20 Questions

Here are 20 questions to help you as you complete your studying for the final exam.

1) What is natural vegetation?
2)The solid matter carried by a stream is called ____________
3) Landforms shaped by running water are called_____________
4)True or False the United States currently does not have any active volcanoes?
5)Seismic Sea Waves are also known as?
6) What affects the availability and distribution of ground water?
7) Can you describe the Rock Cycle?
8) Define the term Rock. What are the three major classes of Rock?
9)What is the Earth’s crust?
10)The layers of the earth’s interior include the _______, _______, ______ ______ _______ , and the _______ ______ _____.
11)What is an earthquake? Where do they occur?
12)The ___________, the outermost shell of the rigid, brittle rock, includes the crust and an upper layer of the mantle.
13) Where is the Sahara Desert located?
14)The two basic tectonic processes are _____________ and ______________.
15) Biogeography is the combination of ___________ and geography.
16) How does a foodweb work?
17) What is the scientific study of land forms?
18) What is soil? Why is it a valuable natural resource?
19) ___________ is the general term applied to the combined action of all processes that cause rock to disintegrate physically and decompose chemically because of exposure near the earth’s surface.
20)What are long, narrow bodies of flowing water occupying a trench-like depression, or channel, and moving to lower levels under the force of gravity?

Feel free to email me with any questions.

Chapters 8-10

I hope that you all benefited from our review last night. Here's the post of the vocab for the chapter 8-10. I will also email around a study guide with all terms tonight. All terms have been on the blog this is just giving you the entire list in one place.

I will also include the things you need to know for the 2 diagrams on the exam.

Thanks & Happy Studying!!

Chapter 8:

biogeography
food web
primary producers
photosynthesis
biomass
habitat
biodiversity

Chapter 9:

Natural Vegetation
Biome
Savanna Biome
Desert Biome

Chapter 10:

Soil
Parent Material
Soil Texture
Water Use

Monday May 4th: Class at 7pm

Class,

Tonight's class will be pushed back until 7pm. We will still have our review in class. An extra 30 minutes to study for the quiz!

Thanks,

T. Silwick

Africa Video Facts

Last class, we watched the Deserts of the worls Video that focused on African deserts, and specifically the Sahara. Here are a few notes from the movie to keep in mind for the map quiz and the final exam.

>The Sahara Desert
The Sahara Desert is a great desert area, North Africa, the West portion of the broad belt of parched land that extends from the Atlantic Ocean eastward past the Red Sea to Iraq. The entire desert, the largest in the world, is about 1600 km wide and about 5000 km long from East to West.

The total domain of the Sahara Desert is more than 9,000,000 sq. km, more than 3,500,000 square miles. Of which some 200,000 square km. Some 80,000 square miles, consist of partially fertile oases.

>The Nile River
Unlike most rivers, the Nile is North flowing. The valley of the Nile River and the mountainous area of the Nubian Desert to the East of the Nile are geographically, part of the Sahara. However, the irrigation afforded by the Nile transforms the desert into fertile agricultural land throughout much of Egypt.

The Nile still supports much of the population living along its banks, with the Egyptians living in otherwise inhospitable regions of the Sahara. The river flooded every summer, depositing fertile silt on the plains. The flow of the river is disturbed at several points by cataracts, which are sections of faster-flowing water with many small islands, shallow water, and rocks, forming an obstacle to navigation by boats. The Sudd wetlands in Sudan an obstacle for navigation and flow of water.

>Importance of Ports

With Africa being such an expansive continent, one will notice an interesting trend in the shapes of the African countries. Many of them have a narrow band of land to enable them to have a seaport. This enables them to participate in international commerce without paying tariffs/ fees to other countries.

>Mt. Kilimanjaro

Due to Kilimanjaro's equatorial location and high elevation, almost every climate type on earth is represented, including a year-round snow-topped summit.

The summit of Kilimanjaro is covered by a GSM mobile phone network, and was previously the highest point in the world with mobile phone service.

Kilimanjaro with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania rising 15,100 ft from its base and approximately 16,700 ft from the plains near Moshi. This is the highest peak in Africa at 19,330 ft, providing a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

>Conflict in Africa

There are two main causes of the conflicts that arise on the African continent. One is due to the political boundaries of countries that we arbitrarily founded by outside parties. This has led to many cultures and tribes being poorly defined.

In addition, while the African continent is very resource rich, those resources are not equally distributed. The conflict in the DRC (formerly known as Zaire) has involved seven nations. There have been a number of complex reasons, including conflicts over basic resources such as water, access and control over rich minerals and other resources and various political agendas. This has been fueled and supported by various national and international corporations and other regimes which have an interest in the outcome of the conflict.

If you have any questions regarding these 5 topics, please email me at tsilwick@yahoo.com

Africa Quiz

Hi Class,

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up. Apparently blogger was updating the site on Monday night so I was unable to post anything.

Here are the countries to know for the map quiz on Monday May 4th.

1) Madagascar
2) Sudan
3) Egypt
4) Democratic Republic of Congo
5) Senegal
6) South Africa
7) Libya
8) Mali
9) Morocco
10) Somalia
11) Uganda
12) Tanzania
13) Kenya
14) Algeria
15) Ethiopia

In addition, there will be 5 2-point questions on the video from class and the powerpoint on the geography of Africa.
The Synopsis will go up tonight in addition, I will email out the presentation. The five questions will focus on:
1) Mt Kilmajaro: Highest Point in Africa
2) The Nile River
3) The Sahara Desert
4) Ports and water access on the African Continent
5) Conflict and its relation to countries/ natural resources.

Please email me with any questions.

TS

Review of Chapters 17 & 18

Here are the key terms from chapters 17 & 18. We will spend the majority of class discussing the geography of Africa and Deserts. If you miss class 4/27, be sure to check back on the blog for a synopsis of the video.

Key Terms:

Chapter 17

Plateau
Mesa
Sedimentary Dome
Monadnock

Chapter 18

Shoreline
Bay
Estuary
Progradation
Retrogradation
Delta
Coral Reef
Blowout
Sand Dune

For those that missed 4/20

Hi Class,

Here's the selected key terms from chapters 15 & 16..

Also, if you missed class last week and would like to make up the assignment, we completed exercise 15.3 on page 539 of the text. This exercise is worth 20pts toward your grade. Pleas turn in the assignment by Thursday April 30th. Thanks!

Ch 15:
infiltration
runoff
ground water
water table
stream
channel
discharge
drainage basin
watershed
flood
lake

Ch 16:
fluvial landforms
fluvial processes
stream erosion
stream transportation
graded stream
natural levee

Just A Reminder

Papers are due by 6:30 pm to me on Monday April 20th. Please bring a hard copy of your papers to class.

Your paper needs to be:
> 2-4 pages, double-spaced
> Written in 12 pt font
> Directly site at least 2 sources in the paper

For example: "The longest river in South America is the Amazon. (Smith, 2009)"

I will be away from my email on Saturday. I will respond to any questions on Sunday morning.

Thanks,


T. Silwick

Key Terms Chapters 11-14

Chapter 11:

Mineral
Rock
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Quartz
Magma
Intrusive Igneous Rocks
Extrusive Igneous Rocks
Basalt
Sandstone
Limestone
Cycle of Rock Change

Chapter 12:

Core
Mantle
Crust
Continental Crust
Oceanic Crust
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Lithospheric Plates
Plate Tectonics
Subduction

Chapter 13:

Landforms
Geomorphology
Endogenic Processes
Exogenic Processes
Stratovolcano
Shield Volcano
Folding
Fault
Normal Fault
Transcurrent Fault
Earthquake
Tsunami

Chapter 14:

Weathering
Mass Wasting
Physical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
bedrock
Earthflow
Mudflow
landslide

Europe Map Quiz

Our map quiz on Europe will be this Monday April 13th.

The following countries/ features will be covered on the quiz. This quiz is worth 50 pts toward your grade.

Countries- 3pts each

United Kingdom
France
Germany
Spain
Portugal
Italy
Greece
Poland
Czech Republic
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Estonia
Latvia
Romania

Features- 1 pt each

Alps (Mountian
Mediterranean Sea
Baltic Sea
Black Sea
North Sea

Please check your email for 2 maps to locate these features. See you in class on Monday!

Monday April 6th: Traveling Abroad

Hi Class,

Hope you are enjoying a lil break in the class action. Here's your assignment for this week. It focuses around President Obama's recent trip abroad. During his trip, the president visited the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Turkey.

This is extremely relevant to our class as we were just discussing the physical geography of Europe. Check out the following links and then respond to the questions.

Turkey

The President in Germany

Economy in Czech Republic

European Union

1) How does Europe's geography impact their importance as US allies?

2) According to the article, what is Turkey's role in the Middle East?

3) Which European country is the largest exporter in the world?

4) How has the economic crisis affect the Czech Republic?

5) By banding together, the EU is stronger than they are individually. What is their latest collective project?


This assignment is worth 30pts. The objective is to give you a better understanding of the European continent. By using President Obama's trip to Europe as a framework for our study, we can delve deeper into the way that the European countries work together.

This assignment is due on Friday April 10th.

Tomorrow I will post the study guide for the Europe Map Quiz.

Homework: Paper Outline due 3/8/10

Due Monday, March 8th.

Please provide an outline of your paper topic. You should write about 2 paragraphs on the topics to be covered in your paper. Be specific: example... "My topic for my paper is the Czech Republic. In my paper I will discuss the physical terrain of the country. In addition, I will focus on the major rivers and land features...."

In addition, you need to provide three sources where you will get the information for your paper. Give both the title of the source and how you will access it. For example:

"Inside the Czech Republic", www.czechtour.com
"International Fact Book: Czech Republic", www.geofacts.com/czech
"Czech Tourism", www.czechtourism,com

Please note that wikipedia is not a scholarly source and should not be referenced at all.

Extra Credit Assignment: 10 pts

As discussed in class, here are the details on the PolicyMap extra credit assignment. PolicyMap is a new website that has launched to aid policymakers and planners. This assignment is worth 10pts added on to your midterm grade.

Your assignment is to analyze the website, http://www.policymap.com/ using the following criteria:

>What is the general purpose of the site?
>What information is gathered via PolicyMap?
> How could this tool be used to influence decisions?
> Do you find the site to be worthwhile? Is the information useful?
> Take a look at the sample community profile on the sample tab- then, after reviewing the information how would you describe the area?

Here's an article on a recent application of Policy Map.

-Be sure to address all five questions in your paper. Please provide your response to the above questions, typed in a word document. Your responses should not exceed one page, single-spaced.
All assignments must be received by April 6th at 9pm.
Please email to tsilwick@yahoo.com.

Monday March 23rd...

Hi Class,

I trust that you all had a great Spring Break! Just to get you back into the swing of things, here's the agenda for class on Monday:

Class Presentations
Geography of South America
Explanation of Map Quiz (there will be a quiz March 30th)
Coverage of Chapters 9 & 10
Extra Credit Opportunity
Class Status

I am awaiting a few students to finish up the midterm, so I won't be able to hand back the tests in class. However your grades will be ready to discuss.

Also for those who may have forgotten their paper topics, I am emailing around a listing of the presentation schedule.

See you in class.

T. Silwick

More Study Guide5-7

Hello Everyone. Here is the study guide for the exam next Monday 3/10.

Remember that anything that's not listed is not on the exam. The test is comprised of multiple choice, short answer (2-3 sentences), mapping skills, matching, and fill in the blank. There is not a word bank so make sure that you are extra familiar with the terms and concepts.

Be sure to study the locations of the equator, tropic of cancer, tropic of capricorn, prime meridian, etc. Also when studying the concepts be sure to have an example handy.

Any questions, please feel free to email me. tsilwick@yahoo.com.

Review for Chapters 5- 7:
Chapter 5:

isobars
pressure gradient
wind power
coriolis effect
prevailing wind
monsoon
jet stream
el nino

hydrologic cycle
water budget
saturation
humidity
evapotranspiration
condensation
fog
clouds: nimbus, stratus
major forms of precipiation
uplift mechanism
dispersion & variability is precipitation

Chapter 6:

air mass
continental vs maritime
fronts (warm & cold)
cyclones & anti-cyclones
storm surge
weather systems
tropical storm
tornado


Chapter 7:

Climate
Temperature Regimes
ITCZ
Dry Tropical Climate
Moist Continental Climate
Boreal Forest Climate

Guidelines for Paper

As we discussed in class on Monday, here are the guidelines for the first paper assignment.

The paper should be 2-4 pages in length. You paper should focus on the physical geography of a state or region that interests you. Some examples of paper topics: California Vineyards, Cape Cod, Florida Keys, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Indonesia, South Africa, Mongolia, Greece, Sicily, Mexico, Japan, and more.

Please remember that you need to have your paper topic approved. You paper needs to focus on the geography of the place that you select... If your topic is the Chesapeake Bay, you should focus on the topography and makeup of the area. Your paper should not focus on the human and cultural aspects. Each paper should include a map that shows your region. The map should be sourced and include a caption.

Please remember that you need to site at least 3 sources in the body of your paper. These sources also need to be listed in your bibliography. Sources should be scholarly, ie National Geographic, Geography, Earth and Science, Nature, books, magazines, and other peer-reviewed journals.

For format: use 12 pt font(Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman), and double single space the text.

I ask that you include your name, the course, the assignment, and the date on the first page of the paper. And to include page numbers and the word count at the end of the paper.

If you have any questions, regarding these guidelines: please email me: tsilwick@yahoo.com

Snow Day

Good Afternoon Class,

As I am sure you know, this evenings class has been canceled due to the snow storm. Please send me your assignment due today, if you have not sent it already.

I will be sending along a powerpoint with the material from chapters 5-7. We will still be having our midterm next week that covers chapters 1 through 7. Most of the material will come from 1-5, since that is what we have spent the most time on in class.

I will be online via Yahoo Messenger this evening from 6:30 to 7:30. Please feel free to send me any questions that you may have on the material. I will try and arrange a chat on Thursday night. If anyone can suggest a good platform for that, please email me.

Thanks,

T. Silwick

Feb 23rd Homework

Using the text on Chapters 7 &8, create 2 possible exam questions. They can be multiple choice or fill in the blank.

Example:

The __________ process helps to form clouds. (Answer: Adiabatic)

The _________ precipitation process forms thunderstorms.
A) Convectional
B) Hydraulic
C) Convergent
D) Orthographic

Please send to me via email by Sunday March 1st at 12 midnight.

Week of February 16th Homework

Hi Class,



This week we will be delving into the geography of the United States and North America. We will be doing an in-class exercise on the physical geography of the United States.

**Your assignment for this week contain 2 parts:
1) Read section 4.2 on Air pollution in your text. Then answer questions 2 and 4. Answered should be well thoughout and in complete sentences.

2) Identify a feature of physical geography in Central America. Come to class with 4 sentence written on your geographic feature. Be prepared to share your findings.

This assignment is due Feb 23rd by 6:30pm either via email or turned in at the beginning of class.

Postponed Assignment

Hi Class,

Sorry for the delay in sending out the PowerPoints. This infection has taken a greater toll on me than I had anticipated. I am cancelling your homework for this week.. You will receive an email with the Solar Energy Balance PowerPoint shortly.

On Monday, we will cover the physical geography of the United States in addition to our regularly scheduled physical geography lesson. We will make up the assignment as an inclass exercise.

I look forward to seeing everyone in class on Monday.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

TS

Week 2 Homework Assignment

Hi Class,

Last week, we identified three reasons for studying geography. First it is relevant to our lives and events such as snowstorms, and hurricanes still manage to throw lives off kilter. Second, its interesting. Just this past week, we've had ice in Kentucy, an eclipse in Indonesia, and perhaps a volcano erruption in Alaska. And lastly, its a subject that most Americans need a refresher course on. Research shows that 44 percent of surveyed students, ages 18 to 24, were unable to identify Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, or Israel on a map.

As I begin to read through your personal goal statements, I am glad to see that many of your are looking to expand your own geographical knowledge. Here's your assignment for this week.

Homework Assignment #2:

>Using your Strahler textbook, compare and contrast 3 map projections. These can be found in Chapter 1. Be sure to give at least 3 characteristics of each projection. Use map properties such as shape, area, distance, and scale as you describe the various projections. Should be a few paragraphs in length.

Please email your assignment to tsilwick@cecil.edu or hand them in at the start of class on February 9th.

Let me know if you have any questions.

GEO 101 Schedule

Hello Class,

Here's the schedule of readings and due dates for our course. You will recieve a hardcopy of this in class this evening. Please familiarize yourself with the dates. The chapter number refers to the Strahler textbook. The geography listings identify the part of the world that we will be focusing on for that class.


Schedule:
This schedule is tentative, and subject to change. All students will be informed should any changes occur.

Week 1 January 26th Introduction to the course

Week 2 February 2nd Ch. 1 ; Geography of Maryland

Week 3 February 9th Ch. 2 ; Geography of the United States

Week 4 February 16th Ch 3 & 4; Geography of North America

Week 5 February 23rd Ch 5 & 6; Geography of Latin America

Week 6 March 2nd Ch 7 & 8; Midterm Review

Week 7 March 9th TEST #1: MIDTERM

Week 8 No Class Spring Break March 17th- 22nd

Week 9 March 23rd Ch 9 & 10; Geography of South America

Week 10 March 30th Ch 11 & 14; Geography of Europe

Week 11 April 6th NO CLASS: Special Assignment
Friday April 10th: Last Day to Withdraw

Week 12 April 13th Ch 12 & 13: Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, Geography of Asia

Week 13 April 20th PAPERS DUE: Ch 15 & 16; Geography of SE Asia

Week 14 April 27th Chapters 17 & 18; Geography of Africa

Week 15 May 4th Chapter 19; Review for Final Exam

Week 16 May 11th TEST #2: Final Exam