Name: _____________________________ Global Studies: Rising 10th Grade -­ Summer Work Geographic Literacy Directions: Read the article below discussing geographic literacy. As you read, make sure to annotate the article by circling words you don’t know (and looking them up), underlining important information, and jotting down thoughts or questions that come to mind. Then, answer the questions below in full sentences. Young Americans Geographically Illiterate, Survey Suggests John Roach, for National Geographic News, May 2, 2006 (adapted) Young adults in the United States fail to understand the world and their place in it, according to a survey-­based report on geographic literacy. Take Iraq, for example. Despite nearly constant news coverage since the war there began in 2003, 63 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 failed to correctly
locate the country on a map of the Middle East. Seventy percent could not find Iran or Israel. Nine in ten
couldn't find Afghanistan on a map of Asia. And 54 percent were unaware that Sudan is a country in Africa. "Young Americans just don't seem to have much interest in the world outside of the U.S.," said David Rutherford, a specialist in geography education at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. New York City-­based Roper Public Affairs conducted the survey for the National Geographic Society. In total, Roper carried out 510 interviews between December 17, 2005, and January 20, 2006.
The average respondent answered 54 percent of the questions correctly. "Alarming," "Discouraging" Results "The Roper poll is alarming, as it has been continuously for the past several years," said Douglas
Richardson, executive director of the Association of American Geographers in Washington, D.C. Richardson added that geographic knowledge is essential for survival in our rapidly globalizing world, a
notion that is beginning to gain traction at the university level, where enrollment in geography classes is
up. "We need to really now catch up in offering the foundation for students in geography in the middle schools and the high schools," he said. Survey results published in 2002 were also disappointing. The 2002 project also surveyed 18-­ to 24-­year-­olds in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, and Great Britain. The U.S. trailed every other country in that survey, except Mexico, which did only slightly worse. "It's discouraging
that so many young Americans have so little understanding of the world," said Robert Pastor, vice president of international affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. Geography Schmeography? Even for U.S. geography, the survey results are just as dismal. Half could not find New York State
on a map of the United States. A third of the respondents could not find Louisiana, and 48 percent couldn't locate Mississippi on a map of the United States, even though Hurricane Katrina put these southeastern states in the spotlight in 2005. 1 Many young Americans also lack basic map-­reading skills. Told they could escape an approaching hurricane by evacuating to the northwest, only two-­thirds could indicate which way northwest is on a map. Perhaps even more worrisome is the finding that few U.S. young adults seem to
care. Fewer than three in ten think it's absolutely necessary to know where countries in the news are located. Only 14 percent believe speaking another language fluently is a necessary skill. This geographic ineptitude was further emphasized when young Americans were asked questions
on how the United States fits into the wider world. Three in ten respondents put the U.S. population between one and two billion (it's just under 300 million, according the U.S. Census Bureau). Seventy-­four percent said English is the most commonly spoken native language in the world (it's Mandarin Chinese). Although 73 percent knew the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of oil, nearly as
many (71 percent) did not know that the U.S. is also the world's largest exporter of goods and services,
when measured in terms of monetary value. And what about India, which features prominently in the job-­outsourcing debate? Forty-­seven percent of young Americans were unable to locate where their jobs may go on a map of Asia. Rutherford, who is also a graduate of the Ph.D. program in geographic education at Texas State University in San Marcos, said improving the geographic literacy of tomorrow's leaders is crucial. "In our
country—where the decisions we make on a daily basis have far-­reaching ramifications—it is profoundly important for our people to have a better grasp of geographic literacy," he said. Geography's Place According to Richardson, of the Association of American Geographers, enrollment in geography courses at the university level is increasing. This indicates that "geography is assuming a more central
place in our society." Part of the upswing in enrollment is driven by increased use of technology, such global positioning systems (GPS). In addition, rapid globalization is forcing students to open their eyes
to the rest of the world, he says. On a positive note, since 2002 the percentage of young Americans who use the Internet for news
has more than doubled from 11 percent to 27 percent. Respondents who use the Internet were found to
do better on the survey than those who do not. "The good news," American University's Pastor said, "is education, travel, and language matter. The young people who have more education, who have traveled outside the country, and who can speak
a second language are more likely to answer more questions on the geography survey correctly. So it shows Americans are educable, and the only question is whether American teachers will do more to interest their students in more education, language, and study-­abroad activities." Questions: 1. Do you think it is important for us to understand geography? Why?
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_______________________________________________________________________ 2. Why do you think many American students have such a poor knowledge of geography?
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_______________________________________________________________________ 3. What do you think schools can do differently to improve geographic literacy among students? _____________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________ 4. How long ago was this article written? Since then, what do you think has changed, and what do you
think has remained the same? _____________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________ World Map Challenge Directions: Use the internet to study the locations of the countries on the list below. Try to focus on their relative locations (where they are in relation to their surroundings). Be prepared to have your knowledge tested when you return to school this fall! Afghanistan Greece Mexico Somalia Australia Greenland Nigeria South Africa Brazil Iceland Norway Spain Canada Iran Pakistan Syria China Iraq Panama Turkey Cuba Italy Peru United Kingdom Egypt Japan Russia United States France Libya Saudi Arabia Vietnam Germany Mali Label the map on the back of this page to help you! 3 4 Geographic Landforms Directions: Read and study this list of geographic features. Then on the back, find an example of each feature and label it accordingly. (NOTE: There are many more geographic landforms, but below are those that can be recognized on any map. Features like mountains, deserts, and cities require specialized maps.) Be prepared to have your knowledge tested when you return to school this fall! Land Water Archipelago: Bay/Gulf: An archipelago is a group or chain of islands. A bay is a body of saltwater partially surrounded Archipelagos may be found isolated in bodies of by land but with a wide opening into a ocean or water or next to a large land mass. Examples sea. A larger, more enclosed bay is sometimes include the Aegean Islands of Greece and the called a gulf, and some very large gulfs may be Hawaiian Islands. called seas. Continent: Lake: A continent is anyone of the great land masses of A lake is a large inland body of water surrounded Earth. Traditionally, seven continents are counted, completely by land. Lakes are usually freshwater although some think that there are continents, but can be saltwater. examples include Lake Erie such as Europe and Asia, which should be and the Caspian “Sea,” which is really a salt lake. counted together as one continent because they are connected by land. Ocean: The word ocean can refer to the entire body of Island: saltwater that covers 70% of the Earth’s surface, An Island is a landmass that is completely but it is usually broken up into four or five oceans, surrounded by water on all sides. Islands may large areas covered by salt water, divided only exist in isolation or in groups (see “archipelago.”) partially by land. The Atlantic and Pacific are two Examples of islands include Madagascar, Sri oceans. Lanka, and Iceland. River: Isthmus: A river is a large natural stream of fresh water fed An isthmus is a narrow strip of land, with water on by smaller streams called tributaries, emptying either side, connecting two larger land areas. A into an ocean, lake, or other body of water. well known example is the Panama Isthmus, whichExamples include the Nile and Amazon rivers. connects North and South america. Sea: Peninsula: A sea can be a large body of salt water almost A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by completely surrounded by land, such as the water on three sides but still connected to Mediterranean Sea, or it can be a section of water
mainland. It’s name means “almost island.” within an ocean, such as the North Sea. Examples of Peninsulas include the State of Florida, Korea, and the Arabian Peninsula. Strait: A strait is a narrow passage of water, with and on either side, connecting two large bodies of water. The Strait of Gibraltar is a famous example. Directions Use the information on the other side of this page to label each Geographic Features below. 5 th
10 Grade Summer Assignment 6 Each student will choose 5 specific historical figures and write a series of biographies. The basic assignment will be to complete the following ten (10) questions for each person you choose. 1. In what ways was this person’s life remarkable, despicable, or admirable? 2. What human qualities were most influential in shaping the way this person lived and influenced his or her times? 3. Which quality or trait proved most troubling and difficult? Why? 4. Which quality or trait proved most beneficial and why? 5. Did this person make any major mistakes or bad decisions? If so, what were they and how would you have chosen and acted differently in their shoes? 6. What are the two or three most important lessons you or any other teenager might learn from the way this person lived? 7. Some people say you can judge the quality of a person’s life by the enemies they make. Do you think this is true of this person’s life? Explain why or why not. 8. An older person or mentor is often very important in shaping the lives of gifted people by providing guidance and encouragement. To what extent was this true of this person? Explain. 9. Many people act out of a code or set of beliefs, which dictates the choices they make. It may be a religion, politics, or a personal philosophy. To what extent did this person act out of a code or act independently of any set of beliefs? 10. What do you think it means to be a hero? Was this person a hero? Why or why not? How is a hero different than a celebrity? Instructions: 7 a. Each biography should be typed. 12pt Font and Times New Roman, and printed. b. Each biography should be titled with your person’s name c. Please number each answer you give. d. All answers need to be in complete sentences. e. Please note that each answer should be at least one (1) paragraph in length. Choose 5 Historical Figures: 1. Hammurabi 2. Cyrus the Great 3. Asoka 4. Confucius 5. Mansa Musa 6. Shi Huangdi 7. Alexander the Great 8. Hannibal 9. Mohammed 10. Justinian 11. Charlemagne 12. Genghis Khan 13. Montezuma II 14. Julius Caesar 15. Theodora 16. Cleopatra 17. Queen Elizabeth I 8