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High School Track

Learning Geography from the ground up
 

Themes of Geography Project Part 1

Today you will use your newly acquired knowledge of the five themes of Geography to complete this project. You will create a country that does not exist currently today, and place it in the current world, in either a current land mass, or one that has arisen from the sea. (Size Limit = 95,000 - 270,000 Square Miles) You will need to provide the following information for this new country.

Location

A.     Give the absolute location of your county’s capital city

B.     Give the relative location of your country and its population

Place

A.     describe five human characteristics of your country

B.     describe five physical characteristics of your country

C.     list five major cities in your country and their population ( Do not include Capital)

Human/Environment Interaction

A.     provide at least two examples of how people in their country have modified their environment

 

B.     give five specific examples of how people in your country have had to adapt their lifestyle to survive in this environment

Movement

A.     List three major exports of your country

B.     List Three major imports of your country

C.     Decide if your country has a trade deficit or surplus and how much it is.

D.    Your country should have made one major contribution to the world, what is it?

Regions

A.     You will create three maps, a physical, political and world map. Be sure to include all important aspects of a map, (key, compass, ext.)

 

a.       Physical map will be of your country specifically, you will label all bordering land masses or bodies of water. Include the five physical features you describe in the place portion of your project. As well as any others you choose to add.

 

b.      Political. This map should include five major cities, as well as states or provenances, don’t forget to label your capital, and any important man made national landmarks. 

 

c.       Add your country to a world map to show its relative location, and size

This information can be presented on a sheet labeled as such or a bulletin board. Please turn in a typed copy.  It will be due tuesday October 9th, and is worth 75 Points

 

Don't forget about your Water essay and be sure to incorperate how your climate affects all of the above.

I Need a World map!

PART 2: Culture in a Culturless world
 

For your last project you had to create a country focusing mainly on your landmass and physical characteristics.  Today you will take that same country and place people in it. You will not only determine where they live but how they live. As we have learned in Chapter 1 Section 3, culture affects all aspects of people’s lives. 

Directions:

Your job for this assignment will be to give me a report on the culture of the country that you created. This should be presented in a lifestyle magazine format. Be sure to address several different aspects of culture in order to paint a vivid picture of what life is like in your country. Your magazine will showcase a cultural festival celebrating the centennial of your country. Your project should include the following.

A Brief History: where did your country come from, how did people get there? Write a few brief paragraphs detailing the early history of your country and how it came to be. Be sure to include important world events if your country was in existence at the time.  Country needs to have been “discovered” no later than 1880.

Common Family patters: discuss how families are organized, (nuclear or extended. Patriarchal or monarchical, as well as how they interact. What kinds of activities do families do?

Social Classes: Does your country have social classes, if so what are they based on? Do they live together or separate?

Language: what language does your country speak? Where is it from? Where is it used? Are there festival events for it? 

Arts & Literature: what are some famous pieces of art or artist from your country? Are they on display? What do they look like, what kind of art is popular? What are some famous writings from your country, book titles, authors, musicians, performers?

Fashion & Music: what is the hot fashion of your country right now? What are people wearing? What kind of music do they listen too?  How do they dance, what are some traditional forms of both?

Religion: what kind of religion do people in your country practice if any?

Government & Economy: what kind of government does your country have? What kind of economy? How does this impact your countries society? Be sure to give details on who is in charge and how they came to power. What kind of currency do you use, and what’s the Dollar exchange rate?

Food: what kinds of food are culturally significant? Provide descriptions, and pictures of culturally important dishes and why they are important.

 

Festival:  make sure you define what your festival is about. Your festival should showcase important aspects of your culture and country. Make sure it is the focus of your magazine.

Flag:  create a flag for your country, it should be colorful and you should also explain what it means. 50 stars for fifty state, thirteen stripes for thirteen colonies.  

Culture and Geography are related. Remember to reference the physical aspect of your country that you have already created. It will drive your cultural decisions. Also be aware of the relationship your country will have with neighboring countries.  

Structure:

·         Make sure your assignment is in magazine format

·         Make sure you have a cover page. This should include a title and catchy article names. Try to make it look like your favorite magazine.

·         Be sure to illustrate your magazine, you may print pictures or cut them and paste them to your paper. Just be sure to make it as neat as possible 

·         Be sure to write full article about your subjects. Go into detail, this assignment will require some imagination.

·         The font can be as large as you want it to be, but make sure each article is at least 75 words.

·         You may have two pages dedicated to “add space” meaning good and services who want to advertise for your festival.  Each add should be for something that relates to the festival.

·         The magazine must be no smaller than 8 pages.

·         Remember this is a school project so keep your project SCHOOL APPROPRIATE!

Other Useful Web Sites

Griswold High School
Government, American Studies, World Cultures, PE.

Extra credit