Thorough treatment of Congo Conflict

Very thorough explanation of the conflict

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/congothedemocraticrepublicof/index.html

Congo Assignment

Greetings,

This week is Congo week. You may have noticed, if you pay attention to the news, that the Democratic Republic of Congo is on the brink of fighting again. The civil and political unrest has been going on for years. Your top secret assignment is thus: understand the history behind the unrest in the DRC, and explain what the latest developments are. You should also be aware of the cost in terms of human life and human rights.

Job #1: Complete the handout using the following websites:

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/11/20/f-congo-timeline.html

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cg.html

Job #2: As you are researching, compile pictures and personal stories on your network drive. In other words, save the pictures in your network folder.

Job #3: Analyze the role the United Nations and the European Union are playing in the affair.

Daily Geo Map Quiz Week 16

Central Africa Map Quiz

http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/CentralAfrica.html



1) Springfield, Missouri is located on which landform – the Ozark Plateau or the Menominee Range?
2) Which state is not a leading producer of oil – Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas?
3) The Prime Meridian is which degree of longitude – 0, 180, 90?
4) What theory explains the shifting positions and ongoing movement of the continents?
5) On which continent did Simon Bolivar lead a revolution that resulted in many countries gaining their independence from Spain?
6) Which river flows from its source on the Tibetan Plateau through Pakistan before draining into the Arabian Sea?
7) Lake Superior borders which state – Illinois or Minnesota?
8) Which state is not a leading producer of cheese – California, Delaware, Wisconsin?
9) In what country do more than 25 % of the population live in or around Dublin?
10) What language do more people speak as their mother tongue than any other language – Mandarin, English, Hindi?
11) The population of Australia rapidly increased during the 1850s as a result of – gold mining, logging, sheep ranching?
12) The Mayflower and the Titanic are two famous ships that began their transatlantic voyage from which British port city – Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton ?
13) The discovery of animal fossils on Antarctica proves that is once had a milder climate. This supports which theory?
14) The majority of the population of Kandahar is Pashtun. This city is located in the southern part of which landlocked country?
15) Which city was founded as a fort between Lake Eerie and Lake Huron and became a manufacturing powerhouse?

Africa Link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/specials/1624_story_of_africa/

Daily Geo and Map Test Week 15

Northern Africa Map Quiz

http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/NorthernAfrica.html

1) Which of the following is not a country in Eastern Europe - Albania, Mauritania, Romania?
2) In February 2004, scientists began a tiger census in which country bordering India? Bangladesh
3) Which state has a mountain range along its coast – Massachusetts or Oregon?
4) Which state does not have a coastline – Georgia, Kentucky, or New York?
5) Loam, a kind of soil valued by farmers, is a mixture of sand, silt, and what other material?
6) Pineapples and which other crop are Hawaii’s chief plantation crop – Bananas, Rice, or Sugarcane?
7) Luanda is a major port in which African country?
8) Although Sierra Leone’s language has Portuguese origins, what is its official language?
9) What country, where Toros coleados is practiced, borders Guyana?
10) The hajj is- the pilgrimage made by followers of what religion that began in the Middle East?
11) What two Caribbean countries were the last two Spanish colonies in the Americas?
12) What city was the center for the Dutch East India and West India Companies?
13) Which TWO tectonic plates meet to form the San Andreas fault?
14) Yellowstone National Park touches what other national park?
15) The second largest desert in the world lies to the east of the Sahara Desert. Name it.

Lit Terms Link

http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/

Mumbai Bombing

1.) Read these articles on the attack in Mumbai.
2.) With a partner, I want you to find at least 5 comparisons between the situation in India/Pakistan and the situation with the Israelis/Palestinians. List the comparison and explain what the similarities are.


The Consequences of the Mumbai attacks

http://in.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/02column-the-consequences-of-the-mumbai-attacks.htm


Fear grows in Kashmir in aftermath of Mumbai attacks

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/02/asia/kashmir.php

(Provides some basic history of these countries and the disputed region of Kashmir).

Pakistan haunted by jihadis in the closet

http://in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINISL36620320081202

Daily Geo Questions and Map Quiz Link 12/1/08

http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/Samerica.html

1) What water supply systems were architectural masterpieces constructed by Roman engineers?
2) What is the process of crossbreeding in plants to produce desired traits?
3) What Indian feast involved giving away property or destroying it?
4) What sect of Buddhism favors meditation rather than scripture to attain enlightenment?
5) Much of Botswana is covered by what southern African desert?
6) Which Indians built the first cliff dwellings in the 1200s near present day Navajo, New Mexico?
7) What is Spain’s longest river?
8) In what year did the United States take its first census?
9) In the Islamic religion, what name is given to the head of a Mosque?
10) An industrial center on the Dnieper river, what is the capital of the Ukraine?

More links to Arab-Israeli Conflict

http://www.israel-palestina.info/arab-israeli_conflict.html


http://www.usip.org/arab_israeli/

Daily Geo Week 12 & Map Test

Middle East Lakes and Rivers:

http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/MiddleEast/MiddleEastRiversLakes.html


1) The Apennines are to Italy as the Elburz Mountains are to what?
2) Chittagong, a major port city near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River, is located in which South Asian country that borders Myanmar and India?
3) The Pharos lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was located in the harbor of Alexandria. This city is in what country in northern Africa?
4) The largest city in Wisconsin was a major center for German immigration between 1840 and 1900. Name this city.
5) In October 2004, scientists reported the discovery of a dwarf human species that lived about 18,000 years ago on the island of Flores in which Southeast Asian country?
6) Which city is located on a delta – Austin, New Orleans, Oklahoma City
7) Which state is not part of New England – Connecticut, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania?
8) The city of Victoria is on the largest island on Canada’s western coast. Name the island.
9) What is the term for tremors or vibrations that sometimes follow earthquakes?
10) Which city, located on the West bank of the Yamuna River, is home to the Taj Majal?
11) Which island is politically a part of Italy - Sardinia or Majorca?
12) The largest city in Slovakia is located on the Danube River near the country’s borders with Austria and Hungary. Name the city.
13) Uralic languages are spoken in Estonia, Finland, and what country where Budapest is located?
14) The St. Lawrence flows out of the easternmost of the Great Lakes. Name the lake.
15) Arabs from Africa named a large rock Gibraltar as they landed on what large European Peninsula

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Hello, my adoring Geography students,

Here are some links for you to research this issue:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/oslo/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/middle_east/2001/israel_and_the_palestinians/


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/issues/mideastpeace/

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/mideast/

Daily Geo and Map Week 11

Map Quiz Link

Asia Map Quiz: http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/asia3.html


1) The Murray River flows into what ocean on Australia’s southern coast?
2) The ruins of Persepolis, an ancient ceremonial capital of Persia, are located in which present-day country?
3) What Scandinavian country that has a short border with Russia decided in December 2003 to allow oil and gas exploration in the Barents Sea?
4) The Sonoran Desert extends from Mexico into the California and which other state – Nevada or Arizona?
5) Germany’s invasion of what European country marked the beginning of WW II?
6) In October 2003, 74 children from Benin were rescued from slavery in granite quarries and returned home. These quarries were located near Lagos in what African country?
7) Monument Valley’s dry landscape is located in Arizona and which other state - Mississippi or Utah?
8) The Danube river, the 2nd longest river in Europe, flows into which body of water?
9) If one wanted to see the hot-air balloon festival in Albuquerque, you would travel to which state?
10) Which of the following countries does not have one of the Romance languages as its official language - Albania, Italy, or Spain?
11) The Rio Grande de Santiago runs through Lake Chapala, the largest natural lake in which country – Brazil, Mexico, of U.S.?
12) Which country has more time zones, Brazil or Peru?
13) Which of the North American Great Lakes has the largest surface area?
14) Which city has a harbor that is an important port on the East Coast - Charleston, Orlando, Spokane?
15) An archipelago is a group of what physical features found in a body of water?

Week 10

Map Quiz Link: Middle Eastern Countries:

http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/MidEast.html

1) Which country is landlocked? Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos
2) Which African country was known as the Gold Coast?
3) Which Colorado city was the capital from 1862-1867 and is the home of the National Earthquake Information Center? Golden, Boulder, Telluride, Aspen
4) Which country does not border the Gulf of Aqaba? Israel, Sryia, Saudi Arabia
5) Which Caribbean entity is an independent country? St. Lucia, Puerto Rico, Montserrat
6) Long, narrow fields that resemble stair steps on steep hillsides are commonly known by what name – dikes, furrows, terraces?
7) Lisbon is an important port in what country?
8) Canary wharf is located on what European river that rises in the Cotswold Hills?
9) What is the name for a graph that shows the rate of water flow in a river at a certain location during a period of time?
10) The Queen Elizabeth Islands are part of which Canadian Territory - Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Labrador?
11) Cuba is well known for exporting what TWO agricultural products?
12) Fast becoming the most populous city in the world, what city is the most populous in North America?
13) What native religion of Haiti works charms, invokes curses, and uses rituals to call forth spirits?
14) Most African countries received their independence during what decade of the 20th century?
15) Tikal National Park in Guatemala contains the remains of an ancient city representing what ancient Indian Civilization?

Debate on Amendment 48 (Hey, that rhymes!)

Amendment 48, if passed in Colorado, will define person as "any human being from the moment of fertilization."

Your group will provide arguments for or against this proposed amendment.

The websites listed below will offer arguments for and against this issue. This is a starting point for your research, not an endpoint.

(You are to make notations of where your arguments come from. On your debate sheets, you MUST make citations of where your evidence comes from.)

Against websites:

http://www.prochoicecolorado.org/ballotwatch.shtml

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/07/04/111507.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjsCHQQ4s7M

For websites:

http://www.coloradoforequalrights.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHZFGtkaSQ&feature=related

Analysis / background of both sides

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/coloradoballot/17630431/detail.html

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/10/29/in-colorado-voters-will-decide-whether-human-embryos-are-people-under-states-constitution.html

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Colorado_Definition_of_Person_Initiative_%282008%29

http://www.ontheissues.org/Background_Abortion.htm

Daily Geo Week 9

1) To visit Virginia City, which became a boomtown after silver was discovered at the Comstock Lode in the mid-1800s, you would travel to which state—Vermont or Nevada?
2) Which country, bordered by France, Belgium, and Germany, depends on foreign workers for at least 30 percent of its work force?
3) The only present-day state capital on the Hudson River was settled in the early 1600s. Name this city.
4) Which Brazilian city has a metropolitan population of more than 18 million people?
5) What city on the Pearl River Delta was the first Chinese port regularly visited by European traders?
6) Sapporo, located in the Hokkaido prefecture, is one of the most rapidly growing urban centers in which country?
7) Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places in the United States, is just east of which mountains?
Adirondack Mountains Allegheny Mountains Sierra Nevada
8) Which peninsula borders the Mediterranean Sea?
Iberian Peninsula Indochina Peninsula Kola Peninsula
9) Sobo-Katamuki National Park is located on the southernmost of Japan’s major islands. Name this island.
Hokkaido Honshu Kyushu
10) Which causes more hurricane-related deaths?
Lightning Storm-surge flooding
11) A city on the Yangtze River northwest of Shanghai was China’s capital when the Communists took control of the country in 1949. Name this city.
Guilin Nanjing Norway
12) The Ozark Plateau covers the southwest corner of which state- Missouri or Wisconsin?
13) Haifa, located at the foot of Mount Carmel, is a port on the Mediterranean Sea in which Asian country?
14) In 1952, military officers in a North African country led a revolt to end almost 70 years of British political influence. Name this country.
15) In 1911 a revolution that began in the present-day city of Wuhan overthrew the imperialist government of what country?
China Mongolia Thailand

Educational System in Finland

Dear Americana Students,

My name in Sven. Please pardon English. Working still am I on it. I vould like you to learn about education system in my country, Finland. No offense to you, but Finland is one of the best systems in the world. The United States seems to be having problems. I vould like for you to explain to me why you think that is.

Here is the main link to my country's educational system: http://www.edu.fi/english/SubPage.asp?path=500,4699

Here also is good blog about our system. Click here to learn more.

Please, research this site. It would be great if you set up your own blog so you could make comments right here on Mr. Dula's blog. He is so vonderful.

I vant you to compare / contrast our two educational systeems. You must make notes today. More stuff coming next week. Compare when kids start school, structure of schools, what they study, how schools are funded, etc...

I vant you to turn into that vonderful man, Mr. Dula, all the vriting you have completed by end of period. Ve vill vork more on thees tuesday.

Love,

Sven

European Union Questions

Required to answer:

1.) When was it created?

2.) Describe two arguments for and against the creation of the EU.

Choose two of the four to answer:

1.) Why was it created?

2.) Describe economic conditions in Europe before the EU.

3.) How did the EU change how business was done?

4.) Has the EU been successful in its purpose?

Daily Geo Week 9 and Map Quiz Link

European Rivers: http://www.ilike2learn.com/ilike2learn/Europe/Europe%20Rivers.html

1) Which state is known as the Sooner State because some people arrived before, or sooner than, the land was officially opened for settlement?
2) In the 17th and 18th centuries, the present-day United States and Canada were settled by immigrants primarily from which continent?
3) The Erie Canal was constructed in the early 1800s to connect the Great Lakes with what river?
4) Pilgrims on their way to the two holiest Islamic cities are important to the tourism economy in the region of Hejaz in which country?
5) During the 1970s, the Khmer Rouge forced almost the entire population out of Phnom Penh in which present-day country?
6) To visit Harlem, a part of Manhattan that developed as a cultural center for African American music and literature in the early 1900s, you would travel to which state?
7) According to the 2000 census, nearly 30 percent of foreign-born residents of the United States are from which country?
8) On which continent do most people speak either Portuguese or Spanish?
9) Italy’s occupation of the capital of Eritrea in the early 20th century influenced the architecture of many of its buildings. Name this capital city.
10) Conflict between the Bhote and the Nepalese ethnic groups has caused large refugee movements away from the smallest country in the Himalaya. Name this country.
11) The Appalachian Trail extends more than 2,000 miles from Maine to which state?
12) Thousands of rural migrants arrive in Morocco’s largest city each year to look for work. Name this city.
13) Enslaved persons from Africa influenced the religion, food, and music of the region around Salvador in which South American country?
14) What present-day state capital city also served as the capital of Deseret, a territory organized by Mormon settlers in 1849?
15) What country lost about half its population between 1865 and 1870 in a disastrous war with Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay?

Presidential Debate

Which Presidential candidate do you support and why? What are some of the issues you take most seriously?

Environment, Abortion, War, Taxes, Size of Government, Women's Rights, Minority Rights, Poverty, Foreign Policy etc...

You must make one of your own comments and respond to one of your classmates.

Daily Geo Questions Week 8

Daily Geography: Week 8

1) What present day country, located at the southwestern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, supplied frankincense and myrrh to the ancient world.
2) Which state straddles the Tropic of Cancer?
3) Transylvania is a region made famous by a fictional character, Count Dracula. This region is located in which European country?
4) Which state is not crossed by the Appalachian Mountains?
5) The Caprivi Strip gives Namibia access to a river that flows into the Mozambique Channel. Name this river in southern Africa.
6) The Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, a national hero in Vietnam, can be visited in which city on the Red River?
7) Ruins of centuries-old pueblos can be found in which state – Minnesota or New Mexico?
8) The West Bank, the Shatt al Arab, and Kashmir are all disputed regions on which continent?
9) West Nile Virus was once only found in tropical regions, but it has spread to many parts of the United States. What insect is responsible for this disease?
10) The Red River of the North runs along the border between Minnesota and which other state - North Dakota or Illinois?
11) Which state is known as the Land of Lincoln because Abraham Lincoln began his political career there?
12) A change in the course of a major river may led to the decline of the ancient city of Ur, a center of Sumerian culture. Name this river.
13) Which Slavic language is spoken by the largest number of people?
14) What river marks Iowa’s eastern border?
15) A climate graph shows annual patterns of precipitation and which other climate related information - direction, pressure, or temperature?

Adolf Hitler Speech

Compare this speech with that of Martin Luther King's? Do they have different purposes? Are they equally effective? Which one is better?

I have a Dream - M.L.K.

What is the message of this speech? Why is it effective?

Are girls under more pressure?

How does advertising affect people's images of themselves, especially young girls?

View the video at Dove.com: http://www.dove.us/?source=msnhp#/features/videos/default.aspx[cp-documentid=8354359]/?GT1=25039

Daily Geo Questions - Week 7

Daily Geography: Week 7

1) Chinook winds are to North America as Harmattan winds are to what?
Africa Antarctica Australia
2) Which of the following states does not include part of the Missouri River- Arkansas, Montana, or South Dakota?
3) Sinhala is the principle language of which island country off the coast of South Asia?
4) Which sea boarders Italy and Croatia- the Adriatic Sea or the Black Sea?
5) Which Southeast Asian island country was granted full independence by the United States in 1946?
6) Which continent has the most cities with populations greater than ten million?
7) Skopje is the largest city in a former Yugoslav republic. Name this country.
8) The African city of Kampala lies near the northern shore of Lake Victoria in which country?
9) The Ryukyu Islands are to Japan as the West Frisian Islands are to what?
10) In November 2004, fierce storms in Mediterranean Sea caused three shipwrecks off the coast of which large country east of Morocco?
11) Which state is known as the Badger State because its early lead miners who lived in caves were called “badgers”—New York or Wisconsin?
12) The most densely populated region of Russia is centered around a city that has been the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church for 700 years. Name this city.
13) North Carolina’s most populous city is an important financial center. Name this city.
14) Between the 1850s and the 1930s, millions of European immigrants settled in the Pampas grassland region in which country?
15) In January 2005, hundreds of villagers were displaced by tribal clashes over land and water access near Naivasha, in an African country northeast of Tanzania. Name this country.

Links for Geography Research

The CIA World Factbook: List of countries and their profiles

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html

Wealth Distribution Around World:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distribution_of_wealth

Population Density / Distribution around the world w/ some comparitive statistics.

http://bernware.com/resources/popnotes.pdf

In Depth Population Breakdown from U.S. Census Bureau (good source)

http://www.census.gov/ipc/prod/wp02/wp-02003.pdf

The Earth Institute Directory (growing urbanization of the world)

http://www.earth.columbia.edu/news/2005/story03-07-05.html

17 Years of Daily Pictures.

Week 6 Daily Geo Questions

Daily Geography: Week 6

1) Name the country with the smallest area on the west coast of South America.
2) Which African city was established near the head of the Nile River Delta, south of Alexandria, more than a thousand years ago?
Asmara Cairo Tripoli
3) Which port city in Morocco is located at the west end of the Strait of Gibraltar?
4) Which state is farther east- New Jersey or Ohio?
5) The Po River is to the Adriatic Sea as the Dniester River is to what?
6) In India, pilgrims travel to the sacred city of Varanasi, also called Banaras, to bathe in the waters of what river?
7) Which country is located between France and Spain- Luxembourg or Andorra?
8) Name the sea that was created by the spreading of the earth’s crust along the junction of the African and Arabian plates.
Baltic Sea Mediterranean Sea Red Sea
9) To visit massive rice terraces on Luzon and to walk through a palace in Manila, you would travel to what country?
10) Millions of workers went on strike in October 2003 to protest a government plan to reform the pension system in what European country south of Switzerland?
11) The longest river in New England shares its name with which state?
12) The Omaha, Crow and Sioux all have reservations along the Mississippi River’s longest tributary. Name this tributary.
Arkansas River Missouri River Ohio River
13) In January 2005, which country just south of Nicaragua announced that torrential rains had caused widespread damage to its banana and pineapple export crops?
14) The most populous city on the Tigris River is the setting for many of the stories of Arabian Nights. Name this city.
15) An Afrikaans word meaning separateness is used to refer to South Africa’s former policy of racial segregation. Name this term.

What really matters?

What really matters? Let's start a discussion about this important question. It has been asked for thousands of years.

7th Grade English

If you have any questions, let me know.