Sample Course Syllabus s1

Sample Course Syllabus Course Title: World Geography Course Description: World Geography provides the skills and tools of spatial analysis to better understand the patterns of people, landscape and natural phenomena of the Earth. Geography, as a spatial perspective, has much more to do with asking inquiry questions and solving problems than it does with rote memorization of isolated facts. Students will be asked to demonstrate their knowledge using geospatial technologies when possible. Topics of study will include: geographic tools and skills, human systems and human environment interaction.

Units at a Glance (including suggested time frame and suggested quarter) Unit I: Tools of Geography First Quarter – 5 weeks Unit II: Human Geography First and Second Quarter – 7 weeks Unit III: Human-Environment Interaction Second Quarter – 4-5 weeks

Assessments (BVSD assessments will be created/revised upon approval of CDE) Unit I: Tools of Geography Assessment

Unit II: Human Geography Assessment

Unit III: Human-Environment Assessment

Suggested Unit Outline: I. Tools of Geography – 5 weeks Geography Standard 2.1 – Use different types of maps and geographic tools to analyze features on Earth to investigate and solve geographic questions.

A. Map Skills a. Latitude and longitude b. Absolute and Relative Location c. Political, Physical and Thematic Maps d. Mental maps d.i. Mental map of the school e. Map Projections B. 21st Century Mapping a. GPS b. GIS – uses and applications b.i. Human algorithm activity c. Google Earth Lab C. Graphs and Data a. Climographs b. CIA Factbook c. Microsoft Excel workshop

II. Human Geography – 7 week Geography Standard 2.3 – The interconnected nature of the world, its people and places A. Culture a. Norms, Values, Artifacts and Institutions b. Surface Culture vs. Deep Culture c. Conflicts and Problems as a result of culture c.i. Gender Roles and birth rates in India c.ii. Rural vs. Culture Differences in China c.iii. Religious Conflict in South and Southwest Asia B. Population and Demographics a. Demographic Transition Model a.i. Hypothesize Stage 5 b. Population Pyramids c. Demographic Issues around the World c.i. Aging population of Italy and Japan c.ii. Rapid growth and overpopulation in sub-Saharan Africa c.iii. The world at 7 billion and its implications C. Political Boundaries a. Boundaries as a human construct b. Political boundary simulation c. Ethnic Segregation and other political conflict as a result of political boundaries c.i. Kashmir (India and Pakistan) c.ii. Reorganization of Eastern Europe c.iii. Israel and Palestine D. Movement a. Immigration a.i. Push/pull factors a.ii. Differences in factors between LDC’s and MDC’s a.iii. Movement between US and Mexico b. Trade Goods and Ideas c. Globalization and Americanization c.i. McDomination c.ii. Advantages and disadvantage of cultural imperialism E. Urban Geography a. Rural to urban migration b. Overurbanized areas b.i. Mexico City b.ii. Rio de Janeiro b.iii. Tokyo c. Development of Infrastructure c.i. Components of urban infrastructure c.ii. Priorities of MDC’s vs. LDC’s F. Economic Development a. Developed vs. developing countries b. Levels of Economic Development c. Standard of living and growth vs. development c.i. Literacy Rates, life expectancy, caloric intake, GDP, mortality rate, workforce structure c.ii. Economic Analysis of South/Southeast Asia d. European Union Simulation III. Human-Environment Interaction – 4 weeks Geography Standard 2. – Explain and interpret geographic variables that influence the interactions of people, places and environments.

A. Global Human Footprint and Ecosystems a. Climate regions B. Deforestation and Desertification a. Causes of deforestation in the Amazon b. Causes of deforestation in Borneo c. Desertification in the Sahel C. Dichotomy of Southwest Asia a. Oil Resources in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE b. Water Resources in Turkey and Lebanon c. Changing of the Landscape c.i. Oil Pipelines and refineries c.ii. Desalination plants c.iii. Using oil money to develop tourism in Dubai D. Sustainability and Alternate Energies a. Wind Energy b. Solar Energy c. Geothermal Energy d. Cost-benefit analysis of alternate renewable energies E. Natural Hazards a. Development of Infrastructure for natural hazards a.i. Hurricanes and the Gulf of Mexico a.ii. Earthquakes in Haiti and Japan a.iii. Tsunamis in South Asia and the Pacific F. Cultural Adaptations to the Environment