PICK-A-PING PROJECT

Overview:

For this project, you will be assigned a specific develoPING country and will research various geographical aspects of the country throughout the year.  You will gather information about the country and organize it into a portfolio. You must also meet various “checkpoints” throughout the year to ensure that you stay on top of your project.  The goal of this project is to help you become an expert on your specific country, while simultaneously helping you understanding concepts of Human Geography in greater detail.

General Details:

• Each student will be randomly assigned a different country to research.  No student will be allowed to change his or her country once it is given out.  
• You should use a variety of sources to research your country, but you may NOT use Wikipedia or any other similar website.  A number of reliable internet sources have been provided for you throughout the project.  
• All sources must be documented in a formal bibliography that is written in MLA format.
• Your country portfolios will be due seven times during the school year.  Each section will be due the day of the unit test.
• Certain assignments will be collected before the final portfolio is due.  This is to ensure that you are on the right track with your research and you are keeping up with the assignments.  The last thing I want to see is someone waiting until the last minute to begin working on such an important project!
• In addition to turning in your portfolio, you will also put together a presentation for the rest of the class on your country.  It will be presented at the end of the school year as part of a United Nations simulation after the AP exams are over.  Specific details about the presentation will be provided as we get closer to the end of the year.
• No late projects will be accepted under ANY circumstances!  If you are absent when something is due, make sure it gets into my hands that day.  

Specific Requirements:

1. Table of Contents:

• The first page in each portfolio should be a detailed Table of Contents that outlines the documents in the portfolio.  Headings and page numbers should be listed and should correspond to the headings and page numbers of the documents. (A list of the headings and page numbers on a piece of notebook paper is accessible until the final portfolio turn in. The final portfolio should contain a typed Table of Contents.)

2. News Articles:

• There should be several news articles pertaining to your country that demonstrate the importance of geography to your country’s development and situation.  In other words, the articles should somehow reflect the impact of the country’s location on the rest of the world.  The types of potential topics is virtually limitless, but might include agriculture, natural resources, economic development, relations and disputes with neighboring countries, cultural heritage, migration and refugees, natural disasters, population issues, or civil conflict between different ethnic groups.
• You should collect at least one news article for each month for a total of 5 articles.  They should be placed in chronological order in your portfolio.  (No, you may not use articles from a previous year.  They must be current!)
• For each article, you must also include a brief summary of the article, as well as an explanation about how it relates to concepts we have learned in Human Geography.  This should be between 100-200 words.  
• You must include the bibliographical citation for each article using MLA format.  This should include publication, date, pages, website, etc.
• Here are some helpful sources of international news on the Web:

1. New York Times International News: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/
2. International Herald Tribune:  http://global.nytimes.com/?iht
3. BBC World News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/default.stm
4. Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/world/index.html
5. Time: http://www.time.com/time/world
6. http://ww.iht.com/- International Herald Tribune-good international newspaper
7. http://www.csmonitor.com/ US print but covers the world
8. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm National Geographic Magazine
9. http://www.crisiswatch.org great website for up to date information about problem spots in the world with links to articles online

3. Human Geography Concepts:

• For each chapter we study, you will be required to analyze and discuss specific criteria as it relates to your country.  This information MUST be addressed in your portfolio in a 1-2 page paper for EACH unit(unless a different product is specified).  The papers must be typed and double-spaced.  (Specific requirements for each chapter are included at the end of this handout.)

4. Outlook of the Country:

• After you have collected all of the information on your country at the end of the year, you will need to write a 2-3 page dissertation on the outlook of your country.  Using the information you collected, explain how you think your country will develop over the next 50-100 years.  There is no right or wrong answer for this section, but you need to be sure that you have a strong thesis statement that is supported by solid evidence that you found during your research.  This must also be typed.

5. Bibliography:

• At the end of your portfolio, you should have your formal bibliography that includes all of the sources you used along the way.  These should be listed in MLA format.  There is no official requirement for the number of sources, but you should use a wide variety of different resources as you conduct your research.  

Table of Contents:

Portfolio Part I -  Items Required: total 50 points

        DUE________________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Data Sheet        PING Country                10 points                                   .

Data Sheet USA                        10 points                                   .

Political / Physical map        PING        15 points                                   .

Political/Physical Map USA                15 points                                   .

Total number of points                50  points                                    .

Portfolio Part II – Items Required: total 40 points

        DUE________________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Population Profile         PING                15 points                                   .

Population Profile USA                15 points                                   .

1 Current Events Article                10 points                                   .

Total number of points                40  points                                    .

Portfolio Part III – Items Required: 55 total  points

        DUE________________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Culture Profile: Everyday Life        20 points                                   .

Culture Profile: Religion                10 points                                   .

Culture Profile: Language                15 points                                   .

Culture Profile: Cultural Landscape        10 points                                   .

Total number of points                55  points                                    .

Portfolio Part IV – Items Required: 15 total  points

        DUE________________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Ethnicity & Political Organization        15 points                                   .

Total number of points                15  points                                    .

Portfolio Part V – Items Required: 25 total  points

        DUE________________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Agriculture Summary                        15 points                                        

1Current Events Article                10 points                                   .

Total number of points                25  points                                    .

Portfolio Part VI - Items Required: total 35 points

        Due_____________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Development Index                        20 points                                   .

Industrialization Summary                15 points _                                        

Total number of points                35  points                                    .

Portfolio Part VII - Items Required: total 30 points

        Due_____________________________

Requirements                                Points for each        Points received

Services Summary                        15 points                                        

Urban Patterns                                15 points                                        

Total number of points                30  points                                    .

Portfolio Part VIII - Items Required: total 50 points

        Due_____________________________

Outlook of the Country                20 points                                        

3 Current Events Articles                10 points                                   .

                                        10 points                                   .

                                        10 points                                   .

Total number of points                50  points                                    .

Portfolio Project Part I

PING Data Sheet - 1

Internet Resources:

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

http://geography.about.com/od/countryinformation/Country_Information.htm

Name of PING            ______________________________________

Capital(s)/Population        ______________________/_______________

Area                ___________________    Arable Land % ________________

Physical Features     ____________________________________________________________

Population    ___________________    Density:  ______________________

Form of Government        ______________________________________

Head of Government/        ___________________/__________________

Head of State

Neighboring Countries    ________________________________________________________

Crude Birth Rate_______ Crude Death Rate_______Growth Rate: _______

Infant Mortality Rate ___________________  

Life Expectancy     Male:_________/Female:_________

Literacy Rate_______________ Male:  ________ Female:  _____________

Main Imports            ___________________________________________

Main Exports            ___________________________________________

Per Capita GNP/GDP      _________________________________________

Currency:  __________________________        

Real Growth Rate %: ___________  Inflation:  _______

Unemployment:  ________    

Labor Force:  total  ________ Ag:  _______  Ind _______ Serv__________

Natural Resources:  _______________________________________________________

Trade Partners:  _________________________________________________________

PING Data Sheet - USA

Internet Resources:

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

http://geography.about.com/od/countryinformation/Country_Information.htm

Name of PING ______________________________________________________

Capital(s)/Population        ______________________/_______________

Area  ___________________    Arable Land % ________________

Physical Features______________________________________________________

Population    ___________________    Density:  ______________________

Form of Government        ______________________________________

Head of Government/        ___________________/__________________

Head of State

Neighboring Countries    ________________________________________________

Crude Birth Rate_______ Crude Death Rate_______Growth Rate: _______

Infant Mortality Rate ___________________

Life Expectancy     Male:_________/Female:_________

Literacy Rate_______________ Male:  ________ Female:  _____________

Main Imports            ___________________________________________

Main Exports            ___________________________________________

Per Capita GNP/GDP      _________________________________________

Currency:  __________________________  

Real Growth Rate %: ___________  Inflation:  _______

Unemployment rate:  ________    

Labor Force:  total  ________ Ag:  _______  Ind _______ Serv__________

Natural Resources:  _______________________________________________________

Trade Partners:  _________________________________________________________

PING Current Events Summary

For your PING project you will need to locate current events articles that relate not only to your PING, but to a concept that we discussed in class.  You will need to attach a summary sheet to the original article – either cut it out of the newspaper/magazine or print it from the internet and include this information on the summary sheet:

    * MLA Article Citation – http://www2.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm

    * Article Summary – a brief 1 paragraph or more  summary of the information from the Article

    * Concept Description – a brief 1 paragraph or more  description of a concept from class and how it relates to the article.  Use a different concept for each article.

    * Remember to attach the Article

PING Map Requirements

You will create a political/physical map for this activity – you may use a blank outline map found at:  http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxindex.htm -- you may use the computer to draw on the blank outline map but you may NOT print an already completed map.  See below for further requirements:

    * Map Must Include:

• Title
• Scale
• Compass
• Legend/Key
• Capital City
• At least 3 other cities
• All Physical Features including:  major rivers, lakes, mountains, bodies of water (seas, oceans, bays)
• Label all bordering countries

    * 1 paragraph description of the location of the political features (cities) to the physical features and why the political features are located where they are.  What issues might your PING face based on its political or physical geography – make sure you discuss access to waterways, natural resources, arable land.

Portfolio Project Part II

PING Population Profile

For this activity you will use what you have learned to create a population profile for your country.  This profile must include the following:

    * A population pyramid – you must make your own pyramid – use population data from www.prb.org

           Note:  when this site gives you male/female data for >15 years, 15-49 and 50+

    * Population Statistics:  Projected Pop 2025, 2050, Infant mortality rate, fertility rate, Urban population % and #, CO2 admissions/capita, population with access to clean water, # of vehicles/capita, economically active male vs. female, HIV infection rate

    * A paragraph summary of where your country is in the demographic transition model

Portfolio Project Part III

Culture Profile

For your PING you will need to develop a cultural profile.  This profile will overview the important facets of your PING’s culture including everyday life, religion, language, and the cultural landscape.

Everyday Life:

Use the following websites to answer the questions that follow each.  Make sure you include at least 4 pictures that accurately represent your PING’s culture.

http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/countryinsights-apercuspays-eng.asp

   1. I am meeting someone for the first time and I want to make a good impression. What would be good discussion topics?

   2. What do I need to know about verbal and non-verbal communications?

   3. Are public displays of affection, anger or other emotions acceptable?

   4. What should I know about the workplace environment (deadlines, dress, formality, etc.)?

   5. Briefly describe the local culture’s attitudes regarding the following: Gender, Class, Religion and Ethnicity. What impact would the above attitudes have on the workplace?

   6. When in this country, I want to learn more about the culture(s) and people. What activities can you recommend?

   7. Who are this country's national heroes?

http://www.everyculture.com/index.html

   8. What is the family life like in this country?

   9. Describe work in this country.

  10. What types of sports and recreation activities are popular here?

  11. What health care is available to the people of this country?

  12. Describe the educational system.

  13. What are the important holidays in this country and explain the purpose of each?

  14. What arts and literature are important in this country?

  15. What types of food are popular in this country?  What meals do they         have and how are they usually served?

Religion

Using the websites below complete the following activities.  http://www.worldfactsandfigures.com/religion.php or http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm

Create a pie chart of the religions within your country.  Describe in a paragraph the religious distribution within the country.  How did this/these religion/s become popular?  Are these ethnic or universalizing religions – explain.

For more information about various religions see http://www.religioustolerance.org/var_rel.htm

Language

Using the websites below complete the activity that follows.  http://www.ethnologue.com/country_index.asp

    * Create a pie chart of the percentage distribution of languages in your PING. Make sure you designate which language is your PING’s official language. Use the website:  http://www.omniglot.com/countries/index.htm to write the country name in its official language.

    * Then create a thematic map that shows specifically where each language is spoken in your PING.  Make sure your map has a title, compass, and legend/key – you may print an outline map from the map website provided previously, but you must hand-make your own map.  

    * Draw the language tree for the languages in your PING – start with the language family as the tree trunk, branches as the language groups and the leaves as the languages – the leaves should be proportional to the amount of native speakers in your PING.  Ex:  if French is spoken by 94% and English by 6% make sure you draw two branches one Romantic the other West Germanic and the French leaf would be much larger than the English.

    * Translate the following words and phrases into your PING’s official language:  hello, goodbye, sun, water, moon, mother, father, sister, brother  (use igoogle for this: http://www.google.com/ig?hl=en&referrer=ign_n )

Other Information

Use at least 5 pictures that represent various aspects of the culture of your PING.  Make sure you have a picture of each of the following:  pop culture, folk culture, housing, and any two other pictures that represent culture in your PING – these pictures must be of your actual PING – make sure you cite your source for each picture.  “google” is not a source!

Portfolio Project Part IV

Ethnicity & Political Organization

    * Use the website:  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html to identify the ethnic groups within your PING.  Create a graph that shows the distribution of ethnicities within your PING.

    * Describe in a paragraph the state type of your PING:  nation-state, stateless nation, multi-nation state multi-ethnic state, and describe the shape of your PING and any boundary issues.

    * Use the site: http://www.nationalanthems.info/ to locate the national anthem for your country.  In a paragraph describe the background and history of the national anthem for your country.  Include a copy of the national anthem and discussion of how the lyrics represent the national history of your PING.

    * Print a copy of your PING’s flag and describe the symbolism – or you can hand make the flag.

Portfolio Part V

Agriculture

1. Subsistence vs. Commercial Agriculture
2. Percentage of farmers in the labor force
3. Describe the main types of farming conducted in the country (For example: shifting agriculture, truck farming, plantation, mixed-crop and livestock, etc.)
4. Impact of Green Revolution
5. Future of agriculture in the country

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

       http://countrystudies.us

       http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com

       http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs

       www.britannica.com

       http://www.counrty-studies.com

       http://globalis.gvu.unu.edu

Portfolio Part VI

Development Index

Create a development profile of your PING.  You will need to use the following website to evaluate the information for your country:  http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries/

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics

http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/data/hd_map/gdi

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/indices/hpi

In your profile you will need to include the following information:

    * HDI

• value and country rank overall
• 2006 value and rank -- countries above and below yours
• Life expectancy rank
• Literacy rank
• GDP per capita rank

    * HPI-1

• Value and rank overall
• 2006 value and rank – countries above and below yours
• Survival rank
• Illiteracy rank
• Water rank
• Underweight children rank

    * GDI (may not be available for all countries)

    * Value and rank overall – countries above and below yours

    * Life Expectancy rank

    * Literacy rank

    * Primary, Secondary and Tertiary gross enrollment rank

Industry

1. How did the Industrial Revolution impact the country?
2. Percentage of workforce in industry
3. Main industrial regions
4. Important industries in the country
5. Interregional shifts in agriculture
6. Impact of new international division of labor

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

       http://countrystudies.us

       http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com

       http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs

       www.britannica.com

       http://www.counrty-studies.com

       http://globalis.gvu.unu.edu

Portfolio Part VI

Services

1. Percentage of workforce in services
2. Main types of services
3. Early settlements (What were they and what impact did they have on the country?)
4. Clustered or dispersed settlements?

Urban Patterns

1. Percentage of people living in urban areas
2. Number of people living in urban areas
3. Largest cities
4. Applicable models of urban development
5. Distribution of social classes within cities
6. Urban issues/problems
7. Use of space within urban areas

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

       http://countrystudies.us

       http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com

       http://memory.loc.gov/frd/cs

       www.britannica.com

       http://www.counrty-studies.com

       http://globalis.gvu.unu.edu

Other Resources For Project & Class Discussion

http://www.iht.com/ - International Herald Tribune – good international         newspaper

http://www.csmonitor.com/ - US print but covers the world

http://www.mondotimes.com/world/index.html - portal to news from countries throughout the world

www.wn.com online world news source

www.reuters.com online world news source

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm National Geographic Magazine

www.crisiswatch.org great website for up to date information about problem spots in the world with links to articles online

Developing Countries

Albania                                                

Algeria                                                        

Argentina                                                

Armenia                                                

Azerbaijan                                                

Bahrain                                                

Bangladesh                                                

Belarus                                                                

Belize                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Benin                                                        

Bhutan                                                        

Botswana                                                

Burkina Faso                                                

Burundi                                                

Cambodia                                                

Cameroon                                                

Cape Verde                                                

Central African Republic                                

Chad                                                        

Chile                                                        

Comoros                                                

Republic of the Congo                                

Congo Democratic Republic                                

Costa Rica                                                

Cote d’Ivoire                                                

Djibouti                                                

Dominican Republic                                        

Ecuador                                                

El Salvador                                                

Eritrea                                                        

Equatorial Guinea                                        

Ethiopia                                                

Gambia                                                

Georgia                                                

Ghana                                                        

Guatemala                                                

Guinea                                                        

Guinea Bissau                                                

Guyana                                                

Haiti                                                        

Honduras                                                

Indonesia                                                

Iran                                                        

Jamaica                                                

Jordan                                                        

Kazakhstan                                                

Kenya                                                        

Kyrgyzstan                                                

Laos                                                        

Lebanon                                                

Lesotho                                                

Liberia                                                        

Libya                                                        

Madagascar                                                

Malawi                                                

Malaysia                                                

Maldives                                                

Mali                                                        

Mauritania                                                

Mauritius                                                

Moldova                                                

Montenegro                                                

Morocco                                                

Mozambique                                                

Myanmar (Burma)                                        

Namibia                                                

Nepal                                                        

Nicaragua                                                

Niger                                                        

Nigeria                                                        

Palestine                                                

Oman                                                        

Pakistan                                                

Panama                                                

Papua New Guinea                                        

Paraguay                                                

Peru                                                        

Philippines                                                

Romania                                                

Rwanda                                                

Senegal                                                

Sierra Leone                                                

South Africa                                                

Sri Lanka                                                

Sudan                                                        

Suriname                                                

Swaziland                                                

Syria                                                        

Tanzania                                                

Thailand                                                

Togo                                                        

Tunisia                                                        

Uganda                                                

United Arab Emirates                                        

Uruguay                                                

Uzbekistan                                                

Venezuela                                                

Yemen                                                        

Zambia                                                

Zimbabwe