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I love how Nat. Geographic explains the geographic lens on the world. What does it mean to think spatially? How have you thought spatially today so far?

National Geographic is the leader in geo-literacy. I find this website valuable because it contains a collection of useful resources for AP Human Geography. Take a look at each topic heading and check out the provided resources. Which resource in each topic did you find to be the most valuable as a geography student?

Learn about a concept that is critical for society's future.

CH. 5, KI#3: Highlight and annotate at least two major ideas in this article that seem meaningful in understanding why individual languages vary among places, such as in the US. (Do this by 11/21 for 1 extra credit point. :-))

"Contrary to what your teachers may have tried to tell you, there is no such thing as "correct English." Any manner of speaking that follows the rules of a dialect is equally "correct." Words like ain't are "real" words in some dialects and perfectly acceptable to use." This quote shows how languages and their rules are arbitrary. The main point of language is just to communicate ideas, so as long as the message is spread then the rules don't matter as much.

"Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German spoken by people in this area (in this context, 'Dutch' is actually a mispronunciation of the German word, 'Deutsch,' which means 'German')." PA Dutch is an example of a creole language because the German migrators' language fused with the indigineous residents' language which formed PA Dutch.

As seen before, the effects of war can be physically and mentally gruesome as spontaneous acts of violence unravel extreme havoc to numerous civilians. In fact, recent violence has caused insurmountable refugees (mostly Syrians, Afghans, and Eritreans) to leave their homes and embark on a journey to Europe for their safety. This portrays the example of mobility as large amounts of people are leaving their homes in hopes of a better future. This is an example of relocation diffusion. As stated on page 11 of the textbook reading, relocation diffusion brings the ideas and practices of the migrant(s) to a new region. Furthermore, this mimics the events of Ishmael (the protagonist) in the memoir, A Long Way Gone, as he leaves his nation of Sierra Leone to live a safer life in New York City. Along with mobility, the geographical theme of globalization is also represented in the article. As the number of refugees crossing the Mediterranean increased, the European Union decided to distribute the thousands of refugees across its 28 nations. As a result, the European Union itself is an example of globalization as they communicate and connect with its members. All 28 countries are connected with one another, and they communicate to solve problems regarding peace, human rights, and economic development in Europe. Moreover, nations with a greater access to technology and communication (such as the members of the European Union) have a much better chance of establishing global connections because of the resources they have. Thus, this sudden rise of refugees migrating into European nations is correspondent to the themes of mobility and globalization. However, how does the increase of migrations affect the European nations bordering the Mediterranean? What economic problems will arrive with the increase of labor and population? How will the core-periphery pattern of formal regions, in regards to Syrian culture, change as many of its civilians depart?

Nicely done, Sam. Good job weaving the current event into themes from your book. The current migration flows n the Mediterranean region have tremendous political, economic, and social implications. How do you think the cultural landscape of European countries such as Norway or Germany might change as a result of recent migration flows?

I believe as the number of cultural groups migrate, they will bring their cultural characteristics to the new region. One of them, most likely, is religion. This might affect the landscape because religious shrines or temples will now be incorporated in European nations. In turn, it will definitely diversify the architectural styles seen in the new region.

1) This map depicts the various religions, denominations, and sects within the United States. It shows how these faiths are distributed across the nation and how dense they are in their respective locations. This map is invaluabe in describing what Americans believe and where they do so. 2)I chose this map because of how helpful and powerful it is. It does a fantastic job at being straigh forward in showing the geographer where different faiths reside. From this information, the human geographer can make powerful inferences on why things are the way they are regarding religion. 3) Using the "Religious Landscape Survey" website, the students should write a well-thought-out response answering the prompt "How are different faiths distributed across America?"

1. This map shows all the religions practiced in the United States and exactly what percentage of people practice each religion. You can also click a link that shows us how many people actively practice their religion. 2. I chose this because it is interesting to see exactly what religions are being practiced and if people are actually practicing their religion. 3. I think an interesting project idea would be to first, take a survey of the people in your neighborhood of what religion they practice. Secondly, take a survey of how many actively practice their religion. Then look up the same statistics for 2000 and compare the results to see how it has changed. After make a presentation/power point showing these results seeing whether more people practice their religions or not now a days as opposed to 13 years ago.

Brendan- I love your project idea. I think it would be more beneficial than just writing or creating a visual representation because it would be more like you're doing real field work and it would be more real life than writing about the map.

One of the most prominent current events at this point in time is the legalization of gay marriage nationwide. This ruling has caused both celebration and controversy, as several individuals view homosexuality and traditions quite differently. This plays into the geographical theme of cultural landscapes, as the main opposition of this new law consists of conservatives (in the article, it is noted that the more liberal justices were the ones in strongest support). The conservative view is due to the idea of a traditional family. As the textbook reading says on page 23, the ideal lifestyle-- or the typical suburban middle-class American family-- was to consist of a mother, a father, and children. Some think this should be upheld, whether it be for the sake of religion, homophobia, or tradition. Therefore, this new legalization is closely associated with the idea of a cultural landscape. However, how does the fourteenth amendment exactly relate to this issue? The amendment was created for former slaves, and while it applies to everyone, how does it specifically affect marriage when it addresses most directly citizenship rights and basic equality? The basic benefits marriage will hold for these couples are a good thing, yes, but will they no longer be discriminated against? In fact, will this worsen prejudice of those who were very strongly against the idea?

Thank you for your intuitive analysis, Reagan. You're accurate in suggesting that the cultural landscape theme connects to the recent Supreme Court ruling. What individuals in society care for and what they take care of translates into how they organize the space around them. Which regions in the county, state, and nation would you most likely find those strongly against the recent Court ruling? Are some areas of the state or nation more conservative than others?

Check out this awesome resource about population. What alarms you?

Check out this picture of a delta. Which theme of geography is connected with the existence and human interaction with delta?

The civil war occurring in the Central African Republic recently affected even a neutral peacekeeping organization in a negative way. This threat have left many homeless searching for a way out. These emigrants trying to escape the war will likely cause traits of their culture to expand beyond the Central African Republic's boarders. Such an event would relate to the theme of mobility as the ideas of those people move through relocation diffusion. These events have also grabbed attention on a global stage as the rest of the world works to solve the conflict that is hurting so many people. A theme of region also starts to appear, when the area where most of the violence is occurring produces this carnage. Where the war rages heaviest people will develop a vernacular region, labeling the area dangerous, and try to stay away. One event in a defined part of the world can have a large impact all over. How will the United Nations respond to the violence? What will happen to the supply deprived people in Central African Republic is the main supply route is impassable?

Thank you for making accurate connections, Christian. Great questions, too. One way to predict the UN's response to violence would be to see their previous responses to conflicts. The organization has made many mistakes (Rwandan Genocide) in the past so I believe they attempt to be as proactive as possible. On another note, as human geographers, it's interesting to observe who is emigrating and where they choose to go. I believe it suggests a deeper story as to what the political, environmental, and economic conditions of the places are. Stay tuned for our second unit on people and migration.