Friday, November 30, 2012

Friday Agenda

1) Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz (Period 5 and 6) Click here. 
    Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz (Period 8) Click here. 
    Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz (Period 9) Click here.

2) Work on Cartograms. We will be working on cartograms on Monday as well.  If you are unable to finish your cartogram on Monday, please complete for homework. Due on Tuesday 12/4.

Some notes on the cartogram:
*They must be neat and legible.
*States must be touching.
*You do not have to make the states resemble their actual shape. However, the states must be in their proper location. (Example: Illinois should be next to Indiana and Iowa, and underneath Wisconsin.)
*The cartogram should take up around half of your sheet.
*You are expected to use every state for which there is data on your topic. You are only allowed to do less than 50 states if there is not data on some states. If your topic does not have data for at least 35 states, then you must select a new topic.

Example of a cartogram:

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Clarification on the Cartogram Assignment

We will be spending two days working on the cartogram assignment. After day one (block day), you are required to have finished your data sheet. On Friday, you will be required to finish your cartogram, or it must be finished for homework, due on Monday 12/3.


Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Agenda For Wednesday/Thursday

During the Block Day, students will be creating their own cartogram of the United States.

-- Bring colored pencils/markers to class!! --

Directions after the jump...


Tuesday Recap

Today we reviewed Chapter 7 terms, read sections 7.5 and 7.6 in the Geography Alive! Textbook, and completed page 61-62 in our Interactive Notebook.

FOR BLOCK DAY, bring colored pencils and markers!!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Agenda for Monday 11/26

* Go over the 10 question Homework Review from Friday 11/16
* Learn the definitions and differences between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd World Countries
* Review and define terms for Friday's Chapter 7 Vocab Quiz. Terms and definitions are due in class Tuesday 11/28.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Agenda for Friday 11-16


FIRST: HOMEWORK REVIEW (10 points) -- You may use your Geography Alive! Interactive Workbook for this review


SECOND: BLOGGER POST -- REFLECTION ON Q1 (10 points) – In addition to the questions, you must publish 3 RELEVANT PICTURES to this post.

DESCRIBE HOW YOU DID ON THE CHAPTER 1 and CHAPTER TWO TEST.
1)   How did you perform (grade)?
2)   Did you study adequately?
3)   What study habits worked well for you this time?
4)   What study habits will you change or improve?

DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR GROUP PROJECT.
1)   What was your topic, and what did you learn about your topic that you didn’t know before?  
2)   Did your group work well together? Why or why not?
3)   Looking back, what did you like best about working as a group?
4)   What would you do differently the next time you are asked to work as a group?

DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE LEARNING ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.
1)   What did you learn about the election process that you didn’t know before?
2)   What are your thoughts on the presidential debates, both present and past?
3)   What are your thoughts on political ads?
4)   What are your thoughts on political cartoons? Are they just for laughs or can there be meaning behind the humor?
5)   If you could change one thing about the way we select our president, what would it be? 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Agenda for Wed/Thu Block Day

Review page 58 (key terms) in the Geography Alive Interactive Workbook.
Cartogram discussion and activity
Read 7.3 and 7.4, completing page 59 and 60 in the workbook.
Any work not completed in class will be done for homework.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Tuesday Recap

Distributed reflections and grade reports for conferences next week.
 Handed out Geography Alive! Workbooks
Began reading Chapter 7 (7.1 and 7.2)
 Began working on homework (page 58 in the workbook)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Ballot Measure - Legalizing Marijuana Blogger Post


  • RESEARCH this issue and write at least a two paragraph reflection on BLOGGER stating your OPINION.
  • Is legalizing marijuana a good or bad idea? Why? What are some the Pros and Cons to legalization?
    ***Support your opinion with evidence and support. *** 

Friday's Agenda

  • Review Election Recap Worksheet
  • Review Election Topic Quiz
  • Reflection on Quarter 1

2 Assignments for Tuesday 11/13 - Blogger Update

For those that didn't complete this in class, or who were absent on Friday 11/9 ....

#1 - Blogger Update


1)   Open Safari
2)   Go to Blogger.com
3)   Sign in
4)   Click the down arrow on the right side
5)   Click Settings
6)   On the Left side of the page, click “Posts and Comments
7)   Scroll to the bottom of the page
8)   Turn Show word verification to NO
9)   Scroll up and click SAVE SETTINGS
10)         Log out

#2 - Q1 Reflection

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Election Activity for Block Day (Wed/Thu)


Here are the questions for the Election Activity we are doing on block day. Please use a media resource - such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox, or Politico and go to their Election Results page to answer these questions. This sheet is due Friday. 

Decision 2012: Post-Election Analysis

Who is the winner of the 2012 Presidential Election? __________________________
  • Popular Vote total (How many people voted and for whom?)
    • Barack Obama:
    • Mitt Romney:
  • Electoral Vote total
    • Barack Obama:
    • Mitt Romney:

United States Congress
  • How many members are there in the Senate? ______________
  • Which political party now controls the Senate? _________________
    • # of Democratic Senators: _________
    • # of Republican Senators: _________
  • Does the controlling party of the Senate have a "super-majority?" (Research to find out) EXPLAIN.



  • Did the Senators from Illinois, Richard Durbin (D) and Mark Kirk (R) run for re-election this year? EXPLAIN.




  • How many members are there in the House of Representatives? ________
  • Which political party now controls the House of Representatives? ________________
    • # of Democratic Congressmen/Congresswomen: ________________
    • # of Republican Congressmen/Congresswomen: ________________
  • Who is your Congressman? (Look for Illinois 10th Congressional district) ______________
    • Is this your Congressman's 1st term or is he being re-elected? ___________________

Ballot Measures
  • What is California Proposition 30? Did it pass? EXPLAIN.


  • Four (4) different states voted on the issue of legalizing same-sex marriage.
    • What states were voting on this issue?

  • What was the final decision on those states? EXPLAIN.



  • California voted on the issue of the Death Penalty. What was the final decision? EXPLAIN




  • Three (3) different states voted on the issue of legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
    • What states were voting on this issue?

  • What was the final decision in those states? EXPLAIN.


  • Explain why the decision of these states will cause a major conflict with the Federal Government in Washington D.C.


  • ***(Homework)***
    RESEARCH this issue and write at least a two paragraph reflection on BLOGGER stating your OPINION.
  • Is legalizing marijuana a good or bad idea? Why? What are some the Pros and Cons to legalization?
    ***Support your opinion with evidence and support. *** 

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Pre-Election Maps


Here is the map from the Edgewood Election...















And this is the Electoral Map based on the last round of polling...















Let's see if either of those maps are close to the real thing!