COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD Overview: For the end of the year project, students will collect information about one country, and then present that information using a variety of presentation materials (PowerPoint, Poster Board, Essay, etc.). This project will compare the sizes, populations, and political characteristics of different countries. Using this information, students will be able to ask and answer geographic questions as they relate to thecountry they selected. Time Table: This is your 4thmarking Period Quarterly Assessment. Due on the date of your assessment! You will have the rest of the year to complete the work. If you do not have access to a computer at home, you will either have to be finished the project by the end of school or use the library on your own time to complete it. After June 2nd, you will NOT have access to the computers in the room to do research or to print your work. Development: Students will gather information about their selected country. Some of the things you will be researching are the following: •
Country name
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Capital city
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Total area in square miles
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Total population
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Population density (population divided by land area)
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Population distribution (evenly spread, unevenly spread)
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Location of capital (center of country? population center of country? other)
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Length of border, who do they share the border with?
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Size of military
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Ratio of military personnel to total population, you will need to divide (sorry)
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Language or languages spoken
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Any other interesting or relevant information
Students will need to do math for calculating population density and the ratio of military personnel to total population. You should look up city placement on a map of the country to determine the location of each country's capital and the approximate population distribution.
You should discuss the following questions for both the large and small countries:
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Is the population spread evenly across the countries, or is there some other pattern to where people live (e.g., near good land, rich resources, or transportation networks such as rivers and mountain passes)?
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What problems does the settlement pattern reflect (e.g., overcrowding of fertile land or greater population and congestion in cities with employment opportunities)?
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Where is the country's capital in relation to the population?
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Can the capital serve the needs of everyone in the country?
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How long is the border of each country?
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What problems do long borders present (e.g., large areas to defend and, perhaps, a disproportionately large military)?
Presentation: PowerPoint- 16 slide minimum, printed out as 4 slides per page. Poster Board-Large poster board, minimum of 8 pictures. Information should be typed and pasted on the poster. No written work. Essay-Minimum of 5 pages essay. Double spaced, 12 pt. font. 1” margins. Resources: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/ http://www.infoplease.com/countries.html http://www.countryreports.org/ http://www.countryreports.org/