Geography Students, You will have to complete two work samples this semester.
Speaking Rubric
Writing Rubric
The first will be assigned to be due by the 24th at latest for Geography B students. The second work sample will be assigned to Geography A students by March 3rd they are as follows:
Geography A (9-10)
-Writing Persuasive
South America: Reducing Deforestation
As we have learned, deforestation is an important global issue of particular importance to the continent of South America. Simply because you do not see deforestation in your backyard does not mean that deforestation is not a crisis of global proportions. For this unit’s part of the final project, you will write a letter or create a brochure, slideshow presentation, video, or podcast to a hypothetical U.S. company deforesting a rainforest in South America. Using the information you have learned in this lesson as a starting point to help you complete your project, and then go online to learn more. The goal of your project is to convince the company to stop their actions that are contributing to deforestation. Use the facts you have learned to provide evidence to support your well reasoned and argued position.Deforestation is a topic of concern for us as citizens of the United States as much as it is for citizens of South America. As we discussed previously, every new unit will investigate an important issue for the region we are studying in preparation for the G8 Summit … the final project. This will be your fourth of five components that will make up your semester 1 final project grade.
Consider the following questions in your project:
- What are the primary causes of deforestation?
- What are the impacts of deforestation?
- Who benefits? Who loses?
- Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
- Are there any alternatives to current practices?
- Why does it matter?
You may use the following resources to help you begin the research for your project:
- Rainforest Action Network web-site (Or use the following keywords in an online search engine to find the website: Rainforest Action Network Forests)
- NASA web-site (Or use the following keywords in an online search engine to find the website: NASA deforestation)
- WRM Briefing: This is an excellent site on deforestation! (Or use the following keywords in an online search engine to find the website: WRM deforestation)
- See how to set up a business letter: (Or use the following keywords in an online search engine to find the website: OWL Business Letter )
-Speaking Informative
North America: U.S. Regions Project
Did you have any idea how diverse the regions of North America were? In this assignment you will select two of the regions that were presented in the tutorial and do some additional research. After you learn some more details about your selected regions, you will create a presentation and speech.Choose two of the following regions and then create a presentation following the guidelines below.
- Atlantic Coast
- Appalachian Range
- Interior Lowlands
- Canadian Shield
- Basin and Ridge
- Great Plains
- Pacific Coastal Range
- Rocky Mountains
Create a presentation detailing the two regions you select and then compare them to each other.
- In what part of North America do you find each region?
- What are the geographical features of each region?
- What types of industries are found in each region?
- What makes the people and culture unique in each region?
- What type of climate is found in each region?
- Are there any natural hazards that typically occur in each region?
- How have humans impacted these regions?
- How did the environment or physical processes of these regions impact human settlement?
- Please provide examples to support your presentation, including images, graphics, and audio (optional).
Geography B (9-10)
-Writing Persuasive
India and the Middle East: Outsourcing
As we discussed in Unit 1, every new unit will investigate an important issue for the region we are studying in preparation for the G8 Summit … the Final Project. This will be your last of five components that will make up your Semester 2 Final Project grade.Writing a persuasive essay is based on the art of convincing. In a persuasive essay the writer convinces the reader that the stand taken by him regarding a topic is relevant or the course of action suggested is valid. Persuasive writing is used in the media as well as in essays and other types of writing to get the reader to accept a point of view. In order to convince the reader, you need more than opinion; you need facts or examples to back your opinion. For this assignment, you must write 300 words to convince the audience to support your position on outsourcing and offshoring. The following steps will help you with this assignment.
- Step 1. Generate a list of ideas and questions specific to the topic of outsourcing and offshoring by completing the following KWL chart.
K: what information do you already know about the topic?
W: What do you want to know more about? Use your W column to direct your research. After you have done some more research based on the questions from your middle column, fill in the last column.
L: What new information did you learn about the topic?
- Step 2. Download and complete the Concept Map to help brainstorm some ideas for your essay.
- Step 3. Create a strong thesis statement.
- Step 4. Go online and map out your argument using the Persuasion Mapping Tool. (Click on the link or use the following words in an online search engine: Read Write Think Persuasion Map) You must print out your map when you are finished, because the program does not allow you to save your work.
- Step 5. Write! Use you KWL Chart, Concept Map, and Persuasion Map to continue the writing process. Don’t forget your introduction, a body that outlines your argument, and a strong conclusion.
Use the rubric to make sure you have included all the relevant information for your essay.
You may use the following resources to help you write your speech or any additional resources:
- WSJ Classroom Outsourcing Valicert India (Or use the following words in an online search engine: WSJ Classroom Outsourcing Valicert India)
- WSJ Classroom Offshoring Can Generate Jobs (Or use the following words in an online search engine: WSJ Classroom Offshoring Can Generate Jobs)
- Businessweek Future of Outsourcing (Or use the following words in an online search engine: Businessweek Future of Outsourcing)
Eastern Europe: Nuclear Energy Position
The use of nuclear energy is clearly a rather controversial one, with very valid arguments on both sides. Energy is fundamental to virtually all aspects of life of earth as we know it, including food, transportation, shelter, and warmth. Where we get energy to supply these needs is therefore of major consequence, and needs to be considered carefully. Where do you stand? Do you think we should increase our use of nuclear energy in the United States? Do you think we should decrease it or ban it altogether? Do you think we should encourage other countries to use more nuclear energy or avoid using it?For this piece of your final project assignment, your task is to defend one side of whether or not we should use nuclear energy for power in the form of a position project. You may complete this assignment as a paper, slideshow presentation, video, or podcast.
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