GOOGLESCHOLAR: GEO Assignment 4

1. What climatic and geologic hazards threaten the Americas? What have been some of the historical ones impacting this whole region? How do you think any Global Warming or Climate Change will impact this region?

PART I: MAP ACTIVITY

Use the maps below to identify all numbered areas.

• Canada
• Caribbean
• North America
• South America

PART II: SHORT ESSAY

Please answer the following question in a 1-2 page short essay using APA Format.  Please be sure to use the course readings and/or other outside documented research to support all of your ideas, facts, and opinions.

Pick any individual country in The Americas, and then describe and explain its individual physical, historical, economic, political, cultural/human, and religious/spiritual geography.  How and why is it different than the countries it borders?  What future challenges do you see for this country?  Have you ever visited this country before?  Would you like to if you have not?  Why or why not?

PART III: GEOGRAPHY JOURNAL

Task #1.  Please utilize LIRN (you may visit the Academic Resource Center for a guide on how to utilize LIRN successfully) and search for one peer reviewed research article that covers any of the following:

• identify the landform regions, climates, and major lakes and rivers of North America.

• illustrate the basic historical geography of the settlement along with the economic and parallel urban geography of the U.S. and Canada for the past three centuries.

• describe Canada’s provinces and territories, English-French cultural division, and the indigenous people’s movement.

• evaluate the features that make the Core region of North America so prominent.

• describe the growth of the Southeast and discuss the effect of Anglo, Hispanic and Native American cultures on the Southwest region.

• identify reasons why the Western Frontier is the fastest growing region and discuss why the Northern Frontier is considered a true “frontier.”

• describe Middle America’s major environmental features and dangers as well as the vertical organization of climates in highland zones.

• discuss the basic human and physical geography of Mexico and its development opportunities in the NAFTA era.

• describe the general layout of the Caribbean Islands.

• examine the broad aspects of South America’s Historical Geography from the time of the Incas to the post colonial era.

• interpret the realm’s cultural mosaic, agricultural and industrial activities, general patterns of urbanization, and challenges and opportunities.

• evaluate the basic environmental, historical, cultural, political, economic, physical, and human geography of South America.

Then write a 1-2 page review/reaction/reflection paper describing that article using APA format (please visit the Academic Resource Center for a concise guide on APA format).  Be sure to include the following:

• Goals/Objectives: What is the purpose of the article?  What does it attempt to solve, determine, or demonstrate?

• Data: Which data are assessed or analyzed to determine if the goals/objectives are met?

• Methods: What specific methodology is used to analyze the data in the context of the goals?

• Analysis/Conclusion: What resulted from methods being applied to the data?  What do the author(s) conclude from the analysis or how do they interpret the analysis/results?

Your critical review of the article must include the following:

• Assessment: Were the goals and objectives clearly stated?  Did the goals match the methods and results?  Was the article easy to follow?

• Importance: What, in your view, is the importance of this research?  What impactdoesknowing this have on geography?

• Improvement: What, if anything, could the author(s) have done to improve the article?

• Reaction: What is your opinion of the research conducted?

Task #2.  For Modules 2-8, you will reflect on the specific region and then will turn in your complete work (for Modules 2-8) at the completion of Module 8.  You will only turn in a rough draft of your Task #2 work in this module’s homework assignment.

Please write a 1-2 page reflection paper on how the physical, economic, political, historical, and cultural/human geography of the American region or realm would impact you if you lived there.  You can compile this as a document, PowerPoint Presentation, or even create an online blog (please ask instructor).  You can also set this up as a diary with daily entries.  Be creative.