World Geography
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The world geography block began with a review of the seven continents and their physical land formations. The class heard about the geography of Asia with a concentrated look at China, India and Russia. The students learned the locations of the most famous mountain ranges, deserts, steppes, rivers and lakes in Asia. The class heard about the cultural history of China and Russia and their influence in the world. There was a review of the location of all fifty states and of the major mountains, deserts, rivers and lakes of the world. The geography block also linked the relationship between industry and commerce to the varying cultures in different parts of the world. Students came to see how native products in certain geographical areas influenced the development of civilizations. The political, commercial and cultural impact of both the potato and salt were traced. Students working in pairs did a research paper, art project and presentation on an indigenous product and traced its worldwide effect on different societies. Throughout the block student drew detailed maps, including one formed out of a grid, wrote essays and creative pieces with accompanying illustrations. There was a final block test.