How has the federal government positively and negatively influenced American urban development since the early 20th C (~1920s on)?

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GEO 201 Urban diversity

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the following essay question. Your answer will be graded on: 1) the strength of your argument, 2) your familiarity with the course material, and 3) the depth and breadth of the supporting evidence you use to build your argument (40 points).

PROMPT: In the second half of the course, we have examined the development of urban reform movements and urban planning (Module 5), and continued to examine the history of urban development through the automobile era (Module 6) and the post-WW2 era of urban decline and suburban sprawl (Module 7). Drawing on course material, including lectures, readings and videos, respond in a well-written essay to the following prompt: How has the federal government positively and negatively influenced American urban development since the early 20th C (~1920s on)?

Your response should be approximately 250-500 words in length and must include specific support from the following sources: Module 6 and 7 lectures, the reading by Rothstein “Own your own home” and the video: The Myth of Pruitt-Igoe. You can use any additional course material if you choose to do so. You do not have to cite any course material; just be sure to identify it in your essay (for example: In the Rothstein reading,…). It is up to you to define what “positive” and “negative” mean when evaluating the government’s influence. Be sure to support your statements and your perspective with specific examples from the course material. You do not have to include all possible evidence, just enough to answer the question and support the statements you make, and show a reasonably broad knowledge of the material.

What was the name of the conflict and the weblink for the EJAtlas entry? What group of people are bearing an unfair share of an environmental burden, and what is that burden?

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GEO 1330 environmental science

Pick a conflict in the United States that interests you, read the complete entry on the conflict, and consult some of the linked resources. (Note that entries vary in how much information is provided and it will be easier to pick an entry that has more information.)

Answer the following questions:

1. What was the name of the conflict and the weblink for the EJAtlas entry? [2 points]

2. What group of people are bearing an unfair share of an environmental burden, and what is that burden? [6 points]

3. What factor or factors seem to be perpetuating the environmental injustice? [6 points]

4. What would you propose as a fair solution to the conflict if you were in a position of power? [6 points]

What is its colloquial name? When did it live? Give the geologic age range for your fossil. Where did it live? Where was your fossil found?

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Presentation on the sauropod dinosaur fossil

3. Construct a presentation on your favorite fossil using the following as an outline:

a. Show pictures of your fossils and state why you chose that fossil.

b. What is its scientific name?

  • i. Genus and species
  • ii. What does that name mean (breakdown the Latin or Greek)?

c. What is its colloquial name? i. e.g., “clam”, “bird”.

d. When did it live? Give the geologic age range for your fossil.

e. Where did it live?

i. Where was your fossil found? Show a map of:

  • 1. The present day, where it was found.
  • 2. The past, show a paleogeographic map of the time period your fossil lived and where it was located.

f. What did your fossil do for a living?

i. What did it eat/how did it get energy?

  • 1. How do we know?

ii. Was it a predator or prey?

  • 1. How do we know?

iii. How did it move (DID it move?)?

g. Find two things that surprised you as you researched your fossil and inform the class.

h. Place your fossil on the big tree of animals (we will construct this in lecture).

Pulling from the lecture, think about the different scales underlining the conflict around Line 3. What is causing the demand for these pipelines? Who’s land or water is likely to take the brunt of the damage in the event of a leak? What does all this have to do with the relationship between indigenous peoples and the nations of Canada and the US?

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Human-nature relationships/ political ecology

Students must post 2 paragraphs — one where you explain the concept & one where you apply it. (remember, 1 paragraph contains 3-5 sentences on average). If you decide to answer both prompts, please use some form of subheading.

Responses are due before Friday, April 21st @ 11:59pm.

This is an extra credit opportunity, therefore no late submissions will be accepted. Also note, we will not count any edited submissions.

Discussion Prompt #1: Scale

Consider the dispute around Line 3 to think through the ways scale is used in geographic thinking. Line 3 is a pipeline expansion project that is to bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. It was originally proposed in 2014 by the Canadian pipeline corporation, Enbridge — who wanted to build a pipeline corridor through the treaty territory of Anishinaabe peoples to the shore of Lake Superior. The Line 3 protest is similar to the protests that occurred in the Standing Rock Reservation against the Dakota Access Pipeline project, and are also related to protests against the Enbridge Northern Gateway project by the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in British Columbia, Canada. The Line 3 protests were unsuccessful, however, and Line 3 began operating October 1st, 2021.

Pulling from the lecture, think about the different scales underlining the conflict around Line 3. What is causing the demand for these pipelines? Who’s land or water is likely to take the brunt of the damage in the event of a leak? What does all this have to do with the relationship between indigenous peoples and the nations of Canada and the US? Whose jobs are at stake if it doesn’t go through? In essence, what are the different scales of regulation and contestation? How does the dispute and operation of the pipeline speak to global and local ideas of scale?

Discussion Prompt #2: Human-Nature Relationships / Political Ecology

In many countries, parks and protected areas have increasingly become a cornerstone of tourism. Ecotourism is defined by the IUNC as ‘environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local populations’ (Ceballos-Lasurain, 1996). For example, safari excursions in Kenya and Tanzania, trips to Ecuador’s ‘untouched’ Galapagos Islands, eco-lodges and visiting rain forests in Central and South America, and the U.S.’s national park system all contain some form of ecotourism.

Pulling from the lecture, think about how can we think about ecotourism as a phenomenon both reflecting and reinforcing human-environment relations. How does the phenomenon of ecotourism speak to the social construction of nature? What are the implications for how we might understand parks and/or protected areas? Also consider the human impacts of ecotourism happening in a place. How might local populations experience or interact with ecotourism?

Describe your personal aesthetic in terms of dance. What kinds of movement do you find pleasing to watch or perform? Describe the movement characteristics using action words that relate to these qualities.

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GEO 121 Earth’s Physical Environments

FINAL EXAM ESSAY QUESTIONS

Each answer should contain at least 100 words, minimum. There should be 1 paragraph per answer.  Separate the questions and write this with fully developed sentences.  Grammar, punctuation, spelling and typing will be considered. Proof read your essays!

  1. Describe your personal aesthetic in terms of dance.  What kinds of movement do you find pleasing to watch or perform? Describe the movement characteristics using action words that relate to these qualities. (100 word minimum)
  2. Name one genre of dance and a specific choreographer or video which you feel exemplifies, this aesthetic.  You may refer to examples viewed in class or ones that you have experienced outside of class.  (100 word minimum)
  3. Describe the function this dance serves to society.  How does this function connect to your personally?   What is your deeper relationship to this type of dance and why? This should explain to me why you connect with this type of dance.  (100 word minimum)
  4. How has your personal aesthetic expanded, shifted or become more defined through your experiences in this class?  What have you learned about your own aesthetic? (100 word minimum)

 

 

Was Darfur bloodshed or truly Genocide?

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 Was Darfur a genocide or not

Was Darfur bloodshed or truly Genocide?

Throughout the past few years, we have witnessed an increase in the occurrence, range, and severity of California wildfires. Using Smith’s reasoning regarding the classification of ”natural” disasters as human-made occurrences, analyze the wildfires that have burned in California in recent years and determine the ways in which human (in)action has contributed to the severity of these disasters.

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DISCUSSION ESSAY

This Written Assignment entails two parts. First, you must do some research on the wildfires in California in recent years.  Second, you must  write  a clear, well-organized paper which answers the questions in Part II  of this assignment, while demonstrating that you have read the material in the modules.

First and foremost, we are grading your comprehension of the course material. If you do not demonstrate that you have read and understood the content from the modules, you will not receive a good grade. To get a good grade, you must show me that you have read and understood the content in the modules we have looked at so far.

Second, we are grading for critical thinking and analysis. How well do you form and support your arguments with evidence from the course material or external sources?

Third, we are grading for the mechanics – proper grammar, well-written paragraphs, answering all the questions, correct formatting of sources (if you use external sources, please use APA or Chicago Style(link is external) (link is external)to cite).

Written Assignment Instructions
In this assignment  you will build upon  concepts learned in Modules 8 and 9 by applying them to studying the "natural disaster" of wildfires in California. You may draw from relevant materials from the assigned readings, other modules, and additional outside sources.  The objective of this assignment is to increase your understanding of the relationship between vulnerability, natural hazards, and disasters, and to help you develop a more complex framework for understanding how natural disasters unfold.

Part I: Do some research
Read the following article on the nature of "natural disasters" and the complexity of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath:  Smith, Neil. “There’s No Such Thing as a Natural Disaster.” Blog. Understanding Katrina: Perspectives from the Social Sciences, June 11, 2006.(link is external)https://items.ssrc.org/understanding-katrina/theres-no-such-thing-as-a-natural-disaster/
Do some research on the factors causing the increased frequency and intensity of wildfires in California.
You will need to cite at least 3 reputable outside sources that do not include the course modules for your essay.

Part II: Write a paper
Write a 500-750 word paper that answers the following questions:

What does Smith mean when he states that there is "no such thing as a natural disaster"?
Throughout the past few years, we have witnessed an increase in the occurrence, range, and severity of California wildfires. Using Smith’s reasoning regarding the classification of  ”natural” disasters as human-made occurrences, analyze the wildfires that have burned in California in recent years and determine the ways in which human (in)action has contributed to the severity of these disasters.
How credible do you find Smith’s arguments? Is there really no such thing as a natural disaster?

You  must engage at least three course concepts  in your paper. Remember, engaging a course concept means defining that concept and explaining how it helps you think about the theme of your paper.  Please bold the concepts you engage in your paper.

What are the short term effects and lasting impacts of crises, disasters, and traumas on culturally diverse adolescents? Consider the CDC-Kaiser Permanente adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study in your response. How could one’s spiritual beliefs serve as protective factors? Provide at least two examples considering the GCU Statement on the Integration of Faith and Work in your response.

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Disasters Discussion

What are the short term effects and lasting impacts of crises, disasters, and traumas on culturally diverse adolescents? Consider the CDC-Kaiser Permanente adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study in your response. How could one’s spiritual beliefs serve as protective factors? Provide at least two examples considering the GCU Statement on the Integration of Faith and Work in your response.

This discussion question is informed by the following CACREP Standard:

2.F.3.g. Effects of crisis, disasters, and trauma on diverse individuals across the lifespan.

 

What are devolutionary pressures and how are these expressed in Europe? What has caused a resurgence of regionalism in Europe in recent times? What role has cultural identity played in the formation of these processes/pressures?

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Team Exercise – Devolutionary Pressures in Europe

You are responsible for reading and understanding these instructions. If you turn in an assignment that does not follow these instructions, your grade will reflect it.

Deadlines

  1. Rough Draft: Saturday, March
  2. Final Project: Saturday, April
  3. Assessment of individual and team members’ contributions: Saturday, April

Overview

Devolution refers to a process in which powers are granted by a central government to a lower level region or state. More specifically, it describes the process in which centrifugal forces (those that divide a state) such as cultural diversity or difference in religion, language, etc., divides a region or peoples of a region in which they gain political strength through demands, negation, or rebellion. Devolution typically occurs in countries where nationalism grows due to centrifugal forces and their inhabitant feel the need to depart from their centers (or central government); in many instances, they consider themselves minorities within a country. There are many examples of devolution occurring today. In Europe, Catalonia, Scotland, and Ukraine are some of the regions undergoing this transformation.

This exercise is based on the most important aspects highlighted in the section, “Regionalism and Regional Movements”, from Chapter 7 of our course textbook (Ostergren and Le Bosse 2013: 246-257, and other pertinent sections of this chapter). In this activity, students will be assembled in teams of four-five members each. Each team member will analyze one case study of a European country facing devolutionary pressures, and all teams must include the following case studies: Catalonia (Spain), Scotland (United Kingdom), and Ukraine

 

 Rough Draft / Final Project

It is expected that the rough draft will include the complete individual Case Studies ONLY, not the Introduction or Conclusions sections.

The team will compose a paper that must include an outline of the project (introduction), an analysis of the information provided (case studies), conclusion section, bibliography, and map. The structure of the team project, which is delineated in the following pages, must include these sections:

  1. Introduction – (which must be composed by the entire team);
  2. Case Studies (individual activity); and,
  3. Conclusions (team activity);
  4. Bibliography section (included at end of project);
  5. Map in which the team will include the countries/regions studied included in their

Sources to Compose your Work

Students are encouraged to use any academic source, including the course textbook (required to include in this assignment), as well as the news media, especially BBC News, CNN, The New York Times, and any other reputable news source. Students are not allowed to use Wikipedia.

Structure of the Collaboration Page and Paper

(The Collaborations Page does not have to include a Cover Page and/or a Map)

  1. Cover Page: Title, names of members of the Team and area studied (individual case studies), GEA 3500, Spring 2023, Date Submitted.
  2. Table of Contents

 

  • Introduction (team activity): Briefly answer the following questions to introduce the overall Note that you will have to answer the same questions in the Conclusions section in detail, so you should just include a general overview of the issues presented in this section. Please do not include these questions in your work.
    • What are devolutionary pressures and how are these expressed in Europe?
    • What has caused a resurgence of regionalism in Europe in recent times?
    • What role has cultural identity played in the formation of these processes/pressures?
    • What common characteristics and themes are shared by the regions experiencing devolutionary pressures and studied by your team?
    • What distinguishes the inhabitants living in these regions from the majority of the national population of the country where they live in?

 

  1. Case Studies (individual activity). Each team member must compose their individual case study, answering thoroughly the following After providing an overview of the location of the region you are studying in relation to the country where it is situated, answer the following questions:
    • In terms of its physical landscape, where is the region that is experiencing a devolutionary process located and what type of climate is prevalent? (use Figure 5 and 2.4 of the textbook).
    • According to the sources you have consulted, do these physical/natural characteristics have played any role in the historical background for this devolutionary process? How?
    • How do the people that inhabit the region you are studying speak about their relationship to the land and the environment?
    • Do they express any ideas on biodiversity conservation? Do they say anything about their homeland? If the region you are studying has a website (official or not), what role do maps play on their web site/s?
    • Is this region located close to or far from the center of power of the country (the national capital city)?
    • Does this condition have any impact on the reasons why they would like to gain at-least more autonomy to make their own decisions?
    • According to the source/s you have consulted, what are the main reason/s why this population would like to break-up from the country in which they live in?
    • Do this/these source/s mention any explanation/s based on cultural or ethnic characteristics? For example, speaking a different language? Which one? Professing a different religion? Which one? Economic disparities?

 

In addition to these questions and in case some of these regions have their own websites, or you have consulted a source published by a native inhabitant of the region, or you have read excerpts from interviews, look for discussion of conflict, cooperation, or disagreement with national governments, private companies, or multinational corporations working in this region. You may also want to use the following questions to improve your study:

  • Do the people living in the region you are studying have more than one self- generated website and do those sites present different ideas?
  • Is there a regional or national project or policy that is disputed?
  • What position is taken on the website/s? How is the position framed in relation to their rights to self-rule and culture?
  • What major issues and challenges does the site highlight and how do these relate to globalization?

 

  1. Conclusions (team activity): In this section you must make meaningful comparisons among the regions your team has studied, summarizing all the previous issues (questions) covered in the Introduction section and in the Case Studies portion.
    • What are devolutionary pressures and how are these expressed in Europe? Here you should include an overview of regionalism and regional movements in
    • What has caused a resurgence of regionalism in Europe in recent times?
    • What role has cultural identity played in the formation of these processes/pressures? What common characteristics and themes are shared by the regions experiencing devolutionary pressures and studied by your team?
    • What distinguishes the inhabitants living in these regions from the majority of the national population of the country where they live in?
    • How do the people living in these regions speak about their relationship to the land and the environment?
    • In terms of cultural identity, are there regional differences in the groups you have studied?
    • In terms of their unity, how integrated are the people living in these regions? Are there any regions studied by your team that show internal conflicts or lack of unity?
    • Taking in consideration all aspects of your study, how do you envision the future of Europe will look like in 50 or 100 years?
  2. Bibliography (team activity): You must include a full citation of all resources included in your Team Page/Paper in this section. It is required to include a reference from our course
  • Map (team activity): You must include a map at the end of your work, including the approximate location of all regions/countries Your map must include a pertinent title, an orientation arrow pointing to the geographical north, labels for all regions/countries included in your work, and a legend.

 

Technical Aspects of the Paper

Just like all written assignment in this course, your paper must conform to the following formatting:

  • Submitted in a word document,
  • 12-point font (Arial, Times New Roman, Garamond, or Book Antiqua),
  • one-inch margins all around,
  • double-spaced,
  • numbered pages

Any exercise that does not follow the technical aspects will result in a 10-point deduction in their final grade.

 You must use the Collaborations tool available in CANVAS to collaborate within your team; nevertheless, the grading of individual contributions of each team member will be based on the participation in the Team’s Collaboration page. All team members must participate. If a team member is failing to properly contribute to the project, please message the Team Leader and your professor.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any assignments that have been plagiarized will earn an automatic failure grade in the course

 

Examine the Monthly Sea Ice Extent Anomaly Graph (click on it to make it larger). When was the last year that the sea ice extent anomaly (for the current month) was greater than the 1981-2010 mean sea ice extent?

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Lab with 15 easy questions-Lab 3 – Sea Ice, Plate Tectonics & Earthquakes

  1. In the study of climate change, the concept of “anomalies” often comes up.  What is a temperature anomaly?  See figure 1-2 and p. 240 in your textbook (2)

A temperature anomaly refers to the difference between the average temperature in a given location for a specific period of time (usually 30 years) and the temperature for a particular day, week, or month. The temperature anomaly is typically expressed as a deviation from the long-term average, usually measured in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Temperature anomalies are used to track changes in temperature over time, particularly as they relate   to climate change. By comparing temperature anomalies over a period of years or decades, scientists can observe trends in temperature that can help them understand the impacts of climate change on the environment.

  1. The National Snow & Ice Data Center monitors sea ice coverage and concentration.  The Sea Ice Index is calculated from this coverage to assess the change in sea ice compared with the 30-year average.

Go to http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

The “median ice edge” line on the map (pink line) represents the 30-year median ice extent.  How does the current sea ice extent compare to the 30-year median? (2)

If the current sea ice extent is below the 30-year median, it means that there is less sea ice now than there was on average during that 30-year period.

  1. Examine the Monthly Sea Ice Extent Anomaly Graph (click on it to make it larger).  When was the last year that the sea ice extent anomaly (for the current month) was greater than the 1981-2010 mean sea ice extent? Hint: The 1981-2010 mean sea ice extent is the 0% value on the anomaly graph.(2)
  2. Given the 1981-2010 mean sea ice extent labeled in the lower left-hand corner of the graph, calculate the current sea ice extent in millions of square kilometers. Show your work. Hint: Subtract the current sea ice extent anomaly, which you can read in the graph expressed as a percent, from the 1981-2010 mean.  You can check your answer against the “Total extent” value given on the Sea Ice Extent map.(3)
  3. How does the trend in the extent anomaly graph compare with that of the temperature anomaly graph of Figure 4-34(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. in your textbook?  What is the significance of this? (3)
  4. What is the speed of Santa Cruz? (round your answer to the nearest hundredth) (2)
  5. What is the speed of Santa Rosa? (round your answer to the nearest hundredth) (2)
  6. Using page 128 (p.118 in 22nd edition) in your atlas, determine how many miles apart are Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. Show your work (round your answer to the nearest whole number) (3)
  7. You can calculate how fast the two cities are moving toward each other by adding up the absolute value of their speeds. Based on the distance that you calculated in the previous question, and the speed at which the two cities are moving toward each other, how many years will it take for Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa to “meet”? Remember that Speed = Distance/Time.  Note that 25.4 mm = 1 inch, 12 inches = 1 foot, 5280 feet = 1 mile, 1 mile = 1.61 kilometers (round your answer to the nearest whole number). Show your work. (3)

10.Using the Option settings (gear symbol on the upper right), switch to 30 Days, Significant Worldwide and zoom out to the World. Where did the two strongest of these earthquakes occur and what was their magnitude? (2)

  1. Switch to 30 Days, Magnitude 4.5+ U.S.What can you say about the pattern of these significant earthquakes across the world? (2)
  2. Zoom to California (click on the globe icon beneath the +/- zoom buttons). Switch to 7 Days, Magnitude 2.5+ U.S. Turn on the U.S. Faultslayer. What pattern do you notice in the distribution of earthquakes in the western U.S.? (2)
  3. Where did the strongest of these earthquakes occurin the western U.S. and what was its magnitude? (2)
  4. Go to the USGS “How Much Bigger…?” Calculator Links to an external site..  Enter the magnitude of the strongest earthquake you found in the previous question.  How much stronger (by energy released) was this earthquake than a 2.5 magnitude earthquake (one which is barely perceptible to humans). (2)
  5. Earthquakes occur at faults.  Describe how the presence of a fault may result in an earthquake. See p. 436 and Figure 14-58 in your textbook. (2)
  6. Zoom to North America (use the “Zoom to U.S.” option).  How many “Significant”earthquakes have occurred in North Americain the last 30 days (use the “30 days, Significant Worldwide” option)? Where have these earthquakes occurred? If near a plate boundary name the type of plate boundary (you should look this up). (3)
  7. Switch to 7 Days, Magnitude 2.5+ U.S.Approximately how many 2.5+ magnitude earthquakes occurred away from plate boundaries (click on the “Only List Earthquakes Shown on Map” checkbox and pan/zoom around to get an approximate count)?  Where? (3) What are the best explanations for the occurrence of these specific earthquakes(you should look this up)? (bonus +1)