Using figure 11, which place 1, 2, or 3 would be densely and sparsely populated based on natural hazards in the Middle East? Give reasons for your answer.
Q5: Read the article on the diversity of the Middle East to answer the plan an essay style question. Try to come up with two argumentative points for each side.
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11 Answer!
Diversity in the Middle East Culture: A Rich Mosaic
Culture, a shared set of traditions, belief systems, and behaviours, is shaped by history, religion, ethnic identity, language, and nationality, among other factors. The Middle East consists of approximately 20 countries, with many different religions and a variety of ethnic and linguistic groups. Given this diversity, we should not be surprised to find a multitude of different cultures coexisting in the region.
Stereotypes about the Middle East
During the 19th century, translations of the Arabian Nights and archaeological discoveries in Egypt dominated the imaginations of people in the West who had never visited the Middle East. These armchair explorers conjured up competing images of a desert region populated by nomads and camels and, of course, pyramids, but also brimming with all manner of sweet and savoury treats in bustling urban bazaars. During the 20th century, stories about the Middle East have tended to focus on oil wealth, territorial wars, and religious conflicts. All of these do exist, but there is much more to life in this area.
Religion in the cultures of the Middle East
The Middle East is the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all monotheistic religions that grew from the same tradition. Each religion used the texts from earlier groups, and so they share many rules and beliefs. For example, Islam and Judaism observe the same dietary rules and have a similar focus on religion as a foundation for civil law. All three share a tradition of prophets, from Adam and Abraham to Solomon and Joseph. Jesus is significant for both Christianity and Islam, and Muslims in addition follow the teachings of Muhammad.
Religion plays a large part in the rhythm of daily life, not only through prayer and study, but also in determining the end of the work week. Shops in different neighbourhoods close down on Fridays for the Muslim holy day, Saturdays for the Jewish Sabbath, and Sundays for the Christian day of rest. Religious festivals and remembrances, like Id al-Fitr (the Festival of Fast-Breaking, celebrated at the end of Ramadan), or the Jewish Passover holiday, or Easter Sunday as determined by the Roman or Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, are all recognized as national holidays in different countries. Religion plays a role in national and international politics as well. Turkey has a Muslim majority, but is officially a secular nation. Other countries in the region identify themselves with a specific religion, mostly Islam. Lebanon's constitution attempted to provide for power sharing among 18 officially recognized religions, including Maronite and Orthodox Christians, Sunni and Shii Muslims, and Druze. But because the populations of the various groups grew at different rates, this system eventually became less representative of the nation as a whole and civil war broke out. Ethnic diversity at the crossroads of civilizations
Situated between Africa, Asia, and Europe, the Middle East has been a crossroads for traders, travellers, and empire builders for thousands of years. Africans, Central Asians, and Celts have all added to the ethnic mix. Major ethnic groups in the Middle East today include Arabs, Iranians (also known as Persians), Turks, Jews, Kurds, Berbers, Armenians, Nubians, Azeris, and Greeks.
Most of the countries in this region are multi ethnic. But even as diversity enhances the cultural richness of a society, it unfortunately may also lead to political conflict. The Kurds, for example, do not have their own nation-state, but are instead spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Their political and military attempts to create an autonomous Kurdistan have been strongly resisted by those states.